PRESENTED BY THE ARTS SOCIETY AND KANSAS SMITTY’S
Sunday 12th November, Two Temple Place, London
Every great saga needs a prequel. Long before jazz made it on record in 1917, its foundations had been laid in the slave songs of American plantations, African polyrhythms, and the European classical tradition. In recognition of 100 years of recorded jazz, arts education charity, The Arts Society and East London music dynamo, Kansas Smitty’s are coming together to tell the story of the way jazz became Jazz.
On Sunday 12th November, the people and sounds that enabled the greatest leap forward in popular music recording for a century, will be brought to life through talks, interactive workshops and performances by some of the best young musicians in the country. During this unique event, performers and speakers such as Sandy Burnett, Marcus Bonfanti, Joplin Parnell will join members of the Kansas Smitty’s House Band in the spectacular surroundings of Two Temple Place, one of London’s hidden architectural gems.
The day’s events will follow the cultural and musical streams, that led to the inception of jazz in its epicenter, New Orleans, LA. Speakers will set the scene for visitors, whilst musical performances will demonstrate a clever turn-of-the-century jukebox, playing opera, marching band music, slave songs and street cries.
The evening will culminate in performances from members of the Kansas Smitty’s House Band, hosted by University of Liverpool musicologist, Catherine Tackley. Led by commentary from Catherine, musicians from Kansas Smitty’s East London community will show how distinct musical influences were consolidated into what we now know to be Jazz.
The Arts Society brings people together through a shared curiosity for the arts. Its events provide welcoming places – locally, nationally and globally – for its 90,00+ members to hear expert lecturers share their specialist knowledge about the arts. The belief that the arts have the potential to enrich peoples’ lives is at the heart of everything the society does, and this latest event with Kansas Smitty’s is set to further inspire a new kind of London audience.
This event precedes a major exhibition, The Age of Jazz, produced by The Arts Society and the Bulldog Trust, which opens at Two Temple Place in January 2018. The exhibition will kick off a year of celebrations for The Arts Society which marks its 50th anniversary next year.
www.theartssociety.org www.kansassmittys.com
JAZZ BEFORE JAZZ WAS JAZZ 2 Temple Place, London,
WC2R 3BD
Sunday 12th November 2017 4pm-11pm
Tickets are priced from £15 and are available online: