It’s been too many years since Vanessa Rubin came on Singers Unlimited with a new album, and her newest is one of her best.

The Dream Is You: Vanessa Rubin Sings Tadd Dameron celebrates the great composer and arranger of the '40s and '50s. Dameron, like Vanessa herself, was born in Cleveland, and her tribute is heartened by her hometown pride.

Pete McGuinness — composer and arranger, trombonist and singer — recently stopped by Morning Jazz to chat about Along For the Ride, the third album featuring his big band.

Godwin Louis has been on a quest to trace the roots of jazz.

In the last couple of years, the saxophonist has traveled to over 100 countries in study of the African musical diaspora. His findings inspired Global, a far-sweeping and personal debut album, which could also be seen as a manifesto. Louis believes we are all more connected throughout the Americas than we may realize.

Between 45 and 50 percent of Newark residents are underbanked or have no bank account.

“Either because they’ve never had a bank account, or they don’t trust the bank to keep their money,” said Catherine Wilson, President of United Way of Essex and West Hudson.  She says some residents have been boxed out of opening a bank account. 

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy is making a pitch to investors to take advantage of the state’s Opportunity Zones, neighborhoods designated by a federal program designed to drive long-term capital investments into low-income communities.  

Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Newark this past weekend to rally against the Murphy administartions tentative plan to close two existing youth prisons in the state and open smaller "youth development centers" in northern, central and southern New Jersey. The rally and march , organized by the New Jersey Institute of Social Justice, comes a month after local officials and activists blasted an alleged plan that would've landed one of them in Newark, a city that already has several prisons within its borders.

The first major expansion of The Apollo in Harlem is underway, part of the iconic theater's 85th anniversary season. 

The Apollo's Executive Producer Kamilah Forbes spoke with WBGO News Director Doug Doyle about the expansion and the upcoming show Twisted Melodies, a powerful one-man show based on the life of ’70s soul singer and composer Donny Hathaway.

The non-profit is expanding with a new theater, The Victoria, and becoming the Apollo Performing Arts Center.