Okeh Records

Okeh Records is mentioned in Paule Marshall’s Praisesong for the Widow. In the novel it is stated that Jerome Johnson’s father had been a scout for Okeh Records, which is a record label that represented many African-American blues and jazz artists that other record labels would not associate with. Jerome Johnson has a strong taste for blues and jazz, two genres of music that are often associated with the black man’s struggle. Johnson’s affinity for this music shows that he is in touch with his roots and that he is entrenched in the movement known as the Harlem Renaissance.



-Max Latman