Pete McSloy wrote this song as a tribute to musicians of Afro-American, African, Caribbean and Asian heritage and a recognition of the contribution made to world culture by black music. The title is a reference to the famous ironic line in the film Monty Python’s Life of Brian: ‘What have the Romans ever done for us?’
The photographs are from the archives of Phil Portus taken over the years at jazz festivals and local jazz venues.
What has black music ever done for us?
