Join WTJU’s observance of Black History Month with special broadcasts showcasing the musical contributions of those of African heritage. Tune in to hear specially-themed editions of many of our regularly scheduled programs.
Monday, February 1
New Month New Music
The Young Black Lions
Nick Page & Gerald Watts
9:00 AM
Join Nick and Gerald for a special edition of ‘New Month, New Music’ in celebration of Black History month. Hear the recent releases and the young lions on the rise. Maybe even a few older cats as well. They will play African-American artists that are making the classic music of tomorrow.
Soulful Situation
The Soul of Black Country & Western
The Rum Cove
12 Noon
Many folks, when they hear soul and country music mentioned, think of Ray Charles’s work in that field. The Rum Cove, however, knows there is so much more to black Country and Western than this and for Black History month he will take us on a journey of heartache and pain to the very center of this oft overlooked area of African American musical history.
Anything Goes
Jazz, Blues and the Freedom March
Sean Grzegorczyk
9:00 PM
In celebration of Black History month, Anything Goes will feature Jazz and Blues inspired by the pivotal events of the Civil Rights Movement. John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Nina Simone, Mingus, Art Blakey, the Blind Boys of Alabama and Mahalia Jackson are just some of the artists you will hear as we explore the musical expressions of very turbulent times. So tune in Monday night, Feb 1, from 9-11 pm and join Sean for a very special edition of Anything Goes.
Tuesday, February 2
All That Jazz
Ike Quebec and John Hardee
Ann Porotti
9:00 AM
Two unheralded tenor saxophonists–Ike Quebec and John Hardee, both born in 1918. Quebec came from Newark, New Jersey, and was schooled in the “Harlem incubators of bop.” At his best Quebec shaped his style from the pioneers of jazz, but his magnificent sound lost years to heroin, illness and Rikers Island Prison. Hardee was reared and educated in church-going Corsicana County, Texas. Most of his career was spent in Texas teaching high school music except for a few years working with Tiny Grimes in the 1940′s, and a stint in 1975 when he appeared to great acclaim at the Nice Jazz Festival. There was, however, a brief window–1944-46–when both men recorded for the legendary Blue Note at the WOR Studios; Mosaic Records has remastered these extraordinary and rare performances to compact disc. Join Ann Porotti in this Black History Month Celebration of two great tenor saxophonists–Ike Quebec and John Hardee.
Rhythm & Romance
Six By Four
Charles Peale
10:30 AM
Six musical selections each, from four black entertainers. Featuring Al Hibbler, the Mills Brothers, Jonah Jones & Johnny Mathis.
Walk Right In
Fiddles and Banjos in African-American Music
Rebecca Foster
12 Noon
For much of the second half of the 20th century most people thought of fiddles and banjos as belonging to the bluegrass and mountain traditions of Anglo-Americans, forgetting that the banjo was invented by African-Americans and the fiddle was adopted for the early blues. Recently, with Otis Taylor’s “Recapturing the Banjo,” Boyd Tinsley of the Dave Matthews Band and groups like The Carolina Chocolate Drops, there’s been a joyful return to fiddles and banjos by African-American musicians. And, let’s not forget Papa John Creach, Clarence Gatemouth Brown and Taj Mahal who were playing these instruments all along, not to mention more obscure but equally talented Louisiana Creole fiddlers. We’ll listen to a sampling of music starting with early string and jug bands, like Cannon’s Jug Stompers and the Mississippi Sheiks, banjo songsters like Dink Roberts and John Snipes, and Creole fiddlers like Canray Fontenot. We’ll finish with some of the newer sounds of Fiddles and Banjos in 21st century African-American music.
Loose Threads
A Fistful of Dollar
Kevin Kellam
9:00 PM
Kevin Kellam explores the music and career of South African pianist/composer/arranger Abdullah Ibrahim aka Dollar Brand – a true originator at expressing the connections between African music and the jazz tradition.
Wednesday, February 3
Left of Cool
Grant & Wes
Larry Minnick
9:00 AM
Three hours of the finest in jazz guitar from two of the modern masters, Grant Green and Wes Montgomery.
Straight No Chaser
Off Minor
Charlie Curtis
9:00 PM
Music of pianists Thelonious Monk, Andrew Hill, and saxophonist Greg Osby.
Thursday, February 4
Jazz Songline
The Marsalis Family
Tom Klippstein
9:00 AM
Tom will showcase the first family of modern jazz from the Crescent City featuring the music of the Marsalis family including Ellis, Wynton, Branford, Delfeayo, and Jason.
Eclectic Woman
Sweet Honey in the Rock
Annette Kastner
7:00 PM
The renowned female vocal group will be featured on the Eclectic Woman show.
Induced to Judder
Powerhouse Trio with Jamal Milner & Houston Ross Live In The Studio
David Eisenman
9:00 PM
The Juddermeister’s Black History celebration features a live performance of the Powerhouse Trio with Jamal Milner on guitar, Houston Ross on bass, and Jeff Louderback, Jr. on drums. In the second hour he’ll spin the music of other local black jazz & blues artists such as Corey Harris, George Melvin, and Darrell Rose.
Friday, February 5
Stef-o-Scope
Nat King Cole
The Melody Man
9:00 AM
The Melody Man brings you 90 minutes of the one and only Nat King Cole– the piano trio, the vocals, and more.
The Jazz Messenger
The Brothers Jones, Hank, Elvin and Thad
Brian Keena
10:30 AM
Highlighting their musical contributions as sidemen and leaders.
Nothing But The Blues
Stax of Blues
Peter Welch
9:00 PM
Stax Records is regarded as one of the great soul music labels, but Stax also released some excellent blues recordings. Join Peter Welch as he plays some of his favorite Stax blues recordings, including songs by Albert King, Little Milton, Johnny Taylor, Rufus Thomas, Freddie Robinson, Jimmy McCracklin, Little Sonny, Eddie Kirkland and more.
Professor Bebop
Etta James
Professor Bebop
11:00 PM
Recording from her early teens, Etta James rocked R’n'B’s famed “Henry,” shouted the blues with the authority of Bessie Smith and Koko Taylor, threw the kind of blues passion into balladry that influenced Aretha and the entire soul sister family, and has rocked, shouted, and swooned every sort of music – pop, country, rock, blues, jazz, and soul. Join Professor Bebop at 11 p.m. on Friday, February 5, for two hours of sheer passion and pleasure! Miss Etta James!
Saturday, February 6
Vagabond Shoes
From Duke to Prince and Everything In Between
David Soyka
6:00 PM
Vagabond Shoes celebrates Black History Month by jumping among genres to present significant African-American musicians in pop, jazz, folk, blues and rock – and whatever is in between. From Duke to Prince, from Hendrix to Holiday, from Miles and Mingus to Ike and Tina Turner, to the Godfather of Soul and Sly and the Family Stone, Odetta and Ella and Sarah.
Living Time
Dexter Gordon – Long Tall Dexter’s soaring career
Koli Cutler
9:00 PM
A two-hour retrospective of the catalog of music left by the only musician nominated for an Oscar, we will hear how this Angelino paved the way for tenor men for over half a century. Starting off with his early work with the Lionel Hampton Band in Chicago, to working with greats like Lester Young, Ben Webster, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Sonny Rollins, Fats Navarro, Billy Eckstine, Miles, Bird and Trane. Join us for the big sounds of the big man Dexter Gordon, who transformed early bebop into the mainstream Jazz scene.
Sunday, February 7
In The Spirit
The Swan Silvertones
Terry Carpenter
9:00 AM
Tune in for an hour of good gospel music by the “Swan Silvertones”. A popular group in the 1940s & 50s, they started out in 1938 as the “Four Harmony Kings” in West Virginia. They moved to Tennessee and became the “Silvertone Singers”, later becoming the “Swan Silvertones” when Swan Bakeries started to sponsor their radio show. They mixed barbershop harmonies with virtuoso lead singers. They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2002.
Jazzmania
Great Black Music – Ancient to the Future
Aaron Zatcoff
10:00 AM
This was the self-described appellation for the Art Ensemble of Chicago, but jazz, with its roots in Africa, evolved in America with the unique mix of slavery, freedom, the blues, and the many social forces and challenges of life. This show will present an eclectic mix of avant-garde and traditional, celebrating the birthdays of Eubie Blake and King Curtis, with nods to Charlie Parker, John Coltrane and Miles Davis as well as the AEC.
Walking Blues
Memphis Slim
Preston Palisades
9:00 PM
Vagabond Shoes celebrates Black History Month by jumping among genres to present significant African-American musicians in pop, jazz, folk, blues and rock – and whatever is in between. From Duke to Prince, from Hendrix to Holiday, from Miles and Mingus to Ike and Tina Turner, to the Godfather of Soul and Sly and the Family Stone, Odetta and Ella and Sarah.
