Baghdad IRC ‘Swings’ for Jazz Appreciation Month
April 4, 2011
Jam Session photo exhibit at University of Baghdad
Baghdad University’s Information Resource Center kicked off Jazz Appreciation Month on April 4 with the Jam Session photo exhibit and a celebration of jazz music. Jam Session tells the story of the famous Jazz Ambassadors program that brought musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, and Dave Brubeck to audiences around the world during the fifties and sixties at the height of the Cold War. It is considered one of the most effective public diplomacy initiatives in history. Jam Session will be on display at the Central Library throughout the month of April.
Coinciding with the debut of Jam Session, two jazz groups put their musical talents on display before an enthusiastic audience in the IRC. A jazz band from the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra performed a compilation of classical, jazz, and traditional Iraqi music. The Jazz Lightning Project from the U.S. Army’s 25th Infantry Division also performed some of their jazz favorites.
The Jam Session exhibit and the musical program are part of the U.S. Embassy’s Jusoor series of cultural engagement and programming. The series involves music, film, and sports projects organized in collaboration with interested Iraqi institutions.