Jazzonia

From the larger work "Black Pierrot," this work describes the scene in a Harlem cafe of the 1920s in which "six long-headed jazzers play," and beautiful girls dance. After a short introductory section, the music moves into a lively ragtime - complete with drum set - that forms the background for the remainder of the piece. Altogether, it is something of a poetic and musical glance at the era of the Harlem Renaissance in which so much African-American music, art, and poetry emerged as vital forces in the arts.