This website
was
created for an oral history project in the World and Music Cultures
class
taught by Dr. Carol Muller at the University
of Pennsylvania. The
project
involved exploring Philadelphia
jazz by conducting interviews with members of the jazz community. The
goal of
the project is to educate people about the importance of jazz and music
in the
community and to show the role which music plays in the history and
culture of Philadelphia.
Our interview was conducted with Byard Lancaster, an avant-garde jazz
musician
and native Philadelphian. Mr. Lancaster
shared some of his past experiences as a musician in Philadelphia
and many other cities, and he noted the uniqueness of “Philly
Jazz” in the
world of jazz music. He also noted the importance of blending jazz with
other
genres of music such as blues and reggae, and the role of jazz as a
form
of communication and expression. Mr. Lancaster also shared with us the
message that a successful career in jazz is dependent not only on
musical talent, but a strong sense of personal
dedication, knowledge of the business world, and the ability to
forge relationships within the community. We appreciated the time that
Byard Lancaster was generous enough to spend with us.
The interview was conducted at World Café Live
in Philadelphia on April 9,
2005 at 7:00 p.m. It was recorded on both audio and
video tape.
Members of the group included Sara Strickland, Ronald Darbouze, Mark
Yuhas, Lavin Daryanani, and Dasha
Pechersky. |
