Fall 2002:
The KUIJSG is founded by eight faculty members from five departments
at University of Kansas.
January
2003: KUIJSG receives generous seed funding from the KU Center
for Research and the KU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. These
funds will be used to build our reputation and to attract outside funding
for major events, such as a Colloquium Series in conjunction with the
KU Jazz Festival, including a major conference on the territory bands
in the Spring of 2006.
April 9,
2003: The KUIJSG kicks off our exploration of our unique possibilities
for collaboration by organizing a panel for the American Seminar at
the Hall Center on April 9, 2003, entitled, “Improvising Interdisciplinarity:
a Multi-vocal Conversation in Jazz Studies.” With this panel, we set
the groundwork for ongoing collaborations among us, and among other
faculty, students, and community members interested in jazz.
September
25, 2003: With our seed funding, and additional support from
the Office of the Chancellor, and our Departments, we bring Robert O’Meally,
Director of the Center for Jazz Studies at Columbia University to consult
with our group on how to maintain a successful jazz studies group, and
to present a public lecture, entitled “Louis Armstrong’s Comic Masks.”
The KU Jazz Combo #1 presented by KU Jazz Director Dan Gailey open this
“Evening of Jazz Studies” before a full house in Alderson Auditorium
in the KU Student Union.
March 4-5,
2004: The first KU Interdisciplinary Jazz Studies Colloquium,
is held in conjunction with the 27th Annual KU Jazz Festival, directed
by Dan Gailey. The theme was "Jazz Changes."
March 3, 2005, The second KU Interdisciplinary Jazz Studies Colloquim, "Improvising America," is held in conjunction with "Reading, Writing, Performing America," and interdisciplinary conference, and the 28th Annual Ku Jazz Festival.
March 3, 2006: The third KU Interdisciplinary Jazz Studies Colloquium takes as its theme: "Territory Bands, Then and Now."
March 30, 2007: The fourth KU Interdisciplinary Jazz Studies Colloquium: "What's Avant-Garde about the Avant-Garde."
