Blues, Jazz, and Rock ‘n’ Roll / Robert Greenberg. An extraordinary offshoot of the otherwise horrific institution of slavery was the synthesis of African and European music in the melting pot of North America. This synthesis created a dazzling array of utterly unique musical genres, among them, the Spiritual, Blues, Ragtime, Jazz, and Rock ‘n’ Roll. Starting with West African music, we will observe the development and evolution of the African-American Spiritual, Blues and the emergence of Ragtime. We will pay special attention to the “birth” of Jazz in the amazing multi-racial, multi-ethnic city of New Orleans, and the role of the New Orleans native Louis Armstrong in the advent and popularization of jazz in the 1920s. From there, we’ll trace through the development of “Swing” in the 1930s, “Bebop” in the 1940s; and post-WWII youth culture and the advent of Rock & Roll in the 1950s, itself a harbinger of the Civil Rights and Youth movements of the 1960s.

Performance/ the Erik Jekabson Quartet and John Santos, featuring Tommy Folen (bass), David Flores (drums), Erik Jekabson (trumpet), Grant Levin (piano) and John Santos (percussion).

Download the Jazz postcard here: HW Jazz Postcard FINAL