Willard Jenkins is an independent arts consultant & producer, and writer under his Open Sky banner. Jenkins’ current activity includes concert, festival, and concert series planning/development, artistic direction, consulting, music journalism, teaching, and broadcast work. Jenkins’ written contributions have appeared on Amazon.com, NPRJazz.org, NetNoir.com, Impact247.com, and Africana.com; additionally he writes and edits his own blog The Independent Ear on his web site: OpenSkyJazz.com. Jenkins also collaborated with NEA Jazz Master Randy Weston on his memoirs African Rhythms in 2009.