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Music History

Why New York City needs a tribute to Billie Holiday, our sweet Lady Day (UPDATE: They’re building it!)

UPDATE (March 11, 2019): The city has announced that it will commission a Billie Holiday memorial, joining new statues for Elizabeth Jennings Graham, Katherine Walker and Dr. Helen Rodríguez-Trías. Graham, the subject of a landmark case that desegregated New York City mass transportation, was also suggested by our readers. The city previously announced the creation of a monument to Shirley Chisholm. Here’s our pitch for a monument to Holiday which ran back… Read More

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Music History Podcasts

Scott Joplin in New York: A Ragtime Mystery

PODCAST How did one of the greatest composers of the 20th century end up buried in Queens in a pauper’s grave? Scott Joplin, the “King of Ragtime”, moved to New York in 1907, at the height of his fame. And yet, he died a decade later, forgotten by the public. He remained nearly forgotten and buried… Read More

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Friday Night Fever Music History

Birdland: The Midtown Manhattan playground for classic jazz

FRIDAY NIGHT FEVER To get you in the mood for the weekend, every other Friday we’ll be featuring an old New York nightlife haunt, from the dance halls of 19th Century Bowery, to the massive warehouse clubs of the mid-1990s. Past entries can be found HERE. Charlie Parker was the king of the jazz scene,… Read More