With the 2024 Madison Jazz Fest is in full swing, A Public Affair host welcomes some Madison locals to talk about two jazz legends with Wisconsin ties. First we talk with Dean Robbins about his new children’s book The Fastest Drummer: Clap Your Hands for Viola Smith! The book, which is illustrated by Susanna Chapman, offers a fun and bright biography of Smith, who started her nearly 100-year-long career at the age of 13 and is recognized as one of the few female professional drummers of the early twentieth century.

Then, Douglas is joined in studio by two folks behind the new documentary film String Theory: The Richard Davis Method. Artistic Director of the Richard Davis Foundation for Youth Bassists (RDYB) Peter Dominguez and RDYB Executive Director Catherine Harris join the program to talk about Richard Davis’s work, legacy, and impact on their own lives. The film is showing at Madison Museum of Contemporary Art on Thursday June 13th, 2024 at 7pm for free as part of the Jazz Fest.

Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash

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