The 2018 Black Music Symposium from the University of Arkansas Music Department is billed “Shaping American Music.” The symposium, which kicked off yesterday and runs through Friday night at the Faulkner Performing Arts Center (FPAC) looks at blues music and features American masters Lee Finkelstein and Bobby Harden. The drummer and singer, respectively, are members of the original Blues Brothers Band will present a special showcase concert at FPAC Thursday, Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m.
Ahead of this year's symposium Finkelstein and UA music professor Jake Hertzog sat down with Katy Henriksen to discuss the importance of roots music today and "passing the baton" to the next generation of musicians.
Hertzog says the association with Finkelstein and Harden and the Original Blues Brothers band has been an important "archival source" of blues music.
Hear the entire #ArtsBeat conversation in the streaming link above.