“Hand Picked: Earl Klugh’s Blend of Country and Jazz"
Event Details
A Lecture and Presentation by Kevin Fellezs Assistant Professor of Music, IRAAS/Ethnomusicology Guitarist Earl Klugh
Event Details
A Lecture and Presentation by
Kevin Fellezs
Assistant Professor of Music, IRAAS/Ethnomusicology
Guitarist Earl Klugh has been a successful jazz guitarist for over four decades yet he regards himself a pop artist. Why would he defer any but the loosest affiliation with a music genre that signifies musical sophistication? In attempting to answer this question, I investigate Klugh’s well-known acknowledgement of the influence of two guitarists who continue to shape his music—Chet Atkins and George Benson. These two musicians provide some clues into Klugh’s musical orientation. Atkins, known as “the country gentleman,” and Benson, the crossover jazz artist, represent the wide range Klugh hopes to occupy as a “pop musician.” Illuminating this triangular relationship, I will demonstrate the ways in which Klugh sounds out the possibilities for reaching across difference, challenging shop-worn musical verities along the way while indicating the potential aesthetic and social value critics of “smooth jazz” have long ignored.
Friday, April 20, 2018, 7pm
Manhattanville Campus
Prentis Hall, rm 101
632 West 125th Street
New York, NY 10027
This event is free and open to the Public but a rsvp is required.
Please email columbiajazzstudies@gmail.com to secure your seat.
Time
(Friday) 7:00 pm
Location
Prentis Hall, room 101