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BlackMusic, BlackWork Exhibit Showcases Historic Black Los Angeles Musicians Union

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (download pdf)

WHAT:  Opening night of BlackMusic, BlackWork, a historical exhibition showcasing the African-American musicians union Local 767 of Los Angeles of the 1920s through 1950s.

WHEN:
Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017, 6-9 p.m.

WHERE:
California Jazz and Blues Museum
4317 Degnan Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90008

WHO:

–  John Acosta, President, American Federation of Musicians Local 47

–  Lola Smallwood Cuevas, Co-Founder, Los Angeles Black Worker Center

–  Albert Lord, Deputy – South East, Council District 10 (Herb Wesson)

–  Deputy, Council District 8 (Marqueece Harris-Dawson)

–  Musicians and family members of historical Local 767

–  Live musical performances by Barbara Morrison & the Nedra Wheeler Trio
Continue reading →

Handy Blue Shield Application for Your Phone

Professional Musicians, Local 47 and Employers’ Health & Welfare Fund

In today’s on-the-go-wireless world, many of us rely on phone apps for almost every daily need. Well, it was only a matter of time before health insurers would get into app development and releases. For Blue Shield, that time has arrived and if you are a Fund participant who has enrolled for the Blue Shield coverage, you can download the Blue Shield Mobile App for your smart phone (assuming, of course, your phone is compatible with the app). As they say: “There’s an app for that!” Continue reading →

Tickets on sale now for BlackMusic, BlackWork exhibit opening Feb 23

(pdf flyer)

Join us Feb 23 for the BlackMusic, BlackWork historical Black musicians union 767 exhibit opening

On the evening of February 23, please join us for the launch of BlackMusic, BlackWork, a historical exhibition that explores the unsung bravery and artistry of Black working musicians of Central Avenue in Los Angeles whose work transformed L.A.’s music industry forever.

Developed by AFM Local 47, Los Angeles Black Worker Center, and UCLA Labor Center and History Department, the exhibition opening event takes place at the new California Jazz and Blues Museum, opened by acclaimed jazz vocalist Barbara Morrison. Continue reading →

Big Jay McNeely: ‘King of the Honkers’ Still Going Strong

Photo: courtesy of Big Jay McNeely

Big Jay McNeely made some of the biggest waves on the 1940s R&B scene with his screaming tenor sax

As one of the titans who made tenor sax the solo instrument of choice during rock’s primordial era in the late 1940s, Big Jay McNeely could peel the paper right off the walls with his sheets of squealing, honking horn riffs. “The king of the honkers” has been wailing hard for over seven decades, and he’s still going strong. Continue reading →

President’s Day – Local 47 Political Town Hall Meeting

(pdf flyer)

RSVP: organizing@promusic47.org, 323.993.3143

Sign up to be a Local 47 Activist

If you cannot attend our Town Hall, there are still ways to be involved! Sign up for our Local 47 Activists List and tell us what issues matter to you most. You will receive notifications of Local 47 actions and campaigns that protect our jobs and our livelihood.

Remembering David Axelrod

Photo by B Plus, courtesy of Dana Axelrod

On Feb. 5, 2017, composer, arranger and producer David Axelrod, whose work has been sampled by several of the biggest names in hip hop, passed away at the age of 83. 

This interview with Linda A. Rapka was originally published in the May 2011 issue of the AFM Local 47 Overture newspaper.

A golden producer in the heyday of Capitol Records, David Axelrod lent his magic to hit jazz, funk and soul records of the 1960s and ’70s. He churned out a succession of gold records and top singles with artists including Lou Rawls, Cannonball Adderley and the Electric Prunes, and his signature sound is a sampling favorite of today’s hip hop artists. His keen eye for spotting unlikely successes garnered him a lasting imprint on some of the most eccentric albums of the era. Sailor-mouthed and charmingly surly, Axelrod minces no words about his improbable highs and cavernous lows during six decades in the industry. Continue reading →

February 2017 In Memoriam

Daniel D. Cerilly
Life Member. Trombone
8/8/1920 – 12/25/2016
Survived by son

Andreas ‘Andy’ Kostelas
11/10/1924 – 1/20/2017
Life Member. Saxophone/Flute/Clarinet
Survived by spouse & children

Herbert Maddox
Life Member. Trombone
8/28/1918 – 8/10/2016
Survived by friends

Laila Padorr
Life Member. Flute
7/25/1925 – 8/27/2016
Survived by spouse

Louis E. Shoch
Life Member. Bass
8/17/1943 – 12/2/2016
Survived by spouse & child

Marc Yacoubian
Saxophone
8/11/1958 – 8/27/2016
Survived by spouse & child

Final Note: Dan Mark

 

Life Member. Guitar
7/14/1946 – 1/5/2017

Musician Dan Mark passed away on January 5, 2017, after many years of suffering from grave health problems. He is survived by his first wife Sally Gordon-Mark, his son Tony Mark, his daughter-in-law Jennifer, his granddaughter Justine, his second wife, Margie Sisco Mark and his step-daughter Sabrina.

Born on July 14, 1946 in North Hollywood, CA, he remained there most of his life, residing later in Studio City and then West Hollywood. He attended Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California and pursued higher studies later in life at UCLA. Continue reading →

Los Angeles Honors Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

L.A. County Fed Executive Secretary-Treasurer Rusty Hicks, keynote speaker Bryan Stevenson, Senator Kamala Harris, Supervisor Hilda Solis, and SEIU 2015 President Laphonza Butler. (Photo: Monica Almeida, The Newspaper Guild)

On Saturday, January 14, 2017, nearly 1,000 community and labor leaders and elected officials gathered for the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast hosted by the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor.

Held at the Westin Bonaventure downtown, the event kicked off with an address by newly elected United States Senator Kamala Harris. Sen. Harris has not only been a champion for California’s working families, but she has been a leader in reducing recidivism and providing tools to re-enter back into civilian life. Continue reading →