SYMPHONY OF SECRETS

In this smart, intricate mystery, which examines the origins of jazz and genius, a contemporary music historian is hired to prepare a lost symphonic score by a celebrated 1920s jazz composer for its first public performance in a century. Narrator Chanté McCormick lends an edge to the voices of the historian and his tech-savvy partner, who against their benefactor's wishes discover that the famous white male composer may have had an uncredited partner who was gifted, female, and Black. McCormick switches to a more homespun voice to deliver the intriguing 1920s backstory that underscores the wheeling and dealing of Tin Pan Alley and the darkness behind cultural appropriation. In a heartfelt afterword the author emphasizes the healing and transformative powers of music. B.P. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2023]