Skip to main content
for

Northwestern course to explore jazz and new Black music in Chicago

Black studies department hosts performance and panel with renowned artists March 4

  • Updated: January 30, 2024 – added artist press photos

EVANSTON, Ill. --- An innovative Northwestern University class on Black music in Chicago will culminate in a student-produced concert and pre-show panel featuring renowned jazz musicians with deep connections to Chicago.

“New Black Music (Jazz) in Chicago” will take place Monday, March 4 from 4 to 7:30 p.m. at Galvin Hall, 70 Arts Circle Drive. The event is free and open to the public. 

The program kicks off at 4 p.m. with a panel discussion on the state of jazz in Chicago. Panelists will include Junius Paul (bassist); Jeff Parker (guitarist, Tortoise and Isotope 217°); Brandee Younger (Grammy-nominated harpist); and Makaya McCraven (drummer, producer). A post- panel reception will begin at 5:30 p.m.

These artists will be joined by fellow musicians Greg Ward (alto sax, Fitted Shards); Marquis Hill (trumpeter, Monk Institute of Jazz International Competition Winner 2014); and De’Sean Jones (tenor sax, Urban Art Orchestra) for a concert beginning at 6 p.m.  

The concert and panel are part of the annual Leon Forrest Lecture series hosted by the department of Black studies and is also made possible by the Kaplan Institute’s Inaugural Artist Engagement Initiative grant and support from the Weinberg Office of the Dean.

Course instructor Nitasha Sharma, the Charles Deering McCormick Professor of Teaching Excellence and professor of Black studies and Asian American studies, said the concert will offer audiences an opportunity to see multiple celebrated artists on a single bill, while the panel discussion will highlight topics discussed in the classroom.

“Being a musician today is not just about the music,” Sharma said. “By inviting key players with ties to Chicago to share their experiences, our community will gain insight into the city’s impact on the music of these contemporary artists.”

Read more about the class in Northwestern Magazine’s Winter 2024 issue.

For event information visit Northwestern’s department of Black studies website.

Multimedia Downloads

Photos

Grammy-nominated harpist Brandee Younger is among the featured performers in “New Black Music (Jazz) in Chicago.” The March 4 panel and performance event is part of the Leon Forrest lecture series hosted by the Black Studies department at Northwestern University. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Download
Grammy-nominated harpist Brandee Younger is among the featured performers in “New Black Music (Jazz) in Chicago.” The March 4 panel and performance event is part of the Leon Forrest lecture series hosted by the Black Studies department at Northwestern University. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Drummer and producer Makaya McCraven is among the featured performers in “New Black Music (Jazz) in Chicago.” The March 4 panel and performance event is part of the Leon Forrest lecture series hosted by the Black Studies department at Northwestern University. Photo credit: Sulyiman.
Download
Drummer and producer Makaya McCraven is among the featured performers in “New Black Music (Jazz) in Chicago.” The March 4 panel and performance event is part of the Leon Forrest lecture series hosted by the Black Studies department at Northwestern University. Photo credit: Sulyiman.
Guitarist Jeff Parker is among the featured performers in “New Black Music (Jazz) in Chicago.” The March 4 panel and performance event is part of the Leon Forrest lecture series hosted by the Black Studies department at Northwestern University. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Download
Guitarist Jeff Parker is among the featured performers in “New Black Music (Jazz) in Chicago.” The March 4 panel and performance event is part of the Leon Forrest lecture series hosted by the Black Studies department at Northwestern University. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Trumpeter and Monk Institute of Jazz International Competition Winner 2014 Marquis Hill among the featured performers in “New Black Music (Jazz) in Chicago.” The March 4 panel and performance event is part of the Leon Forrest lecture series hosted by the Black Studies department at Northwestern University. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Download
Trumpeter and Monk Institute of Jazz International Competition Winner 2014 Marquis Hill among the featured performers in “New Black Music (Jazz) in Chicago.” The March 4 panel and performance event is part of the Leon Forrest lecture series hosted by the Black Studies department at Northwestern University. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Bassist Junius Paul is among the featured performers in “New Black Music (Jazz) in Chicago.” The March 4 panel and performance event is part of the Leon Forrest lecture series hosted by the Black Studies department at Northwestern University. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Download
Bassist Junius Paul is among the featured performers in “New Black Music (Jazz) in Chicago.” The March 4 panel and performance event is part of the Leon Forrest lecture series hosted by the Black Studies department at Northwestern University. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Alto sax player Greg Ward is among the featured performers in “New Black Music (Jazz) in Chicago.” The March 4 panel and performance event is part of the Leon Forrest lecture series hosted by the Black Studies department at Northwestern University. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Download
Alto sax player Greg Ward is among the featured performers in “New Black Music (Jazz) in Chicago.” The March 4 panel and performance event is part of the Leon Forrest lecture series hosted by the Black Studies department at Northwestern University. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Tenor saxophonist De’Sean Jones is among the featured performers in “New Black Music (Jazz) in Chicago.” The March 4 panel and performance event is part of the Leon Forrest lecture series hosted by the Black Studies department at Northwestern University. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Download
Tenor saxophonist De’Sean Jones is among the featured performers in “New Black Music (Jazz) in Chicago.” The March 4 panel and performance event is part of the Leon Forrest lecture series hosted by the Black Studies department at Northwestern University. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Bassist Junius Paul, guitarist Jeff Parker, harpist Brandee Younger, drummer Makaya McCraven, saxophonist Greg Ward, trumpeter Marquis Hill and trumpeter De’Sean Jones are among the featured performers in “New Black Music (Jazz) in Chicago.” The March 4 panel and performance event is part of the Leon Forrest lecture series hosted by the Black Studies department at Northwestern University. Photo credit: Janet Takayama.
Download
Bassist Junius Paul, guitarist Jeff Parker, harpist Brandee Younger, drummer Makaya McCraven, saxophonist Greg Ward, trumpeter Marquis Hill and trumpeter De’Sean Jones are among the featured performers in “New Black Music (Jazz) in Chicago.” The March 4 panel and performance event is part of the Leon Forrest lecture series hosted by the Black Studies department at Northwestern University. Photo credit: Janet Takayama.