Next week, the Harlem Jazz Shrines Festival, a collaborative effort with the Apollo Theater, Harlem Stage and Jazzmobile, will kick off its 1st Annual festival. Celebrating both the musical and cultural legacy of Harlem, the festival will feature poetry readings, art exhibits, and performances from Jason Moran, Jon Batiste, Greg Osby, Harlem Renaissance Orchestra and many more! There is a lot going on at the Festival, so we here at the Revivalist decided to save you some time and sift through all the events to bring you the best of the best. Enjoy and see you Uptown!
Blazing Tongues: The Singers and Writers of Lenox Lounge
Lenox Lounge: May 11th, FREE
Carl Hancock Rux is the quintessential masculine poetic voice, cultivated in the nest of this generation’s Harlem. The impetus of his career is similar to the late James Baldwin. Both could have started and ended in tragedy, Baldwin from a tumultuous relationship with his family who denounced who he was, and Rux raised as a near orphan. Yet both triumphed as great story tellers who have left lasting imprints on the American psyche. This is perhaps why it is fitting that Rux pays tribute to Baldwin next Wednesday, May 11th at Lenox Lounge for Blazing Tongues. Side by side with Rux will be Marcelle Davies-Lashley, a long-time collaborator, who will be re-envisioning the songs of Dinah Washington.
Jazz and the Spirit: The Arts of Harlem in the American Religious Imagination
Battle of the Big Bands & Swing Dance Competition
The Alhambra Ballroom, May 11th, $10
Featuring the George Gee Swing Orchestra and the Harlem Renaissance Orchestra, this night marks a return to the dueling big bands of the swing era. Swing dancers will join the night’s festivities as part of an old-fashioned swing dance competition that will accompany the roar of the big bands. (Register in advance at jazzmobile.org) The evening will take place at the historic Alhambra Ballroom, home to legendary performances in its heyday from Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday and Jelly Roll Morton.
Inspired Innovation: Jonathan Batiste Trio
Minton’s Playhouse: May 12th, $10
Jon Batiste follows the tradition of a long line of musicians coming out of New Orleans. He represents the young, innovative style that is merging with influences from around the world. Whether he’s playing R&B, funk, or jazz, you are sure to hear a slew of his unique voices on piano, melodica, and vocals. He will be playing standards and originals with his trio at the historic Minton’s Playhouse.
Revive Da Live: Late Night at Minton’s
Minton’s Playhouse: May 13th, 10$
Minton’s Playhouse held jam sessions in the 1940s where Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and others refined the progression of modern jazz through their experimentations in bebop. The venue was central to jazz’s pioneering new sound and a significant turning point in the story of jazz. Ralph Ellison wrote, “…some will tell you that it was here that Dizzy Gillespie found his own trumpet voice.” Re-opening especially for the festival, Minton’s Playhouse will be brought back to life for four historic shows, including this Revive Da Live show. Saxophonist Grey Osby will be joined by an all-star house band including Adam Birnbaum, Matt Brewer and Eric McPherson and special guests Stefon Harris, Robert Glasper, Casey Benjamin, Marcus Strickland, Onaje Allan Gumbs, Beka Gochashvilli and more!
Fats Waller Dance Party: Small’s Paradise Tribute ft. Jason Moran & Meshell Ndegeiocello
Harlem Stage Gatehouse: May 13th, 14th $10
No one sat down when Fats Waller played jazz; they danced. That is exactly why Jason Moran chose Waller as a vehicle to bring the excitement back into jazz. Teaming up with the talented vocalist, bassist, and musician Meshell Ndegeocello only helps his cause. Moran had his work cut out for him in arranging Fats Waller tunes to make people dance in 2011, so it will be intriguing to see what comes of it. The stellar line-up lends to the fact that not only will the audience be up and dancing, but more so they won’t stop dancing all night.
Jazz and the Spirit: The Arts of Harlem in the American Religious Imagination
Miller Theater at Columbia University School of Arts: May 14th, FREE
The history of black music in America, from the Trans Atlantic slave trade, up until today, has had an ephemeral and spiritual element. Whether directly extracted from religion, such as spirituals, or later gospel music, jazz as also a descendent along that lineage, has harbored some great traditions and meaning behind the outer parts of the songs themselves. “Jazz and the Spirit” is a discussion between a selection of panelists ranging from scholars, religious leaders, and musicians to discuss this phenomenon throughout history.
For more information on the Harlem Jazz Shrines Festival, head over to the festival’s extensive website: http://www.harlemjazzshrines.org/
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