— Fans of live music won’t want to miss Tulsa’s Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, playing at the Tahlequah High School Performing Arts Center at 7:30 tonight.

Renowned for their varied stylistic tastes and respected in jazz circles nationwide, the JFJO is comprised of Chris Combs on lap steel guitar, Brian Haas on piano, Josh Raymer on drums and Jeff Harshbarger on double bass. Tonight, they are joined by three horn players from Northeastern State University’s jazz program and Mark Southerland, a legendary jazz saxophonist from Kansas City, Missouri.

The band will be playing all nine songs from their new album, “Race Riot Suite,” written and arranged by Combs. The album explores the heartbreaking true story of the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot, a violent conflict between white and black communities in north Tulsa during a time of segregation.

“For a long time, it was, in our eyes, effectively marginalized,” Combs said. “But it’s such a fascinating story and something that we feel as Tulsans and jazz musicians is a big part of our history. It’s important that we embrace it and learn from it so it doesn’t happen again.”

At the time of the riot, the Greenwood district was known as the most prosperous African-American community in the United States. The area, home to around 10,000 black residents, boasted a thriving cultural scene as well as commercial district known as the Black Wall Street.

Two days of mob conflict left more than 800 people injured. Thirty-nine lost their lives and three dozen city blocks were burned to the ground. The devastating event was kept largely secret until a report was published by the Tulsa Race Riot Commission in 1997.

Combs said there is a notable history of jazz artists, including Charles Mingus and Duke Ellington, who have used music as a form of expression and a means to work through difficult political issues.

“Louis Armstrong recorded “(What Did I Do to Be So) Black and Blue,” which is a politically charged tune written 20 to 30 years before the Civil Rights Movement,” he said. “Political awareness in jazz has always been important. Performers have used the music to better the world or at least put things in a light that they can’t be ignored anymore.”

The suite strives to capture a complete feel of 1920s Greenwood before, during, and after the tragedy. As the album concludes with pieces titled, “Eye of the Dove” and “Last Prayer,” the music offers redemption and hope for the future.

Combs said the band returned earlier this week from a three-month East Coast and West Coast tour where they were “proud to spread the Okie love” to audiences.

“It’s been really humbling and inspiring to see people’s reactions to the music,” Combs said. “All over the country, we’ve met people that don’t know a whole lot about Tulsa and haven’t heard of the Tulsa Riot. We love the opportunity to tell people about Oklahoma.”

If you go



WHAT: Northeastern State University’s Galaxy of Stars concert featuring the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey presented by the Sequoyah Institute.

WHEN: 7:30 tonight.

WHERE: Tahlequah High School Performing Arts Center.

COST: $20 for adults; $18 for NSU alumni; $16 for NSU employees and seniors 60 and over; $10 for students and $6 for NSU students

TO RESERVE TICKETS: (918) 458-2075.

INFORMATION: www.nsuok.edu/si.