The Friends of the Needham Public Library are inviting the community to attend a three-part lecture series led by Eric Jackson, the celebrated host of WGBH’s “Eric in the Evening” radio program and the “Dean of Boston Jazz Radio.” Lectures are planned for Sundays, February 2 (Duke Ellington), February 9 (Miles Davis) and February 23 (John Coltrane), all at 2 p.m. in the Community Room of the library.
Over the years, Jackson has hosted more than 3,000 interviews with music greats ranging from Wynton Marsalis to Ornette Coleman to Dizzy Gillespie. Jackson came to Boston in 1968 to attend Boston University and became a regular part of the WGBH lineup in 1977 with “Artists in the Night,” an overnight jazz music showcase. “Eric in the Evening” debuted in 1981 and with it, his emergence as one of public broadcasting’s most popular on-air personalities. Jackson is also a member of the Northeastern University faculty, where he teaches The African American Experience Through Music. WGBH recently celebrated Jackson’s more than 40 years on-air with “Eric Jackson Week,” and was recognized by jazz impresario George Wein, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, Cambridge Mayor Marc McGovern, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker and Senator Elizabeth Warren. Jackson also has been recognized by the Massachusetts College of Art as one of the 100 most culturally influential Bostonians of the 20th century.
