Liberation and Freedom Day Community Concert

On Sunday, March 3rd, the University of Virginia, the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County will commemorate the end of slavery in Albemarle County during its third annual celebration of “Liberation and Freedom Day.”  To open a week of festivities for this year’s celebration, community groups have banded together to create a free community concert at 7 PM on Thursday, February 28th at the  Jefferson Theater.  The concert will feature musical performances from the Renaissance School Jazz Ensemble, John D'earth, The ChickenHead Blues Band, Jon Spear, Greg Brown, Dara James, Andy Brudetsky, Rob Martin, Ken Farmer, and Frank Cain with a special guest appearance from jazz theoretician Dr. Roland Wiggins.

“The idea that creative expression can make a powerful contribution to the healing process has been embraced in many different cultures. Throughout recorded history, people have used pictures, stories, dances, and chants as healing rituals,” says J. Graham-Pole in Illness and the Art of Creative Self-Expression (Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications; 2000.)  Organizers of this concert hope to heal some of the pain of the past by bringing the community together for a night of jazz and blues.

The Liberation and Freedom Day Concert is sponsored by the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, the Central Virginia Blues Society, the Jefferson Theater, UVA Office of Diversity and Equity, Carter G. Woodson Institute, Citizen Justice Initiative, Monticello, and Virginia Humanities and the City of Charlottesville.  For more information click hereto view the Facebook event.

ABOUT LIBERATION AND FREEDOM DAY

There are over 30 countries or localities that currently celebrate the day when people in their community have been freed from bondage or the beginning of a revolution. For the past two years, Charlottesville has celebrated the emancipation of the 52% of the community that was freed when Union soldiers marched into Charlottesville and Albemarle County.

ABOUT DR. ROLAND WIGGINS

Dr. Roland Wiggins has been an extraordinarily influential figure among prominent jazz musicians of the 1960s and ’70s, with influence extending into today. Dr. Wiggins has worked with and taught greats such as Ella Fitzgerald, Yusef Lateef, Billy Taylor, Sonny Fortune, Donald Byrd, Kenny Barron and John Coltrane.

The jazz legend was born in Philadelphia, earned a doctoral degree from the Juilliard School, and has taught music theory at Amherst College, Hampshire College, University of Massachusetts, and currently, the University of Virginia. The former director of the Luther P. Jackson Cultural Center at the University of VA, Wiggins has devoted his career to training aspiring musicians and advocating vigorously for music education.

ABOUT THE RENAISSANCE SCHOOL JAZZ ENSEMBLE

The Renaissance School Jazz Ensemble exemplifies the school’s commitment to emphasize creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration. The students perform songs ranging from classic soul hits to modern day songs, as well as solo and duo performances by individual members and other musicians.

ABOUT JOHN D’EARTH

John D’earth, a renowned jazz trumpeter and composer has been performing and recording internationally for decades, appearing on over one hundred recordings. D’earth has written music for the Dave Matthews Band, the Atlanta, Richmond, and Roanoke Symphony Orchestras and many more. D’earth is currently the Director of Jazz Performance at the University of Virginia where he teaches improvisation, jazz trumpet, jazz composition, and directs the UVA Jazz Ensemble.

ABOUT THE CHICKENHEAD BLUES BAND

Composed of 5 veteran musicians (Aric Van Brocklin, Skip Haga, Will Coles, Andy Rowland, and Vicor Brown), the Chickenhead Blues Band brings classic New Orleans Blues with a high energy funky twist. The five man ensemble is a staple in the Charlottesville area and are well known for providing a musical experience that encourages listeners to get into the groove!

ABOUT THE CENTRAL VIRGINIA BLUES SOCIETY

The Central Virginia Blues Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts organization that recognizes and celebrates the Blues as one of the most enduring, important and influential forms of American music. Active in Augusta, Rockbridge, Nelson and Albemarle Counties, including the communities of Charlottesville, Staunton, Scottsville and Waynesboro, the Central VA Blues Society promotes the heritage, performance, appreciation, and vitality of blues music.