TRANSCRIPT:
I’m Mark Rapp, and this is Rapp on Jazz.
Dr. Karen Chandler is a classically trained pianist, scholar, and cultural visionary. Now Associate Professor Emerita at the College of Charleston, she has shaped the landscape of arts management and jazz history for over two decades.
She co-founded the Charleston Jazz Initiative, documenting South Carolina’s profound influence on jazz in America and abroad.
Her work has uncovered the deep roots of jazz in South Carolina—names like those of Porgy and Bess composer George Gershwin’s inspiration and forgotten musicians who helped shape America’s sound.
But she’s not just looking back—she’s building the future, ensuring jazz remains alive and accessible.
This has been Rapp on Jazz, a co-production of ColaJazz and SC Public Radio, made possible by The ETV Endowment of South Carolina.