Suggested Reading
Looking to continue your learning away from the dancefloor? Learning more about the wider context of Lindy Hop as a black American art form is an important way to deepen your appreciation of the dance and better your own own understanding of how to be a more respectful guest in a culture that may not be your own.
This is by no means a comprehensive list, however it represents many of the books that have helped us on our way to a better understanding of the history of Lindy Hop and jazz music.
The list of books is loosely split into three sections. If you don’t know where to start, why not choose a favourite artist and go from there?
At the end of this page you’ll also find some blog recommendations as well.
Jazz Dance
Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop – Frankie Manning & Cynthia Millman
Swingin’ at the Savoy – Norma Miller & Evette Jensen
Steppin’ on the Blues – Jacqui Malone
Between the Beats: The Jazz Tradition and Black Vernacular Dance – Christi Jay Wells
Moving to Higher Ground – Wynton Marsalis
Jazz Dance: The Story of American Vernacular Dance – Marshall & Jean Stearns
Rooted Jazz Dance: Africanist Aesthetics and Equity in the Twenty First Century – Linsay Guarino, Carols R.A.Jones & Wendy Oliver
Stomping the Blues – Albert Murray
A Little Devil in America – Hanif Abdurrafqib
Jazz Artists
Lady Sings the Blues – Billie Holiday
Good Morning Blues: The Autobiography of Count Basie – Count Basie and Arthur Murray
Ain’t Misbehavin’: The Story of Fats Waller – Ed Kirkeby
Soul on Soul: The Life of Mary Lou Williams – Tammy Kernodle
The Uncrowned King of Swing: Fletcher Henderson and Big Band Jazz – Jeffrey Magee
Hi-di-ho: The Life of Cab Calloway – Alyn Shypton
Satchmo: My Life in New Orleans – Louis Armstrong
Cultural Context
Why I’m no longer talking to white people about race – Reni Eddo-Lodge
White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism – Dr Robin DiAngelo
The New Jim Crow – Michelle Alexander
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration’ – Isabel Wilkerson
Another Country – James Baldwin
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents – Isabel Wilkerson
How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America – Clint Smith
Systematic Land Theft – Jillian Hishaw
Black & British: A Forgotten History – David Olusoga
Black British Lives Matter – Lenny Henry and Marcus Ryder
The Making of the Black Working Class in Britain – Ron Ramdin
Blogs
Books obviously aren’t where reading ends. Among other sources, blogs are written by contributors to the modern scene today and as such can provide a different, sometimes more tangible perspective on the issues facing our global and local communities. Why not check out:
Swungover - Bobby White’s ongoing deep dive into the history of Lindy Hop. Read here.
Obsidian Tea - Grey Armstrong’s “blackness and blues” blog. Read here.
Let’s Talk About Lindy Hop and Blackness - iLindy.com blog series by Grey Armstrong. Read here.
If you have any reading suggestions for us, please get in touch and let us know what they are.