CITY OF BONES
#11 Hillman Library, University of Pittsburgh
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.
track description:
“dialogue”
Actors of August Wilson plays, including Roscoe Lee Brown and Phylicia Rashad talk about the richness of Wilson’s dialogue, with samples of pianist Ahmad Jamal’s “Dialogue”.
Hillman Library is host to the archives of August Wilson, Ahmad Jamal, and Erroll Garner, whose material was used in the production of this mixtape.