Stanley Crouch

Known for his work as a jazz critic as well as his political commentaries, Stanley Crouch has been a consistently controversial figure in the journalism field. Crouch, a former jazz drummer turned full-time writer, has his admirers -- most notably, his protégé, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis -- and more than his share of detractors, who have attacked his opinions on music as well as his political views. When it comes to music, Crouch has a reputation for being a rigid jazz purist; he prefers very straight-ahead jazz and is a blistering critic of avant-garde jazz and fusion as well as rock, funk, and hip-hop. Politically, Crouch is perhaps best described as a centrist/moderate; he can be critical of conservative Republicans but has little use for black nationalists or black separatists and has often described Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan as "insane" and Al Sharpton as a "buffoon."

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