Ars Nova Workshop and Kelly Writers House welcomes writer John Szwed and pianist Dave Burrell in a public discussion that hopes to shed more light on the significance of pianist/composer Jelly Roll Morton and the stride continuum that paved the way for the jazz avant-garde.
Thursday, January 11 | 6pm
FROM JELLY ROLL MORTON TO THE JAZZ AVANT-GARDE
with JOHN SZWED & DAVE BURRELL
Kelly Writers House, University of Pennsylvania | 3805 Locust Walk
Free Admission
More… John Szwed taught as the University of Cincinnati, Lehigh University, Temple University, and later became the Director of the Center for Urban Ethnography and Professor of Folklore and Folklife at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1982, he began teaching at Yale, where he has served as Director of Graduate Studies and Acting Chair in Anthropology, as well as Acting Chair of African-American Studies. He has also served as Louis Armstrong Visiting Professor at Columbia University. In recent years John F. Szwed has published several other books: “Space is the Place: The Life and Times of Sun Ra” in 1997; “So What: The Life of Miles Davis” was published in 2002; “Jazz 101” in 2000; “Crossovers: Essays on Race, Music, and American Culture” in 2005; “Blues for New Orleans: Mardi Gras and America’s Creole Soul” in 2006; and “Doctor Jazz,” a book included with the CD set, “Jelly Roll Morton: The Complete Library of Congress Recordings by Alan Lomax,” 2005, for which he was awarded a Grammy in 2006.