A. B. Spellman

Biography

Alfred Bennett Spellman (born August 1935) is a poet, music critic, and arts administrator. Considered a part of the Black Arts Movement, he first received attention for his book of poems entitled The Beautiful Days (1965). In 1966, he published a book on the then recent history of jazz entitled Four Lives in the Bebop Business (aka Black Music: Four Lives; Random House). From 1975 to 2005, he worked as an arts administrator for the National Endowment for the Arts. He has been instrumental in supporting jazz in the United States. A recording of his creative collaboration with Jeff Scott and the Imani Winds, titled Passion for Bach and Coltrane and featuring Spellman's narration, won the 2024 Grammy Award for Best Classical Compendium.

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