OCCC Swings With New Jazz Exhibit

By Darren Brown, News9.com

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Since its inception at the beginning of the 19th Century, jazz music has embraced its designation as a truly American art form.

Oklahoma City Community College is presenting this art form, as a traveling art exhibit to not only its students, but the Oklahoma City community.

"The Fine Art of Jazz," a collection of portraits taken by Pulitzer-Prize winning photographer Dan White, will be on display at the OCCC campus Feb. 3 through March 5.  White, a jazz fan from the Kansas City area himself, came upon the idea of chronicling the Kansas City jazz scene more than 20 years ago.

"He had an 'a-ha' moment at one of the performances at one of the local joints," said Lemuel Bardeguez, the Director of Cultural Studies at OCCC.  "And, he decided that it was time that somebody did sort of an expose' of current living jazz legends." 

White uses black-and-white photography, and medium and large format to enhance not only the texture of the image, but the overall expanse of the image as well.

Artists such as Jay "Hootie" McShann, Diane "Mama" Ray, and "Delightful Dee" Al Bartee, are photographed with instruments and without, but always in their element.

"Even someone who doesn't like jazz can come and get a perspective on the Kansas City jazz scene," said Bardeguez.  "And they can also come and appreciate the exhibit just from an aesthetic point of view."