Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • Videos
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Library
    • Research
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Campus & Community
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • |
  • Alumni
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • |
  • Alumni
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • Videos
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Library
    • Research
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Campus & Community

Jazz Icon Randy Weston to Headline Inaugural John L. Johnson Lecture Series

Monday, April 13, 2015, By Rob Enslin
Share
Randy Weston

Randy Weston

Legendary jazz pianist Randy Weston will headline the inaugural John L. Johnson Lecture in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Titled “African Rhythms,” the daylong program will take place on Thursday, April 16. Events and activities will be presented by the Department of African American Studies (AAS) and will include the following:

• a tour of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library (231 Sims Hall) at 9:30 a.m., followed by a dedication of the John L. Johnson Papers;
• a solo recital by Weston at 12:30 p.m. in Setnor Auditorium; and
• a conversation between Weston and James Gordon Williams, assistant professor of AAS, at 5 p.m. in Maxwell Auditorium.

“African Rhythms” is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Doreen Blenman at 315-443-9344 or aas@syr.edu.

Weston is an internationally renowned pianist, composer and bandleader. Jamaican by birth, he owes much of his career to Africa, where he has studied its musical traditions, produced its first major jazz festival and opened Morocco’s first popular jazz club. Weston has been inducted into the ASCAP Jazz Wall of Fame, has been designated a Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Art, and was thrice named “Jazz Composer of the Year” by DownBeat magazine.

“Like Dr. Johnson, Randy Weston is a true visionary and innovator,” says Williams, a prolific jazz pianist, composer and musicologist. “Since bursting onto the world stage in the 1950s, Weston has carved out a unique place for himself in American and African music.”

John L. Johnson

John L. Johnson

A Syracuse faculty member from 1966-1971, Johnson chaired the committee to organize an Afro-American Studies program, became its first director and was appointed assistant provost for minority affairs. He also was instrumental in retaining scholarships for the “Syracuse 8,” a group of African Americans unfairly dismissed from the University’s football team in 1970. Johnson left Syracuse in 1971 to become associate superintendent of schools in Washington, D.C.

The John L. Johnson Lecture Series is organized and presented by AAS. Contributions to the lecture fund may be directed to Karen Weiss Jones, assistant dean for advancement in Arts and Sciences, at 312 Hall of Languages, Syracuse, NY 13244 or by contacting her at 315-443-2028 or kmweissj@syr.edu.

  • Author

Rob Enslin

  • Recent
  • Helping Students Succeed: Addressing Pandemic-Related Learning Loss
    Thursday, August 11, 2022, By Christopher Munoz
  • InclusiveU Student Meg Wilkie’s Infectious Passion for Running Inspires Community
    Thursday, August 11, 2022, By Kerin Ruddy
  • WWII Veteran, Syracuse Alumnus Laid to Rest in Arlington National Cemetery 77 Years Later
    Wednesday, August 10, 2022, By Austin Philleo
  • Former Football Player David Tate Inspires Fellow Alumni With $1M Gift Commitment
    Tuesday, August 9, 2022, By News Staff
  • Food Services Announces Changes to Goldstein Dining Hours
    Monday, August 8, 2022, By Jennifer DeMarchi

More In Campus & Community

InclusiveU Student Meg Wilkie’s Infectious Passion for Running Inspires Community

Meg Wilkie ’24 has a passion for running and a big dream: to run a marathon in all 50 states. Since she started racing in 2012, she has completed 28 full marathons in 15 states. This fall, she will tackle…

Maxwell Faculty Expert on Autonomous Systems Policy Presents at White House Summit on Advanced Air Mobility

Jamie Winders, professor of geography and the environment in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, was among the presenters offering perspectives on advanced air mobility technologies at a White House summit in Washington, D.C., last week. Winders, associate…

Former Football Player David Tate Inspires Fellow Alumni With $1M Gift Commitment

One of David Tate’s first memories of Syracuse football is what has endeared the team to him the most. Entering into the program as a freshman in 1972, Tate says coach Ben Schwartzwalder’s first direction to the newcomers wasn’t on…

Food Services Announces Changes to Goldstein Dining Hours

Beginning Aug. 27, Food Services will implement an adjusted menu and new service hours at its Goldstein Dining location, in an effort to streamline service to meet South Campus student needs. “Over the past year, we have studied the daily…

DPS Now Accepting Applications for First Community Police Academy

The Syracuse University Department of Public Safety (DPS) is currently accepting applications for its  first Community Police Academy. The department invites all students, faculty and staff to apply for this free four-week program designed to give community members an idea…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
Social Media Directory

For the Media

Find an Expert Follow @SyracuseUNews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • @SUCampus
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2022 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.