Celebrating Al Young

Written By Andrew Tonkovich

Al Young (photo: B. Hall)

 

August 8, 2023. Celebrating Al Young. Today I present the first in a Fund Drive series remembering Al Young, onetime poet laureate of California. The writer, poet, singer, teacher, musicologist and self-described bluesman passed away in 2021 but friends assembled this summer in Berkeley to remember him. Today’s edited highlights begin with a recording of Al himself, followed by recollections from his son Michael Young, and music from the legendary jazz duo Tuck & Patti. Play loud! For more on Al, check out his landmark collection, Something About the Blues, and see this excellent appreciation at the online newspaper Berkeleyside.

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Andrew Tonkovich
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Celebrating Al Young - Pt. 2
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Performance edition featuring Gregory Tower & Kristen Leigh Schwarz