Tag Archives: arts

The Washington DC Jazz Oral History Project, Chapter 1: Ronald Edward Holloway

Posted on July 24, 2018 by Dr. Regennia N. Williams, Founder, President, and Executive Director

“At the Age of 13, Ronald Edward Holloway Decided to Become ‘A Saxophone Player for Life!’” . . . I was standing in the basement, where I used to put on albums, listen to the guys play, and learn from … Continue reading →

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Meet the “Washington DC Jazz” Oral History Narrators!

Posted on July 23, 2018 by Dr. Regennia N. Williams, Founder, President, and Executive Director

By Regennia N. Williams PhD Humanities Scholar and Life Member of the Oral History Association From the late spring of 2016 through the early winter of 2018, I had the pleasure of interviewing 23 incredible jazz artists in the Metro … Continue reading →

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Covers, Echoes, and New Music from Gregory Porter

Posted on July 28, 2017 by Dr. Regennia N. Williams, Founder, President, and Executive Director

What happens when Gregory Porter covers the Temptations (and others’) “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone,” echoes passages from Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On?,” and writes, records, and shares his own 21st-century soulful jazz compositions with the world?  Great music– over … Continue reading →

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Lena Horne: Life, Music, Struggle, and Success

Posted on July 27, 2017 by Dr. Regennia N. Williams, Founder, President, and Executive Director

As I join others in  commemorating the centennial of the birth of Lena Mary Calhoun Horne (1917-2010), I am reminded of the struggles and triumphs of African American musical artists–in both their public careers and private lives. This week, I … Continue reading →

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Singing, Swinging, and Bopping with Dizzy, Ella, and Lena!

Posted on July 18, 2017 by Dr. Regennia N. Williams, Founder, President, and Executive Director

I am certain that writer-photographer William Gottlieb enjoyed his work as a journalist, especially since it afforded him countless opportunities to see and hear many of the greatest jazz artists of all time–including Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, and Lena Horne.  … Continue reading →

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Jazz in Retrospect: From “Come Sunday” to “Divine Music”

Posted on May 28, 2017 by Dr. Regennia N. Williams, Founder, President, and Executive Director

Regennia N. Williams, PhD During a year-long journey through recent jazz history, I discovered that many artists continue to view jazz as spiritual music.  Others describe it as nothing less than divine.  Some even borrow a line from Duke Ellington … Continue reading →

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History, Humanity, and the Humanities: Getting to the Art of the Matter

Posted on May 8, 2017 by Dr. Regennia N. Williams, Founder, President, and Executive Director

      As an educator and an arts lover, I have always been very proud of the fact that history, my chosen field of study and, by definition, one of the humanities, invites people to give careful consideration to the ways … Continue reading →

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Life and Work in Metro DC, The First 100 Days

Posted on June 11, 2016 by Dr. Regennia N. Williams, Founder, President, and Executive Director

Armed with a fierce determination to brave the snow and cold, I drove from Cleveland, Ohio to my new home in the Metro DC area on March 1, 2016.  I was convinced that life in the Mid-Atlantic region would be … Continue reading →

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“Sing to the Rafters” with Dr. James Abbington, October 8, 2016 — Save the Date!

Posted on May 29, 2016 by Dr. Regennia N. Williams, Founder, President, and Executive Director

Dear fans of African American sacred music, You are cordially invited to attend a “Sing to the Rafters” choral music reading session with Dr. James Abbington of Emory University and GIA Publications.  This will be the first public program co-sponsored … Continue reading →

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Give the Gift of Music on #GivingTuesday, December 1, 2015

Posted on November 3, 2015 by Dr. Regennia N. Williams, Founder, President, and Executive Director

Hello! Please join me in supporting the ongoing work of Spiritual Gifts, a nonprofit arts education organization, by donating  to our gofundme campaign by ‪#‎GivingTuesday‬, December 1, 2015. Our goal is to raise $5,000 to support program expenses for 2016, … Continue reading →

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