JAZZ NOTES
By Ronald E. Scott, NY Amsterdam News
Cyrus Chestnut is one of the brilliant pianists of his generation. He has a definitive tone that ponders the realm of an earlier era, with brushes of ancestral pearly players like Fats Waller and Eubie Blake. He plays in an older spirit, ignited with the stylings of now and tomorrow.
The pianist and composer returns to the Smoke Jazz Club (2751 Broadway) from January 22–25, celebrating his birthday with his outstanding trio featuring bassist Dezron Douglas and drummer Willie Jones III, plus special guest vocalist Carla Cook. They will dive into blues harmonies blending fresh melodies from a melting pot of hipness. For times and reservations, visit smokejazz.com.
Sista’s Place, Brooklyn’s jazz house of revolutionary spirit (456 Nostrand Avenue, Frederick Douglass Square, formerly Nostrand & Jefferson), will welcome the Bradford Hayes Quartet on January 24, with two shows at 8 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
Hayes isn’t a household name, but he is an established alto saxophonist who’s earned quite a reputation as a go-to musician, having played with such artists as Gerald Alston, Yusef Lateef, Ted Curson, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Joe Lee Wilson, and Jimmy Heath. His latest CD, “The Jazz Life,” boosts five tracks that swing in spirited post-bop straight-ahead seasonings. Well worth a spin, he is sure to let it all swing out during his one-night stand at Sista’s, where burning jazz sounds often rattle the ceiling.
For reservations, call 718-398-1766. Visit sistasplace.org for more info.
The playwright, novelist, composer, essayist, and poet Ishmael Reed is known for rendering satirical plays that reflect literary bombs of truth that explode America’s myths. From January 22–24, get ready for an explosive staged reading of Reed’s play “The Amanuensis” at the Eric Firestone Gallery (40 Great Jones Street) on the Lower East Side. He describes the play as “Walt Disney’s adaptation of the Uncle Remus stories, ‘Song of the South,’ that generated millions of dollars for Disney’s studio and brought prosperity to Joel Chandler Harris, from whom he purchased the rights.
“The problem is they weren’t his to sell. H.L. Mencken called Harris ‘an Amanuensis’ — someone who takes dictation. Harris took dictation from enslaved members of the Turner plantation, especially Aunt Crissy, Old Harbert, and George Terrell. Harris became one of the most beloved men in the United States, while the three former enslaved people whose stories he copied became sharecroppers after the Civil War. In ‘The Amanuensis,’ everything hits the fan, sparks fly when Brer Rabbit and Sister Fox insist they be paid.”
The reading is directed by multi-AUDELCO Award-winner Rome Neal, who is also a cast member, along with Jesse Bueno, Robert Fulton, Emil Guillermo, Malika Iman, Joseph La Salle, Carmen Noelia, Jahn Overstreet, Lisa Pakulski, and Monisha Shiva. All shows begin at 7 p.m.
For tickets, call 646-998-3727. Visit ericfirestonegallery.com for more info.
Spirited, gripping, shattered dreams, blame, and self-doubt make for a most intriguing production of “My Dying City, Vol. II (The Social Justice Suicide Hour).” The production runs January 22–25 at the American Theater of Actors (314 West 54th Street).
The play is based in revolutionary thoughts of the present with extended roots from the 1960s — a heart-wrenching conflict as parents arrive home after burying their son (Edmond), who committed suicide. Once home, the rage, anger, and blame become an emotional mask for facing the truth, but moving forward is a prominent force. This is a biting play of resistance to stand up and shout against today’s political environment.
Director Dennis Leroy Kangalee wrote a riveting, thought-provoking play for these complicated times. For me, the son’s suicide expressed an urgency in America’s current dilemma. It’s a play of resilience, where to go, and how to get there together as a people. As reflected in the program, “My Dying City, Vol. II” responds to James Baldwin’s belief that consciousness breeds constant rage, drawing inspiration from socially engaged ensembles like the Group Theater, Living Theater, and the Black Arts Movement.
“Workshopping ‘My Dying City, Vol. I’ showed a need for nuanced radical characters; blending Fannon’s philosophy with Chekhov’s drama helped create authentic theatrical portraits. First explored in ‘As an Act of Protest,’ this style merges politics and poetry,” noted Kangalee.
The in-depth characters were played by incredible actors of the Kangalee Arts Ensemble: Che Ayende, Ward Nixon, Shannon Mastel, Brandon Geer, and Melissa Roth.
For more info, visit kangaleeartsensemble.org.
