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In 1940, there was a tribute to Joe Louis featuring Count Basic's band and Paul Robeson singing a blues number called "King Joe" with lyrics by Richard Wright. That wasn't one of Robeson's best singing moments, according to jazz aficionado John Hammond, and the versatile singer, actor, scholar and activist was the first to admit it.
Almost 70 years later, the two meet again at the intersection of 160th Street and Edgecombe Avenue, where the names of Basie and Robeson respectively adorn the street and avenue. The renaming ceremony took place Saturday, thanks to the unstinting efforts of Jacob Morris of the Harlem Historical Society.
"What a great moment this is," said Morris, surrounded by residents and elected officials. "Just think how wonderful it is...