In celebration of UNESCO’s International Jazz Day, the Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature presents an event that celebrates the intersection of jazz with he work of the writer Ralph Ellison. Horace Porter, F. Wendell Miller Professor of English & American Studies at the University of Iowa, will discuss Ellison’s work. Throughout the program, a jazz ensemble will performance songs composed or made famous by jazz artists who connected with Ellison, including Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker and Louis Armstrong. The ensemble includes Damani Phillips (saxophone), James Dreier (drums), Blake Shaw (bass), and Grace Leong (piano) from the University of Iowa School of Music.
Thursday April 30, noon to 1 p.m. in Meeting Room A of the Iowa City Public Library. Music will be performed for 15 minutes before and after the program.
Co-presented by the University of Iowa School of Music and the Iowa City Public Library