Join pianist and aspiring musicologist Owen Cody as he celebrates gems of the African -American musical heritage, featuring blues and jazz by Leadbelly, the Harlem Renaissance artists, Big Mama Thornton, Chuck Berry, Street Corner Opera (Doo-wop), Gil Scott-Heron, Nina Simone, Dinah Washington, Oscar Peterson, Fats Waller, and, naturally, Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald.
Owen Cody, classically trained in piano, saxophone, and pipe organ, continues to perform both regionally and on the national stage. He is a four-time Kentucky All-State Jazz pianist and NAfME Modern Band keyboardist, a former member of the MCHS McBig Jazz Ensemble, Paducah Jazz Patrol, The Cruisers, and, on occasion, is a guest performer with the Solid Rock’it Boosters, The Doorz, and at events hosted by the Carson Center. Owen is currently pursuing his undergraduate degree, with a double concentration in Government and Music at Harvard University
Front and Center is a series of small performances held in the center of the first floor of the library, directly across from the main circulation desk. These informal performances allow patrons to experience library programming informally while they look for materials, do work on a computer, or take a few moments to enjoy the show.
All programs are free and open to the public