The Brooklyn Jazz Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, held May 9, 2018, at the Billie Holiday Theatre, located on the campus of the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation. That evening, pianist Irving “Duke” Jordan, was inducted, joining fellow Brooklynites, Lena Horne, Cecil Payne, Herbie Mann, and Randy Weston. Musicians, selected for contributions made to society, not solely for their celebrity, are immortalized for future generations to appreciate.
The Brooklyn Jazz Hall of Fame program began with a pre-ceremony performance by the Reggie Woods Band. Central Brooklyn Jazz Consortium chairman, Clarence Mosley, Jr. and master of ceremonies, Wayne Winborne, executive director of the Institute for Jazz Studies, keep the music flowing. The order of events included hall of fame members Reggie Workman, Stanley Banks, Gerald Hayes, and Larry Ridley. Trumpeter Ahmed Abdullah opened the affair, delivering a keynote statement about “The Music” called Jazz. The Deacon Leroy Applin Young Lion Award, presented to the gifted pianist, Andre “Chez” Lewis, and “Newark’s First Lady of Jazz,” Dorthaan Kirk, was honored for her 39 years of service to the community. Aficionados, musicians, WBGO jazz radio personalities, and past inductees’ family members witnessed a sensational rendition of Duke’s classic song, “Jordu” by the youth band, Q City Soundz, and the artistry of a master of the drum kit, Louis Hayes.
The Central Brooklyn Jazz Consortium created this hall of fame in 2000, this not for profit organization maintains memorabilia and a list of names, to perpetuate “Brooklyn Jazz.” The goal is to create a venue to archive, educate, and host events that present the music in a cultural environment. One of its first inductees was Max Roach. Past ceremonies, held at Concord Baptist Church, Sugar Hill Supper Club, and the Brooklyn Historical Society honored many of the great figures in Jazz. The selection process for nominees for 2019 begins this summer. For a full list of the immortalized jazz musicians go to www.centralbrooklynjazz.org.
by Bob Myers
Central Brooklyn Jazz Consortium
