Washington, DC has a rich jazz history. It is, of course, the birthplace of Duke Ellington, and his genius was nurtured by the African American musical community of early 20th century. Washington is also the home of other jazz greats, like Jelly Roll Morton, Billy Taylor, Saxophonists Charlie Rouse and Buck Hill. All of the major artists such as Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker played at the Howard Theatre, while Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Sonny ...
Washington, DC has a rich jazz history. It is, of course, the birthplace of Duke Ellington, and his genius was nurtured by the African American musical community of early 20th century. Washington is also the home of other jazz greats, like Jelly Roll Morton, Billy Taylor, Saxophonists Charlie Rouse and Buck Hill. All of the major artists such as Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker played at the Howard Theatre, while Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins and Sarah Vaughn all performed at clubs such as the Bohemian Caverns, Blues Alley, the Cellar Door and the Showboat. There were an incredible array of neighborhood clubs such Abarth’s, Harold’s Rogue And Jar, One Step Down, Mr. Y’s, Moore’s Love and Peace and Bill Harris’s Pigfoot.
This 4-week course will examine the history of jazz in Washington and check out the current scene in such venues as Blues Alley, Twins, Jazz and Cultural Society and Westminster Church, among others. We will screen two classic documentaries about the DC jazz scene, “7th & T” and “Oxygen For The Ears: Living Jazz.”
Rusty Hassan has been broadcasting jazz on the Washington airwaves for fifty years. He can be currently heard on WPFW-FM. He has lectured at the Smithsonian Institution, the Corcoran and the National Geographic Society and has taught jazz history courses at Georgetown University, American University and the University of the District of Columbia.
This session will feature a screening of “7th & T.” This 1987 documentary depicts the rich musical heritage of the neighborhood surrounding the Howard Theatre and Howard University.
