Hosted by Chris Garlock

Featuring retired IBEW 26 member Dick Bissell on drums, Don Oliver on Bull Fiddle, and Jared Marx on keyboard. Black Coffee is a jazz combo born in 2005, playing jazz standards from the 30's and 40's.  

Produced by Korey Hartwich. Engineered by Robin Smith, Curtis Fye and Ciera Shine.

Candy Shannon hosts
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The Fritz/Kocur duo derives their unique sound from their varied individual backgrounds. Their two musical paths converged in their shared love of jazz music, with Patrick Fritz bringing years of experience playing in rock bands to add an edge to his sound, and John Kocur bringing his sometimes-powerful, sometimes-sweet saxophone tone honed from years of study with both great classical talents and great jazz artists. The duo blends their unique artistic histories monthly at Blend Coffee Bar in Ashburn, VA and have also performed together at the Bethesda Row Arts Fair, Trinity House Cafe, and Leesburg Beer and Wine Company. In a truly collaborative effort, they each share their song-writing capabilities to add music to their sets that you can't hear elsewhere, while also covering current pop hits that you can't hear quite like this in an effort to allow jazz music to continue a tradition it had at the height of its popularity—exploring improvisation over tunes that would be familiar to all those in their audiences.
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John is currently a member of the DC Federation of Musicians Local 161-710 and the Washington Area Music Association.

photo by Chris Garlock

Luci Murphy hosts Luis Garay’s Percussion World Ensemble is a multicultural group playing Afro-Latin rhythms in a high energy performance of original music for 20+ years in and around Washington D.C. The members of the ensemble professional percussionists who perform world rhythms, specializing in rhythms of the Americas and Africa:
Luis Garay: Drums, Marimba, Balafon, Djembe, Timbales
Eddie Montalvo: Congas, Bongo,
Igor Kozlov: Bass Marimba, Percussion,
Joe Link: Drums

Busboys & Poets 14th Street; 2021 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 

SPONSORED BY THE MUSIC PERFORMANCE TRUST FUND
and the Washington DC Federation of Musicians, AFM 161-710

​The DC LaborFest wraps up with a full night of jazz starting with a live simulcast concert from 5-6p on WPFW 89.3FM with local jazz musicians from the Washington Musicians Union, including Bob Boguslaw on piano, Antonio Parker on saxophone, PercySmith on drums and Paul Scimonelli on bass.
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photo by Chris Garlock

Wed, May 17, 5:00 pm - 8:00pm, Busboys and Poets Takoma, 235 Carroll St, Washington DC 20012

​An original “labor jazz opera” by local activist/musician Steve Jones, “Love Songs” tells the moving story of a strike led by African-American women at the R J Reynolds factory in Winston-Salem, NC, which was an early victory against Jim Crow segregation. Tonight’s performance featured selections from “Love Songs,” with local singers, directed by Elise Bryant. 

Tue, May 9, 5:00 pm-8:00 pm
Busboys and Poets Takoma, 235 Carroll St, Washington DC 20012
United by the beat and driven by the groove, AZTEC SUN's music is perfect for dancing or just listening and appreciating. Named "DC's Best Local Band of 2016" by the Washington City Paper's Reader's Poll, they offer a blend of 70s-era Funk and Soul music with heavy influences of Afrobeat, Blues and Jazz. Hard-hitting rhythms, infectious melodies and high-energy live performances are the hallmarks of this band. The group combines a multitude of cultural backgrounds and professional occupations (including two musicians union members) - but the sum of their work is a tightly-wound music machine. Catch them live at the 2017 DC LaborFest!

R&B & JAZZ SHOW: LEE ANDERSON AND BEV HOLTON
Tuesday, May 2, 5:00 pm-8:00 pm, Busboys and Poets Takoma, 235 Carroll St, Washington DC 20012

​Many musicians have day jobs and many office workers dream of other vocations: Lee and Bev weave these together perfectly. They both work at the AFL-CIO – Lee’s a Senior Digital Strategist in the Digital Strategies department and Bev’s an Administrative Secretary in the  Communications department – and they’ve both been singing for decades.

Lee Anderson is a classically trained R&B singer, pianist, producer and has been singing for over 20 years at progressive movement conferences like Netroots and the Midwest Academy. He’s sung background vocals for celebrities like Mariah Carey and with local bands like the Touch Band. Most recently he appeared in the DC production of “Love Songs From The Liberation Wars.” 

Jazz singer Bev Holton began singing at age three, performing "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" at her nursery school's talent show. Since then she’s performed with the Nova Shadow Quartet at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, a vocal group in Boston performing weekly concert versions of Broadway shows, at various piano bars and open mike nights in New York City, before returning to DC where she’s performed regularly for the last 30 years. 

This week's show features performances and conversation with the composer and some of the cast of "Love Songs from the Liberation Wars," the new labor jazz opera with performances coming up March 30-April 1. Union City Radio's Chris Garlock hosts and interviews composer Steve Jones and cast members Ayana Reed, Jazmin Gargoum, David Meredith, Lee Anderson and Monique Griffiths.  ​

Composed by Steve Jones and directed by Elise Bryant, “Love Songs”  is an original work inspired by the book “Civil Rights Unionism” by Robert Korstad. It tells the moving story of a strike led by African-American women at the R J Reynolds factory in Winston-Salem, NC, which was an early victory against Jim Crow segregation. 
The fully staged performances will take place Thursday March 30 at 8 pm, Friday March 31 at 8 pm, and Saturday April 1 at 3 pm and 8 pm.

All performances at: Tommy Douglas Conference Center, 10000 New Hampshire Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20903; details and tickets here.

Hosted by Union City Radio's Chris Garlock

Punk and justice come to WPFW. This month's show features Chill Parents, a four piece punk band from Washington, DC. Their biggest inspirations are La Villa Pizza and Founders' All Day IPA. They have played a lot of house shows around the District, and promise not to spoil the party as long as you leave your keys on the counter. 

Band members include gym staffer Kevin Tit on guitar and vocals, teacher Omar Tanamaly, bass and vocals, veterinary lab technician Andy Appleton on drums and vocals, and UFCW Local 400 communications manager Jon Williams on guitar and vocals. 

Labor [email protected] is produced by Korey Hartwich and engineered by David "The Cleaner" Kelly

Hosted by Union City Radio's Chris Garlock (second from left). The monthly Labor [email protected] series relaunched with a Jazz Jam with a trio of local musicians from the D.C. Federation of Musicians: Ephriam Wolfolk (double bass, second from right), John Albertson (jazz guitar, left) and Greg Holloway (drums/percussion, far right), performing a mix of jazz standards and Latin music. 
NOTE: due to a technical problem, the audio file for this show is not currently available.

All three musicians are members of the Metropolitan Washington D.C. Federation of Musicians, Local 161-710 of the American Federation of Musicians, which made tonight's show possible. Local 161-710 can supply all your musical needs – from a solo pianist, harpist or strolling violinist to a rock band, jazz trio or large dance orchestra. They’ll go over every detail to make sure your wedding, corporate or political reception comes off exactly as planned. And best of all, you’ll be protected by a contract backed by the American Federation of Musicians, the largest organization in the world dedicated to representing professional musicians.
Referrals are free; call (202) 337-9325.

Labor [email protected] is produced by Korey Hartwich and engineered by David "The Cleaner" Kelly