Professor of Music Kurt Dietrich will read excerpts from new book about jazz Sept. 25

A reading from Wisconsin Riffs: Jazz Profiles from the Heartland, a new book by Kurt Dietrich, professor of music and the Barbara Baldwin De Frees Chair in the Performing Arts at Ripon College, will be held Tuesday, Sept. 25, at Ripon College.

The program will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the North Reading Room, Lane Library. It will be free and open to the public.

The comprehensive history of jazz in Wisconsin recently was published by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press. Dietrich will share excerpts from the book along with stories about its creation.

Although New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago often are considered the epicenters of American jazz, this extensive, upbeat compilation of jazz musician biographies details Wisconsin’s rich association with the genre since its inception in the early 1900s. Iconic musicians Bunny Berigan, Woody Herman, Les Paul and Al Jarreau all hailed from Wisconsin, as have many other influential players, composers, and teachers.