Details

A production showcasing the best of the Blues Highway; starting New Orleans, going through the Deep South of the USA and continuing up to Chicago, this is known as the home of jazz and blues. Following the successful UCLU Garage Theatre Workshop shows of the past few years, including 'Who'd have funk it?' and 'Get Your Rock Out', the UCLU Jazz society is aiming to create another exciting production. ?Highway 61' will take jazz back to its roots; it will follow jazz and blues up through Mississippi from around the 1900s and its expansion over time into neighbouring States. It will highlight some of the most iconic jazz musicians and songs, such as Robert Johnston, BB King and Sam Cooke. Jazz and blues music is known to have originated on the cotton plantations in Mississippi and Alabama but the dawn of the 20th Century saw increasing liberation of slaves and so jazz began to spread throughout the Deep South. Originally said to be ?the music of the devil' jazz has continued to evolve; this production aims to help the audience appreciate the origins of this now much-loved genre of music. We will transport you to an old blues club with a set list based on the Blues Highway from those thought of as the true 'voices of the delta', such as Jelly Roll Morton and BB King, to more commercial artists such as Otis Redding and of course songs to sing along to such as 'Try a little tenderness' (Otis Redding), 'Change is Gonna Come' (Sam Cooke) and Summertime (Sidney Bechet).

Creatives/Company

Presented by: UCLU Jazz Society