Welcome to the Jazz Generations Initiative’s newsletter! If you’ve been following along online, or come to any of our events, then you’ve already connected with our mission to uplift the energy of jazz and creativity in New York and New Orleans.
We hope you’ll stay connected to us across platforms as we continue our biweekly Soundoff Sessions at Café Erzulie in Brooklyn, Deep Dish Listening Sessions in New Orleans, concerts, residencies and a jazz listings calendar in both cities, video content on Instagram and TikTok, an oral history project, and an innovative new multimedia publication, sphere: a journal of jazz in motion.
Stay tuned…and scroll down to learn more about what our New York team has planned this month.
— Kyla Marshell
February 21: Voices of Healing & Liberation Concert with Amina Claudine Myers, Samora Pinderhughes, Courtney Bryan, Fred Moten & Alexis Pauline Gumbs
One of our priorities is presenting music in the jazz tradition in spaces it doesn’t often reach. Hence our first major concert, Saturday, February 21, at Bedford Central Presbyterian Church in Crown Heights. This night of music and poetry will interweave performances from pianists Amina Claudine Myers, Samora Pinderhughes & the Healing Project, and Courtney Bryan; poet Fred Moten and bassist Brandon Lopez; and poet and scholar Alexis Pauline Gumbs. Check out a word from BCPC’s Pastor Clive Neil here.
Get $5 off your ticket with code HEAL5.
Artwork by Logan Frances.
Healing & Liberation Satellite Events in Brooklyn this month
Dr. Courtney Bryan and Samora Pinderhughes
We kicked off our celebration of Voices of Healing & Liberation on Sunday with a beautiful conversation between Amina Claudine Myers and Dr. George Lewis, composer and long-time A.A.C.M. member. They reflected on the music of Myers' childhood in rural Arkansas, hearing John and Alice Coltrane perform live, and so much else. Stay tuned for video and more from that event!
On Thursday, February 19, at Medgar Evers College, Dr. Courtney Bryan will deliver a talk, "Composing Music for Healing and Liberation," sharing the process that led to her writing such pieces as “Sanctum,” “Yet Unheard,” and her own interpretations of classic spirituals.
Tuesday, February 24, at Bedford Central Presbyterian Church, pianist and composer Samora Pinderhughes leads an evening of poetry and community discussion featuring poet Mahogany L. Browne, writer Najha Zigbi-Johnson, community organizer Willie Kearse and others as part of the launch of The Healing Project Magazine and Pinderhughes’ “Call and Response” exhibition currently running at MoMA.
Both events are free and open to the public. RSVP here.
Meet us on IG!
Dr. Courtney Bryan and Dr. Robert G. O’Meally
“Jazz has always been about connection—between disciplines, between generations, between communities. With the Jazz Generations Initiative, we are creating a bridge between New York and New Orleans—a living network where artists and scholars can listen, learn, and carry forward the transformative stories and sounds of this music.” — Dr. Robert O’Meally, co-founder/principal investigator, JGI
“An outgrowth of the Jazz Study Group, our Jazz Generations Initiative celebrates the dynamic cultures and communities of New Orleans and New York while facilitating spaces for creativity and experimentation. Jazz teaches us values of listening, of community, and freedom, and with our interdisciplinary and intergenerational initiative, we aim to build upon the wisdom of our elders and perspectives of our youth as we collectively imagine new futures and bold possibilities.” — Dr. Courtney Bryan, co-founder/principal investigator, JGI
Soundoff Sessions @ Café Erzulie
If you’ve been coming to our biweekly sessions at Café Erzulie, you know that it’s a vibe every time! Over the last few months, we’ve welcomed The Trap Music Orchestra, Tyrone Allen, Kweku Sumbry and Jason Clotter (with surprise guest Samara Joy!). These shows are no-cover, with something new every time. Check out the line-up here and stay plugged in for details of upcoming shows.
The Jazz Generations Initiative cultivates creative futures in jazz performance and scholarship by celebrating the music's past and keeping its present rooted in community. Backed by a grant from the Mellon Foundation, and support from the Jazz Foundation of America, we’re most excited to be working with you: the audience, the artists and community that we’re bringing together around this music in New York, New Orleans and in the digital sphere.