Saxophonist Rocky Wynder
It’s feeling like summer, but you can convince yourself you’re cool this Tuesday if you attend Nelda Hill’s discussion of Knoxville’s jazz history. In recent years, Knoxville has developed a reputation for innovative jazz, partly thanks to UT’s nationally known jazz program and WUOT’s great jazz programming, as well as the annual Big Ears Festival, which has brought in some of the most interesting jazz performers of the 21st century. But Knoxville has a deep history in jazz. Contrary to assumptions, jazz was popular in Knoxville before country music was; in fact some musicians didn’t make much of a distinction between the two. Meanwhile, many or most of America’s jazz greats since the 1920s performed in Knoxville, sometimes in movie theaters, sometimes in big auditoriums, sometimes in smoky nightclubs. Nelda Hill (who’s a former officer of the KHP’s board) has worked for the last couple of decades on a documentary about jazz in Knoxville; that labor of love is still a work in progress, but she caught several legends of local jazz on film while they were still with us, and if all works out, she’ll be showing some clips never before seen. She may also be joined at the microphone by a stalwart local performer of jazz. Free program. Food and drinks available for purchase
