All Blog Posts Tagged 'sex' - Pittsburgh Jazz Network2024-03-29T01:32:31Zhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profiles/blog/feed?tag=sex&xn_auth=noHERBIE HANCOCK TONIGHTtag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2024-03-27:1992552:BlogPost:7201232024-03-27T20:40:57.000ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12404779677?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12404779677?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12404779677?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12404779677?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center"/></a></p>2024 MOUNTANEER JAZZ FESTIVALtag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2024-03-20:1992552:BlogPost:7199052024-03-20T01:35:14.000ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
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<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12402592457?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12402592457?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center"/></a></p>Easter concerttag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2024-03-20:1992552:BlogPost:7200132024-03-20T01:29:51.000ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12402592091?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12402592091?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12402592091?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12402592091?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center"/></a></p>Judge Warren Watson turns 101!tag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2024-03-20:1992552:BlogPost:7199032024-03-20T00:00:00.000ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
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<h1 class="entry-title">Judge Warren Watson turns 101!…</h1>
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<div class="wrap container"><div class="content row"><br/><div class="post-category"><h3>Digital Daily</h3>
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<h1 class="entry-title">Judge Warren Watson turns 101!</h1>
<div class="byline vcard d-flex px-0 py-4"><div class="d-flex flex-grow-1 author"><div class="author-info d-flex flex-shrink px-2"><ul>
<li class="author-name">Courier Newsroom</li>
<li>March 16, 2024</li>
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<div class="entry-content"><div title="Judge Warren Watson turns 101!" class="hero__featured col mb-3"></div>
<p><strong>JUDGE WARREN WATSON PLAYING THE FLUTE. HE AND A HOST OF OTHERS CELEBRATED HIS 101ST BIRTHDAY IN MID-FEBRUARY. JUDGE WATSON WAS BORN IN 1923. (PHOTOS BY J.L. MARTELLO)</strong></p>
<p><img width="1000" height="667" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-375254" src="https://newpittsburghcourier.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/03/IMG_9278.jpg" alt=""/> </p>
<p><strong>JUDGE WRENNA WATSON AND HER DAD…</strong></p>
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<p><strong>THE FAMILY WITH JUDGE WARREN WATSON SITTING IN THE MIDDLE</strong></p>
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<p><strong>MANY OF THE THE MUSICIANS AT THE CELEBRATION…</strong></p>
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<p><strong>ROGER HUMPHRIES AND JUDGE WARREN WATSON SHARE A LAUGH</strong></p>
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<p><strong>KEVIN JENKINS, JUDGE WARREN WATSON</strong></p>
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<p>brian edwards </p>
<h3 class="awpa-title">About Post Author</h3>
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</div>THE GEORGE BENSON INTERVIEWtag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2024-03-16:1992552:BlogPost:7197092024-03-16T22:17:00.000ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
<p><iframe width="853" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FrkvnzdKObY?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
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</p>PHAROAH SANDERS TRIBUTE BAND at KENTE ARTStag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2024-03-13:1992552:BlogPost:7197052024-03-13T03:26:33.000ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12399799885?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12399799885?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12399799885?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12399799885?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center"/></a></p>PLAYWRIGHT'S THEATER SEASON opens with DINAH by Ernest McCarty, Jr.tag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2024-03-06:1992552:BlogPost:7199832024-03-06T00:03:07.000ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" class="yiv3235441085mcnTextBlock" width="100%">
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<tbody><tr><td class="yiv3235441085mcnTextContent" valign="top"><h1 class="yiv3235441085null">Dinah: a musical revue</h1>
<h2 class="yiv3235441085null">Tickets now…</h2>
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<tbody><tr><td valign="top" class="yiv3235441085mcnTextContent"><h1 class="yiv3235441085null">Dinah: a musical revue</h1>
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<tbody><tr><td valign="top" class="yiv3235441085mcnTextContent"><p><img align="right" alt="Dinah (2015) production photo" height="133" src="https://ecp.yusercontent.com/mail?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmcusercontent.com%2F45a76befc0c5852cf37fb0a7a%2Fimages%2F0a389dc0-0c3b-aaa1-fbdb-9706ff49ace9.jpg&t=1709682658&ymreqid=d41d8cd9-8f00-b204-1c06-bc001d01e000&sig=IZrKAJFMv2hJzu6yt107EQ--~D" width="200"/>By Ernest McCarty<br/>Directed by Mark Clayton Southers<br/>At Madison Arts Center, 3401 Milwaukee Street<br/>April 5th – April 28th 2024<br/><br/>Set during the last year of the short life of the remarkable woman called the Queen of the Blues. Dinah includes a riveting array of musical numbers and biographical vignettes. This show provides a powerful insight into the tragic and often controversial life of Dinah Washington, one of the most popular African-American singers of the 1950s.<br/> </p>
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<tbody><tr><td valign="top" class="yiv3235441085mcnImageContent"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://pghplaywrights.us14.list-manage.com/track/click?u=45a76befc0c5852cf37fb0a7a&id=a6079ad747&e=606f41eb73" title="" class="yiv3235441085"><img align="center" alt="Dinah poster" src="https://ecp.yusercontent.com/mail?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmcusercontent.com%2F45a76befc0c5852cf37fb0a7a%2Fimages%2F3d6b8937-db8e-037c-887d-cc981033e963.jpg&t=1709682658&ymreqid=d41d8cd9-8f00-b204-1c06-bc001d01e000&sig=GQ8wMb6mO2aldu.Axp__XA--~D" width="564" class="yiv3235441085mcnImage"/></a></td>
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<tbody><tr><td valign="top" class="yiv3235441085mcnTextContent"><h3><br/><span>Also featuring:</span><br/> </h3>
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<tbody><tr><td valign="top" class="yiv3235441085mcnTextContent"><h1>Our 2024 Season</h1>
<h5> </h5>
<h2><img align="right" alt="Dinah (2015) production photo" height="133" src="https://ecp.yusercontent.com/mail?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmcusercontent.com%2F45a76befc0c5852cf37fb0a7a%2Fimages%2F0a389dc0-0c3b-aaa1-fbdb-9706ff49ace9.jpg&t=1709682658&ymreqid=d41d8cd9-8f00-b204-1c06-bc001d01e000&sig=IZrKAJFMv2hJzu6yt107EQ--~D" width="200"/>DINAH</h2>
<p>By Ernest McCarty<br/>Directed by Mark Clayton Southers<br/>At Madison Arts Center, 3401 Milwaukee Street<br/>April 6th - April 28th 2024</p>
<p>Set during the last year of the short life of the remarkable woman called the Queen of the Blues. Dinah includes a riveting array of musical numbers and biographical vignettes. This show provides a powerful insight into the tragic and often controversial life of one of the most popular African-American singers of the 1950s, Dinah Washington.</p>
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<tbody><tr><td valign="top" class="yiv3235441085mcnTextContent"><h1> </h1>
<h2><img align="right" alt="Playwright Monteze Freeland" height="230" src="https://ecp.yusercontent.com/mail?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmcusercontent.com%2F45a76befc0c5852cf37fb0a7a%2Fimages%2F68a6469a-5416-3e8f-7727-b47d474e9d93.jpg&t=1709682658&ymreqid=d41d8cd9-8f00-b204-1c06-bc001d01e000&sig=kkgYNESGDrbFzliG7yRfhg--~D" width="150"/>FISHY WOO WOO</h2>
<p>By Monteze Freeland<br/>Directed by Lovell McFadden<br/>At Madison Arts Center, 3401 Milwaukee Street<br/>May 31st - June 16th 2024<br/>World premiere!</p>
<p>Shawn’s best friends will do anything to protect his heart from being broken again. When they accompany Shawn to collect the last of his things from the apartment he once shared with his ex-partner Jonathan they discover secrets, lies, and an uninvited guest and make it their mission to keep Shawn oblivious. Fishy Woo Woo is a comedy highlighting friendship, chosen family and a little revenge when the facts stop adding up.<br/> </p>
<h2><img align="right" alt="Radio Golf (2013) production photo" height="225" src="https://ecp.yusercontent.com/mail?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmcusercontent.com%2F45a76befc0c5852cf37fb0a7a%2Fimages%2Fa2704a8a-f48e-b677-652d-04b63d3624b3.jpg&t=1709682658&ymreqid=d41d8cd9-8f00-b204-1c06-bc001d01e000&sig=Zc5esf2wIIFyYMvoCH1GKQ--~D" width="150"/>RADIO GOLF</h2>
<p>By August Wilson<br/>Directed by Montae Russell<br/>Outdoors at August Wilson House<br/>August 10 - September 14 2024<br/>Friday & Saturday at 8 PM, Thursday & Sunday at 7 PM<br/><br/>Real estate developer Harmond Wilks is determined to become the first black mayor of Pittsburgh, on a mission to revive his blighted childhood neighborhood. As Wilks confronts characters from the past, he is forced to question how pursuing change could put his neighborhood’s history at risk.</p>
<h2><img align="right" alt="festival mask logo" height="140" src="https://ecp.yusercontent.com/mail?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmcusercontent.com%2F45a76befc0c5852cf37fb0a7a%2Fimages%2F8e534ad1-d80d-0779-dcc0-556aabea70f6.png&t=1709682658&ymreqid=d41d8cd9-8f00-b204-1c06-bc001d01e000&sig=3lZZGb70SBACEYf0XPRA4w--~D" width="150"/>THEATRE FESTIVAL IN BLACK & WHITE</h2>
<p>At Madison Arts Center, 3401 Milwaukee Street<br/>October 5th - 27th 2024</p>
<p>Eight one-act plays by local playwrights in two programs.<br/><br/>Festival Coordinator Ashley Southers<br/> </p>
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<tbody><tr><td valign="top" class="yiv3235441085mcnTextContent"><h4>Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company thanks the following for supporting our season of plays and special projects:</h4>
<p>Mid Atlantic Arts Regional Resilience Fund <br/>Hillman Foundation<br/>Allegheny Regional Asset District<br/>The Heinz Endowments:<br/>Advancing Black Arts in Pittsburgh<br/>Opportunity Fund<br/>Pennsylvania Council on the Arts<br/>The Pittsburgh Foundation<br/>Richard King Mellon Foundation<br/>Eden Hall Foundation<br/>And our Donor's Circle and other individual donors<br/>Thank you!</p>
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</table>Cover Me ..♪♫•*¨*•. .~ the Delta Blues Outlawstag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2024-02-29:1992552:BlogPost:7199752024-02-29T01:00:00.000Zbilly jones bluezhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/billyjonesbluez
.✨.Cover Me ..♪♫•*¨*•. .<br/>
the Delta Blues Outlaws<br/>
<a href="https://youtu.be/liApP5LlKqE">https://youtu.be/liApP5LlKqE</a><br/>
<br/>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/liApP5LlKqE?si=ZOXuijB7OEcR_StD&wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
.✨.Cover Me ..♪♫•*¨*•. .<br/>
the Delta Blues Outlaws<br/>
<a href="https://youtu.be/liApP5LlKqE">https://youtu.be/liApP5LlKqE</a><br/>
<br/>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/liApP5LlKqE?si=ZOXuijB7OEcR_StD&wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>Q&A with Arkansas-based talented blues musician Billy Jones, one of the very best authentic modern artiststag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2024-02-18:1992552:BlogPost:7196772024-02-18T08:30:00.000Zbilly jones bluezhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/billyjonesbluez
<div id="xg_head"><div id="xg_masthead"><h1 class="xj_site_name" id="xg_sitename"><a href="https://blues.gr/" id="application_name_header_link" name="application_name_header_link"><img alt="Blues.Gr" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/986221651?profile=original"></img></a></h1>
<p class="xj_site_desc" id="xg_sitedesc">KEEP THE BLUES ALIVE</p>
<p class="xj_site_desc"><a href="https://blues.gr/profiles/blogs/q-a-with-arkansas-based-talented-artist-billy-jones-bluez-one-of-" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Q&A with Arkansas-based talented blues musician Billy Jones, one…</a></p>
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<div id="xg_head"><div id="xg_masthead"><h1 id="xg_sitename" class="xj_site_name"><a id="application_name_header_link" href="https://blues.gr/" name="application_name_header_link"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/986221651?profile=original" alt="Blues.Gr"/></a></h1>
<p id="xg_sitedesc" class="xj_site_desc">KEEP THE BLUES ALIVE</p>
<p class="xj_site_desc"><a href="https://blues.gr/profiles/blogs/q-a-with-arkansas-based-talented-artist-billy-jones-bluez-one-of-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Q&A with Arkansas-based talented blues musician Billy Jones, one of the very best authentic modern artists</a></p>
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<div id="xg" class="xg_widget_profiles xg_widget_profiles_blog xg_widget_profiles_blog_show"><div id="xg_body"><div class="xg_column xg_span-14" id="column1"><div id="xg_canvas" class="xj_canvas"><div class="xg_module xg_blog xg_blog_detail xg_blog_mypage xg_module_with_dialog"><div class="xg_headline xg_headline-img xg_headline-2l"><div class="ib"><span class="xg_avatar"><a class="fn url" href="http://blues.gr/profile/MichalisLimnios" title="Michael Limnios Blues Network"><span class="table_img dy-avatar dy-avatar-64"><img class="photo photo" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3856138659?profile=RESIZE_64x64&width=64&height=64&crop=1%3A1" alt=""/></span></a></span></div>
<div class="tb"><h1>Q&A with Arkansas-based talented blues musician Billy Jones, one of the very best authentic modern artists</h1>
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<li><a class="nolink">Posted by<span> </span></a><a href="https://blues.gr/profile/MichalisLimnios">Michael Limnios Blues Network</a><a class="nolink"><span> </span></a></li>
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<div class="xg_module_body"><div class="postbody"><div class="xg_user_generated"><p><span><em>"There certainly is an audience for blues music in today's world because the blues is timeless...it's eternal...and there is the potential for even greater audience growth as we explore the ever-expanding musical variations of the art form...it's the main ingredient."</em></span></p>
<p><span><strong>Billy Jones: The Delta Bluez Outlaw</strong></span></p>
<p><span>Billy Jones’ voice and guitar work shine like a dazzling star! Billy's voice will enchant you, his songs are oozing with sexuality, downright funky, and always compelling with a show-stopping style. One of the very Best Authentic Modern Blues artists in recent memory. Billy Jones Bluez born into the segregation of the 1950's south, he was exposed to the driving beat of the Blues when he was still an infant. In the crib, he could hear it as it permeated the walls against which he slept. This sound which spoke to him gave him an early direction in life which he has pursued to this day. Exquisite Modern and Traditional Blues and Neo-Soul by one of the most talented artists on the contemporary scene. Billy Jones & Delta Blues Outlaws have been a crowd favorite and one of the most requested variety show bands on the Mid-South casino, nightclub, and party circuit for many years. With a repertoire that encompasses a wide range of musical styles, from pop to country to soul to today's biggest hits, the Delta Blues Outlaws are guaranteed to please any audience.<br/></span></p>
<p><span><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12381552872?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12381552872?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-full"/></a></span></p>
<p><span><em>(Photo: Billy Jones, one of the most talented artists on the contemporary scene)</em></span></p>
<p><span>Arguably one of the very Best Authentic Modern Blues and Soul albums in recent memory. His early memories are of a juke joint from where he would draw inspiration; the images, and the folks he knew then are the stuff of his song. Outstanding stage presence, world class vocals, and awesome musicianship, Billy Jones & Delta Blues Outlaws have performed their show-stopping, high-energy style for audiences in Europe and USA. From the juke joints of the Delta to the Blues Festivals — and many, many, many shows in between — this band has proven repeatedly that it's the real deal! Billy & the Outlaws brings experience, showmanship, and passion to every performance is a guaranteed great time.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span><strong>Interview by Michael Limnios</strong></span></p>
<p><span><strong>How has the Blues music influenced your views of the world? What does the blues mean to you?</strong></span></p>
<p><span>My family owned and operated a juke-joint and rooming house in the mid-south delta of Arkansas, and I was born into and grew up in the lifestyle. As a child, I would stand in front of the jukebox and dream. I'd pretend that every guitar player on each record was me. I am an authentic American delta bluesman. My entire world view has been influenced by blues music. I am a product of the culture. The blues has been both my recreation and my occupation for as long as I can remember.</span></p>
<p><span><strong>How do you describe your sound and songbook? What's the balance in music between technique and soul?</strong></span></p>
<p><span>My "sound" is a mixture of the old and the new and the accidental. ..and it is still developing as I learn and adapt to new styles and information that I learn or that I improvise or stumble upon as time goes by. </span><span>In the beginning, I was taught and mentored by blues legends like Little Johnny Taylor ('Part Time Love', 'Open House at My House' ect.), Calvin Leavy ('Cummins Prison Farm'), Larry Totsie Davis ('As The Years Go Passing By' and 'Texas Flood' ...that was later re-recorded and made famous by Stevie Ray Vaughn), Rev. James T. Phillips (..who was lead singer and guitarist for the gospel group the Zion Five), Red Harpo, Willie Cobb and many great blues and gospel artists and musicians that never achieved national fame, but were all great entertainers and innovators.</span></p>
<p><span>My first influence was traditional blues. </span><span>But as time went by, I fell in love with the music of Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke, Percy Mayfield, BB King and the masters of soul, funk and R&B like James Brown, George Clinton, Prince and Jimi Hendrix. </span><span>There is no balance between technique and soul with me... it's all soul and guesswork... I can't read music.</span></p>
<p><span><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12381553079?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12381553079?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center"/></a></span></p>
<p><span><em>"I am an authentic American delta bluesman. My entire world view has been influenced by blues music. I am a product of the culture. The blues has been both my recreation and my occupation for as long as I can remember." (Billy Jones, Arkansas 2021 / Photo by Deke V. Rivers)</em></span></p>
<p><span><strong>What moment changed your music life the most? What´s been the highlights in your life and career so far?</strong></span></p>
<p><span>The moment that received a phone call from Jan Mittendorp at Black & Tan Records to come perform on blues festivals in Europe. From juke-joints to European blues festivals Now that's a life changing moment! Paris, Germany, Romania, Italy, Austria, Amsterdam, Belgium ...too many places & shows to mention here. One of my favorite shows was when I represented Black & Tan Records on the Blues Passions Festival at the Hennessy Castle Fairgrounds in Cognac, France. We performed on the main stage for 15,000 fans! No matter whatever happens in the future I will always be loyal to Black & Tan Records. ..forever grateful. They believed in me and opened a door that elevated my life to a whole new level when no one else would.</span></p>
<p><span><strong>Are there any memories from gigs, jams, open acts and studio sessions which you’d like to share with us?</strong></span></p>
<p><span>I had fun...performed LIVE! ...in a Juke-Joint, somewhere along the Blues Highway!</span></p>
<p><span><strong>What do you miss most nowadays from the blues of the past? What are your hopes and fears for the future of?</strong></span></p>
<p><span>What I miss most about the old guys is the authenticity and the originality. ..every artist had his own style. Today many of the new artists seem to focus on sounding "like" Muddy or "like" Hendrix ect. and so, a lot of the newer music sounds formularized and predictable. I want to variate from the formula. </span><span>It's my hope to take elements of traditional blues and infuse it into elements of contemporary music like funk, jazz, and soul and hip-hop to create a style of music that will appeal to both the traditional listener and attract the younger contemporary audience. For example, in our live shows my band performs a song where I sing Tyrone Davis' soul song 'In The Mood' and blend in lyrics from the hip-hop song 'Smile' by TuPac & Scarface and then, lay a funky blues rock guitar solo on top of that monolog between the verses. </span><span>I sound crazy don't I? ...well, the audiences that we play for really like what we are doing...they call it 'gangsta blues' and we have been holding down a main stage residency at Harlow's Casino in Greenville, MS for over 15 years playing it that way! As far as fears for the future... I can't see any...I believe this new style bring old and new together.</span></p>
<p><span><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12381553288?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12381553288?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center"/></a></span></p>
<p><span><em>"The blues will always be here...transmogrifying and mutating and morphing into new and different forms. And yet at the same time it remains the same...just below the surface of any song you will find the blues." (Photo: Billy Jones and the Delta Blues Outlaws)</em></span></p>
<p><span><strong>What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in the music paths?</strong></span></p>
<p><span>True greats are not those born with golden spoons in their mouths… but those who through hard work turn their own wooden spoon into gold.<br/></span></p>
<p><span><strong>Why is it important to we preserve and spread the blues? What is the role of Blues in today’s society?</strong></span></p>
<p><span>The blues will always be here...transmogrifying and mutating and morphing into new and different forms. And yet at the same time it remains the same...just below the surface of any song you will find the blues.</span></p>
<p><span><strong>Do you think there is an audience for blues music in its current state? or at least a potential for young people to become future audiences and fans?</strong></span></p>
<p><span>There certainly is an audience for blues music in today's world because the blues is timeless...it's eternal...and there is the potential for even greater audience growth as we explore the ever-expanding musical variations of the art form...it's the main ingredient. </span><span>Traditional blues is only the beginning...funk, rock, jazz, pop, soul, grunge, hip-hop or even country music are all simply offshoots and incarnations of the blues...they are all built on the foundation and framework of the blues...the one four five...sometimes just the one. </span><span>The key is to educate the young audience on how to recognize and understand that these styles are based on and derived from the blues...and to educate the "traditional" audience to except and appreciate that the newer songs are based on and evolved from the blues.</span></p>
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<p><span><strong><a href="https://billyjonesdeltabluesoutlaws.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Billy Jones and the Delta Blues Outlaws - Home</a></strong></span></p>
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<p><span><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12381554664?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12381554664?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center"/></a></span></p>
<p><span><em>(Photo: Billy Jones Bluez)</em></span></p>
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</div>.✨.♪♫•*¨*•. .The Love Doctor ..♪♫•*¨*•. .tag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2024-02-17:1992552:BlogPost:7199622024-02-17T00:00:00.000Zbilly jones bluezhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/billyjonesbluez
The Love Doctor ..♪♫•*¨*•. .<br/>
the Delta Blues Outlaws<br/>
<a href="https://youtu.be/sL4Yb-CSEf4">https://youtu.be/sL4Yb-CSEf4</a><br/>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sL4Yb-CSEf4?si=GJwQz2AG8XXY8tuX&wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
The Love Doctor ..♪♫•*¨*•. .<br/>
the Delta Blues Outlaws<br/>
<a href="https://youtu.be/sL4Yb-CSEf4">https://youtu.be/sL4Yb-CSEf4</a><br/>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sL4Yb-CSEf4?si=GJwQz2AG8XXY8tuX&wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>tag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2024-02-11:1992552:BlogPost:7198612024-02-11T21:57:36.000ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12378432858?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12378432858?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12378432858?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12378432858?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center"/></a></p>B. Marshall, Founder, Stop the Violence Pghtag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2024-02-10:1992552:BlogPost:7196642024-02-10T01:41:34.000ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
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Black History Spotlight<br />
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B. Marshall, Founder, Stop the Violence Pgh<br />
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Our dedicated staff and volunteers are always asked the same question: Who is B. Marshall and What Does He Do? We thought we would take this opportunity to shed some light on this most frequently asked question!<br />
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William B. Marshall is the Founder of Stop the Violence Pittsburgh, a local grass roots organization created in 2012 to help curb Violence among Young adults and youth in Allegheny county and to educate the…
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<br />
Black History Spotlight<br />
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<br />
<br />
B. Marshall, Founder, Stop the Violence Pgh<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Our dedicated staff and volunteers are always asked the same question: Who is B. Marshall and What Does He Do? We thought we would take this opportunity to shed some light on this most frequently asked question!<br />
<br />
William B. Marshall is the Founder of Stop the Violence Pittsburgh, a local grass roots organization created in 2012 to help curb Violence among Young adults and youth in Allegheny county and to educate the community on African American culture and history.<br />
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Since it's founding, using his organization, Mr. Marshall has produced several youth educational programs and events such as the annual High School Students Black History Month Summit, and the annual Juneteenth Youth Fest, in partnership with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Penguins and Steelers. Since 2018 these programs have serviced over 5,000 students in Western PA.<br />
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In 2013, Mr. Marshall started the annual Pittsburgh Juneteenth Celebration, and in 2016, he started a re-enactment of the 1870 Grand Jubilee of Freemen Parade originally created by Rev. Henry Highland Garnet, the National Equal Rights League of Western PA, and other religious leaders of his day.<br />
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In 2018 and 2019, Mr. Marshall created the Pittsburgh Black Music Festival and Pittsburgh Soul Food Festival, as a tribute to Black Musical icons from the City of Pittsburgh and Black food operators from the 18th and 19th centuries.<br />
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With the production of his many festival events, in 2023, B. Marshall brought together over 100,000 attendees from inside Allegheny and across the country and helped generated $9 million dollars back into the economy, he helped some 200 local small business vendors create a economic impact of $1.6 million back into the local communities and produced and hosted the largest Juneteenth Celebration in the nation. These statistics were reported and released by VisitPITTSBURGH and Stop the Violence Pittsburgh in its annual Economic Impact Survey Reports for 2023.<br />
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B. Marshall has partnered with various local organizations, the City of Pittsburgh, Foundations, Corporate Businesses, Individuals and Groups to produce his many events and programs.<br />
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These festival events celebration and promote the rich history of Black Pittsburghers from the founding of the City in 1758, highlight the cultural contributions of Black Pittsburghers since 1788 when Four (4) Black Men signed the original Petition to create Allegheny County, and promotes the spiritual aspect of Black Pittsburgh since the establishment of the first Black Church in Downtown Pittsburgh in 1808!<br />
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B. Marshall believes that it is his duty and responsibility to continue in the footsteps of community forerunners to promote inclusion, economic opportunities, social justice and equity for Black residences in Western PA!<br />
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We Appreciate Your Participation & Support!<br />
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Stop The Violence PghGeorge Benson cites age and health in canceling tourtag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2024-02-07:1992552:BlogPost:7199442024-02-07T18:17:37.000ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
<h1 class="page__title title" id="page-title">George Benson cites age and health in canceling tour</h1>
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<h1 class="page__title title" id="page-title">George Benson cites age and health in canceling tour</h1>
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<div class="group-image-body field-group-div"><div class="field field-name-field-story-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="https://www.soultracks.com/files/stories2/georgebenson-live_by-carl-hyde_8219-v1.jpg" width="562" height="500" alt=""/><blockquote class="image-field-caption"><p>photo credit: Carl Hyde</p>
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<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="expanding-formatter expanding-formatter-processed collapsed"><div class="expanding-formatter-content"><p>(February 5, 2024) Over the past five decades, legendary guitarist and singer<span> </span><strong>George Benson<span> </span></strong>has been a road warrior, performing his magical jazz and soul music around the world. But that time on the road may be coming to a close, as Benson, age 80, announced on social media his cancellation of a planned Summer 2024 tour of the UK in the following way:</p>
<p><span><em>On the advice of George Benson's medical team, we must cancel his upcoming UK tour. </em><em>Unfortunately, it's now the end of a lifetime of bringing his unique music and exciting performances internationally. With a heavy heart and much consideration, George has accepted that the strain of long distance travel is too difficult to endure at this point in his life. </em><em>We are all terribly sorry to disappoint all his fans, especially those holding tickets in the UK.</em></span></p>
<p>In a recording career that has spanned two generations, the seemingly ageless Benson has proven himself one of the most influential and versatile performers in popular music. Discovered at an early age by jazz great (and strong influence) Wes Montgomery, Benson became a jazz star performing first on Columbia, and then on Creed Taylor's CTI label in the early 70s. But it was his signing with Warner Brothers in 1976 and teaming with producer Tommy LiPuma that led to his watershed album, <em>Breezin</em>, a terrific blend of Soul and Jazz that took off like a rocket, fueled by Benson’s smooth cover of Leon Russell's "This Masquerade" (which won the 1976 Grammy for Record of the Year). </p>
<p><em>Breezin'</em> was a multi-million selling smash (unheard of for a jazz record), and introduced the world to a fusion of R&B and jazz that countless artists would eventually incorporate. In fact, the entire Smooth Jazz and Contemporary Jazz formats, now popular around the world, owe more to <em>Breezin' </em>than to any other album.</p>
<p>That began a string of soulful jazz albums and an intense musical love affair between Benson and audiences around the world that continues to this day. And over these five decades, George Benson has been one of the most influential artists, universally loved. Here’s hoping for continued good health and music for Mr. Benson.</p>
<p><em><strong>By Chris Rizik</strong></em></p>
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<div class="field field-name-field-body2 field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p><em>Many thanks to Gary Van den Bussche of Disco Soul Gold for letting us know</em></p>
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</div>Soul-Patrol Magazinetag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2024-01-10:1992552:BlogPost:7193702024-01-10T05:44:32.000Zbilly jones bluezhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/billyjonesbluez
<div class="content-area" id="primary"><h1 class="page-title">Blues/Southern Soul…</h1>
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<div class="row"><div id="aft-inner-row"><div class="align-items-center"><div class="spotlight-post"><div class="categorised-article-wrapper"><div class="data-bg-hover data-bg-categorised read-bg-img"><a href="http://soul-patrol.com/delta-blues-outlaws/"><img alt="" class="attachment-covernews-medium size-covernews-medium wp-post-image" height="340" src="http://soul-patrol.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Blues-Freak4-1400-square-540x340.jpg" width="540"></img></a></div>
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<div id="primary" class="content-area"><h1 class="page-title">Blues/Southern Soul</h1>
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<h3 class="article-title article-title-1"><a href="http://soul-patrol.com/delta-blues-outlaws/">Delta Blues Outlaws (NASTY/NASTY LOW DOWN DIRTY BLUES)</a></h3>
<div class="grid-item-metadata"><span class="author-links"><span class="item-metadata posts-author"><a href="http://soul-patrol.com/author/robbie/">Robert Davis</a></span></span></div>
<div class="full-item-discription"><div class="post-description"><p>BLUES FREAK <a href="https://youtu.be/hKrljPsfk_U">https://youtu.be/hKrljPsfk_U</a> A brand new slow jam for you.Someone New / Before I Let Go From the album ~...</p>
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<div class="align-items-center"><div class="spotlight-post"><div class="categorised-article-wrapper"><div class="data-bg-hover data-bg-categorised read-bg-img"><a href="http://soul-patrol.com/theodis-ealey/"><img width="500" height="340" src="http://soul-patrol.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Theodis_Ealey_YouandI_Together-500x340.jpg" class="attachment-covernews-medium size-covernews-medium wp-post-image" alt=""/></a></div>
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<h3 class="article-title article-title-1"><a href="http://soul-patrol.com/theodis-ealey/">Theodis Ealey – You and I, Together (Second Chance Review)</a></h3>
<div class="grid-item-metadata"><span class="author-links"><span class="item-metadata posts-author"><a href="http://soul-patrol.com/author/robbie/">Robert Davis</a></span></span></div>
<div class="full-item-discription"><div class="post-description"><p>By Bob Davis When I was a teenager growing up in New York, most of the time I listened to...</p>
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<h3 class="article-title article-title-1"><a href="http://soul-patrol.com/booker-t/">Booker T (of the MG’s)</a></h3>
<div class="grid-item-metadata"><span class="author-links"><span class="item-metadata posts-author"><a href="http://soul-patrol.com/author/dwashington/">Dianne Washington</a></span></span></div>
<div class="full-item-discription"><div class="post-description"><p>Booker Taliaferro Jones, Jr. (born November 12, 1944) is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, record producer and arranger, best known as...</p>
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<h3 class="article-title article-title-1"><a href="http://soul-patrol.com/ike-turner/">Southern Soul and Blues – Ike Turner – Risin’ with the Blues, History/Bio/Listen to Music and Update</a></h3>
<div class="grid-item-metadata"><span class="author-links"><span class="item-metadata posts-author"><a href="http://soul-patrol.com/author/robbie/">Robert Davis</a></span></span></div>
<div class="full-item-discription"><div class="post-description"><p>Most of yall don't know the name of Phil Arnold.He is a good friend of Soul-Patrol.The fact that you don't...</p>
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<h3 class="article-title article-title-1"><a href="http://soul-patrol.com/sippie-wallace/">Sippie Wallace</a></h3>
<div class="grid-item-metadata"><span class="author-links"><span class="item-metadata posts-author"><a href="http://soul-patrol.com/author/dwashington/">Dianne Washington</a></span></span></div>
<div class="full-item-discription"><div class="post-description"><p>EDITORS NOTE: I saw Sippie Wallace perform live at the Junteenth Blues Festival in Houston Texas, along with Bonnie Raitt....</p>
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<h3 class="article-title article-title-1"><a href="http://soul-patrol.com/chairmenoftheboard/">Chairmen of the Board (General Johnson)</a></h3>
<div class="grid-item-metadata"><span class="author-links"><span class="item-metadata posts-author"><a href="http://soul-patrol.com/author/robbie/">Robert Davis</a></span></span></div>
<div class="full-item-discription"><div class="post-description"><p>(NY Times) General Johnson, Singer and Writer of Hit R&B Songs, Dies at 69 General Johnson, who provided the distinctive...</p>
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<div id="block-3" class="widget covernews-widget widget_block widget_media_image"></div>For Dizzy Gillespie, Queens Was the Place to Be and to Boptag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2024-01-06:1992552:BlogPost:7193672024-01-06T05:00:00.000ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
<div id="fullBleedHeaderContent"><div class="css-1xqucq6"><div class="css-cwq3wz"><div class="css-1sojcmr ehdk2mb0"><h1 class="css-g2fq84 e1h9rw200" id="link-4eac77ba"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Rebellious jazz took flight in Harlem at Minton’s Playhouse, but it was nurtured on the tree-lined streets that gave pioneering Black musicians a home.</span></h1>
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<div class="css-yi0xdk e89cr9k0"><p class="css-11vzj2f"><span class="css-1f9pvn2 realestate">Dizzy Gillespie…</span></p>
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<div class="css-yi0xdk e89cr9k0"><p class="css-11vzj2f"><span class="css-1f9pvn2 realestate">Dizzy Gillespie during a photo session in 1955.</span><span class="css-1u46b97 e1z0qqy90"><span class="css-1ly73wi e1tej78p0">Credit...</span><span>Carl Van Vechten Collection/Getty</span></span></p>
<p class="css-11vzj2f"><span class="css-1u46b97 e1z0qqy90"><span>Images</span></span>By <span class="css-1baulvz last-byline"><a href="https://mianjackson.com/" class="css-n8ff4n e1jsehar0">Mia Jackson</a></span></p>
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<div class="css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Dizzy Gillespie helped make Minton’s Playhouse famous.</p>
<p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Minton’s in Harlem was where jazz musicians, from out-of-towners to locals performing in nearby big band theaters in Harlem, sought refuge during late-night jam sessions and a new genre, bebop, was born. Gillespie, together with Charlie Parker, is largely considered a pioneer of the rebellious jazz style that diverged from mainstream swing jazz’s emphasis on orchestrated productions and collective harmony. Instead, it ushered in an era of artistic experimentation that better reflected the realities of Black urban life and the talents of Black musicians.</p>
<p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">“Jam sessions, such as those wonderfully exciting ones held at Minton’s Playhouse, were seedbeds for our new, modern style of music,” Gillespie wrote in his autobiography, “To Be or Not to Bop.”</p>
<p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">But there was another gathering spot for Gillespie and his peers: the three-story Colonial Revival-style building in Corona, Queens, that he bought in 1953.</p>
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<div class="css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Jazz clubs were in Harlem. But jazz musicians lived on the tree-lined streets of Queens. While white musicians skedaddled to the suburbs, Black jazz virtuosos sought solace in the neighborhoods where their racial identity was welcomed — ultimately congregating into two enclaves in the borough. The first was in the southeast by Addisleigh Park where the composer Clarence Williams and his wife moved in the 1930s, with Count Basie, Lena Horne, Duke Ellington’s son, Mercer Ellington, and James Brown eventually following suit. The second was in Corona, where Louis Armstrong lived until his death, and a place that Gillespie, fellow trumpeter Clark Terry, and Ella Fitzgerald once called home.</p>
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<div class="css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Queens had the charm of the South, conveniences of the northern lifestyle and was close enough to the teeming jazz scene of Harlem without being ensnared. The borough didn’t generate a fresh jazz genre like Harlem. But the borough was an incubator where music got worked out, imagined and revised, as Black musicians were grappling with the commercialization of their craft.</p>
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<div class="css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">In June, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission honored the formal and informal spaces from which New York’s jazz scene spawned and flourished by designating three sites as landmarks for their cultural significance to modern jazz — the building at 935 St. Nicholas Avenue in Washington Heights where Duke Ellington and Noble Lee Sissle once lived; Minton’s and its home the Hotel Cecil; and Gillespie’s house at 105-19 37th Avenue in Corona.</p>
<p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Although Gillespie lived in Corona after bebop had been established as a genre, he continued to hone his craft while living in Queens. He adopted his iconic bent trumpet and recorded several popular albums, including “Jazz at Massey Hall” (1954), and “Manteca” (1958), “and appeared live in 1956 from his home in a broadcast interview on Edward R. Murrow’s “Person to Person” television program.</p>
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<span class="css-jevhma e13ogyst0">Ernest Gillespie, Mr. Gillespie’s cousin, poses with his son, Philip Gillespie, and daughter, Anita Gillespie-Wallace.</span><span class="css-1u46b97 e1z0qqy90"><span class="css-1ly73wi e1tej78p0">Credit...</span><span><span>Maansi Srivastava/The New York Times</span></span></span></div>
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<div class="css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Gillespie often invited fellow musicians to his basement to play alongside him.</p>
<p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">“Dizzy, Babs Gonzales, and I would mainly spend time down in the basement because that’s where he would rehearse,” said Ernest Gillespie, Dizzy’s cousin. Ernest Gillespie, now 96, lived in nearby East Elmhurst during that time and currently resides in Fresh Meadows, Queens.</p>
<p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">The basement housed a full set of drums, a piano, and eventually a pool table and train set. The fridge in the basement was always stocked with Carlsberg Elephant, his favorite beer. The walls were adorned with art from other countries, souvenirs collected during his time as the nation’s first jazz ambassador. Starting in 1956, the State Department financed Gillespie and his band to travel across the world promoting democratic values.</p>
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<span class="css-jevhma e13ogyst0">Scrapbook photos of Mr. Gillespie with his family (left), and playing music with Philip Gillespie, in Mr. Gillespie’s home (right).</span><span class="css-1u46b97 e1z0qqy90"><span class="css-1ly73wi e1tej78p0">Credit...</span><span><span>Maansi Srivastava/The New York Times</span></span></span><br/></div>
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<div class="css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Gillespie also nurtured many up-and-coming musicians. “I met Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, and Junior Mance in that basement,” said Dizzy’s godson, Harris Stratyner, now 68, who was a budding saxophone and clarinet player at the time. “Dizzy really was a teacher. He would teach the young cats how to play and how to follow rhythms and it all happened in his basement in Corona.”</p>
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<div class="css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Jeanie Bryson, 65, Gillespie’s daughter and an accomplished singer in her own right, lived in nearby LeFrak City along with her mother, the composer Connie Bryson, who was never married to Gillespie.</p>
<p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">The father-daughter relationship, hidden from public view, was limited, but Ms. Bryson recalled how her father would visit and she remembered his mentorship of musicians fondly.</p>
<p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">“He helped so many young musicians from different countries and gave these guys an opportunity that was beyond their imagination at the time,” Ms. Bryson said.</p>
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<span class="css-jevhma e13ogyst0">Jeanie Bryson blowing a kiss to her father, Mr. Gillespie, at Dizzy’s Club in Manhattan.</span><span class="css-1u46b97 e1z0qqy90"><span class="css-1ly73wi e1tej78p0">Credit...</span><span><span>Maansi Srivastava/The New York Times</span></span></span><br/></div>
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<div class="css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Gillespie was married to Lorraine Gillespie, who was also his personal manager. They had no children together, but they built a family in the neighborhood. On the outside, their home was an ordinary red brick building much like the other homes in the area, including their neighbor’s, Louis Armstrong, who lived around the corner. Armstrong’s home was<span> </span><a class="css-yywogo" href="https://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/1555.pdf" title="" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">designated<span> </span></a>a historic landmark in 1988 and opened for public tours in 2003.</p>
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<div class="css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Armstrong bought a home in Corona with his wife, Lucille Armstrong, in 1943, a full decade before the Gillespies. Here, he carved out a humble life in a neighborhood of predominantly Italian immigrants and a growing community of middle-income Black residents. “We’re right out here with the rest of the colored folk and the Puerto Ricans and Italians and the Hebrew cats,” Armstrong told Ebony magazine in 1964. “What the hell I care about living in a ‘fashionable’ neighborhood?”</p>
<p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">His classic hit, “What a Wonderful World,” was written by Bob Thiele and David George Weiss as a tribute to Armstrong’s beloved Corona.</p>
<p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">The demographics of the neighborhood have changed in the decades since, with Latino immigrants replacing Italian immigrants in the 1960s, drawn by relatively affordable real estate and a welcoming attitude, the same forces that once lured Black newcomers. Now, the neighborhood is a hub for the next generation of Mexican, Ecuadoreans and Dominican residents.</p>
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<span class="css-jevhma e13ogyst0">The exterior of the Louis Armstrong House Museum located around the corner from Mr. Gillespie’s Corona home.</span><span class="css-1u46b97 e1z0qqy90"><span class="css-1ly73wi e1tej78p0">Credit...</span><span><span>Maansi Srivastava/The New York Times</span></span></span><br/></div>
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<div class="css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">There are very few public acknowledgments of the period when Black musicians called Corona home. The Corona East Elmhurst Historic Preservation Society has long argued that the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission has not properly recognized the historical significance of Queens properties. The society filed the initial<span> </span><a class="css-yywogo" href="https://www.change.org/p/melinda-katz-queens-borough-president-corona-east-elmhurst-is-significant-support-the-land-marking-of-gillespie-brown-fitzgerald-and-daly-homes-preserve-of-history-respect-our-community" title="" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">petition</a><span> </span>in 2015 to have Gillespie’s home designated a landmark, but was denied. “Corona East Elmhurst, with its rich history and significant traditions is in jeopardy of becoming a negligible factor in the thought of the world,” the group wrote in the initial petition.</p>
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<div class="css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">“We felt we needed to create this society to preserve, protect, and promote the history and legacy so future generations will know the greatness of the community,” said Deborah Tyson, one of the founders of the local society.</p>
<p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">The landmarking of Gillespie’s home is a step toward memorializing both a jazz legend and a moment when jazz musicians sought refuge in the borough, often overshadowed by the legacy of Harlem and places like Minton’s.</p>
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<span class="css-jevhma e13ogyst0">Minton’s Playhouse in Harlem is considered the birthplace of bebop.</span><span class="css-1u46b97 e1z0qqy90"><span class="css-1ly73wi e1tej78p0">Credit...</span><span><span>Librado Romero/The New York Times</span></span></span><br/></div>
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<div class="css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Minton’s Playhouse opened on the first floor of the former Hotel Cecil in 1938, a year before the start of World War II. As riots, unemployment and discontent swung into the collective consciousness of Americans in the 1940s, Minton’s provided a sanctuary from wartime and racial tensions allowing Black musicians to tinker with musical styles without fear of retribution and to create new art forms. Bebop was a sonic chronicle of the world as its creators experienced it — a tapestry of anguish, discontent, and soul-stirring improvisation spun from within the marginalized spaces of the music industry.</p>
<p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">“One of the really interesting things to think about as this designation is directed to the Hotel Cecil and Minton’s and to Dizzy Gillespie’s home is that it speaks to me of the ways bebop was quite famously developed in clubs like Minton’s, and especially Minton’s, but also a lot of those ideas got worked out in rehearsals that often happened in people’s homes,” said Eric Porter, a professor of history at University of California, Santa Cruz. “Whether they were rehearsing for a recording or just hanging out and thinking about music, the basement studios were really important for the development of bebop as well.”</p>
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<span class="css-jevhma e13ogyst0">The 14,000-square-foot Louis Armstrong Center which opened to the public in 2023.</span><span class="css-1u46b97 e1z0qqy90"><span class="css-1ly73wi e1tej78p0">Credit...</span><span><span>Maansi Srivastava/The New York Times</span></span></span><br/></div>
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<div class="css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Nonprofits in Queens are building on this moment. The Louis Armstrong House Museum is partnering with Flushing Town Hall and the Kupferberg Center for the Arts to create an interactive digital experience that maps the histories of jazz and hip-hop in Queens. This new effort builds upon the Queens Jazz Trail map originally commissioned by Flushing Town Hall in 1998.</p>
<p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Jazz fans “live across the country or the world and they may never make it to New York, but they are able to engage with our mission and with our stories,” said Regina Bain, the executive director of the Armstrong museum in a news release in 2022.</p>
<p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Across the street from the house museum sits the shiny, 14,000-square-foot Louis Armstrong Center which opened to the public in July. The Louis Armstrong Stadium at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens was rebuilt and reopened back in 2018, replacing the 1978 tennis stadium of the same name.</p>
<p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">But education still needs to happen locally, particularly within the neighborhood’s public schools, Ms. Tyson said. “We’ve had a lot of musicians and significant people of color who have lived in our community and we wanted to tell the story because we want the children to know,” she said. “The teachers didn’t even know about all this information.”</p>
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<span class="css-jevhma e13ogyst0">The entrance of Mr. Gillespie’s Corona home with graffiti written along the door. </span><span class="css-1u46b97 e1z0qqy90"><span class="css-1ly73wi e1tej78p0">Credit...</span><span><span>Maansi Srivastava/The New York Times</span></span></span><br/></div>
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<div class="css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">For now, much of the history lives in the memories of residents who lived in the neighborhood as children or can recall their parents’ encounters. “My mother used to talk about how Dizzy Gillespie and Louis Armstrong would sit on their stoop and play out in the block and the kids would come around and hang about,” Ms. Tyson said.</p>
<p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">The Queens Borough President’s Office, in collaboration with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, has been placing banners, murals and signage along the AirTrain’s John F. Kennedy Airport route from Jamaica, Queens, as a small, but insufficient attempt to bring awareness to the borough’s rich musical heritage.</p>
<p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">“We need to try to preserve the history because there aren’t many people left who know the story of the community,” Ms. Tyson said. “We have places that are worthy of preservation. They may not look like a brownstone or a mansion on Fifth Avenue, but it doesn’t mean they aren’t worthy of preservation as well.”</p>
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</div>MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY HANUKKAH AND KWANZAA to our members around the world.tag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2023-12-25:1992552:BlogPost:7189332023-12-25T02:33:12.000ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
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<p>Amid all the gift wrapping, list making, tree decorating, and cookie baking, I'm wishing you a moment of peace and a chance to breathe. Life's such a rush these days, but I'm grateful for you and hoping your holiday season is full of joy.…</p>
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<p>Amid all the gift wrapping, list making, tree decorating, and cookie baking, I'm wishing you a moment of peace and a chance to breathe. Life's such a rush these days, but I'm grateful for you and hoping your holiday season is full of joy.</p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12335725898?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12335725898?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center"/></a></p>Blues Freak ~
the Delta Blues Outlaws
https://youtu.be/hKrljPsfk_Utag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2023-12-20:1992552:BlogPost:7189312023-12-20T22:54:02.000Zbilly jones bluezhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/billyjonesbluez
Blues Freak ~<br />
the Delta Blues Outlaws<br />
<a href="https://youtu.be/hKrljPsfk_U">https://youtu.be/hKrljPsfk_U</a><br />
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Blues Freak ~<br />
the Delta Blues Outlaws<br />
<a href="https://youtu.be/hKrljPsfk_U">https://youtu.be/hKrljPsfk_U</a><br />
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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hKrljPsfk_U?si=reQ4ex4Lck9JqW85&wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>Outlaws of the Blues Highway (instrumental)tag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2023-12-08:1992552:BlogPost:7182812023-12-08T04:53:23.000Zbilly jones bluezhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/billyjonesbluez
Outlaws of the Blues Highway ~ (instrumental)<br />
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/70cYzXtWClo?si=0ExaO3ld9ifn1lw0&wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
Outlaws of the Blues Highway ~ (instrumental)<br />
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/70cYzXtWClo?si=0ExaO3ld9ifn1lw0&wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>Man & A Half ~ the Delta Blues Outlawstag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2023-12-02:1992552:BlogPost:7183442023-12-02T23:22:55.000Zbilly jones bluezhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/billyjonesbluez
<p>Man & A Half ~ the Delta Blues Outlaws<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fK0H6yFMNGM?si=Knuo2I4ATx_1JuhE&wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
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<p>Man & A Half ~ the Delta Blues Outlaws<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fK0H6yFMNGM?si=Knuo2I4ATx_1JuhE&wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</p>Billie Holiday Play at homewood Library auditoriumtag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2023-11-19:1992552:BlogPost:7181772023-11-19T01:15:27.000ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12294166273?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12294166273?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12294166273?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12294166273?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center"/></a></p>Saxophonist brings 6 decades of musical dedication to Monroeville concerttag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2023-11-12:1992552:BlogPost:7182222023-11-12T05:43:13.000ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
<div class="row"><div class="col-xs-12"><div class="top subsection"> <br></br><div class=""><div class="fa fa-print"><span style="font-size: 2em;">Saxophonist brings 6 decades of musical dedication to Monroeville concert</span></div>
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<div class="row"><div class="col-xs-12"><div class="top subsection"> <br/><div class=""><div class="fa fa-print"><span style="font-size: 2em;">Saxophonist brings 6 decades of musical dedication to Monroeville concert</span></div>
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<div class="author-info"><a class="byline" href="https://triblive.com/author/harry-funk/">HARRY FUNK</a><span> </span><a class="fa fa-envelope" href="mailto:hfunk@triblive.com"></a><span> </span><span class="hidden-xs"><span class="">|</span><span> </span>Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023 7:15 p.m.</span></div>
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<div class="caption" align="left">Calvin Stemley plays tenor saxophone with Mixxtape at the Monroeville Jazz Festival on Sept. 2, flanked by keyboard player Sean Baker and vocalist Lailonny Yvonne.</div>
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<div class="caption" align="left">Calvin Stemley will perform Nov. 19 at Monroeville Public Library.</div>
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<div id="storyContent"><p>The sounds emerging from his father’s bedroom prompted young Calvin Stemley to knock on the door one day.</p>
<p>How was it, the boy wondered, that Zackery Stemley Jr. could produce dazzling melodies just by using the three buttons on his trumpet?</p>
<p>“Instead of him answering the question, he said, ‘Have a seat,’” his son recalled. “He pulled a drawer open and got a mouthpiece out. And he said, ‘I want you to do this’:</p>
<p>“Bvvvvvvvvvp!”</p>
<p>Calvin’s attempts at emulation marked the beginning of nearly six decades’ worth of dedication to music that he brings to Monroeville Public Library for a free concert at 7 p.m. Nov. 15 in the Elaine Biondi Gallery Space.</p>
<p>Along with playing saxophone and the occasional clarinet with an impressive array of Pittsburgh-area bands, Stemley had a 25-year career teaching music for Pittsburgh Public Schools. And although he’s retired, the Wilkins Township resident continues his efforts to provide education through performance art.</p>
<p>For example, he collaborates with the instrumental-vocal group Mixxtape, which will stage its Black History Show at 6 p.m. Nov. 19 at Carrone Baptist Church, 7119 Frankstown Ave., Homewood. The free event features inspirational readings, poetry, dance and other elements to help enlighten the audience.</p>
<p>Members of Mixxtape — led by drummer Terrance Levels, who worked with percussionists in Westinghouse High School’s marching band when Stemley taught there — hope to bring a similar performance to Gateway High School for Black History Month.</p>
<p><span class="neFMT neFMT_body-subhead">A musical legacy</span></p>
<p>Regarding his own history, Stemley carries on the legacy of his father, whose musical pursuits went far beyond practicing trumpet in the bedroom. He was a member the Soul Crusaders, which served as “the backup band for every major act that was coming through Chicago” circa the ’60sat the city’s famed Regal Theater, according to his son.</p>
<p>Leading the Soul Crusaders was another trumpet player, Burgess Gardner, who had the pedigree of performing with the likes of Count Basie, Horace Silver and Ray Charles. Gardner also happened to be the band director at Calvin Stemley’s school when he decided to join.</p>
<p>No trumpets were available for Calvin to play, so Gardner started him on clarinet.</p>
<p>“I was so enthralled by it, I practiced and I practiced and I practiced,” Stemley said. “Three or four weeks later, I had practiced so much that I was moved from beginners’ band to intermediate band. And when that happened, I realized this was the thing that I really wanted to do.”</p>
<p>An early introduction to performance was with a 14-piece combo of classmates called the Soulful Exotics, which placed second in an amateur competition at the Regal.</p>
<p>“At the time, I was really into James Brown,” Stemley recalled. “As part of that band, I played the clarinet. I also was the dancer in that band, and I was doing all the James moves and the splits and all that kind of stuff.”</p>
<p>He went on to attend Grambling State University in Louisiana, earning a bachelor’s degree in music education and accolades including the Institute of Black American Music Award and Grambling’s Theory and Composition Award.</p>
<p><span class="neFMT neFMT_body-subhead">Coming to Pittsburgh</span></p>
<p>In 1976, Stemley enrolled as a graduate student at the University of Pittsburgh. He earned his master’s in ethnomusicology, the study of the music of different cultures, especially non-Western ones.</p>
<p>“My emphasis was on jazz, and I wrote my master’s thesis on the great Dexter Gordon,” he said about the bebop-pioneering saxophonist, naming Sonny Rollins, Lester Young, Charlie Parker and John Coltrane as other influences.</p>
<p>Stemley takes pride in the musical contributions of Pittsburgh natives, especially those who called Westinghouse their alma mater: pianists Erroll Garner, Ahmad Jamal and Mary Lou Williams, and singers Dakota Staton and Adam Wade.</p>
<p><ins>On Nov. 6, Stemley will host Joy of Sax — an annual event celebrating the birthday of instrument inventor Adolphe Sax, who would have been 209 years old — from 6 to 11 p.m. at the Blue Sky Restaurant in East Liberty. A highlight is the honoring of several mainstays of Pittsburgh’s musician scene, among them retired Court of Common Pleas Judge Warren Watson, age 100.</ins></p>
<p>Approaching his 70th birthday in December, Calvin looks back on trying Zackery Stemley’s trumpet and playing for Burgess Gardner as defining his role in life.</p>
<p>“It really affected me in a great way. The first five years of school were different than when I got involved with band. And every positive type of association in my life was after I got involved with music,” he said. “So I guess I was getting musical therapy as a sixth-grader.”</p>
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<p class="credits">Harry Funk is a Tribune-Review news editor. You can contact Harry at<span> </span><a href="mailto:hfunk@triblive.com">hfunk@triblive.com</a>.</p>
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</div>Goodbye, Mr. Bennett: A Tributetag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2023-11-01:1992552:BlogPost:7180132023-11-01T00:41:08.000ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
<h1>Goodbye, Mr. Bennett: A Tribute</h1>
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<a href="https://downbeat.com/news/list/cat/new">NEWS,<span> </span></a><a href="https://downbeat.com/news/list/cat/from-the-magazine">FROM THE MAGAZINE,<span> </span></a><a href="https://downbeat.com/archives/artist/tony-bennett">TONY BENNETT</a></div>
<p><span class="postinfo"><strong>By<span> </span><a href="https://downbeat.com/site/author/phillip-lutz">Phillip…</a></strong></span></p>
<h1>Goodbye, Mr. Bennett: A Tribute</h1>
<div class="kicker text-news"><p class="inline"></p>
<a href="https://downbeat.com/news/list/cat/new">NEWS,<span> </span></a><a href="https://downbeat.com/news/list/cat/from-the-magazine">FROM THE MAGAZINE,<span> </span></a><a href="https://downbeat.com/archives/artist/tony-bennett">TONY BENNETT</a></div>
<p><span class="postinfo"><strong>By<span> </span><a href="https://downbeat.com/site/author/phillip-lutz">Phillip Lutz</a><span> </span></strong></span><span class="text-primary"> I </span><span class="postinfo">Oct. 31, 2023</span></p>
<div class="pad-btm-sm pad-top-sm"><img src="https://downbeat.com/images/news/_full/TOny_Bennett_Mohegan_Sun_2013_DSC2627_copy_3.jpg" class="img-responsive" alt="Image"/>
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<p>Bennett had a wealth of material to draw upon, and he had a direct association with much of it.</p>
(Photo: Steven Sussman)<br />
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<p>Perhaps no interpreter of American popular song had as long and distinguished a career as Tony Bennett. Yet in his everyday life, he was not one to dwell on the past. Neither his 20 Grammy statuettes nor the boatload of other awards — save for the Kennedy Center Honors medallion — were on display in his home, according to his son and manager, Danny Bennett.</p>
<p>And, he said, his father never regarded his albums as objects of nostalgia. The elder Bennett only listened to them for research purposes.</p>
<p>“He never looked back, was always in the present and hopeful about the future,” Danny said by phone after his father’s death on July 21 at the age of 96.</p>
<p>So it was all the more unusual that, in a 2018 interview for DownBeat almost exactly five years to the day before he died, the elder Bennett — seated on a well-worn couch in his small, spare art studio 15 stories above New York’s Central Park South — eased quite comfortably into a discussion of the past.</p>
<p>True to form, no awards were on display in the studio. And true to form, he looked dapper and spoke lucidly — despite having early-stage dementia — about his classical voice training at the American Theatre Wing, his haunting of jazz clubs on 52nd Street in Manhattan and his friendship with jazz cellist Fred Katz in the army during World War II.</p>
<p>Discussing his days at Columbia Records in the early 1950s, his tone became slightly heated when he recalled his successful battle with label executives to take a more adventurous approach to his interpretations. And it became wistful when he recounted his unsuccessful attempt to become a kind of double act with singer Rosemary Clooney, whose visage gazed out from a framed photo placed prominently on a table in front of the couch on which he now sat.</p>
<p>“I loved her,” he said softly, his hand lightly touching the arm of a writer seated next to him.</p>
<p>That he was thwarted in his desire to pair with Clooney is ironic, given that he would later win acclaim for a series of duets with women, among them Amy Winehouse, k.d. lang, Diana Krall, Carrie Underwood and Lady Gaga.</p>
<p>But that was hardly the biggest irony of his career. That may be the outsized popularity of “I Left My Heart In San Francisco,” which was expected to be the B-side of a 1962 single but famously emerged as his signature song. Less known is that the A-side, “Once Upon A Time,” the melancholy fairy tale with music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Lee Adams, was once also a staple of Bennett’s sets.</p>
<p>“I was sorry to see it go,” guitarist Gray Sargent, a member of Bennett’s working quartet from 1997 until the singer’s last gig in 2021, said by phone after Bennett’s death.</p>
<p>Some of Bennett’s most preferred material was not even on his set list. Top of mind, when Sargent was asked, was the Jerome Kern–Oscar Hammerstein II tune “All The Things You Are.” The tune had not been on the list during Sargent’s 24 years with Bennett despite — or because of — the prominence he gave it elsewhere.</p>
<p>A sublime four-and-a-half-minute rendition of the tune opens his Grammy-winning 2015 album of Kern songs,<span> </span><i>The Silver Lining</i>. His collaborator on that album, pianist Bill Charlap, said that the singer was well aware of the harmonically opulent, lyrically transcendent tune’s standing at the apex of the food chain in both the theater and jazz repertoires.</p>
<p>“Tony knew how important ‘All The Things You Are’ was,” Charlap said by phone after Bennett’s death.</p>
<p>Of course, Bennett had a wealth of material to draw upon, and he had a direct association with much of it. A set list Bennett’s staff provided DownBeat at the time of the 2018 interview included hits like “Just In Time,” “Boulevard Of Broken Dreams” and a medley that incorporated “Because Of You” and “Rags To Riches.” It also included tunes by the Gershwins and Michel Legrand that Bennett had sung many times.</p>
<p>Of particular interest was the inclusion of Irving Berlin’s “Steppin’ Out With My Baby.” A 1993 music video built on the tune helped Bennett connect with a younger generation when it aired on MTV. Coming after a period of financial and other setbacks, the video was a catalyst in a widely celebrated commercial resurgence — one that reestablished him as a presence on TV, from<span> </span><i>Saturday Night Live</i><span> </span>to<span> </span><i>The Simpsons</i>, and boosted his profile to epic proportions generally.</p>
<p>Danny Bennett, who is credited with engineering the resurgence, debunked what he said was a misconception about it: “Everyone thinks he reinvented himself. We reinvented the audience.”</p>
<p>In the 2018 interview, Tony Bennett was at a loss to explain the phenomenon, though he was obviously pleased with its impact: “It was a way of exposing the Great American Songbook to a new generation.”</p>
<p>Singer Kurt Elling, whom some locate in a lineage that includes Bennett — and who, in a 2021 DownBeat interview, said that as an aspiring singer he regarded Bennett as “the guy you want to be” — noted by phone after Bennett’s passing that the resurgence was accomplished without pandering.</p>
<p>“Tony carried the torch,” he said. “He sang the songs the way they were meant to be sung. He never deviated from the path. To my knowledge, he never recorded junk just to continue to be a star.”</p>
<p>Bennett’s uncompromising outlook grew out of a youthful desire to explore the more challenging path that jazz represented. He said he started fashioning himself as a jazz singer when he began listening in as his brother studied the music. Then, as a young man checking out 52nd Street, he was confirmed in his direction.</p>
<p>“I said, ‘This is the way to go.’”</p>
<p>Although Bennett never set out to be an improviser in the Betty Carter mold, few seem to argue that, in his freewheeling attitude and freethinking sensibility, he did not measure up to Sargent’s declaration: “He was a jazz guy.”</p>
<p>Elling took a view that was more nuanced, if no less certain.</p>
<p>“If the voice is willing and the approach is fresh with even the spirit of improvisation in there, then you have a better claim than anybody in the pop world who’s there to rearrange everything in a very straightforward fashion, even if they are there to invigorate it as though it were being sung for the first time,” he said. “But it’s not.”</p>
<p>Charlap, for his part, saw Bennett in multiple dimensions — as an artist equipped with a powerful arsenal consisting of “bel canto coupled with jazz phrasing coupled with Judy Garland’s way of setting the story.” The factors, he said, were a combustible combination, generating a sense of “intense drama” that, in his experience, was evident from their first rehearsal.</p>
<p>Naturally, Bennett felt freer to let his jazz flag fly when working in smaller units, especially partnerships with pianists with whom he could spar eye-to-eye. Notable among them were Bill Evans, with whom Bennett made two acclaimed albums in the 1970s, and Charlap, whose Kern collaboration was followed by one in 2018 focusing on the Gershwins and featuring Krall titled<span> </span><i>Love Is Here to Stay</i><span> </span>(Verve/Columbia).</p>
<p>Comparative treatments of “All The Things You Are” are telling. In contrast with the version on his 1962 live album<span> </span><i>Tony Bennett At Carnegie Hall</i>, where he is accompanied by a full orchestra, the duo’s take included on<span> </span><i>The Silver Lining</i><span> </span>displays considerably greater breadth musically and, arguably, emotionally.</p>
<p>Granted, the half-century that elapsed between the versions — and the maturity gained — might account for some of the change. Nonetheless, the number and spontaneity of the later version’s signature Bennett moves — the primal growls, tremulous glissandi, abrupt shifts in dynamics, risky intervallic leaps, unexpected modulations — are striking, reflecting a fuller expression of his instinct to make every note, every bar, every phrase a fresh one. And that argues for placing him squarely in the jazz tradition, where he wanted to be.</p>
<p>Bennett’s last touring gig was at the Count Basie Theater in New Jersey on March 11, 2020, the day the World Health Organization declared a pandemic. After that, he came back in August 2021 for a two-show, televised performance with Lady Gaga at Radio City Music Hall. That was his official swan song.</p>
<p>But he played with members of his band one more time. On New Year’s Day 2022, Sargent said, he and bassist Marshall Wood visited Bennett at his New York apartment. Bennett’s dementia had progressed, he said, but not to the point where he couldn’t sing — and, for 40 minutes, the three of them played as a band again.</p>
<p>“It was a wonderful feeling,” Sargent said. “He came out. He looked great. He gave us a big smile. We hung out and told him what a great time it had been making music with him.</p>
<p>“Then, you know it’s not going to be like that, but you want to offer just a nice thought.” So he did, on what would be his final parting with Bennett:</p>
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<p>“‘Oh, yeah, we’ll see you some time.’”<span> </span><b>DB</b></p>Please Come Home for Christmas!tag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2023-10-21:1992552:BlogPost:7175662023-10-21T00:29:56.000Zbilly jones bluezhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/billyjonesbluez
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<p><span>Please Come Home for Christmas</span></p>
<p><a href="https://youtu.be/PTQQHzK5534" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/PTQQHzK5534</a></p>
<p><span>Wishing ALL of our friends and loved ones a very happy holiday season as we prepare for a brand new year.</span></p>
<p><span>..we love each and…</span></p>
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<p><span>Please Come Home for Christmas</span></p>
<p><a href="https://youtu.be/PTQQHzK5534" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/PTQQHzK5534</a></p>
<p><span>Wishing ALL of our friends and loved ones a very happy holiday season as we prepare for a brand new year.</span></p>
<p><span>..we love each and every one of you! ..and hope to see you at our shows & festivals when we visit your town. DJ's, Radio, Podcasters, Fans, Haters, Lovers & Friends ..we love all of you and wish you the very best in 2024. ..we look forward to meeting you in a juke-joint near the Crossroads on your travels along the Blues Highway.</span></p>
<p><span><font size="1">america's MOST WANTED blues band.</font></span></p>
<p><span>the Delta Blues Outlaws</span></p>
<p></p>B-PEP JAZZ ‘ESTIMATED/GUESSTIMATED PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE – October 9, 2023tag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2023-10-09:1992552:BlogPost:7166042023-10-09T03:00:56.000ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
<p><strong><u>B-PEP JAZZ ‘ESTIMATED/GUESSTIMATED PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE – October 9, 2023</u></strong></p>
<p><strong>5:30 PM – 6:30 PM – THE TIM STEVENS PROJECT (Kenny Blake, Saxophonist, Tim Jenkins, Pianist, Eric Johnson, Guitarist, Tim Stevens, Vocalist, Vince Taglieri, Drummer and Dan Wasson, Bassist)</strong></p>
<p><strong>Afro American Music Institute (Howie Alexander, Keys, Camille Brenne, Bassist, Ricky Bottegal, Viola player, Tim Bottegal, Vibraphonist/Keys, Alexis Rollins, Bassist,…</strong></p>
<p><strong><u>B-PEP JAZZ ‘ESTIMATED/GUESSTIMATED PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE – October 9, 2023</u></strong></p>
<p><strong>5:30 PM – 6:30 PM – THE TIM STEVENS PROJECT (Kenny Blake, Saxophonist, Tim Jenkins, Pianist, Eric Johnson, Guitarist, Tim Stevens, Vocalist, Vince Taglieri, Drummer and Dan Wasson, Bassist)</strong></p>
<p><strong>Afro American Music Institute (Howie Alexander, Keys, Camille Brenne, Bassist, Ricky Bottegal, Viola player, Tim Bottegal, Vibraphonist/Keys, Alexis Rollins, Bassist, Micah Vicaro, Alto Saxophonist, Kristian White, Drummer) Don Aliquo, Sr., Donna Bailey, Vocalist, Roger Barbour, Trumpeter, Betty Biggs, Vocalist, Harry Cardillo, Pianist, Etta Cox, Vocalist, Al Dowe, Sr., Trombonist, Al Dowe, Jr., Saxophonist, Tony Campbell, Saxophonist, Brian Edwards, Drummer, Bagumbo Lowery, Percussionist, The “Old Timers” (Hon. Warren Watson, Carl Murphy, Drummers, Sunny Sunseri, Bassist), Tim Stevens, Vocalist</strong></p>
<p><strong>6:30 PM – 7:30 PM – ROGER HUMPRHIES & THE RH FACTOR (Dwayne Dolphin, Bassist, Roger Humphries, Drummer, Max Leake, Pianist, Lou Stellute, Tenor Saxophonist and Yoko Zusuki, Saxophonist)</strong></p>
<p><strong>Betty Biggs, Vocalist, Carl Black, Guitarist, Cecil Brooks, II, Tubby Daniels, Vibraphonist, Frank Cunimondo, Pianist, Roby Edwards, Saxophonist, Joe Garuccio, Guitarist/Vocalst, Tom Glovier, Pianist, Bob Insko, Bassist, George Jones, Conga Player, Anita Levels, Vocalist, Terry Levels, Drummer, Kenny Powell, Flautist/Saxophonist, Barbara Ray, Vocalist, Lee Robinson, Saxophonist</strong></p>
<p><strong>B-PEP AWARD PRESENTATION – Ellen Estomin, Lead Co-chair B-PEP JAZZ Committee and Tim Stevens, B-PEP Chairman & CEO</strong></p>
<p><strong>7:30 PM - 8:30 PM – THE TIM STEVENS PROJECT (see members above)</strong></p>
<p><strong>Tim Bottegal, Vibraphonist, Hillary Borneo, Steel Drummer, Roger Day, Tuba Player, “V” Victoria Dorsey, Spoken Word Artist, Tom Evans, Vocalist, Mike Farrell, Bassist, Tom Glovier, Pianist, Sandra Greene, Vocalist with “TAYLOR MAYDE” (Ronnie Biggs, Bassist, Larry Keith Estes, Guitarist, Jeff Montgomery, Quinton Zigler, Keyboards), John Korpiel, Drummer, Janet Lawrence, Vocalist, Fred Pugh, Calvin Stemley, Saxophonist, Vocalist, Robert “Bongo Bob” Young, Percussionist,</strong></p>
<p><strong>B-PEP JAZZ “ESTIMATED/GUESSTIMATED” PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE (Continued)</strong></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>B-PEP AWARD PRESENTATION – Ellen Estomin, Lead Co-chair, B-PEP JAZZ Committee and Tim Stevens, B-PEP Chairman & CEO</strong></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>8:30 PM – 9:30 PM – ROGER HUMPHRIES & THE RH FACTOR (see members previously listed)</strong></p>
<p><strong>Esai Aliquo-Varela, Vocalist, ARTISTREE LIVE (Musicians: Greg Criss, Bass Guitarist, Mark Johnson, Electric Guitarist, Doug Lane, Drummer, Rick Purcell, Keyboard Artist, Mario Tierno, Keyboard Artist/ Vocalists: Darrell Jefferson and Stephen Thomas) Phatman Dee, Vocalist, Dr. James Johnson, Pianist, Pam Johnson, Vocalist, Carlos Pena, Guitarist, Windafire, Vocalist, John Shannon, Guitarist</strong></p>
<p><strong>9:30 PM – 10:30 PM – THE TIM STEVENS PROJECT (see members previously listed)</strong></p>
<p><strong>Heidi Beatty, Vocalist, Antonio Croes, Pianist, Scott Hanley, Vocalist, Teresa Hawthorne, Vocalist, Teresa Hawthorne, Vocalist, Chris McGraw, Bassist, Quinton Zigler, Pianist, Ken Roosevelt, Guitarist, Quinton Zigler, Pianist</strong></p>Wendell Brunious Named First Musical Director of Preservation Halltag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2023-10-04:1992552:BlogPost:7165002023-10-04T02:51:08.000ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
<h1>Wendell Brunious Named First Musical Director of Preservation Hall</h1>
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<a href="https://downbeat.com/news/list/cat/new">NEWS,<span> </span></a><a href="https://downbeat.com/news/list/cat/from-the-magazine">FROM THE MAGAZINE,<span> </span></a><a href="https://downbeat.com/archives/artist/wendell-brunious">WENDELL BRUNIOUS</a></div>
<p><span class="postinfo"><strong>By<span> …</span></strong></span></p>
<h1>Wendell Brunious Named First Musical Director of Preservation Hall</h1>
<div class="kicker text-news"><p class="inline"></p>
<a href="https://downbeat.com/news/list/cat/new">NEWS,<span> </span></a><a href="https://downbeat.com/news/list/cat/from-the-magazine">FROM THE MAGAZINE,<span> </span></a><a href="https://downbeat.com/archives/artist/wendell-brunious">WENDELL BRUNIOUS</a></div>
<p><span class="postinfo"><strong>By<span> </span><a href="https://downbeat.com/site/author/cree-mccree">Cree McCree</a><span> </span></strong></span><span class="text-primary"> I </span><span class="postinfo">Oct. 3, 2023</span></p>
<div class="pad-btm-sm pad-top-sm"><img src="https://downbeat.com/images/news/_full/Brunious_800x450_acf_cropped-2.jpg" class="img-responsive" alt="Image"/>
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<p>“You want to speak to someone’s heart, not just befuddle their brain,” Brunious says.</p>
(Photo: Camille Lenain)<br />
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<p>When you enter Preservation Hall in New Orleans, it’s like stepping back in time. The small no-frills room looks pretty much like it did when Allan and Sandra Jaffe first opened the now-legendary French Quarter venue on St. Peter Street in 1961. Bare unvarnished floors serve as the stage, surrounded by wooden chairs where the audience sits — until, as often happens, they are moved to get up and march around with a band that celebrates the living past of New Orleans jazz.</p>
<p>At the center of all the action is master trumpeter Wendell Brunious, the band’s exuberant long-time leader, who’s just been named Preservation Hall’s first-ever musical director. A tall, sharply dressed gentleman, his domain extends far beyond the walls of this tiny “hall.” As Pres Hall’s ambassador to the world, he brings the joyful spirit of New Orleans music to far-flung countries around the world. He’s also a born storyteller who lards his tales with pithy one-liners, as he did for an interview on his home turf.</p>
<p>Spiffy as ever, in a cream-colored suit and elegant brown-and-white spectator shoes, he was accompanied by Caroline Brunious, his Swedish wife of 23 years, who blows a sizzling hot clarinet in the Preservation Hall All-Stars. The scion of legendary trumpeter John “Picky” Brunious — who, like his son, was educated at Juilliard as well as by the brass bands of New Orleans — he’s also the brother of the late John Brunious Jr., who preceded him as Pres Hall’s bandleader.</p>
<p>Our interview ranged from his boyhood memories of Louis Armstrong to close encounters with jazz masters like Dizzy Gillespie, as well as the vitality of the music he passes on to future generations.</p>
<p><b>Cree McCree:<span> </span></b>I’ve been to Preservation Hall performances, but I’ve never been back to this room. It feels like a sacred space.</p>
<p><b>Wendell Brunious:</b><span> </span>It’s called the Library and it’s got a lot of beautiful old things, like the largest collection of miniature tubas in the world. New Orleans is a living library of music and rhythms, and just being born here is a great advantage. Because you grew up with the music.</p>
<p><b>McCree:</b><span> </span>You picked up the trumpet when you were 11, right?</p>
<p><b>Brunious:</b><b><span> </span></b>That’s when I got serious. But before that I would just take the mouthpiece and make these little duck-call sounds. Sounds kind of like a kazoo. [<i>Grabs a mouthpiece and starts to blow.</i>]</p>
<p><b>McCree:</b><span> </span>Wow! [<i>laughs</i>] That’s even better than a kazoo.</p>
<p><b>Brunious:<span> </span></b>Then, when I was 10, Louis Armstrong came to town and my dad took us all out to the airport. About a hundred musicians had gone there to meet him, and Louie was one of the last ones off the plane. We thought maybe he missed it [<i>laughs</i>]. Then, suddenly, there he was. The air got thick enough you could cut it with a butter knife, and the whole gang started playing “When The Saints Go Marching In.”</p>
<p>That was magic. God put him here for a specific purpose to teach and influence all of us. If you’re a guitar player, you think you don’t owe something to Louis Armstrong, think again. He revolutionized the whole art of music, especially American music.</p>
<p><b>McCree:<span> </span></b>What a thrill that must have been for a kid just starting out on the trumpet. Did your dad give you any specific tips about the trumpet?</p>
<p><b>Brunious:<span> </span></b>Not really, because he was always working. He played on Bourbon Street at night, and during the day he worked as a truant officer at Milne’s Boys Home. But on Sunday, when my dad was off, he’d tell everybody go get your horn. There were eight brothers and sisters in our family, and though just me and my older brother John got to the level of playing professionally, everybody played. Dad would say you hit this note, you hit that note, and it’d be this real crazy chord. And he’d say, see, that’s the kind of stuff I like. It was wonderful growing up with that.</p>
<p><b>McCree:</b><span> </span>You were still pretty young when you joined Preservation Hall.</p>
<p><b>Brunious:<span> </span></b>Yep, 23. I was the youngest person ever to be on the payroll, and it was strange how I came to play here. One night I was playing around the corner on Bourbon Street, blowing my brains off for $88, and my car was parked here. So as I came down the street, I passed right by the gate. I’d never been inside, but it wasn’t but $1 to get in, and when I went inside there was nobody playing trumpet. I said, “You need a trumpet player?” [<i>laughs</i>] And the drummer said, “Man, we don’t let people sit in.” I said, “I’m not sitting in, I come to play, man.” And I took my horn out and played a couple of songs. Allan Jaffe was there, and Kid Thomas [Valentine], and they came up front to see who the heck was playing that trumpet. Kid Thomas had this scowl on his face, and I felt like, “Oh, my God, I had violated something.” But he wasn’t angry, that’s just the way he looked. Then Kid put his hands together and the whole audience started clapping. And I sat down next to him and played the rest of the night.</p>
<p>But I was still playing on Bourbon and barely squeaking out a living. Then one morning my phone rang. It was the great trumpet player Wallace Davenport, who said, “I got a gig for you playing with Lionel Hampton. They need an extra trumpet player tonight.” I must have done OK because after that gig, I went up to New York and joined the Lionel Hampton Band for a while.</p>
<p><b>McCree:</b><span> </span>Is that where you met Dizzy Gillespie?</p>
<p><b>Brunious:<span> </span></b>No, that was when Dizzy played the New Orleans Jazz Fest. There’s a picture of Dizzy, Mahalia Jackson and Duke Ellington outside Municipal Auditorium. I wasn’t in the picture, but I was sitting there, and Dizzy was holding court. He said, “Man, Charlie Parker told me, keep one foot in the future and keep one foot in the blues.” And I’ve continued to spread that message. Because the blues is not 1, 4 and 5 or 1, 4, 2, 5, 1. You could wake up with a flat tire or a headache this morning, that’s the blues, man. When you hear Charlie Parker playing “Laura,” that’s not a blues. But you hear the blues all through there, that’s what makes your individual voice.</p>
<p><b>McCree:<span> </span></b>Circling back to Preservation Hall, I was very surprised to learn you weren’t just the youngest musical director but the first musical director. Why was there never a musical director before?</p>
<p><b>Brunious:</b><span> </span>The world has gotten more complicated [<i>laughs</i>]. A lot of our older people have passed on, so I’m gonna help channel the music in the right direction. Kids have so many options today that we gotta bring their focus back to where they need to be to play this kind of music. Back in the 1990s, Ellis Marsalis called me up one day, said, “Would you come teach ’em how to play?” So I made up a class, 40 forms of the blues. Hey, man, you really know how to play the saxophone, but are you delivering the message I want to hear?</p>
<p><b>McCree:<span> </span></b>And what is the message you want to hear?</p>
<p><b>Brunious:<span> </span></b>You want to speak to someone’s heart, not just befuddle their brain. ’Cause there are enough things that do that, anyway.<span> </span><b>DB</b></p>What Do I Know? Smokey Robinsontag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2023-09-25:1992552:BlogPost:7166332023-09-25T02:30:00.000ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
<div class="article-header"><h1 class="article-title">What Do I Know? Smokey Robinson</h1>
<div class="article-sub-heading">A life’s recounting in the subject’s own words</div>
<div class="article-author"><span class="author-prep">by</span><span> </span><a href="https://pittsburghquarterly.com/author/jeffrey_sewald/">JEFF SEWALD</a></div>
<div class="article-secondary-category"><a href="https://pittsburghquarterly.com/category/2023-fall/" rel="tag">2023 FALL…</a><br></br></div>
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<div class="article-header"><h1 class="article-title">What Do I Know? Smokey Robinson</h1>
<div class="article-sub-heading">A life’s recounting in the subject’s own words</div>
<div class="article-author"><span class="author-prep">by</span><span> </span><a href="https://pittsburghquarterly.com/author/jeffrey_sewald/">JEFF SEWALD</a></div>
<div class="article-secondary-category"><a href="https://pittsburghquarterly.com/category/2023-fall/" rel="tag">2023 FALL</a><br/> <a href="https://pittsburghquarterly.com/category/what-do-i-know/" rel="tag">WHAT DO I KNOW?</a></div>
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<div class="article-image"><br/><div class="article-image-caption">A Sexy Serenade: Bob Dylan once called Smokey Robinson “America’s greatest living poet.” But poet or not, one thing about Smokey is very clear. He is a great creator and purveyor of modern American love songs. Not only is Smokey’s wife, Frances, from Pittsburgh but they own a home here.</div>
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<div class="grid col-620"><div class="article-date">September 19, 2023</div>
<div class="article-content"><p>Everyone is born with a gift from God. Some people discover their gift, and use it to a positive end. Some discover their gift, but squander it. And others, for one reason or another, never discover their gift. I discovered mine very early in life. I was blessed with the gift of music, and worked to make the most of it.</p>
<br/> All creative people experience the feeling of something “coming through them.” They’re mediums. But I’m not one who needs a couple of months in the mountains to create. It doesn’t happen for me like that. It happens on an almost daily basis. I see and hear things every day that trigger something inside me that leads me to think, “That might make a great song.” Sometimes, when I’m driving, a melody will just come to me. There’s no formula. There’s no process, like “the words come first, and the melody comes second.” There’s none of that. Whatever comes first, comes first, man. I don’t question it.<br/> <br/> I’ve been making music professionally since the 1950s, and sometimes, I’ll have a block on a certain song. For example, “Cruisin’” took me five years to write. The song was inspired by my guitar player, Marv Tarplin, who has passed on now. Marv put a riff on tape for me that was so sensual and sexy, and I just loved it. So, I made a tape-loop and let that riff put me to sleep every night. Before long, I wrote some words for it, but thought they weren’t worthy of Marv’s music.<br/> <br/> After about four years, I came up with the first lines of a chorus. I liked the fact that the people in the song could fly, so I wrote, “You’re gonna fly away/glad you’re goin’ my way.” After that, I wrote about 20 different “I love it” lines to try to fill out the song. Then, all of a sudden, there was nothing. By that time, I had moved to Los Angeles and, one day in December, I was driving down Sunset Boulevard with my car-top down, thinking, “Man, this is incredible,” because I’m from Michigan, where the winters are brutal. As I was driving, I started thinking, “I’m cruisin’ down Sunset…,” and that was it, man. I turned my car around and headed back home, put the tape on, and finished the song. “I love it when we’re cruisin’ together.”<br/> <br/> About a year-and-a-half before Motown took flight, I was in a group called “The Matadors.” Jackie Wilson was my number-one singing idol when I was growing up and, like me, he was from Detroit. Jackie’s managers were in Detroit, too, always scouting talent, and we got the opportunity to audition for them. But rather than doing covers of currently popular songs, we sang five that I had written, thinking that might impress them and give us an advantage.
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<p><strong>Smokey Robinson, Singer-Songwriter<br/></strong> – Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame (2022)<br/> – Library of Congress Gershwin Prize (2016)<br/> – Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame inductee (2016)<br/> – BET Lifetime Achievement Award (2015)<br/> – Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, with The Miracles (2012)<br/> – Society of Singers Lifetime Achievement Award (2011)<br/> – Hollywood Walk of Fame, with The Miracles (2009)<br/> – Kennedy Center honoree (2006)<br/> – National Medal of Arts (1993)<br/> – Soul Train Music Awards, Heritage Award (1991)<br/> – Songwriter’s Hall of Fame (1989)<br/> – “Just to See Her,” Grammy Award, Best Male R&B Vocal Performance (1988)<br/> – Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a solo artist (1987)<br/> – Hollywood Walk of Fame, as a solo artist (1983)</p>
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<p>During the audition, I noticed a young man sitting off in the corner, just listening. I was 16 years old. He looked to be somewhere in his mid-20s. I thought he was waiting there to audition, too. So, we sang our five originals and, when we finished, Jackie’s manager told us that he didn’t like us at all, and that we would never make it, especially because we had a girl in the group. (One of our members, Sonny Rogers, left to join the Army, but had a sister named Claudette who sang well. She went with us to the audition.)<br/> <br/> Well, that young man sitting off in the corner soon approached us. It turned out that he liked my songs, and asked if I had any more. Back then, I had a loose-leaf notebook containing more than 100 pages of lyrics that I had been writing since I was in elementary school. Intrigued, the young man reviewed them and soon began to teach me how to write songs. He said that a song should be a short story, where the beginning, middle, and end are tied together. That young man was Berry Gordy Jr. And that day was a “God-day” for me. It was purely good fortune that Berry was present for our audition with Jackie’s people. My professional music career really began on that day.<br/> <br/> People always say that Berry Gordy was very lucky to have so many talented people in Detroit at the same time — and he did. But I think that, ratio-wise, every city has a lot of talented people. They just have to be discovered. And, in Detroit, in the 1960s and ’70s, they were. But we certainly were lucky at that time and in that place to have Berry. He’s a rare dude who had the wherewithal to make something amazing happen. He wasn’t a corporate guy who decided to go into the record business for fun. He was truly a music man, who started out as a songwriter and record producer. Those were his first loves. But, in those long-ago days, nobody was getting paid much to make music, especially if you were black. That’s just the way it was, and Berry got tired of it. So, he borrowed $800 from his family and started what, in time, became the “Motown Record Corporation.” The rest is history.<br/> <br/> I was born in Detroit in 1940, to two great parents who were complete opposites. When I look back, man, I don’t know how they hooked up. My parents couldn’t be in the same room for five minutes without arguing over something. They were like night and day and, when I was 2 years old, they divorced. But for years after that, my dad would tell me, “Boy,” which is what he always called me, “your mama may be crazy, but she loves you. If I’m not here, for some reason, I want you to look out for her because she’s a great woman.” Curiously, my mother would often tell me, “Junior, your daddy’s crazy, but you are his favorite person, so you’ve got to love him, always.” She also said, “One day, I’m not going to be here, and you’re going to have to take care of him. Make sure you do, because your dad loves you.” Now, I don’t know how or if my mother sensed that she wouldn’t be there for me in the long term, but, sadly, she died when I was 10, at age 43, from an aneurysm.<br/> <br/> After my mom passed, my dad came back to live with us. I had two older sisters: one was 14 when I was born; the other was 17. The oldest had six kids when she moved back and, when all was said and done, she had 10. So, my nieces and nephews were more like brothers and sisters to me, and my oldest sister and her husband raised us.<br/> <br/> When I was 3 or 4 years old, if you asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would have told you, “A cowboy.” My uncle, Claude Robinson used to take me to see cowboy movies when I was little, because I loved cowboys, man, especially the ones who sang. During that time, Uncle Claude decided that, since I loved cowboys so much, I should have a proper cowboy name. So, instead of calling me by my given name, which was William (Robinson, Jr.), he started calling me “Smokey Joe,” and the name stuck. I dropped the “Joe” when I got older, and that’s when I became “Smokey Robinson.”</p>
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<p>“Tears of a Clown”<br/> “Shop Around”<br/> “Ooo Baby Baby”<br/> “I Second that Emotion”<br/> “My Guy”<br/> “Going to a Go-Go”<br/> “Get Ready”<br/> “My Girl”<br/> “Tracks of My Tears”<br/> “The Way You Do the Things You Do”<br/> “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me”<br/> “Just to See Her”<br/> “Cruisin’”<br/> “One Heartbeat”<br/> “Being with You”</p>
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<p>As a kid, our house was a gathering place. There were 11 children in my family, of all ages, and our friends would come over every day, when they weren’t in juvenile detention, or jail. Sometimes, they’d come to me and say, “Hey, man, we’re going to rob the gas station tonight.” And I’d say, “Forget it. I’m not going to do that with you. Are you crazy?” But even if they decided to pass on a “big score” like the gas station job, they’d come back to my house the next day with $10 apiece from beating somebody up and robbing them.<br/> <br/> When I was young, some of my friends ended up in “juvie.” When I got a little older, some were in jail. And, sometimes, one or two of them would wind up dead, after getting shot by the police while trying to rob somebody of $20. So, I grew up with some young gangsters, man, and although I didn’t always roll with them, we still loved each other. I didn’t have to do something wrong for them to care about me.<br/> <br/> By the time I got to be about 9 or 10, if you asked me what I wanted to be, I would have told you, “A singer.” I always loved to sing. And when we finally got a TV in our house, I would watch every musical show that came on. Those were the days of “The Rat Pack” — Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr. I saw them all on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” By then, they had been doing their act for 25 years, and I would look at them and say, “How could someone manage to do something so great for so long?” It seemed impossible.<br/> <br/> When it came to music, I didn’t find it; it found me. In my home, growing up, I heard music of many kinds. On some days, my mother would play The Violinaires, The Five Blind Boys and The Ward Singers — all of those Gospel groups. On others, she would play Bach, Beethoven, Chopin and Rachmaninoff. My younger sister who, remember, was 14 years older than me, listened to Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, Patti Page and Sarah Vaughan. But while I loved Sarah Vaughan’s beautiful voice, I was particularly fond of artists like Muddy Waters, B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, Little Walter, and Little Esther. So, musically, I got the total picture, man. And my world of music kept getting bigger and bigger.<br/> <br/> When I was 11, me and another guy from our neighborhood, named Ronnie White, formed a group called “The Five Chimes” and started singing at school functions, house parties, and at the local recreation center. Hell, we’d play anywhere if we could find girls there! We also engaged in what were called “battles of the bands.” When we first met “The Temptations” in competition, they were called “The Distance.” But the only group we had to worry about at the time were “The Four Aims” (who later became “The Four Tops”). If they showed up, the best any other group could hope for was second place.<br/> <br/> In time, we decided as a group to change our name from “The Five Chimes” to “The Matadors,” because we thought that name sounded more exotic. But while we continued to sing at community functions, we chose to set our sights a bit higher. In Detroit, at that time, there was a TV program called “Ed McKenzie’s Amateur Hour,” which came on every Saturday. So, we auditioned for Ed, appeared on his show — and won the prize for top vocal group! Man, we thought we were the hottest musical thing in the world after that.<br/> <br/> I graduated from high school in June of 1958, but chose not to start college until January of ’59. I was working for Western Union at the time, delivering telegrams by bicycle, and wanted to save enough money to buy new clothes and the books I needed for school. But in December of that year, with help from Berry Gordy, we recorded “Got a Job,” an answer to the song “Get a Job,” by “The Silhouettes.”<br/> <br/> So, I’m in college, man, listening to music on a transistor radio, and hoping that our song would be played. The record came out in February, on my birthday, and I was sitting in class when, lo and behold, “Got a Job” came on, and I hit the ceiling, man! I jumped up from my seat, and the professor asked, “Mr. Robinson, where are you going?” Saying nothing, I ran out of the classroom and into the hallway to a phone booth. I called Claudette and told her to contact everybody we knew and tell them that our record was being played on the radio.<br/> <br/> When I got home, I had to tell this news to my dad, whose dream it was for me to go to college. So, I went to him, while he was watching TV, and asked, “How are you today, dad?” “I’m fine,” he said. “How was work?” “It was fine, Boy.” Then I asked, sheepishly, “How ‘bout them Dodgers?” and he replied, “Boy, what do you want?” Suddenly, I blurted out: “I want to quit school to make music.” My dad turned slowly and asked, “What did you say?” So, I repeated, “I want to quit school to make music.” And, to my amazement, he said, “OK. You’re only 17. You’ve got time to fail. And if you do, you can always go back to school.”<br/> <br/> In those days, the goal for all of the groups in Detroit was to make a record, and we’d done that. We weren’t thinking about getting paid, man. We just wanted to be on the radio, and we got a taste of that, too. But to become truly professional recording artists, we felt that we needed a name-change again, one that was fit for a group with a female member. So, we each put some names in a hat and asked Claudette to reach in and choose one. She picked “The Miracles” (which was one of my suggestions), and there you have it: Bobby Rogers, Ronnie White, Pete Moore, Claudette, and me.<br/> <br/> When I was just 19, Claudette and I got married, and were soon trying to have babies. But during the early years of our marriage, we had seven miscarriages, man. As a result, my older son, Berry, was born through a surrogate mother. (My other son, Trey, was born many years later, the product of another relationship.) Later, the doctor who helped us find the surrogate built a brace for Claudette to help her carry a new pregnancy to term. When it was time, they removed it and my daughter, Tamla, was born.<br/> <br/> In the mid-1960s, Berry Gordy made me vice president of Motown, so I started going to the office every day to work with him. I also recorded with The Miracles, and we produced a series of hits for the label. Our second single, “Shop Around,” entered the Billboard “Hot 100” in December of 1960, and peaked at number two. Then, at a party, sometime in 1967, Stevie Wonder gave me a tape of a song he was working on with Henry Cosby. He said, “Hey, Smoke, we got a killer track, man, but I can’t think of words to go with it. Why don’t you listen to it and see what you can come up with?” I took the tape, of course, and the first thing I heard on it was what sounded like a calliope. So, I thought, “Am I going to have to write something about the circus?” I’m from the city, man, and I didn’t want to write about animals, trapeze artists, or anything like that. But what could I write about the circus that would touch the heart?<br/> <br/> As I considered my options, I remembered that, in elementary school, one of our teachers told us the story of “Pagliacci,” the Italian circus clown who made everybody happy. People came to see Pagliacci and they loved him. But after his performances, he would return to his tent and cry because he never received the kind of affection from a woman that he received from the adoring crowds. So, I decided, “I’m going to write about Pagliacci. I’ll just personalize it.” I did that, and we placed the song, “Tears of a Clown,” on an album called “Make It Happen.” But by 1969, weary from the grind of the music business, I told the group, “I’m going to retire” — and they laughed at me, saying, “OK, baby, that’s cool. We’ll talk to you about it later.” We had been together since childhood, and they knew all too well how much I loved writing and performing music. But I truly wanted to take an extended break to help raise my kids. I wanted to know them, and I wanted them to know me.<br/> <br/> In 1970, however, a young lady who worked for Motown in England started playing our album in the office. When “Tears of a Clown” came on, she called John Marshall, a Motown executive in Britain, who was looking for a follow-up to a re-release of our single, “Tracks of My Tears.” She said, “John, this is a hit.” He listened to the track and said, “You’re right.” So, they released “Tears of a Clown” as a single in the U.K., and it went to number one, the biggest hit we ever had there. Then it snowballed all over Europe. At the time, I had another single ready for release in the U.S., but I told Berry, “No, man. We have to put out ‘Tears of a Clown.’ ” He agreed, and the record went to number one in Billboard in December.<br/> <br/> In those days, we were doing everything a group could do. We had been all over the world. But when “Tears of a Clown” was released, our career skyrocketed. So, the guys came to me and said, “You definitely are not retiring now.” I said, “OK. I’m going to go for another year or so,” which I did. But I also said, “You have to look for somebody to replace me, because I’m not going to do this forever.” Luckily, they found a guy named Bill Griffin, from Baltimore, who traveled with us for about six months, to watch the show every night. Then, with Bill in place, in 1972, I retired, moved to Los Angeles, and went back to the office at Motown.<br/> <br/> Sometimes, I would make deals with publishers and, at first, it was fun. We were set up to break new talent, and I really loved that because I’d seen new talent all over the country while touring with The Miracles. But when I made that move to L.A., Berry said, “Smokey, you’re my best friend, so I’m going to change your office function. You are now going to do financial work. You’re going to sign all the payroll checks.” But, after about two-and-a-half years of that, I was miserable. I didn’t tell Claudette because I didn’t want her to think that I was unhappy being around for the kids. And I didn’t tell Berry because I didn’t want him to think that I’d let him down. I didn’t tell anybody, man. But inwardly, I was suffering.<br/> <br/> One day, Berry came to my office, and said, “Hey, man. Will you do something for me?” I’m thinking, he’s going to tell me something corporate, you know? So, I said, “What do you need?” He said, “Sit down for a second. I want you to do something.” I said, “What?” He said, “I want you to get the hell out of here.” I said, “What did you say to me, man?” He said, “You heard me.” I said, “What are you talking about? You don’t think I’m doing my job?” He said, “No, not that, man. I see you come in here every day, and you’re miserable. And when I see that you’re miserable, it makes me miserable, and I don’t want to feel that way. So, I want you to get the hell out of here, put a band together, go into the studio, and make a record.”<br/> <br/> Now, I always considered myself to be a “quiet singer.” But as I was being reborn as a solo artist, I was determined to take the world by storm. Then, I thought to myself, “Hmm … ‘Quiet Storm.’ That’s a great song title,” and I started to write a song around it. My younger sister had become a lyricist, so I took it to her, saying, “The theme is ‘Quiet Storm,’ and here’s the beginning of the song.” Soon, she finished it, and we produced an album called “A Quiet Storm,” which was released in 1975. In time, the term “Quiet Storm” actually became a radio format. I couldn’t believe it, man. There were “Quiet Storm” radio stations all over the country!<br/> <br/> When it first started, Motown was local, just in Detroit, Flint, and Ann Arbor. It didn’t really touch Dearborn, Grosse Pointe, Bloomfield Hills, and the other suburbs of Detroit. In those days, if you were black and were caught in one of those suburbs, you better have had something on you that said you work for somebody there because, if the police got ahold of you, they would either whoop your ass, or take you to jail. But soon, we started receiving letters from the white kids out there, saying, “We love your music, but our parents don’t know we have your records. If they did, they might make us throw them away.” One regret I have is that we didn’t save those letters. But we were young, and thought, “It’s great that white kids are loving our music.” Then, a year or so later, we started getting letters from their parents. “We found out that our kids were listening to your music, so we listened to it to see why — and we love your music, too!”<br/> <br/> When I think about those times, man, I think about Sammy Davis Jr., who I came to know very well. Sammy used to tell me war stories about being black in a white man’s world. The reason he loved Frank Sinatra so much was because when Sammy, his dad and his uncle — “The Will Mastin Trio” — first started playing Las Vegas, they had to do three shows a night and, in between, they had to return to the black side of town until the start of the next show, only to come back to the casino, where they weren’t allowed to stay, to play. They couldn’t eat there. They couldn’t walk through the lobby. They had to come in through the back door. But one day, Sammy was talking with Sinatra, who was “the man” in Las Vegas. And, after hearing Sammy’s story, Frank went to the powers-that-be and said, “If you’re going to treat people like that, we’re not going to play here anymore.” And with that, black artists could finally stay at the white-side hotels in Vegas.<br/> <br/> When Claudette and I moved to Los Angeles in the early ’70s, I was finally retired from touring and smoking a lot of “weed.” Naturally, she was concerned and had heard that “The Beatles” had stopped doing drugs after they met with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. They talked about how clean their lives had become from doing Transcendental Meditation (TM), so Claudette suggested that I try it. Well, I went over to the TM center and, after a while, discovered yoga. I also discovered that I got the same benefit from just stretching my body and relaxing as I did from practicing TM, so I dropped the meditation. Now, at 83, I still do yoga, usually in the mornings, to get me started.<br/> <br/> I don’t ever want to be “old,” man. As long as I live, I want to be mobile and as vibrant as possible — physically, mentally, and emotionally. I think we are indoctrinated to feel old. We live in societies, especially in the United States, where being young is the thing. We promote everything about youth, and direct everything toward that. Fortunately, we also live in a day and age when you can take care of yourself better than ever before. Think of all the medical advances that have been made to help us stay and feel younger, longer. Nowadays, we’ve got a better chance than our parents did of living a long, good and healthy life.<br/> <br/> Claudette and I divorced in 1986, and I married my wife, Frances, in 2002. She was from Pittsburgh, but I met her in Los Angeles. We’ve known each other for more than 30 years now but, for a long time, we were just two people among a group of friends who hung out and celebrated holidays, birthdays, and so on, together.<br/> <br/> For years, Frances and I often talked on the phone, but I wasn’t thinking about being romantic with her. I’m 12 years older, but we share the same birthday, February 19th. Then, one year, all of our friends got together and said, “We’re going to take you both out for your birthday,” to which we said, “Cool.” So, we went to a restaurant in L.A. called “Crustacean,” and one of the items on the menu was coconut shrimp, which was something new to me, and it turned out that I loved it. Frances loved it, too. A week or so later, as I was getting ready to travel somewhere, Frances and I were on the phone laughing and talking about our birthday party, when I said, “Hey, let’s go get some coconut shrimp.” “Sure,” she said. That was the beginning for us, and I tell her all the time, “You do realize that I married you because of coconut shrimp.”<br/> <br/> Given that Frances is from Pittsburgh, I thought we might as well get a house here. By trade, she is an interior designer — one of the best I’ve ever seen — and she’s done a great job with our homes in L.A., Las Vegas and Pittsburgh. I love it here. It’s one of the only cities I know that’s still progressing.<br/> <br/> At this point in my life, I’m more excited about music than ever, because of the fact that I’m still writing, singing and performing — and still loving it. Of course, I continue to sing in concert some “have-to” songs, like “Ooo Baby Baby,” “Cruisin,” and “Tracks of My Tears.” If I don’t sing them, I’m afraid that people might throw stuff at me. I’ve sung those songs so many times but, don’t ask me why or how, every night they feel new to me. People in the audience can sing those songs on their own, because they know them so well. And from the stage, I see people, sitting with 3- or 4-year-olds on their laps, and realize that I probably saw some of those same people 40 or 50 years ago, when they were sitting with their parents.<br/> <br/> Music is the international language, man, and it’s not bound by time or place. My “international anthem” as a songwriter is “My Girl.” We perform all over the world and, sometimes, we go to places where 60-to-70% of the people in the audience don’t speak English. But as soon as they hear those opening notes, they know what’s coming.<br/> <br/> As for Motown, there will never be anything like that again. It was a once-in-a-lifetime musical phenomenon. To have so many people assembled in one city at the same time — wonderful singers, musicians, writers and producers — making all those hit records, it was a blessing from the very first day.</p>
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<p>Jeff is an award-winning independent filmmaker and writer who specializes in defining the cultural significance of American people, places, things and events.</p>
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</div>Afro-American Music Institute plans expansion with ‘Ahmad Jamal Performance Hall’tag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2023-09-09:1992552:BlogPost:7166252023-09-09T02:30:00.000ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
<h1 class="entry-title">COURIER EXCLUSIVE REPORT: Afro-American Music Institute plans expansion with ‘Ahmad Jamal Performance Hall’</h1>
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<li class="author-name">Rob Taylor Jr. - Courier Staff Writer</li>
<li>September 8, 2023…</li>
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<h1 class="entry-title">COURIER EXCLUSIVE REPORT: Afro-American Music Institute plans expansion with ‘Ahmad Jamal Performance Hall’</h1>
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<li class="author-name">Rob Taylor Jr. - Courier Staff Writer</li>
<li>September 8, 2023</li>
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<p><strong>AFRO-AMERICAN MUSIC INSTITUTE LEADERS DR. JAMES T. JOHNSON AND PAMELA JOHNSON, NEXT TO A MURAL OF AHMAD JAMAL.</strong></p>
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<h4><strong>Space will hold roughly 200 people; new ‘Mural Museum’ on display now</strong></h4>
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<p>There is so much history inside the walls of the Afro-American Music Institute, in Homewood.</p>
<p>Take a tour inside, and you’ll see the irreplaceable photos of some of jazz’s all-time greats, along with today’s jazz aficionados who are keeping the famed music genre vivacious. You’ll notice the different instruments, countless videos and audiotapes, and the rooms where Dr. James T. Johnson teaches some 200 to 300 students yearly the ins and outs of music through a specialized curriculum in gospel, jazz, and other forms of the African Diaspora.</p>
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<p>But the energetic Dr. Johnson told the New Pittsburgh Courier in an exclusive interview, July 6, that oftentimes, when one of his students performs at their recital, “one student…would bring the parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, sister and the brothers, and the first cousin,” he said. “It got to the point that I would have to ask some young people to get up to let the older people sit down.”</p>
<p><img width="2560" height="1707" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-367406" src="https://newpittsburghcourier.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/09/IMG_8788-scaled.jpg" alt=""/><a href="https://newpittsburghcourier.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/09/IMG_8788-600x400.jpg">https://newpittsburghcourier.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/09/IMG_8788-600x400.jpg</a> 600w, <a href="https://newpittsburghcourier.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/09/IMG_8788-1536x1024.jpg">https://newpittsburghcourier.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/09/IMG_8788-</a> </p>
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<p><strong>ARTIST KYLE HOLBROOK, FAR RIGHT, WITH LEADERS OF THE AFRO-AMERICAN MUSIC INSTITUTE IN HOMEWOOD.</strong></p>
<p>Dr. Johnson’s talking about the loading dock in the rear of the AAMI building that’s used as a multi-purpose room. It holds about 75 people, and that’s where a lot of the organization’s events and performances are held, namely the popular “Jazz on the Loading Dock” series.</p>
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<p>Dr. Johnson’s wife, Pamela, said enough was enough. “We need to have our own space,” she told the Courier, which led her to announce that the Afro-American Music Institute would be expanding its physical space.</p>
<p>Pamela Johnson said the addition to the building at 7131 Hamilton Ave. will be in the rear, and it will be able to hold up to 200 people, almost triple the amount of the current loading dock space. Reverend Deryck Tynes, chairman of the board for the Afro-American Music Institute, said $500,000 in funding has already been raised, and an aggressive plan is in the works to raise the $2 million more needed to complete the building addition.</p>
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<p><img width="2560" height="1707" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-367407" src="https://newpittsburghcourier.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/09/IMG_8799-scaled.jpg" alt=""/><a href="https://newpittsburghcourier.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/09/IMG_8799-600x400.jpg">https://newpittsburghcourier.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/09/IMG_8799-600x400.jpg</a> 600w, <a href="https://newpittsburghcourier.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/09/IMG_8799-1536x1024.jpg">https://newpittsburghcourier.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/09/IMG_8799-1536x10</a> </p>
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<p><strong>A MURAL OF AAMI FOUNDERS THE JOHNSONS. SEE ALL THE FINISHED VERSIONS NOW AT THE AAMI BUILDING.</strong></p>
<p>Pamela Johnson and Rev. Tynes said the space would be called the “Ahmad Jamal Performance Hall,” or a similar title that, no matter what, would honor Jamal, one of the most accomplished jazz musicians of all-time. Jamal, born in 1930 and who died in April of this year, was a Pittsburgher who graduated from Westinghouse High School in 1948. Among Jamal’s numerous awards was the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, in 2017.</p>
<p>Reverend Tynes said the new space, scheduled to open by the fall of 2026, could be available to the community for outside events.</p>
<p>Dr. Johnson, known as “Dr. J.,” told the Courier the new space should have “some type of quality performance (every quarter) from a musical group from the Diaspora since our mission covers the Diaspora. When people come to know that it’s going to be something there of quality every quarter; ‘we don’t know what it’s going to be but it’s going to be good, so let’s show up,’ that’s what I want to get to.”</p>
<p>Reverend Tynes said AAMI is in talks with the corporate and philanthropy community about their contributions to the new performance space. He also said individuals can contribute to the capital campaign by going to AAMI’s website, afroamericanmusic.org.</p>
<p>What can be experienced right now at the AAMI building is a new “Mural Museum,” curated by artist Kyle Holbrook. Holbrook, known for his murals all throughout the Pittsburgh region, the nation and the world, said he’s had a “longtime relationship with Dr. J and Pam,” and knows how much they mean to the Pittsburgh community, the Homewood community, and the music community internationally.</p>
<p>Visit the Afro-American Music Institute, and you’ll see the paintings outside of the music greats—Ahmad Jamal, Mary Cardwell Dawson, Billy Strayhorn, Maxine Sullivan, George Benson, Kenny Clarke, Phyllis Hyman, Erroll Garner, Mary Lou Williams, Dakota Staton and Art Blakey. It took pretty much the entire summer for Holbrook to perfect the murals, but that’s not all. He said each mural will have “QR codes” under them, which allows a person to scan the code with a smartphone. The phone will then show information on that particular musician.</p>
<p>“They (the Johnsons) wanted to do something that was going to be here that would be educational,” Holbrook told the Courier, “so people can know who they are because these are legends.”</p>
<p><img width="2560" height="1707" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-367408" src="https://newpittsburghcourier.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/09/IMG_8819-scaled.jpg" alt=""/><a href="https://newpittsburghcourier.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/09/IMG_8819-600x400.jpg">https://newpittsburghcourier.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/09/IMG_8819-600x400.jpg</a> 600w</p>
<p>Holbrook painted a mural on an outside wall of the AAMI building back in 2005, but these murals are on the columns on the front and sides of the building. They’re painted in purple, green and gold colors.</p>
<p>Dr. Johnson, who started the Afro-American Music Institute in 1982, told the Courier you can’t say “jazz” without “Pittsburgh.” He said when you combine the talent that came from Pittsburgh with the impact they’ve had on the jazz circuit, it’s unmatched.</p>
<p>“Pittsburgh is a city of innovators,” Dr. Johnson told the Courier. “Everybody else…is a city of imitators.”</p>
</div>Billy Strayhorn: Something to Live For,’ the musical, to debut in Pittsburghtag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2023-08-21:1992552:BlogPost:7163422023-08-21T02:22:05.000ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttp://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
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<p><strong>BILLY STRAYHORN</strong></p>
<h5><strong>Westinghouse High graduate had ‘irreplaceable contributions’ to jazz </strong></h5>
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<p>by Marcia Liggett </p>
<p>For New Pittsburgh Courier </p>
<p>The O’Reilly Theater in Downtown Pittsburgh will be home to the world premiere of the Broadway-aimed musical, “Billy Strayhorn: Something to Live For,” placing a long overdue spotlight on Strayhorn’s life and irreplaceable musical contributions to American jazz. </p>
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<p>William “Billy” Thomas Strayhorn was born Nov. 29, 1915, in Dayton, Ohio, and moved with his family to a humble homestead in Homewood during the early 1920s. As a child he learned to play the piano and later immersed himself in musical studies while attending Westinghouse High School. After graduating, Strayhorn continued his education at the acclaimed private Pittsburgh Musical Institute, headquartered in Oakland. The institution was in existence from 1915 to 1963, boasting numerous accomplished graduates, including Ahmad Jamal, Vivian Reed and Earl Wild. </p>
<p>Recognized as a local jazz phenom, Strayhorn was well known throughout the Pittsburgh area for his musical genius. However, it was an encounter on Dec. 1, 1938, that altered his life and professional career. </p>
<p>George Greenlee, nephew of Gus Greenlee, owner of the infamous Crawford Grill nightclub in the Hill District, took Strayhorn backstage at the Stanley Theater (now known as the Benedum Center). Strayhorn was introduced to the racial barrier-breaking jazz legend Duke Ellington. </p>
<p>Impressed with Strayhorn’s musical talents, Ellington gave Strayhorn an opportunity to collaborate in New York City. Shortly thereafter in 1938, Ellington hired the then 24-year-old Strayhorn, a decision that changed the course of jazz history, while solidifying Ellington’s legacy in musical infamy. </p>
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<p>As the dynamic duo collaborated, Strayhorn composed music, arranged lyrics, occasionally played piano during performances, and was a faithful friend to Ellington, while Ellington became the face of the music. Ellington and his band performed to sold out audiences as he headlined at the legendary Cotton Club in Harlem, and during his tour in Europe and Scandinavia in 1939. </p>
<p>Tired of financial exploitation by manager Irving Mills, Ellington shattered racial barriers during the Jim Crow Era of segregation in the early 1940s by creating his own music publishing firm, Tempo Music, ensuring personal control of his music copyrights and royalties. </p>
<p>Strayhorn composed numerous songs for the band under the protection of Tempo Music, while Ellington returned to Victor Records (having previously recorded at various record labels) in 1940 to expand his recorded catalog. Strayhorn’s composition, “Take the A Train,” was an instant hit, revitalizing Ellington’s career, legitimizing the label and providing a steady source of revenue for Ellington. It became the band’s theme song going forward and is still deemed one of the most important songs in jazz history by music historians as it showcased Strayhorn’s extraordinary ability to blend jazz and classical music, while celebrating the cultural revolution during the swing era in America. </p>
<p><img width="2560" height="2048" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-366597" src="https://newpittsburghcourier.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/08/MV5BMzI2MzhmMWYtNGY1OC00NzQ4LTg0NjYtMGU1ZmJlZDQ2ZDJkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjQwMDg0Ng@@._V1_-scaled.jpg" alt=""/>https://newpittsburghcourier.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/08/MV5BMzI2MzhmMWYtNGY1OC00NzQ4LTg0NjYtMGU1ZmJlZDQ2ZDJkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjQwMDg0Ng@@._V1_-1536x1229.jpg 1536w, <a href="https://newpittsburghcourier.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/08/MV5BMzI2MzhmMWYtNGY1OC00NzQ4LTg0NjYtMGU1ZmJlZDQ2ZDJkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjQwMDg0Ng@@._V1_-2048x1638.jpg">https://newpittsburghcourier.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/08/MV5BMzI2MzhmMWYtNGY1OC00NzQ4LTg0NjYtMGU1ZmJlZDQ2ZDJkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjQwMDg0Ng@@._V1_-2048x1638.jpg</a> 2048w, <a href="https://newpittsburghcourier.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/08/MV5BMzI2MzhmMWYtNGY1OC00NzQ4LTg0NjYtMGU1ZmJlZDQ2ZDJkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjQwMDg0Ng@@._V1_-375x300.jpg">https://newpittsburghcourier.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/08/MV5BMzI2MzhmMWYtNGY1OC00NzQ4LTg0NjYtMGU1ZmJlZDQ2ZDJkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjQwMDg0Ng@@._V1_-375x300.jpg</a> 375w, <a href="https://newpittsburghcourier.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/08/MV5BMzI2MzhmMWYtNGY1OC00NzQ4LTg0NjYtMGU1ZmJlZDQ2ZDJkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjQwMDg0Ng@@._V1_-750x600.jpg">https://newpittsburghcourier.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/08/MV5BMzI2MzhmMWYtNGY1OC00NzQ4LTg0NjYtMGU1ZmJlZDQ2ZDJkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjQwMDg0Ng@@._V1_-750x600.jpg</a> 750w, <a href="https://newpittsburghcourier.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/08/MV5BMzI2MzhmMWYtNGY1OC00NzQ4LTg0NjYtMGU1ZmJlZDQ2ZDJkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjQwMDg0Ng@@._V1_-1140x912.jpg">https://newpittsburghcourier.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/08/MV5BMzI2MzhmMWYtNGY1OC00NzQ4LTg0NjYtMGU1ZmJlZDQ2ZDJkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjQwMDg0Ng@@._V1_-1140x912.jpg</a> 1140w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /></p>
<p><strong>DARIUS DE HAAS</strong></p>
<p>Despite the song’s timeless achievement and the success of many other songs Strayhorn composed throughout the following decades, he remained an unsung hero and a constant force behind the scenes for Ellington’s success until his death in New York City in 1967. Strayhorn died at just 51 years of age. </p>
<p>Embraced by the art scene in Pittsburgh, Strayhorn’s impact remains visible as both the Kelly Strayhorn Theater (KST) and the KST’s Alloy Studios in East Liberty and Friendship bear his name. </p>
<p>Now he will be reincarnated on stage in hopes of keeping his story alive and relevant to future generations of jazz enthusiasts. </p>
<p>“This world premiere new musical follows the highs and lows of Billy Strayhorn’s career, the joys and heartbreak of his personal life, and the challenges he faced living as an openly gay Black man in mid-20th century America at the dawn of the civil rights movement,” explained Pittsburgh Playhouse Theater (PPT) in a release. </p>
<p><img width="574" height="770" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-366596 aligncenter" src="https://newpittsburghcourier.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/08/Mollison_JD_628_xret.jpeg" alt=""/>https://newpittsburghcourier.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/08/Mollison_JD_628_xret-224x300.jpeg 224w" sizes="(max-width: 574px) 100vw, 574px" /></p>
<p><strong>J.D. MOLLISON</strong></p>
<p>“Billy Strayhorn was an innovator and a real musical genius. He had such an indelible and distinctive musical voice which was evident in the output of material and music that he wrote, composed, and wrote lyrics for,” explained Kent Gash, the director and co-author of the new Strayhorn musical. “He’s written and co-written some of the most beloved music in the American songbook but is not well known for those contributions like Gershwin or Ellington.” </p>
<p><img width="1367" height="2048" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-366595" src="https://newpittsburghcourier.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/08/Billy-Porter-Headshot-by-Meredith-Truax.jpeg" alt=""/>https://newpittsburghcourier.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/08/Billy-Porter-Headshot-by-Meredith-Truax-1025x1536.jpeg 1025w, <a href="https://newpittsburghcourier.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/08/Billy-Porter-Headshot-by-Meredith-Truax-200x300.jpeg">https://newpittsburghcourier.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/08/Billy-Porter-Headshot-by-Meredith-Truax-200x300.jpeg</a> 200w, <a href="https://newpittsburghcourier.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/08/Billy-Porter-Headshot-by-Meredith-Truax-750x1124.jpeg">https://newpittsburghcourier.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/08/Billy-Porter-Headshot-by-Meredith-Truax-750x1124.jpeg</a> 750w, <a href="https://newpittsburghcourier.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/08/Billy-Porter-Headshot-by-Meredith-Truax-1140x1708.jpeg">https://newpittsburghcourier.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/08/Billy-Porter-Headshot-by-Meredith-Truax-1140x1708.jpeg</a> 1140w" sizes="(max-width: 1367px) 100vw, 1367px" /></p>
<p><strong>BILLY PORTER</strong></p>
<p>Gash is a graduate of the Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama, as are co-author Rob Zellers and Pittsburgh’s own Grammy, Tony and Emmy Award winner Billy Porter, who recently joined the musical’s team as a producer. J.D. Mollison, a Broadway star, actor and fellow CMU grad, will depict Duke Ellington in the musical. </p>
<p>“I couldn’t think of a better city for this to premiere in because Billy spent his formative years in Pittsburgh. He was fed, fueled and supported by the community. And nobody is better equipped on the planet to tell this story for us than Darius de Haas.” </p>
<p>Darius de Haas, playing Billy Strayhorn, will be performing in Pittsburgh for the first time. Mark Power (investor and longtime friend of Zellers) describes de Haas as “a Strayhorn scholar,” sharing that “de Haas had the great benefit and unique opportunity of sitting with and talking to Luther Henderson, Ellington’s former bandmember, where he learned from firsthand accounts of Strayhorn.” </p>
<p>“Billy’s talent was so prodigious that despite grave circumstances, he survived and became a testament for Black people making a way out of no way. It’s a blessing to bring him to the forefront where the audience can get an idea of what his viewpoint was, how he felt about things, what his loves were, his hates, his points of view, etc.,” de Haas shared. “We are at a time in our history where people are happy to reinvent, erase or bury our history, so this to me is the perfect time” for the musical to debut. </p>
<p>Matthew Whitaker, a 22-year-old jazz pianist and composer, will be making his musical directorial debut, leading a nine-piece jazz band for the musical. The orchestrator, Tony Award-winner Bruce Coughlin, will assist Whitaker with Strayhorn-inspired arrangements and settings of the songs. </p>
<p>“Jazz is America’s only true original art form,” explained de Haas, who has been singing the Strayhorn catalog for over two decades. “People oftentimes look at me quizzically when I mention Strayhorn and Ellington. These are the giants on whose shoulders we stand. This is why it is so important to scream, shout and sing their names to the high heavens because of what they contributed to our culture.” </p>
<p>The musical runs in Pittsburgh at the O’Reilly Theater for 21 performances, Sept. 19 to Oct. 8. </p>
<p>“I think the musical will be particularly appreciated and celebrated where Billy spent most of his formative years as there’s a huge, rich legacy of jazz brilliance that came into and from Pittsburgh,” Gash told the New Pittsburgh Courier. “My hope is that all of Pittsburgh will hear the clarion call that is Darius de Haas, and they will be taken into the world of one of our greatest composers and lyricists through this work. It’s so nice to be able to put this life, this music, this creative genius, this spirit, that was so ahead of his time on stage and share that with people.” </p>
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