With the following preamble, Rifftides reader and retired Toronto jazz broadcaster Ted O’Reilly called our attention to an innovation in his former profession.
…Hawkins, Basie, Gillespie, Ornette — all those old guys — later. Here’s important JAZZ to learn about.
This news release from a Canadian jazz radio station is what caught Mr. O’Reilly’s attention:
DECONSTRUCTING SGT. PEPPER WITH SCOTT FREIMANJAZZ.FM91 announces a new pop culture initiative, the “JAZZ.FM91 Thinkers Seriesâ€, a series of lectures presented for the first time in Toronto. On Thursday, January 31st, the series opens with Scott Freiman and his highly acclaimed lecture “Deconstructing Sgt. Pepper†at TIFF Bell Lightbox at 7:00 p.m. Freiman a composer, engineer and Beatles expert explores and dissects the music of what Rolling Stone calls “the most important rock & roll album ever made.â€
Scott Freiman taught a course at Yale about the Beatles. In Toronto, Freiman will tell the story of one of the most important albums of all time, “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band†using rare audio and video with anecdotes about the recording sessions. He’ll draw on numerous first-hand sources and use detailed analyses of the song writing and production techniques used by the band in recording the album. Rolling Stone covered Freiman in “10 Things You Didn’t Know About Beatles Music†and if you’re a music lover, Freiman’s focus is “strictly†on the music. 

“It has been a dream of mine to create a series that recognizes pivotal moments in pop culture. I’m thrilled that Scott Freiman will join us for our very first installment of the JAZZ.FM91 Thinkers Series. Scott brings a wealth of knowledge and insight to Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and I know music lovers and aficionados will not want to miss this presentation,†said Ross Porter, President and CEO of JAZZ.FM91. 

For more information on Scott Freiman and “Deconstructing Sgt. Pepper†and purchasing tickets, please visit HERE.
Ted O’Reilly invents a postscript and offers a final thought:
(Next lecture: “Michael Jackson: Most Important Musician of the 20th Century!!!â€)
And people wonder why I hang my head and whimper some days…