Description

Cohen records a historic conflict ending in the 1960s between musicians and the police in New York. Harassed musicians and performers were joined by a 'Citizen's Committee' of famous writers and publishers to fight the City Police Department's arbitrary rules and regulations against musicians, performers, and other employees of hotels, restaurants, and cabarets, and its powerful highly publicized 'law and order' Commissioner Stephen Kennedy. Among the musicians were Bud Powell, JJ Johnson, Duke Ellington, Nina Simone, and Johnny Richards. Important social issues dominated several trials, detailed in this book. Ultimately, the musicians and entertainers won. The author writes from personal experience, since he was attorney for the musicians, the entertainers, and the Citizen's Committee.