LIVE PERFORMANCE AND CONCERT REVIEWS Discussions - Pittsburgh Jazz Network2024-03-28T08:49:54Zhttps://jazzburgher.ning.com/group/liveperformanceandconcertreviews/forum?groupUrl=liveperformanceandconcertreviews&feed=yes&xn_auth=noRene Marie Interview by C. Denise Johnson/Drumbeat Communicationstag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2017-09-18:1992552:Topic:4151292017-09-18T05:34:25.419ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttps://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1045059409?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1045059409?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"></img></a> Question</strong>:</p>
<p>How do you approach standards in the American songbook to make them unique to your singing style?</p>
<p><b> </b></p>
<p><b>Answer:</b></p>
<p><b>So many of the songs in the Great American Songbook have been done by instrumentalists so much that I believe the lyrics have, in many cases, gotten overlooked or taken for granted.…</b></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1045059409?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1045059409?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" class="align-center" width="750"/></a>Question</strong>:</p>
<p>How do you approach standards in the American songbook to make them unique to your singing style?</p>
<p><b> </b></p>
<p><b>Answer:</b></p>
<p><b>So many of the songs in the Great American Songbook have been done by instrumentalists so much that I believe the lyrics have, in many cases, gotten overlooked or taken for granted. Many singers will approach a tune in the same style and tempo as an instrumentalist, without giving any consideration to the lyrics or what the story is. So, first and foremost, I approach a song by asking myself what the lyricist might have been thinking about when they wrote the lyrics? Are the lyrics sincere or tongue-in-cheek and playful? Are they wry, bitter, wistful, heartbroken, stoic…? What is the story of the song? What is the story <i>behind</i> the song? And, finally, if I took away the music and just looked at the lyrics, which lines or phrases jump out at me the most? Which word carries the most emotional punch in each line? And which line carries the emotional punch of the entire song? This often informs me how to approach the song. I also allow my musical sensibility (shaped over the decades by listening to and singing almost every genre of music) free rein and trust it implicitly.</b></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>When you were last in Pittsburgh you did a project with Imani Winds on Josephine Baker. Do you have similar collaborations in the works?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Answer:</p>
<p><b>For the most part, collaborations are not second-nature to me. I’m so focused on my way of hearing, visualizing and doing things that it is very hard for me to share my ideas with others, with the understanding that they may be able to veto them! lol! I have done a show called Two Skirts and A Shirt, where I asked two other singers to join me (Allan Harris and Carla Cook). But I wrote and arranged all the music, suggested the between-song banter, etc! I was open to some suggestions, but I definitely knew what I wanted to do.</b></p>
<p><b>HOWEVER...when someone wants to hire me to do one of their shows, I LOVE THAT because the onus of trying to make it perfect is off my shoulders, girl. All that’s necessary is for me to sing what I am told, when I am told, and how I am told – and I can do that all day, every day, no problem! Having said the foregoing, there are a couple of projects that have been brewing in the back of mind for a couple of years that I’m looking forward to sinking my teeth into them in the near future – without collaborating! </b> <b>J</b></p>
<p> </p>
<p>When/what was the genesis for SLAM and has it met your expectations?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Answer:</p>
<p><b>Wow. Funny you should ask that because I have been second guessing my whole approach to SLAM workshops. The genesis came about from so many singers approaching me after a gig and asking the same question: “How are you able to sing so freely without seeming self-conscious or nervous? You just seem to let it all out, not holding anything back!” I’d follow up these comments by asking them questions of my own, the main one of which was, “What’s keeping you from singing the way you say you want to sing?” That’s when I discovered how many *issues* singers have! Good Grief!! It’s appalling how so many emotional things can get in a singer’s way of singing with joy. But I guess that’s to be expected when one’s entire body is one’s instrument! So I started writing these essays about each one of those issues and giving my take on it, and referring to it when asked to do a Master Class. Since I’ve had no formal training in voice or technique, I’ve never felt truly qualified to do these workshops – I don’t know enough to tell a singer why their vocal technique needs improvement. For myself, my own instinct seems to take over and naturally teach me what’s working and what’s not.</b></p>
<p> </p>
<p>What does your dream recording project look like?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Answer:</p>
<p><b>All of my recording experiences have been shaped by how much money and time can be spent on the project. In my head, I may have written a song that I believe requires an orchestra, or several different drummers/percussionists or a choir…or Bonnie Raitt playing and singing. But having limited funds prohibits pursuing this dream. I mean, I’ve read of really famous pop stars spending MONTHS recording a project! Which is just unbelievable and inconceivable from my perspective and experience. It’s always been that we have 3-4 days – at the most! – to record the project. </b></p>
<p><b>So…my dream recording project would be where money and time were no object; where I could get the best production, the best sound and take as long as I like in getting everything just so…with Bonnie Raitt.</b></p>
<p><b> </b></p> THE BOOK OF EZRA IS A MUST SEE TOUR DE FORCE THIS WEEKtag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2014-10-22:1992552:Topic:3400642014-10-22T00:57:11.668ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttps://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
<p>I had the pleasure of attending last Saturday's performance of The Book of Ezra... a biographical tour de force written and performed by Leslie Ezra Smith and Directed by Mark Clayton Southers and presented as the opener for the 12th Season of the Playwrights Theatre Company at its venue at 937 Liberty Avenue downtown.</p>
<p>The audience was transfixed as Leslie unabashedly performed his life in front of us. It was a superlative performance and a powerful drama that literally draws you…</p>
<p>I had the pleasure of attending last Saturday's performance of The Book of Ezra... a biographical tour de force written and performed by Leslie Ezra Smith and Directed by Mark Clayton Southers and presented as the opener for the 12th Season of the Playwrights Theatre Company at its venue at 937 Liberty Avenue downtown.</p>
<p>The audience was transfixed as Leslie unabashedly performed his life in front of us. It was a superlative performance and a powerful drama that literally draws you into his life=space as he experienced it and as he re-enacted it right in front of us. Ezra received a tearful standing ovation from many of us.</p>
<p>You owe it to yourself to experience this play before it closes on October 25th. You will be enlightened, enriched and truly moved by the experience. Kudos to Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre for hitting the ground running with this season opener.</p>
<p>=====================================================</p>
<p>Ezra is a spoken word artist, Hip Hop artist, director, playwright, and event host and coordinator, born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is currently the host of The Eargasm Open Mic Series at the Hill House Kaufmann Center, Trifecta Slam at High Rollers Cafe and SAvoy Soul, Open Mic for singers and poets at Savoy Restaurant and Lounge. </p>
<p>He was awarded the Poet of the Year award from the 2010 Pittsburgh hip Hop Awards. He won AACTA Onyx Awards for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for his performance in Kuntu Repertory Theater's 2007 production of Sarafina!, and Best Lead Actor in a Play for his performance in New Horizon Theatre's 2008 production of "Freeman." He tied for the Best Lead Actor Award for his performance in Ray Werner's "Redneck Revenge" during the Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company's Theater Festival in Black and White in 2012. Ezra is also an acting and spoken-word coach and site coordinator for an after school program.</p>
<p>========================================================</p>
<p>He is a heavyweight and a force to be experienced.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Doc</p> 2014 Pittsburgh Blues Festival celebrates 20 years of successtag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2014-08-25:1992552:Topic:3364372014-08-25T13:35:00.906ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttps://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
<p></p>
<h1 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://newpittsburghcourieronline.com/2014/08/24/" rel="bookmark" style="font-size: 13px;" title="4:50 pm">Aug 24, 2014</a></h1>
<div class="post-meta clearfix"><div class="by-author"><span class="sep">By</span> <span class="author-name author vcard">Courier Newsroom…</span></div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="post-content"><div class="featured"><div class="featured-thumb featured-landscape"></div>
</div>
</div>
<p></p>
<h1 class="post-title entry-title"><a href="http://newpittsburghcourieronline.com/2014/08/24/" title="4:50 pm" rel="bookmark" style="font-size: 13px;">Aug 24, 2014</a></h1>
<div class="post-meta clearfix"><div class="by-author"><span class="sep">By</span> <span class="author-name author vcard">Courier Newsroom</span></div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="post-content"><div class="featured"><div class="featured-thumb featured-landscape"><div id="attachment_100147" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-100147" src="https://ionenewpittsburghcourier.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/bernard-allison.jpg" alt="Bernard Allison" width="680" height="454"/><p class="wp-caption-text">Bernard Allison</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="content-body"><p>What do you get when you combine a beautiful summer weekend, a gorgeous location, incredible non-stop music, enthusiastic crowds, delicious Festival food AND a great and noble cause? The Pittsburgh Blues Festival, of course! What a history, 20 years, 287 bands and 10 million meals!</p>
<p>In July, the Pittsburgh Blues Festival marked the joyous occasion of its 20th anniversary with a spectacular three-day celebration that attracted people of all ages and interests from all over the region! The Festival is a popular summer tradition that is the primary fundraiser for the Food Bank, and this year‘s event was a great success on every front. Well, almost every front: the weather could have been a bit more cooperative!</p>
<p>Occasional cloudy skies and raindrops, however, failed to dampen the spirits of the musicians, the crowds, the volunteers, the vendors and the Festival sponsors, who all came together in an inspiring display of community and caring. On Friday, the Festival kicked off with a powerful slate of exciting performers: Mahajibee, Norm Nardini and the Pittsburgh All Stars, and Bernard Allison. Tethered hot air balloon rides, sponsored by People’s Natural Gas, who is also the title sponsor for the event, ran all afternoon and evening, and gave riders a memorable experience and beautiful view of lovely Hartwood Acres, the Festival’s home. “The balloon rides are very popular and are an excellent fundraiser,” says Alyssa Jurewicz-Johns, director of community engagement for the Food Bank.</p>
<div id="attachment_100149" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-100149" src="https://ionenewpittsburghcourier.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/dr-john-guitar.jpg?w=680&h=454" alt="dr-john-guitar" width="680" height="454"/><p class="wp-caption-text">Dr. John</p>
</div>
<p>This year’s special anniversary demanded an equally special headliner, and Dr. John proved to be a perfect choice. The multi talented, venerable singer and musician performed on Saturday night. According to Jurewicz-Johns, “Dr. John and the Nigh Trippers gave it their all and played on as the thunderstorms cleared. They came back out and played for at least another half hour. What a treat for the fans!” Saturday’s performers also included Albert Cummings, Bo Hogs, Trampled Under Foot and Jill West and Blues Attack. Sunday brought rain and wind, but the show must go on and it certainly did, with every performer giving their all. The Nieds Hotel Band, Eugene and the Nightcrawlers, the Ben Miller Band, J.J. Grey and Mofro closed the Festival. This year, the Kids Zone was also back, with a new feature: workshops sponsored by various community groups. Kids Zone is a large tent where children have their own space and can enjoy crafts, games, face painting and fun activities while learning about healthy nutrition and cooking, care of the environment, gardening and the problem of hunger.</p>
<p>The Food Bank wishes to express heartfelt thanks to all the sponsors, committee members, volunteers, Food Bank staff, donors and musicians who made this anniversary event such a marvelous success. Over twenty years, the Blues Festival has generated more than two million dollars. The Festival makes it possible for the Food Bank to provide meals for neighbors in need across southwestern Pennsylvania and to raise awareness of the problems of poverty, hunger and food insecurity.</p>
<p>Making music, and making a difference – The Pittsburgh Blues Festival!</p>
<p><strong>READ MORE AT:</strong><br/><a href="http://friends.pittsburghfoodbank.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=6153" target="_blank">http://friends.pittsburghfoodbank.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=6153</a></p>
</div>
</div>
<br />
<p></p> Is That Jazz? Pittsburgh JazzLive International Festival 2014tag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2014-07-13:1992552:Topic:3319782014-07-13T04:29:06.329ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttps://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
<p></p>
<h1 class="post-title"><a href="http://newpittsburghcourieronline.com/2014/07/11/" rel="bookmark" style="font-size: 13px;" title="2:17 pm">Jul 11, 2014</a></h1>
<div class="post-meta clearfix"><div class="by-author"><span class="sep">By</span> <span class="author-name vcard">Kevin Amos…</span></div>
</div>
<div class="social-bar clearfix" id="socialbar-top"><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_counter_style addthis_menu"><div class="atclear"></div>
</div>
</div>
<p></p>
<h1 class="post-title"><a href="http://newpittsburghcourieronline.com/2014/07/11/" title="2:17 pm" rel="bookmark" style="font-size: 13px;">Jul 11, 2014</a></h1>
<div class="post-meta clearfix"><div class="by-author"><span class="sep">By</span> <span class="author-name vcard">Kevin Amos</span></div>
</div>
<div id="socialbar-top" class="social-bar clearfix"><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_counter_style addthis_menu"><div class="atclear"></div>
</div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="post-content"><div class="featured"><div class="featured-thumb featured-landscape"><div id="attachment_98429" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-98429" src="https://ionenewpittsburghcourier.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/snarkypuppy.jpg" alt="snarkypuppy" width="680" height="454"/><p class="wp-caption-text">DRUMMER SNARKY PUPPY (Photos by J. L. Martello)</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="content-body"><p> </p>
<p>Excerpt from “Is That Jazz?” by Gil Scott Herron</p>
<p><em>Miles had a style that amazes and raises</em></p>
<p><em>The spirits from deep in your soul.</em></p>
<p><em>’Trane struck a vein of laughter and pain</em></p>
<p><em>Adventures the mind could explore.</em></p>
<p><em>Stevie and Bob talk of freedom and ‘Jah’</em></p>
<p><em>In their own individual ways.</em></p>
<p><em>Playing and singing as long as it’s bringing </em><br/><em>A message is all that it says.</em></p>
<p><em>What it has will surely last but is that Jazz?</em></p>
<p>Well that all depends on who you ask. That is the joy of attending such an event. Gone are the days of focusing on just one genre of music. Jazz music now has several sub-genres and from talking to the artists you find that several have Jazz and other Black music roots.</p>
<p>Thousands from all over the tri-state region enjoyed this year’s three day JazzLive Festival 2014, which covered a wide variety of jazz with a wide variety of musicians.</p>
<p>Several people came and expressed joy and disappointment to this writer, but there is no doubt that Janis Burley Wilson and the folks at the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust covered all bases with this year’s presentation. From Texas to New York based Snarky Puppy to Dianne Reeves.</p>
<div id="attachment_98428" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-98428" src="https://ionenewpittsburghcourier.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/janiseburley.jpg?w=680&h=454" alt="janiseburley" width="680" height="454"/><p class="wp-caption-text">ORGANIZER JANISE BURLEY WILSON</p>
</div>
<p>Thousands enjoyed the stage presentations, the Jazz Crawl performances and the late-night jam sessions.</p>
<p>A combination of 17 artists and turntable DJ’s took to the three outdoor stages and a performance at the Rex Theater on the South Side took place from June 20-22. This was also a financial boost to the Downtown area as restaurants, hotels and other businesses also benefited.</p>
<p>As vibraphonist Joe Locke put it, “Folks in Pittsburgh really dig the music and they let you know that.” The Rochester, NY native was very excited about bringing his group to the city for the first time.</p>
<p>Locke is one of the current major voices on the vibraphone. He has performed and recorded with a wide range of musicians, including Grover Washington Jr, Kenny Barron, Eddie Henderson, Cecil Taylor, Dianne Reeves, Ron Carter and The Beastie Boys. His recordings with the Joe Locke Group, “For the Love of You” and “Lay Down my Heart” have both topped the Jazz charts over the past few years. The project “Blues and Ballads, Volume 1, Lay Down My Heart” (the official name) as Locke states it is “Going back to the roots of the music, it’s music that touches the heart.”</p>
<p>The 10 song set did exactly that and the Pittsburgh audience was mesmerized by the playing of Ryan Cohen on piano, Loran Cohen on bass, Jamaieo Brown on drums and Kenny Washington, vocalist. Some of the highlights of the set included “Simone,” “Old Devil Moon,” “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “Pure Imagination” and “Verrazano Moon.”</p>
<p>Snarky Puppy was the first of the “funky” Jazz entries for the festival weekend. This has been the second time for the ensemble in the city in 2014. Formed about 10 years ago, this eclectic group of musicians built up their popularity by word of mouth.</p>
<p>Snarky Puppy has gone from relatively unknown to one of the most highly respected group of musicians on the music scene today. The recent Grammy winners were awarded for Best R&B Performance doing the song “Something” with Lalah Hathaway. Corey Henry who played organ on that session showed his musical versatility at the Pittsburgh gig by playing drums!! Their sound is reminiscent of the Brecker Brothers, LA Express, Headhunters and Tower of Power. Ninth Street was transformed to a street party as they showcased R&B, Latin, Blues and Funk to new fans and their followers. The Pups 10 plus song set was explosive featuring a lot of tunes from “We Like it Here” which is a pop DVD/CD.</p>
<p>Snarky Puppy brings together a deep knowledge and respect for the Black musical tradition. They perform regularly with artists like Erykah Badu, Snoop Dogg (aka Snoop Lion), Kirk Franklin, Roy Hargrove, and Marcus Miller. The group is led by award-winning bassist/guitarist/composer/arranger Michael League.</p>
<div id="attachment_98430" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-98430" src="https://ionenewpittsburghcourier.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/joelocke.jpg?w=680&h=454" alt="joelocke" width="680" height="454"/><p class="wp-caption-text">JOE LOCKE</p>
</div>
<p>His creative grass-roots approach to this new technology driven in the ever changing music industry has created a new model for independent artists. They are also a production team and session band for individual artists as well as running their own label. Snarky Puppy is also a group of musicians that are committed to music education and community outreach. Musicians in the audience were very impressed by their performance and had high praise for the group.</p>
<p>Big Sam surprised the audience. This writer first witnessed Big Sam’s Funky Nation last year at the Pittsburgh Blues Festival. They are a driving force of down home New Orleans funk. The band is led by Big Sam Williams, formerly the trombonist for the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. His influences on trombone include Wycliffe Gordon, JJ Johnson and Curtis Fuller. He took up the instrument in high school. Big Sam began playing with the Dirty Dozen at the tender age of 19 before striking out on his own and creating the Funky Nation. Big Sam powered-up the horn section on the critically acclaimed, Grammy nominated, “River in Reverse” and is prominently featured in “Hot as a Pistol, Keen as a Blade” concert tour DVD.</p>
<p>While touring with Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint, in the fall of 2006 and summer of 2007, he earned consistent reviews as a musical force and star soloist. Big Sam has played with Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Dave Matthews, Ozomatli, and Widespread Panic.</p>
<p>Big Sam refuses to let the audience sit still because he doesn’t. The performance at the Rex Theater was high voltage! The Funky Nation is an amazing group of musicians who meet the challenges of their leader. Sam calls the music “Noladelic Powerfunk.”</p>
<p>It combines rock sensibility with improvisational style associated with jazz and the horn-heavy front section that’s the hallmark of big band funk, like James Brown. When asked about the rock side of things Sam stated, “Most folks don’t realize that some of the roots of rock and roll come from New Orleans.”</p>
<p>The new release is called “Evolution” and when asked about the title Big Sam stated, “This band is in a constant state of evolution developing our own sound. We are constantly growing, our sound is unique and we like it like that.”</p>
<p>The members of the band are Big Sam Williams on trombone/ vocals, Andrew “DA PHESSAH” Baham on trumpet/vocals, Chocolate Milk on drums, Jerry “JBLAKK” Henderson on bass and Joshua Connelly on guitar/vocals.</p>
<p>Some of the other great performances included the Jazz Meets Funk installment which featured Fred Wesley and his band with special guests Poogie Bell and Sean Jones. In addition folks got to check out great performances from Dianne Reeves, Gregory Porter, The Messenger Legacy, The Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra with special guest Alan Harris and Raul Midon.</p>
<p>Thanks go out to all the performers, the JazzLive staff and to you for just showing up.</p>
<p>Is that Jazz? You bet it is!!</p>
<p><em>(For info on Joe Locke: <a href="http://www.joelocke.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.joelocke.com/</a>)</em></p>
<p><em>(For info on Snarky Puppy:<a href="http://custom.bandframe.com/snarkypuppy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://custom.bandframe.com/snarkypuppy/</a>)</em></p>
<p><em>(For more info on Big Sam’s Funky Nation: <a href="http://www.bigsamsfunkynation.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.bigsamsfunkynation.com/</a>)</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Follow @NewPghCourier on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/NewPghCourier" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/NewPghCourier</a><br/>Like us at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Pittsburgh-Courier/143866755628836?ref=hl" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Pittsburgh-Courier/143866755628836?ref=hl</a><br/>Download our mobile app at<a href="http://www.appshopper.com/news/new-pittsburgh-courier" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.appshopper.com/news/new-pittsburgh-courier</a></p>
</div>
</div>
<br />
<p></p> RADIO MUSIC SOCIETY TOUR WOWS BYHAM AUDIENCE......ESPERANZA SPALDING BARES SOULtag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2012-10-12:1992552:Topic:2687512012-10-12T21:43:06.686ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttps://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
<h1 class="entry-title entry-title"> </h1>
<ul class="breadcrumb">
<li class="primary-tag first"><a href="/topic/pittsburgh-jazz">Pittsburgh jazz</a></li>
<li class="created">October 12, 2012</li>
<li class="author">By: <a href="/jazz-music-in-pittsburgh/kevin-amos">Kevin Amos…</a></li>
</ul>
<div class="promoted-image featured-media"><div class="ex-upload-content-attached-photo-wrapper clearfix"></div>
</div>
<h1 class="entry-title entry-title"> </h1>
<ul class="breadcrumb">
<li class="primary-tag first"><a href="/topic/pittsburgh-jazz">Pittsburgh jazz</a></li>
<li class="created">October 12, 2012</li>
<li class="author">By: <a href="/jazz-music-in-pittsburgh/kevin-amos">Kevin Amos</a></li>
</ul>
<div class="promoted-image featured-media"><div class="ex-upload-content-attached-photo-wrapper clearfix"><div class="entry-media entry-media field field-name-image field-type-image field-label-hidden field-bundle-photo"><div class="field-items"><div><img title="Eperanza Spalding" alt="Eperanza Spalding" src="http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/b8/c2/b8c2fbbf3e010391a2fd0c6285403ce1.png" width="300" height="271"/></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="promoted-image-information caption"><div class="promoted-image-caption">Eperanza Spalding</div>
<div class="field field-name-image-credits field-type-text field-label-above field-bundle-photo"><div class="field-label"> Credits: </div>
<div class="field-items"><div> Esperanza Spaulding.com </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="article-meta clearfix"><div style="display: block;" class="social-networks social-networks-top clearfix js-hide"><div class="ex-social-widget-email ex-social-widget"><div class="ex-social-button-email ex-social-button"><a class="sprite-oqw overlay catch" title="Email this article" href="/node/54007896/forward?render=overlay" rel="nofollow"><span class="share-count">0</span><span class="button-text element-invisible">Email</span></a></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="ex-subscribe-subchannel"></div>
</div>
<div class="node-content clearfix"><div class="entry-content clearfix entry-content"><div class="entry-body field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden field-bundle-story"><div class="field-items"><div><div class="embed-related embed-group"><div class="ex-article-related-topics clearfix sidebar-item clearfix"><h2 class="related-topics-title">Related topics</h2>
<ul class="related-topics-list">
<li class="591566 first"><a class="primary-tag" href="/topic/pittsburgh-jazz/articles">Pittsburgh jazz</a></li>
<li class="260351"><a class="secondary-tags" href="/topic/esperanza-spalding">esperanza spalding</a></li>
<li class="5166971 last">Byham Theater</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div id="dart-ad-3-3-206416700" class="dart-ad dart-ad-300x250"><div class="dart-ad-content"><br/></div>
</div>
</div>
<p>Radio Music Society is another extraordinary chapter in the <a class="inline_link" href="/topic/esperanza-spalding">Esperanza Spalding</a> story. The Grammy Award winning multi-instrumentalist has performed in Pittsburgh three times over the past two years and has become very popular due to radio airplay and buzz on the street. Her collaborations with her current band as well as Jazz and Pop icons have established Spalding as a trendsetter to be followed for years to come. The astonishing bassist, singer and bandleader talent is indeed someone to hear and see. The audience at the Byham was treated to an ensemble of incredible musicians and music from the soul. The 2012 Esperanza Spalding Radio Music Society Current Touring Ensemble is: Esperanza Spalding on Double Bass, Electric Bass and Lead Vocal, Leo Genovese on Piano, Rhodes and Keyboards, Jef Lee Johnson on Electric Guitar and Backing Vocals, Lyndon Rochelle on Drums and Backing Vocals, Chris Turner on Lead and Backing Vocals, Renato Caranto on Alto Saxophone, Hailey Niswanger on Alto Saxophone, Aaron Burnett on Tenor Saxophone, Alan Ferber on Trombone, Corey King on Trombone, Igmar Thomas on Trumpet and Leala Cyr on Trumpet and Backing Vocals.</p>
<p>The musical journey for Spalding began in Portland, Oregon. Esperanza was born and raised on what she calls “the other side of the tracks” in a multi-lingual household. Spalding grew up in a single-parent home and learned lessons in the meaning of perseverance and moral character from her mother. Despite great parenting, schooling did not come easy to Spalding. It was not for any lack of intellectual insight. She was both blessed and cursed with a highly instinctive learning style that often put her at odds with the traditional education system. On top of that, she was shut in by a long illness as a child, and as a result, was home-schooled for a considerable portion of her elementary school years. “It was just hard for me to fit into a setting where I was expected to sit in a room and swallow everything that was being fed to me,” she recalls. “Once I figured out what it was like to be home-schooled and basically self-taught, I couldn’t fit back into the traditional environment.” At 15, Spalding left high school for good. Armed with her and aided by a hefty , she enrolled in the music program at Portland State University. “I was definitely the youngest bass player in the program,” she says. “I was 16, and I had been playing the bass for about a year and a half. Most of the cats in the program had already had at least eight years of training under their belts, and I was trying to play in these orchestras and do these Bach cello suites. It wasn’t really flying through the material, but if nothing else, my teachers were saying, ‘Okay, she does have talent.” was the place where the pieces all came together and doors started opening. After a move to the east coast and three years of accelerated study, she not only earned a B.M., but also signed on as an instructor in 2005 at the age of 20. That has made her one of the youngest faculty members in the history of the college. She was also the 2005 recipient of the prestigious Boston Jazz Society scholarship for outstanding musicianship.</p>
<p>The 12 member ensemble performed for the enthusiastic Byham audience several outstanding pieces in an 11 song set which included “Smile Like That’, “I Can’t Help It” by Stevie Wonder, “Hold on Me”, “Cinnamon Tree”, “Crowned & Kissed”, “Endangered Species ”by Wayne Shorter, “Black Gold” and “Radio Song” Sharing her gifts with the world and baring her soul this prodigy blessed with supernatural instrumental chops, a voice that is part angelic and a natural beauty that borders on mesmerizing, Spalding is the hope for the future of jazz and instrumental music.</p>
<p>For more information about Esperanza Spalding go to: <a href="http://www.esperanzaspalding.com/">http://www.esperanzaspalding.com/</a></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p></p>
<div class="content-banner"><div id="dart-ad-5-5-206416700" class="dart-ad dart-ad-620x250"><div class="dart-ad-content"><div class="traffic-cop traffic-cop-c clearfix"><h2 class="traffic-cop-title"> </h2>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="display: block;" class="social-networks social-networks-bottom clearfix js-hide"><div class="ex-social-widget-email ex-social-widget"><div class="ex-social-button-email ex-social-button"><a class="sprite-oqw overlay catch" title="Email this article" href="/node/54007896/forward?render=overlay" rel="nofollow"><span class="share-count">0</span><span class="button-text element-invisible">Email</span></a></div>
</div>
<div class="node-links"><ul class="links inline">
<li class="print first active"><a class="button active" href="/article/radio-music-society-tour-wows-byham-audience-esperanza-spalding-bares-soul#print" rel="print">Print</a></li>
<li class="abuse-report last"><a class="flag-content overlay button" title="Report and surface objectionable content with this button." href="/abuse/report/node/54007896?render=overlay" rel="nofollow">Report</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div id="node-author" class="ex-title ex-profile-with-profile-picture profile-id-2730626 clearfix" xml:lang=""><div class="profile"><div class="entry-media field field-name-profile-picture field-type-image field-label-hidden field-bundle-ex_title"><div class="field-items"><div><a class="profile-picture ocmap ocm-photo user-picture" href="/jazz-music-in-pittsburgh/kevin-amos"><img alt="" src="http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/profile_large/hash/70/71/70718c2c9719f080a16b77f7673f69e0.JPG" width="80" height="75"/></a></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="author-description"><h3><a class="ocmap ocm-name" href="/jazz-music-in-pittsburgh/kevin-amos" rel="author">Kevin Amos</a>, <strong class="author-title">Pittsburgh Jazz Music Examiner</strong></h3>
<p>With radio experince that has spanned 31 years, Kevin Amos has been on the staffs of WYEP,WDUQ,WCXJ-AM, WJJJ and WPPJ-AM. He's worked as a Host and producer of two current weekly radio programs on WRCT-FM "Ebony Spectrum" and "One To One with Kevin Amos". Amos is also Creator of Pittsburgh Jazz...</p>
</div>
</div> Roy Haynes brings provocative percussion to Pittsburgh by Kevin Amostag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2012-09-28:1992552:Topic:2678552012-09-28T03:43:03.996ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttps://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
<p>Roy•al•ty: Royal status, dignity, or power; sovereignty: to be elevated to royalty.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1044971990?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1044971990?profile=original" width="455"></img></a></p>
<p>Jazz is described as a style of music, native to America, characterized by a strong but flexible rhythmic understructure with solo and ensemble improvisations on basic tunes and chord patterns and, more recently, a highly sophisticated harmonic idiom. Let's break it down for you…</p>
<p>Roy•al•ty: Royal status, dignity, or power; sovereignty: to be elevated to royalty.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1044971990?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1044971990?profile=original" width="455"/></a></p>
<p>Jazz is described as a style of music, native to America, characterized by a strong but flexible rhythmic understructure with solo and ensemble improvisations on basic tunes and chord patterns and, more recently, a highly sophisticated harmonic idiom. Let's break it down for you further as we talk about <a class="inline_link" href="/topic/roy-haynes/articles">Roy Haynes</a>. Thelonious Monk once described Roy Haynes’ drumming as “an eight ball right in the side pocket.” Jack DeJohnette calls Roy’s provocative percussion “a rare combination of street education, high sophistication and soul.”</p>
<p>Jazz ...ladies and gentlemen...is nothing but soul. Plain and simple, Haynes is one of the most soulful drummers on the planet. The Fountain of Youth is a legendary spring that reputedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks of its waters. Haynes constantly drinks from the fountain of youth and revives his audiences worldwide by sharing the musical waters. Haynes states, “The fountain of youth with the youthful young musician is one meaning, and the fountain of youth with the youthful energy of the leader is another meaning."</p>
<p>Formed in 2007, the Kente Arts Alliance is an African American arts organization whose mission is to present high-quality art of the African Diaspora. Kente’s aim is to present art with a purpose by presenting programs that entertain, inform and uplift the residents of underserved communities. The presentation at the <a class="inline_link" href="/topic/new-hazlett-theater/articles">New Hazlett Theater</a> is the second in the Jazz ROYality series featuring celebrated Jazz artists named Roy. Haynes has played nearly every style of jazz: swing, bebop, and jazz-fusion, avant-garde, you name it. His performance with those three young men at the Hazlett presentation by Kente Arts was an awe inspiring set that you really had to be there to appreciate. The intimate conversation with the audience members, the showmanship, his unique rhythmic approach and his tap dancing was something to behold. It will indeed be a concert to remember. The evening was also a reunion for the drummers who came out in support of Haynes. In attendance was master drummers Joe Harris and Roger Humphries as well as Tom Wendt.</p>
<p>Haynes has been blessed to play with Louis Armstrong, Lester Young, Charlie Parker, and Thelonious Monk, Sarah Vaughan, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Henry Grimes, Oliver Nelson, Billy Taylor, Hank Jones, George Adams, Roland Kirk, Chick Corea, Pat Metheny and many others including John "Squirrel" Mosley during his long career. Haynes has been “hard swinging” since 1944, when he made his professional debut at the age of seventeen in his native Boston. Born March 13, 1925, Roy Haynes worked early on with the Sabby Lewis big band, Frankie Newton and Luis Russell.</p>
<p>The Fountain of Youth Band current lineup is pianist Martin Berjerano, bassist David Wong and saxophonist/flutist Jaleel Shaw. Berjerano, Wong and Shaw put on outstanding solo performances and each musician talked about working with Haynes and how he has enhanced their musical experience.</p>
<p>Reflecting on Roy Haynes in a recent conversation bassist Henry Grimes said, “Roy HAYNES!! Master of percussion, most musical of drummers. Working with Roy Haynes meant every musician had to shape right up under his understanding of music. His attitude is a kind of demanding equanimity, expecting and knowing that you will give him what he wants in the music. We worked together in the early '60s someplace on Long Island two or three times with Jaki Byard and Rahsaan Roland Kirk, and as I remember, another time the pianist was Harold Mabern, and then Roy called me to record "Out of the Afternoon" with Rahsaan and Tommy Flanagan in 1962 for Impulse!. People still come up to me and say that's their favorite album of all time, especially young musicians."</p>
<p>Haynes latest album is entitled "Roy-alty" and he continues to perform worldwide. With his latest group of musicians, Haynes elevates the performances of his Fountain of Youth Band with an incredible give and take between generations fueled by masterful musicianship. The NEA Jazz Master also received in 2011, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement award in Jazz.</p>
<p>For more information on Roy Haynes go to: <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/roy-haynes-mn0000290464" rel="nofollow">http://www.allmusic.com/artist/roy-haynes-mn0000290464</a></p>
<p>For more information on Kente Arts Alliance go to: <a href="http://www.kentearts.org/" rel="nofollow">http://www.kentearts.org/</a></p>
<p>Kevin Amos</p> Stage Preview: Diva defines "BubblingBrown Sugar"tag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2012-06-26:1992552:Topic:2615262012-06-26T18:43:30.337ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttps://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
<div style="text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; overflow: hidden; text-decoration: none;"><div class="story_headline">March 26, 2012 11:38 am</div>
<div class="story_share"><div class="share_fb"></div>
<div class="share_twitter"></div>
<div class="share_google"></div>
</div>
<div class="story_byline">By Christopher Rawson / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette</div>
<p>Vivian Reed is a diva with a difference, elegant and earthy.</p>
<p>Even on first meeting, you're wound round with…</p>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left; background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; overflow: hidden; text-decoration: none;"><div class="story_headline">March 26, 2012 11:38 am</div>
<div class="story_share"><div class="share_fb"></div>
<div class="share_twitter"></div>
<div class="share_google"></div>
</div>
<div class="story_byline">By Christopher Rawson / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette</div>
<p>Vivian Reed is a diva with a difference, elegant and earthy.</p>
<p>Even on first meeting, you're wound round with her charisma. Vivid in word and presence, lithe and emphatic, she's bubbly and sharp, sarcastic and effusive.</p>
<p></p>
<img src="http://www.post-gazette.com/images/blank.gif" width="10"/><a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/popup.asp?img=http://www.post-gazette.com/images3/20050127mrVivianReed_450.jpg" target="photo1"><img border="0" src="http://www.post-gazette.com/images3/20050127mrVivianReed_230.jpg"/></a><img src="http://www.post-gazette.com/images/blank.gif" width="10"/>Martha Rial, Post-Gazette<br/><strong>Pittsburgh native Vivian Reed returns to town and one of her first roles when Kuntu Repertory Theatre opens "Bubbling Brown Sugar."</strong><br/>Click photo for larger image.<hr/><center><strong>"Bubbling Brown Sugar"</strong></center>
<p><img src="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/images/newsimages/dot.gif"/> WHERE: Kuntu Rep at Alumni Hall, 4227 Fifth Ave., Oakland.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/images/newsimages/dot.gif"/> WHEN: Through Feb. 12; Thurs.-Sat. 8 p.m.; Sun. 4 p.m.; also Feb. 5 at 1 p.m., Feb. 10 at 11 a.m.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/images/newsimages/dot.gif"/> TICKETS: $20; student/senior discounts; 412-624-7298.</p>
<p>In short, she's "on" -- but there's no sense of stretch, because this is clearly her steady state of being. She knows her mind and speaks it.</p>
<p>"I can <em>build</em> things," she remarks in passing. "I have <em>power</em> tools."</p>
<p>Considering her well-toned performer's body and self-confident manner, she probably doesn't need to plug in -- she carries her own power pack inside. Reed seems a woman who can accomplish whatever she sets her mind to. But can she pull off what has brought her home to Pittsburgh?</p>
<p>Reed is the Hill District native and Schenley High grad who left to get classical musical training at Manhattan's Juilliard School, then burst upon a very different world as the Tony-nominated lead in "Bubbling Brown Sugar" (1976). Many an adventure later, she's doubly home, back in Pittsburgh but also back in "Bubbling Brown Sugar," opening tonight for three weeks at Pitt's <a href="http://www.kuntu.org/" target="_blank">Kuntu Repertory Theatre</a>.</p>
<p>Why would a star revisit a past triumph in a local company mixing students and semipros?</p>
<p>"I wanted to give back," she says. "I didn't want to say no, especially with young people just coming along."</p>
<p>Reed backs that sentiment up with a pragmatism that gives it weight.</p>
<p>"It's a precarious position for me," she admits. "You know, honey, when I came here in 'Bubbling' before, it was a hot property and I was hot in it." That was 1977, when she joined the road company for a few weeks so she could be with "Bubbling Brown Sugar" at Heinz Hall.</p>
<p>She says when Vernell Lillie, Kuntu's founder, asked her to revisit "Bubbling" for Pittsburgh and the next generation, she said, "I'm coming, but I will not drop any ounce of professionalism." One condition she set was the engagement of director-choreographer Keith Tyrone Williams, who also performed in the original Broadway show.</p>
<p>They found that "auditions were not easy," since they needed performers who could sing, dance and act.</p>
<p>"We hired some talented people, but Keith and I are teaching as we go along -- but that's OK, that's OK, because someone had to teach me. I love the cast. I love that they're like sponges. There's a potpourri of talent at different levels."</p>
<p>Still, "I have never, ever in my lifetime, done a show of this magnitude in 2 1/2 weeks! I've been a stickler."</p>
<p>This interview was two weeks back, just as Reed was feeling overwhelmed with the work ahead. Now the show, with its score drawing on the work of two dozen musical greats, is ready to go.</p>
<p>Performing with Reed will be Christina Maria Acosta, Kevin Brown, T.C. Brown, Linda Haston, Daniel Joyner, Jasonta Roberts, Chuck Timbers, Jacen Wilkerson and Carolyn Byrd, many of them familiar names to Pittsburgh theatergoers. Seven more make up the supporting ensemble.</p>
<p>In them, Reed can see something of her past. If she can ever find the time, that story will make one heck of an autobiography.</p>
<p>She was raised on Wandless Street on the Hill ("there's not a home left," she says) and her family later moved to Kedron Street in Homewood. That's where her mother, Lucille, 92, still lives, and that's the name Reed has given her own production company.</p>
<p>She credits her father, Clyde Reed, a gospel singer, with her artistic side, but her mother taught her such life arts as sewing. Her parents heard her making "melodious sounds" at age 3 and sent her for vocal lessons at 8 -- very classical, all art songs and arias. "By 13, I could sing in Italian and French and had started German."</p>
<p>Senior year at Schenley, she auditioned for Juilliard, where she went on a scholarship. "My mother took me there, and when she walked down the hall, I cried for three days."</p>
<p>Reed eventually got seduced away from her projected career as a dramatic soprano by a singing hostess gig at a Harlem night club. "I was brought up in a Baptist church, so the feeling was there," she says.</p>
<p>Then came Broadway. Among her mentors she counts tap great Honi Coles and Bobby Schiffman, who owned the Apollo Theater in the '60s. They taught her, she says, "If you cannot be on time, be early."</p>
<p>Next came seven years in Paris, a story involving Pierre Cardin, Princess Grace, "Elle," an acclaimed role as Josephine Baker in the movie "L'Africain" with Catherine Deneuve, and lots more -- all waiting for that autobiography.</p>
<p>More recently, Reed won another Tony nomination for "The High Rollers Social and Pleasure Club (1992), played Queenie in "Show Boat" in Toronto for Hal Prince and was back on Broadway as Audra McDonald's mother in "Marie Christine."</p>
<p>She's also worked in nonmusical theater and would love to do an August Wilson play, but she knows she has to campaign to get work outside her image.</p>
<p>A big project right now is "Three Mo' Divas," which follows the formula of the "Three Mo' Tenors," in which classical-trained singers also do R&B, blues and jazz. Launched last year in San Diego, it's readying for a tour.</p>
<p>"I had to go back to the woodshed," says Reed, "because, baby, these are real classical divas. They helped to pull me up, and I helped them to get down."</p>
<p>Reed's last public visit to Pittsburgh was in October 2003, when she sang for her mother's birthday at East Liberty's Vintage Senior Citizen Center. Before that, she performed here twice with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, playing Lena Horne in "Indigo in Motion" (1999, 2002).</p>
<p>"Not only a look-alike for the songstress," said PG critic Jane Vranish, Reed was "a star in her own right, seriously relaying Horne's surprisingly turbulent history ... [with] effortless song stylings."</p>
<p>As Reed told the PG's Nate Guidry, "I've always admired Lena. She helped to break the color barrier and was always willing to help young performers."</p>
<p>With Kuntu's "Bubbling Brown Sugar," Reed is doing that herself.Post-Gazette drama editor Christopher Rawson can be reached at <a href="mailto:crawson@post-gazette.com">crawson@post-gazette.com</a> or 412-263-1666.<br/>First Published January 27, 2005 12:00 am</p>
<br/>Read more: <a style="color: #003399;" href="http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/ae/uncategorized/stage-preview-diva-defines-bubbling-brown-sugar-567718/#ixzz1yvT6zWT5">http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/ae/uncategorized/stage-preview-diva-defines-bubbling-brown-sugar-567718/#ixzz1yvT6zWT5</a></div> Dance review: 'Blink' blends dance with art and music to strike enlightening balancetag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2012-04-06:1992552:Topic:2547292012-04-06T12:48:50.223ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttps://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
<p>Tuesday, April 03, 2012<br></br>By Jane Vranish, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette</p>
<p><br></br>Gia T. Presents: A detail from the promo for "Blink," a structured improvisation from five dancers and five musicians in response to a light/space work at Wood Street Galleries.</p>
<p>Pittsburgh is noted for its neighborly attitude, always eager to help strangers, always eager to please. This carries over into the arts, where, with a desire to satisfy audiences, local groups often fail to push buttons or break…</p>
<p>Tuesday, April 03, 2012<br/>By Jane Vranish, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette</p>
<p><br/>Gia T. Presents: A detail from the promo for "Blink," a structured improvisation from five dancers and five musicians in response to a light/space work at Wood Street Galleries.</p>
<p>Pittsburgh is noted for its neighborly attitude, always eager to help strangers, always eager to please. This carries over into the arts, where, with a desire to satisfy audiences, local groups often fail to push buttons or break boundaries.</p>
<p>The performance result is good, art that satisfies like a sweet treat, but is it enough for the Pittsburgh arts scene as it continues to expand?</p>
<p>Gia Cacalano is not one who plays it safe. She has pursued the state of dance improvisation for years, often in private or small alternative spaces with little concern for huge audience numbers, and is one of a growing number of city artists looking within themselves.</p>
<p>But then, you have to look at her style of choice. Improvisers might be regarded as the flower children of dance, not particularly concerned with the bottom line, instead pursuing the art for art's sake.</p>
<p>Her free-form company, Gia T. Presents, offered a triple-barrelled approach to "BLINK," which inhabited the Wood Street Galleries last weekend. That meant structured improvisation (or instant composition, as they sometimes call it) from five dancers and five musicians in response to a current light/space improvisation, Norwegian artist HC Gilje's "blink." The work is part of "in transit," his overall Wood Street installation that occupies two floors.</p>
<p>More than 100 audience members squeezed in and around the exhibit on each of two nights. They found three light installations, with a circle in one corner that projected a ring of light onto the accompanying wall, and a square that lay on the floor near an adjacent wall.</p>
<p>Nearly half of the gallery space was taken up with "blink" itself, a large trapezoid stretching from the midpoint and climbing up the walls, then slowly unfolding its own changing landscape, including ribbons of undulating light or a river running through it.</p>
<p>The effect was magical as Allie Greene appeared in a silver bubble wrap costume with a mini-poof of a skirt and an Elizabethan-inspired cone of a collar. She seemed to float like an angel as she tentatively placed her feet on the trapezoid's stripes, almost like the keys of a piano.</p>
<p>Both awestruck by the light and robotic in response to the technology that made it happen, she slowly made her way around the trapezoid twice to a celestial haze of music, exploring the white stripe of a boundary around its edge, and then lay down on a silver box.</p>
<p>A quartet of humanoid dancers, Vincent Cacialano, Wendell Cooper, Jil Stifel and Ms. Cacalano, slowly entered. One by one, they bent backward and opened their arms akimbo, as if to embrace their own light source. But they would be more casual and social.</p>
<p>Not that there was an established thread. Certainly the performers had a specific vocabulary at their disposal and drew from that during the course of the performance. One could ascertain fragments about boundaries real and imagined as the performers walked the lit pathways as if on a tightrope, trying to maintain balance.</p>
<p>They could pause awkwardly, pigeon-toed, or curl their fingers like tendrils. But the viewer never knew where the energy source would come from. The audience could watch as the various art forms took dominance, which provided its own balancing act of contrasts and similarities.</p>
<p>When the light became more animated, the action might slow down. But when the music became more percussive, it inspired a blaze of movement from the men, filled with loping jumps and lashing twirls.</p>
<p>In retrospect it formed an overall arc, making it easier to detect all the textures and transparencies that this art combination had to offer. Sometimes it was enough just to relax and join in the interplay of the moment.</p>
<p>And when Ms. Greene took to the space at the end, she finally stopped and reached into the light. Finally it seemed as if she could feel it.</p>
<p>Former Post-Gazette critic Jane Vranish: jvranish1@comcast.net. She also blogs at pittsburghcrosscurrents.com.</p>
<p>First published on April 3, 2012 at 12:00 am</p>
<p>Read more: <a href="http://old.post-gazette.com/pg/12094/1221229-325-0.stm?cmpid=news.xml#ixzz1rGOliOkh">http://old.post-gazette.com/pg/12094/1221229-325-0.stm?cmpid=news.xml#ixzz1rGOliOkh</a></p> ‘Our Father, Who Art Blakey’ at the August Wilson Center for African American Culturetag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2011-09-30:1992552:Topic:2293192011-09-30T21:17:13.052ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttps://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
<p>‘Our Father, Who Art Blakey’</p>
<p><br></br>Written by Rossano P. Stewart<br></br>Thursday, 29 September 2011 13:49</p>
<p><br></br>Pittsburgh native, Art Blakey (1919-1990) emblazed a trail for jazz hopefuls by creating his own style of drumming that has become world renowned.<br></br>Blakey, together with several other luminaries, became the inventors of the modern bebop style of drumming. For more than five decades Blakey and his band, the Jazz Messengers, included many young musicians who went on to…</p>
<p>‘Our Father, Who Art Blakey’</p>
<p><br/>Written by Rossano P. Stewart<br/>Thursday, 29 September 2011 13:49</p>
<p><br/>Pittsburgh native, Art Blakey (1919-1990) emblazed a trail for jazz hopefuls by creating his own style of drumming that has become world renowned.<br/>Blakey, together with several other luminaries, became the inventors of the modern bebop style of drumming. For more than five decades Blakey and his band, the Jazz Messengers, included many young musicians who went on to become prominent names in jazz. His legacy has stood the test of time, adored by many for the exceptionally outstanding music he produced, as well as providing a proving ground for several generations of jazz musicians.<br/><br/><br/>THE LATE ART BLAKEY<br/><br/>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/><br/><br/>Notable greats have played with the Jazz Messengers such as Horace Silver, Wynton Marsalis, Donald Byrd, Johnny Griffin, Benny Golson, Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard and from the popular nationally televised late night talk show, with Jay Leno, former band leader Kevin Eubanks.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Pittsburgh continues to be the heartbeat of jazz, driven by its rich tradition in jazz drumming led by the two greatest drummers of all time Blakey and Kenny Clarke. What better way to celebrate the life and legacy of the Grammy Award-Winning jazz drummer and bandleader, Art Blakey, than at the August Wilson Center for African American Culture in an evening entitled “Our Father, Who Art Blakey.”<br/><br/>On Sept. 17 the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra and the August Wilson Center, called its own: well-known jazz drummers Thomas Wendt, James Johnson III, former drummer for jazz legend Ahmad Jamal; jazz legend Roger Humphries, who performed music from his big band repertoire and noted drummer Cecil Brooks III also performed original compositions.<br/><br/>In the tradition of the Messenger’s great music, the big band era came alive again on stage. trumpeter, extraordinaire, Sean Jones, Artistic Director, Music Initiatives, for the AWC, led the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra's big band. He shared his knowledge with the audience of the great Art Blakey's life and musical iniquities of his era. The mostly baby boomers of the ’50s audience were moved by the many compositions and arrangements. Blakey, whom himself told the story many times of how he was forced by gun point by a Pittsburgh night club owner, off the piano and onto the drums, henceforth launching a career that spanned six decades as the world’s most prolific drummer, was immortalized by the featured drummers of the evening.<br/><br/>First up, Pittsburgh’s own Thomas Wendt on the “skins.” Wendt, a member of the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra, has been playing drums professionally since age 14. A graduate of CAPA, he has studied with master drummers Roger Humphries, Joe Harris and Kenny Washington. Wendt, has won an Emmy Award for the soundtrack on the PBS documentary, “Fly Boys” and since 1998, he has been on the faculty at the Afro-American Music Institute in Homewood. During his set with the PJO, performing a Thad Jones arraignment entitled “Back Home In Indiana,” Wendt's, smooth and easy strokes with the “brushes,” left the audience toe tapping.<br/><br/>Young alto saxophonist Chelsea Barratz blew the roof off the house, during her solos. Next up, another of Pittsburgh's son’s of jazz, James Johnson III. Playing the drums since the age of 5, his early music experiences were centered around family life and shaped by the music of the church. His father, James Johnson Jr. a nationally known pianist and educator, sparked his passion for music. Like Wendt, Johnson III, attended CAPA. By the time he was 15, Johnson became a permanent fixture on the Pittsburgh jazz scene. After graduation he, was invited to tour with jazz legend Ahmad Jamal, which launched a worldwide career. His set, on a tune made popular by the Yellow Jackets, was phenomenal. Johnson currently teaches at the Afro-American Music Institute and conducts workshops and clinics in the public school system. As a composer, his contributions to “Temporary Suspension,” the debut recording of the quartet Metaphor, marks the arrival of a new voice in contemporary jazz.<br/><br/>After a brief intermission, the audience was summoned back to their seats for a standing ovation to the master drummer of our time Roger Humphries.<br/><br/>Humphries, love for music began as early as 4 years old, when he sat in with the Tab Smith Big Band. Introduced by his uncle Frank Humphries, Roger himself began playing professionally at age 14. He led his own group at Carnegie Music Hall in Pittsburgh’s Oakland community when he was 16. From the moment that Sean Jones, introduced Humphries on stage, every seat emptied to a rousing 15 minute ovation. Graciously Roger thanked everyone and during his tremendous heart pounding drum rolls on Miles Davis’s, “Milestones,” the audience showed their appreciation for him. Like kindred spirits, the performer and audience were as one. Several moments during the evenings’ performance of the sensational Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra, several solo riffs by contemporary legends in jazz like Glenn Wayland, on trombone, Alton Merrell, on piano, young CAPA graduate Paul Thompson, on stand-up bass and Grammy Award Winning guitarist Marty Ashby, sparked loud standing O’s.<br/><br/>Last but in no way least the man who once played on Blakey's own drums when he was just 10 years old, Brooks III. A contemporary drummer, club owner, producer and clinician, he has worked in the New York City area with many of the greats of jazz. Brooks’ music has roots in the grand traditions of jazz stemming from his father, who was a drummer and a grandfather who was a concert pianist. “Music just flourished through the house,” said Brooks, “It was there to partake anytime I wanted to.” His distinct awesome riffs on the drums mesmerized listeners on the tune “Mother and Child.” Overall it was a fantastic grand opening season for the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra at the AWC.</p> CONCERT & PERFORMANCE REVIEWStag:jazzburgher.ning.com,2008-04-24:1992552:Topic:92892008-04-24T22:29:48.674ZDr. Nelson Harrisonhttps://jazzburgher.ning.com/profile/NelsonHarrison
There is a plethora of jazz performances going on currently, especially during April, the official Jazz Appreciation Month in Allegheny County. Please post your opinions, reviews or commentary here.
There is a plethora of jazz performances going on currently, especially during April, the official Jazz Appreciation Month in Allegheny County. Please post your opinions, reviews or commentary here.