U of A Jazz Program Signature Series Concert: An Evening at Mary Lou Williams' Apartment

In a unique show as part of the U of A Jazz Program's Signature Concert series, jazz faculty and students will present the music of "Mary Lou Williams and Her Guests at 63 Hamilton Terrace in Harlem, New York."

The concert will start at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 14, at the U of A Global Campus, 2 E. Center St. in Fayetteville. The show is free and open to the public, but tickets will need to be reserved at uark.universitytickets.com. 

Pianist and composer Mary Lou Williams was an important fixture on the musical and social scene of jazz. Her apartment at 63 Hamilton Terrace in Harlem was the hangout spot for the up-and-coming jazz musicians of the early 1940's. Musicians like Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Kenny Dorham and Tadd Dameron, just to name a few, frequented Williams' apartment as a space to sound out new ideas.

Playing for Williams and for guests, new music was discovered and nurtured. As a space of learning, those gathered often listened to contemporary Western Art music by composers like Arnold Schoenberg, Paul Hindemith and Alban Berg to experiment with new harmonic languages. At Williams' place, these musicians shaped a new type of jazz, called bebop, and Williams became the matriarch of bebop, mentoring her guests as they flourished in their careers.

In this concert, the U of A jazz faculty hope to recreate the environment of Williams' apartment by playing her compositions alongside many well-known modern jazz composers' iconic works.  

Speaking about that period, Williams said: "All during this time, my house was kind of a headquarters for young musicians. I'd even leave the door open for them if I was out. Tadd Dameron would come to write when he was out of inspiration, and [Thelonious] Monk did several of his pieces there. Bud Powell's brother Richie, who also played piano, learned how to improvise at my house. And everybody came or called for advice." [quoted in Joan Kufrin (1981), Uncommon Women, New Century Publishing. (p.166)] 

In 2021, the jazz program launched their signature concert series, a programmatic series featuring students, faculty and guests. With rotating directors, each show is unique - past signature series concerts have featured the music of the Blue Note Era, Latin Jazz and NEA jazz master Dave Liebman. The concept of the Mary Lou Williams show was created by Dr. Joon Park.  

"We started this series to highlight the incredible breadth of jazz and jazz education," said jazz area coordinator Jake Hertzog. "We are excited to pay homage to Mary Lou Williams and her important contributions to jazz while featuring Dr. Park and our wonderful faculty and students". 

An Evening at Mary Lou Williams' Apartment

Presented by U of A Jazz
Friday, Oct. 14, at 7:30 p.m.
University of Arkansas Global Campus
2 E. Center St., Fayetteville

Upcoming U of A Jazz Concerts at the U of A Black Box Theater:

• Nov. 4, 7:30 p.m.: Voices: Vocal Jazz Ensemble
• Nov. 10, 7:30 p.m.: U of A Jazz Signature Series: U of A Jazz Combo Night
• Dec. 2, 7:30 p.m.: World Music Ensemble

About University of Arkansas Jazz Program: The University of Arkansas jazz program provides students with the opportunity to grow as performers, improvisers, arrangers, scholars, and teachers of jazz and related styles, positioning them for creative and versatile engagement with today's multifaceted musical culture. The program includes nine faculty and a variety of ensembles ranging from jazz orchestra, and combos, to World Music, Latin American Music, and popular/commercial music.  

Contact: Joon Park at joonpark@uark.edu or Jake Hertzog at jhertzog@uark.edu.