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