Kurt Dietrich to speak Monday about jazz in Wisconsin

Kurt Dietrich, professor emeritus of music at Ripon College, will speak Monday, May 9, at Winchester Academy in Waupaca, Wisconsin. His talk will be “Wisconsin Jazz: From the Roots to the Present.” He will give an overview of important jazz artists from Wisconsin and the trends that have led from the early days up to the rich and complex jazz scene in Wisconsin today.
The free program will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the lower level of the Waupaca Area Public Library, 107 S. Main St. It will be taped for later viewing.
Dietrich graduated from Lawrence University, received his master’s degree from Northwestern University and his doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. At Ripon, he directed the Symphonic Wind Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble, taught brass instruments and a variety of courses.
He was a trombonist with Matrix, an Appleton-based jazz fusion group that performed at the Monterey and Newport jazz festivals in the 1970s and has released five recordings.
He is the author of the book Wisconsin Riffs: Jazz Profiles from the Heartland (Wisconsin Historical Society Press, 2018).