Boston, MA (April 10, 2023) —GBH Music, in collaboration with JazzBoston, celebrates the life and talent of the late legendary jazz host Eric Jackson with "PEACE: The Concert for Eric Jackson," a free concert at GBH's Calderwood Studio on International Jazz Day, Sunday, April 30. Jazz fans worldwide can RSVP to a free virtual stream of the concert at 4 pm ET via the GBH Music website. Tickets to the in-person experience are sold out.
“Eric Jackson brought a unique sound and approach to his GBH broadcasts, and his ability to showcase music and musicians made his air work masterful. “PEACE” will be a musical tribute to an amazing man and legacy,” said Anthony Rudel, general manager of GBH Music.
“PEACE” unites an all-star lineup of jazz musicians throughout the region with ties to Eric Jackson’s unparalleled legacy of sharing the music he loved with listeners. A jazz trio featuring guitarist John Stein, bassist Ron Mahdi, and percussionist Mike Conners are the house band for the event. The concert will also feature guest artists Fernando Brandão on flute, Laszlo Gardony on piano, Lihi Haruvi on sopranino saxophone, John Lockwood on bass, Joe Lovano on tenor saxophone, Yoko Miwa on piano, and Tim Ray on piano. The event will be hosted by James Bennett II, arts and culture reporter for GBH News.
"Eric's impact extended beyond Boston to the entire worldwide jazz community. He was known and loved by listeners, fellow jazz radio hosts, and by world-famous and less-famous musicians locally and globally," said Ken Field, president of JazzBoston. "He worked tirelessly to spread the music he loved through his longtime role on the Board of Directors of JazzBoston, among other educational and community-based activities."
The concert will begin with a New Orleans-style second line jazz procession marching into the GBH Studios in Eric Jackson’s honor. The concert’s title comes from the opening theme of Jackson’s show Eric in the Evening, Horace Silver’s jazz standard “Peace.” In tribute to Jackson, the April 30 concert will be bookended by performances of “Peace” with a new Manuel Kauffman arrangement of the tune closing out the show.
Eric Jackson, host of Eric in the Evening on GBH radio for over 40 years, passed away on September 17, 2022. Jackson began broadcasting at GBH in 1977 with his overnight jazz showcase, Artists at Night. Eric in the Evening debuted in 1981 and, with it, his emergence as one of public broadcasting’s most popular on-air personalities.
Known as the “Dean of Boston Jazz Radio,” Jackson was an advocate and promoter of jazz through his love of the music. Eric was inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame posthumously on September 22, 2022. Studio 5 at GBH Studios has been named for and dedicated to him.
GBH Music airs jazz on 89.7 FM in Greater Boston from 9-12 pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights and offers Jazz 24/7 a 24-hour online stream of some of the best jazz offerings. In collaboration with JazzBoston, GBH Music also hosts JazzNOW, a hybrid concert series. Find exclusive concerts and conversations with artists, and subscribe to a biweekly jazz newsletter at gbh.org/jazz.
About GBH
GBH is the leading multiplatform creator for public media in America. As the largest producer of content for PBS and partner to NPR and PRX, GBH delivers compelling experiences, stories and information to audiences wherever they are. GBH produces digital and broadcast programming that engages, illuminates and inspires, through drama and science, history, arts, culture and journalism. It is the creator of such signature programs as MASTERPIECE, ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, FRONTLINE, NOVA, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, Arthur and Molly of Denali and a catalog of streaming series, podcasts and on-demand video. GBH’s television channels include GBH 2, GBH 44, GBH Kids and national services WORLD and Create. With studios and a newsroom headquartered in Boston, GBH reaches across New England with GBH 89.7, Boston’s Local NPR; CRB Classical 99.5; and CAI, the Cape and Islands NPR station. Dedicated to making media accessible to and inclusive of our diverse culture, GBH is a pioneer in delivering media to those who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind and visually impaired. GBH creates curriculum-based digital content for educators nationwide with PBS LearningMedia and has been recognized with hundreds of the nation’s premier broadcast, digital and journalism awards. Find more information at gbh.org.
