Steven Bernstein
On the occasion of The Jazz Age: American Style in the 1920s exhibition in fall 2017, the Cleveland Museum of Art welcomed Henry Butler, Steven Bernstein, and the Hot 9—artists devoted to keeping music of the 1920s alive. In May 2019, bandleader Steven Bernstein took time out of his schedule to have a conversation about the roots of jazz in American popular culture. (With a slight detour through Cleveland.)
Watch
Watch the trailer for the 2017 exhibition The Jazz Age: American Style in the 1920s.
Explore
See objects in the CMA’s collection featured in The Jazz Age: American Style in the 1920s.
Listen
Listen to Butler, Bernstein & the Hot 9 on Spotify
Read
Read about the musicians mentioned in this interview
Steven Bernstein (official site)
Professor Longhair (Wikipedia)
About the Series
Behind the Beat is a series featuring composers and performers in the time of isolation. While the twin pillars of performing arts—global travel and gathering together for a shared experience—are impossible, artists are reflecting on their work, both past and future. Of particular interest are those artists with direct connections to the Cleveland Museum of Art. This series celebrates the legacy of music at the museum and uniquely illuminates aspects of the museum’s collection.