Celebrate with UpSurge!
National Poetry Month
Jazz Appreciation Month
The 127th Birthday of the great actor and activist Paul Robeson
Saturday, April 26, 2025, 5:00 PM
Plymouth Church of Jazz & Justice
The great poet TS Eliot said, “April is the cruelest month…” UpSurge! says, “April is the coolest month for joining them in celebrating National Poetry Month, Jazz Appreciation Month, and the 127th birthday of world-class singer, actor, and cultural worker Paul Robeson!
Hear UpSurge! meld jazz with poetry and shout-out resistance at 5 PM Saturday, April 26, at the Plymouth Church of Jazz and Justice, 424 Monte Vista Avenue in Oakland. A $20 donation is suggested, but no one will be turned away at the door.
Poets and jazz musicians Raymond Nat Turner (poetry), Zigi Lowenberg (poetry), Tammy Lynne Hall (piano), Roger Glenn (saxophone), Kevin Goldberg (bass), and Larry Vann (drums) will make this a celebration worthy of the best in jazz and poetry, a night to remember.
Poetry Month, launched by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, is a testament to the vital role of poets in our culture. It has since become the largest literary celebration in the world, inspiring us to recognize the profound impact of poetry in our lives.
Like poetry, jazz is also integral to American life. It is appropriate that poetry and jazz are both celebrated in April. Jazz Appreciation Month or the shortened version, JAM, is an opportunity to attend jazz events and take the time to discover and appreciate the roots of jazz. The Smithsonian National Museum of American History created Jazz Appreciation Month in 2001 to celebrate the heritage and legacy of one of the United States’ most important art forms, jazz.
UpSurge! will proudly present the prestigious Caffie Greene Community Building Awards to KPFA Radio’s Cat Brooks, KPFA Radio’s Morning Drive Time Host Brian Edwards-Tiekert, and KPFA Radio’s Morning New Anchor Christina Aanestad. KPFA and its staff present the art, culture, and politics of the Bay Area in an original way that offers insightful viewpoints about our challenging landscape.
Finally, UpSurge! will celebrate the 127th birthday of Paul Robeson, who was born on April 9, 1898, and became renowned as a concert artist, actor, and activist. In these challenging times, it is important to remember those voices with so much more to lose who continually demonstrated the importance of freedom and justice for all people regardless of race, religion, or country of origin.
For more information about this event, email Kim McMillon at kimmac@pacbell.net.