Bonding together over their connection to jazz during the University of Hartford's annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Observance in 2020, this is the latest collaboration between saxophonist Javon Jackson and poet Nikki Giovanni following on from The Gospel According to Nikki Giovanni.
Jackson, born on 16 June 1965 in Carthage, Missouri, came to prominence as part of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers in the late-1980s. His tenure with Blakey positioned him as a leading figure in the hard bop tradition, a gospel soaked style rooted in the blues.
Jackson’s solo career began in the early-1990s and he has since released over a dozen albums that showcase his sound both as a performer and composer. His debut album, Me and Mr. Jones (1991) featured the great John Coltrane A Love Supreme drummer Elvin Jones.
Giovanni, born on 7 June 1943, in Knoxville, Tennessee, is one of America’s most celebrated poets and social commentators. She rose to prominence in the 1960s as a significant voice of the Black Arts Movement, a period that sought to define and celebrate African-American culture and experiences through art. Her early works, such as Black Feeling, Black Talk (1968) and Black Judgement (1968), are characterised by their militant tone, reflecting the urgency of the civil rights movement and the call for Black empowerment.
Giovanni’s poetry is known for its sharp wit, direct language, and strong political and social themes. Her 1970 collection Re: Creation further solidified her reputation, blending personal narrative with broader social commentary. Over the decades, her work has evolved to include themes of love, loss, and the complexities of the African American experience. Collections such as Love Poems (1997) and Bicycles: Love Poems (2009) reveal a softer, more introspective side of her writing.
The earlier collaboration between Jackson and Nikki Giovanni The Gospel According to Nikki Giovanni released two years ago seemed fresh at the time and so does this. It was a project that reimagined traditional hymns and spirituals, with Jackson’s soulful saxophone complementing Giovanni’s powerful poetic recitations.
Here on Jackson and Giovanni's latest collaboration the theme is more secular. And you can't get more secular than American cinema.
Some of Giovanni's favourite standards from the Great American Songbook are included and spoken word from her poems is also factored in including the amusing suggestiveness of 'That Day' that knits in seamlessly after the melody of Kurt Weill's 'Speak Low':
if you've got the time
i've got the way
let's do what we did
when we did it all day
Pianist Jeremy Manasia, bassist David Williams and drummer McClenty Hunter known for his work with Kenny Garrett are also on the album continuing their work from earlier albums.
Grammy winning singer Nicole Zuraitis is on 'How About You' (a song Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney interpreted on 1940s film Babes on Broadway); 'I Belong to You' (from a 1950s film called The Racers) and best of all 'The Folks Who Live on the Hill' synonymous with Peggy Lee and found on 1957's Nelson Riddle arranged Frank Sinatra conducted The Man I Love.
So a lot of great things come together here. There's meaningful poetry, wonderful tenor playing, movie nostalgia and Zuraitis' superb vocals. Jackson comes over a little like fine UK saxist Tony Kofi, brilliant this year performing Billy Strayhorn classics with Ian Shaw on a memorable live album recorded live at the Pizza Express Jazz Club. We also liked a great deal Jackson's version of Sonny Rollins' 'Valse Hot' and the beautiful treatment of the Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein classic 'The Folks Who Live on the Hill' is absolutely knock out.
Javon Jackson and Nikki Giovanni, photo: Brett Winter Lemon
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