An Afternoon of Jazz with Dwan Bosman Sunday, April 19 at Sharon Forks Library

An Afternoon of Jazz with Dwan Bosman

Sharon Forks Library presents an Afternoon of Jazz with Dwan Bosman on Sunday, April 19, 2:00–3:00 p.m. Mr. Bosman will perform the music of Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Charlie Parker that jazz lovers of all ages can appreciate. 

There is never an end. There are always new sounds to imagine; new feelings to get at.

John Coltrane   

These illustrated biographies from our juvenile collection highlight the stories and artists behind some of the iconic jazz artists that inspired Dwan Bosman's own musical journey. 

Spirit Seeker: John Coltrane’s Musical Journey by Gary Golio; Illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez

Vibrant acrylic paintings and mixed media illustrations reveal saxophonist John Coltrane’s musical and spiritual journeys. This biography describes Coltrane’s musical calling, and the thrill of playing alongside his heroes like Dizzy Gillespie, John Hodges, and Miles Davis. The book also describes Coltrane’s spiritual journey, revealing how his battles with addiction led to him losing his job playing with the Miles Davis Band, and how that setback changed his life. Coltrane returned to his family roots and spent time in meditation. After overcoming his addiction, he was able to perform even better than before, revolutionizing jazz, recording his own record, leading his own group and becoming a jazz legend of his own.  

Birth of the Cool: How Jazz Great Miles Davis Found His Sound by Kathleen Cornell Berman; Illustrated by Keith Henry Brown

Birth of the Cool describes Miles Davis' musical journey from listening to the music of Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington on the radio, receiving a trumpet for his thirteenth birthday, feeling overlooked in the high school band, and discovering bebop. Miles Davis' lucky break came when he was asked to fill in for an absent musician and got the opportunity to perform with Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Bird Parker. But Miles Davis had his own ideas about music and became a master at improvising short, soulful solos. Miles Davis even developed his own style of music,—cool jazz and variations like modal jazz, hard bop, and fusion all inspired by the sounds of his youth. 

Alicia Cavitt

Information Specialist

Sharon Forks Library

Event Image Credit: Forsyth County Public Library

Celebrating Black History Month - Illustrated Biographies of African American Musicians

This February marks the 50th anniversary of Black History Month, established by President Gerald Ford in 1976 and passed into law in 1986 by the United States Congress. 

These inspiring biographies teach children about the lives and legacies of three iconic African American musicians.  

R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul by Carole Boston Weatherford; Illustrated by Frank Morrison

G-R-O-O-V-E Aretha finds her groove when she’s rocking R&B

No woman of her time has more chart-toppers than she.  

Aretha Franklin was born in a family devoted to God and music and is known as the Queen of Soul. As a girl, Aretha learned to play piano and sang in her church choir. She recorded her first record at age fourteen and is one of the best selling music artists in history. Lively illustrations and simple, rhyming text highlight special moments from Aretha Franklin’s musical journey alongside moving depictions of Civil Rights leaders and key events in American history.  

That Swingin’ Sound: The Musical Friendship of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong by Rekha S. Rajan; Illustrated by Ken Daley

Everyone who loves music will enjoy this lively story of young Ella Fitzgerald dancing her way from an orphanage in New York City to singing at the Apollo Theater while young Louis Armstrong sings his heart out on street corners in New Orleans and grows up to play his trumpet on riverboats in New Orleans and jazz clubs in Chicago. The two friends even got to perform together at the Hollywood Bowl concert in California. Illustrations by Ken Daly bring this inspiring story to life. 

Discover more children's books about African Americans on our African American Culture Picture Books booklist.

Alicia Cavitt
Information Specialist

Sharon Forks Library

Celebrating Black Heritage: An Afternoon of Jazz with Dwan Bosman at Sharon Forks Library

One positive thought produces millions of positive vibrations.

-John Coltrane, American Jazz Saxophonist

Dwan Bosman, Saxophonist

If you love jazz artists like John Coltrane, Charlie "Bird" Parker, and Miles Davis you won’t want to miss a special live jazz performance by saxophonist Dwan Bosman on Sunday, February 5 at 2:00 p.m. at the Sharon Forks Library.  

Forsyth County Public Library is thrilled to present An Afternoon of Jazz with Dwan Bosman as part of our Celebrating Black Heritage series.   

Songwriting Workshop at Sharon Forks Library on August 9th and 23rd

Have you ever wanted to write a song?  

Aspiring songwriters will get advice on creating original music from award-winning local songwriter Bob Lusher in a two-part Songwriting Workshop that will be held on August 9 and 23 at the Sharon Forks Library. Both Tuesday night sessions begin at 7:00 p.m. 

Participants will learn songwriting methods including song structure, chords, and lyrics as well as how to arrange and record music using Audacity and Band-in-a-Box. At the conclusion of the workshop, the songwriters will have the opportunity to perform their music for the group.  

Forsyth County Public Library is excited to offer this unique program for our adult and high school age patrons.