Jazz, Hip-Hop Connection Explored at Annual Jazz at the Fort Concert

A group of Berklee musicians will trace the lineage from jazz to hip hop in Hip-Hop 1942(Opens in a new window) at the free, annual Jazz at the Fort concert, Sunday, August 5, 5:00 p.m., at Roxbury's Highland Park,(Opens in a new window) on Fort Avenue. Berklee College of Music, Boston Parks and Recreation Department's ParkARTS program, and Mayor Thomas M. Menino's Neighborhood Performance Series present this event. Roxbury Community College(Opens in a new window) provides parking in the lot at Columbus Avenue and Cedar Street, and in rain, the concert moves to the college's Media Arts Center, 1234 Columbus Avenue. Both venues are wheelchair-accessible. For more information visit berklee.edu/events or call 617 747-6057.

The concert is part of Berklee's Summer in the City series, made possible by presenting sponsor Natixis Global Asset Management(Opens in a new window), with musical performances by Berklee musicians in neighborhoods throughout Boston. 

Hip-Hop 1942(Opens in a new window) is produced by New York City's Revive Music Group(Opens in a new window). It was in 1942 when Dizzy Gillespie wrote "A Night in Tunisia(Opens in a new window)" and unknowingly provided the major hooks for Gang Starr's 1989 hit "Words I Manifest(Opens in a new window)." Revive Music founder Meghan Stabile '06 says tracing the lineage from jazz standards to classic hip-hop anthems is a way to create community out of divergent cultures and generations. 

An eight-piece group of contemporay jazz musicians and hip-hop artists comprised of Berklee students, alumni, and faculty will perform. Featured will be MC Raydar Ellis '06, bassist Kenneth "Gizmo" Rogers(Opens in a new window) '12, drummer Jonathan Newman(Opens in a new window) '12, keyboardist Chad Selph '11, trumpeter Igmar Thomas(Opens in a new window) '06, alto saxophonist Phillip Young(Opens in a new window) '06, tenor saxophonist Jesse Scheinin(Opens in a new window) '11, and trombonist John Egizi(Opens in a new window) '12. Artists covered will include Dizzy Gillespie(Opens in a new window), A Tribe Called Quest(Opens in a new window), J Dilla(Opens in a new window), Gang Starr(Opens in a new window), Lucky Thompson(Opens in a new window), McCoy Tyner(Opens in a new window), and many more.