Jazz and Modernism: Architecture as Frozen Music with Ben and Leo Sidran

Explore how two parallel 20th-century modernist movements—jazz and architecture—reshaped cultural landscapes by rethinking form, function, and the relationship between tradition and innovation. The harmonic structures used by American jazz musicians are remarkably similar to those used by 20th-century American architects. From Louis Armstrong to Miles Davis, and Frank Lloyd Wright to William Krisel, both movements helped create a new sense of the future that was born in the 1920s and flourished in the 1960s, ushering in a new era of style, cool, and transformation.

This performance delivers a fluid collection of songs and stories legendary for their mixture of swing, groove, and free-form philosophy, always infused with humor and hipster wisdom.

“The jazz life was a profound experience because it was unique to a time and a place. The time being mid-twentieth century, the place being the American road.” — Ben Sidran

Performance Lineup:

• Ben Sidran (Piano, Voice): Over his 60-year career and 40 albums, Ben has juggled roles as a pianist, singer-songwriter, author, and record producer for artists like Steve Miller, Diana Ross, and Van Morrison.
• Leo Sidran (Drums, Voice): A Grammy-winning multi-instrumentalist, producer, arranger, and composer who has established himself as a versatile band-leader and film score composer.
• John Christensen (Bass)

Note: Seating is first-come, first-served.

Cost