Jason Moran & The Big Bandwagon Honoring James Reese Europe

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Jason Moran & The Big Bandwagon: James Reese Europe and the Harlem Hellfighters: From the Dancehall to the Battlefield
In Association with Jazzmobile

Friday, August 18, 2023

7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Marcus Garvey Park

18 Mt. Morris Park West, New York, NY 10027

This performance in Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park is a reflection on the life and legacy of James Reese Europe. An early jazz pioneer, he fought on the front lines in France with the 369th Infantry Regiment, one of the first African-American regiments to serve with the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I– later dubbed the Harlem Hellfighters. Pianist, composer, bandleader, and MacArthur “Genius” grant recipient Jason Moran celebrates this hero of black music with a highly personal reflection on the impact of the African-American presence in Europe, which helped popularize the new spirit of jazz to a war-torn French nation fascinated with black culture. The performance features Moran’s celebrated Bandwagon trio complemented by a seven-piece horn section, along with contributions from artist, director, and screenwriter John Akomfrah and visual materials from the cinematographer Bradford Young.

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