Strange Fruit a song performed most famously by Billie Holiday, who first sang and recorded it in 1939. Continue reading
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Category: Jazz
3/2/26 O&A NYC HOLLYWOOD MONDAY: Stormy Weather- Lena Horne, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Cab Calloway, Nicholas Brothers, Katherine Dunham and dancers
Stormy Weather is a 1943 film musical produced and released by 20th Century Fox. The movie is considered one of the best Hollywood musicals with an all African-American cast and serve to showcase of some of the top African-American performers of the time. Continue reading
2/28/26 O&A NYC SATURDAY MORNING CONCERT: Wattstax Concert (1972)
Wattstax was a benefit concert organized by Stax Records to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the 1965 riots in the African American community of Watts, Los Angeles. The concert took place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on August 20, 1972. The concert’s performers included all of the Stax’s prominent artists at the time. The genres of the songs performed included soul, gospel, R&B, blues, funk and jazz. The film stars Isaac Hayes, The Staples Singers, Luther Ingram, Johnnie Taylor, The Emotions, Rufus Thomas, Carla Thomas, Albert King and others special guest star Richard Pryor. Continue reading
2/22/26 O&A NYC SUNDAY AFTERNOON JAZZ CONCERT: Count Basie and his Orchestra live -North Sea Jazz Festival (7/13/1979 – World of Jazz)
The first concert of bandleader/pianist William ‘Count’ Basie and his Count Basie Orchestra at the North Sea Jazz Festival 1979. Basie did two concerts at the festival, one month before his 75th birthday. Continue reading
2/20/26 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: Sammy Davis Jr.- The Original Triple Threat
Samuel George “Sammy” Davis, Jr. was born on December 8, 1925. He was an African- American entertainer who broke many barriers and paved the way for entertainers in all disciplines. Davis was primarily a dancer and singer, but he also received acclaim as an actor of stage and screen, musician, and impressionist. Davis died at age 64 in 1990, after spending 61 years in the profession he loved. Continue reading
2/16/26 O&A NYC LIVE PERFORMANCE: Sammy Davis Jr – Mr. Bojangles (Live in Germany 1985)
Sammy Davis Jr.’s iconic live performance of Mr. Bojangles in Germany took place on June 28, 1985, at the Hohensyburg Casino in Dortmund. Continue reading
2/1/26 O&A NYC SUNDAY AFTERNOON JAZZ CONCERT: Ola Onabulé & Hazelrigg Brothers – Fragile(Sting Cover)
British-Nigerian Jazz artist Ola Onabulé and the Hazelrigg Brothers performed a special live set at the Sendesaal Bremen. A standout moment from this residency was their rendition of Fragile, originally written by Sting. Continue reading
1/17/26 O&A NYC SATURDAY MORNING CONCERT SPECIAL: Sade – Live Bring Me Home (2011)
Bring Me Home – Live 2011 is a live album by British band Sade, released on May 22, 2012 on RCA Records. It was filmed at the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario on September 4, 2011 during their music tour, Once In a Lifetime World Tour. Continue reading
1/1/26 O&A NYC HAPPY NEW YEAR! SONG OF THE DAY: Shirley Horn– Here’s To Life
Shirley Horn performs Here’s To Life at North Sea Jazz Festival with Het Metropole Orkest, 1994 Continue reading
12/28/25 O&A NYC SUNDAY AFTERNOON JAZZ: Sketches of Spain: Concierto de Aranjuez
Miles Davis and Gil Evans Sketches of Spain: Concierto de Aranjuez performed live in Chicago by Orbert Davis on trumpet. Continue reading
