The Special Collections Department of Cleveland Public Library houses an amazing collection of books covering many different subjects. We often "discover" a book of particular interest when it is requested by a researcher. This past month, two unique items came to our attention.

The Library has many manuscripts in its collection. A manuscript is defined as something written by hand [from the Latin manu - by hand - and scriptus - written]. A beautiful example is Le songe du Vieil Pelerin adressant au Blanc Faucon à bec et pieds dorés which dates from the first half of the 15^th century and is probably from France.  It tells the story of Philippe de Mézières who went on a Crusade to the Holy Lands, and is written in a beautiful even hand with some red decorative initials on pages of both parchment and rag paper. 

Visual artist Amy Casey was among those recognized recently by Cleveland Arts Prize for 2009. She was chosen as 'Emerging Artist Award for Those Under 40'. Casey is project coordinator for the Reinberger Galleries at the Cleveland Institute of Art and has shown her work in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Currently her work is available through ZG Gallery in Chicago. She received her degree in painting from CIA in 1999. Check out more of her intriguing work at her website.

Attached to this post is an Excel file containing recent additions to the Fine Arts Department. Once you open the file you will see links to the online catalog that will facilitate item requests. Be sure to visit our blog regularly to be the first to check out these new items!

The Fine Arts Department is extremely pleased to present the Cavani String Quartet on May 30th, 2009 at 4pm in the 2nd floor lobby of the Main Library building (325 Superior Ave., Cleveland, Ohio, 44114). Cavani will perform and discuss Beethoven's String Quartet Op.130 "Grosse Fuge." This concert will be one of their concluding performances in their "Beethoven and Brotherhood" project which began in September of 2008. Cavani is the professional Quartet-in-Residence at the Cleveland Institute of Music as is recognized internationally as active proponents of new music as well as pioneers in arts-in-education.

This "Music at Main" event will be held on the 2nd floor lobby of Main Library (not the usual 3rd floor lobby location) and all ages are encouraged to attend. This event is free but space is limited so come early! Please join us for this wonderful afternoon of world-class music in the beautiful Main Library building. For more information please call 216.623.2848.

April is Jazz Month.  You will find entries on four pianist-composers (Tadd Dameron, Carla Bley, Randy Weston, Herbie Nichols) in previous blog postings.

1959 (fifty years ago) was an eventful year in jazz history.  Many young players produced innovative albums which influence jazz today.  Among them was Giant Steps by the John Coltrane Quartet.  The title selection has become a test piece for saxophonists and has inspired other great performances and arrangements.  It also has inspired visual artists such as this animation created by Michael Levy.

Among the other extraordinary jazz recordings reflecting creative breakthroughs in 1959 are the following (all available from Cleveland Public Library):

• Horace Silver. Finger poppin' (Blue Note)
• Ella Fitzgerald. Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George & Ira Gershwin song book (Verve)           
• Gil Evans. The complete Pacific Jazz sessions (Blue Note)
• Thelonious Monk Orchestra at Town Hall (Riverside)     
• Miles Davis. Kind of blue (Columbia)
• John Coltrane. Giant steps (Atlantic)
• Charles Mingus. Mingus ah um (Columbia)
• Abbey Lincoln. Abbey is blue (Riverside)
• Ornette Coleman. The shape of jazz to come (Atlantic)
• Horace Silver. Blowin' the blues away (Blue Note)
• Ornette Coleman. Change of the Century (Atlantic)
• Miles Davis. Sketches of Spain (Columbia)