Making the Jazz Gumbo: An International Conference on Repertoires that Influenced and were Influenced by Early Jazz
Marking the 100th Anniversary of the death of James Reese Europe
Presented by the Historic Brass Society, with support from the City University Of New York Graduate Center
May 8, 2019
CUNY Graduate Center, NYC
Jimmy Owens and Bobby Sanabria – Co-Musical Directors
Jeff Nussbaum and John Graziano – Co-Conference Directors
Scholars and Performers to include: Jason Moran, Ehud Asherie, Frederick Starr, Jack Stewart, Michael Dinwiddle, Ned Sublette, Krin Gabbard, Ralph Barrett, Graham Haynes, Paul Niemisto, Thomas Garcia, Laura Moore Pruett + 20 Piece Period-Instrument Band.
For the complete program and abstracts, click here!
For the conference registration form, click here!
As with a great gumbo, the creation of musical genres involve the mix of many elements. Some of those elements have been downplayed in jazz history. This conference aims to address those shortcomings and will focus on musical styles that helped create and were influenced by jazz. Special focus will be placed on James Reese Europe and the Harlem Hell Fighters who created a link between ragtime and early jazz as well as what Jelly Roll Morton intriguingly called “That Spanish tinge.” Exploration of cross-influences from Latin American music will be explored, most notably, early Cuban repertoire. Brazilian choro, maxixe and other styles as well as repertoire from Puerto Rico, and Mexico will be included. Music and history of composers such as Louis Moreau Gottschalk, Pixinguinha, and Ernesto Nazareth will also be represented.
The conference will end with a period-instrument concert of the music of James Reese Europe and the Harlem Hell Fighters as well as late 19th and early 20th century music of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Brazil and works by Gottschalk, Pixinguinha, Nazareth, Jelly Roll Morton, Wm. Tyers, Lucky Roberts and others.
