Folk, Blues, Classical and Jazz Funeral for Passed WGBH Music Programs, Copley Plaza, 7/27

Hundreds of jazz musicians and fans turned out at the "public" radio WGBH studios in Brighton this past Thursday to hold a funeral for the reduction of WGBH jazz programming. 


A second funeral, not limited to just the passing of jazz, is planned for Friday, July 27, starting at 6pm, in Copley Plaza. Fans of all passed and endangered music forms (folk and blues were killed in 2009, classical was shuffled off to an inferior carrier in 2010, and there is no guarantee from WGBH management that Celtic, the only remaining form, will not be next) are expected.  The second funeral will be held in conjunction with the Boston Summer Arts Weekend, which is sponsored in part by WGBH. A bit of irony is that with Steve Schwartz terminated after 27 years of service and Eric Jackson's (30 years) program reduced and moved from weeknights to weekends, some WGBH blueblood will have to emcee the Preservation Hall Jazz Band as there are no remaining jazz staff available.


For more information about the funeral, click here.

Read more about the July 5 funeral here.
Read more about WGBH reducing jazz programs in 2012 here.
Read more about WGBH dropping folk and blues programs in 2009 here

Musicians Protest Jazz Cuts at WGBH Radio

Hundreds attended the funeral held Thursday, July 5 outside the studios of "public" radio station WGBH in Brighton, organized by community/independent college WMBR producer/host Ken Field. The jazz funeral was held in conjunction with Eric Jackson's final weekday evening program (after 30 years, Ken's weeknight program is being eliminated, his hours reduced to those formerly filled by Steve Schwartz, who, after 27 years, has been fired). 

From Ken: "WGBH Radio's management has recently demolished its jazz programming by firing Steve Schwartz and relegating Eric Jackson to weekends. Join others in saying goodbye to decades of weeknight jazz programming on WGBH by participating as a musician or listener in a short New Orleans style jazz funeral outside WGBH studios (http://www.wgbh.org/about/Directions.cfm) on the final evening of Eric Jackson's weeknight program."


Read more about the July 5 funeral here.
Read more about WGBH reducing jazz programs in 2012 here.
Read more about WGBH dropping folk and blues programs in 2009 here.


A second funeral,not limited to the passing of jazz but to mourn the passing of all music forms WGBH has reduced or eliminated (folk and blues were killed in 2009, classical was shuffled off to an inferior carrier in 2010, and Celtic, the only remaining form, could be next) will be held Friday, July 27 in Copley Plaza. More info at https://www.facebook.com/events/259272814182000/

45 minute HD recording from Videosphere [Cambridge, MA]

Jazz Funeral for Jazz on WGBH Radio, 7/5, Brighton

Thursday, July 5, 2012, 8pm
One Guest Street, Brighton, MA


For background information, read WGBH's March Towards "Single Format" Continues

Community radio producer/host Ken Field is organizing a "jazz funeral" in protest of Boston NPR affiliate WGBH's decision to drastically cut its jazz programming (terminating Steve Schwartz's show and relegating Eric's to the weekend) with a "Jazz Funeral" outside WGBH studios. Members of the music community have been invited to attend to express displeasure with this misguided decision. 


Ken writes: "WGBH Radio's management has recently demolished its jazz programming by firing Steve Schwartz and relegating Eric Jackson to weekends. Join others in saying goodbye to decades of weeknight jazz programming on WGBH by participating as a musician or listener in a short New Orleans style jazz funeral outside WGBH studios on the final evening of Eric Jackson's weeknight program."


Social media is being used to spread the word. Ken has created a Facebook event titled "Jazz Funeral for Jazz on WGBH Radio"

WGBH Radio's management has recently demolished its jazz programming by firing Steve Schwartz and relegating Eric Jackson to weekends. Join others in saying goodbye to decades of weeknight jazz programming on WGBH by participating as a musician or listener in a short New Orleans style jazz funeral outside WGBH studios (http://www.wgbh.org/about/Directions.cfm) on the final evening of Eric Jackson's weeknight program. 

Musicians: Please arrive by 7:45pm. We will start with Just a Closer Walk in Bb done as a slow processional, followed by an uptempo 2nd line section, followed by an uptempo Down By the Riverside in Bb. I'll post some charts here.

Three Facebook groups are being used to facilitate communication about WGBH's continuing march towards "single-format" (all news/talk) radio:


SAVE ERIC IN THE EVENING
(recently created and managed by Robb Willison)

WGBH is considering cancelling Eric's decades-old weekday evening programming, as well as Jazz with Steve Schwartz. We think this would do a disservice to listeners and the greater Boston community and we'd like WGBH to reconsider.

and its event - Jazz Funeral for Jazz on WGBH

Save Jazz on WGBH Now!

(recently created and managed by Sue AuClair)

Here's a page that includes both jazz programs--Eric Jackson and Steve Schwartz are the best! Let's see what we can do together....OCCUPY WGBH?

(as of 7/3 9am there was no jazz funeral event associated with the group)

and

Supporters of Folk and Blues on WGBH

 (created 11/09, managed by Jeff Boudreau)

"Supporters of Folk and Blues on WGBH" is dedicated to the few hearty souls who fought WGBH's blue-blood stuffed shirts and lost the battle, but not the war."I can only assume this has something to do with the almighty dollar. Isn't this supposed to be public radio and aren't we the public. Folk music has been a mainstay on WGBH for as long as I can remember. Acoustic artists are as popular as ever and in some ways even more popular then in days gone by. I don't get it. WGBH should be ashamed of itself. Well, as Ma Joad said, "We're the people and you can't stop us and you can't lick us. We just keep coming, 'cause we're the people."-Jim Kweskin, November 11, 2009.
"Leslie Warshaw, a WGBH producer for over 30 years and now retired, noted that the station constantly spoke in her day of “mission.” Gradually it changed from “mission” to “service” and then, she noted wistfully, became “business.”"
We are the dedicated listeners and supporters of "Folk on WGBH" and "Blues on WGBH", deemed "nonnews elements" that do not fit the new "single format" (news/talk). Both programs were canceled 12/1/09.
WGBH's words from the past ring hollow today. "WGBH enriches people's lives through programs and services that educate, inspire, and entertain, fostering citizenship and culture, the joy of learning, and the power of diverse perspectives." ~ WGBH website
"We are proud of the folk and blues programs we have offered and of the many contributions that WGBH and our hosts have made to these genres, so it was a difficult decision to discontinue Blues on WGBH and Folk on WGBH..." ~ press release announcing program cancellation.
To read additional background information, the official WGBH statement and host/producer information, go to http://notlobmusic.blogspot.com/2009/11/wgbh-drops-folk-and-blues-programs.html...

and its event - Jazz Funeral for Jazz, Folk and Blues on WGBH Radio

Between the three events some 4000 individuals have been invited the funeral. Some 2000+ more could be if and when "Save Jazz on WGBH Now!" creates its.


One person who will not be in attendance is fired 27-year veteran jazz producer/host Steve Schwartz. So his presence does not interfere with his last show the following evening, WGBH management has "counseled" him that attending would "not be cool." 

Whether the jazz funeral will convince WGBH management to alter its decision remains to be scene, but what is certain is Brighton is in store for a large scale jazz funeral.