Harmonizing in Arkansas: Jazz

Join us for Harmonizing in Arkansas: Jazz on Thursday, April 16, at 6 p.m. This Celebration of Jazz Appreciation Month will feature a presentation by Stephen Koch, creator and host of “Arkansongs,” and a performance by the Redd Shoee Creww, including some of President Clinton's favorite jazz numbers.

Koch will explore the history of jazz in the United States and significant contributions of Arkansans to the genre. The Redd Shoee Creww, an Arkansas-based quintet, will perform musical selections that reflect the themes of Koch's presentation.

Harmonizing in Arkansas: Jazz is part of By the People: Conversations Beyond 250, public programs exploring cultural and creative expression in local communities, produced in collaboration with the Federation of State Humanities Councils. Arrive early and stay late to share your thoughts related to America250. Insights from these conversations will be shared with the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and help inform the programming for the 2026 Arkansas Folklife Festival, ensuring the festival reflects the many cultures and communities that make Arkansas home.

The program will be available on the Clinton Center’s YouTube channel the following day.

ASL interpretation is available during our events.

This program is presented by the Clinton Foundation and the Clinton Presidential Library and Museum in partnership with Humanities Arkansas.

About Harmonizing in Arkansas:
Music has always been a part of America. To commemorate America250, the Clinton Presidential Library and Museum is partnering with Humanities Arkansas to celebrate American-made music, particularly styles that flourished in Arkansas during the 20th century.

The Harmonizing in Arkansas initiative is a series of programs highlighting different genres of music, culminating with songwriting workshops during the Arkansas Folklife Festival, June 26-28. All programs are free and open to the public.

Program support provided by the Federation of State Humanities Councils as part of By the People: Conversations Beyond 250, a series of community-driven programs created by humanities councils in collaboration with local partners. The initiative was developed by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.

About Stephen Koch:
Koch is an award-winning journalist in both broadcasting and print, with a focus on the musical culture of the Midsouth. He’s creator-host of “Arkansongs,” heard weekly for more than a quarter-century on public radio affiliates across Arkansas, in east Texas, and Louisiana.

Koch has been involved in recognition and preservation efforts of forgotten musical greats, especially Louis Jordan, the ground-breaking jazz/R&B pioneer, authoring the biography “Louis Jordan: Son of Arkansas, Father of R&B” a Jordan musical, “Jump!;” a Jordan documentary film, “Is You Is;” and helping create a Louis Jordan Memorial Highway near Jordan’s native Brinkley, which is also home to a bust of Jordan, funded by Koch’s annual Louis Jordan Tribute concerts. He consults with communities to help them promote their cultural legacies.

He wrote and narrated the documentary film “Music In Arkansas Origins: 200 B.C.-1941 A.D.,” airing on PBS, and recently authored the award-winning “From Almeda To Zilphia: Arkansas Women Who Transformed Popular American Song.” His art has toured in juried exhibitions, and his graphic novel coloring book series “Ozark M**der Ballads Illustrated” is based on traditional folk songs of crime and retribution collected in the Ozarks in the 20th century. As a musician, he’s performed originals and songs made famous by Arkansas legends at folk and blues festivals around the country and the UK.

Members of the Redd Shoee Creww:
Alisha Patillo – Sax
Rick Horton – Keys
Eric Fells – Bass
Isaac Helgestad – Lead
Ashton Hollowell – Drums

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