Press contact: Erin Allen (202) 707-7302
Public contact: Nicholas A. Brown (202) 707-8437

September 6, 2012

Music Division Launches New Series at the Hill Center

The Library of Congress Friday launches a new pilot series at the Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital. The six programs of music on film are part of an ongoing effort to reach broad and diverse audiences by highlighting American Voices, the theme of the Library’s 87th concert season.

On four Fridays in September, Music Division Jazz Curator Larry Appelbaum will host screenings of the pioneering television series "The !!!! Beat: Legendary R&B and Soul Shows From 1966." The films include performances by Etta James, The Carnations, Freddie King, Frank Howard & The Commanders, Patti Labelle & The Bluebelles and other music legends of the 20th century.

In addition, the great-grandson of one of Capitol Hill’s most renowned residents, John Philip Sousa, joins Loras Schissel of the Music Division for a screening of "Stars and Stripes Forever," a discussion of Sousa’s life and his collection at the Library of Congress. They will sign copies of their new book "John Philip Sousa’s America: A Patriot’s Life in Images and Words."

The power of Gospel music is the focus in a February program which features the classic documentary "Say Amen, Somebody." Washington, D.C. native Patrick Lundy and the Ministers of Music will give an exclusive performance. They have performed at The White House and have shared stages with Shakira, Mariah Carey, Bruce Springsteen and Beyonce Knowles.

The series is made possible through the generous support of endowments given to the Library by private donors. The series is presented free of charge to the public but requires advance reservations for admission. The beautifully renovated Hill Center was built in 1866 for the treatment of wounded Civil War soldiers. Reservations may be made through the Hill Center at (202) 549-4172 or through its website, www.hillcenterdc.org/home/. The Hill Center is located at 921 Pennsylvania Avenue, S.E., one block from the Eastern Market Metro.

Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution. It seeks to spark imagination and creativity and to further human understanding and wisdom by providing access to knowledge through its magnificent collections, programs and exhibitions. Many of the Library’s rich resources can be accessed through its website at www.loc.gov.

Series Schedule

Friday, Sept. 7 p.m.
Jazz Film Series: The !!!! Beat with Larry Appelbaum
Volume One includes performances by Little Milton, Frank Howard & the Commanders, Esther Phillips, Gatemouth Brown, Joe Tex, Etta James, Lattimore Brown, Roscoe Shelton, Lee "Shot" Williams & Gerri Taylor, Carla Thomas, Art Grayson, Cleo Randle, Mighty Joe Young and Jimmy Church.

Friday, Sept. 14, 7 p.m.
Jazz Film Series: The !!!! Beat with Larry Appelbaum
Volume Two includes performances by Jimmy Church, Freddie King, Gatemouth Brown, Gerri Taylor, Frank Howard & the Commanders, Barbara Lynn, The Kelly Brothers, Mighty Joe Young, Art Grayson, The Beat Boys, Joe Tex, Freddie King, The Carnations, Little Gary Ferguson, Johnny Jones and Charles "Charlie" Hodges.

Friday, Sept. 21, 7 p.m.
Jazz Film Series: The !!!! Beat with Larry Appelbaum
Volume Four includes performances by Freddie King, Martin, Maurice & The Radiants, The Beat Boys, The Poppies, Lee Watson & The Panthers, Johnnie Jones, Freddie King, Louis Jordan & The Tympany Five, Gatemouth Brown, Clarence "Frogman" Henry, Gwen Davis, Robert Parker, Jimmy Church, Lattimore Brown, Joe Simon, Mamie Galore and Jamo Thomas.

Friday, Sept. 28, 7 p.m.
Jazz Film Series: The !!!! Beat with Larry Appelbaum
Volume Six includes performances by Johnny Larand, Frank Howard & The Commanders, Tammy McKnight, Johnny Jones, Eva Larse, Bobby Hebb, Rodge Martin, The Beat Boys, Earl Gaines & Jimmy Church, The Four M's, Joe Simon, Freddie King, Mabon "Teenie" Hodges & Fred Ford, Willie Mitchell, Big Amos Patton, Veniece Starks, Little Milton, Don Bryant, The Ovations, Otis Redding, Percy Sledge, The Bar-Kays, Mitty Collier, Garnett Mimms, Sam & Dave, and Patti Labelle & The Bluebelles.

Sunday, Nov. 4 ,1 p.m.
"Stars and Stripes Forever" with John Philip Sousa, IV and Loras Schissel
John Philip Sousa, IV, great-grandson of the noted composer and conductor, joins Loras Schissel of the Music Division in a discussion of the legend’s life and legacy, including a screening of Henry Koston’s classic film "Stars and Stripes Forever" (1952).

Saturday, Feb. 23, 1 p.m.
"Say Amen, Somebody" & Patrick Lundy and the Ministers of Music
The film tells the uplifting story of the birth of gospel and pioneering artists Thomas A. Dorsey and Willie May Ford Smith. Following the film, there will be a short performance by the high-energy Patrick Lundy and the Ministers of Music. The screening is presented in cooperation with the Daniel A. P. Murray African American Culture Association of the Library of Congress.

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PR 12-167
09/06/12
ISSN 0731-3527

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