Resumen de Riff: The Shake Keane Story by Philip Nanton

Veronica Austen (res.)

• In crafting this portrait of Keane, Nanton's focus is celebratory but not entirely exculpatory: he describes a man whose personal life was often less extraordinary and commendable than his contributions to music and literature. [...]the quoted words of Keane's son serve as the moral of this biography: "Jazz is full of brilliant players who didn't make their mark as they might have" (47). While at times some of the preserved gaps and uncertainties lead to small lapses in clarity, Riff: The Shake Keane Story is an enjoyable read that participates in the burgeoning field of Caribbean biography1 and draws attention to an important figure whose contributions are ripe for further study.