A celebration of the woman who shaped jazz
February
In the early 1940s, a small Brownstown apartment in Harlem served as a salon for artists like Dizzie Gillespie, Billie Holliday and Thelonious Monk. Soon to be household names of jazz, these young artists made a nightly pilgrimage to the living room of pianist Mary Lou Williams. Led by Mary Lou, a new generation of jazz musicians would explore a radical new sound and form what we now know as bebop.
This February, join New World Symphony and Dr. Tammy Kernodle for a series of performances dedicated to the life, soundworld and legacy of Mary Lou Williams.From the world premiere of a rediscovered composition to an intimate keyboard cabaret, this year’s I Dream a World festival will give you a deeper understanding of the woman who shaped modern jazz.
I Dream a World festival highlights include an evening of chamber music at The Black Archives Historic Lyric Theater in Overtown, the return of the sold-out cabaret series featuring pianist Aaron Diehl and a concert with selections from Mary Lou Williams’ Mass and Zodiac Suite.