Big Band Jazz in Black West Virginia
Presented by Christopher Wilkinson
Tuesday, October 20 @ 7 pm
by The Augusta Heritage Center on Facebook Live, Zoom
The coal fields of West Virginia would seem an unlikely market for big band jazz during the Great Depression. However, a prosperous African American audience of coal-industry workers created a robust audience for jazz tours. Black Mountaineers flocked to dances by the hundreds to hear bands led by Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Andy Kirk, Jimmie Lunceford, and Chick Webb.
