Upbeat March/April 2015

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MARCH/APRIL 2015

WBGO Program Guide Jazz 88.3 FM www.wbgo.org

WBGO Celebrates

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in the wbgo GALLERY

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ow through April 5, come to the

WBGO Gallery and learn about the many achievements of women in

jazz over the course of a century with this multifaceted exhibit of photographs and story board panels. The exhibit, a collaboration between WBGO and the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University-Newark, transcends a roster of great jazz singers, instrumentalists, composers and bandleaders.

The pieces celebrate pioneering dancers and choreographers; broadcasters; educators; historians, writers and publicists; photographers and documentary film producers; impresarios; archivists; seasoned veterans; NEA Jazz Masters; young masters preserving traditional styles alongside cutting-edge musicians of avant garde jazz. Also in the spotlight are some of Newark’s home-grown jazz luminaries.

Further information at WBGO.org/Gallery.

The next Newark Public Radio, Inc. Board of Trustees meeting is scheduled for May 11, 2015 at 6:00pm The meeting will be held at a location TBD. The meeting is open to the public, though a photo ID will be required to enter the building.

Vol. XXXVIII No. 3 54 Park Place Newark, NJ 07102 Tel: (973) 624-8880 Fax:(973) 824-8888

E-mail: upbeat@wbgo.org Web Page: www.wbgo.org

MEMBER-SUPPORTED Public Radio

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Upbeat March/April 2015

President & CEO Amy Niles

Music Director Gary Walker

Marketing Manager Brandy Wood

Membership Director Roslyn Turner

Design/Layout Penguin Graphics

Upbeat is available in a large print edition upon request.

www.wbgo.org

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Sinatra

Ken Veeder /© Capitol Photo Archive

An American Icon

WBGO CELEBRATES THE SINATRA LEGACY

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BGO is celebrating the 100th anniversary of Frank Sinatra’s birth in several ways this spring. The station is a media partner of Sinatra: An American Icon, the new free multimedia exhibition at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, which opened March 4.

We are honoring the legacy of Frank Sinatra at our annual Champions of Jazz Gala on April 6. And our Jazz Appreciation Month festival, presenting student ensembles from around the region, will celebrate the centennial birth year of both Sinatra and Billie Holiday throughout the month of April.

Curated by the GRAMMY Museum® at L.A. LIVE in collaboration with The www.wbgo.org

New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, the Sinatra Family, Frank Sinatra Enterprises, and the Frank Sinatra Collection, USC School of Cinematic Arts, Sinatra: An American Icon explores the life and career of Frank Sinatra. The official exhibition of the 2015 Frank Sinatra Centennial tells the story of a master singer, performer, recording artist, and actor. The exhibition will be on display in the Donald and Mary Oenslager Gallery, Shelby Cullom Davis Museum at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts located in Lincoln Center from March 4 through September 4, 2015. More information can be found at NYPL.org/Sinatra. continued on page 6 March/April 2015 Upbeat

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kidsjazz

e c n Da Clap

Stomp iL sten

LEARN!

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Upbeat March/April 2015

www.wbgo.org

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his spring, WBGO once again brings young audiences the WBGO Kids Jazz Concert Series.

For the first time in the series, each of the five shows in Essex County, New Jersey will focus on a specific aspect of jazz. The group performing on the series, the Metta Quintet, is the resident artist of non-profit JazzReach. Their innovative, multimedia programs will highlight jazz icons such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Eillington, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis as well as take kids

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around the world with works by composers from West Africa, Israel, Cuba, Puerto Rico, India and the United States.

Another program introduces jazz’s cultural origins, improvisation and teamwork.

These free programs take place Saturdays (see dates below) and begin at 12:30pm. Every young person will be entered to win prizes and all kids leave with a gift! Arrive early, as we expect these shows to fill quickly.

You won’t want to miss any of these engaging, interactive hour long programs.

Hangin’ with the Giants*

Montclair Art Museum

*This concert includes free admission to the Montclair Art Museum following the performance.

April 11

Newark Symphony Hall

Ellington!

April 18

Newark Museum

She Said, She Says: The History & Status of Women in Jazz” *

*This concert includes free admission to the Newark Museum following the performance.

April 25

NJPAC (Victoria Theater)

Get Hip!

May 2

Livingston Public Library

Big Drum, Small World

Learn more about these high energy, educational performances on our website WBGO.org/Kids. The WBGO series is always free and open to the public, though adults must be accompanied by a child.

WBGO encourages schools and groups to apply for transportation funding to get young people to these performances. Please contact Vicki Fernandez at kids@wbgo.org or by calling (973) 624-8880 x248.

www.wbgo.org

Support for the WBGO Kids Jazz Concert Series comes from: The Agnes Varis Charitable Trust, The United Airlines Foundation, Robert A. Mills Foundation, PNC Foundation, Anita B. and Howard S. Richmond Foundation, Turrell Fund, Edward W. and Stella C. Van Houten Memorial Fund, The Lillian Schneck Foundation, Sylvan C. Coleman Foundation, Investors Foundation JazzReach is a New York City-based not-for-profit dedicated to the promotion, performance and teaching of jazz.

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Gary’ s Plays MUSIC DIRECTOR GARY WALKER’S TOP CDS + RE-ISSUES

SINATRA continued from page 3 This year’s Champions of Jazz Gala takes “The Chairmen of the Board” as its inspiration, honoring WBGO’s Board of Trustees Chair, Steven N. Ifshin, and the legacy of Frank Sinatra. At this year’s gala, Frank Sinatra Jr. will perform Sinatra Sings Sinatra, paying homage to his father, the singer, the man, and the music that defines the Sinatra legend. This is an event not to be missed, and the first WBGO Gala to take place at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Manhattan.

For information and tickets, please visit WBGO.org/Gala.

WBGO is proud to salute icons such as Frank Sinatra, and also to promote the next generation of jazz artists. This year, student ensembles from colleges in the tri-state area will be showcased as part of WBGO’s Jazz Appreciation Month festival. The ensembles will include both student and guest vocalists to celebrate the impact of both Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday in the centennial year of their birth. For participating schools, schedule information and on demand listening, check in throughout the month of April to WBGO.org/JAM. Throughout 2015, the 100th anniversary of Frank Sinatra’s birth will be celebrated around the world with commemorative centennial events, exhibitions, and new music and film releases. WBGO is proud to be part of the festivities.

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Upbeat March/April 2015

Top Tunes Eddie Henderson Collective Portrait (Smoke Sessions) Dena Derose We Won’t Forget (High Note) Duane Eubanks Things of That Particular Nature (Sunnyside) Red Garland Trio Swingin’ on the Korner (Elemental Music) Joe Sample & NDR Big Band Children of The Sun (PRA) New Century Jazz Quintet Time is Now (Spice of Life) Marcus Printup Lost (Steeplechase) Russell Malone Love Looks Good on You (High Note) Charles McPherson The Journey (Capri) Steve Turre Spirit Man (Smoke Sessions) www.wbgo.org

Cover Photo: Š Frank Sinatra Enterprises, LLC

programs at a glance

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programguide March/April 2015 SUNDAYS 6:00 AM SUNDAY MORNING HARMONY with Dan Karcher 10:00 AM SINGERS UNLIMITED with Michael Bourne Singers Unlimited is four hours of new and classic singers singing ballads and bossas, blues and be-bop. For more than 25 years, WBGO’s Michael Bourne has turned the spotlight on jazz vocalists with live in-studio performances, interviews and more.

6:00 PM JAZZ NIGHT IN AMERICA Re-broadcasts on Wednesdays at 6:30 pm March 8 Hip Hop + Jazz = Revive Big Band What would it sound like if someone bridged the gap between big band jazz and classic hip-hop anthems? Between Art Blakey and A JAZZ NIGHT . . .

March 29

Jimmy Katz

Anat Cohen: Roots of Rio from Jazz at Lincoln Center Choro, which means “to cry” in Portuguese, is a genre often referred to as “The New Orleans Jazz of Brazil.” Israeli clarinetist and saxophonist Anat Cohen leads Choro Aventuroso, a culmination of both her affinity and intense study of Choro music as part of an international community of jazz players during her days studying at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Her group will play waltzes, mazurkas and African-Brazilian rhythms such as the Lundu, all of which help characterize the essence of Choro.

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Upbeat March/April 2015

Tribe Called Quest; between Freddie Hubbard and J. Dilla? One answer is offered by trumpeter Igmar Thomas, the founder and musical director of the Revive Big Band. Between originals, standard jazz repertoire and orchestrations of contemporary classics, Thomas aligns a multi-generational ensemble with a black music tradition that leads to the present day.

March 15 Spokfrevo Orquestra: Carnival + Jazz (Repeat) In Brazil, during Carnival, music fills the streets. The Spokfrevo Orquestra bring the joyous music from the streets of Brazil to the Appel Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Fronted by virtuoso saxophonist and arranger Inaldo Cavalcante de Albuquerque, better known as Spok, the 17-piece orquestra brings an adventurous program featuring special guests saxophonist Melissa Aldana and trombonist Wycliffe Gordon. Hear highlights from this exhilarating performance while tracing the origins of Brazilian Carnival music.

March 22 SFJAZZ TBA March 29 Anat Cohen: Roots of Rio from Jazz at Lincoln Center See sidebar..

April 5 Billie Holiday Turns 100 Jazz Night in America marks the centennial of the birth of Billie Holiday with Grammy® winner Cassandra Wilson showcases her blues, country, and folk-tinged delivery, singing selections from her newest recording highlighting the artistry of Billie Holiday.

7:00 PM SUNDAY NIGHT MUSIC MIX Grammy® nominated record producer Eulis Cathey plays an eclectic mixture of jazz, contemporary jazz, fusion, jazz/funk, Latin, classic R&B and so much more. From Grover Washington, Jr. to Weather Report; from James Brown to Eddie Palmieri; from Charles Earland to Incognito, the Sunday Night Music Mix has something for everyone. www.wbgo.org

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All programs subject to change.

11:00 PM THE CHECKOUT Re-broadcast of previous Wednesday’s Program MONDAYS 6:30 PM LATINO USA with Maria Hinojosa Multi award-winning Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only nationally distributed English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective. This program covers the social, cultural and political issues facing today’s Latino community.

Maria Hinojosa, host of Latino USA, is also urban affairs correspondent for CNN and a former NPR News reporter. In addition to being a broadcaster, Hinojosa is an author, and a frequent lecturer on college campuses.

She has received the Robert F. Kennedy Award, an Associated Press award and the National Council of La Raza’s 1999 Ruben Salazar Award.

7:30 PM NJ CAPITOL REPORT Emmy Award-winning anchors Steve Adubato and Rafael Pi Roman host New Jersey Capitol Report which examines New Jersey’s most pressing public and policy issues. The program looks at political, social, and cultural issues affecting the people of New Jersey through in-depth conversations with the state’s top legislative leaders, political pundits, and “movers and shakers.”

TUESDAYS 6:30 PM THE CHECKOUT The Checkout is a weekly one-hour music magazine featuring the best content from WBGO—the leading presenter of jazz on public media. Every week, producer Simon Rentner crafts a program that aims into the heart of New York’s music scene—featuring exclusive interviews, studio sessions, and field recordings of today’s leading artists.

March 3 Jamie Cullum March 31 Eric Harland April 7 The Checkout in South Africa/Cape Town Jazz Fest Special www.wbgo.org

April 14 NEA Jazz Master Show April 28 Reid Anderson’s compositions with The Bad Plus 7:30 PM CONVERSATIONS WITH ALLAN WOLPER Conversations with Allan Wolper features guests whose ideas are on the cutting edge.

Wolper, known as a “journalist’s journalist,” is an interviewer, reporter, documentary producer and ethics columnist, who has been honored by every journalism medium, winning over 50 awards.

8:00 PM LATIN JAZZ CRUISE with Awilda Rivera WEDNESDAYS 6:30 PM JAZZ NIGHT IN AMERICA Re-broadcast of previous Sunday’s Program 7:30 PM SPORTSJAM SportsJam takes a unique peak into the sports scene as WBGO’s News and Sports Director Doug Doyle talks with a wide variety of guests. Bernie Williams, Kareem AbdulJabbar, Jon Faddis, Savion Glover and Jazz 88 host Rhonda Hamilton all agree there’s a strong connection between jazz and sports.

SportsJam recently received the Best Sports Award from the New Jersey Associated Press Broadcasters Association.

THURSDAYS 6:30 PM SONG TRAVELS WITH MICHAEL FEINSTEIN March 7 Marilyn & Alan Bergman Marilyn and Alan Bergman are a legendary power couple in American popular music.

They penned the themes for the TV programs Alice, Good Times, and In the Heat of the Night; and they earned multiple Emmys®, Grammys®, and Academy Awards®, including Best Original Song for “The Way We Were,” written with Marvin Hamlisch. The hits keep coming as this week Feinstein performs “There’s You,” a song he co-wrote with the Bergmans.

March 12 Somi See sidebar page 10.

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programguide March/April 2015 March 19 Joshua Bell & Jeremy Denk Feinstein welcomes the dynamic classical duo of violinist Joshua Bell and pianist Jeremy Denk. The two have been recording and performing together in the classical repertoire for years and are equally at home thumbing through the pages of the Great American Songbook. On this Song Travels, Bell and Denk perform selections by Ravél, Debussy, and Saint-Saëns, connecting the dots between French Impressionism and Gershwin.

March 26 Lily Frost Canadian vocalist and songwriter Lily Frost launched her career with her band The Colorifics, which packed cubs up and down the West Coast of the US and Canada for years. She’s since made the jump to solo artist and songwriter. Her musical mentor, the late Ray Condo, inspired her album “Lily Swings,” and her style has been compared to Regina Spektor and Feist. On this Song Travels, she performs her original song “Forest Fire” along with a few old favorites.

April 2 Joelle Lurie Jazz vocalist, songwriter, and actress Joelle Lurie is a regular at hip New York City venues such as the Rockwood Music Hall and the Zinc Bar, where she performs with her ensemble, The Pinehurst Trio. She was also a soloist at the Boston Holiday Pops, and on this week’s Song Travels, Lurie delights with a set of standards and modern songs from her album Take Me There. Host Feinstein accompanies her on “Our Love is Here to Stay.”

April 9 José Feliciano Singer, virtuoso guitarist, and composer José Feliciano joins host Michael Feinstein for an enchanting hour of conversation and music on this edition of Song Travels. The eighttime Grammy® winner pays tribute to Elvis Presley with selections from his 2012 album, The King, with performances including “Love Me Tender” and “Always on My Mind.”

April 16 Ginny Mancini

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Upbeat March/April 2015

Ginny Mancini performed with Mel Tormé and the Mel Tones before marrying fellow musician, composer, and conductor, Henry Mancini, who passed away in 1994. He would have celebrated his 91st birthday on April 16. This week, we remember Henry Mancini, as Ginny shares stories of their life together, her career, and Henry’s remarkable contributions to American film, television, and song.

April 22 Jake Shimabukuro Jake Shimabukuro has carried the sound of the ukulele from the shores of Hawaii to the world’s concert stages. In his hands the humble “little guitar” sings everything from J.S. Bach to the Beatles. This week, Shimabukuro performs “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and joins host Feinstein for a duet of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.”

April 30 Emily King Grammy®-nominated vocalist and songwriter Emily King is the daughter of internationally known jazz duo Marion Cowings and Kim SONG TRAVELS

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Somi American vocalist and songwriter Somi combines the music of her African heritage with American-style jazz, pop, and soul. Her parents emigrated from Rwanda and Uganda, and Somi spent eighteen months living in Lagos, Nigeria. The result was the inspiration for her 2014 album The Lagos Music Salon. On this Song Travels Somi and Michael Feinstein discuss the cultural roots of her music. She performs her original “Last Song” and joins Feinstein for “Embraceable You.” www.wbgo.org

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All programs subject to change.

Kalesti, and her musical journey has taken her far. She’s toured with John Legend and Sara Bareilles, and she’s released duets with Jose James and Taylor McFerrin. In this edition of Song Travels, King performs her original songs “Distance” and “Georgia.”

7:30 PM PEOPLE’S PHARMACY This program examines current issues in medicine, mental health, nutrition and fitness.

FRIDAYS 6:30 PM PORTRAITS IN BLUE Re-broadcast of previous Saturday’s Program; See Listing.

7:30 PM WBGO JOURNAL This program, produced by the multi-award winning WBGO team, covers issues of importance to the Newark/NY metro area.

SATURDAYS 6:00 AM NIGHT LIGHTS Night Lights presents jazz, from 1950 to the present, with a late-night sensibility, hosted

by David Brent Johnson. “Night Lights is a program of jazz in sound, story and song,” says Johnson. “I try to make each show a cultural narrative about whatever artist or theme I’m highlighting.”

7:00 AM PORTRAITS IN BLUE Re-broadcasts on FRIDAYS at 6:30 pm March 7 Big Joe Turner— Albums, Vol. 6 March 14 Dinah Washington— From the Beginning, Vol. 13 March 21 Pop & Mavis Staples, Vol. 2 March 28 Barbara Lynn, Vol. 5 April 4 Jimmy Witherspoon— Albums, Vol.5 April 11 Sam “The Man” Taylor, Vol. 2 April 18 Chuck Berry, Vol. 12 April 25 Buddy Johnson, Vol. 3

www.wbgo.org

8:00 AM SATURDAY MORNING FUNCTION WBGO’s Bob Porter plays blues, R&B and classic soul, with an emphasis on the early 1950s to the late 1960s. New artists who perform these styles are also featured.

10:00 AM RHYTHM REVUE with Felix Hernandez Rhythm Revue’s blend of classic soul and R&B received the A.I.R. (Achievement in Radio) Award for the Best Weekend Program in New York, and was named Best Radio Show by New York Magazine and the Village Voice. WBGO is the original home of Rhythm Revue.

March 7 Decades of Soul Felix continues his 29th year on WBGO with four commercial-free hours of classic soul and R&B hits from the 60s, 70s, and 80s.

March 14 Motown An extra helping of Motown classics in today’s show.

March 21 Pioneers Felix pays tribute to some of soul music’s pioneers.

March 28 Rarities Felix dips into his rare stash for some seldom-heard and obscure soul treasures.

April 4 Number Ones Felix features records that made it to No. 1 on the national soul charts.

April 11 Dance!

It’s the day of the dance, and Felix spins his listeners’ favorite party classics.

April 18 Singers Felix features a battle of the vocal groups as part of today’s classic soul mix.

April 25 Tristate Soul As part of the four-hour music mix, Felix features an hour of songs that were big soul radio hits in New York City and North Jersey.

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New Orleans Jazz,

Swinging Out

BY PETER GERLER

Peter Gerler has covered early jazz for JazzTimes, Downbeat, The Boston Globe, New Orleans Gambit, American Legacy, and other publications. He is currently working on a book about Joseph “King” Oliver. To celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month, Upbeat asked him to write an article on a movement he describes as attracting thousands of young people to jazz.

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ecently, the New York pianist and arranger Gordon Webster and his 7-piece band appeared in Cambridge, MA, together with the British/Australian vocalist Hetty Kate. The old hall, supplied by Boston Swing Central, had a dropped ceiling, big fans hanging, band back in the corner. They set off into a relaxed groove, with “Coquette,” continuing into “Sometimes I’m Happy” and “You Turned the Tables on Me”— tunes from the 1920s & 30s.

On the band’s first note, the hundred and fifty 20- and 30-somethings hanging around the floor started into an easy Lindy hop--the music made visual. The song couldn’t tell itself from the shuffle, a “mobile sculpture,” to quote S.D. Cudjoe. The swing in the beat had gone into the feet.

Wikemedia Commons/Frankie Manning. Hellzapoppin

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www.wbgo.org

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Tuba Skinny

This is the history of jazz: music out of movement. And it’s coming around again.

During the last decade, dance venues of all shapes and sizes, all around the country, have drawn thousands of Millennials to the release-from-gravity rhythm of New Orleans jazz and smallgroup swing.

Between June and September 2014, the World Swing Dance Council listed thirty-seven organized dances in seventeen states and six foreign countries.

In an August 2013 Vanity Fair piece, the New York jazz writer Will Friedwald wrote, “I find that I can go hear a 20sstyle band, almost inevitably made up of musicians born well after 1980, playing somewhere in the city virtually every night of the week.”

The young people come for the dance—and for the community. A Boston dancer named Kellian told me, “If I could share one thing with the whole world, dance would be it. It could reach people during the loneliest times of their lives.” At St. Mazie in Williamsburg, where the trad band Baby Soda held forth late on a Sunday night, a Canadian called Ivan said, “Swing dance makes people feel alive.”

And at French Quarter Festival 2014 in New Orleans, amidst music from hot young bands with names like Tuba Skinny, the Palmetto Bug Stompers, Smoking Time Jazz Club, and the New Orleans Cottonmouth Kings, a dancer named Les said, “On Frenchmen Street, I fell in love with traditional jazz. When people are dancing, everyone smiles. You can see the joy on their faces. It’s a wonwww.wbgo.org

Smoking Time Jazz Club

derful community. Lindy hop has changed my life.”

The resurgence comes on a centennial: Jazz made its national debut when New Orleans’ Original Creole Orchestra (aka The Creole Band) set off in 1914 on a four-year vaudeville tour, unveiling swing rhythm from coast to coast. Describing one of their shows, a Los Angeles Record reporter pronounced that rhythm “so enticing that the temptation to dance was almost overwhelming.”

The year 1914 saw other musical watersheds: W.C. Handy published “St. Louis Blues”; James Reese Europe’s Society Orchestra became the first of its kind to make records; and Louis Armstrong emerged from the Colored Waifs Home for Boys.

As is true today, in the early 1900s economic disparity brought strain to U.S. communities. But New Orleans jazz— that celebration of freedom—has always been about community. Music and dance came together as a package.

Writes Tom Piazza in Why New Orleans Matters, “Mac Rebennack, better known as Dr. John, once told me that when a brass band plays at a small club back up in one of the neighborhoods, it's as if the audience—dancing, singing to the refrains, laughing--is part of the band.

They are two parts of the same thing.”

So maybe the Millennials hear the call of an earlier, more neighborly time when young people, rather than just listening to live music, became part of it, through dance.

Or maybe they’ve just read their Einstein: "Nothing happens until something moves.”

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memberevent

Your Blues Ain’t Sweet Like Mine, a World Premiere

by Ruben Santiago-Hudson WBGO MEMBER EVENT FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 AT 8PM FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL 973-624-8880, EXT. 232 BGO invites members to join us for the Opening Night performance and Cast After Party of Your Blues Ain’t Sweet Like Mine, on Friday, April 17, 8pm at Two River Theater, 21 Bridge Avenue, Red Bank, NJ. Written and directed by Tony Award®-winner Ruben Santiago-Hudson, this commissioned play is a provocative, daring, and powerful drama about America’s relationship to race—and the power of hope and possibility in all of our lives. Blues musician Bill Sims, Jr., who has worked with Santiago-Hudson for many years, writes new and original music for the production.

Zeke is a highly educated, once-homeless man who describes himself as a “walking outburst.” Judith, a self-described “seeker of knowledge,” is a writer who decides that his life would make a great feature for The New York Times Magazine.

As the story progresses and their worlds collide, Zeke and Judith discover the price of history, sacrifice, and legacy.

As a playwright, Santiago-Hudson won

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Upbeat March/April 2015

Ruben Santiago-Hudson

an Obie Award® for his solo show Lackawanna Blues and numerous awards for his HBO screenplay. He is currently co-starring in the upcoming TNT series Public Morals, produced by Steven Spielberg. Two River Theater, under the leadership of Artistic Director John Dias, develops and produces great American theater created by today’s most gifted and adventurous artists.

Join WBGO at the After Party to celebrate the premiere with the director and the entire cast. Open bar and refreshments included.

For more information, call 973-6248880, extension. 232. www.wbgo.org

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SUPPORT WBGO

great way to support WBGO is through a gift of stock or a family foundation. If you would like more information, please call John Newcott at 973-624-8880, ext.

236. All gifts to WBGO are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

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www.wbgo.org

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WBGO Jazz 88.3FM Newark Public Radio 54 Park Place Newark, NJ 07102 www.wbgo.org

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TIME DATED MATERIAL—PLEASE DELIVER ON OR BEFORE MARCH 1, 2015

The current issue of Upbeat is online with added links to content.

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