ASO launches Backstage at the hi hat podcast
The Akron Symphony Orchestra is excited to announce the debut of a new podcast channel, Backstage at the hi hat.
This conversational podcast series about all things jazz, produced by the Akron Symphony Orchestra, is co-hosted by Thomas Moore, Director of Marketing for the Symphony, and Theron Brown, an Akron-based jazz musician and artistic director of the Rubber City Jazz & Blues Festival.
The podcast is available on numerous directories, including:
In the debut episode, Tom and Theron discuss the origins of the podcast name, talk about the historic jazz entertainment district in downtown Akron, and reflect on the life of legendary jazz pianist Chick Corea.
In Akron, legends like Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey, Ella Fitzgerald and Ray Charles would perform at the Palace theater before heading to Howard Street, where fans waited at clubs such as the hi hat, the Green Turtle, and the Cosmopolitan.
Backstage at the hi hat is a nod to that history and will look to capture the type of conversations that occurred at those historic clubs, The podcast will feature interviews with musicians, book authors and other newsmakers as we explore the rich and diverse genre of jazz music.
Theron Brown currently resides in Akron, where he is a professor of Jazz Piano at Kent State University, and he is immensely involved in promoting jazz music and the arts. He takes pride in teaching musicians of all ages the fundamentals/advanced techniques of music, and volunteering his musical talent at community activities, while uplifting the Northeastern Ohio region with his sound. Theron is the founder of the Rubber City Jazz & Blues Festival, which takes place in Akron’s downtown historic district. Theron stringently continues to dedicate his life to the infinite pursuit of musical knowledge. (Learn more about Theron at his website.)
Chick Corea passed away on February 9, 2021, at the age of 79 from a rare form of cancer. A DownBeat Hall of Famer and NEA Jazz Master, 23-time Grammy winner, and keyboard virtuoso, Chick attained living legend status during five decades of unparalleled creativity and an artistic output that was simply staggering. From straight ahead to avant-garde, bebop to fusion, children’s songs to chamber music, along with some far-reaching forays into symphonic works, Chick touched an astonishing number of musical bases in his illustrious career while maintaining a standard of excellence that was awe-inspiring. (Learn more about the life and music of Chick Corea at his website.)
Upcoming podcast episodes include interviews with Chris Coles, a saxophonist from Cleveland who has performed with several local and international jazz musicians; Chris Anderson, executive director of Open Tone Music and a musician who has performed trombone with some of the best in the classical, jazz, gospel, Latin and other musical idioms; Evelyn Wright, a professional singer for more than three decades with experience in jazz, R&B and pop; drummer Robert Hubbard Jr., who is known for his diverse style of music consisting of jazz, gospel, R&B and rock; and Reggie Kelly, an award winning singer, actor, dancer, choreographer, and playwright who is currently a member of the New York Harlem Singers.