Nicholas Payton, Trumpet

Trumpeter Nicholas Payton traces the path of African rhythms from their arrival in the Caribbean through their journey to New Orleans and on to Kansas City, St. Louis, Chicago, and New York. He explores how the music of New Orleans became, in a sense, the world’s first popular music and how its greatest practitioner—Louis Armstrong—became one of the first pop stars. You’ll hear how swing, bebop, R&B, hip-hop, and more share a DNA that connects people around the world.

Two Wings: The Music of Black America In Migration

Jason Moran and Alicia Hall Moran draw upon their own family lore and the historical record of the Great Migration to compose tableaux that explore a continuum of music from rhythm and blues to gospel, classical to Broadway, work songs to rock ‘n’ roll. Experience the ingenuity of these artists as they take a journey from the American South after emancipation to all points North, West, and beyond—shining a light on the epic event that changed the sound of America forever.

WFUV: The Great Migration