Celebrate Jazz!

JULY/AUGUST 2015
WBGO
Program Guide
Jazz 88.3 FM
www.wbgo.org
Celebrate
Jazz!
Jon Batiste at the
Newport Jazz Festival
The next Newark Public Radio, Inc. Board of Trustees
meeting is scheduled for September 21, 2015, at 6:00pm,
location TBD. The meeting is open to the public, though a
photo ID will be required to enter the building.
Vol. XXXVIII
No. 5
54 Park Place
Newark, NJ 07102
Tel: (973) 624-8880
Fax:(973) 824-8888
E-mail:
[email protected]
Web Page:
www.wbgo.org
MEMBER-SUPPORTED Public Radio
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Upbeat July/August 2015
President & CEO
Amy Niles
Music Director
Gary Walker
Membership
Director
Roslyn Turner
Marketing
Manager
Brandy Wood
Program Director
Steve Williams
Design/Layout
Penguin Graphics
Upbeat is available in a large print edition upon request.
www.wbgo.org
in the
GALLERY
CUBA: A PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY 1987–2014
MANSA K. MUSSA
MONDAY, JULY 6–FRIDAY, OCT 15, 2015
ewark artist Mansa K. Mussa has been traveling to Cuba for the past twenty-seven years.
This photographic documentary show shares his iconic images from those many years
exploring the island nation’s people, places, dance, and culture through photographs,
collages, shadow boxes and “iPadology.”
N
This exhibit will run through Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15– Oct 15)—a special time that
we can proudly honor the history and heritage of more than one third of Newark’s population.
The WBGO Gallery is located in the heart of Downtown Newark in the headquarters of WBGO.
Exhibits highlight local and national artists covering themes that often reference music or features work by visual artists who are also renowned musicians. Curator Dorthaan Kirk (Newark’s
“First Lady of Jazz”) choses exhibits that cross cultural lines and honor Newark culture, and
legacies including Hispanic heritage, Black history and women’s history.
WBGO Radio Station Gallery, 54 Park Place, Newark, N.J.
The gallery is open Mondays–Fridays 9 AM–5 PM. More information at WBGO.org/Gallery.
www.wbgo.org
July/August 2015 Upbeat
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Jazz Night in America senior
producer Katie Simon with
show host Christian McBride
L
JNIA Wins JJA Award
By Josh Landes
ast month at the Blue Note club in New York, the Jazz Journalists Association
(JJA) honored Jazz Night in America and its host Christian McBride with the
Willis Conover/Marian McPartland Award for Broadcasting in the Year 2014. A
collaboration of WBGO, NPR Music and Jazz at Lincoln Center—Jazz Night in America
launched last October, showcasing today’s thriving jazz scene as well as the music’s storied history through storytelling, performance and conversation.
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Upbeat July/August 2015
www.wbgo.org
“It’s a huge honor for our show—still in
its infancy—to be recognized by the JJA. I
consider myself lucky to be surrounded by
this great music and to work with such a
dedicated team at WBGO, NPR Music
and Jazz at Lincoln Center—especially
Mr. Christian McBride,” said Katie Simon,
WBGO’s senior producer for Jazz Night in
America, who received the award on
behalf of the program.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I ever
think I’d be winning an award for broadcasting. Having my name associated with
Willis Conover and Marian McPartland is
quite an honor. Thanks to my new friends
at WBGO, NPR and Jazz at Lincoln
Center,” said McBride, a Grammy
Award®-winning musician and host of Jazz
Night in America since its launch. His
voice can be heard on the broadcast program, as well as in jazz coverage for NPR’s
national newsmagazines and website.
In its first year, Jazz Night in America has
brought listeners the best live jazz performances happening from coast to
coast—including Jazz at Lincoln Center’s
2014–15 season opening night concert
featuring the Jazz at Lincoln Center
Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and
guests Chucho Valdés and Pedrito
Martinez, the Blue Note Records 75th
anniversary concert at the Kennedy
Center; music from Kamasi Washington’s
release party for his new album The Epic;
broadcasting from jazz festivals in cities
around the country—and last month,
helped to produce a jazz performance
event for the citywide Make Music New
York festival.
The Jazz Night in America radio show is
produced at WBGO studios in Newark,
NJ, and is heard on more than 125 NPR
stations nationwide. Tune in to WBGO
88.3FM or stream online at WBGO.org
Sundays at 6pm and again on Wednesdays
at 6:30pm to enjoy the show.
npr.org
wbgo.org
A collaboration of WBGO, NPR Music and Jazz at
Lincoln Center—Jazz Night in America launched last
October, showcasing today’s thriving jazz scene as
well as the music’s storied history through storytelling,
performance and conversation.
www.wbgo.org
July/August 2015 Upbeat
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NY/NJ
Summer Fun!
T
Another Season of Great Music at Little to No Cost!
here’s nothing like summer in the New York / New Jersey area for great music at
little to no cost! Many of the WBGO partner events this summer are free, or low
cost to WBGO Members. There are also special WBGO Member Events and
opportunities to see and hear our on air hosts live and in person. The most updated list
can always be found at WBGO.org/events.
WBGO’s Lunchtime Concerts at Gateway 2
(Wednesdays at Noon in Newark, NJ) FREE
July 1
Vanessa Rubin & her trio
(hosted by WBGO’s Sheila Anderson)
Aug. 5 Steven Kroon Sextet
(hosted by WBGO’s Lezlie Harrison)
Madison Square Park Oval Lawn Series
(Wednesdays at 7pm) FREE
July 1
Kat Edmonson
July 8
The Stepkids
July 22 Kiran Ahluwalia
July 29 New York Night Train
SOUL CLAP & DANCE-OFF
featuring DJ Jonathan Toubin
with The Suffers
Jazz in the Garden
(Thursdays at noon at Newark Museum—
hosted by WBGO’s Sheila Anderson)
WBGO MEMBER CARD HONORED
July 2
Gary Bartz Quartet
July 9
Akiko-Organ (Trio)
July 16 David Gibson-Trombone
(Quintet)
July 23 Cocomama
July 30 José James—Vocal (Quartet)
Sounds of the City
(Thursdays at 5pm at NJPAC) FREE
July 9
Felix Hernandez
July 16 George Clinton &
Parliament Funkadelic
July 23 Eric Roberson
July 30 The Family Stone
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Upbeat July/August 2015
Aug. 6
Aug. 13
Aug. 20
Aug. 27
Motor City Revue
Slick Rick
José Alberto “El Canario”
Alice Smith
Summer Stage (Central Park) FREE
Sunday, July 12, 2pm
Cesária Évora Orchestra/Mayra Andrade
Dino D’Santiago
Sunday, July 26, 2pm
Rock Steady Crew 38th Anniversary
Concert: Whodini/Big Daddy Kane & more
Wednesday, Aug. 12, 7:30pm
The Wiz: A Celebration in Dance and Music
Summer Stage
(other parks as listed) FREE
Wednesday, July 15, 7pm
George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic
Sunday, July 19, 4pm
Family Day Queens: Wycliffe Gordon &
Friends/B-Love’s Hip Hop Jazzy
Groove/Karisma Jay & AbunDance/Master
Class: Samuel Coleman (Queensbridge
Park, Queens)
Sunday, Aug. 2, 7pm
Felix Hernandez Rhythm Revue / screening: “Get On Up” (Cloves Lakes Park,
Staten Island)
Sunday, Aug. 9, 7pm
Felix Hernandez Rhythm Revue /
Screening: Our Latin Thing (East River
Park, Manhattan)
continued on page 15
www.wbgo.org
Cover Photo: Newport Festivals Foundation
programs at a glance
programguide
July/August 2015
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Upbeat July/August 2015
JAZZ NIGHT
August 16
wiki Commons
SUNDAYS
6:00 AM SUNDAY MORNING HARMONY
with Dan Karcher
10:00 AM SINGERS UNLIMITED
with Michael Bourne
Singers Unlimited is four hours of new and
classic singers singing ballads and bossas,
blues and be-bop. For more than 25 years,
WBGO’s Michael Bourne has turned the spotlight on jazz vocalists with live in-studio performances, interviews and more.
6:00 PM JAZZ NIGHT IN AMERICA
Re-broadcasts on Wednesdays at 6:30pm
July 5
A Celebration of
Coleman Hawkins
Pianist Eric Reed celebrates the 110th birthday of tenor saxophone master Coleman
Hawkins. Reed brings Tivon Pennicott, tenor
saxophone; Warren Vaché, cornet; Dezron
Douglas, bass; and drummer Willie Jones III
to honor his legacy. Interviews from the band
come from leader Eric Reed and Tivon
Pennicott. We also speak with jazz historical
and tenor saxophonist Loren Schoenberg to
learn more about the life and music of
Coleman Hawkins.
July 12 Marcus Roberts
Introducing Marcus Roberts and The Modern
Jazz Generation. Marcus’ new 11-piece
ensemble—featuring many of his younger
protégé—perform original material by
Marcus and the music of Jelly Roll Morton,
Chick Corea, and Horace Silver. We speak to
Marcus and the members of the ensemble
about the formation of the band in
Tallahassee, Florida and explore what it
means to teach jazz through mentorship.
July 19 Anat Cohen
Choro, which means “to cry” in Portuguese,
is a genre often referred to as “The New
Orleans Jazz of Brazil.” Israeli clarinetist and
saxophonist Anat Cohen leads Choro
Aventuroso, a culmination of both her affinity
and intense study of Choro music as part of
an international community of jazz players
Max Roach
To say Max Roach was a bebop pioneer, or a
paramount innovator of the drums, or a
prominent social activist would be accurate.
Yet these labels fall short of this American
icon’s totality. One drummer who not only
understands this idea, but has benefitted
from Roach single-handedly changing the
perception of what it means to be a drummer, is composer, arranger, and percussion
wizard Ali Jackson. After crossing paths with
Roach at age 12, Jackson was forever
impacted, and the two would enjoy a formative student-teacher connection. In a onenight-only salute to the father of modern
drumming, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra
member Jackson illuminates Roach’s conceptual and artistic genius. An ensemble has
been formed specifically for this performance, featuring percussionist Victor Provost,
vibraphonist Steve Nelson, pianist Emmet
Cohen, bassist Russell Hall, tenor saxophonist Wayne Escoffery, and a string quartet
with violinists Elio Bishop and Sara Caswell,
violist Jeremy Kittel, and cellist Eugene
Friesen.
www.wbgo.org
All programs subject to change.
during her days studying at Berklee College
of Music in Boston. Her group plays waltzes,
mazurkas and African-Brazilian rhythms such
as the Lundu, all of which help characterize
the essence of Choro.
July 27 Jazz Prodigies
Jazz Night in America explores jazz prodigies
from different eras. We highlight 11-year-old
pianist, Joey Alexander, whose first album
came out in the spring of 2015.
August 2 Simone Bolivar
Jazz Night in America presents The Simon
Bolivar Big Band. For the past 40 years, El
Sistema has brought free classical music,
instruments and lessons to a quarter million
underprivileged kids in Venezuela. The
cream of the crop perform for sellout crowds
at some of the world’s most prestigious venues. Five years ago they started a new
ensemble—The Simon Bolivar Big Band.
We’ll hear them play Dizzy Club Coca-Cola®
at Jazz at Lincoln Center, and learn why jazz
is a lot more than just music.
Aug. 9 Tootie Heath at 80!
Jazz icon Tootie Heath turned 80 on May
31st, and we’re honored to help him celebrate the occasion!
Heath, who first recorded in the 1950s with
John Coltrane, recorded as a leader for over
50 years, and performed alongside such
artists as Dexter Gordon, Nina Simone, Wes
Montgomery, and countless others.
Incredibly, popular opinion suggests that the
drummer sounds better than ever, entering
his eighth decade.
Aug. 16 Max Roach
See sidebar.
Aug. 23 TBD
Aug. 30 Bill Frisell—Highway 61
“My father was born and grew up along
Highway 61, way up in Minnesota, not far
from Bob Dylan’s childhood home. That road
starts in New Orleans, follows the Mississippi
River, up through the Delta, Memphis, St.
www.wbgo.org
Louis, Davenport, all the way up to the
Canadian border. To think of the music that
has sprung from up, down, and all along this
way is truly staggering. The main artery. I am
excited, humbled, and honored to have this
opportunity to explore some of the many
possibilities with these great musicians. I
can’t wait to dive in.”—Bill Frisell. In the
grand series finale of two years and six
dynamic performances of the Roots of
Americana series, guitarist Bill Frisell, along
with saxophonist Greg Osby, cornetist Ron
Miles, pianist Craig Taborn, and drummer
Kenny Wollesen, embarks on a musical journey along the revered route, which Bob Dylan
famously immortalized in 1965. Join us for a
profoundly historic sojourn realized by Frisell
through his unique embodiment of the
American landscape.
7:00 PM SUNDAY NIGHT MUSIC MIX
Grammy® nominated record producer Eulis
sic R&B and so much more. From Grover
Washington, Jr. to Weather Report; from
James Brown to Eddie Palmieri; from Charles
Earland to Incognito, the Sunday Night Music
Mix has something for everyone.
11:00 PM THE CHECKOUT
Re-broadcast of previous Tuesday’s Program
MONDAYS
6:30 PM LATINO USA with Maria Hinojosa
Multi award-winning Latino USA, the radio
journal of news and culture, is the only nationally distributed English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective. This
program covers the social, cultural and political issues facing today’s Latino community.
Maria Hinojosa, host of Latino USA, is also
urban affairs correspondent for CNN and a
former NPR News reporter. In addition to
being a broadcaster, Hinojosa is an author,
and a frequent lecturer on college campuses.
She has received the Robert F. Kennedy
Award, an Associated Press award and the
National Council of La Raza’s 1999 Ruben
Salazar Award.
July/August 2015 Upbeat
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programguide
July/August 2015
7:30 PM NJ CAPITOL REPORT
Emmy Award-winning anchors Steve Adubato
and Rafael Pi Roman host New Jersey
Capitol Report which examines New Jersey’s
most pressing public and policy issues. The
program looks at political, social, and cultural
issues affecting the people of New Jersey
through in-depth conversations with the
state’s top legislative leaders, political pundits, and “movers and shakers.”
TUESDAYS
6:30 PM THE CHECKOUT
The Checkout is a weekly one-hour music
magazine featuring the best content from
WBGO—the leading presenter of jazz on
public media. Every week, producer Simon
Rentner crafts a program that aims into the
heart of New York’s music scene—featuring
exclusive interviews, studio sessions, and
field recordings of today’s leading artists.
July 7
20th Anniversary
Vision Festival show.
David Murray talks about his illustrious
career and incredible catalogue of music.
July 14 Aaron Goldberg’s
The Now/Marquis Hill’s
Modern Flows
Marquis Hill is a winner of the Thelonious
Monk Institute International Jazz competition.
We congratulate the trumpeter on his victory,
plus bring his Blacktet into our studio for
some Modern Flows. But first, we feature
Aaron Goldberg in The Now. The pianist says,
“That’s all there is. The rest is metaphysics.”
Goldberg shares his recording The Now featuring Rueben Rodgers and Eric Harland.
July 21 Peacock/Copland/Baron
Gary Peacock, Marc Copland and Joey Baron
talk about their 2015 recording Now This
(ECM) from the Montreal Jazz Festival.
July 28 Mark de Clive Lowe +
Miguel Atwood-Ferguson
Mark de Clive Lowe is a pianist who samples
his jazz combo in real time to create a modern sound unlike anyone else. Miguel
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Upbeat July/August 2015
Atwood-Ferguson should be a superstar. The
LA-based musician prefers to be behind the
scenes, at least for now. The multi-instrumentalist, fiddler, arranger, and composer
has worked with almost every major creative
musician in LA’s jazz scene.
7:30 PM CONVERSATIONS
WITH ALLAN WOLPER
Conversations with Allan Wolper features
guests whose ideas are on the cutting edge.
Wolper, known as a “journalist’s journalist,” is
an interviewer, reporter, documentary producer and ethics columnist, who has been
honored by every journalism medium, winning over 50 awards.
8:00 PM LATIN JAZZ CRUISE
With Awilda Rivera
WEDNESDAYS
6:30 PM JAZZ NIGHT IN AMERICA
Re-broadcast of previous Sunday’s Program
7:30 PM SPORTSJAM
SportsJam takes a unique peek into the
sports scene as WBGO’s News and Sports
Director Doug Doyle talks with a wide variety
of guests. Bernie Williams, Kareem AbdulJabbar, Jon Faddis, Savion Glover and Jazz
88 host Rhonda Hamilton all agree there’s a
strong connection between jazz and sports.
SportsJam recently received the Best Sports
Award from the New Jersey Associated Press
Broadcasters Association.
THURSDAYS
6:30 PM SONG TRAVELS WITH
MICHAEL FEINSTEIN
July 2
Betty Buckley
Tony Award-winning vocalist and actress
Betty Buckley debuted the role of Grizabella
in the original Broadway production of Cats
and has had a lifelong career on the stage
and screen. She also released sixteen solo
albums, including her 2014 album,
Ghostlight, produced by T-Bone Burnett. This
week, Buckley brings her leading-lady vocals
to a performance of “Bewitched, Bothered,
www.wbgo.org
All programs subject to change.
and Bewildered,” and Feinstein joins in for
“You Made Me Love You.”
July 9
Lari White
Vocalist and producer Lari White is known as
Nashville’s “Renaissance Woman.” She made
history as the first female producer of a male
superstar for Toby Keith’s Platinum album
White Trash Money. On this edition of Song
Travels, White performs Willie Nelson’s
“Crazy” along with standards by the
Gershwins and Rodgers & Hammerstein.
July 16 José James
Vocalist and songwriter José James draws
his musical inspiration from hip hop and
indie rock in addition to jazz and R&B. He’s
toured extensively and has gained a following with his acclaimed 2013 album, No
Beginning No End, and his 2014 release,
While You Were Sleeping. On this Song
Travels, James remembers Billie Holiday,
who was born 100 years ago this past April,
and performs her classics “Loverman” and “I
Thought About You.”
July 23 Hilary Gardner
Vocalist Hilary Gardner made her debut on
Broadway in Twyla Tharp’s musical Come Fly
Away, singing solos and duets with Frank
Sinatra to much critical acclaim. In 2014, she
released her debut solo album, The Great
City, a love letter to New York City. On this
edition of Song Travels, Gardner evokes
memories of another time and place with her
take on Tom Waits’ ballad “Drunk on the
Moon.”
July 30 David Hyde Pierce
Actor, singer, and comedian David Hyde
Pierce is best known for his Emmy Awardwinning role as Niles Crane on the television
series Frasier. A Tony® Award-winning stage
actor, Pierce joins Feinstein to talk about
everything from Beethoven to Monty Python.
He performs a few of his favorite songs,
including a duet of “You’re the Top” with
Feinstein at the piano.
www.wbgo.org
Aug. 6 Marilyn Maye
Actress and vocalist Marilyn Maye is a lifelong performer with a career spanning nearly
eight decades. Her big break came in the
1950s and she went on to become a staple
of the New York and West Coast Cabaret
scenes. She appeared on The Tonight Show
starring Johnny Carson a total of 76 times
and has released a number of notable
albums. On this edition of Song Travels,
Maye joins host Feinstein for a medley of
“Big Time” and “Open a New Window.”
Aug. 13 Arturo O’Farrill
Grammy Award-winning bandleader, composer, and pianist Arturo O’Farrill is the son of
the late Chico O’Farrill and has carried on his
father’s legacy as director of the Chico
O’Farrill Afro Cuban Jazz Orchestra. He is
also the founder and artistic director of the
Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, which has performed worldwide. On this Song Travels,
Arturo O’Farrill brings his own interpretation
to “Not Now, Right Now” by Papo Vazquez
along with a performance of his original tune
“Siboney.”
Aug. 20 Bobby McFerrin
See sidebar page 12.
Aug. 27 Rebecca Roubion
The songs of Nashville-based indie vocalist,
pianist, and songwriter Rebecca Roubion
have been featured on the TV shows Bones
and Pretty Little Liars. Drawing from the
influences of Carole King and Eva Cassidy,
her voice has been compared to Norah
Jones, and her single “Break” was included
on the 2014 album Nashville’s Indie
Spotlight. Roubion joins Feinstein to talk
about her recordings, Fields and Forests, and
she performs her original songs “Vacherie
Girl” and “Feel Better Sam.”
7:30 PM PEOPLE’S PHARMACY
This program examines current issues
in medicine, mental health, nutrition
and fitness.
July/August 2015 Upbeat
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programguide
July/August 2015
SONG TRAVELS
August 20
Bobby McFerrin
Vocalist Bobby McFerrin is best known for his
1988 hit “Don’t Worry Be Happy,” which was
the first a capella song to reach #1 on the
Billboard Hot 100 and won three Grammy®
Awards, including Song of the Year. McFerrin
also has five Grammy® wins for Best Male
Jazz Vocal, and has created a concert version
of George Gershwin’s Porgy & Bess. This
week, McFerrin stops by Song Travels’ studio
to talk about his endless creativity and the
enduring appeal of the Gershwins.
FRIDAYS
6:30 PM PORTRAITS IN BLUE
Re-broadcast of previous Saturday’s
Program; See Listing.
7:30 PM WBGO JOURNAL
This program, produced by the multi-award
winning WBGO team, covers issues of
importance to the Newark/NY metro area.
SATURDAYS
6:00 AM NIGHT LIGHTS
Night Lights presents jazz, from 1950 to the
present, with a late-night sensibility, hosted
by David Brent Johnson. “Night Lights is a
program of jazz in sound, story and song,”
says Johnson. “I try to make each show a
cultural narrative about whatever artist or
theme I’m highlighting.”
7:00 AM PORTRAITS IN BLUE
Re-broadcasts on FRIDAYS at 6:30pm.
July 4
Jimmy McCracklin, Vol. 8
July 11 Dinah Washington Albums, Vol. 12
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Upbeat July/August 2015
July 18
July 25
Aug. 1
Aug. 8
Aug. 15
Buddy Johnson, Vol. 4
Jimmy Witherspoon Albums, Vol. 7
Erskine Hawkins, Vol. 4
Billy Eckstine, Vol. 2
Dinah Washington—
From The Beginning, Vol. 15
Aug. 22 Lucky Millinder, Vol. 2
Aug. 29 Lionel Hampton, Vol. 2
8:00 AM SATURDAY MORNING FUNCTION
WBGO’s Bob Porter plays blues, R&B and
classic soul, with an emphasis on the early
1950s to the late 1960s. New artists who
perform these styles are also featured.
10:00 AM RHYTHM REVUE
with Felix Hernandez
Rhythm Revue’s blend of classic soul and
R&B received the A.I.R. (Achievement in
Radio) Award for the Best Weekend Program
in New York, and was named Best Radio
Show by New York Magazine and the
Village Voice. WBGO is the original home
of Rhythm Revue.
July 4
Array of Soul
Classic soul, “blue-eyed” soul, street-corner
soul, Philly soul, rare soul, and much more.
July 11 Get Up and Get Down
Dance favorites, plus a few slow jams.
July 18 Classic Labels
An extra helping of Motown and Stax in
today’s soulful mix.
July 25 Summer Smash
Songs that were hits in the summertime.
Aug. 1 Request Show
Aug. 8 United We Groove
A tribute to bands and groups.
Aug. 15 Philly +
The Philly Sound, and much more.
Aug. 22 Ain’t It Funky Now
Felix leans a little on the funky side today.
Aug. 29 Rarities
Some rare soul treats to spice up today’s
mix.
www.wbgo.org
Gary’
s
Plays
SUPPORT WBGO
great way to support WBGO is
through a gift of stock or a
family foundation. If you would like
more information, please call John
Newcott at 973-624-8880, ext.
236. All gifts to WBGO are tax
deductible to the fullest extent of
the law.
A
MUSIC DIRECTOR GARY WALKER’S
TOP CDS + RE-ISSUES
Top Tunes
Steve Davis
Say When (Smoke Sessions)
Donald Vega
With Respect To Monty
(Resonanace)
Walt Weiskopf
Open Road (Positone)
Jeff “Tain” Watts
Blue, Vol.1 (Dark Key Music)
Brianna Thomas
You Must Believe In Love
(Sound On Purpose)
Bob Mintzer Big Band
Get Up! (MCG)
Dave Stryker
Messin’ With Mr. T (Strike Zone)
Ben Sidran
Blue Camus (Nardis)
Paquito D’Rivera/Quinteto Cimaron
Aires Tropicales (Sunnyside)
Cyrus Chestnut
A Million Colors in Your Mind
(High Note)
www.wbgo.org
July/August 2015 Upbeat
13
wbgonews
WBGO News Team
Wins Nine PRNDI Awards
D
“A good story is a good story. It’s our job
to tell them.” ”—Doug Doyle
oug Doyle has been telling stories as the WBGO News
Director for seventeen years.
With nine new awards from Public Radio
News Directors Incorporated (PRNDI),
it seems like he’s found a way to tell
them right.
Under Doyle’s leadership, the WBGO
news team was celebrated by PRNDI at
its June 2015 conference in categories
from sports to arts and commentary to
continuing news coverage.
Doyle is particularly proud that everyone from full-time staffers to interns are
recognized by the awards. “Everyone
here contributes to shared knowledge,”
he says. Doyle gets input from the entire
staff to keep WBGO News topical,
Newark One Plan Protests
diverse and thorough. “Reporters help
select stories they want to cover. If all of
our news came from this fifty-three
year old’s mind, it would be too narrow to
be news.”
This year’s round of national awards
confirms WBGO’s mastery of local news.
“Bridgegate”
traffic
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Upbeat July/August 2015
www.wbgo.org
Corporate stations may have whittled
down their coverage of local issues, but
Doyle continues to tap into his genuine
interest in people to fuel WBGO’s reputation for great coverage of the most pressing stories in Newark and Essex County.
“When I walk down Broad Street, I
almost always end up having a conversation with someone. My daughter yells at
me because I take too much time talking
with everyone from grocery clerks to
passersby on the street. I can’t help it. I’m
curious. I want to know who people are
and what got them to this point.”
One top example of a staff-driven lean
for a story came from intern Maxine
Macias’ coverage of LBGTQ issues in
Newark from the 1960s to today—a story
from the WBGO Journal that garnered
one of the nine awards.
WBGO was also recognized for
Phil Gregory and Doyle’s coverage
of “Bridgegate,” and Alexandra Hill’s
coverage of the controversial One
Newark Plan.
Doyle will continue to seek out stories
that are thought provoking for listeners—
a quality that’s getting harder to find
in the privately-owned mediascape.
“Commerical stations cover things that
shock. WBGO covers those stories if
there is news behind it—but also stories
that make us think, cry or smile. And
especially stories that connect to jazz,
rhythm and blues, of course!”
When you work as a team,
you can do some great
things.—Doug Doyle
www.wbgo.org
NY/NJ SUMMERFUN!
continued from page 6
Celebrate Brooklyn
(Prospect Park Bandshell) FREE
Saturday, July 18, 7:30pm
Rhiannon Gibbons
Jazz in July
(Tuesdays through
Thursdays at 8pm at 92Y)
July 21 Bill & Dick’s All-Star
Jazz Party
July 22 Duke Ellington:
Drop Me Off in Harlem
WBGO MEMBER EVENT*
July 23 The Piano Men:
From Jelly Roll to Oscar
July 28 Swing a Song of Sinatra
July 29 Jazz & Sondheim,
Side by Side
July 30 Benny, Basie & Bucky!
*Members contact 973-624-8880,
ext 222 to purchase tickets!
Monday Nights with WBGO
at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola®
(7:30pm set follows interview
with WBGO’s Rhonda Hamilton)
July 27 Sharel Cassity Quintet
Aug. 17 Alicia Olatuja
Charlie Parker Festival
Friday, Aug. 21, 6pm
Oliver Lake Big Band / The King Solomon
Hicks Trio / Michela Taps: Bird Lives!
(Marcus Garvey Park
in Harlem)
Saturday, Aug. 22, 3pm
Dr. Lonnie Smith/Andy Bey/Jeff “Tain”
Watts/Camille Thurman / Norma
Miller/Master Class: Samuel Coleman
(Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem—hosted
by WBGO’s Sheila Anderson)
Sunday, Aug. 23, 3pm
Joe Lovano / Rudresh Mahanthappa: Bird
Calls / Myra Melford / Michael Mwenso
(Thompkins Square Park in the East
Village—hosted by WBGO’s Brian Delp)
July/August 2015 Upbeat
15
WBGO Jazz 88.3FM
Newark Public Radio
54 Park Place
Newark, NJ 07102
www.wbgo.org
Space still available for
WBGO’s Day and Weekend Trips
to the Newport Jazz Festival
July 31–August 2.
Info at WBGO.org/events.
Newark, NJ
Permit No. 6132
PAID
Non-Profit
Organization
US Postage