Live From the Village Gate

This week we present some of the outstanding live performances from New York’s legendary performance space The Village Gate.

– Dizzy Gillespie – (0:42)
�I believe in the unity of mankind
with all it’s proper ethnic diversity
because we are all branches from the same tree… leaves of one branch and fruit theirof…

Jazz legends, Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus and McCoy Tyner will each perform some of their classic compositions as well as poets Amina and Amiri Baraka live from The Village Gate.

– From the chapter The Music of The Autobiography of Leroi Jones
Poem for Blues with bass accompanist (0:39)

Guest hosting this week’s program is Mark Maxwell host of Rise, the creative jazz celebration of African roots, heard on Pacifica Radio KPFK 90.7 fm in Los Angeles.
But first a little about Pacifica’s relationship with The Village Gate.

Art D’Lugoff opened the now legendary club The Village Gate in 1958. Located at the Gateway to Greenwich Village in New York City, The Village Gate quickly became an important venue when it booked and recorded essential jazz artists like John Coltrane, Billie Holiday, Coleman Hawkins, Thelonious Monk, Nina Simone just to mention a few.

When Pacifica Station WBAI 99.5 FM began broadcasting the next year in 1959, Art D’Lugoff was an immediate listener supporter. Mr. D’Lugoff was generous enough on MANY occasions to offer the Village Gate as a stage to broadcast performances and WBAI benefit concerts live on the air.

Amiri Baraka night host clip (20 secs)

The Pacifica Radio Archives is fortunate to have several of these recordings from 1977 and 1984. We begin with a 1977 performance of Dizzy Gillespie following the release of his recording Free Ride composed and arranged by Lalo Schifrin.

Morning of the Carnival (5:34)
from the motion picture Black Orpheus
1959 made in Brazil by French Director Marcel Camus

then plays his 1947 hit Salt Peanuts (6:24)

toured in Israel and learned a song called The Land of Milk and Honey (12:12)

That was Dizzy Gillespie live at the Village Gate
Rodney Jones on guitar
Benjamin Brown on bass
John Faddis also on trumpet
Mickey Roker on drums

Charles Mingus also from 1977 following the release of his final recording Three or Four Shades of Blue
Charles Mingus of course on bass
Jack Walrath on Trumpet
Ricky Ford on tenor sax
Bob Nellums on piano
Danny Richmond on drums

Goodbye Pork Pie Hat

Next is McCoy Tyner from August of 1977 following the release of 2 recordings Supertrios and Inner Voices
Tyner on piano
Joe Ford on alto and soprano saxaphone
Eric Gravat on Drums
Ron Bridgewater on Tenor Sax
Guiermme Franco on percussion
Charles Fambreux on bass

Art D’Lugoff was the sole booker of talent at the Village Gate. Although the incredible roster of Jazz legends performing at the Gate would make it seem like it was a �Jazz� club, Mr. D’Lugoff would also book folk legends like Pete Seeger and Odetta. Bob Dylan auditioned for D’Lugoff in 1962 and Art politely said he would consider it. Dylan was not discouraged. He simply went into the Village Gate’s basement and wrote his classic tune A Hard Rain’s A-gonna Fall.

D’Lugoff introduced Nina Simone to Langston Hughes and Lorraine Hansberry which he felt added an element of politics to her music. Nina Simone was booked at the Village Gate in 1965 and Art explains what they did instead: Closed the Village Gate and flew down to Alabama to support the civil rights activists.

Amani and Amiri Baraka from 1984
Amina Baraka wife of Amiri Baraka
Soweto song

Amiri Baraka

Why’s Wise (3:35)

Poem for Thelonious Monk (1:01)

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