Charlie Parker
A saxophonist credited with the development of bebop, an experimental, complex form of jazz.
conked
(When in reference to hair) A labor-intensive process used to chemically straighten curly hair, typically used by African Americans.
dicty
Haughty, ostentatious, or pretentious.
down-home
Simple or informal; relating to rural or small-town people.
evocation
An imaginative recreation or vision.
freighted
To be loaded or burdened with something.
furlough
A period of time when a soldier is allowed to leave their duty station.
Greenwich Village
A neighborhood in New York City renowned for being an epicenter of art and counterculture movements throughout the 20th century.
Harlem
A largely African American neighborhood in New York City known for being an African American cultural center.
kinfolk
Family; people related by blood.
lament
A wail; a passionate expression of pain or sorrow.
Lenox Avenue
The main North-South route through the New York City neighborhood of Harlem. Considered by many to be the heart of the neighborhood.
lodestone
A naturally occurring magnetic rock; something that strongly attracts things.
loping
Lengthy or bounding, usually used to refer to one's stride.
Louis Armstrong
A trumpet and cornet player considered to be one of jazz's founding fathers.
member
A part of a larger whole, used in "Sonny's Blues" to refer to a limb or other part of the body.
obscurely
Not clear; ambiguous or uncertain.
progression
In music, a movement from one chord or note to another.
quicksilver
Something that moves or changes quickly and unpredictably, originally used to refer to the liquid metal mercury.
revival
A restoration or reawakening; in this context, an evangelistic meeting designed to reawaken the audience's faith.
sardonic
Disdainfully mocking or scornful.
testify
To bear witness; in a religious context, to speak of and provide evidence for God's existence.
