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WBGO and SummerStage
June 30, 2009. Posted by Brandy Wood.
Add new comment | Filed under: concerts, Esperanza Spalding, Great Live Moments, Jazz Alive, Jonathan Batiste, josh jackson, Ledisi, Live Music, Revue, SummerStage, wbgo
On Sunday, June 28, WBGO's Josh Jackson hosted a great concert at Central Park SummerStage. The performance began with New Orleans pianist Jonathan Batiste, who paid homage to the late Michael Jackson in both song and attire. Bassist Esperanza Spalding followed with a set that ran the gamut of funk to soul to Ella inspired scat.
Closing the performance was rising star of soul and jazz, Ledisi (LED-ih-see as she pointed out several times from the stage and in cards handed out after the show). If the pronunciation of her name is a little confusing, there is no confusion what so ever about her voice or her command of the stage.
There are a great number of WBGO partner events this summer, many of them at no cost. Please visit the WBGO Events page for full details.
© 2009 WBGO
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George Wein Plays Solo and Speaks to Gary Walker
March 25, 2009. Posted by Brandy Wood.
Add new comment | Filed under: Add new tag, concerts, Discovery, Encounters, gary walker, Geroge Wein, Great Live Moments, jvc jazz festival, Masters, Members, Newport Folk Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, News, Real Life Stories, Studio Sessions, wbgoWBGO Music Director, Gary Walker, interviews jazz impresario George Wein.
© 2009 WBGO
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Great Live Moments: Dr. Billy Taylor/Jazzmobile in Newark
July 24, 2008. Posted by Becca Pulliam.
Add new comment | Filed under: 92nd street y, bassist, becca, billy taylor, brick city, earl may, gratitude, Great Live Moments, harlem, helms park, houston person, jazz legend, jazzmobile, live moment, newark, night in tunisia, pianists, teaching organization, university of massachusetts, university of massachusetts amherst, wbgoToday is the 87th birthday of a jazz legend - Dr. Billy Taylor. Last night, on the eve of this very special day, Dr. T was one of several featured pianists at the 92nd Street Y in the Jazz in July series. He likes the name of that series because he came up with it himself when he helped to found a summer program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Just this month, Taylor quietly stepped down from his Jazz in July, and U Mass expressed gratitude for many summers on its website. Click to read the story.
Also this summer, Taylor is involved in a development right here in our town. Now we have a Brick City branch of Jazzmobile, the teaching organization he helped found in Harlem. Newark Jazzmobile is named for the late bassist Earl May, who first proposed it but did not live to see it happen. Click here for the Jazzmobile schedule. Houston Person plays tonight at Mildred Helms Park in the South Ward! Click and hear Billy Taylor play "A Night in Tunisia" on WBGO's (then) new Steinway, live on the air in the 1980s. Another Great Live Moment from WBGO.
Becca
© 2008 WBGO








