Music historian and guitarist Leone presents the history, influence and social impact of American blues music through songs, stories and historical facts in tribute to Jazz Appreciation Month.
In the spirit of Ken Burns' breakout PBS documentary series on American country music, Leone highlights the influence of blues on virtually all styles of contemporary music over the past seven decades playing a variety of songs on multiple guitars from his personal collection. In addition to the live music segments, he touches on recurring themes of how the blues transcended racial boundaries, brought people together in times of celebration and times of healing, and how the blues followed the migration from the rural south to the urban north.
Leone also ties in his upbringing in Brooklyn and how important the public library system was for his discovery, passion and education about music and music history. A lifelong career musician, he has toured and recorded as a guitar player for many high profile artists including Etta James, The Coasters, Sam & Dave, Wilson Pickett, Chaka Khan and many more.
This is a virtual event held via Zoom. To register for this event, visit this link.
