Wanda's Picks

Today we will feature John Handy, musician, composer, well known for his songs: Hard Work, Spanish Lady, Dancy Dancy, If Only We Knew, & Body & Soul. "Jazz encyclopedias list John Handy as an alto saxophonist who plays the tenor, saxello, baritone, clarinet, oboe and vocals. He is actually a consummate world musician and teacher who has devoted his life to using music to elevate the human spirit. His soulful and fiery saxophone style is instantly recognizable to generations of jazz fans world-wide. As a performer and composer he continues to sweep audiences into ecstasy with his vast range of creative, emotional, and technical inventiveness. With a superb knowledge and practical experience with music of several cultures, he fuses, with each selection, a musical genre that is coherent, provocative, logical, and enjoyable. Known most readily as a saxophonist in jazz quartet and quintet settings, John Handy is also featured in solo, duets, and large ensembles ranging in size from big bands to concert bands, symphony orchestras, vocal groups, and choirs. As a singer, he brings a kind of storytelling narrative to the blues that is entertaining, educational, and moving; while his "up tempo" scat vocals could be compared to the best scat singers anywhere. He sings ballads with inventiveness that is rare among singers" (JohnHandy.com) He is going to be performing this weekend at the Healdsburg Jazz Festival. Visit http://www.johnhandy.com/ and www.healdsburgjazzfestival.org or call the Festival office at 1-800-838-3006. The musicians on the Healdsburg show are Carlos Reyes on violin and Parguayan harp, Nina Sheldon on piano, bassist Jeff Chambers, drummer Deszon X Claiborne, and singer Kenny Washington. I found this website that features John and Kenny. Visit http://wfiu.org/nightlights/handy-with-the-horn-john-handy-at-75/ Next week we will feature pianist, George Cables, who is in town for a three day date, June 8-10, in San Francisco with two good friends of his, Bobby H

Today we feature the music of Sila & the AfroFunk Experience and Tosin Aribasala "The Hallalujah Jazz Project." Guests are: Josef Norris, founder and director of Kid Serve, an organization that creates mosaic murals in San Francisco Bay Area communities, one school or neighborhood at a time. Visit http://www.kidserve.com/. There is an unveiling Friday, May 29, 12 noon at Ida B. Wells High School, 1099 Hayes St., on the Fell St. side in San Francisco. Kid Serve with the Oakland Mosaic Project offers adult classes June 27-28 in Oakland. Visit Kid Serve's website for details. Josef is followed by a wonderful conversation with Eric Green who appears as "Jake, the fisherman," who is married to "Clara" (soprano, Angel Blue)in Porgy and Bess, at San Francisco Opera in a few weeks. Eric has been with the production since its inception in Washington, DC, and has performed "Jake" along the tour at the Lyric Opera Chicago, Baltimore Opera and the Grand Théâtre Luxembourg. Visit http://sfopera.com/press/porgyandbess/PorgyandBess.pdf San Francisco Opera's George and Ira Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, is set, this production, in the '50s. Dubose and Dorothy Heyward's play is the basis for the opera, which opens June 9-27 at the War Memorial Opera House. Bass-baritone Eric Owens and soprano Laquita Mitchell headline the cast as "Porgy" and "Bess," an unlikely couple who manage to find love amidst the squalor of Catfish Row. We close the show with Amana Harris, founder and executive director of ArtEsteem, a program of the Attitudinal Healing Connection, where she is Associate Director. "The 11th Annual Self As Hero" show is up at the Oliver Art Center Center for Art and Public Life, at the California College of the Arts--CCA, 5212 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94618 through Friday, May 29. Hours are: M-F: 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Wednesdays, 1-4:30 p.m. Visit http://www.ahc-oakland.org/ 1st broadcast 5/26/09

Today we will feature an interview with Randy Weston recorded earlier this year. Weston is performing at the 11th Annual Healdsburg Jazz Festival, June 6. This prerecorded interview will be followed by a live conversation with Tony Wade, Vernon "Ice" Black, and Aaron Young a.k.a. "Baby Luther Vandross" re: ARCHWAY RECOVERY SERVICES presents “A Celebration of Recovery”

A CONCERT/ART SHOW CELEBRATING RECOVERY FROM

ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE, Saturday, May 30th at the Fairfield Center for the Creative Arts. Archway Recovery Services, a licensed and certified residential drug and alcohol treatment program for men, is hosting its first ever concert and art show. The concert will feature powerhouse vocalist Lydia Pense of classic Bay Area band Cold Blood. Opening the show will be Sacramento Old School and R & B radio station V101.FM’s Artist of the Year Aaron Young (nicknamed “Baby Luther Vandross” for his smooth vocals). The musical director is guitarist Vernon “Ice” Black who has recorded and toured with Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey and many others.

The gallery exhibit will feature works of art by people in recovery and/or inspired by people in recovery. The Fairfield Visual Arts Association and many other great local artists will contribute their works.

All tickets are general admission and are only $25. They can be obtained by either calling or going to City Hall at the Mall located in Westfield Shopping Mall in Fairfield, lower level next to JC Penney (707) 428-7714, or by calling or stopping by Archway (707) 435-1804 or visiting www.solanocreativearts.com.

Today we feature the music of Sila & the AfroFunk Experience and Tosin Aribasala "The Hallalujah Jazz Project." Guests are: Josef Norris, founder and director of Kid Serve, an organization that creates mosaic murals in San Francisco Bay Area communities, one school or neighborhood at a time. Visit http://www.kidserve.com/. There is an unveiling Friday, May 29, 12 noon at Ida B. Wells High School, 1099 Hayes St., on the Fell St. side in San Francisco. Kid Serve with the Oakland Mosaic Project offers adult classes June 27-28 in Oakland. Visit Kid Serve's website for details. Josef is followed by a wonderful conversation with Eric Green who appears as "Jake, the fisherman," who is married to "Clara" (soprano, Angel Blue)in Porgy and Bess, at San Francisco Opera in a few weeks. Eric has been with the production since its inception in Washington, DC, and has performed "Jake" along the tour at the Lyric Opera Chicago, Baltimore Opera and the Grand Théâtre Luxembourg. Visit http://sfopera.com/press/porgyandbess/PorgyandBess.pdf San Francisco Opera's George and Ira Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, is set, this production, in the '50s. Dubose and Dorothy Heyward's play is the basis for the opera, which opens June 9-27 at the War Memorial Opera House. Bass-baritone Eric Owens and soprano Laquita Mitchell headline the cast as "Porgy" and "Bess," an unlikely couple who manage to find love amidst the squalor of Catfish Row. We close the show with Amana Harris, founder and executive director of ArtEsteem, a program of the Attitudinal Healing Connection, where she is Associate Director. "The 11th Annual Self As Hero" show is up at the Oliver Art Center Center for Art and Public Life, at the California College of the Arts--CCA, 5212 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94618 through Friday, May 29. Hours are: M-F: 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Wednesdays, 1-4:30 p.m. Visit http://www.ahc-oakland.org/

The show today is a rebroadcast of the Wednesday, May 20, 2009 show featuring: Don Reed, Halifu Osumare, Andrew Woods and Ana Tirmar, San Francisco International Arts Festival 2009, and Khalil Shaheed, Oaktown Jazz Workshops' Birth of Cool for Miles. We'll be back Tuesday, May 26, 8 AM for a special broadcast featuring Sila and the AfroFunk Experience.

We are joined by Don Reed, whose "East 14th: True Tales of a Reluctant Player," at the Marsh Theatre, 1062 Valencia Street @ 22nd Street in San Francisco. Visit www.themarsh.org. Halifu Osumare,Ph.D., whose seminal work "The Africanist Aesthetic in Global Hip-Hop: Power Moves, she is sharing at Barnes and Nobles in Jack London Sq., in Oakland, Friday, May 23, 7 p.m. Ana Mitra and Andrew Woods, San Francisco International Arts Festival 2009; we close with a conversation with Khalil Shaheed, composer, musician, educator, about the Miles Davis Birthday BASH: Birth of the Cool, May 25, at Yoshi's Jack London Square, in Oakland. For information call (510) 206-4509 or [email protected]

Today is Malcolm X or El Hajj Malik El Shabazz's birthday (1925-1965). It is also the birthday of his friend and activist, Yuri Kochiyama (May 19, 1921), who met Malcolm X in the 1960s when she invited him to her apartment to meet Atom bomb victims who were touring the US. The meeting in her small apartment went well and this was the beginning of a friendship which lasted until his fatal shooting in the Audubon Ballroom, April 21, 1965. We are also joined by two artists, Tosin Aribasala from Lagos and Jean Pierre Simon from Cameroon. We'll play music, talk about Malcolm, black power and yes, the African roots of Argentinian tango.

Destiny Muhammad and Frederick Harris, speak about the "Love Tour," and celebration of EW Wainwright, African Roots of Jazz founder, Sunday, May 17, at Anna's Jazz Island. It is also EW's 70th Birthday. This conversation is followed by one with activists: Jack Bryson,Father of 2 young men who were with Oscar Grant at the Fruitvale BART on 1/1/09. He is has been involved since that date in community organizing for justice for Oscar Grant, and Rachel Jackson, organizer and coordinator of New Years Movement for Justice

a community organization which is working towards getting the BART police officer convicted and sentenced for murdering Oscar Grant. There are several important actions taking place this weekend: May 15,16, and 17. How to Lock Up A Cop for the Murder of Oscar Grant

This workshop, Sunday, May 17, 1-4 p.m., at the Humanist Hall, 390-27th Street, Oakland, (between Broadway & Telegraph) will educate and empower our communities to wage a sophisticated legal and political campaign that turns the tragic murder of Oscar Grant into a historic opportunity – to finally put one police officer behind bars for the murder of one unarmed man. The Teach-In phase on Sunday will cover specific steps the District Attorney must take in order to win the case of the People vs. Mehserle. The next phase will=2 0be the Teach-Out: to attend the preliminary hearing for Johannes Mehserle the next day, Monday, May 18th, 2009, at the Alameda County Superior Court, 1225 Fallon Street. (If by any chance the DA drops the charges against Mehserle, be prepared to protest as well.)The event is sponsored by: [email protected] and visit http://nojusticenobart.blogspot.com/ for a comprehensive list of actions and activities. There is a hearing taking place presently.

We are joined by Ben Guillory, director of Robey Theatre Company, at the New Los Angeles Theatre Center. Its current production is "Bronzeville." He is joined by playwright, Tim Toyama. We close the show with the Mother's Day Radio Project: founder Shaunelle Curry and collaborators: Kelley Nicole and Jimetta Rose. In 2003, Shaunelle published her first book, "Shairi’s Journey Through Darkness Into Light," a women’s self-development toolkit that she uses in her Victim to Victor™ workshops.

Today we are speaking to Raissa Simpson, Artistic Director of Push Dance Company about its latest project: "Mixed Messages," a seven month study of mixed race, specifically in multi-racial San Francisco; Chike C. Nwoffiah, director, "Sabar," a new film; Geoffrey Grier, director of San Francisco Recovery Theatre,along with playwright, Larry Americ Allen, and cast members, Eric Ward and Nicole Harley. Americ's psycho drama, "Paradise Revisted," is a centerpiece of the program, with teaser, excerpts from "The Spot" Geoffrey Grier's wonderful play. The play closes this weekend: May 8, 8 p.m., with special 4:00 matinee May 9 at The NMTL/CBD Community Center 134 Golden Gate San Francisco, $20 at the door or discount reservations at www.sfrecoverytheatre.org or call (650) 438-3964. We close with a conversation about black mental health with: Kelly Armstrong, LaVaughn King, Wanda Materre and the organization: www.nami.org