An American invention, the blues has influenced 20th-century folk, popular, and fine art music. The sound and form of the blues are also key elements of jazz, heard in the church, on the street, in the concert hall, and in quiet contemplation. Contrary to popular misconception, while “the blues as such” speaks of melancholy, “blues as music” offers an optimistic and heroic assertion: Things will get better. This concert celebrates that sound, form, and ethos in its many variations. Juilliard Jazz Ensembles honor that enduring legacy in The Sound of the Blues: Sacred and Secular.