Black Hawk College celebrates jazz history during Black History Month

MOLINE, Ill. (KWQC) — Black Hawk College marked Black History Month Wednesday with a celebration of jazz and its role in documenting the Black experience in America.

“There’s so much about the Black experience that words just simply cannot express,” John Hildreth, a professor of music at Augustana College, said. “It served as a source of comfort, a source of peace, and for many a way to channel anger.”

Jazz’s path to acceptance

Hildreth said jazz was not always embraced by mainstream audiences.

“It took a long time for jazz to become a respectable and accepted music in polite society,” Hildreth said.

Hildreth also said the genre’s influence extends across nearly every modern style of music, from early American forms like ragtime and R&B to present-day hip-hop.

“Without jazz music, pop music, rock music, gospel music — you name it — it just wouldn’t be,” Hildreth said. “Jazz has always been there.”

Students reflect on the music’s legacy

Ladje Konon, a student at Black Hawk College, said the experience introduced her to new musical traditions.

“Learning the background and history of this music has been wonderful,” Konon said. “I’ve never really worked with African American spirituals, I’ve worked more with African spirituals, so it has been fun.”

Another student, Leah Carter, said the event held personal meaning.

“As someone who is biracial, my mom is Italian and white, and my dad is African American, it’s one of those things where it’s like, I enjoy embracing the culture,” Carter said.

Honoring jazz’s founding artists

The event highlighted foundational jazz artists like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, and John Coltrane.

Paxton Sherbryn, a Black Hawk College student, said universities and musicians are working to give those artists greater recognition.

“Universities and colleges and musicians are gaining a better understanding of that and trying to give those musicians better representation and really honor what they’ve done for music as a whole,” Sherbryn said.

He also said understanding jazz requires looking beyond the music itself.

“If we don’t take the time to try and understand and appreciate the social and cultural aspects of music, then we’re not really understanding how jazz music evolved,” Sherbryn said.

If you missed the performance at Black Hawk College on Wednesday, you can attend the Augustana Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Lab Band Concert on Friday, March 6, at 7:30 p.m. at Centennial Hall.