Ensemble for Upliftment and Spiritual Unity a Shabaka first for Monheim Triennale
With all live touring to an extent up in the air and a very much ''check before you set out'' mantra the order of the day, let's hope come summertime the picture is better and things return to normal. I am sure that a lot of festival organisers are …
Published: 16 Mar 2020.Updated: 4 years.
With all live touring to an extent up in the air and a very much ''check before you set out'' mantra the order of the day, let's hope come summertime the picture is better and things return to normal. I am sure that a lot of festival organisers are very uncertain about what comes next even if their events are to take place far into the summer. (As the old joke has it: How do you make God laugh?Tell him your future plans.)
Assuming it and other summer jazz festivals emerge unscathed by the tumult and all come to pass as planned look at this mindblowing booking for the summer's Monheim Triennale (1-5 July) in Germany, Shabaka Hutchings with his Ensemble for Upliftment and Spiritual Unity brings together all three of his acclaimed bands: Sons of Kemet, The Comet Is Coming and Shabaka and the Ancestors plus for added welly a chamber orchestra. The festival describes what is planned: ''The dream project of Shabaka Hutchings will be a world premiere, his cosmic creativity exploding into a full firework display.''
• Shabaka at Monheim is also to duet with cult avant pianist Kris Davis. Gaze at the fairly spectacular, to understate, full programme here.
It's a late-April release for Ella 100: Live at the Apollo! (Concord Jazz) featuring a host of top singers all celebrating Ella Fitzgerald and recorded at the Apollo in Harlem in 2016.
Patti Austin, David Alan Grier, Andra Day, Ledisi, Lizz Wright, …
It's a late-April release for Ella 100: Live at the Apollo! (Concord Jazz) featuring a host of top singers all celebrating Ella Fitzgerald and recorded at the Apollo in Harlem in 2016.
Patti Austin, David Alan Grier, Andra Day, Ledisi, Lizz Wright, Cassandra Wilson, Monica Mancini, Afro Blue and the Count Basie Orchestra & strings are among the stellar line-up on the album.
It was at the Apollo in 1934 that Ella's version of Hoagy Carmichael’s 'Judy' made such an impact and when the greatest voice in jazz, as she would be universally known, first introduced herself to win amateur night.
The recording includes a vintage radio recording of the historic 1934 night. Seventeen-year-old singer Ayo (Ayodele Owolabi) sings 'Judy' while Patti Austin covers “A Tisket, A Tasket” and 'When I Get Low, I Get High' and top Broadway singer Grier sings “Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me.”,
Also on the record Lizz Wright sings 'The Nearness of You,' Cassandra Wilson 'Cry Me a River' and Ledisi interprets in hugely swinging fashion Fats Waller-Andy Razaf classic 'Honeysuckle Rose.'
The album also includes Ella herself singing the magnificent Bob Merrill-Jule Styne song, 'People.'
Full track list:
1
Vintage 1934 “Apollo Amateur Night” Radio Broadcast / “Judy”
David Alan Grier & Ayo
2
Ella 100 Co-Host David Alan Grier Opening
David Alan Grier
3
A Tisket-A Tasket
Patti Austin & The Count Basie Orchestra
4
When I Get Low I Get High
Patti Austin & The Count Basie Orchestra
5
Ain’t Misbehavin’
Andra Day & The Count Basie Orchestra (CD version only)
6
Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me
David Alan Grier & The Count Basie Orchestra
7
Love You Madly
Lizz Wright & The Ella 100 All-Star Quartet
8
The Nearness Of You
Lizz Wright & The Ella 100 All-Star Quartet
9
Oh, Lady Be Good
Ayo & Afro Blue
10
How High The Moon
Patti Austin, Afro Blue & The Count Basie Orchestra
11
Back To The Apollo! (Apple)
The Count Basie Orchestra
12
I Loves You, Porgy / There’s A Boat Dat’s Leavin’ Soon For New York
Patti Austin, David Alan Grier & The Count Basie Orchestra
13
Cry Me A River
Cassandra Wilson & The Count Basie Orchestra
14
Honeysuckle Rose
Ledisi & The Count Basie Orchestra
15
Once in A While
Monica Mancini & Brian Nova
16
You’ll Have To Swing It (Mr. Paganini) / Paganini Bows Reprise
Patti Austin, David Alan Grier & The Count Basie Orchestra