By Jon W. Poses
An email last week from the University of Missouri School of Music had me at the mere mention of an upcoming event centered on Mary Lou Williams, the late, iconic jazz pianist. To say Williams is a seminal figure in modern jazz is, well, beyond an understatement. She’s
that important and remains
that influential.
At 4 p.m. Thursday, the Middleton Center for Race, Citizenship, and Justice and the School of Music are co-sponsoring the Zoom gathering “Mary Lou Williams: Jazz Composer, Pianist, Activist.” The event features a pair of MU faculty, Stephanie Shonekan and Sam Griffith. (Full disclosure: Griffith is a “We Always Swing” Jazz Series board member.) Members of the MU Concert Jazz Band, who will examine Williams’ music the day before, are also slated to serve on the panel.
The arrival of February marks the beginning of Black History Month. Typically, Black student organizations at Duke have used this time to hold musical performances, put on plays and invite speakers to campus. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, student groups have had to find new ways to connect the community through virtual events.