“Esteban and The Children of the Sun” is the final work from the prolific musical mind of John Rapson, the long-time leader of the University of Iowa Jazz program, completed just days before he died in August of 2021.
It’s a story of a Moroccan Muslim who was the first African to journey across North America, a slave shipwrecked on the coast of Florida, who learned the ways and customs of the indigenous peoples he encountered.
Many of the musicians who joined Rapson for his seminal work “Tamale Louie” are a part of this project, including Daniel “Nielo” Gaglione, along with new collaborators spoken word poet Caleb Rainey and bluesman Kevin “BF” Burt. In fact, the narration unfolds as a conversation between Caleb and Kevin, two black men discovering Esteban’s story together.
“Esteban and The Children of the Sun” premieres October 3 at the Englert Theatre. The album will be available at the show as well.
www.englert.org for tickets.
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