Tracy headed back to China as Chu Tian Scholar

Professor Steve Tracy of Afro-American Studies will make the second of five Chinese government-sponsored trips to Central China Normal University in Wuhan as a Chu Tian Scholar from May 11 to July 16.

While there, he will teach two courses, advise graduate students, work on co-editing a collection of essays by Chinese and American scholars, and offer musical performances. He will also lecture at the university, as well as undertake a lecture tour at eight to 10 universities in Beijing, Three Gorges, Shanghai and other locations.

Back in the U.S. on Aug. 3, his band, Steve Tracy and the Crawling Kingsnakes, will perform on the main stage at the Greater Cincinnati Blues Festival. The following day, he will emcee the Piano Stage at the festival and perform with a variety of blues pianists. At the festival, Tracy will autograph a two-LP set of historical recordings of Cincinnati blues from 1928-1936, "Play it Like You Did Back to George Street," for which he wrote the liner notes.