Lee Mergner

Silver Spring

Editorial Content Producer at WBGO-FM (Newark, NJ)

Magazine and media professional

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Articles

Leading the way on and off the bandstand

1 month ago | readingeagle.com | Lee Mergner

Like fellow jazz hyphenates Wynton Marsalis and Christian McBride, bassist/bandleader/educator/artistic director/community leader Gerald Veasley is much more than a gifted musician with numerous recordings as a leader. Since 2002, he’s produced Gerald Veasley’s Bass Boot Camp, an immersive summer workshop program for adults of all skill levels.
Ella Fitzgerald's latest biography from Judith Tick is a revealing one

Jul 4, 2024 | flipboard.com | Doug Doyle |Lee Mergner

1 day agoThe storied Ambassador Auditorium in Pasadena, which was long considered one of the region’s top classical music venues, is for sale after being owned by a local church for the last two decades. Harvest Rock Church is asking $45 million for the 1,200-seat auditorium near the Old Pasadena district …
SummerStage announces lineup for 2024 summer season including Charlie Parker Jazz Festival

Apr 23, 2024 | wbgo.org | Lee Mergner

The City Parks Foundation has announced the 2024 season of SummerStage, the performing arts festival featuring 85 free and benefit shows in Central Park and 13 neighborhood parks across the five boroughs. Now in its 38th year, the series features nearly every musical and performing arts genre, including jazz, which is represented primarily by the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival.
Pat Metheny brings ‘Dream Box’ solo tour to Berks Jazz Fest

Mar 31, 2024 | readingeagle.com | Lee Mergner

Few musicians manage to be relentlessly creative and enormously popular at the same time, but Pat Metheny has threaded that needle for nearly five decades. After a short apprenticeship as a student and sideman of Gary Burton, the guitarist was signed to the iconic record label ECM in the ’70s.
NYC Winter Jazzfest announces lineup and schedule of events for Jan. 10-18, 2024

Dec 6, 2023 | wbgo.org | Lee Mergner

NYC Winter Jazzfest has announced the lineup and schedule of events for the festival that his held at venues throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn during January 10-18, 2024. Now in its 20th year, the festival features the always popular marathon at eight venues per night – Friday, January 12 in Manhattan and Saturday, January 13 in Brooklyn.
Our Top Ten: The best jazz memoirs

Aug 21, 2023 | flipboard.com | Lee Mergner

Music10 hours agoHow Prog and Fusion Became Kissing Cousins in the 70sudiscovermusic.com - Jim Allen • 10hWhen progressive rock and jazz fusion first emerged, they were worlds apart. Acts like Frank Zappa, Brand X, and more changed all that. When …Guitar5 hours ago"The sound of this amp on its own is absolutely unbelievable" – watch The Darkness's Dan Hawkins showcase the Marshall Studio JTMmusicradar.com - Sponsored • 5hA lifelong Marshall user, Dan Hawkins knows what makes a great amp.
Our Top Ten: The best jazz album covers of all time

Jul 19, 2023 | wbgo.org | Lee Mergner

Quick, what do Andy Warhol, Peter Max and Romare Bearden all have in common? Our headline gives away the answer, of course, because, yes, all of them did the artwork for jazz album covers. Remarkably, Warhol’s jazz cover was for an Artie Shaw album, but maybe it’s not so odd given that they were both pop idols in their time. Warhol went on to do the Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers, but we won’t go there.
2024 Class of NEA Jazz Masters Announced

Jul 12, 2023 | wbgo.org | Lee Mergner

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has announced the 2024 NEA Jazz Masters: Gary Bartz, Terence Blanchard, Amina Claudine Myers and Willard Jenkins. Jenkins, a longtime journalist, radio host and presenter, is the recipient of the A.B. Spellman NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship for Jazz Advocacy. Each recipient of this fellowship will receive an award of $25,000 and will be honored in a ceremony and free concert at the John F.
Our Top Ten: A Fourth of July jazz playlist

Jul 4, 2023 | wbgo.org | Lee Mergner

The Fourth of July holiday is not particularly fruitful for interesting music for jazz musicians. More suited for orchestras and community bands. Nonetheless, we cobbled together this playlist featuring some of the most iconic artists in jazz performing, dare we say it, patriotic songs and anthems.
Across the generational spectrum: Aaron Diehl on programming the Jazz in July series in NYC

Jun 28, 2023 | wbgo.org | Lee Mergner

For Aaron Diehl, who was recently chosen to succeed Bill Charlap as the artistic director of the prestigious Jazz in July series at 92NY, the appointment brings things full circle. Because the pianist moved to New York City in 2003, around the same time that Charlap took over the reins from series founder Dick Hyman, who started the program in 1985. Over the last 20 years, Diehl has both attended shows at the series and later performed at Jazz in July.