Black composers were on the forefront of American popular music; ragtime itself was the combination of African syncopation over a European march beat and formed the basis for the development of blues and jazz. Growing up as the children of former slaves, many black composers and musicians had to navigate – and even perpetuate – racism in popular entertainment as they grew their careers.

We’ll look at composers such as Chris Smith and Shelton Brooks, and also some leaders in the field such as W.C. Handy, “father of the blues,” and Ernest Hogan, “father of ragtime” and the star of the first all-Black Broadway show in 1898. From there we’ll head over to share music by some of the contributors to Handy’s groundbreaking “Blues Anthology.”

“Cherry & Jerry” is Isaac Cherry on percussion and Jerry Rabushka on piano. Based in St. Louis, the duo is also part of the larger “Ragged Blade Band,” and has toured music of the ragtime era throughout a several state area. They’ve found this music is great for good times – brewpubs, wineries, markets, festivals, and more! They’ve appeared in the Big River Steampunk Festival in Hannibal, MO, the Oddities and Curiosities Expo in Chicago and Tulsa, the RAGBRAI bicycle event in Iowa, and the St. Louis World’s Fare in their hometown. A typical performance includes some well-known songs of the early 20th century as well breathing life back into as some rarely played tunes.

Click here to register. This event will also be live streamed to the library’s Facebook page. Click here to watch it on Facebook.

For more information or help with registration, contact Samantha at samanthah@dkpl.org or at (815) 756-9568 ext. 1701.