The Last Great Territory Big Band: A Conversation with Carmen Fields and Henley Douglas

Join us for a special evening of jazz-inspired conversation with Carmen Fields, award-winning journalist and daughter of bandleader Ernie Fields, and renowned saxophonist Henley Douglas Jr.

From the 1920s–1960s territory bands crisscrossed the United States and helped disseminate popular music. Very few made recordings, so their vital contributions to jazz music are often overlooked. The Tulsa-based Ernie Fields (1904-97) led one of the best territory bands, traveling from town to town performing jazz and swing music to countless fans. In her book, Going Back to T-Town: The Ernie Fields Territory Big Band, Carmen Fields tells the story of her father Ernie Fields’ musical career, which began less than a decade after Tulsa’s infamous 1921 race massacre. She details the successes, disappointments, and perseverance that kept Ernie’s band alive from the early jazz era to the 1960s. This enlightening account reveals how Ernie navigated the hurdles of racial segregation during the Jim Crow era and built a musical career that included a top-ten hit in 1959 (a rock-and-roll rendition of In the Mood) and performances at the famed Apollo Theater in New York. At a time when most other territory bands had faded, the Ernie Fields Orchestra continued to perform. Sit in on this session for music lovers and learn about a before-now missing piece of American popular music and African American history.

An Emmy Award-winning fixture of the greater Boston journalism community for over 30 years, Carmen Fields has broad experience in both print and broadcast journalism; journalism education and corporate and non-profit media relations. Longtime producer and host of the public affairs program Higher Ground on WHDH-TV, Boston, Fields is also a SAG-AFTRA affiliated actor and voice-over artist. The Tulsa, OK native earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Lincoln University (MO) and a master’s degree in broadcast journalism from Boston University. Other achievements include Harvard University’s Nieman Fellowship and an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Salem State University.

A renowned sax player, Henley Douglas Jr. has been performing professionally for over thirty years. He’s formed and led countless bands and his music appears on over a dozen albums including a CD of original music as a soloist. He’s shared the stage with everyone from the Neville Brothers to the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Laverne Baker. In 2007, Henley co-founded the Salem Jazz and Soul Festival along with his friend Larry Claflin. The 501c3 nonprofit organization produces a popular series of free concerts for the public and raises funds for music education programs in schools and youth programs on the North Shore of Boston. His music is featured on the upcoming reggae documentary “Reggae in the Ruff.” Learn more about Henley here.

Tickets: Tickets: $20 General Admission | Free to Salem Athenaeum Members |  Card to Culture

This is a hybrid event. Zoom link will be sent to all registrants an hour before the program starts.

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