Wanda's Picks April 15, 2009

The show starts out in silence after the introduction. I tried something new again which didn't work. I thought the audience could hear a Youtube broadcast, but it was only audible to me. I'd recorded it and had planned to upload it, but I thought I could do this broadcast. I can't edit the archived show because it is live, so just stay with me and after 7 minutes of silence, Jonathan calls in and we start. For reference, the link is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBpLKm8vw4M


We'll be speaking to New Orleans native, Jonathan Batiste, (pianist), who is the musical director of Stanford Lively Art's "Miles Davis/50 Years of KIND OF BLUE," this Saturday, April 18, a project headed by National Jazz Museum in Harlem, Loren Schoenberg, ED.

He'll be joined by Darryl Green on drums; David Ewell on bass; Dayna Stephens on saxophone; Dominick Farinacci on trumpet, and Vasko Dukovski, clarinet. Okpara Danjuma, Unity Concepts, Inc., and Val Serrant join us next to talk about the first of many fundraisers called "Bridge to Bridge: A Gift from the Bay Area to the Youth of Katrina."

The project is designed around a series of fundraisers to raise monies to establish a youth center in New Orleans' 6th Ward. The event is at Shashamne, 2507 Broadway in Oakland. Besides featured guests: Paradise, Val and Muhammad Hanif and the Sound Messengers, there is also an open mic. The donation is $5. The focus of the center will be to train youth in the areas of Human Rights and Social Justice advocacy. For information call (510) 759-7577.

We close the show with a conversation with Joyce Jenkins, editor of Poetry Flash and member of the Northern California Book Reviewers Association's annual Book Awards, Sunday, April 19, at the San Francisco Main Library, Koret Auditorium. The event, 1-2:30 p.m. Awards Ceremony, 2:30-4:00 Book signing & reception. The event is free. Visit www.poetryflash.org/NCBA.html