Improvising Freedom: Jazz and the African American Imagination – Jubilation! Listening Room Series
December 5 @ 1:00 pm
Jubilation! Listening Room Series
Improvising Freedom: Jazz and the African American Imagination
Jazz represents one of America’s greatest artistic achievements. Emerging from New Orleans through the blending of African musical traditions, blues, ragtime, brass band music, and sacred song, jazz celebrates creativity, collaboration, and improvisation. This Listening Room explores how jazz musicians transformed inherited traditions into a revolutionary art form that continues to inspire audiences worldwide. Through guided listening, participants will discover how jazz embodies freedom, innovation, and collective expression.
Facilitator: Gary Falk has written or co-authored several books on Louisville’s history and culture, including Louisville Remembered (2009), Made in Louisville, and the collaborative regional music history project The Soulful Sounds of Derbytown (2024). He is an accomplished saxophonist and flutist. Music has shaped Falk’s life since childhood in Chicago, where his grandfather, an accomplished stride pianist, performed throughout the city and later owned several nightclubs, including the Hi-Hat Club on Rush Street.
Jubilation! Listening Room Series
Improvising Freedom: Jazz and the African American Imagination
Jazz represents one of America’s greatest artistic achievements. Emerging from New Orleans through the blending of African musical traditions, blues, ragtime, brass band music, and sacred song, jazz celebrates creativity, collaboration, and improvisation. This Listening Room explores how jazz musicians transformed inherited traditions into a revolutionary art form that continues to inspire audiences worldwide. Through guided listening, participants will discover how jazz embodies freedom, innovation, and collective expression.
Facilitator: Gary Falk has written or co-authored several books on Louisville’s history and culture, including Louisville Remembered (2009), Made in Louisville, and the collaborative regional music history project The Soulful Sounds of Derbytown (2024). He is an accomplished saxophonist and flutist. Music has shaped Falk’s life since childhood in Chicago, where his grandfather, an accomplished stride pianist, performed throughout the city and later owned several nightclubs, including the Hi-Hat Club on Rush Street.
Details
Venue
Louisville, Kentucky 40203 + Google Map