FOX CHAPEL, PA – Cooper-Siegel Community Library will dance through Pittsburgh of decades past when local author and musician Colter Harper stops by November 9.
An ethnomusicologist, Harper will perform a short jazz concert before discussing his 2024 book “Jazz in the Hill: Nightlife and Narratives of a Pittsburgh Neighborhood.” The free event starts at 2 p.m. Sunday and will include a question-and-answer session and book sale.
Harper said his performance will include solo guitar versions of jazz and American songbook composers including Billy Strayhorn, Jimmy Van Heusen and John Coltrane.
“This is an exciting way to engage with local history and expand your knowledge of jazz,” Harper said. “I hope attendees come away with a greater appreciation of Pittsburgh’s immense importance in shaping jazz history and American culture.”
In addition to jazz, Harper’s scholarly and creative work explores American nightlife and West African music. Harper served as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Ghana from 2018 to 2020 and has performed as a guitarist, including with the rock band Rusted Root. He is currently a teaching assistant professor at the University of Buffalo’s Department of Music.
“As a musician and musicologist, public events are excellent forums for sharing research that has developed over many years,” Harper said. “It provides a context for getting feedback and thinking about what research I will continue to pursue.”
Information Services Department Head Kelley Beeson said Harper’s visit is exciting because the library hasn’t hosted a musical event for some time. “I’m excited to bring some sounds to the library, especially jazz, as it has seriously strong roots in Pittsburgh, which many people don’t realize,” Beeson said. “And our communities love local history, so it’s always exciting to bring a new author in to shed light on part of Pittsburgh’s past.”
Beeson said she hopes attendees leave the event with “a new appreciation for the history of the Hill District.”
“Specifically, how it helped shape the cultural, business, social and political movements of this neighborhood, including the relationship between jazz and civil rights,” she said. “I also hope those who are already interested in jazz and local history learn a few new tidbits.”
For more information about Colter Harper, visit his website, https://www.colterharper.com/.
To learn more or register for the event, visit
https://coopersiegel.librarycalendar.com/event/colter-harper-jazz-and-jazz-history-35565.
For more information about Cooper-Siegel Community Library, including upcoming programming, visit www.coopersiegelcommunitylibrary.org.
For media inquiries, contact Communications & Marketing Specialist Kaylie Glaze at 412-828-9520, ext. 5012, or glazek@coopersiegelcommunitylibrary.org.
Cooper-Siegel Community Library serves all Fox Chapel School District communities.
