Jazz Exhibit on Display in Gorton Music and Dance Library

In conjunction with the Fourth Annual Interdisciplinary Jazz Studies Colloquium held March 30, KU's Gorton Music and Dance Library recently mounted an exhibit illustrating this year's theme, "What's Avant-Garde about the Avant-Garde?"

Nancy Hawkins, media & reserve supervisor at the library, compiled the materials for the exhibit from the library's collections, and Tami Albin, undergraduate instructional outreach librarian and her student assistant, Seren Blankers, provided creative and technical assistance for mounting the exhibit. Dr. Sherrie Tucker, associate professor of American Studies and coordinator for the colloquium, contributed rare album covers from her personal collection, which illustrates Avant-Garde artists from the 1950s and 60s.

The exhibit also features works of Fred Ho and Kevin Whitehead, both featured speakers at the conference. Whitehead, jazz critic for NPR's "Fresh Air" and author of the book, New Dutch Swing, also teaches jazz-related courses in the American Studies and English departments at KU. Ho, composer, performer, author, activist, and founder of the Afro-Asian Ensemble, delivered the keynote address, a solo baritone saxophone concert and post-concert dialogue.