WBGO s Lezlie Harrison and Dorthaan Kirk
March is Women s History Month, and we take the time to honor the importance of women in our music and our organization. WBGO launched in 1979 with Dorthaan Kirk as a founder and Rhonda Hamilton as one of the first voices on air. Forty-two years later, the female voice rings clearly on WBGO: women are a critical factor that distinguishes us, just as they remain an essential force in the music.
We will celebrate the voices of women all month long, starting with a Take Five curated by our female announcers. A special edition of The Pulse on March 10 will feature the women of WBGO in a discussion about navigating a career in radio and the challenge of working in male-dominated spaces, among other things.
With his acute dose of groove wizardry, Hammond B-3 organist and NEA Jazz Master Dr. Lonnie Smith challenges anyone with a pulse to remain still or silent.
“I’m always making a comeback, but nobody ever tells me where I’ve been.” So said Billie Holiday in the 1950s, making no attempt to conceal her bemusement.