WBGO to Honor Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University-Newark
Worldâs most popular jazz station turns spotlight on worldâs foremost jazz archive.
What do you get when you put together the worldâs most popular jazz radio station and the worldâs largest and most comprehensive jazz archive? The 2016 WBGO Champions of Jazz Gala! The pioneering jazz station, which also was New Jerseyâs first public radio station, will use the venue of its annual extravaganza to put the Institute of Jazz Studies (IJS) at Rutgers UniversityâNewark on a stage befitting its pre-eminence as a repository for jazz past and catalyst of the present and future of this uniquely American art form.
The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) will swing into the night of March 16 with live performances by some of todayâs and tomorrowâs hottest jazz, soul, and R&B acts, featuring a special dance party celebrating the 30th anniversary of WBGOâs Rhythm Revue hosted by Felix Hernandez. The event also will honor jazz aficionado Steve Adubato, Ph.D., host of the eponymous NJTV show featuring political leaders, CEOs, television personalities, professors, artists, and educational innovators telling their compelling real-life stories.
WBGO President and CEO Amy Niles illuminated the inspiration for the event saying, âWBGO serves the communities of jazz and Newark, and this yearâs Champions of Jazz Gala is a strong blending of these two communities in celebration of Newarkâs 350th anniversary. We tell the story of Newarkâs cultural significance every day on our air through our Newark Arts Calendar and programming Americaâs classical music, jazz, which has a long and deep connection with Newark. This event gives us the opportunity to honor three entities that have played a tremendous role in the cultural past, present, and future of the city we share.â
Winborne is energized by this collaboration with both WBGO and NJPAC. âWBGO is more than just a long-time partner and neighbor of the IJS, itâs the capital of the jazz airwaves,â said Winborne. âNJPAC is the performing arts capital of the state. And the IJS has vast stores of jazz capital just waiting, begging, to be discovered. We have classic and unique recordings, of course, but also instruments, manuscripts, sheet music, and memorabilia from jazz royalty like Miles Davis, Sarah Vaughn, Count Basie, Ben Webster, Gerry Mulligan, Benny Carter, Mary Lou Williams, Benny Goodman⊠Iâm just thrilled that weâre being honored by WBGO and that the event is being hosted by NJPAC. It will be a night to remember.â
Gala-goers may choose to attend all or parts of the event, including a cocktail hour, dinner, live performance, and silent auction. The dance party starts at 7:30 p.m. featuring the great classic soul Felix's audiences love, with Felix Hernandez and DJ Wimpy Bee spinning, a performance by Jamison Ross plus some special surprises. Tickets are available at www.wbgo.org/events.
About Rutgers UniversityâNewark
Rutgers UniversityâNewark is a diverse, urban, public research university that is an anchor institution in New Jerseyâs cultural capital. Approximately 12,000 students are currently enrolled at its 38-acre campus in a wide range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs offered through the Newark College of Arts and Sciences, University College, the Graduate SchoolâNewark, Rutgers Business SchoolâNewark and New Brunswick, Rutgers Law School, the School of Criminal Justice, and the School of Public Affairs and Administration. At a historical moment when our cities, our state, our nation, and our world desperately need higher education to fulfill its promise as an engine of discovery, innovation, and social mobility, Rutgers UniversityâNewark is exceptionally well positioned to fulfill that promise. It has a remarkable legacy of producing high-impact scholarship that is connected to the great questions and challenges of the world. It has the right mix of disciplines and first-rate interdisciplinary centers and institutes to take on those questions and challenges. It is in and of a city and region where its work on local challenges undertaken with partners from various sectors resonates powerfully throughout our urbanizing world. Most importantly, Rutgers UniversityâNewark brings an incredible diversity of people to this workâstudents, faculty, staff, and community partnersâmaking it more innovative, more creative, more engaging, and more relevant for our time and the times ahead. For more information, visit www.newark.rutgers.edu.
About the Institute of Jazz Studies
With 150,000 recordings, 6,000 books, assorted research files, and memorabilia, the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers UniversityâNewark stands as the worldâs largest jazz archive. It is a special collections unit of Rutgers University Libraries that a team associated with noted TV producer Ken Burns spent a year exploring for his 10-part Jazz miniseries. All are invited to explore the IJS in the John Cotton Dana Library where they can listen to and learn about their favorite artists. Arrange tours by contacting the institute at 973-353-5595 or visit online at newarkwww.rutgers.edu/IJS/index1.html.
About WBGO
Founded in 1979, WBGO is a publicly-supported, cultural institution that champions jazz and presents news to a worldwide audience through radio, digital, and events. Within public radio, WBGO is regarded as a leader because of its ground-breaking work in the community and the presentation of jazz. WBGO, Newark Public Radio, is one of the original 12 New Jersey cultural organizations that has been designated a "Major Impact" arts organization by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, and has been awarded this distinction for each of the past 20 years. For more about WBGO, visit www.wbgo.org.
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Photos:
Top: Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers UniversityâNewarkâs John Cotton Dana Library; photo by Theo Anderson
Left: Wayne Winborne, left, IJS executive director, and Vincent Pelote, IJS director of operations; photo by John Emerson
