Lara Downes curator + pianist
Dom Flemons The American Songster®

The first of two CURRENT programs exploring unexpected musical connections, curated by LACO Creative Partner Lara Downes, ROUTES follows the highways and byways of American music with surprising roadside discoveries and detours to the crossroads where musical traditions merge and transform. Joined by Dom Flemons, The American Songster®, Downes and the musicians of LACO delve into the folk melodies that inspired Aaron Copland’s compositions, centering on his score for the ballet “Billy The Kid,” which unexpectedly uncovers the musical legacy of Black cowboys in the Wild West. The program also traces the migration route from Jim Crow Mississippi to mid-century Los Angeles of William Grant Still, known as the “Dean of African American Composers,” and follows other American road trips via Carlos Simon’s Warmth from Other Suns and John Adams’s Road Movies. 

Through this genre-fluid collaboration, ROUTES highlights the emotional experiences of migration and the roots of modern Black culture, from the often-overlooked history of Black Americans whose contributions to the West left an enduring legacy to the current revival of Black country narratives via Beyoncé and other contemporary artists. Flemons, who processes this history through his ancestral roots in East Texas, has previously paid tribute to the music, culture, and the complex history of the golden era of the Wild West on his 2018 release Black Cowboys and 2023’s GRAMMY-Award-Winning Traveling Wildfire. He will perform selections from both albums. 

Tickets include access to explore The Autry’s exhibits. Plus, western-inspired food and drinks will be available for purchase.