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| "Music Inspired by Freedmantown," Debut CD by Reggie Quinerly, to Be Released Sept. 18 While growing up in Houston, Texas, jazz drummer and composer Reggie Quinerly heard talk of Freedmantown, a largely forgotten African-American neighborhood established by newly emancipated slaves directly following the Civil War. He later immersed himself in research and began learning about some of the pioneers who built houses, schools, and businesses in that neighborhood. "Music Inspired by Freedmantown, " Quinerly's debut recording, is in many ways the result of that research. And with the new CD, Quinerly is giving Houston and the world at large vibrant musical memories of a time and place that should not be forgotten. On his forthcoming debut CD, jazz drummer/composer Reggie Quinerly taps a rich vein of cultural history from his native Houston to produce an ambitious, soulful, and uniquely resonant work—"Music Inspired by Freedmantown." The disc will be released September 18 by Quinerly's Redefinition Music label. Although Quinerly attended grammar school in the heart of the historic African-American district once known as Freedmantown (now the Fourth Ward), he knew little of the significance of the area. But a melody he composed while in his second year at Juilliard opened the door to memories of his hometown and, soon, an obsession with learning everything he could about the neighborhood and its past. write your comments about the article :: © 2012 Jazz News :: home page |