William Banfield

professor, Berklee College of Music

Composer, educator, author, and Jazz guitarist Dr. Bill Banfield is Professor Emeritus founding director of Black Music Culture Studies at Berklee College of Music, and is Senior Scholar in Residence, Longy Conservatory of Bard College. He is founder/director of JazzUrbane, a contemporary jazz art recording label, dedicated to producing creative new artists. Since its founding in 2014, the label has already produced and released 15 albums now heard internationally. Serving now as Harvard’s Mentor-in-Residence, Dr. Banfield uses his wide-reaching experience and creativity to inspire these radio programs to view jazz in its entirety, from its cultures, history, experience, and beyond.