John Malveaux: Attended SHANGHAI JAZZ-A CULTURE MIX at Bovard Auditorium, USC

Ron McCurdy (L) & John Malveaux (R)

John Malveaux of 

www.MusicUNTOLD.com 

writes:

Nov 19, 2019 attended SHANGHAI JAZZ-A CULTURE MIX at Bovard Auditorium, University of Southern California. In the 20's and 30's, a host of African American jazz musicians performed in Shanghai and other countries in the East. In 1934, Los Angeles based trumpeter Buck Clayton and his band HARLEM GENTLEMEN arrived in Shanghai. Composer Li Jinhui, who is considered the father of Chinese popular music, and Buck Clayton became friends and mutual influencers. The evening's concert featuring Min Xiao-Fen (pipa and vocals), Feng Bian, piano, and the Ron McCurdy Quintet reimagined a current amalgamation of Jazz and Chinese music based on influences of Buck Clayton and Li Jinhui in Shanghai. USC professor/trumpeter Ronald C. McCurdy developed the pre concert lecture and performance with Gary Shields as principal orchestrator of the music. I was surprised to learn from scholar Keisha A. Brown during pre concert talk that African American female jazz musicians such as trumpeter/vocalist Valaida Snow also visited Shanghai. Please see bio of Buck Clayton,

https://www.dagogo.com/remembering-buck-clayton-2018/ , Min Xiao-Fen website http://minxiaofenbluepipa.org/ ,  USC bio of Ronald C. McCurdy https://music.usc.edu/ronald-c-mccurdy/ and archival pic of Ron McCurdy with John Malveaux from 2015.