Welcome to WEJA Enterprises Artistic Productions
Welcome
to WEJA Enterprises Artistic Productions of New Bern, North Carolina. The company’s
primary mission is the promotion of jazz and blues through performance and its
educational component, “A Survey of Jazz & Blues History, A Musical Journey
To Pass It On.”
The company’s name WEJA is derived from its owners, music entrepreneurs Willie E. and Jacqueline B. Atkinson. Its jazz and blues performance features the extraordinary talent of jazz and blues vocalist Willie E. Atkinson. Its educational component provides a historical survey through lectures and presentations of jazz and blues with an emphasis on North Carolina’s jazz and blues artists whose contributions helped shape America’s music cultural soundscape.
WEJA Enterprises was founded in Fairfield, California in 1982 to promote Willie’s career as a jazz/blues vocalist. However, the company quickly took on a much broader vision of promoting jazz and blues in northern California from Vacaville to the Bay Area of Oakland and San Francisco with Willie’s performances in music venues which included appearances at Erle’s Solano Club, Albany, Ca.; the celebrated Yoshi’s Japanese Restaurant Cocktail Lounge, Oakland, Ca.; The Screaming Eagle Club, Oakland, Ca.; the Cotati Jazz Festival, Cotati, Ca.; Harvest Jazz Festival, Rutherford Square Theatre, Rutherford, Ca.; Vacaville Performing Arts Theatre, Vacaville, Ca.; and the Opera House, Vacaville, Ca.
WEJA Enterprises Artistic Productions was established to incorporate the company’s greater vision, which included full stage productions. The internationally renowned jazz saxophonist John Handy with his violinist trio accompaniment Class began WEJA’s full stage productions at the Vacaville Performing Arts Theatre, Vacaville, California on February 19, 1994. The cultural diversity of four continents coalesced with three decades of jazz history in downtown Vacaville, California Opera House when WEJA presented an international musical summit featuring trumpeter, composer, bandleader Eddie Gale; saxophonist, composer, poet, John Tchicai; and master percussionist Babatunde on June 11, 1994. WEJA continued its successful stage productions at the Vacaville Performing Arts Theatre with two additional shows featuring jazz organist Jimmy Smith and jazz/blues pianist Gene Harris.
In North Carolina, jazz historians Jacqueline B. and Willie E. Atkinson were presented with the opportunity to teach a Survey of Jazz and Blues History with the Lifetime Learning Center at Craven Community College, New Bern, NC. The couple further shared their historical knowledge of jazz and blues with audiences at Pamlico Community College, Grantsboro, NC and Johnston Community College, Smithfield, NC.
The company’s name WEJA is derived from its owners, music entrepreneurs Willie E. and Jacqueline B. Atkinson. Its jazz and blues performance features the extraordinary talent of jazz and blues vocalist Willie E. Atkinson. Its educational component provides a historical survey through lectures and presentations of jazz and blues with an emphasis on North Carolina’s jazz and blues artists whose contributions helped shape America’s music cultural soundscape.
WEJA Enterprises was founded in Fairfield, California in 1982 to promote Willie’s career as a jazz/blues vocalist. However, the company quickly took on a much broader vision of promoting jazz and blues in northern California from Vacaville to the Bay Area of Oakland and San Francisco with Willie’s performances in music venues which included appearances at Erle’s Solano Club, Albany, Ca.; the celebrated Yoshi’s Japanese Restaurant Cocktail Lounge, Oakland, Ca.; The Screaming Eagle Club, Oakland, Ca.; the Cotati Jazz Festival, Cotati, Ca.; Harvest Jazz Festival, Rutherford Square Theatre, Rutherford, Ca.; Vacaville Performing Arts Theatre, Vacaville, Ca.; and the Opera House, Vacaville, Ca.
WEJA Enterprises Artistic Productions was established to incorporate the company’s greater vision, which included full stage productions. The internationally renowned jazz saxophonist John Handy with his violinist trio accompaniment Class began WEJA’s full stage productions at the Vacaville Performing Arts Theatre, Vacaville, California on February 19, 1994. The cultural diversity of four continents coalesced with three decades of jazz history in downtown Vacaville, California Opera House when WEJA presented an international musical summit featuring trumpeter, composer, bandleader Eddie Gale; saxophonist, composer, poet, John Tchicai; and master percussionist Babatunde on June 11, 1994. WEJA continued its successful stage productions at the Vacaville Performing Arts Theatre with two additional shows featuring jazz organist Jimmy Smith and jazz/blues pianist Gene Harris.
In North Carolina, jazz historians Jacqueline B. and Willie E. Atkinson were presented with the opportunity to teach a Survey of Jazz and Blues History with the Lifetime Learning Center at Craven Community College, New Bern, NC. The couple further shared their historical knowledge of jazz and blues with audiences at Pamlico Community College, Grantsboro, NC and Johnston Community College, Smithfield, NC.
Photo credits on this page: Leon Bolds-King, Bill Jones