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<$3.27.2007$>
MILES JAYE: Checkin' Out Najee
 I was relaxing against a tree just past dark. I was checking out Najee in Winter Park. The park was filled with Black folks and White. I had a feeling it would be a good night. It was a cool March evening in Orlando. I was just chillin' watching Najee's band go. I felt the breeze in the air but I knew things were heating up. The drummer was hitting so hard he had to stop and stand up. That's right, I thought, take yourself a bow ... 'Cause a blind man could see, it's on now. Najee's pacing and working the crowd; he's got 'em singing. He held a note so long I think it must still be ringing. I saw that one long note reach the sky. It looked like a meteor passing by. There's something magical about music and moonlight. I had a real good feeling it would be a real good night. The Najee band was Kentrick Morris on drums, Myles Robertson on keyboards, Chuck "CJ" Johnson on guitar, Mark Kelly playing bass, Lomon on lead vocals and Dizzy Gillespie's nephew Butter on percussion. The band was tight - I mean tight. Believe it or not, it was the first gig with Naj for some of the cats but they were hitting and they were tight. The little poem at the top of this piece was what I wrote leaning against the tree. When I was driving to the park that evening I remember asking myself 'I wonder if music is still enough - just music.' I wondered if the people would be satisfied with real music on a beautiful night in the park. Without picking on Simon or Paula, let's admit to our 21st Century appetite for Miami CSI, murders, autopsies, bounty hunters, interventions, mind numbing repetitious ratings ravenous TV news, and McMahon's head smashing, steel cage, tag team gladiators. Even the Donald had to get a piece of the wrestling action, as if sparring with Rosie wasn't enough. The Clear Channel smooth jazz format is all but defunct and the future of terrestrial radio is in serious question - satellite radio is the new flavor. Furthermore; the music business has been bombarded beyond recognition by technology and cut and run economics so I'm left to wonder if Najee will have to have dancers and fireworks and if his soprano sax keys will have to light up in multi-color neon to arouse the crowd. Najee is a veteran musician with true talent, legitimate training, years of performance experience on several continents and an old school passion for the music. I wondered if that would be enough. In high school he studied with Billy Taylor, Jimmy Heath and Frank Foster at the Harlem Jazzmobile. He also studied at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music and was a performance and composition major at Boston's, New England Conservatory of Music. So far this reads like the brilliant resume of an exceptional artist but remember I haven't mentioned any talent show wins as of yet. O.K. so I had to take a swipe at A.I. A unique twist to Najee's story is that his brother, guitarist Fareed Haaq, also attended the New England Conservatory of Music and when they returned to New York City they were both asked to join the Chaka Khan tour. Fareed went on to produce seven of his brother's CDs. Najee boasts two platinum and four gold CDs to his credit; phenomenal for a jazz instrumentalist. Even possessing these stellar credentials I was left wondering if the groove would be enough on this night. Well, I found a tree in a good spot near the stage and gripped my boot heals in the dirt at it's base so I could lean. By the time I got comfy and pulled out my pad and pen the poem was swirling around in my head. The music filled the air like a fragrant summer breeze - remember it's Florida. The only interruption to the music was the sound of the crowd cheering. My faith in that simple but inexplicable connection between the sounds and the soul was restored. Najee was rocking it, no dancers, no fireworks, no neon and it was indeed a good night. Article also published in Dallas Weekly & EURWeb |
<$3.09.2007$>
KNOW YOUR MUSICAL LEGACY: Marion Anderson
An Original Diva In this era of American Idol, Dream Girls and instant fame and fortune, perhaps it is fitting that we acknowledge the 110th birthday of an original diva - Marion Anderson.Legendary contralto, Marion Anderson, the first African American soloist to perform at the prestigious Metropolitan Opera, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, February 27, 1897. A year later, baritone great Paul Robeson was born just a few hours north of Philadelphia in Princeton, New Jersey. The careers of Anderson and Robeson were parallel in many ways. Most important was their international stardom - both traveled the world extensively and arguably enjoyed more freedom and appreciation abroad than at home. Anderson won the Julius Rosenwald scholarship allowing her to train abroad in England, France, Belgium, Holland, the former Soviet Union and Scandinavia. She toured Europe many times in her career. In 1939 Anderson received the Springarn Medal given annually to a black American who "shall have made the highest achievement during the preceding year or years in any honorable field of endeavor." That same year she was denied the right to perform at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. because the venue owners, The Daughters of the American Revolution enforced a clause in their contract that stated "concerts by whites only." DAR member Eleanor Roosevelt resigned in protest. As an alternative to the Constitution Hall concert, Anderson's representatives arranged for her to perform at the Lincoln Memorial. In attendance were 75,000 people, the largest turnout to date. Although she was reluctant to view herself as an activist, the Lincoln Memorial concert has been said to be one of the most dramatic events in civil rights history. Several weeks later, at the invitation of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Anderson performed at the White House for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of England, making her the first African American to perform at the White House. In spite of her treatment by the Daughters of the American Revolution Anderson remained a patriot. She performed in hospitals and bases for the troops in World War II and the Korean War. In 1957 she toured India and the Far East as a goodwill ambassador through the U.S. State Department and the American National Theater and Academy. She traveled 35,000 miles in 12 weeks, giving 24 concerts. Upon her return from the State Department tour, President Eisenhower appointed her as a delegate to the United Nations Human Rights Committee. As a member of the United Nations Trusteeship Committee, Anderson helped oversee the well-being of more than 100 million people living in U.N. trust territories in Africa and the South Pacific. She was a favorite of several U.S. presidents and sang at the inaugurations of Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy. In 1963 Anderson sang at the historic March on Washington. That same year she was awarded the American Medal of Freedom. Ironically, Marion Anderson launched her retirement tour at the very hall where she had been denied so many years before, Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. She said of her brilliant career; "The faith and confidence of others in me have been like shining, guiding stars." Marion Anderson passed away on April 8, 1993 at the age of 96, leaving a legacy of excellence and selfless service to a world of adoring fans. Article also published in Dallas Weekly & EURWeb |