When one thinks of cities and states that played pivotal roles in the development of jazz, one is likely to think of New Orleans, La; St. Louis, Mo.; and Chicago, Il., not Charleston, SC. But through Charleston's history with the Jenkins Orphanage band, from which several nationally renowned jazz artists such as Freddie Green and Jabbo Smith emerged, and the state being the home of jazz icon Dizzy Gillespie, Charleston and South Carolina have a vital place in the history and development of jazz. Today, Charleston boasts arguably the most vibrant jazz scene of any city in the state. That's in large part due to the Charleston Jazz Initiative (CJI), a multi-year research project that documents the African American jazz tradition in Charleston, the South Carolina Lowcountry, and its diasporic movement throughout the United States and Europe between the late 19th century through today.
On the current edition of Insight, Bhakti Larry Hough interviews Dr. Karen Chandler, co-principal of CJI and an arts management professor at the College of Charleston.
For more information on CJI and the Jenkins Orphanage band, visit:
http://www.charlestonjazz.net/index.php
http://www.jenkinsinstitute.org/
Insight airs Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 am, 7 pm and midnight.
