The Nightside — Three Giants

Maya Angelou was an American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees.

Billie Holiday was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed “Lady Day” by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop singing. Her vocal style, strongly inspired by jazz instrumentalists, pioneered a new way of manipulating phrasing and tempo. She was known for her vocal delivery and improvisational skills. Her rendition of the harrowing song Strange Fruit still stands as one of the most powerful civil rights anthems of all time.

Gilbert Scott-Heron was an American soul and jazz poet, musician, and author, known primarily for his work as a spoken-word performer in the 1970s and 1980s. His collaborative efforts with musician Brian Jackson featured a musical fusion of jazz, blues, and soul, as well as lyrical content concerning social and political issues of the time, delivered in both rapping and melismatic vocal styles by Scott-Heron. His own term for himself was “bluesologist,” which he defined as “a scientist who is concerned with the origin of the blues.” His poem “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised,” delivered over a jazz-soul beat, is considered a major influence on hip hop music.

Maya Angelou, Billie Holiday, and Gil Scott Heron are the focus of The Nightside as we delve into their immense contributions on Sunday, April 3, from 8 to midnight on the Oasis in the City, KUVO JAZZ.

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