WBGO to Broadcast Vintage Conrad Silvert Show

New York radio station WBGO’s one-hour Jazz From the Archives series, hosted by Bill Kirchner and presented by the Institute of Jazz Studies, is set to broadcast highlights from a unique show that took place over 20 years ago. This Sunday, Kirchner’s program will focus on Conrad Silvert and his night at the San Francisco Opera House.

On Feb. 22, 1982, art and music critic Conrad Silvert, who was ill with cancer at the time, assembled a cast of notable musicians at the San Francisco Opera House for an evening of jazz. Some of the musicians included Herbie Hancock, Wynton Marsalis, Carlos Santana, Denny Zeitlin and Bobby Hutcherson. Since Silvert did not want this to be a run-of-the-mill jam session, he carefully grouped the players in a variety of arrangements including several duos. Some of the duos included Zeitlin and Hancock, and Hutcherson and Hancock. Silvert died three weeks later at the age of 34.

Columbia Records issued part of the evening as Conrad Silvert Presents Jazz at the Opera House in 1982, but the record did not create much of a stir. Jazz From the Archives will highlight some of that evening’s best moments on Sunday from 11 p.m. to midnight, EST.

Jazz From the Archives runs every Sunday on WBGO-FM 88.3. To listen from outside of the New York City metropolitan area, visit WBGO’s website at www.wbgo.org.

Originally Published February 5, 2005