'Rhythm and Meaning: Jazz at KU' exhibition to open Feb. 15
LAWRENCE — A new collaborative jazz exhibit, featuring prominent jazz collections of the Midwest, including the University of Kansas Libraries’ own Jazz Archive, and highlighting the work of KU faculty, will open Friday, Feb. 15, at the Library Gallery in Watson Library.
The opening reception for “Rhythm and Meaning: Jazz at KU” begins at 5:30 p.m. with refreshments and live music by the KU Jazz Combo, followed by a conversation with Film and Media Studies Professor Chuck Berg. An acclaimed jazz critic, Berg will discuss his lifelong fascination with the genre and the role it has played in our social, political and cultural history. He also will speak about the rich collection of nearly 7,000 recordings that he and his wife donated to the KU Jazz Archive, and join Dan Gailey, director of KU Jazz Studies, to play a few pieces throughout the program.
Displayed in the exhibition alongside a selection of Berg’s donated materials will be images from area jazz collections: the American Jazz Museum, the Mid-America Black Archive, LaBudde Special Collections at UMKC, the Spencer Museum of Art and the Spencer Research Library.
The exhibition also will highlight recent KU faculty scholarship related to jazz, including that of Sherrie Tucker, American studies; Philip Barnard and William Harris, English; Chuck Berg, film and media studies; Clarence Lang and Tony Bolden, African and African-American studies; and Dan Gailey, music.
“This exhibition illustrates KU Libraries’ commitment to support scholarly research on campus and encourage collaboration between the Libraries and area museums and archives,” said Sarah Goodwin Thiel, chair of KU Libraries’ exhibits committee. “We are pleased to have this opportunity to showcase the prominent jazz expertise of KU’s faculty and to bring attention to the many invaluable materials related to jazz that are available at KU.”
The exhibit opening is free and open to the public; RVSP to Rachel Karwas at 785-864-8961 or rkarwas@ku.edu to attend.