A Story Foreword

A Story Foreword takes listeners on a literal journey through the African American experience from the 1500s to the present. It’s part cinematic hip hop album, dance opera, and multimedia project released in remembrance of the 400th anniversary of the uninterrupted history of African Americans — starting with the first documented arrival at Point Comfort in Hampton, Virginia, in 1619.

The project remembers the sacrifices of a people but also celebrates their resilience, creativity, innovation, and global influence in the face of centuries of injustice and inequity.

The project was also conceived as a loose framework by which others could springboard and create their own interpretations: staged dance operas, videos, rhymes, remixes, etc.

A companion digital book has also been in the works. For those who wish to dive into the experience further, the book offers informative and fascinating educational history based upon over 10 years’ of Jammes Luckett’s own research.

While the album can be enjoyed as a standalone project, the book not only includes production notes but also scene summaries and relevant essays — brief historical context for each track and resources to learn more about key events and the people behind them.

Thrillharmonik is Jammes Luckett (all instruments)

All music and lyrics written by: Jammes Luckett ©Pied Piper Lorre Musesick (ASCAP), except where noted.
Production by Jammes Luckett ℗Art Mechanix. All Rights Reserved.

Album art by: Jammes Luckett, Art Mechanix, except:

• Design inspired by the sleeve design of Kraftwerk’s “Tour de France” single (1983), designed by Ralf Hütter and adapted from a 1953 Hungarian postage stamp. 

• The woman incorporates the painting “Black Woman portrait” by Florin-Chis / DeviantArt

“An Imperfect Union” derives melody from the U.S. national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner” [Public Domain]. The song itself derives lyrics from a poem written by Francis Scott Key (1814) and melody from "To Anacreon in Heaven" (or "The Anacreontic Song”) written by John Stafford Smith.

“The Mountaintop” contains audio excerpts from “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” [Public Domain], the final speech written and delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on April 3, 1968 at the Mason Temple in Memphis, Tennessee. Recording courtesy of the United States Library of Congress.

“The Mountaintop” derives lyrics and melody from “We Shall Overcome” [Public Domain], a traditional gospel and protest song that was derived from the lyrics and music of “If My Jesus Wills” written by Louise Shropshire (1930s, first published in 1942) and possibly also lyrics from “I’ll Overcome Someday” written by Rev. Charles Albert Tindley (published in 1900).

Check back later for free downloads of the full companion booklet.