Philoctetes Center

Asking the East (March 13, 2011)

Music Performance & Discussion
Participants: Jane Ira Bloom, Samir Chatterjee, Jin Hi Kim, Min Xiao-Fen


Jazz musicians have often looked abroad for inspiration to invigorate their music. John Coltrane's interest in Indian music and Dizzy Gillespie's early exploration of Afro-Cuban rhythm are well known examples in jazz history. How does contemporary cross-cultural collaboration influence worldwide musical cultures? How do musicians from different cultures perceive the passage of time or the role of improvisation, and how does this affect the way they interact with one another? What are the variations in the expression of emotional depth, rhythmic vitality, and melodic narrative? Three renowned world music artists-Chinese pipa virtuoso Min Xiao Fen, Korean komungo player and composer Jin Hi Kim, and Indian tabla legend Samir Chatterjee-join jazz saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom to perform and discuss their process of creation.