Award-winning jazz pianist Mark G. Meadows (Usher, Kendrick Lamar, Angelique Kidjo, Bobby McFerrin) and dazzling vocalist and songwriter, Rochelle Rice (Sweet Honey in the Rock) will team up to present a dynamic, original program infusing Jazz, R&B, and gospel tunes with Rice's signature vocals to create a fresh, harmonic brew. Join this Washington DC duo as they connect the old with the new, serving up original compositions alongside crisp re-interpretations of Dizzy Gillespie, Stevie Wonder, and Steely Dan.

For both artists, music is a means and a message. Meadows’ expressive playing can elicit feelings of love, joy, and hope but also explores the darker, more complex emotions that surface in response to newspaper headlines and need to awaken people to the need for racial equity in America. Dedicated to social justice and music education, Rice has performed at protest rallies, and recently sang in honor of the work of Congressman John Lewis. In addition to touring, she also leads “informances”. Part interactive lecture and part musical performance, these workshops celebrate and explore the music of the Civil Rights Movement.

The Black History Month series is sponsored by Ruthie Oland Real Estate, Davis Financial, and Living in the Light of Rare Diseases, and is co-presented with the David Ruggles Center.

This program is also supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.