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This page is updated regularly with new resources for you. Covid-19 Smart Health Card COVID Vaccination Booster Info: Mass.Gov Mental Health Care: Shine Initiative’s Mental Health Toolkit For Parents and Caretakers of Children and Young Adults in Central MA: https://bit.ly/3AbKNS8 COVID Vaccination Info For Worcester: https://bit.ly/2VxQtH2 Regional Environmental Council Resources: Worcester Community Fridges believes having daily […]

From full-band recordings to live performances and special events, WICN’s beautiful Studio 50 space is available on an hourly basis. Contact us for details.

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There are many Black female jazz vocalists held in special regard for their commitment to civil rights and activism, including the support expressed through their songs and lyrics that directly address racism. Billie Holiday’s Strange Fruit, Lena Horne’s Stormy Weather, and numerous songs by Nina Simone, most notably Mississippi Goddam, Backlash Blues, Four Women and […]

WICN Underwriting Manager Al Vuona and General Manager/Program Director David Ginsburg joined Tim Murray on The Chamber Exchange TV Show recently. You can watch the full segment here:

In the 1960s, the word “songsmith” was a definition often given to folk music artists such as Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, or Neil Young, tied with their overt political and social critiques. Burt Bacharach would easily capture that title in the era of pop songs made famous for their beautiful melodies and romantic lyrics; songs […]

The limelight for the Big Band Era of Swing is often dominated by the familiarity of names such as Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, and Artie Shaw. Yet Fletcher Henderson was a pivotal bandleader, leading possibly the most dynamic early big band of the ‘20s and ‘30s and having been an enormous draw and popularity both […]

Opened in 1988, the Blue Note Tokyo nightclub has a long-established history of providing top-tier jazz performances and holds a special place in the veins of many renowned jazz artists. Over several decades, A-list performers including Sarah Vaughn, Oscar Peterson, Tony Bennett, Chick Corea, Stan Getz, McCoy Tyner, Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Pass, The Milt Jackson […]

To read more from Doug Hall, view Doug’s archive or visit https://artsparksmusic.com.

It’s difficult to overstate the importance of Duke Ellington’s influence: as seminal orchestral band leader; compositional genius; and his depth of musical contribution to jazz, modernizing without precedent, and his extensive legacy of recordings. In his own words, Ellington expressed that jazz was “beyond category” and renowned music critic, novelist, and literary scholar Albert Murray […]

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The voice as an instrument, particularly in jazz, is a fascinating vehicle for musical expression. In the category of female vocalists there are the established legends – think Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Billie Holiday. They each have a different style and treatment of their personal interpretations of a jazz standard, original composition, or covering […]