Free Film Retrospective Presents “Happy Birthday Charlie Parker, Peggy Lee, Carmen McRae and More”

Many great jazz musicians were born in 1920, most notably, Charlie Parker (shown right). Scenes Through the Cinema Lens— a free film retrospective at the Borough of Manhattan Community College Tribeca Performing Arts Center (BMCC TPAC) — presents on Tuesday, February 25 at 7:30 p.m., rare video of Parker in performance, as well as compelling footage of other great performers of the era; Peggy Lee, Carmen McRae (shown right), Dave Brubeck, Paul Bonsalves and Clark Terry.

The event will also feature rarely-screened scenes from movies from the early years of jazz.

The Scenes Through the Cinema Lens series is curated and hosted by Krin Gabbard, who teaches in the Jazz Studies program at Columbia University, and who is the author of books including Better Git It in Your Soul: An Interpretive Biography of Charles Mingus (2016), Hotter Than That: The Trumpet, Jazz, and American Culture (2008), Black Magic: White Hollywood and African American Culture (2004), and Jammin’ at the Margins: Jazz and the American Cinema (1996).

Each Scenes Through the Cinema Lens is followed by a question and answer session moderated by Professor Gabbard. Reservations are not required. For more information, click here.

BMCC TPAC, the longest operating performance venue in lower Manhattan, is located on the BMCC campus at 199 Chambers Street. The venue also presents a Highlights in Jazz and music series, Family Theater events, and dance.

While the February 25 Scenes Through the Cinema Lens series is free, other BMCC TPAC series and events provide discounts for the BMCC community.

For more information, contact the BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center ticket booth at 199 Chambers Street, 12 to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, or call (212) 220-1460.