Oct. 19, 2023 By Rachel Butler
The Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation (LAEF) will be honoring the world-renowned bassist, composer, bandleader, educator and NEA Jazz Master Reggie Workman with the foundation’s prestigious Satchmo Award. The artist is being recognized for his seven decades of jazz musicianship.
The event will be taking place as part of the WBGO’s Kids Jazz Concert Series at Flushing Town Hall at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 21.
The free concert will feature Workman’s current creation for Armstrong, his six-piece ensemble with pianist David Virelles, drummer Gary Jones, III, alto saxophonist Marvin Carter, rap vocalist J Swiss and tap dance pioneer Savion Glover.
Workman is one of the most sought-after bassists in jazz history, recording over 150 albums with many jazz stars, including Lee Morgan, Donald Byrd, Wayne Shorter, Yusef Lateef, Freddie Hubbard, Eric Dolphy and Geri Allen. He is also a professor at The New School College of Performing Arts (COPA).
The Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation expressed their excitement about the upcoming event.
“The Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation is especially happy to present the SATCHMO Award at an event produced for children. Louis and Lucille Armstrong created the Armstrong Foundation to support education and Pops’ intention ‘to give back some of the goodness I received’ is the guiding principle of the foundation’s existence,” said Jackie Harris, executive director of the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation. “Flushing Town Hall and WBGO are the perfect partners for this project. Exposing youngsters of all ages to the music of Armstrong and NEA Jazz Master Reggie Workman is a lesson in history and cultural expression that we know would also make Pops happy.”
Flushing Town Hall has a long history of hosting music events, and Executive and Artistic Director Ellen Kodadek said that they are honored to be chosen as the location for the concert.
“Flushing Town Hall’s Jazz history dates over 40 years. We program brilliant, established and emerging jazz musicians year-round and each month, we present Louis Armstrong Legacy Jazz Jams, open to all jazz musicians and jazz lovers. We are honored to be hosting the 2023 Satchmo Award presented by the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, a WBGO Jazz for Young People Concert, Armstrong: Past Present and Future,” Kodadek said. “Bring your family — you’ll hear some great jazz and have a fun time.”
WBGO radio host Gary Walker said the station is thrilled to bring families together “to experience the wonderful world of jazz” at an event such as this one.
“Our collaboration with The Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, with NEA Jazzmaster Reggie Workman at Flushing Town Hall, is a fun and informative addition to our long-standing family tradition of entertaining audiences with the rich history of this music,” Walker said.
The concert is free to attend. Those interested can reserve tickets by visiting the Flushing Town Hall website.