Community

Bay Area Tribute to Bill “The Jazz Professor” Bell

Published

8 years ago

July 15, 2016

The spirits of jazz greats Coltrane, Ellington, Gardner and Quincey Jones were in the Castlemont Auditorium Tuesday night, where 400 attended the 80th Birthday Musical Legacy Tribute to Professor Bill Bell.

A living legend, Bell has touched the lives of practically every Bay Area Jazz star, from Rodney Frankin to Pete Escovedo.

Emcee Clifford Brown said that Bell had also touched his life. “Mr. Bell taught me integrity in the music industry. He told me that when your family cries out to you or your community cries out, you always say ‘Yes.’”

Originally from East Moline, Illinois, Bell exhibited his skill on the piano without instruction at age 4. By age 15, he had performed with several bands and was a member of the musicians’ union.

He continued to study music in college and graduated from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois with a BA in music. He holds a masters’ degree in music from the University of Iowa and a postgraduate certificate in secondary Supervision from UC Berkeley.

He retired as chairman of the music department at College of Alameda and served as jazz band director at Stanford University. He started as a substitute teacher with Oakland Public School, evolving into an adjunct professor at UC Berkeley, where he taught jazz improvisation.

Highly versatile, he is known for work composition, arranging and conducting as well as music education.

The who’s who of Bay Area Music was on stage Tuesday to pay tribute, including: Rodney Franklin, Pete and Juan Escovedo, Glen Pearson, Janice Maxie-Reid, Geechie Taylor, Angela Wellman, Marlon Green, Deszon Claiborne, Tony Saunders, Marvin Holmes, Lloyd Gregory, Wayne Wallace, Dave Ellis and Jeff Chambers.

Others who attended: Jimmie McKinney, Vincent Lars, Michael Cheadle, Claytoven Richardson, Will Kennedy, Duane Worm, Danny Armstrong, Kenny Washington, Bryan Dyer, Nikita Germaine, Larry Batiste, Terrance Kelly, Stabe Wilson, Rob Rhodes, Tony Saunders, the Oakland Bay Area Community Chorus, and the Alameda College Alumni Big Band.

Speakers paying tribute were Daisy Newman from the Young Musicians Program at UC Berkeley; Dr. Olly Wilson, Professor, Composer, UC Berkeley and Glen Pearson who said, expressing his gratitude, “Thank you for making us better musicians but more importantly, thank you for making us better human beings.”

A proclamation was read from Mayor Schaaf who declared July 12 as “Bill Bell Day.” Other proclamations were read from Gov. Jerry Brown, Rep. Barbara Lee and President Barack Obama.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

My Brother’s Keeper Helping Boys and Men of Color Get Hired

Don't Miss

Council Members: OPD Must Recruit Local Residents, Women and People of Color

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

2 days ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

6 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

City Government

Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Published

6 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Beverli Marshall began her first day with the City on April 10. ICMA image.

Special to The Post

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.

Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”

According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.

“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”

When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.

At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”

While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.

On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.

“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.

The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.