TCCL News & Events

Music always has been an integral part of film, even before “talkies” when musicians provided live accompaniment. Together they created a cohesive mix by combining the sights with sound to enhance the emotional power.

Experience this mix as Music Sandwiched In presents “Music From the Screen and Stage,” 12:10-12:50 p.m., Wednesdays, Sept. 2, 9, 16 and 23, in Central Library’s Aaronson Auditorium, Fourth Street and Denver Avenue.

The series begins Wednesday with Elizabeth Curtis and Lisa Stefanic, accompanied by Jeanette Maxfield, teaming up to sing familiar songs from the stage and screen. Hear Porter, Gershwin, Sondheim and Schwartz with a fresh twist.

Sept. 9 features pianist “Ragtime Bill” Rowland, as he accompanies the humorous silent films “One Week” (1922), starring Buster Keaton and Sybil Seely, and “Wrong Again” (1929), starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy.

Joseph Kestner, chair of film studies at the University of Tulsa, surveys the history and significance of music and film Sept. 16. Kestner’s presentation will include clips of famous scores from classic films such as “42nd Street,” “High Noon” and “Lawrence of Arabia.”

The series concludes Sept. 23 with Olivia Duhon, a University of Tulsa jazz studies graduate, singing a variety of classic songs from the silver screen. The Sonny Gray Trio will accompany her. Band members include Sonny Gray on piano, Vernon Howard on bass and George Toumayan on drums.

The series is sponsored by the Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries and Central Library’s Media Center. Sandwiches and coffee are available for purchase.

For more information on Music Sandwiched In, call 596-7933 or visit the library’s Web site, www.tulsalibrary.org.

Each Wednesday in May you can experience jazz, the universal language of cool, during Music Sandwiched In, 12:10-12:50 p.m., in Central Library’s Aaronson Auditorium, Fourth Street and Denver Avenue.

The series begins May 6 with Annie Ellicott. She may be young, but her voice is timeless and her American jazz performances are unforgettable. As a recipient of the Tulsa Jazz Society’s 2008 Legacy Tribute Award, she quickly has established herself as Tulsa’s jazz sweetheart and one of the city’s most sought-after performers.

May 13 features Olivia Duhon and Vernon Howard giving a new twist to old jazz standards. As a recent graduate of the University of Tulsa and a former member of the TU Jazz Band, Duhon shines as a bright, new performer on the local jazz scene. Accompanied by Howard, director of jazz studies at TU, this duo will perform classics like “Fly Me to the Moon” and Joni Mitchell’s “Court and Spark.”

SCORE performers Chuck and Sandy Gardner have performed at Carnegie Hall, the Johnny Carson Show and Caesar’s Palace. On May 20, they can add Central Library to their list of impressive performances. As a regularly featured band at the Jazz Hall of Fame and Tulsa Jazz Society, SCORE’s signature “elegant American jazz” act is a local favorite.

The series concludes May 27 with Donald Ryan, one of Tulsa’s most respected classical, ragtime and jazz pianists. He is a faculty member at Oral Roberts University and serves as the musical advisor on ragtime for Tulsa’s board of directors. Jim Bates, bassist, and Arthur Thompson, drummer, will accompany Ryan.

Music Sandwiched In is sponsored by the Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries and Central Library’s Media Center.

For more information call the Media Center, 596-7933, or visit the library’s Web site, www.tulsalibrary.org.