Born in Macomb on February 21, 1910, Al Sears was a premiere American jazz tenor saxophonist and band leader.

A source of hometown pride, the area’s annual Al Sears Jazz Festival showcases jazz talent from far and wide and will be featured prominently in the New Harmonies exhibition.

In preparation for the Jazz Festival, and in conjunction with New Harmonies, the Western Illinois Museum will present a series of four programs that explore the cultural and historical forces that helped shape this distinctly American art form and the life of the man from Macomb who embodied these traditions so well.

Today’s program: Bill Maakestad, professor emeritus at WIU and founder and director of “Macomb Unplugged,” along with Sterling Kernek, also professor emeritus at WIU and expert on the era of World War I, will present an historical overview of the life and influence of Al Sears.

For more information, please contact the Western Illinois Museum at 309.837.2750.