Philly names a 'Jazz Legend'

HE'S WIDELY considered one of the most influential jazz pianists of the 20th century, and yesterday McCoy Tyner was given the keys to the city - or our equivalent, a brass, mini Liberty Bell.

Mayor Nutter recognized Tyner as the 2015 Jazz Legend Honoree during the fifth annual Philadelphia Jazz Appreciation Month, which celebrates Philly's jazz history with musical events throughout April.

Tyner, originally from West Philly, is an icon in the jazz community, and has performed alongside musical greats such as John Coltrane, Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie. He has won four Grammys and has released nearly 80 albums under his name.

"It's wonderful to be back home in Philadelphia," said Tyner, 76, who has spent recent years living in New York.

"I would like to thank the mayor and the people of this great city for making this possible for me. No matter where I am in the world, Philadelphia always has a special place in my heart."

Nutter called Philly "the music town of the United States of America," to raucous applause from an audience of musicians.

"McCoy has changed the way everyone after him has played the piano," said local Grammy-winning record-label owner, producer and composer Aaron Levinson.

"His percussive approach and sense of harmony signaled a new frontier for the instrument. And his embrace of African, Asian and Afro-Cuban ideas puts him in the league of Duke Ellington. Philadelphia can claim one of the giants of all time, and I applaud our mayor for making this happen."

Rabble-rousing TV personality Mike Jerrick of Fox 29 had a ton of people fooled yesterday when he announced that he was running for mayor, at least by the looks of his Facebook page.

Jerrick announced on air and on social media about 7:30 a.m. that he was seeking the office of the city's top executive.

Within seconds, you can imagine the reaction.

"When you do it early in the morning, people forget it's April 1, so they buy right into it," he joked with me.

"I was little surprised by how many people thought it was real. I would never do that to the city that I love!"

Jerrick said that for the past 19 years, Fox 29 has played some type of April Fool's joke on its viewers. Last year, they put a South Philly woman on the set and declared her the new anchor.

Throughout the day yesterday, tourists and fans posed with Jerrick outside the Fox studios to snap a pic with the would-be future mayor.

"It makes me love our viewers. I hope nobody's mad at us," he quipped.

Catch White House correspondent Kristen Welker on Monday for a conversation with NBC10 news anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah at the Independence Visitor's Center (1 N. Independence Mall West).

The free event starts at 7 p.m. and is put on by the Kal and Lucille Rudman Family Foundation as part of its 2015 media seminar.

This year's seminar focuses on political reporting in the multimedia world.

On Twitter: @PhillyGossipDN

Online: ph.ly/DNGossip