As a jazz DJ/journalist, Chris Albertson arrived in New York in 1960 from Philadelphia radio stations WCAU and WHAT-FM. While employed as WNEW’s Continuity Director, he was also producing jazz recordings and working nights as a volunteer at leftist, avante garde WBAI-FM. He left WNEW in 1964 to work at WBAI full time, eventually becoming General Manager.
From his WNEW files, he sent us captioned website photos from a 1963 special event MC’d by William B. Williams at the North Stamford, Conn. home of Jackie Robinson. Albertson was there to record the event.
On his website, Albertson wrote, “I made a stop at one of my favorite blogs, Villes Ville and learned the sad news that Joya Sherrill left us on June 28, 2010. You may recall that Joya sang with Duke Ellington’s Orchestra off and on between 1942 and 1959. I took this photo of her in 1963, at a summer
afternoon lawn party thrown by Jackie Robinson and his wife as a benefit to raise bail money for SNCC. (Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee).
Many performers were there, including Quincy Jones and Billy Taylor, The Dave Brubeck Quartet, and the Ellington Alumni Orchestra, led by Mercer Ellington. . . I was there with William B. Williams and a WNEW crew. “
“Here are more photos from that afternoon. Willie B was the MC and you’ll spot our host behind him.”
More later from Chris Albertson’s Klavan and Finch file. His web biography: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Albertson
