Chandler Gilbert Hosts The Langston Hughes Project

In celebration of Black History Month, Chandler-Gilbert Community College was the venue for the Langston Hughes project, "Ask your Mama: Twelve Moods for Jazz," a multimedia performance based on a poetic masterpiece by African American poet, writer and playwright, Langston Hughes. The project is an original work conceived by Dr. Ron McCurdy, University of Southern California Professor and Chair of Jazz Studies and Dr. John S. Wright, Morse-Amoco Distinguished Teaching Professor of Afro-American Studies & African Studies and English at the University of Minnesota.

The performance included the accompaniment of a live jazz quartet and video images of the Harlem Renaissance by African American artists and photographers, including Gordon Parks, Jacob Lawrence and Romare Bearden. The poem "Ask Your Mama" is an 800 line, 12-part poetic suite written by Hughes in 1961. It creates his vision of the global struggle for artistic and social freedom in the turbulent decade of the 60s.

Pastel drawing of Hughes by Winold Reiss

Hughes had originally included musical cues to accompany his poem, intending to work with contemporaries on a full production. Hughes died in 1967 before a production could be developed.

The event was the collaboration of Chandler-Gilbert Student Life, other Chandler-Gilbert departments, MCBAA, the District Office and the Chancellor's office.

From right: Dr. Ron McCurdy with horn, Dr. John Wright in white tie, and musicians from the multi-media production.		Dr. John McCurdy leads the music accompanying the multi-media performance of Hughes's poetic masterpiece.

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