Freemasonry is one of the world's oldest, most widespread voluntary organizations. With a strong sense of liberation, moral enlightenment, cosmopolitan openness, and forward-looking philanthropy, freemasonry has attracted some of the sharpest minds in history and created a strong platform for nascent civil societies worldwide. With the secrecy of internally communicated knowledge, its clandestine character, the enactment of rituals, and elaborate...

"Looking at the deep connections between jazz and Freemasonry, the author reveals how many of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century were also Masons, including Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole, Eubie Blake, Cab Calloway, and Paul Robeson. Unveiling the deeply social role at the heart of black Freemasonry, Révauger shows how the black lodges were instrumental in helping American blacks transcend the horrors of slavery...