The Hyde Park Jazz Festival will celebrate the 100th Anniversary of James Baldwin’s birthday at the Art Center, with a performance by Chicago Poet Laureate avery r. young & de deacon board featuring D-Composed.

The performance will be set in artist Robert Earl Paige’s current exhibition, The United Colors of Robert Earl Paige.

During this unique performance, young and Paige will engage in a conversation about the ways in which each artist has engaged with Baldwin’s work.

Inspired by James Baldwin’s philosophy suggesting growing up Black, Gay and impoverished in America was like hitting the jackpot, interdisciplinary artist avery r. young responds to the Hyde Park Art Center’s retrospective exhibition of the work of artist Robert Earl Paige. Part interview / part concert, young enlists accompaniment from his band, de deacon board and the string ensemble D Composed to present poetry and song in a discussion with Paige about art and  combines beauty and race.

In preparation for this performance Gallery 1 will be closed on Saturday, September 28 from 10AM – 1:30PM.

Avery Young looks directly into the camera. Avery is wearing a camel colored jacket and a dark gray sweater with a black/gray scarf over one shoulder. He is wearing black rectangular glasses

Photo by: Sulyiman Stokes

AVERY YOUNG

Chicago Poet Laureate avery r. young is an interdisciplinary artist and teaching artist who has been an Arts and Public Life Artist-in-Residence at the University of Chicago, a 3Arts Awardee, and a Cave Canem fellow. In the foreword of his most recent book neckbone: visual verses (Northwestern University Press), Theaster Gates called him “one of our greatest living street poets” and “one of the most important thinkers on the Black experience.” Black Grooves referred to young’s most recent album tubman (FPE Records) as “brilliant” and “supremely funky.” young’s poems and essays have been published in Cecil McDonald’s In The Company of Black, The BreakBeat Poets, The Golden Shovel Anthology: New Poems Honoring Gwendolyn Brooks, AIMPrint, and other anthologies. His album booker t. soltreyne: a race rekkid engages matters of race, gender, and sexuality in America during the Obama Era. young’s work in performance, visual text, and sound design has been featured in several exhibitions and theater festivals–notably The Hip Hop Theatre Festival, The Museum of Contemporary Art, and the American Jazz Museum. He is the featured vocalist on flutist Nicole Mitchell’s Mandorla Awakening (FPE Records), one of the directors of The Floating Museum, and a co-mentor for Rebirth Youth Poetry Ensemble. He performs with his band, de deacon board.

D-COMPOSED

D-Composed is a Chicago-based Black chamber music collective that celebrates Black culture and creativity through the music of Black composers.

We aim to make classical music experiences inclusive and reflective of the Black experience by intentionally creating experiences that meet our community where they are.

D–COMPOSED /DEE-KUHM-POHZD/ – ADVERB – Our creative process involves breaking down preconceived notions, barriers, and opinions of what people think classical music should be to re-writing our narrative to reflect what the classical world could be.

The musicians:

D-COMPOSED Ensemble Members

Caitlin Edwards – Violin

Khelsey Zarraga – Violin

Wilfred Farquharson – Viola

Tahirah Whittington – Cello

De Deacon Board Musicians

Alfonzo Jones – Drums

Cream Jones – Guitar

Jeff Harris – Drums

avery r young – voice

Special Guest – Robert Earl Paige – respondent