A double bill featuring the Corey Harris Quintet and the James "Blood" Ulmer Trio is on tap as part of the opening weekend of Duke Performances' 2009-2010 season. The performance, at 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 25, takes place at the Reynolds Industries Theater in the Bryan Center on Duke's West Campus.
"In a world where blues often feel like a museum piece, these are artists who are really pushing the envelope to make music influenced by the blues," says Aaron Greenwald, director of Duke Performances, who notes that a range of cultures and musical styles has shaped the music of both Harris and Ulmer.
Having lived in Cameroon, Mali, New Orleans and Jamaica, Harris -- a 2007 MacArthur Fellow -- creates music influenced by the traditions of those diverse locales. Greenwald says Harris' abilities as a songwriter enable him to go into different but connected musical settings and draw information that leads to dynamic music.
"This music looks at the communication that happened over what might be called the ‘Black Atlantic': an orbit of transit and culture that was forged via slavery," says Greenwald. "So when Corey goes to East Africa or the Caribbean or works in Louisiana, he is tracing that orbit in his work and helping us understand how those things might connect."
Ulmer's music also reflects a diverse journey. Growing up in South Carolina, his life was steeped in gospel and the blues. After moving to New York in the early 1970s, he became one of the pioneering guitarists in jazz innovation. In the mid-1990s, Ulmer teamed up with guitarist and producer Vernon Reid to create blues records that bring together the myriad influences that Ulmer encountered during his life.
"For James, the cycle has gone from growing up with the blues and gospel traditions in South Carolina, to working with soul bands, to moving to New York and working with really innovative and avant-garde jazz musicians, to returning to a blues style informed by the intervening 40 years of experience," says Greenwald.
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Music: Corey Harris Quintet + James "Blood" Ulmer Trio 8 p.m., Friday, Sept. 25, Reynolds Industries Theater General tickets are $28 and $22; $5 for students Information: 660-3357; dukeperformances.duke.edu