Uploaded July 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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Genius Mother Mary: A Sonic Retrospective of Mary Lou Williams
July 31*
The Stage at Montgomery Place
Outdoor Live In-Person Event
bit.ly/mothermaryfc

*Rescheduled from July 29 at 6:30 pm due to weather

For over half a century, Mary Lou Williams tirelessly persisted as a talented Black woman in the male-dominated field of jazz. A piano prodigy from the age of three, her profound intellect and artistry countered any doubt in securing her rightful place in the ranks of Duke, Dizzy, Thelonious, Charlie, Miles, and others for whom she wrote, arranged, and played for. Music director Chris Pattishall (whose lauded recording of Williams’s “Zodiac Suite” was released this year) leads this uplifting tribute to the fearless mother of jazz.

This concert has been developed in consultation with Dr. Tammy Kernodle, Distinguished Professor at Miami University, current president of the Society for American Music and Mary Lou Williams scholar.

BLACK ROOTS SUMMER
The uplifting spirit of Black roots music ripples through two weekends this July, with Black Roots Summer, presented in association with Electric Root and curated by jazz vocalist Michael Mwenso and producer Jono Gasparro.

Conceived as a platform to create a creative healing space for a troupe of predominantly BIPOC artists to develop a series of new concerts in collaboration and fellowship with one another, Black Roots Summer will convene a group of over 20 vocalists, musicians, dancers, and creative artists for a two-week residency resulting in three original concerts.