Wednesday, May 10, 2017

A Brief HERstory of Jazz at The Jung Center of Houston

Pianist, singer and composer Lillian Hardin

On Wednesday, June 28 at 7:30 p.m. at The Jung Center of Houston, I will present a lecture with live music by saxophonist Alisha Pattillo and pianist and singer Pamela York. My lecture, titled "A Brief HERstory of Jazz," will focus on three pioneering female jazz musicians: pianist, singer and composer Lillian Hardin, pianist and composer Mary Lou Williams, and pianist, harpist and composer Alice Coltrane. Portions of my lecture will be include live musical accompaniment by Pattillo and York.

The cost is $20 / $15 for Jung Center members. You can register in advance by phone or online.

I am really looking forward to this, and very proud to be a part of The Jung Center of Houston's summer programming.

Here is a description of the lecture and performance from The Jung Center website:

"Discover the untold feminine past, present, and future of jazz in this revelatory lecture by musician and writer Chris Becker, author of Freedom of Expression: Interviews with Women in Jazz, with live music performed by Houston jazz artists Pamela York and saxophonist Alisha Pattillo. We will learn about the groundbreaking women who made crucial contributions to the development of jazz, from bandleader Lillian Hardin, who brought Louis Armstrong into the national spotlight, to pianist and composer Mary Lou Williams, whose repertoire spans seven decades and nearly every style of jazz one can imagine. This engaging presentation is designed for both casual and seasoned jazz fans."