Professors Griffin and Washington will discuss aspects of their recent collaboration on the book Clawing at the Limits of Cool (Thomas Dunne Books, 2008), the first book to focus on Davis and Coltrane's musical interaction and its historical context, on the ways they influenced each other, and the tremendous cultural impact of their collaboration. This conversation will further illuminate the drama of Davis's and Coltrane's collaboration, during which each artist made tremendous progress toward personal artistic goals, forever changing the landscape of music.
Farah Jasmine Griffin is one of the major African-Americanists in the United States. Professor Griffin's fields of inquiry include African American literature, music, history and politics. The recipient of numerous honors and awards for her teaching and scholarship, she is the author of Who Set You Flowin'?: The African American Migration Narrative (Oxford University Press, 1995) and If You Can't Be Free Be A Mystery: In Search of Billie Holiday (The Free Press, 2001).
Wednesday, November 11, 2009, 7:30 pm
301 Philosophy Hall, Columbia University Morningside Campus
Free and open to the public