All posts by Faye Anderson

I am director of All That Philly Jazz, a place-based public history project that is documenting and contextualizing Philadelphia’s golden age of jazz. The project is at the intersection of art, public policy, and cultural heritage preservation.
Advocacy, Lee Morgan

Lee Morgan, Black Excellence and Sensational Journalism

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An African proverb says, “Until the lion tells the story, the hunter will always be the hero.” On International Jazz Day, we told the story of Lee Morgan, a story of Black Excellence.

Even when we tell our story, a white journalist lionizes a white man in his report on the dedication of Edward Lee Morgan’s historical marker.

Writing for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Shaun Brady dug up the sensationalistic claim that a white fan “discovered” Lee Morgan’s “lost gravesite.” The “discovery” was made after the fan wandered around White Chapel Memorial Park during the coronavirus pandemic. When he finally asked for help, the groundskeeper took him to the location. The grave marker was obscured by overgrown grass and vegetation at a time when there was a worker shortage across the board.

The “discovery” was so sensational that nine of the 17 paragraphs in Brady’s story are about a mediocre white man. That is more than the combined number of paragraphs about the legendary Black trumpeter, the Black family who loves him, the Black musicians who knew him, the Black property owners who preserved the memory of the Aqua Lounge, and the Black woman who nominated Lee Morgan for a historical marker and listing on the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry.

It was lost on Brady that he should have fact-checked the claim. I brought his journalistic malpractice to the attention of his editor, Bedatri Choudhury. Her response: “In retrospect, he should’ve spoken to Mr. Morgan’s family.”

In a recent profile of longtime jazz producer Leo Gadson, Michelle Lyu wrote:

Today, the narrative of jazz is shaped by an essentially white worldview; one which separates it from the people who made the major contribution to its creation and continuance.

This white worldview turned a joyous celebration of Black Excellence into a white savior story. In so doing, The Inquirer tarnished Lee Morgan’s legacy and portrayed his family members in a false light.

Malcolm X is memorialized on the mural that overlooks Lee Morgan’s historical marker. Our Black Shining Prince warned us about newspapers.

The sensationalistic claim published in The Inquirer has readers “hating” a Black family for not knowing the location of Lee Morgan’s gravesite and “loving” a white man who discovered a gravesite that was not lost.

Lee Morgan’s family will correct the false and defamatory claim by any means necessary.

Advocacy, Lee Morgan

From A Sister, With Love

On February 23, 1974, the Philadelphia Tribune published an open letter, “From A Sister, With Love,” written by Ernestine Morgan Cox, Lee Morgan’s sister.

On April 30, 2024, this sister, along with Lee’s family and the community that loves him, unveiled Edward Lee Morgan’s historical marker.

Lee Morgan was celebrated for the life he lived and the legacy he left. But the struggle continues. Stay tuned.

Advocacy, Lee Morgan

Edward Lee Morgan Historical Marker Dedication Ceremony

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I nominated Edward “Lee” Morgan for a Pennsylvania historical marker on February 19, 2022, the 50th anniversary of his death. I chose that date to ensure the conversation was not solely about how Lee Morgan died. I wanted to shift the conversation to how the legendary trumpeter lived.

In an open letter published in the Philadelphia Tribune on February 23, 1974, Lee’s beloved sister, Ernestine Morgan Cox, wrote:

[T]hough he only lived to be 33, he managed to accomplish more than some of us who have sixty or more years in which to do it… Lee Morgan really lived a full life… Lee did indeed live and he has left an indelible impression on the lives of many whose path he has crossed.

WRTI Editorial Director Nate Chinen wrote an accurate account of how we got here.

Lee Morgan’s historical marker will be dedicated on International Jazz Day. I was privileged to get a sneak peek when I dropped off the cover. The marker is blocked and blurred because the text should not be revealed before the unveiling.

The dedication ceremony will be held on April 30, 2024 at 12pm – rain or shine. The marker will be installed at 52nd and Chancellor Streets, in front of the former site of the Aqua Lounge.

Following the unveiling, we will walk over to the Painted Bride Art Center (5212 Market Street) for a community celebration hosted by the Voices of 52nd Street Oral History Project from 2pm to 3:30pm. It will be an afternoon of sharing memories of Lee Morgan, the Aqua Lounge and “the Strip.”

The celebration will continue at the Black Bottom Jazz Fest featuring the Daud El-Bakara Quartet and the Drexel University Jazztet, presented by the Black Bottom Tribe Association. The concert will be held from 3pm to 6pm at Drexel Square, 3001 Market Street (across from William H. Gray III 30th Street Amtrak Station).

Advocacy, Cultural Heritage Preservation, Lee Morgan

‘The Sidewinder’ Added to National Recording Registry

To commemorate International Jazz Day 2023 , I nominated Lee Morgan’s “The Sidewinder” for listing on the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress. Established in 2002 as part of the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, the National Recording Registry is a list of sound recordings that are “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” The registry includes music, spoken word and historic speeches.

Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced the Class of 2024 on April 16, 2024. I scrolled the list with trepidation. When I saw Lee Morgan’s “The Sidewinder,” I jumped up in stunned disbelief.


A record 2,899 nominations were submitted for this year’s class. “The Sidewinder” is among the 25 audio recordings selected for preservation in the Library of Congress’ sound collection.


We will celebrate the listing on International Jazz Day 2024 when Edward Lee Morgan’s historical marker is unveiled.

The dedication ceremony is free and open to the public. To register for the unveiling, please go here.

Cultural Heritage Preservation, Lee Morgan

Jazz Appreciation Month: Francis “Frank” Johnson

In an opinion piece published in the Philadelphia Inquirer for African American Music Month 2023, I noted that keyed bugle player, bandleader and composer Francis “Frank” Johnson toured the United States, and was the first Black musician to tour Europe.

I stand corrected. As electric guitarist, music educator and musicologist Tyler Diaz made clear during a recent concert and roundtable discussion at the Museum of the American Revolution, Frank Johnson was the first American to travel to Europe as a working musician.

In a blog post, Diaz wrote:

Sometime during the 1810s, Johnson was introduced to the Keyed Bugle, an immediate predecessor to the trumpet. With the mastery of this new instrument paired with his noted virtuosity on the violin, Johnson began his rise to national acclaim.

[…]

They [Johnson and band members] became the first Americans to travel to Europe as working musicians. The goal was to come back to Philadelphia with new music and increased musicality. After successful concerts in London and a possible trip to Paris, he returned stateside on May 16th, 1838, surpassing the goal he set out in his ad with great reception.

Johnson is sometimes referred to as the forefather of jazz and ragtime. I am struck by the similarities between Frank Johnson and Lee Morgan.

Both musicians were born in Philadelphia and masters of their chosen instrument. The keyed bugle is an early version of the modern trumpet. Johnson and Morgan were “universally respected” and “celebrated personages of Philadelphia.” Frank and Lee oozed confidence and cool.

They will soon have a historical marker in common. Frank Johnson’s historical marker was installed in 1992.

Lee Morgan’s historical marker will be unveiled on April 30, 2024, International Jazz Day. The dedication ceremony is free and open to the public. To register for the unveiling, please go here.

Advocacy, Lee Morgan

Jazz Appreciation Month: Billie Holiday

Billie Holiday was born at Philadelphia General Hospital on April 7, 1915. Located in the Black Bottom, the public hospital was the “hospital of choice” for African American women during the Great Migration.

WKCR is hosting a special birthday broadcast in honor of Lady Day. You can listen to the 24-hour broadcast on 89.9 FM or stream it live here.

My appreciation for Billie Holiday is well-documented. I made some noise when I found out that Lady Day was not honored on Philadelphia’s Walk of Fame. I ruffled some feathers but Billie got her plaque.

It’s Lady Day’s heavenly birthday but April 2024 is Lee Morgan Appreciation Month. So I want to note that a little over a year after graduating from Jules E. Mastbaum Area Vocational Technical School, the trumpet virtuoso was performing with the Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra at the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival. Lee was on the same stage as Billie Holiday.

On International Jazz Day 2022, I led a walking tour of Billie Holiday’s Philadelphia. On International Jazz Day 2024, I will lead the dedication of Lee Morgan’s historical marker.

The dedication ceremony is free and open to the public. Please go here to register for the unveiling.

Advocacy, Lee Morgan

Jazz Appreciation Month: Edward Lee Morgan

Jazz Appreciation Month, also known as JAM, is an annual celebration held in April to honor and promote jazz and its cultural significance. JAM was conceived by the National Museum of American History in 2001.

This year, Jazz Appreciation Month celebrates the 125th birthday of Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington.

However this year in Philadelphia, it’s Edward Lee Morgan Appreciation Month.

Join us on International Jazz Day for the dedication of Edward Lee Morgan’s historical marker.

The dedication ceremony is free and open to the public. Please click here to register.

Cultural Heritage

Women in Jazz Month: Samara Joy

Women in Jazz Month is celebrated annually in March. It is a time to recognize and honor the contributions of female vocalists, composers, bandleaders, and instrumentalists. Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan are jazz icons who are ensconced in the GRAMMY Hall of Fame.

With a voice that evokes Ella and Sarah, 24-year-old Samara Joy McLendon has already achieved GRAMMY recognition.

Samara Joy won the 2023 GRAMMY awards for Best Jazz Vocal Album and Best New Artist for her second album, “Linger Awhile.”

Samara Joy won the 2024 GRAMMY for Best Jazz Performance for “Tight.”

Samara Joy co-wrote the soulful and defiant “Why I’m Here” featured in the Netflix film “Shirley.”

With a voice that belies her age, listening to Samara Joy is, well, a joy.

Advocacy, Cultural Heritage Preservation

Women’s History Month: Augusta Savage

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Augusta Savage was a sculptor and arts educator, and an important figure in the Harlem Renaissance. She founded the Savage Studio of Arts and Crafts in Harlem, where she mentored and inspired many well-known Harlem Renaissance artists including Ernest Crichlow and Jacob Lawrence.

Like her monumental work, Savage’s story was almost lost to history. “The Harp” was created for the 1939 New York World’s Fair. The design was inspired by James Weldon Johnson’s poem “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” also known as the Black National Anthem. Viewed by more than five million people, Savage’s sculpture was destroyed during the cleanup after the fair ended.

American Masters Shorts‘ documentary, Searching for Augusta Savage, recently premiered on PBS. The filmmakers said they “‘wanted to investigate why evidence of Savage’s accomplishments and her work appear to be erased. We wanted to know how someone so accomplished, so enterprising and so celebrated during her lifetime, could be missing from the annals of American history and the museum landscape.”

Monumental Women has launched a campaign to recreate “The Harp.” For more information, go here.

Advocacy, John Coltrane House

John Coltrane House Update

March 10-16, 2024 is Sunshine Week, a time to celebrate transparency, and the right to know what government officials are doing and saying behind closed doors. I used the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Pennsylvania’s Right-To-Know Law to tell the story of the deteriorating condition of the John Coltrane House and the drama over ownership of the National Historic Landmark.

John Coltrane’s beloved “Cousin Mary,” Mary Alexander, sounded the alarm about the physical deterioration of the property as early as 1987.

From time to time I would check on the Coltrane House. Without access to the property, I reported illegal dumping and other violations visible from the public right of way. I am a cold weather person but on a hot and humid morning in August 2019, I felt an overwhelming urge to stop by the Coltrane House. I later learned that Cousin Mary joined the ancestors the same day that I was snooping around her former home. I vowed then that I would do whatever I could to preserve the historic landmark in public memory.

I successfully nominated the Coltrane House for inclusion on 2020 Pennsylvania At Risk. Designation does not bring any resources; instead, it brings renewed media attention to a historic landmark at risk of demolition by neglect.

News stories about the designation were published in February 2020. I had a conference call with Ravi Coltrane to explore next steps on March 13, 2020. I have not spoken with him since that conversation. However, news articles about the At-Risk designation were included as exhibits to the case that Ravi and Oran Coltrane filed to gain possession of the property on April 27, 2022.

Fast forward to May 2023, the parties reached an agreement in principle. The outcome was predetermined given the existence of a valid will. Under the terms of their grandmother’s will, Ravi and Oran should have gained possession of the property upon the death of Cousin Mary on August 31, 2019.

Norman Gadson is still listed as the owner on property and tax records. Last week, the New York Times reported the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, “will assist in coordinating and financing the transfer of Coltrane’s home from its current owner back to his family.”

The Coltrane House is the first site selected for the new Descendants and Family Stewardship Initiative. Brent Leggs, executive director of the Action Fund, said:

Descendants and families have been doing this work for centuries on an informal basis. The initiative is about empowering descendants and families through historic preservation more formally. Our role is to give them the resources and technical expertise they need to protect and preserve the physical evidence of the past and share their profound stories with the American public.

It has taken nearly four decades, but the John Coltrane House will finally be restored. As I told Valerie Russ of the Phliladelphia Inquirer, my work is done. Mission accomplished.