CLS: Chautauqua Jazz Experience

Celebrate jazz through workshops, lectures, concerts and interactive performances led by talented artists-in-residence and guest musicians.  Pre-register for specific workshops.

Congo Square…the Journey Begins!

10:30 a.m.-12 p.m., Monday, June 26 | Orchestra Hall
Join bassist/producer Dwight Bailey for a discussion and look at the birthplace of jazz. This famous open space originated as a place where the enslaved would gather for markets and dance, sing and play music in the Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans. In time Congo Square became the place of influence on the history of African American music and the birth of jazz.

Women in Jazz

10:30 a.m.-12 p.m., Tuesday, June 27 | Orchestra Hall
This lecture celebrates the women performers, recording artists and composers of jazz. From Lil Hardin Armstrong and Mary Lou Williams to Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald, and Toshiko Akiyoshi and Maria Schneider to Esperanza Spalding and Samara Joy, and so many others, join us as we look at the important contributions women inspire in the world of Jazz. Dwight Bailey hosts a discussion with jazz vocalist Evelyn Wright and jazz pianist Jackie Warren.

Jazz Crossovers

1:30-3 p.m., Tuesday, June 27 | Orchestra Hall
Who do you think of when someone mentions jazz? If Duke Ellington or Louis Armstrong comes to mind, it may be because these two great jazz pioneers also contributed significantly to American popular culture. When everyone knows your name, your voice and your hit songs, you may be a crossover artist. Join educator Timm Mackley in examining the music and influence of America’s best-known jazz crossovers: Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole.

Mackley is a native of Stark County, Ohio, and holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from Ohio State University (OSU), a master’s degree in school administration from Miami University, and a PhD in educational policy and leadership from OSU. He has been a band director, a high school principal and a local school superintendent. He currently holds a position as superintendent of the Knox Educational Service Center in Mount Vernon, Ohio, and he enjoys teaching a music class for high school students at the Knox Learning Center. When they’re not staying in Lakeside, Mackley and his wife Beth live in Granville, Ohio.

Is Jazz Still Alive?

10:30 a.m.-12 p.m., Wednesday, June 28 | Orchestra Hall
Join Dwight Bailey for a special discussion and look at the future of jazz. So many feel that jazz is no longer an important genre, yet its influence is still very much a foundation for today’s modern music. How is the heritage, influence and use of jazz being used today and in the future? How is jazz perceived around the globe and with different generations? Is jazz alive?