Call For Papers

Jazz and Culture: Special Issue on Geri Allen
Issue – Fall 2020
Deadlines:
Abstracts 300-500 words: July 15th, 2019
Full Manuscripts: September 1, 2019

The journal Jazz and Culture seeks proposals and submissions for a special issue on the music and legacy of pianist Geri Allen. We invite scholars, writers, and artists to submit proposals for the issue, slated for release in Fall 2020.

Geri Allen (b. 6/12/1957, Pontiac, Michigan) is among the most powerful voices in jazz and black music to emerge in the second half of the twentieth century. She received her initial musical education in Detroit with Marcus Belgrave, followed by a jazz studies degree from Howard University and a master’s degree in ethnomusicology from the University of Pittsburgh. As a pianist, Allen’s approach was stunningly virtuosic and staggeringly unique, and by her mid-20s she had become one of the most sought-after pianists in improvised music. Her work drew on a wide range of influences including straight-ahead jazz, the avant garde, black popular music, and the rich musical traditions of her native Detroit. In addition to her position as among the most influential instrumental voices of her generation, Allen was a highly successful and innovative educator, teaching at the University of Michigan and the University of Pittsburgh, where she served as Director of Jazz Studies up until her untimely passing in 2017.

In light of Allen’s widespread influence and prominence, the journal will consider pieces in all formats for this special issue. While priority will be given to our standard editorial focuses on scholarly research articles and oral histories (both ~10,000 words), we are open to also discussing other types of contributions, including transcriptions and analyses, personal remembrances, and other types of pieces. All methodological approaches are welcome.

 Jazz and Culture is an annual, peer-reviewed publication devoted to publishing cutting-edge research on jazz from multiple perspectives. The journal is the continuation of the International Jazz Archives Journal, a publication founded in 1993 on the principle that both scholars and musicians offer invaluable contributions to scholarly inquiry. Drawing upon recent trends in music scholarship, the journal further seeks to interrogate a range of issues connecting music, race, class, gender, and other realms of social practice.

To propose a piece, please send a proposal of 300-500 words in either .pdf or .doc format to: Pittjazz@pitt.edu. For full consideration, please submit initial proposals by July 15, 2019, and be prepared to provide full manuscripts by September 1.

For questions email: Editor-In-Chief Michael Heller at Michael.Heller@pitt.edu.