The Great Gatsby and The Jazz Age

Event Flyer

On Thursday, April 16th, Dunkirk Free Library and The Big Read hosted my event, "The Great Gatsby and The Jazz Age".





 The Big Read event  at Dunkirk Free Library was a wonderful success. I was lucky to work with the libraries Director Janice Dekoff as well as some very talented and dedicated Jazz musicians, The Fredonia Jazz Workshop's own Matthew Kingsley and Matthew Downey to bring a wonderful look into the period culture surrounding both F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby"and the Jazz Age, with a brief look into the Harlem Renaissance and it's counterculture.

 The event began at 5pm and started with a short slideshow presentation. The presentation included period photographs of establishments like "The Cotton Club" and period Jazz musicians. We discussed a literary and historical timeline paralleled by major events of The Jazz Age and The Harlem Renaissance, From there, we segued into Harlem Renaissance culture with some selected poems.


We had roughly twenty participants in our event and encourage everyone to promote the spread of literacy and interest in historic culture. Audience members engaged in discussion and made their way downstairs, where Fredonia's "Jazz Workshop" played quite a few lively pieces. Fitzgerald's "Tales of The Jazz Age" was then raffled off as the audience mingled, listened to more Jazz and enjoyed refreshments.


  

Matt Downey of The Fredonia Jazz Ensemble gives a light talk
on the origins and composition of Jazz.

 The Fredonia Jazz Workshop had plenty of period pieces to perform for us such as "My Funny Valentine", "All of Me" and "It Don't Mean a Thing (If it ain't got that Swing)". Big Read Participants had plenty to enjoy with the presence of some very talented musicians, refreshments and light conversation surrounding the period.

Matt Kingsley of The Fredonia Jazz
Ensemble plays period 1920's Jazz Music

Everyone involved had a great time and I believe the presentation went well, but everyone could agree that The Jazz music was simply phenomenal. I would like to thank everyone involved for their support in coming to my event. A special thank you to both The Dunkirk Free Library as well as "The Fredonia Jazz Workshop". Without your efforts, this event would not have been the great success that it was!

Big Read Participants enjoyed music and refreshments.