On this special edition of WBCA Presents, Seba Molnar and Moriah Phillips visit the WBCA Studio to talk about the Boston Jazz Foundation, this year's Charles River Jazz Festival, and what's next for their organization.
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WBCA Presents: The Boston Jazz Foundation
[ Music ] We've got more special guests for you, as promised. This next tune is a Roy Hargrove, R.H. Factor. Do we have any R.H. Factor fans in the house? All right, then feel free to sing along. This next one I'm going to bring up a very special friend. She's a Grammy nominated singer. She's played this festival four years in a row. Everybody, give a warm welcome from Ms. Deb O'Rae. [ Applause ] >> Woo, let's go. [ Music ] [ Music ] Time is closing and on and on. So we strive for greatness, ever given up. So we strive for greatness, ever given up, ever given up, ever given up, ever given up. So we strive for greatness, ever given up, forever given up. So we strive for greatness, ever given up, ever given up, ever given up, ever given up, ever given up. You are tuned in to WBCA 102.9 FM, Boston's Community Radio Station. And this is WBCA Presents, a show where we highlight local musicians, but today we are highlighting a group that also highlights local musicians. We just heard a Roy Hargrave number strength performed by Saba Molnar featuring Deb O'Rae at the Boston Jazz Foundation's Charles River Jazz Festival. And we have in the studio with us, Saba Molnar, who you just heard perform, and Mariah Phillips from the Jazz Foundation. Thanks for being here. >> Thanks for having us. >> Yeah. Thanks for having us. >> Yeah. So you two were a big part of putting on the Charles River Jazz Festival. So for people who might not know, what is that, when was it, and how did it go? >> Well, the Jazz Fest this year took place on Sunday, July 14th, so little over a week ago. It was everything we hoped it would be and everything our team has been working on. A great success, we're really happy with the turnout, and just the overall energy of the day. Yeah. Our fourth year and our biggest and most successful one, I think the festival itself is just a huge celebration of community and music. It's a place for a lot of these musicians are people who have lived together or played in different bands in the past, and this is a time where they can all get together and kind of see each other and hang out, and then also be a part of a really awesome festival for the community, bringing people from the community. We had people coming from all over the world. I had family coming from Germany, Mo had family coming from California, so it was really an international melting pot of good vibes and good music. >> Yeah. Yeah, it sounds like it. And how many years have you been putting on this festival for? This was our fourth year, started in the summer of 2021, started with a small budget and about two months to plan, and we had 500 people show up to the first festival, which was a much larger turnout than we had anticipated, but it really showed that there was a need for this sort of live music and experience in the community. And so that really inspired Saba, and that's when I kind of joined the fold, and we started fundraising, getting grants, doing everything that we could to help build this thing up. And then from the success of the 2022 festival, we started the Boston Jazz Foundation. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> It's really been like a DIY hands-on evolution. It started as me calling my friends, and we're going to go play some music in the park. And then that took off, but it's really been from there bringing Moan, who's been a huge help in kind of giving us a little direction in management leadership skills, and then bringing on the rest of our lovely team, which has grown to be about 11 people now. >> Yeah. >> So we've got interns from the Berkeley College of Music, and pretty much everybody in the team are artists or musicians themselves, several of them working at Berkeley. And we've got people at Jazz at Lincoln Center and New York, and people in Colorado phoning in on Zoom, so it's really all hands-on deck kind of situation. >> Yeah, and I'm sure everyone's putting their all into it, putting their heart into it. >> Yeah, no, it's been really beautiful. This is something I've been passionate about my whole life, but to see the seed grow and turn into something larger than me, larger than both of us, really larger than anything we've imagined, and seeing other people put their heart and soul into it, and believing it is really powerful. >> Yeah, it's awesome. >> Yeah, and for anyone that missed any of that heart and soul and wasn't able to make it to this year's Charles River Jazz Festival, we at the Boston Neighborhood Network did cover it, and that will be airing on our TV station, the news and info channel. This Sunday, the 28th from 1 p.m., all the way to 7 p.m., that's six hours of live jazz performances that are news and info channel, XFINITY 9, Astound 15, Fios 2.1.6.1, and if you missed that airing, the show will be on our VOD page, which is available at bnnmedia.org, so you can keep on enjoying all of that great jazz. >> So do you want to talk a little bit about the lineup of the 2024 festival? >> Yeah, the lineup was, where did we begin? >> We started with Berkeley's Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice. They've been working with us the past three festivals, and gender parity in music and in jazz specifically is something that we're really passionate about, and so connecting with them and giving them a stage to show the work that they do and have a student ensemble come in is awesome. So they opened up the show for us with a killer performance, and then we brought in Naledi, who is a South African artist based in New York, I believe now, but studied in Boston for a while. She just released her most, her debut album, Bato. And after her, we had Jonathan Swazza, who's a local legend, great at everything he does in bringing in his heritage, working on his, showcasing his project, Recano, which came out recently, and then we had Saba back again on stage. I have been jokingly calling it Saba and Friends, because he does performance and brings on all of our awesome friends to kind of highlight and feature. And then we brought back Brian Richberg, Jr. He had played the festival two years ago with his project New Legacy, but he came back with his jazz quartet or quintet, and really highlighted his New Orleans style and energy, and he always brings it every single time. And then we were very, very lucky to have Charles Haynes and The Tabernacle debut their new project on the Charles River Jazz Festival stage. Yeah, and they brought along a number of awesome special guests, Kian Harald, who's Grammy award-winning trumpet player. He did the music for the Miles Davis Biopic with Don Cheadle, and he's worked with everybody across all genres. So it was a real honor to have him there as well. And most of these artists have some connection to Boston, in a way. A number of them live here, or in the instance of like Brian Richberg. He went to school at Berkeley. We went to school together. Actually, we used to live side by side in the apartments. So he was somebody that's really been there right from the beginning of the conception of the festival and the whole community. So it was really awesome to bring him back to Boston and kind of share where we've come with him. Likewise, Charles Haynes spent a lot of time in Boston. He's got a studio in town. So he's really been a kind of a father figure and a mentor to a lot of artists in town. So having him come and kind of be the headliner was like a nice homecoming in a way. Yeah, I've been watching some of the coverage myself before it goes on air, and it looked like a great show. I didn't make it myself. You did sell out. So that was how does it feel to put on a festival that sells out mind boggling? We were looking at the numbers, of course, leading up to the festival and keeping a good eye on that. And just when we hit sell out, we were kind of like, is this real? Does this actually happen is obviously a goal in something that you work toward. But when it's right there in your face, it's kind of hard to believe. But we're grateful. Incredibly grateful. Yeah. Yes. It's special to see all the hard work finally pay off, I think. And every year, it's a never ending learning experience, I would say, where we're constantly getting better and finding new ways to do things and tweaking things. And then at the same time, it's growing so quickly that it's kind of this always new hurdles present themselves. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I look forward to lots more jazz from you fellows. Oh, yeah. We definitely have a lot and we have more things coming up for you as well with the foundation. Yeah. And we are going to talk about that a little bit more. But before that, we're going to hear one more song. At the end of the show, you'll hear a performance from Charles Haynes and the Tabernacle. But first, we're going to have a number from Naledi. This is Colala, again, performed live at the Charles River Jazz Festival. I'm your host, Tommy Shenifield joined by Saba Molnar and Mariah Phillips from the Boston Jazz Foundation on WBCA Presents, WBCA 102.9 FM, Boston's Community Radio Station. Enjoy this final song titled, "Gulala, feel free to stand up and dance along with me if you so feel like it." [MUSIC] [COUGHING] [COUGHING] [COUGHING] [MUSIC] [COUGHING] [COUGHING] [COUGHING] [COUGHING] [COUGHING] [COUGHING] [COUGHING] [COUGHING] [COUGHING] [COUGHING] [COUGHING] [COUGHING] [COUGHING] [COUGHING] [COUGHING] [COUGHING] You just heard, "Gulala" by Naledi performed live at the Charles River Jazz Festival 2024. This is WBCA Presents on WBCA 102.9 FM Boston. I'm your host, Tommy Shenifield joined by Saba Molnar and Mariah Phillips of the Boston Jazz Foundation. If you weren't able to make it to this year's Charles River Jazz Festival, the Boston Neighborhood Network will be airing our live coverage, a full six hours of jazz on our News and Info channel, Xfinity 9, Astound 15, Fios 2.161. This Sunday, the 28th from 1 p.m. all the way to 7 p.m. Or if you missed that, you can check out our VOD video on demand page at bnnmedia.org. But without further ado, we do have Saba and Mariah in the studio. Thanks again for being here. Thanks for having us. So are you already planning for 2025 or are you rightfully taking a break? We are taking a break while also contemplating next year already. We taking a break for us is never really a full not working. So we're excited about how this year went. So of course, we kind of want to keep that momentum up and see what we can get planned for next year. But we're hoping that it's even bigger and better than this one. Yeah, I think we're taking a moment to celebrate and kind of reflect on all the things we were able to achieve this year. But at the same time, as we grow and just the scale of what we're doing takes a full year's worth of planning and fundraising and rallying the troops and getting everybody ready for the next season. And then we also have a number of other year round programming that we work on. So it's kind of juggling multiple things at once. Yeah, I'm sure you've got a lot going on. What are some upcoming things people might want to be tuned into? So we are very lucky to have a partnership with the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport and are doing shows there every month. We have on August 8th, Kevin Harris. And yeah, we're just grateful to have another place for musicians in the city to have consistent programming. So every Thursday through Saturday, you can go to the Jazz Lounge at Kestra. We have promo gaming there once a month. But outside of Omni. Outside of Omni, we have another show coming up with Deb O'Ray, who we actually heard from earlier, featured on the set with my band at the festival. But she's going to be playing with her own band at the Canal District Beer Garden in Kendall Square. On August 16th. So that's also open to the public, our website, AustinJazzFoundation.org for more information on that. Yeah. And then following up after that, we are working with a number of other community organizations as a part of promoting the Jazz Square dedication on Mass Ave and Columbus. What's that? So Jazz Square is officially being recognized on Mass Ave and Columbus right outside of Wally's Jazz Club. So there will be a dedication ceremony on September 28th, followed by a festival down the block. And we're hoping to have some live music programming throughout the weekend just to celebrate the history of jazz in Boston. Because it's a rich history, I feel like it's not that well known. So it's an opportunity for us to take a look at where we came from and see how we can continue to keep that history alive and well. Yeah, that space, the Columbus Ave and Mass Ave has a lot of, that specific intersection has a lot of jazz history in it. Back in the day, there used to be probably over a dozen jazz clubs, I think, up and down the street now, which Wally's is the only one left. So this project is kind of bringing some light to that neighborhood, showing educating people on the history of jazz, specifically in that neighborhood. And then the Beantown Jazz Festival used to take place there. So we're trying to bring some new life to that neighborhood as well as educate people on the rich history and the past that we have in Boston. Yeah, that sounds like really great, really important events and how you've played such an emphasis on recognizing the history of what came before you as jazz musicians. And it also seems like you're doing a lot to look ahead and inspiring future generations of jazz musicians, and I saw something about a next-gen scholarship that you're involved with. Yeah, so I kind of, my high school band director had this corny little saying that was very fitting. And he was saying we work on the past, being the present for the future. So we take from the knowledge from the people that came before us, and then we rework it in today's time, and then we are hopefully building a platform for the next generation. And so the next-gen scholarship is a partnership we have with the Hamilton Garrett Academy after school program in Dorchester, where they do, we've had their, they have different bands and lessons. We've had their drum line perform at the festival before, and yeah, we're really excited to continue that partnership with them. Yeah, so last year we were able to send two students to Hamilton Garrett and cover their tuition for the school year. So we're hoping to do that again, but this Hamilton Garrett Center for Music and Arts. They are a staple in the community. They have a choir and a drum line, like Saba said, that has played the festival. So giving kids the opportunity to play and learn music is incredibly important. I got to the bulk of my music education from a nonprofit that gave out free violence to kids in the community back home in Long Beach, California. So to be able to pay that forward, especially coming from my own experience is really awesome. Yeah, I think a big part of our mission, too, is really to showcase the next generation of jazz and to build a platform for younger jazz musicians. And a big part of that is inspiring and getting kids involved at a young age so that it feels like jazz is something that belongs to them and not a foreign entity that they can't get to. Yeah, well, thanks so much for stopping by the WBCA studio to share about the Charles River Jazz Festival and all these other great things we're doing through the Boston Jazz Foundation. Again, for anyone tuning in, this has been WBCA Presents. And if you missed this year's Charles River Jazz Festival, you can catch coverage of it on Boston Neighborhood Networks News and Info Channel. That's Xfinity 9 is down to 15, Fios 2161, or, oh, I should say it's going to air this Sunday, the 28th from 1pm to 7pm, a full six hours of wonderful live jazz performances. If you can't catch it, then you can go to bnnmedia.org where we have a video on demand page where that will be available following this Sunday. Could you just share one more time, Seba and Mariah, how can people, what's the website for the Jazz Foundation at any last words you want to say? Yeah, you can see us at BostonJazzFoundation.org, so.org. You can also follow our social media pages, which we have links on the website, but it's Boston Jazz Foundation and Charles River Jazz Fest on Instagram as well. Yeah, Instagram, Facebook. Our newsletter. That's the best way to stay up to date with what we've got going on and all the shows and events and how we're staying involved in community and how the community can be involved with us. Yeah, and we look forward to seeing you at one of our events soon. Yeah, thank you. I'm looking forward to it too. So once again, this has been WBCA Presents on WBCA 102.9 FM Boston. I'm your host, Tommy Shenifield, and I've been very lucky to be joined by Seba Molnar and Mariah Phillips of the Boston Jazz Foundation. And to close us out, we have a song from Charles Haynes and the Tabernacle, the headliners of the 2024 Charles River Jazz Festival. I'm going to play for you, our first tune tonight. Yeah. It's called "Houlon Tawashi Yara Jekai Berry". Now, which means let's start what we have come into the room to do. Mariah, here goes. One, two, three. How are y'all doing? What the hell are y'all doing? I don't believe you. How are you doing? Now, we can't have a good time. Of course, this is a dance party. We can't have a dance party, so at some point, I need to get off the stairs and have a good time with us, right? Never have a good time, right? I'm going to be out here and have a good time, right? We're going to get started on something, y'all. Mariah, you got it! Now... You try to get some started, so at some point, I need you. Are y'all ready? I said, "Are you ready?" What? What? What? What? Oh, yeah, man! Hey, man! Sir! Sir, let's go! ♪ Where are y'all there? I'll see you soon. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ The name of the band is Charles Haines and the tabernacle. Now, if you all don't know what that means, we are gathered in one place together. And sometimes, when you in the tabernacle, you need to organ, right? Well, the people that know you know you need to organ in the tabernacle, shit! ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (upbeat music)