The Midnight Special: Prison History of American Music Book Launch

A book launch conversation exploring how the criminal justice system shaped American popular music throughout the 20th century.

Drawing on The Midnight Special, the discussion traces how policing and prisons influenced music long before the commercial recording industry took hold — from the NYPD's power to bar musicians from performing in most of New York's clubs for over 25 years, to the role law enforcement played in shaping modern jazz, to the rich musical history of Rikers Island, where formal bands have been organized from the jazz era through today.