Jazz festival to focus on history

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Jazz festival to focus on history

By Keith Purtell
Phoenix Staff Writer

June 09, 2009 11:19 pm

— The Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame will come alive Thursday with African-American art, both audio and visual. The Muskogee Juneteenth Jazz and Arts Festival is a community event to spotlight African-American contributions to American culture. It is also a tribute to the late Jay McShann, who went from Muskogee to national prominence as a pianist, bandleader and singer.
Muskogee resident Wilma Newton, who is heading up the event, said she is continuing to learn new things about African-American influences on our national culture.
“I didn’t know until recently that Jay McShann was born and went to school in Muskogee before going on to become a jazz legend,” she said.
The event is hosted by the Oklahoma Juneteenth Historical Foundation during what the National Association of Juneteenth Jazz Presenters is calling “Celebrating Juneteenth Jazz,” an African-American jazz legacy preservation initiative during Black Music Month.
Newton said everyone is invited and would like to see a good turnout.
“Everybody come out,” she said. “This is a community event to celebrate our freedom. This festival is to make the community aware of our legacy. This is a family event.”
Newton said the musicians traveling to Muskogee are extremely talented.
“On a scale of one to 10, they’re a 10,” she said. “We will also have a choir with members of several churches or anyone who wants to sing. Our national visual artist is bringing about 20 art pieces with him.”
McShann is one of the greatest Kansas City jazz icons in history, said Rev. Ronald V. Myers Sr., M.D., founder and chairman of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation and the National Juneteenth Holiday Campaign.
“The preservation of Muskogee’s African American jazz legacy is why the annual Muskogee Juneteenth Jazz and Arts Festival will be taking place every year,” Myers said.
The festival’s featured artist will be Myers, an accomplished jazz pianist and trumpet player. Myers is a minister, physician and jazz musician, and the National Juneteenth Jazz Artist. Myers will be joined by Mississippi percussionist Wilton Knott, along with jazz drummer and percussionist Aye Aton, bassist Derrick Brown, saxophonist Sayeed Jamal and Cuban percussionist Earlton Battles.
Also performing will be the Juneteenth African Dance Ensemble, the Juneteenth Community Praise Choir, with Minister of Music Eugene Brown and Muskogee’s Retro Boys Rappers.
The festival will feature a Juneteenth Art Exhibit by National Juneteenth Visual Artist Alvin Carter with local Muskogee artist Jason Terrell.
Details about the festival can be found at www.JuneteenthOklahoma.com or www.JuneteenthJazz.com. Information, Wilma Newton at 781-9248 or e-mail: wilmablessingadmin@myapplemail.com.
Reach Keith Purtell at 684-2925 or kpurtel @muskogeephoenix.com.