Billie Holiday was born at Philadelphia General Hospital on April 7, 1915. Located in the Black Bottom, the public hospital was the “hospital of choice” for African American women during the Great Migration. WKCR is hosting a special birthday broadcast in honor of Lady Day. You can listen to the 24-hour broadcast on 89.9 FM or stream it live here. My appreciation for Billie Holiday is well-documented. I made some noise when I found out that Lady Day was not honored on Philadelphia’s Walk of Fame. I ruffled some feathers but Billie got her plaque. It’s Lady Day’s heavenly birthday but April 2 ..read more

Jazz Appreciation Month, also known as JAM, is an annual celebration held in April to honor and promote jazz and its cultural significance. JAM was conceived by the National Museum of American History in 2001. This year, Jazz Appreciation Month celebrates the 125th birthday of Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington. However this year in Philadelphia, it’s Edward Lee Morgan Appreciation Month. Join us on International Jazz Day for the dedication of Edward Lee Morgan’s historical marker. The dedication ceremony is free and open to the public. Please click here to register ..read more

Women in Jazz Month is celebrated annually in March. It is a time to recognize and honor the contributions of female vocalists, composers, bandleaders, and instrumentalists. Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan are jazz icons who are ensconced in the GRAMMY Hall of Fame. With a voice that evokes Ella and Sarah, 24-year-old Samara Joy McLendon has already achieved GRAMMY recognition. Samara Joy won the 2023 GRAMMY awards for Best Jazz Vocal Album and Best New Artist for her second album, “Linger Awhile.” Samara Joy won the 2024 GRAMMY for Best Jazz Performance for “Tight.” Samara Joy co-wrote ..read more

Augusta Savage was a sculptor and arts educator, and a leading figure in the Harlem Renaissance. She founded the Savage Studio of Arts and Crafts in Harlem, where she mentored and inspired many well-known Harlem Renaissance artists including Ernest Crichlow and Jacob Lawrence. Like her monumental work, Savage’s story was almost lost to history. “The Harp” was created for the 1939 New York World’s Fair. The design was inspired by James Weldon Johnson’s poem “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” also known as the Black National Anthem. Viewed by more than five million people, Savage’s sculpture was destr ..read more

March 10-16, 2024 is Sunshine Week, a time to celebrate transparency, and the right to know what government officials are doing and saying behind closed doors. I used the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Pennsylvania’s Right-To-Know Law to tell the story of the deteriorating condition of the John Coltrane House and the drama over ownership of the National Historic Landmark. John Coltrane’s beloved “Cousin Mary,” Mary Alexander, sounded the alarm about the physical deterioration of the property as early as 1987. From time to time I would check on the Coltrane House. Without access to the ..read more

I want to kick off Women’s History Month with Claudette Colvin who on March 2, 1955 refused to give up her seat to a white woman while riding a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. The school student refused to move to the back of the bus when ordered by the bus driver. Claudette’s defiance led to her arrest. She was charged with violating Montgomery’s segregation ordinance, disturbing the peace and assaulting a police officer. Claudette was a member of the NAACP Youth Council but the civil rights organization did not want the rebellious teenager to be the face of the bus boycott. Respectability polit ..read more

Lee Morgan’s life was tragically cut short 52 years ago. Lee lingers in our hearts and memories. His game-changing album, “The Sidewinder,” captivated the public and rescued Blue Note Records from the brink of bankruptcy. The title track soared to number 81 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1965. The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2000. As we celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month in April, let us honor Lee Morgan’s enduring legacy. Join us on International Jazz Day for the unveiling of his historical marker. Edward Lee Morgan will take his rightful place alongside John Colt ..read more

Brother Malcolm X was gunned down at the Audubon Ballroom on February 21, 1965. The Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center is hosting an evening of prayers, performances and reflections to commemorate the 59th anniversary of the assassination of “our own black shining prince,” El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. The event will be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube ..read more

During a community celebration of Lee Morgan, I felt like a contestant on the TV show “Name That Tune” except that I already knew the name of the tune. I was unexpectedly stumped by a seemingly innocuous question: Why did Lee Morgan name his smash hit “The Sidewinder?” I had a vague recollection but not a good answer. So after the event, I asked my research assistant, ChatGPT, why the tune is titled “The Sidewinder.” As is their wont, the chatbot hallucinated: “The Sidewinder” is a well-known jazz composition by trumpeter Lee Morgan, released in 1964. The title of the song is believed to hav ..read more

The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission approved my nomination of Lee Morgan for a historical marker in December 2022. However, due to supply chain issues, fabrication of the marker was delayed. On the first day of Black History Month 2024, I received notice that Lee’s marker has been shipped. During the Black History Month celebration at the Johnson House, an Underground Railroad site, I was thrilled to try on the hat that Lee Morgan wore during his photo shoot for “The Sixth Sense” album. The hat and other artifacts are in the possession of his nephew and executor of his estate, R ..read more