Sandra Anderson Baccus … A Patron of the Arts
Sandra Anderson Baccus (1945-2012)
NBAF and the Atlanta arts and cultural community lost Sandra Anderson Baccus, a dear friend and supporter, when she passed unexpectedly on Sunday, February 5, 2012. Known for her fashion forward style and impeccable taste, Sandra was a generous benefactor to many worthwhile causes, but her true love was the arts. As a steadfast supporter of NBAF for more than two decades, she enabled NBAF to continue engaging in important work and help elevate the arts. Sandra served as Honorary Chair, Chair and Chair Emertius of NBAF’s Fine Art + Fashion event. In living testimony to her passion for education and fashion, she established NBAF’s M. Jack Anderson Emerging Talent Award to honor the life and legacy of her late brother. Sandra generously created a fund to present three cash scholarships for 10 years to three emerging fashion designers from Clark Atlanta University and Savannah College of Art and Design. She has left an indelible mark on NBAF and the philanthropic community…we are all better because of her efforts.
NBAF will pay tribute to Sandra at the 2012 Fine Art + Fashion event on March 15, 2012, with NBAF’s Fine Art + Fashion Star Award as we celebrate her for the rare and stunning woman she was.
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About Sandra Anderson Baccus
Sandra Anderson Baccus was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on September 13, 1945 to Mrs. Ada Collins Anderson and Mr. Marcellus Jack Anderson. She grew up in Austin, Texas, where she exhibited leadership skills at an early age. As President of the student body in the 7th grade she had the distinct honor of presenting red roses to Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt. As a graduate of Boston University and City College of New York, from which she received a Master of Science in Education in 1972, Sandra’s love for teaching and mentoring future generations was fostered. This was evident in her belief that the Arts and volunteering provided a forum for children to learn more about themselves, their history and their future.
She was initiated by the TAU Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority at Boston University, which began her mantra of “It’s not easy being Queen.” She was Co-Founder, and President of several companies in the healthcare and energy industries and fully accountable for all facets of the operations. Under the leadership of Sandra and her husband Lloyd, Correctional Medical Associates, Inc. (CMA) flourished while providing medical and mental health services at the Fulton County Jail for the past 25 years. During CMA’s tenure, the Fulton County Jail received national accreditation as well as the coveted award, the Triple Crown. Baccus Enterprises invested in solar and other renewable energy sources. Sandra Baccus and her husband also developed Lottery Services of Georgia, a firm that repairs Georgia’s lottery and voting machines.
Sandra Anderson Baccas and mother, Ada Anderson at 2010 NBAF Fine Art + Fashion
In addition to offering undeniable strengths corporately, Sandra Baccus’ history of community service, fund-raising for non-profits and her role as an arts advocate extended over 2 decades. At her passing, her most recent Board memberships were the Georgia Primary Bank, the HistoryMakers, the African American Experience Fund of the National Park Service, and the Community Relations Committee of the High Museum of Art. She was also a patron to many including the African American Collections at Emory University, the National Black Arts Festival, the Georgia Sheriff’s Youth Homes, and the Texas Southern Museum of Art.
Sandra Baccus resided in Atlanta, Georgia for over 25 years, and touched many lives in the city and beyond through her generosity and commitment to education and the arts. She was recognized by numerous organizations for her contributions to both the public and business communities. The 4th Congressional District honored her with the “Georgia’s Top Black Business” award. Sandra Baccus also spent four years as a member of the Governor’s Small and Minority Business Development Advisory Committee. She also received Georgia State University’s “Distinguished Service to Education Award” award, the National Black Arts Festival’s “Founder’s Award”, and the “Excellence in Service” award from the Hammonds House Gallery.
Mrs. Baccus established the M. Jack Anderson Emerging Talent Award in honor of her brother, the late M. Jack Anderson, through the National Black Arts Festival. This award recognizes individuals who have distinguished themselves as cutting edge, creative and innovative fashion designers and who possess leadership qualities in their personal life and professional aspirations.
Photo Credits: Philip Shone, Ben Rose
Do You Know James Booker?
James Booker (1939-1983)
As a piano player from New Orleans, he has no peers,though there is legion of those who have tried to imitate, duplicate and emulate his phenomenal approach on the keys.
James Carroll Booker III was born in New Orleans on December 17, 1939, son of a minister, who played piano. It was his sister’s music teacher who taught him piano scales and to read music. He was known for his musical gifts at an early age, and was considered a piano prodigy, giving classical recitals at age six, and continued classical training until twelve. He was acknowledged to have perfect pitch, instant musical recall, and a photographic memory in sight reading. He was playing Chopin, Erroll Garner, and Liberace, and could play their solos from memory.
By age of fourteen he auditioned for Dave Barthololmew at Imperial Records, where he cut a couple of sides as Little Booker. The records didn’t do much but Bartholomew recognized his talent for imitating any style, so he hired him as studio pianist to fill in and overdub piano parts, which he did for Fats Domino.
He would amass quite a long list of credentials in the recording and touring categories with a variety of artists. These would include between the years of 1956 to 1960 sessions and tours with Amos Milburn, Joe Tex, Shirley and Lee, Huey Smith, Dee Clarke, Earl King, Bobby Blue Bland, Junior Parker, and Smiley Lewis. In 1961 he recorded “Gonzo” which became a local hit, and is his cult classic. Then it was back on the road and in studios with B.B. King, Little Richard, Lloyd Price, and Wilson Pickett. There is a grey area in the mid sixties when he did time at Angola State Penitentiary, then returned to New Orleans to play in the local bars and clubs. He would reemerge again in 1968 doing the piano work on “Fat’s Is Back” for Fats Domino, and would continue to work and record for the next several years with Freddie King, King Curtis, Aretha Franklin, T Bone Walker, Ringo Starr, Maria and Geoff Muldaur, Labelle, and John Mayall.
James Booker would finally come into his own by the mid ‘70’s and began the recordings for which he is primarily known and judged by. He had developed an unusual style which is still difficult to categorize or define; he is recognized for his elaborate embellishments on the simplest of songs, and ability to turn the most tepid of material into a virtuoso masterpiece.He also did his own renditons of classical material. There is his “Booker riff” or comp which is most identified with him, which displays his New Orleans roots and the influence of Professor Longhair with the syncopated beat and rhythm which is indigenous to the music of the city. But that would be just his starting point from which he could take off. He had incredible feeling for the music he played, and the piano literally became an extension of the man, when Booker was on, it was nothing short of wizardry. His keyboard dexterity, excellent timing, coupled with a flamboyant expression, is just the beginning.His place in the history of New Orleans piano is secured. It seems like every musician in the city who was around, has a Booker story. He is recognized for his exceptional talent and for bringing up the musical standard. All these years after his death, there are piano players, and there is James Booker, The Piano Prince of New Orleans!
Source: AllAboutJazz, Wikipedia
Do You Know Marian Anderson?
Marian Anderson (1897-1993)
Marian Anderson was born to a warm, loving, hardworking family on Webster Street in South Philadelphia. A woman of simple dignity and serene charm, she raised her art to a pinnacle of such perfection that when she sang, music became akin to religion in its emotional impact.
She first began singing in the choir of Union Baptist church, learning all the parts from soprano to bass, a discipline that helped to develop her extraordinary range. She was 15 when she received her first formal lesson.
The Union Baptist congregation established a Marian Anderson fund to enable her to have regular and thorough training. When Marian was introduced to Italian conductor, Arturo Toscanini, he told her “A VOICE LIKE YOURS IS HEARD ONLY ONCE IN A HUNDRED YEARS.”
She debuted at the New York Philharmonic on August 26 , 1925 and scored an immediate success, also with the critics. In 1928 , she sang for the first time at Carnegie Hall.
Her reputation was further advanced by her tour though Europe in the early 1930′s . The Finnish composer Jean Sibelius dedicated hisSolitude to her.
In 1955 , Anderson broke the color barrier by becoming the first African-American to perform with the New York Metropolitan Opera . On that occasion, she sang the part of Ulrica in Giuseppe Verdi ‘s Un ballo in maschera . The occasion was bittersweet as Anderson, at age 58, was no longer in her prime vocally.
In 1958 she was officially designated delegate to the United Nations , a formalization of her role as “goodwill ambassador” of
the U.S. she played earlier, and in 1972 she was awarded the UN Peace Prize.
After an extensive farewell tour, she retired from singing in 1965 . Her achievements were recognized and honored with many prizes, including a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1991 .
Marian Anderson died in 1993 at her nephew’s home in Portland, Oregon at the age of 96 of natural causes. She is interred in the Eden Cemetery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania .
The 1939 documentary film, Marian Anderson: the Lincoln Memorial Concert was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry .
On January 27, 2005, a commemorative U.S. postage stamp honored Marian Anderson with her image on the 37¢ issue as part of the “Black Heritage” series.
Source: MarianAnderson, Thebuzzinthecity, YouTube
Do You Know Charlie Parker?
Charlie Parker (1920-1955)
The only child of Charles and Addie Parker, Charlie Parker was one of the most important and influential saxophonists and jazz players of the 1940’s.
When Parker was still a child, his family moved to Kansas City, Missouri, where jazz, blues and gospel music were flourishing. His first contact with music came from school, where he played baritone horn with the school’s band. When he was 15, he showed a great interest in music and a love for the alto saxophone. Soon, Parker was playing with local bands until 1935, when he left school to pursue a music career.
From 1935 to 1939, Parker worked in Kansas City with several local jazz and blues bands from which he developed his art. In 1939, Parker visited New York for the first time, and he stayed for nearly a year working as a professional musician and often participating in jam sessions. The New York atmosphere greatly influenced Parker’s musical style.
In 1938, Parker joined the band of pianist Jay McShann, with whom he toured around Southwest Chicago and New York. A year later, Parker traveled to Chicago and was a regular performer at a club on 55th street. Parker soon moved to New York. He washed dishes at a local food place where he met guitarist Biddy Fleet, the man who taught him about instrumental harmony. Shortly afterwards, Parker returned to Kansas City to attend his father’s funeral. Once there, he joined Harlan Leonard’s Rockets and stayed for five months. In 1939, Yardbird rejoined McShann and was placed in charge of the reed section. Then, in 1940, Parker made his first recording with the McShann orchestra.
The year 1945 was extremely important for Parker. During that time he led his own group in New York and also worked with Gillespie in several ensembles. In December, Parker and Gillespie took their music to Hollywood on a six-week nightclub tour. Parker continued to perform in Los Angeles until June 1946, when he suffered a nervous breakdown and was confined at a state hospital. After his release in January 1947, Parker returned to New York and formed a quintet that performed some of his most famous tunes.
From 1947 to 1951, Parker worked in a number of nightclubs, radio studios, and other venues performing solo or with the accompaniment of other musicians. During this time, he visited Europe where he was cheered by devoted fans and did numerous recordings. March 5, 1955, was Parker’s last public engagement at Birdland, a nightclub in New York that was named in his honor. He died a week later in a friend’s apartment.
Sources: AllAboutJazz, Youtube
Betrayal … A Conversation with Houston Baker, Jr.
Sunday January 29, 2012 – Sunday January 29, 2012
101 Auburn Avenue, NE
Description:
January 29, 3:00 PM, Auburn Avenue Research Library
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED
NBAF presents Houston Baker, Jr., Distinguished University Professor of English at Vanderbilt University and winner of the American Book Award. In his controversial book Betrayal: How Black Intellectuals Have Abandoned the Ideals of the Civil Rights Era, Houston Baker Jr. says some of the black community’s leading lights have abandoned the progressive social ideas that fueled the Civil Rights era. He believes Martin Luther King Jr.’s death over 40 years ago marked the beginning of the end. Free and open to the public. Presented by NBAF Department of Education and Public Programs. For more information contact Dr. Collette Hopkins at chopkins@nbaf.org.
