Jazz Underground Series: New Orleans All-Star Jam
Doors Open: 7:00 PM
Nunemaker Hall, Loyola University! $10 Admission, $5 w/Student ID, LOYOLA STUDENTS FREE WITH I.D.!
Wikipedia defines jam session as “a musical act where musicians play by improvising without extensive preparation of predefined arrangements.”
The New York scene during 1940s and early 1950s was famous for its after-hours jam sessions. Places like Minton's Playhouse became fertile meeting places and proving grounds for both established soloists like Ben Webster and Lester Young, and the younger jazz musicians who would soon become leading exponents of the bebop movement, including Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, and Dizzy Gillespie. Some sessions were legendary for their highly competitive “cutting contests”, in which soloists would try to keep up with the house band and outdo each other in improvisation skill.
Jazz Impresario, Norman Grantz delighted audiences by presenting Jazz greats jamming together on concert hall stages around the world. We hope to draw upon that tradition this evening. Expect fireworks and some exciting moments from all of these remarkable players.