This was an event that I heard about on WQXR—but only briefly. I eventually jotted down the web address they gave, and searched for it, unfortunately getting very little concrete information. Finally I learned that there was going to be an afternoon of panels, talks and a concert. The time was listed as 12:00pm–6:00pm. Not knowing what to expect, I managed to find Sugar Hill Park (it’s in Harlem), arriving a little before noon (I’m an early person). They were still in the middle of setting up and doing sound checks, so I spread out my towel on the (rather uneven) lawn to settle in and wait. I saw one gal who looked like she was probably in charge, and asked whether there was a printed program or a schedule of events. After receiving a program booklet, I learned that the event was properly titled Echoes of the Era: Music from 409 and 555 Edgecombe–Concert and Panel Discussion. So far, so good, but I still didn’t know when anything would be happening. So I just decided to wing it.
It turns out that 409 and 555 Edgecombe Avenue are large, somewhat ornate apartment buildings (both still there and still apartment buildings) that featured in the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s and ’30s. From my notes and memory, the names W.E.B. DuBois, Paul Robeson, Langston Hughes, Billy Strayhorn, and Count Basie, among others, all featured in the music from 409 and 555. Alas, there was never a schedule presented of which events would be held when.
It turns out that the panel discussion was first, and that kicked into gear around 1:30pm. The moderator was Felipe Luciano, who hosted Herb Boyd and Terrance McKnight as panelists. It was interesting, and tied into the idea of “where are you from?” and how it related to those musical members of 409 and 555, and how it’s really the question for all of us. As the table for the discussion was cleared away, we moved into the concert portion.
Because of the lack of printed material, names of pieces and composers will be a little haphazard. The concert began with a couple of pieces played by the West Village Quartet, a string quartet. Both pieces were fairly modern but with pleasing melodies and harmonies. The quartet was then joined by Angela L. Owens (soprano) and Charles David Carter (bass-baritone) for a performance of the Gershwins’ Bess, You Is My Woman Now. They sang well, though the blend and balance with the string quartet was a little bit difficult, due to the outdoor setting, the microphones, and the somewhat windy day. Next, Ms. Owens, with
Roy Jennings (piano) and Wayne Smith (cello), sang a pair of songs by
André Previn with texts by Toni Morrison—from the lyrics, my best guess at titles is Stones in My Bed and In This Soft Place. They were also fairly modern settings and were pretty. Ms. Owens’ diction was quite good throughout the afternoon.
Mr. Carter and Mr. Jennings then presented We Shall Walk through the Valley in Peace, in Mr. Jennings’ (if I’m remembering correctly) arrangement, in modern-gospel style. It was very effective. Ms. Owens followed with The Paradox and Dawn, settings by the poet Paul Laurence Dunbar, also composed by
Mr. Jennings. Mr. Carter performed a Duke Ellington piece, In the Beginning, God, which has a choral arrangement as well as this solo version (information I gleaned from listening to snippets of a conversation in front of me on the lawn).
Ms. Owens then sang a Henry T. (“Harry”) Burleigh setting of Langston Hughes’ Lovely Dark and Lonely One and a setting of Hughes’ I Too Sing America.
Mr. Jennings then went to town on a rendition of (I think) Troubled Waters, to round out the section.
Next on the agenda was a set of jazz tunes played by Geri Allen, whose style reminded me of Mary Lou Williams. Indeed, via Wikipedia, Ms. Williams is one of Ms. Allen’s primary musical influences. I liked her compact style and technique. Though I can’t find a source (and I may be misremembering the title, or it might be a recent composition), Openhandedly was my favorite of her set, as it was a little less frantic and fractured than some of the other pieces she played. Her set finished with a rendition of an Erroll Garner piece (Moonlight? Moonglow?).
Melba Joyce was announced next (but then they said they were waiting for her to arrive), so they started setup for the Sugar Hill Quartet. That looked as though it would take a bit of time, and that’s when I went exploring Edgecombe Avenue and found 409 and 555. Once the quartet was set up (with a fifth player added, on trombone), Ms. Joyce kicked the set off with the unofficial Black American National Anthem, Lift Every Voice and Sing, in a nice arrangement, backed by the quar/quintet. I listened to the band play a couple of jazz tunes, and heard Ms. Joyce join them for a couple more, including Lover Come Back to Me. As it was approaching 4:30pm, and I had a bit of a trip back home, I didn’t see the need to stay till the very end.
So I learned a little bit more about Harlem and heard some varied music. Not a bad Saturday afternoon at all.
ConcertMeister
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