Willis Conover, the Voice of Jazz, Is Now Online
时间：2019-01-12 作者：英语课 分类：2015年VOA慢速英语(九)月
Willis Conover, the Voice of Jazz, Is Now Online
Saxophonist Ahmad Alaadeen said this about jazz music.
"Jazz does not belong to one race or culture, but is a gift that America has given the world."
The late Willis Conover -- an internationally-known jazz producer and broadcaster -- delivered that gift of jazz music from the studios at the Voice of America for more than 40 years. People still write to VOA fondly about Conover, who died in 1996.
Imagine tuning 1 the dial of a shortwave radio through static that crackled and popped. Finally, the dial finds the musical notes of “The A Train,” a popular song written by the great Duke Ellington. Next comes Conover’s voice saying ...
For more than 40 years, Willis Conover’s long-running “Jazz Hour” introduced millions of people in Europe and the former Soviet 2 Union to American jazz.
He produced jazz concerts at the White House, the Newport Jazz Festival, and for movies and television. He was the voice of jazz around the world. ...
But, at home in America, few people knew him or his work.
Maristella Feustle is the Music Special Collections Librarian at the University of North Texas, UNT. She says a big chapter in jazz history is now being told.
“It’s a gigantic untold 3 chapter in jazz history because all of these interviews have been hidden so long. Willis's role overseas in propagating jazz and its effect and presenting the best of America in actions rather than words. All of these things are untold, hidden history stateside because the VOA wasn’t able to broadcast stateside.
"So I see a treasure trove 4 of research, of history, of connections, because Willis had so many connections with so many jazz musicians around the world and that’s finally going to be unhidden.”
Now, under the music program at UNT, the Willis Conover archive of jazz recordings 5 are being made available online.
Maristella Feustle says they received the music collection as a gift from the the Willis Conover Jazz Preservation 6 Foundation in 1997.
She says the collection came with thousands of music recordings, interviews, program notes and other personal items.
“Because it came with thousands of sound recordings, we've cataloged and added almost 20,000 CDs alone, just from Conover’s collection. The process collection, which includes his collection of reel-to-reels tapes that being just under twenty-one hundred reel-to-reel tapes spanning the early 1950s through 1996. Personal papers, writings, and correspondences you name it.”
After applying to several grants to help with the preservation of the collection, UNT was awarded funding by the Grammy foundation.
“We found out from the Grammy foundation in March that we had indeed gotten the grant and sent up the first batch 7 this summer of Conover reels. So these 10 tapes are that first shot, and it went beautifully. We were thrilled the moment we were able to hear the tapes.”
Maristella adds that when using the online archive, listeners and users will grasp the significance of Willis Conover in waves.
"First, is just the idea that yes, this guy is important. And then actually going though and seeing the interviews he’s done and going through his correspondence, the playlist for his broadcasts, that’s when it starts to really hit you.”
There are 10 digital jazz recordings online. There’s Willis Conover featuring Bill Evans at the Village Vanguard, an interview with American jazz pianist Art Tatum, and a live performance of the “Orchestra of Washington, D.C." to name a few. Many other handwritten program notes also have been added.
The online archive are free and open to the public. So far, it is being well-received, Feustle said. There is a following on social media, too, like Facebook and Twitter. Again, Maristella Feustle,
“It’s been received very enthusiastically. I’m one of the administrators 8 of the Willis Conover Facebook page, and we have just over 700 ‘Likes’ and Willis still has a tremendous following not only overseas but with shortwave listeners in the (U.S.) States and people are elated. We have gotten a great response on Twitter, and one of the emails I got following the posting of this collection was a very short, but sweet email. It was from somewhere overseas…
‘respected librarian thank you for providing the link to access my favorite music’.
In honor of his memory, a petition has been sent to persuade the Postal 9 Services Stamp Advisory 10 Committee to put Willis Conover on a U.S. postage stamp. The campaign received over 7,000 signatures. If it’s approved, it will send the face of the voice -- who brought jazz to many listeners during the Cold War -- around the world again.
Words in This Story
fondly - adv. in a loving way
batch -n. an amount of something that is made at one time
playlist - n. a list of songs to be played by a radio station
elated - adj. very happy and excited
petition - n. a written document that people sign to show that they want a person or organization to do or change something
- They are tuning up a plane on the flight line. 他们正在机场的飞机跑道上调试一架飞机。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The orchestra are tuning up. 管弦乐队在定弦。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
- Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
- Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。
- She has done untold damage to our chances.她给我们的机遇造成了不可估量的损害。
- They suffered untold terrors in the dark and huddled together for comfort.他们遭受着黑暗中的难以言传的种种恐怖，因而只好挤在一堆互相壮胆。
- He assembled a rich trove of Chinese porcelain.他收集了一批中国瓷器。
- The gallery is a treasure trove of medieval art.这个画廊是中世纪艺术的宝库。
- a boxed set of original recordings 一套盒装原声录音带
- old jazz recordings reissued on CD 以激光唱片重新发行的老爵士乐
- The police are responsible for the preservation of law and order.警察负责维持法律与秩序。
- The picture is in an excellent state of preservation.这幅画保存得极为完好。
- The first batch of cakes was burnt.第一炉蛋糕烤焦了。
- I have a batch of letters to answer.我有一批信要回复。
- He had administrators under him but took the crucial decisions himself. 他手下有管理人员，但重要的决策仍由他自己来做。 来自辞典例句
- Administrators have their own methods of social intercourse. 办行政的人有他们的社交方式。 来自汉英文学 - 围城
- A postal network now covers the whole country.邮路遍及全国。
- Remember to use postal code.勿忘使用邮政编码。