CITY OF BONES
#6 Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Hill District
track description:
“pats place interlude”
Pat’s Place was a newsstand and pool hall that once stood nearby on the corner of Wylie Avenue and Elmore Street. Over the sounds of local jazz musicians Art Blakey and Kenny Clarke, Wilson recounts the stories of what he learned and observed while hanging out there.
about City of Bones
City of Bones | Gem of the Confluence is a mixtape that explores August Wilson’s artistic life and theatrical work through the rich history of Black music in Pittsburgh, collaging archival audio and play dialogue with the sounds of artists such as Mary Lou Williams, Ahmad Jamal, and more.
The mixtape and installation are based on August Wilson’s play Gem of the Ocean, set in Pittsburgh circa 1904. In the play, the elder Aunt Ester invites a troubled Citizen Barlow to a meeting with his ancestors in the mythological City of Bones.
Following Aunt Ester’s instructions to Citizen Barlow, the mixtape is installed at various sites across the city relevant to this history.