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JAZZAlive Events

The JAZZAlive calendar is full of concerts and educational forums. Please visit the JAZZAlive events calendar online here for full descriptions of events. ALL events are FREE, OPEN to the public (unless otherwise noted) and METRO accessible.

AUGUST 2018

An Evening of Jazz on the Plaza

Wednesday, August 29, 2018
6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Join us for an evening of conversation and music in celebration of DC Jazz: Stories of Jazz Music in Washington, DC. Meet the editors and authors of this collection of original and fascinating stories about the DC Jazz scene throughout its history and enjoy live jazz by the stellar UDC JAZZtet.
FREE & Open to the Public.
For more information, contact Judith Korey jkorey@udc.edu | 202.274.5803 or Kemmell Watson kemmell.watson@udc.edu | 202.274.5807.
UNIVERSITY PLAZA at the Fountain & Felix E. Grant Jazz Archives (Bldg. 41-Level A)

SEPTEMBER

JAZZforum: Noal Cohen and Lynne Mueller: Art Farmer — Celebrating His Legacy
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
7:00 p.m.

One of the most respected and original of modern jazz trumpeters, Art Farmer (1928-1999) left a substantial legacy throughout a career that lasted over 50 years. 2018 brings the 90th anniversary of his birth as well as the creation of a new website dedicated to his life and music. Join us when author and discographer Noal Cohen and Lynne Mueller, leader of the website team and significant friend and manager of Farmer in the later years of his life, present a curated listening session highlighting his recordings, including those made when he was living in Europe.
RECITAL HALL (Performing Arts—Bldg. 46-West)
Allyn Johnson and Meet the Artist on the Bandstand - James King, Jr.
Tuesday, September 25, 2018
12:30 p.m.

Join favorite pianist Allyn Johnson and acclaimed bassist, composer and educator James King, Jr. for an up close and personal session of conversation and performance.
RECITAL HALL (Performing Arts—Bldg. 46-West)

OCTOBER

Tom Teasley and The World of Rhythm
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
12:30 p.m.

World percussionist, composer and educator Tom Teasley presents a program describing, combining and demonstrating a variety of rhythmic concepts from different cultures on his unique “hybrid kit,” which is a drumset adaptation with instruments from Africa, Brazil, Cuba, Peru and the Middle East.
RECITAL HALL (Performing Arts—Bldg. 46-West)
JAZZforum: DC JAZZ: From Federal City College to UDC
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
7:00 p.m.

DC Jazz: Stories of Jazz Music in Washington, DC by editors Maurice Jackson and Blair A. Ruble presents a collection of original and fascinating stories about the DC Jazz scene throughout its history, including a chapter on the contributions of the University of the District of Columbia (UDC). Join UDC-TV’s Cheryl L. Hawkins, chapter contributor Judith Korey and jazz studies director Allyn Johnson for a discussion on the rich past and future of jazz at UDC.
RECITAL HALL (Performing Arts—Bldg. 46-West)
Allyn Johnson and Meet the Artist on the Bandstand - Christie Dashiell
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
12:30 p.m.

Allyn Johnson invites exciting vocalist and recording artist Christie Dashiell for a session of conversation and performance.
RECITAL HALL (Performing Arts—Bldg. 46-West)

NOVEMBER

45th Annual D.C. History Conference The Historical Society of Washington, D.C.
November 1-4, 2018
University of the District of Columbia

Panel: DC JAZZ: Stories of Jazz Music at the University of the District of Columbia
Friday, November 2, 2018
3:15 p.m.

DC JAZZ: Stories of Jazz Music in Washington, DC is a co-publishing initiative by Georgetown University Press (June 2018) and the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. Editors Maurice Jackson and Blair Ruble introduce this collection of original and fascinating stories about the D.C. jazz scene throughout its history. DC JAZZ contributors Judith Korey, Rusty Hassan and Michael Fitzgerald highlight the rich past, present and future of jazz performance, education, history and research at the University of the District of Columbia, Washington’s Jazz University and the only institution of public higher education in the nation’s capital.
RECITAL HALL (Performing Arts—Bldg. 46-West)
Tour: Felix E. Grant Jazz Archives at the University of the District of Columbia

The only jazz specific archive in the DC area is found at the Felix E. Grant Jazz Archives at the University of the District of Columbia, which in just three decades has had substantial impact on the jazz research world.
FELIX E. GRANT JAZZ ARCHIVES (Bldg. 41—Level A)
Jazz Concert: Junior Recital - Theresa Watson, vocalist
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
7:00 p.m.

Vocalist and jazz studies major Theresa Watson presents her Junior Recital.
RECITAL HALL (Performing Arts—Bldg. 46-West)
JAZZforum —Maxine Gordon in Conversation with Reuben Jackson: Sophisticated Giant: The Life and Legacy of Dexter Gordon
Thursday, November 15, 2018
6:30 p.m.

Sophisticated Giant presents the life and legacy of tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon (1923—1990), one of the major innovators of modern jazz. In a context of biography, history, and memoir, Maxine Gordon has completed the book that her late husband began, weaving his “solo” turns with her voice and a chorus of voices from past and present. Reading like a jazz composition, the blend of research, anecdote, and a selection of Dexter’s personal letters reflects his colorful life and legendary times.

Maxine Gordon is an independent scholar with a lifetime career working with jazz musicians. As an oral historian and archivist in the fields of jazz and African American cultural history, her book, Sophisticated Giant, fulfills the promise she made to her late husband, jazz saxophonist and Academy Award nominated actor Dexter Gordon, to complete his biography. Archivist, poet, writer and radio broadcaster/producer Reuben Jackson is currently the Jazz Archives Specialist at the Felix E. Grant Jazz Archives.

This event is co-sponsored by Busboys & Poets.
BUSBOYS & POETS (14th & V — 2021 14th St. NW)
Jazz Concert: UDC Small Jazz Ensembles
Tuesday, November 20, 2018
12:30 p.m.

Join the Jazz Ensembles under the direction of Allyn Johnson for our Thanksgiving celebration.
RECITAL HALL (Performing Arts—Bldg. 46-West)

DECEMBER

Annual Holiday Concert
Monday, December 10, 2018
7:30 p.m.

The University of the District of Columbia presents its annual holiday gift to the Washington, D.C. community. The UDC Chorale directed by Richard Odom, starts the evening with a program of choral music followed by the gospel sounds of The Voices, directed by Gerry Gillespie. The UDC Jazz Ensemble directed by Allyn Johnson closes the program with big band jazz sure to spread the holiday spirit.
UNIVERSITY AUDITORIUM (Theatre of the Arts—Bldg. 46-East)

FEBRUARY 2019

JAZZforum —Reuben Jackson

Monday, February 4, 2019
7:00 p.m.

Archivist, poet, writer, radio broadcaster/producer and currently Jazz Archives Specialist at the Felix E. Grant Jazz Archives, Reuben Jackson, discusses his remarkable career with veteran jazz broadcaster and historian, Rusty Hassan.
RECITAL HALL (Performing Arts—Bldg. 46-West)
Tom Teasley and Chao Tian

Tuesday, February 12, 2019
12:30 p.m.

Join world percussionist Tom Teasley and a leading performer on the Chinese dulcimer and prominent educator and advocate for Chinese traditional music, Chao Tian. Their new project Dong Xi is duo collaboration merging the world of improvised music inspired by Chinese folk and classical music with American jazz and world fusion rhythms. They have recently appeared at The Kennedy Center, TED Talk and will provide music for the next Constellation Theatre production, "The White Snake" in April.
RECITAL HALL (Performing Arts—Bldg. 46-West)
Jazz Concert: UDC Small Jazz Ensembles
Tuesday, February 26, 2019
12:30 p.m.

Join the jazz ensembles under the direction of Allyn Johnson for our Black History Month celebration.
RECITAL HALL (Performing Arts—Bldg. 46-West)

MARCH

JAZZforum —Rusty Hassan

Monday, March 4, 2019
7:00 p.m.

Veteran jazz broadcaster and historian Rusty Hassan has been described by author and Artistic Director of DC Jazz Festival, Willard Jenkins as ". . . one of the warmest, most knowledgeable interviewers in jazz radio . . . one of those cornerstones of the jazz cognoscenti in the DC area." Rusty will discuss his remarkable career with Reuben Jackson.
RECITAL HALL (Performing Arts—Bldg. 46-West)

Allyn Johnson and Meet the Artist on the Bandstand
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
12:30 p.m.

Favorite pianist and UDC Jazz Studies Director Allyn Johnson curates a JAZZAlive series featuring performance and conversation.
RECITAL HALL (Performing Arts—Bldg. 46-West)

APRIL — JAM 2019 (Jazz Appreciation Month)@UDC

JAZZforum —Washington, DC, Jazz (Images of America) - Dr. Regennia N. Williams and Rev. Dr. Sandra Butler-Truesdale

Monday, April 8, 2019
7:00 p.m.

JAZZforum celebrates the recently published book Washington, DC, Jazz (Images of America) with authors Dr. Regennia N. Williams and Rev. Dr. Sandra Butler-Truesdale. Washington, DC, Jazz focuses primarily, on the history of straight-ahead jazz, using oral histories, materials from the William P. Gottlieb Collection at the Library of Congress, the Felix E. Grant Jazz Archives at the University of the District of Columbia, and Smithsonian Jazz. This volume also features the work of photographers Nathaniel Rhodes, Michael Wilderman, and Lawrence A. Randall with a forward by Willard Jenkins.
RECITAL HALL (Performing Arts—Bldg. 46-West)

Jazz Concert: UDC Small Jazz Ensembles
Tuesday, April 9, 2019
12:30 p.m.

Jazz ensembles under the direction of Allyn Johnson celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month in a variety of flavors.
RECITAL HALL (Performing Arts—Bldg. 46-West)

Calvin Jones BIG BAND Jazz Festival
Monday, April 29, 2019
8:00 p.m.

The Calvin Jones BIG BAND Jazz Festival celebrates 33 years of world-class jazz at the University of the District of Columbia. The Big Band sound returns to UDC as the powerhouse jazz ensembles from the University of the District of Columbia (directed by Allyn Johnson), Howard University (directed by Fred Irby III) and the University of Maryland (directed by Chris Vadala) once again cap off Jazz Appreciation Month with a with a hand-clapping, finger-snapping, foot-stomping good time. Produced by UDC's Jazz Studies Program and the Felix E. Grant Jazz Archives, the festival began in 1987 as part of a citywide tribute to Duke Ellington, and it remains one of the most anticipated events on Washington, DC's jazz calendar. Scholarship Benefit Series.
UNIVERSITY AUDITORIUM (Theatre of the Arts—Bldg. 46-East).

Tickets are $20 (general admission), $15 (seniors), and $10 (students) and can be purchased in advance at the UDC Music Program, Performing Arts-Bldg. 46-West or online at InstantSeats.com.

JUNE

SAVE THE DATE:
DC Jazz Festival
June 7 —16, 2019 — Celebrating 15 Years

Since 2005, the DC Jazz Festival organization has provided enriching and entertaining jazz performances and programs that introduce students and adults from all walks of life to jazz, our nation's singular original art form. The festival presents a selection of the jazz genre's most acclaimed artists as well as emerging artists, and provides enhanced exposure for the rich treasure trove of musicians from the Washington, DC area. Throughout the year, the DC Jazz Festival nourishes the community with free educational programs that extend our reach into underserved communities and enhance the quality of life for DC public and charter school students.

Please note that all events, dates, and times listed are subject to change. Additional events may be scheduled throughout the year. Unless otherwise noted, all programs are FREE and OPEN to the public.