TRANSCRIPT:
I’m Mark Rapp, and this is Rapp on Jazz.
When people think of jazz, they often think of New Orleans or New York—but South Carolina has its deep jazz roots and rising rhythm.
Dizzy Gillespie, one of the founding fathers of bebop, was born in Cheraw, South Carolina. His groundbreaking trumpet playing and Afro-Cuban experiments expanded the boundaries of jazz, and his legacy is honored each year at the South Carolina Jazz Festival in his hometown.
From Charleston to Columbia, jazz lives in clubs, classrooms, and community centers. The state’s Gullah and African American heritage runs through its music, infusing it with soul, rhythm, and storytelling.
And today? A new generation of musicians, educators, and festivals is keeping the tradition alive, right here in the Palmetto State.
This has been Rapp on Jazz, a co-production of ColaJazz and SC Public Radio, made possible by The ETV Endowment of South Carolina.