For all those people who love to jam to jazz or who want to learn more about the jazz culture -- this weekend is designed especially for you.

Today and tomorrow are days that will be filled with the jazz and poetry of world-famous musicians and writers.

"These are great American artists who have been celebrated and should be celebrated more," said William Harris, event organizer and associate English professor.

Today and tomorrow Archie Shepp and Roswell Rudd quartet will give a performance at 8 p.m. in Schwab Auditorium. The poet and activist Amiri Baraka will join them.

This free performance of jazz is a product of the English department which hopes to "focus on African American consciousness and liberation both artistic and political," Harris said.

Even though the department offers a course on the Black Arts Movement, which started in the 1960s, the professors who teach the course believe this movement needs to be experienced rather than merely listened to on tape or read about in a book.

"It's important to see a performance and be able to actually see them perform and see how they, in word and music, create art," Harris said.

"You really have to be there."

But Harris said the main reason for the jazz paradise is simple.

"It's simply so people can hear this incredible and great music because there's lots of different ways music can go," he said.

It's also important for a place like State College to experience this type of performance, said Paul Youngquist, event organizer and associate English professor. "This is a coming together of artists of this stature in Happy Valley," Youngquist said.

"It raises awareness about African Americans and their relationship to jazz and it's an opportunity for students and other members of the community."

Not only is Baraka important to the jazz culture, but he is emphasized within the entire English Department.

"Baraka is someone who is widely read and can be found on a lot of people's syllabi," Youngquist said.

This weekend's program will also raise awareness of the musical genre in general.

"It informs [the public] that jazz is very much alive and free jazz is an alternative to what's here on the radio, which is fine but not challenging," Youngquist said.

But this is also a good excuse to have a night out that's a little different and more mentally stimulating than simply bar hopping.

"It's an avant garde night out which is a little edgy and not really available in the area," Youngquist said.

There will also be a panel discussion featuring a wide variety of specialists and experts, and scholars and critics who will take the opportunity to talk about the various arts.

These panel discussions will take place tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. in Foster Auditorium, 101 Pattee Library.

"I hope people view this event enthusiastically and take it as one of excitement and renewed interest in music," Youngquist said.