Stanley Crouch, born on December 14, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, was an influential American writer, jazz critic, and cultural commentator. Encouraged by his mother, he began writing at the age of eight and later became active in the Civil Rights Movement during his junior high school years.

In the 1960s, Crouch taught literature and theater at Pomona College and was involved in the jazz scene as a drummer, collaborating with musicians like David Murray. In 1975, he moved to New York City, where he became a cultural critic for the Village Voice and immersed himself in the jazz community.

Crouch was known for his outspoken essays on African American arts, politics, and culture. He co-founded and served as an artistic consultant for Jazz at Lincoln Center, significantly influencing its repertoire and often writing notes and essays for concert programs.

Throughout his career, Crouch authored several critically acclaimed books, including:

• Notes of a Hanging Judge: Essays and Reviews, 1979–1989
• The All-American Skin Game, or, The Decoy of Race: The Long and the Short of It, 1990–1994
• Considering Genius: Writings on Jazz
• Kansas City Lightning: The Rise and Times of Charlie Parker

His contributions to literature and music criticism earned him numerous honors, including a MacArthur Foundation “genius” grant and the 2019 A.B. Spellman NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship for Jazz Advocacy.

Stanley Crouch passed away on September 16, 2020, in New York City, leaving behind a legacy of passionate and provocative discourse on American culture and jazz.