CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL JAZZ DAY

APRIL 30, 2015 is celebrated as INTERNATIONAL JAZZ DAY at various locations throughout the world to highlight jazz and it's diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe.

It brings together communities, schools, artists, historians, academics, and enthusiasts, all over the world to celebrate and learn about jazz, it's roots, it's future, and it's impact on society.

                       HERE ARE A FEW WAYS TO CELEBRATE:

***   Play jazz recordings

***   Play video clips of jazz performances

***   Decorate with jazz pics or posters

***   Research jazz roots in your local area

              BUT DON'T JUST DO IT FOR A DAY, DO IT EVERYDAY!


To discover more ways to celebrate, click on the following link jazzday.com

TAKE A JAZZ VACATION

WBGO Travel & Events invites you to join us for jazz vacations only we could design: exclusive access to experiences that go beyond the great performances you will hear! * JAZZ A JUAN IN ANTIBES FRANCE July 13-20, 2015 ONLY FOUR SPOTS REMAIN, BOOK NOW! Seeing the fabled Côte d'Azur would be reason enough to join WBGO in Juan-les-Pins, Antibes in July 2015, but when it becomes the beautiful stage for the 55th Jazz à Juan Festival, the trip is irresistible. Come with WBGO to experience the combination of jazz and centenarian pine groves against the backdrop of the sparkling Mediterranean Sea this summer. For more information click here, or to book your trip call 1-973-467-4418. Photo by Doug Mason NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL July 31, August 1 or 2, 2015  Hop aboard the WBGO Bus for a direct ride to the front gate of the Newport Jazz Festival. These day excursions include: round trip bus travel from departure location directly to the festival gate, general admission ticket to the festival for the full day access to the festival grounds and all three stages. Pick up and drop off locations: Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York, NY BRIC House in Brooklyn, NY New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, NJ The Side Door at the Old Lyme Inn in Old Lyme, CT Click here for more details, or to reserve your seat now. Ferry from hotel to festival site. NEWPORT JAZZ WEEKEND TRIP July 31 - August 3, 2015 WBGO Travel invites you to enjoy the sun, fun and music at the Newport Jazz Festival, July 31 - August 3. Arrive at the Newport Harbor Hotel & Marina either Thursday or Friday, and enjoy a Friday night welcome reception, then get ready to hear great jazz at the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings, hop aboard the ferry for the legendary outdoor Newport Jazz Festival. Join us for a bon voyage breakfast on Monday.Three and four night packages available. For more information or to book your trip, call 973-642-1932, email events@wbgo.org or clickhere. Mohonk Mountain House JAZZ ON THE MOUNTAIN January 15-18, 2016 Join WBGO for our sixth consecutive year of Jazz on the Mountain at the historic Mohonk Mountain House resort. Enjoy the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend in the beautiful Catskills. WBGO's Michael Bourne will be celebrating his 17th year as host of this event, with a stellar program of eight concerts. For more information or to book your trip, emailevents@wbgo.org.   connect with us

AFRICAN-AMERICAN POLICY FORUM

Please Join the African American Policy Forum  for the next event in our Breaking the Silence  National Town Hall Series   BALTIMORE TOWN HALL ON WOMEN AND GIRLS OF COLOR  Saturday, April 25 12:00pm-4:00pm Morgan State University Student Center Theatre 1700 East Cold Spring Lane Baltimore, MD 21251 Parking is available on campus in the parking garage. For directions, click here.    REGISTER HERE       In 2014, AAPF launched a town hall series on women and girls of color in cities throughout the country. Thus far, hearings have been held in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City, with each convening gathering between 50 and 350 participants. To see a preview of the series, please click here.  Our commitment in hosting these hearings is to bring the circumstances facing girls and women of color out of the shadows and squarely into public policy debates. Women and girls of color will provide testimony across a range of issue areas, including school push-out, incarceration, public and private violence, trafficking, foster care, economic wellbeing and homelessness. Key decision makers will participate in the hearings as commissioners to suggest and advance tangible interventions. Historically, government hearings have been held on men and boys of color, generating a deeper understanding among stakeholders of their specific needs. These hearings have led to increased public will and ultimately, the development of the black male achievement landscape we see today. Through hosting similar hearings on women and girls of color, we hope to increase our nation’s collective understanding of the disparities they experience, both those that are common to and different from their male counterparts. Please join us in calling for a comprehensive and gender inclusive racial justice agenda!  If you have any questions please contact info@aapf.org

HIS - STORY PART I

OLAUDAH EQUIANO was born in Nigeria around 1745. He was captured in West Africa when he was around 11 years old. In his own words, Olaudah Equiano tells what it was like :

"WE ARRIVED AT THE COAST. THE FIRST THING I SAW WAS A SLAVE SHIP. I WAS CARRIED ON BOARD. I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO BE KILLED. I SAW MANY BLACK PEOPLE. THEY WERE CHAINED TOGETHER. I WAS PUT UNDER THE DECKS. A TERRIBLE SMELL GREETED MY NOSE. I BECAME SICK AND WAS NOT ABLE TO EAT...

To read the complete narrative of OLAUDAH EQUIANO Google his name and get a copy of his book. After you are familiar with his account, consider the following questions:

1 - Why was it dangerous to be on the slave ship?
2 - Why, do you think, did the slave traders beat Equiano when he would not eat?
3 - What did Equiano think of his captors?

FORUM ON BLACK HISTORY

AFTER THEIR ARRIVAL IN AMERICA, THE STATUS OF BLACK PEOPLE CHANGED IN THE AMERICAN COLONIES. WHITE COLONISTS HAD REASONS FOR CAUSING THIS CHANGE.
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1 - ON A SHEET OF PAPER DIVIDED DOWN THE MIDDLE, COMPARE THE LIVES OF INDENTURED SERVANTS AND SLAVES. USE A REFERENCE BOOK OR GOOGLE, FOR MORE INFORMATION.

2 - WHY DO YOU THINK IT WAS EASIER TO ENSLAVE BLACKS THAN WHITES OR INDIANS?

3 - WHY DO YOU THINK WHITE COLONISTS WANTED TO LIMIT THE RIGHTS OF FREE BLACKS?

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***To voice your opinion or start a discussion use the comment section at the end of this post.

BLACK HISTORY QUIZ

DID YOU KNOW?...THIS PERSON INVENTED A MACHINE, CALLED A "LASTING MACHINE," THAT STITCHED THE LEATHER OF A SHOE TO ITS SOLE.
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CAN YOU NAME THAT PERSON?

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Answer to previous quiz (4/17/15) BARBARA JORDAN












To learn more about this Community Creator Google her name.

WBGO.ORG - JAZZ EVENTS/NEWS

WBGO 88.3FM | WBGO.org Home | Listen to WBGO | Listen to WBGO HD2 | Download the WBGO App | Events |News | Blog | Program Schedule | Become a Member | Host Profiles Vuyo Satache from William Paterson University Jazz Appreciation Month Continues at WBGO! As Jazz Appreciation Month enters its final week, WBGO.org is bursting with different celebrations of the art form that continues to inspire us every day! We've got live sets from student ensembles hailing from local colleges like William Paterson University, Rutgers University, and the Manhattan School of Music. Our own Monifa Brown of Saturday Afternoon Jazz wrote a touching essay about her relationship with Newark's own Queen of Jazz, Sarah Vaughan. There will be more coming up all the way through the end of April, and it's all on WBGO.org! Click here for all the Jazz Appreciation Month content on WBGO.org! The Spring Warp Drive is happening now! Spring is upon us at WBGO, and our goal is to keep the music playing! Together, we can make that happen. When you listen to WBGO, you're a part of our community -- and we need our community’s support to continue to provide you with the music you love! We had tremendous success with our winter fund drive in keeping it short and sweet. Can we do it again? That’s where you come in. It’s time to give! Let’s get the fundraising out of the way as quickly as possible so we can get back to the music.Go to WBGO.org or call 1-800-499-9246 to contribute now! WBGO Radar WBGO Radar brings you exclusive streams of new records you can't hear anywhere else. We give you the inside scoop on what's about to drop in the jazz world! Right now, you can check out the melody, dazzling technique, and rhythmic drive of the Manuel Valera Trio's Live At Firehouse 12, orrenaissance man Ben Sidran's Blue Camus, which explores the influential French existentialist through jazz. It's all on WBGO Radar! WBGO Programming Jazz Night In America Radio broadcast Sundays at 6pm and Wednesday at 6:30pm, Webcast Wednesdays at 9pm on WBGO 88.3FM and WBGO.org The Philadelphia Organ Tradition | Tonight, 6:30pm Jazz Night In America visits Philadelphia for a history lesson and dance party: a tribute to organ masters Smith, Shirley Scott and Charles Earland with six local organists, multiple bands and three guest vocalists. With WXPN, WRTI and the Philadelphia Jazz Project, Jazz Night In America visits World Cafe Live for a B-3 jam featuring many of the city's finest musicians. We speak with many of them, and host Christian McBride, born and raised in Philadelphia, sits down with one of Jazz Night in America’s producers, Alex Ariff, to discuss his Philadelphia roots. Simón Bolívar Big Band Jazz In Concert (Webcast) | Tonight, 9pm The public youth music education program known as El Sistema has reached hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans, largely through participation in classical music ensembles. In 2007, drummer Andrés Briceño and head of the Simón Bolívar Conservatory of Music Valdemar Rodríguez introduced a jazz program to El Sistema, with the goal of promoting the music throughout Venezuela. The flagship ensemble, Simón Bolívar Big Band Jazz, presents the work of both American jazz masters and Venezuelan composers, and like its orchestral counterparts, has now toured the U.S. Jazz Night In America presents Simón Bolívar Big Band Jazz during a recent stateside sojourn, from Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola within New York's Jazz at Lincoln Center. Simón BolívarBig Band | April 26 & 29 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. Visit Jazz Night in America online. Joseph Branciforte The CheckoutTuesdays at 6:30pm on WBGO 88.3FM and WBGO.org The Cellar and Point's Joseph Branciforte / Anthony Pirog / Pedro Sa Moraes| Listen Now The Brazilian singer Pedro Sa Moraes dares us and his people to make better music, seek the sublime in tradition, and open our heads to new ideas. Washington DC-based guitarist Anthony Pirog tells us, in his own words, about his own creative journey, his love for Big Sur and for drummer Paul Motian. But first, it's audio wizardry from an engineer, drummer, and composer. Musical mastermind Joseph Branciforte shares his invention: a garage chamber jazz band called The Cellar and Point. Thundercat, Claude Cozens | Listen now Bassist and singer-songwriter Thundercat and drummer Claude Cozens talk with The Checkout at the 16th annual Cape Town International Jazz Festival.  Visit The Checkout online. James Brown Rhythm Revue with Felix HernandezSaturdays from 10am-2pm on WBGO 88.3FM and WBGO.org  Tristate Soul | April 25 As part of the four-hour music mix, Felix features an hour of songs that were big soul radio hits in New York City and North Jersey. James Brown | May 2 Felix honors the Godfather of Soul in a birthday tribute! Learn more about Rhythm Revue here. Jimmy Witherspoon Portraits In BlueSaturday at 8am on WBGO 88.3FM and WBGO.org Jimmy Witherspoon - Albums, Vol. 5 | April 25 & May 1 Erskine Hawkins Vol. 3 | May 2 & 8 Learn more about the show and host Bob Porter here.  Steven Pagones Conversations with Allan Wolper Tuesdays at 7:30pm on WBGO 88.3FM and WBGO.org Steven Pagones | Listen Now In 1987, Steven Pagones, then a former assistant district attorney in Dutchess County, New York, was accused of being one of six white men who raped and abducted Tawana Brawley, a 15-year-old African American teenager. Her allegations created a racial storm, led by Al Sharpton, a civil rights activist and minister who now hosts a talk show on MSNBC television. A grand jury, after questioning 180 witnesses, exonerated Pagones and said he was the victim of a hoax. Afterwards Pagones won a defamation suit against Sharpton. Pagones recounts the impact the case had on his personal and professional life. Visit Conversations with Allan Wolper online. Derek Sanderson SportsJam with Doug DoyleWednesdays at 7:30pm on WBGO 88.3FM and WBGO.org Derek Sanderson | Tonight, 7:30pm Derek Sanderson, two-time Stanley Cup Champion with the Boston Bruins, at one-time was the highest paid athlete on the planet. Alcohol ruined his career and he wound up homeless in NYC. He's sober again and after spending years teaching students about the dangers of drugs and alcohol, he's a money manager. Chris Vaccaro | Listen Now Chris Vaccaro is the Editor-in-Chief and Director of App Production for the collectible trading card company Topps. He's also an author, Hostra University Professor and former newspaper and on-line reporter. Vaccaro talk about digital baseball card collecting and why Sachem High School on Long Island is so special to him. Visit SportsJam online. WBGO Travel & Events Eddie Palmieri See What Your Member Card Can Do Members Discount: Brooklyn Center Eddie Palmieri’s Latin Jazz Septet Saturday, May 16, 8pm | Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College Known for his charismatic power and impeccable arrangements, pianist/bandleader Eddie Palmieri has dominated the Latin and salsa genres for more than 50 years. Join this nine-time Grammy Award winner and Latin Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient as he ignites the stage of the Walt Whitman Theatre with an evening of Afro-Cuban rhythms and hot Latin jazz. WBGO members should use code WBGO15 to receive a 15% discount when purchasing tickets online or present their WBGO member card if buying tickets at the box office. For more information contact the Brooklyn Center or call 718-951-4500.  ***** Do you have a business that would like to participate in WBGO's members discount program? Contact Josh Rosenfeld atjrosenfeld@wbgo.org or at 973-624-8880 ext 232. Newport Jazz Festival Newport Jazz Festival Trip Newport, Rhode Island July 31-August 3, 2015 WBGO is the exclusive travel partner of the Newport Jazz Festival, and we're offering a weekend package full of music, camaraderie, and fun! Arrive at the Newport Hotel & Marina to a Friday night welcome reception, then get ready to hear great jazz at the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Saturday and Sunday mornings, hop aboard the ferry for the legendary outdoor Newport Jazz Festival. Before departing back to reality on Monday, join us for a bon voyage breakfast and take in the view from the marina! WBGO will provide you with an insider’s guide to not only the festival -- chock full of thrilling performers like Jamie Cullum, Christian McBride, Dr. John, and many more -- but the surrounding attractions as well. To book your weekend trip, get more details, or learn more about the one day bus trips to the Festival gate, click here.  For more information on WBGO's Travel & Events, visitwbgo.org/events. WBGO Kids Jazz Free Concert Series "Get Hip!" featuring Jazz Reach's METTA QUINTET  Saturday, April 25, 12:30pm | NJPAC, Newark, NJ An introduction for young jazz cats that illuminates the art form's cultural origins, improvisation and creative self-expression. Meet each member of the band and learn how through teamwork, collaboration and cooperation; they all must work together to make great music. "Big Drum, Small World" featuring Jazz Reach's METTA QUINTETSaturday, May 2, 12:30pm | Livingston Public Library, Livingston, NJ Travel around the world meeting composers from West Africa, Israel, Cuba, India, and the United States speaking one common language: jazz. See how traditional American jazz has inspired each, blending with their individual cultural heritages, and created their artistic visions. For more information about the series, click here!