Billy Higgins to be honored by KPFK 90.7

KPFK 90.7 is Pacifica Radio for Southern California, known for its mission to further peace and social justice and to uplift the community and celebrate excellence through music and the performing arts. This commitment is further realized through the launching of the 1st Annual KPFK Hero Awards and Tribute Concert on May 1, 2011 at Catalina Bar and Grill, 6725 West Sunset Blvd., Hollywood California 90028. The event will begin with a VIP reception at 5:30pm followed by a Musical Tribute that starts at 7:00pm. This groundbreaking and long overdue celebration of the life and work of Billy Higgins has prompted an outpour from other legendary Jazz icons who will come together on stage and perform to celebrate Higgins’ legacy. The concert line-up includes such greats as Charles Lloyd, George Duke, Stanley Clarke, Clayton Cameron, Poncho Sanchez, John Beasley, Leon Mobley, Kamau Da’ood, Dwight Trible, Will Calhoun, Phil Ranelin, Charlie Haden and many other special invited guests. John Densmore, one of the founding members of the Doors, will also be on hand to dedicate a poem to Billy. The entire night will be hosted by KPFK’s own Mark Maxwell and KKJZ 88.1 personality LeRoy Downs. KPFK DJ Carlos Niño, host of Spaceways Radio, will spin during the VIP reception. The KPFK Hero Awards and Tribute is the result of a heartfelt on-air discussion between Charles Lloyd and KPFK Music Director Maggie LePique about Billy Higgins. During this conversation, LePique realized that we were nearing the 10th anniversary of his death and thought how relevant it would be to celebrate his life and body of work. She enrolled Kasey Lovelace, Music Consultant and friend of the Higgins family to develop the idea into a full-scale event. Catalina Popescu, owner of Catalina’s Bar and Grill, honored her long-term friendship by donating her world renowned venue for the salute from Higgins’ esteemed contemporaries. All instruments donated for the performance will be given to The World Stage as a gift in honor of Billy Higgins. Higgins, from Los Angeles, played on Ornette Coleman's first records, beginning in 1958. He then freelanced extensively with hard bop and other post-bop players, including Donald Byrd, Dexter Gordon, Joe Henderson, Milt Jackson, Jackie McLean, Pat Metheny, Hank Mobley, Thelonious Monk, Lee Morgan, David Murray, Art Pepper, Sonny Rollins, Mal Waldron, and Cedar Walton. He was one of the house drummers for Blue Note Records and played on dozens of Blue Note albums of the 60s. On a whole, he played on over 700 recordings, including recordings of rock and funk. In 1989, Higgins co-founded a cultural center, The World Stage, in Los Angeles to encourage and promote younger jazz musicians. The center provides workshops in performance and writing, as well as concerts and recordings. Higgins also taught in the Jazz Studies program at the University of California, Los Angeles. KPFK 90.7 FM is a member station of the Pacifica Radio network, established in 1949 by peace activist Lew Hill in Berkeley, California. The Pacifica network consists of five radio stations throughout the country: KPFA in Berkeley, CA; KPFK in Los Angeles, CA; WBAI in New York, NY; WPFW in Washington D.C; and KPFT in Houston, TX. In addition to the active radio stations, there are over 100 affiliate stations around the country and abroad and the Pacifica Radio Archives, preserving the voices of artists, activists and progressive journalists since 1949. www.KPFK.org; www.Pacifica.org