Riff: The Shake Keane Story

By Philip Nanton

Riff explores the turbulent life of the Caribbean musician and poet Shake Keane (1927-97). A trend-setting but troubled Caribbean icon, he absorbed many of the themes of the 20th century - colonialism, migration and masculinity. Each of them found expression in his work. Born in St Vincent, he migrated to London in the early 1950s where he became an important figure in the free form jazz scene. A return to his birthplace was blighted by politics, and his last decades were spent in self-imposed exile in New York City and Norway.

'This beautiful, evocative biography of Shake Keane explores with equal passion Keane’s double life as poet and musician and his innovation as a virtuoso in both art forms. Nanton brilliantly contextualises Keane’s life through the multiple lenses of Caribbean nationalism, post-war migration and the formation of Caribbean literary identity. A compelling and captivating read'- Hannah Lowe

'The story of Shake Keane has never been more inspiring or relevant to the times in which we live. Born in St Vincent, the trumpeter was an integral part of innovative bands led by Joe Harriott and Michael Garrick in the 1960s, and defied expectations of what a West Indian musician could achieve in post-war Britain. Keane was also an accomplished poet with a sharp wit and strident humour. Philip Nanton’s excellent biography creates an engaging portrait of a restless, complex soul'- Kevin Le Gendre

• Language: English
• Publisher: Papillote Press
• Release date: Jan 4, 2021
• ISBN: 9781838041519

Philip Nanton

Philip Nanton is a writer, poet and performer Born in St Vincent, he now lives in Barbados. He is an honorary Research Associate at the University of Birmingham and occasional lecturer at the Cave Hill campus of the University of the West Indies, Barbados. He has made radio documentaries on Caribbean literature and culture for the BBC. His books, Island Voices for St. Christopher and the Barracudas (2014) and Canouan Suite and Other Pieces (2016), mix poetry and prose, and were both published by Papillote Press. His latest book, Frontiers of the Caribbean (2017) was published by Manchester University Press.