Black composers were on the forefront of American popular music; ragtime itself was the combination of African syncopation over a European march beat and formed the basis for the development of blues and jazz. Growing up as the children of former slaves, many black composers and musicians had to navigate – and even perpetuate – racism in popular entertainment as they grew their careers.

We’ll look at composers such as Chris Smith and Shelton Brooks, and also some leaders in the field such as W.C. Handy, “father of the blues,” and Ernest Hogan, “father of ragtime” and the star of the first all-Black Broadway show in 1898. From there we’ll head over to share music by some of the contributors to Handy’s groundbreaking “Blues Anthology.”

The St. Louis-based Ragged Blade Band takes the popular “Cherry and Jerry” ragtime duo and adds a saxophone to its mix of old time ragtime, blues and jazz. The band is often heard at Steampunk events and is the “official band” of the DeMoulin Museum in Greenville, Illinois. The group features Jerry Rabushka on piano, Isaac Cherry on percussion, and John Woytus on baritone sax.

This event is free and open to all. No registration is required.

For additional information, please contact Samantha at samanthah@dkpl.org or at (815) 756-9568 ext. 1701.