Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber, Duane Eubanks (trumpet), Abiodun Oyewole (poet, author, teacher), Sugar Hill Quartet, Charenee Wade (jazz vocalist)
Sort of. I didn’t hear all of the above-mentioned performers. The
entire program was presented by While We Are Still Here, an organization dedicated
to preserving Harlem’s history. The afternoon began a little late, as they had
some sound system problems. We sang the first verse of Lift Every Voice and
Sing, but we really couldn’t hear the song leader, so it didn’t quite kick off
the event on the right note. Also, the artists listed above did not perform in
the order listed above. So, here’s what I saw/heard.
Mr. Oyewole did an interview session with a professor (I didn’t
get the name, as it was not listed in the program). One of his set pieces
referred back to a time in his life when he decided not to participate in the
Pledge of Allegiance. When asked about it (back then), he decided to create his
own pledge, which he explained to us and then had us be the responders in a
call-and-response pledge, from years ago. It was an effective set piece. After
another brief sound system failure/fix, he also recounted remembrances from his
years as one of The Last Poets. They’re worth a rabbit-hole look, if you’re so
inclined. We then heard from Gabrielle David, of 2LeafPress – A Black/Brown
Female-Led Press, whose new book, Trailblazers, Black Women Who Helped Make
America Great, Americans First/American Icons, will be released on October 1,
2021.
Then (after another sound system problem), we got to some music.
The Sugar Hill Quartet was a trio (piano, bass, drums) joined by guest
saxophonist James Carter. They led off with a swinging rendition of Lester Leaps
In, with Mr. Carter on tenor sax. It showed the familiar jazz tinges—all
playing together, throwing the spotlight (as it were) to individuals, then
rounding out the piece with all players again. Their second piece was mellower,
though still powerful (Mr. Carter was on soprano sax for this one). At one
point, the sound system crapped out again, but they played gamely on. I
actually enjoyed the unamplified sound. Third up was The Minor Mode, an up
tempo number with tenor sax. It was playful but almost borderline frantic for
me. The fourth and final piece seemed somewhat improvisational. It began with
solo sax riffs. As this was an outdoor venue, at one point a car horn honked
and Mr. Carter matched it exactly from the stage. After the three others chimed
in quietly, the sax stepped to the side and let the other three shine before
joining back in and bringing the set to a close.
A bit of fundraising followed: (text ‘xxxxx’ to ‘xxx’, or scan
the QR code, or go to various websites to donate) while they reconfigured the
stage, and then we got to hear Charenee Wade, with a trio of a different
pianist, different bassist, and different drummer. Ms. Wade started out with
some light scatting and then eased into a bit of jazz-blues. Up next was Song
of the Wind, which opened with a drum solo, added bass, added piano, and then
added vocals, all in a slower tempo and with slightly Latin rhythms. Ms. Wade
followed that with a version of I’ve Known Rivers (Gary Bartz, music/Langston Hughes/lyrics
(poem)). It was a pleasant, straightforward setting of the text. I rather
enjoyed it.
By this time, the afternoon had begun to enter early evening, so
I withdrew. I was still able to hear the end of Ms. Wade’s set while waiting
for my MTA bus. (Note to self—if/when you visit this festival again, plan on
staying longer than you thought you would.)
ConcertMeister
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