Upbeat May/June 2015

May_June_15_Upbt_Workfile.qxp_Jan_Feb10_Upbt_FNLv50.qxd 4/27/15 5:27 PM Page 1

MAY/JUNE 2015

WBGO Program Guide Jazz 88.3 FM www.wbgo.org

Summer!

(Finally!)

May_June_15_Upbt_Workfile.qxp_Jan_Feb10_Upbt_FNLv50.qxd 4/27/15 5:28 PM Page 2

in the wbgo GALLERY

T

he works of two New Jersey born artists are currently on display in the WBGO Gallery, Evelyn Graves, and an artist who is better known to the WBGO audience for his guitar playing, John “Bucky” Pizarelli.

Jersey City native Evelyn Graves, who currently resides in South Orange, received a Bachelor of Arts from Bloomfield College. Her roots in the tristate area arts community run deep, as she has exhibited at Passaic County College, Pen and Brush Inc. in New York, Atrium Art Gallery in Morristown,

The reception for this exhibit will take place on Thursday, May 28 at 6pm.

The event is free and open

John “Bucky Pizzarelli

to the public.

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 PSEG Headquarters, 80 Park Plaza, Room 101, Newark, NJ 07102. The meeting is open to the public, though a photo ID will be required to enter the building.

Vol. XXXVIII No. 4 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

2

Upbeat May/June 2015

President & CEO Amy Niles

Music Director Gary Walker

Membership Director Roslyn Turner

Marketing Manager Brandy Wood

Program Director Steve Williams

Design/Layout Penguin Graphics

Upbeat is available in a large print edition upon request.

www.wbgo.org

May_June_15_Upbt_Workfile.qxp_Jan_Feb10_Upbt_FNLv50.qxd 4/27/15 5:28 PM Page 3

His (Pizzarelli’s) paintings on display in the WBGO Gallery

represent

experiences

and

the sur-

roundings that this iconic jazz guitarist have found to be amongst the most memorable in his life . . . and the Stamford Museum in Stamford, Connecticut. She is also one of the curators for the Black History Art Show at 1978 Art Gallery in Maplewood, New Jersey. Graves’ compositions reflect the energy, emotion and rhythm of jazz itself. They are done in a collage format with elements that unify the emotions emulated in vibrant and reflective musical sensations.

John “Bucky” Pizzarelli is a worldrenowned jazz guitarist who was born in Paterson, New Jersey. His music career spans over 70 years from the Vaughn Monroe Orchestra, to the Johnny Carson Tonight Show. He has performed hundreds of concerts worldwide, including White House performances for both Presidents Reagan and Clinton with Benny Goodman, Frank Sinatra, Claude “Fiddler” Williams and Perry Como.

In addition to his vast jazz career, Pizzarelli has been recognized for his

www.wbgo.org

service to his community and was awarded several honors such as: The Rutgers Institute of Jazz Studies: American Hall of Fame, The Distinguished Artist Award of Bergen County, Montclair State University “Carpe Diem” award for distinguished achievement in the arts and the Lifetime Achievement Award at Centenary College’s Performing Arts Guild. Last year, Bucky became one of the very first musicians in New Jersey to have two of his guitars, along with a recorded history of his lifetime in music, inducted into the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC. He served on the faculty of William Paterson University, in Wayne, NJ and continues to give back to his community with various performances throughout the state.

Pizzarelli has lived in New Jersey his entire life and currently resides in Saddle River. His paintings on display in the WBGO Gallery represent the experiences and surroundings that this iconic jazz guitarist have found to be amongst the most memorable in his life: his birthplace in Paterson, his home, alongside the tranquil Saddle River, and the places he has travelled during his lifetime performing around the world.

The reception for this exhibit will take place on Thursday, May 28 at 6pm. The event is free and open to the public.

WBGO is a wheelchair accessible facility located at 54 Park Place in Newark, New Jersey. More information at WBGO.org/Gallery.

May/June 2015 Upbeat

3

May_June_15_Upbt_Workfile.qxp_Jan_Feb10_Upbt_FNLv50.qxd 4/27/15 5:28 PM Page 4

Spring and Summer Events

A

re you as ready to get outdoors as we are at WBGO? This spring and summer, you can find WBGO volunteers, staff and sometimes announcers at various partner events around the area. When you come to hear the great

music, stop by the WBGO table to sign up for jazz-e-news, enter contests, become a member, or just learn more about all the exciting things happening at WBGO. During May and June you will find WBGO at the following:

WBGO’S FREE LUNCHTIME CONCERTS AT GATEWAY 2 (Wednesdays at noon in Newark, NJ) May 6 David Chamberlain & Band of Bones June 3 Steve Wilson Quintet BROOKLYN BRIDGE DANCE PARTIES (Thursdays at 7pm in Brooklyn Bridge Park) May 14 Sonny Knight & The Lakers/The Rhythm Revue With Felix Hernandez May 21 Jamie Lidell/JDH & Dave P (fixed DJs)/Brooklyn United Marching Band May 28 Poncho Sanchez / DJ Bobbito Garcia/Salsa Lesson with Jose Rivera SUMMER STAGE (Central Park) Saturday, June 6, 3pm Sunday, June 7, 3pm

4

Upbeat May/June 2015

Blue Note Jazz Festival: Meshell Ndegeocello/Roy Hargrove/ Gabriel Garzon-Montano Angelique Kidjo/Emmanuel Jal

www.wbgo.org

May_June_15_Upbt_Workfile.qxp_Jan_Feb10_Upbt_FNLv50.qxd 4/27/15 5:29 PM Page 5

MONDAY NIGHTS WITH WBGO AT DIZZY’S CLUB COCA-COLA® May 25 Ibrahim Maalouf June 22 Jamison Ross EXIT 0 JAZZ FESTIVAL (Cape May, NJ) May 29–30 Dr. John & The Nite Trippers/Rebirth Brass Band/more CELEBRATE BROOKLYN (Prospect Park Bandshell) Wednesday, June 3, 8pm Saturday, June 6, 4pm Friday, June 12, 7:30pm Saturday, June 27, 7:30pm JAZZ IN THE GARDEN (Newark Museum) Friday, June 19, 7pm

Chaka Kahn—Opening Night Concert Ezra Jack Keats Family Concert: Creole for Kidz! Terrence Simien & The Zydeco Experience Esperanza Spalding Presents: Emily’s D+Evolution/José James Jason Moran’s Fats Waller Dance Party/ Butler, Bernstein & The Hot 9

Dee Dee Bridgewater

MADISON SQUARE PARK OVAL LAWN SERIES Wednesday, June 24, 7pm Chris Potter Underground Orchestra Visit www.wbgo.org/events to learn more.

Poncho Sanchez

Jason Moran

Dr. John

www.wbgo.org

Esperanza Spalding

May/June 2015 Upbeat

5

May_June_15_Upbt_Workfile.qxp_Jan_Feb10_Upbt_FNLv50.qxd 4/27/15 5:29 PM Page 6

Gary’ s Plays

WBGO

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

VEHICLE DONATION Top Tunes

W

as the long, harsh winter the final curtain call for your car,

truck or motorcycle? If so, did you know you can support WBGO with a car donation? Your vehicle is towed free of charge, and the donation is eligible for a tax deduction.

When you give a vehicle to sup-

port WBGO, you turn your car into the music you love! From Morning Jazz with Gary Walker to Jazz Night in America—your gift makes a difference to WBGO.

Anat Cohen Luminosa (Anzic) Dave Stryker Messin’ with Mr. T (Strikezone) Molly Johnson Because of Billie (Universal) Chris Washburne & Syotos Band Low Ridin’ (Zoho) Harold Mabern Afro Blue (Smoke Sessions) Vincent Herring Night and Day (Smoke Sessions) Mary Stallings Feelin’ Good (High Note) SFJazz Collective Music of Joe Henderson (sfjazz.org) Steve Gadd Band 70 Strong (BFM) Tim Warfield Spherical (Criss Cross)

Donating a car is fast, easy and secure. WBGO accepts any vehi-

New Additions

cle — running or not — including cars, trucks, boats, RVs, motorcycles, and more. You can fill out the

Billie Holiday The Centennial Collection (Columbia/Legacy)

online form at:

WBGO.org/autodonation or call 1-877-883-4227.

6

Upbeat May/June 2015

The Brecker Brothers The Bottom Line Archive (bottomlinearchive.com

www.wbgo.org

Cover Photo: Rhythm Revue Dance Party

programs at a glance

May_June_15_Upbt_Workfile.qxp_Jan_Feb10_Upbt_FNLv50.qxd 4/27/15 5:29 PM Page 7

May_June_15_Upbt_Workfile.qxp_Jan_Feb10_Upbt_FNLv50.qxd 4/27/15 5:29 PM Page 8

programguide May/June 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 May 3 Prestige Turns 65 Two years ago Jamison Ross took first place in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition. The 26-year-old drummer has played with both veterans Carmen Lundy and Wess Anderson, and young talents like Jon JAZZ NIGHT

May 24

Our Point of View Our Point of View is a super group of Blue Note artists assembled for the label’s 75th anniversary. The group consists of: Lionel Loueke, guitar and vocals; Marcus Strickland, tenor sax; Ambrose Akinmusire, trumpet; Robert Glasper, piano; Derrick Hodge, bass; and Kendrick Scott, drums.

We’ll hear stories from each artist and Blue Note president Don Was about how Blue Note impacted their lives.

8

Upbeat May/June 2015

Batiste and Cécile McLorin Salvant. Ross’ roots in jazz and gospel give him unfailing feel, and thrill-inducing chops. His trio celebrates Prestige Records’ 65th anniversary, live at Jazz at Lincoln Center.

May 10 A Tribute to Kenny Wheeler Trumpeter Ingrid Jensen and saxophonist Steve Treseler pay tribute to the life, legacy, and music of the great Kenny Wheeler (1930–2014). Kenny's stunning compositions and imaginative improvisations on trumpet and flugelhorn have left deep impressions on generations of musicians and listeners. The band features pianist Geoffrey Keezer, bassist Martin Wind, drummer Jon Wikan, and vocalist Katie Jacobson.

May 17 From Duke to the JLCO Saxophonist and clarinetist Joe Temperley’s has led an illustrious career, spanning several decades. Temperley, now 85, has performed with the orchestras of Humphrey Lyttelton, Woody Herman, Thad Jones-Mel Lewis, Clark Terry, Joe Henderson, and most notably, Duke Ellington, as well as in the Broadway musical Sophisticated Ladies. For the past 25 years, Temperley has been the heart and soul of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. On this episode of Jazz Night in America, we get to know the man himself and hear his new arrangements of Ellington favorites as well as his original music.

May 24 Our Point Of View See sidebar.

May 31 The Central Brooklyn Jazz Festival June 7 The LA Jazz Scene June 14 Joey Alexander and the Jazz Prodigy June 21 Jimmy Green at Jazz At Lincoln Center June 28 Bill Frisell 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, www.wbgo.org

May_June_15_Upbt_Workfile.qxp_Jan_Feb10_Upbt_FNLv50.qxd 4/27/15 5:29 PM Page 9

All programs subject to change. 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.

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 www.wbgo.org

field recordings of today’s leading artists.

May 5 NEA Jazz Masters Part One: Carla Bley and George Coleman May 12 NEA Jazz Masters Part Two: Charles Lloyd and Joe Segal May 19 Snarky Puppy and Melanie Scholtz with Jitzvinger May 26 Marquis Hill and Aaron Goldberg June 2 Kamsai Washington and Flying Lotus June 9 David Murray and Makaya McCraven June 16 Best Of The Checkout: Live at Berklee—Ferenc Nemeth and Gregorio Uribe June 23 Montreal Jazz Festival Part One June 30 Montreal Jazz Festival Part Two 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 peek 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 May/June 2015 Upbeat

9

May_June_15_Upbt_Workfile.qxp_Jan_Feb10_Upbt_FNLv50.qxd 4/27/15 5:30 PM Page 10

programguide May/June 2015 May 7 Jitterbug Vipers Austin, TX based quartet the Jitterbug Vipers play 1930s-style viper jazz. Their original music recalls classics by Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Cab Callaway. The Jitterbug Vipers are vocalist Sarah Sharp, guitarist Slim Richey, bassist Francie Meaux Jeaux, and percussionist Masumi Jones. On this Song Travels, the band presents a set sure to make you want to get up and dance!

May 14 Kat Edmonson Vocalist and songwriter Kat Edmonson has played major stages across the country. She performed on The Tonight Show and Austin City Limits. Her 2014 album, The Big Picture, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart. This week, Edmonson shares her original song “Champagne” and teams up with Feinstein for “Long Way Home.”

May 21 Jean-Yves Thibadet French pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet is one of the leading performers on today’s classical music scene. He has more than forty albums to his credit, including interpretations of the classical repertoire as well as music by George Gershwin, Duke Ellington, and Bill Evans. On this edition of Song Travels, Thibaudet brings his unique perspective to Alec Wilder’s “I’ll Be Around” and Gershwin’s “Embraceable You.” May 28 Madeleine Peyroux Vocalist Madeleine Peyroux started out busking on the streets of Paris, but went on to gain international acclaim for her versions of beloved folk tunes and jazz standards.

Peyroux joins host Feinstein this week to talk about her love of song. Musical selections include her cover of a Buddy Holly tune, “Changing All Those Changes,” and a recording from her early days singing with a street band in Paris.

June 4 Kate Davis Vocalist, bassist, and songwriter Kate Davis was recognized as a National Young Art Silver winner and twice invited to the Brubeck

10

Upbeat May/June 2015

Summer Jazz Colony. Hailed as a “talent not to be missed” by The Herald Tribune, she’s performed at such prestigious venues as The Kennedy Center and Rockwood Music Hall.

On this week’s Song Travels, Davis performs her original songs “Movie” and “Every Good Girl is a Unicorn.”

June 11 André Previn Conductor, composer, and pianist André Previn has received multiple Lifetime Achievement Awards, including honors from the Kennedy Center, the London Symphony Orchestra, and the Grammy® Awards. With more than fifty years of recordings to his credit, he has conducted and performed with orchestras the world over and was knighted

by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. On this Song Travels, Previn and host Feinstein explore some of his favorite compositions.

June 18 Dee Dee Bridgewater See sidebar.

June 25 Jon Regen Pianist, vocalist, and composer Jon Regen was an apprentice of the renowned pianist SONG TRAVELS

June 18

Dee Dee Bridgewater In honor of Billie Holiday’s centennial, Song Travels features Grammy®-winning vocalist and actress Dee Dee Bridgewater, who embodied the late singer in the starring role in Lady Day. In addition to her Tony® Award-winning role in The Wiz (1975), Bridgewater has appeared in shows including Sophisticated Ladies and Cabaret. This week, she shares about her experience playing Billie Holiday and performs “God Bless the Child” and “Good Morning Heartache www.wbgo.org

May_June_15_Upbt_Workfile.qxp_Jan_Feb10_Upbt_FNLv50.qxd 4/27/15 5:30 PM Page 11

All programs subject to change.

Kenny Barron. He’s performed at venues worldwide, including a month-long stint at the Blue Note in Japan, and toured with Kyle Eastwood’s band. On this Song Travels, Regan performs the title track from his 2015 album Stop Time and joins Michael Feinstein for a duet of “Young and Foolish.”

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 May 2 Erskine Hawkins Vol. 3 May 9 Billy Eckstine Vol. 1 May 16 Jimmy McCracklin Vol. 8 May 23 Lucky Millinder— From the Beginning Vol. 1 May 30 Dinah WashingtonFrom the Beginning Vol. 14 June 6 Lionel Hampton— From The Beginning Vol. 1 June 13 Jimmy Witherspoon— Albums Vol. 6 June 20 Sam “The Man” Taylor—Vol. 3 June 27 Big Joe Turner—Albums Vol. 7 8:00 AM SATURDAY MORNING FUNCTION WBGO’s Bob Porter plays blues, R&B and www.wbgo.org

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.

May 2 James Brown Rhythm Revue host Felix Hernandez honors James Brown in a birthday tribute, part of a 4-hour mix of soul and R&B classics.

May 9 Steve Wonder Today’s classic soul mix includes a birthday tribute to Stevie Wonder.

May 16 Doubling Up Felix plays two songs each from some of the pioneers of soul and R&B. May 23 Dance Weekend It’s the weekend of the dance, and Felix keeps an up-tempo groove.

May 30 Curtis Mayfield Felix’s classic soul and R&B mix includes the music of Curtis Mayfield.

June 6 Rare Soul Felix dips into his stash for an extra helping of rare soul on today’s show.

June 13 Musical Pioneers A four hour mix of classic R&B and soul includes music from the pioneers, including Ray Charles, Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin.

June 20 Roseland Reunion Part 1 It’s a Roseland Reunion as Rhythm Revue host Felix Hernandez plays multiple sets of music that rocked the Roseland dance floor for over two decades.

June 27 Roseland Reunion Part 2 The Roseland Reunion continues with more picks from decades of dance at the legendary venue.

May/June 2015 Upbeat

11

May_June_15_Upbt_Workfile.qxp_Jan_Feb10_Upbt_FNLv50.qxd 4/27/15 5:30 PM Page 12

Newport Jazz Festival: July 31–August 2

T

he Newport Jazz Festival has been drawing the brightest stars and pleasing audiences for 61 years, and no summer on the East Coast is complete without it! Whether you’re a diehard jazz fan or just love music, fresh air, good food, and better times, Newport has something for you.

It’s not only America’s first annual jazz festival, but a yearly collection of performers that range from up and coming talents to icon legends of music. Join WBGO as we once again travel to the Newport Jazz Festival this summer!

Whether you’d like to indulge yourself with our weekend package—with lodging at the Newport Harbor Hotel & Marina, complete with a reception to celebrate your arrival—or just come up for a day of fun-filled jazz enjoyment, WBGO can

Newport Jazz Festival

accommodate you. With buses leaving from Manhattan, Brooklyn, Newark and Boston, you’ll be taken right to the festival gate—no waiting to park or find the entrance, just straight to the action. Our buses have A/C, WIFI, a restroom, and comfortable reclining bucket seats so you can drink in the summery glow as we whisk you up the coast!

Newport Jazz Festival

12

Upbeat May/June 2015

www.wbgo.org

May_June_15_Upbt_Workfile.qxp_Jan_Feb10_Upbt_FNLv50.qxd 4/27/15 5:30 PM Page 13

For those joining WBGO for a full weekend of the summer’s best musical offerings, Chris Botti and Jon Batiste & Stay Human perform a Friday night concert at the International Tennis Hall of Fame after WBGO’s welcome reception at the hotel. Ferry rides to historic Fort Adams Park—where the day time concert events are held—depart just outside the hotel, and the breathtaking journey across Narragansett Bay is unforgettable. Also included with the weekend trip is a bon voyage breakfast on Monday! Three and four night weekend packages are available.

Newport is the stuff legends are made of! If you would like to learn more about our trip, visit WBGO.org/events. For reservations, call (973) 624-8882 or email events@wbgo.org.

Artists on the Festival Friday, July 31 Snarky Puppy, Christian McBride Trio with Christian Sands & Ulysses Owens; John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble; Ambrose Akinmusire Quartet; Steve Lehman Octet; Kneebody; Gerald Clayton Quintet with Ambrose Akinmusire; Ben Wendel; Joe Sanders & Justin Brown; Bria Skonberg Quintet; Herlin Riley Quintet; Lucky Peterson—Singin’ The Blues, Matana Roberts’ Coin Coin; Johnathan Blake Quartet; Peter Evans Quintet; The Berklee Concert Jazz Orchestra with special guest soloist Sean Jones; University of Rhode Island Newport Big Band www.wbgo.org

Saturday, August 1 Cassandra Wilson celebrates Billie Holiday; Jon Batiste and Stay Human; Maria Schneider Orchestra; Ms. Lisa Fischer and Grand Baton; Irvin Mayfield & the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra; Cécile McLorin Salvant with the Aaron Diehl Trio; José James; Pat Martino Organ Trio; Conrad Herwig’s Latin Side of Horace Silver feat. guest Michel Camilo; Jack DeJohnette’s Made in Chicago; Hiromi: The Trio Project with Anthony Jackson & Simon Phillips; Kenny Garrett Quintet; Wycliffe Gordon & Friends; Tom Harrell Quintet with Wayne Escoffery, Danny Grissett, Ugonna Okegwo & Johnathan Blake; Introducing Joey Alexander, RI Music Educators Association Sr. All-State Jazz Ensemble Sunday, August 2 Jamie Cullum; Arturo Sandoval; Dr. John and The Nite Trippers; Michel Camilo/Hiromi Piano Duets, Mike Stern/Bill Evans Band; Arturo O’Farrill’s Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra with special guest Rudresh Mahanthappa; Bill Frisell Trio with Tony Scherr & Kenny Wollesen; Billy Childs’ Jazz-Chamber Ensemble; Jon Faddis: Triumph of Trumpets with Marquis Hill, Sean Jones, David Hazeltine, Kiyoshi Kitagawa & Dion Parsons; James Carter Sextet—Living My Life: The Music of Don Byas; Fred Hersch Trio with John Hebert & Eric McPherson; Lou Donaldson Quartet; Scott Robinson’s Doctette; Jason Lindner Now vs. Now; Massachusetts Music Educators Association All-State Jazz Band

May/June 2015 Upbeat

13

May_June_15_Upbt_Workfile.qxp_Jan_Feb10_Upbt_FNLv50.qxd 4/27/15 5:31 PM Page 14

wbgomember . . .

Photo by Fred Sater

Spotlight

Fred Staton (L), performs with the Harlem Blues and Jazz Band.

Upbeat is beginning a series of articles that shine a light on the lives of the members who support WBGO. Each member is a part of the WBGO family, and we want to learn more about those who actively participate in contributing to what we do as a station and as a community. WBGO Marketing Assistant Josh Landes interviewed WBGO Member Fred Staton. Special thanks to Mr. Staton for opening up his home and life to us, and to his manager Al Vollmer for his assistance. Interested in being a part in the series, or know someone who would be appropriate for it? Email jlandes@wbgo.org.

“Jazz is a feeling.” n a gray, late winter day in the Bronx, Fred Staton sits beneath a painting of an orange sunset. He pauses and looks away to a distant somewhere. “The only way I can describe it as a feeling. With a feeling comes the intonations, the configurations, all the stuff that adds into one capsule. But it comes out through the feeling.”

O 14

Upbeat May/June 2015

Staton is well acquainted with the feeling of jazz. Over the course of his century on earth, he’s been steeped in it. Born on Valentine’s Day, 1915, Staton’s musical life began with the strains of his mother’s player piano and 78 discs of Duke Ellington and Fletcher Henderson. He cites a Johnny Hodges cut on an Ellington big band record played off the family’s Victrola as the inspiration for his life-long infatuation with the saxophone.

A singer in his church’s gospel choir, Staton’s introduction to playing jazz came when the group’s sponsor brought in a full band’s worth of equipment, along with charts of popular music. First gravitating towards to the drums, he admits it was the frustration of having to a pack up his kit while his bandmates left to flirt with women after gigs that lead him to commit to the saxophone.

Staton came up in Pittsburgh during a time that defined the city as a great source of jazz talent. He played in the first ensemble Art Blakey ever formed, alongside legendary pianist Erroll Garner.

Staton recalls the anxiety of watching the young Garner casually risk his gifted hands as he indulged his other great love, high school football.

The lack of opportunity for a young black man in segregated Pittsburgh—as well as the persistent lack of venues for jazz groups—lead Staton to leave the Steel City and find his fortune gigging on the East Coast. Along the way, he encountered a recent high school graduate with magnetic talent in Connecticut—one Horace Silver—and watched fellow Westinghouse High School graduates Billy www.wbgo.org

May_June_15_Upbt_Workfile.qxp_Jan_Feb10_Upbt_FNLv50.qxd 4/27/15 5:31 PM Page 15

SUPPORT WBGO

Strayhorn and Ahmad Jamal pen iconic compositions.

Staton is still playing. He is a ten-year veteran of the esteemed Harlem Blues & Jazz Band, with whom he’s toured Europe and Russia to much acclaim. He happily recalls being billed in St. Petersburg on a sign just as large as the Eric Clapton billboard next to it, and the standing ovations the group received at Shostakovich Hall.

He’s received commendations from numerous groups—from churches to congressmen—for his considerable contributions to the jazz world, and awards proudly line the walls of his apartment.

A member of WBGO, Staton supports the station because it “plays the music I can relate to. Music that I have performed over the years myself. I can feel it, I can pat my feet to it, and I can completely enjoy it.” His devotion to jazz is one of deep connection, to a “flow” he attributes to the spirituals of the cotton fields of Mississippi, a straight ahead beat that unites gospel, blues, and jazz. “If you can play one, you can play the other,” he says.

“They all interact.”

Staton speaks deliberately and with great seriousness about the craft that’s defined his life. The connection he feels is apparent, and that flow, that continuity he draws from the music is as clear in his eyes now as it must have been all those decades ago. In a home surrounded by tablature, CDs, a PA system for his gospel band, and all the other evidence of his achievements and passions, he quietly captures the essence of what music means to him: “Jazz helps to put me in a comfort zone. It’s a feeling.” www.wbgo.org

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.

A

May/June 2015 Upbeat

15

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

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

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

Visit WBGO.org/Upbeat.

Newark, NJ Permit No. 6132

PAID

Non-Profit Organization US Postage

May_June_15_Upbt_Workfile.qxp_Jan_Feb10_Upbt_FNLv50.qxd 4/27/15 5:31 PM Page 16