Orange Coast College Hosting Langston Hughes Concert Performance

Orange Coast College has invited Ron McCurdy to perform in a multimedia concert of Langston Hughes’ jazz poem suite “Ask Your Mama: 12 Moods for Jazz” on Tuesday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. in the College’s Robert B. Moore Theatre.

The event is part of OCC’s yearlong 70th Anniversary commemoration, and will include topical images of “Ask Your Mama’s” people, places, and events to recreate a moment in our cultural history, bridging the Harlem Renaissance, the post-World War II beat writer’s coffeehouse, and the Black Arts performance scene of the 1960s. The performance is co-sponsored by OCC’s Multicultural Center, Student Equity Program and Umoja.

Ron McCurdy is a professor of music at University of Southern California, where he previously served as the Director of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz at USC. McCurdy is a consultant to the Grammy Foundation educational programs, and has been a consultant for major corporations, including Disney and Yamaha.

The public is invited to attend the performance, and admission is free. For questions or additional information, contact Associate Dean of the Global Engagement Center Nathan Jensen at (714) 432-5909.