The Genius of James Brown: A Symposium

“Ain’t that a Groove”: The Genius of James Brown
A Princeton University Two-Day Symposium

PROGRAM

Thursday, November 29, 2007
Richardson Auditorium, Princeton University

6:00pm
Welcome
Valerie Smith, Director of the Center for African American Studies

6:15pm
"James Brown: Man To Man", Concert Film Footage
courtesy of Alan Leeds and Harry Weinger

7pm-9pm
“On the One”: A Keynote Roundtable featuring Robert Christgau, Farah J. Griffin, Alan Leeds, and Fred Moten
moderator: Daphne A. Brooks

Friday, November 30, 2007
Richardson Auditorium, Princeton University

9:00am
Opening Remarks: “‘I’m Not There’: Popular Music Studies & the
Godfather of Soul”
Daphne A. Brooks

9:30-11:30am
“It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World”: Black Power, Black Masculinity and the Politics of Funk

Mark Anthony Neal, "In the Rhythm of Patriarchy: 'Papa Don't Take No Mess'"
Jason King, “James Brown’s Sweat”
Thomas F. DeFrantz, “My Brother, the Dance Master”
Robert Fink, “Soul Power, 1971”
Moderator: Tera W. Hunter

1:00-3:00pm
The Funky Precedent: Revolutionizing Rock, Birthing Hip Hop—Theorizing James Brown’s Musical Innovations

Kandia Crazy Horse, "The One and Only: King James' Rock Revolt"
Rickey Vincent, "James Brown and the Rhythm Revolution"
Ahmir ?uestlove Thompson, “The Roots of Hip Hop”
Harry Weinger, “Listening to James Brown”
Moderator: Joshua B. Guild

3:30-5:30pm
“Mama Don’t Take No Mess”: Black Feminist Readings of James Brown

Greg Tate, “blues and the nekkid truth--the embodied she-funks of betty davis, chaka khan, grace jones and meshell ndeocello”
Imani Perry, "Telling Him About Himself: A Feminist Reading of James Brown"
Mendi Obadike, "The Pleasure/Challenge of James Brown's Iconicity"
Ernest Hardy, "James Brown: Portal of Possibility"
Moderator: Tavia Nyong’o

5:30-6:00pm
Closing Remarks
Cornel West, Class of 1943 University Professor in the Center for African American Studies

8:30-10pm
101 McCormick Hall

Special Evening Q&A
A Conversation with legendary James Brown band members Pee Wee Ellis, Fred Wesley and Questlove of the Roots
Moderator: Alan Leeds

LaShonda Katrice Barnett on Black Women Songwriters

NPR's News & Notes, November 21, 2007

LaShonda Katrice Barnett interviewed more than 40 black female musicians in her quest to know about the craft of songwriting. She shares what she learned in her book, I Got Thunder: Black Women Songwriters and Their Craft, and tells Farai Chideya how these women shaped modern music.

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