The Shaolin Jazz Project, a group that blends jazz pieces with hip hop, will be perform at 8 p.m. Wednesday in the Union Ballroom.
Prior to the concert, a panel discussion will be held in the ballroom at 6 p.m. Group members DJ 2-Tone Jones and Gerald Watson will be present along with University of Wyoming student Rex Amend and professors Ulrich Adelt and Rodney Garnett.
The panelists will be discussing the beginnings of the Shaolin Jazz Project, where the group is today and how it came to blend two such diverse genres of music. An interactive audience question and answer session will follow the group’s discussion. Free coffee and snacks will be provided at the event for audience members.
“The group is unique both in sound and sight. Not only are they mixing two very contrasting styles and making them sound amazing, but the setup of the stage is different as well. While the jazz band will be set up on stage playing, DJ 2-Tone Jones will be on stage with a turntable and will deejay throughout the show,” Kayla Lunemann, graduate assistant for the Student Activities Council said.
Watson and Jones initially created the jazz group with the intention of finding a way to blend jazz and hip hop music. Today, though, the group blends various jazz pieces with Wu-Tang Clan’s legendary rap music creating a unique new style of the two genres.
The Student Activities Council is bringing Shaolin to UW through a grant from the Wyoming Arts Council. The grant was written last year with the intention of bringing in three musical acts to UW during the 2012-2013 school year.
Shaolin Jazz concert will provide an educational experience in addition to entertainment.
“It will provide a good discussion for both students and professors, especially in the music, graphic design, African American and American history departments,” Lunemann said.
In addition to Wednesday’s events, Gallery 234 will continue to display Shaolin’s Color of Sound exhibit for the remainder of the week. The gallery will host a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday night where guests will be able to enjoy free food, a viewing of the exhibit, and a discussion with some of the jazz group’s members.
