WICN 90.5 FM Public Radio is going to be home to the New England Jazz Hall of Fame, a tribute to the greats who have made the region’s jazz scene so vibrant. The Hall of Fame is a special project of the New England Jazz Alliance (NEJA), which initiated it as a traveling exhibit in 2001. A decade later, the scope and popularity of the Jazz Hall of Fame has required organizers to find a permanent home.
That will be at the WICN radio station, located at 50 Portland Street in Worcester, right in the heart of the city’s cultural district. The good news was announced on April 29, 2011 during the Smithsonian Institute’s Jazz Appreciation Month, by WICN president Tom Lucci and NEJA president Ed Bride.
“April 29 is Duke Ellington’s birthday,” Lucci and Bride said in a joint statement, “and three Ellington alumni – Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney and Paul Gonsalves – were among the original ten inductees in 2001.”
“We’re thrilled with our evolving relationship with WICN,” said Bride this summer. “The performance space at WICN is an ideal spot to display our historical information as well as host relevant performances.”
The NEJA plans to announce the process for nominating inductees into the Hall of Fame shortly, and the winners will be announced next winter, with an induction ceremony planned for April 2012 during Jazz Appreciation Month sponsored by the Smithsonian Institute.
For year round details on jazz in Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com.
For tourist information visit MassVacation.com.
This article first appeared in MassJazz Travel Guide, summer 2011 issue.
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