This exhibit was inspired by an exhibit on An Evening of Folks Songs Robert Schmertz and His Friends created by Anna Benik, Marc Melanson, Ryan Vo, Alivia Wright for Dr. Rika Asai's Fall 2024 American Music Course.

Jazz great Sam Rivers’ most important and popular song is the ode to his wife “Beatrice.” Originally released on the album Fuchsia Swing Song (1964), the song has become a jazz standard, particularly for tenor saxophonists. Rivers wrote “Beatrice” as part of his daily composition ritual and claimed that when he thought of his wife the ideas started percolating.