The Richmond Assault: a short history of barber-musicians and their role in the development of brush-playing

'The Richmond Assault' was a turn of phrase used to describe the practice of being brushed-down in rhythm by African American barbers in 19th century Richmond, Virginia. To a unsuspecting customer, the sensation of being slapped on the back by a barber's 'whisk-broom' felt like a physical assault; and the lesson in syncopation that followed - the customer serving as a convenient 'drum' - was for some, nothing more than an auditory assault. This book not only chronicles the development of this early form of brush-playing, but also puts its birth in context by exploring the wider musical tradition within barbering; a tradition that owes as much to world religion and medicine, as it does to musical heritage.