In April, during Jazz Appreciation Month, the Medgar Evers Jazz Ensemble did a live performance; "A Spring Affair," where they serenaded Medgar Evers College students and faculty with a series of songs from the Great American Song Book and also from popular culture.
The performance was about an hour long and featured singers and musicians of the group who contributed to the event that took place in the welcome center located in the Bedford Avenue building of Medgar Evers college in Brooklyn, NY.
An excerpt from the show was aired on April 10, 2016 on WNYE 91.5FM on Jazz on the JNote show which is hosted and produced by Stephanie Jeannot. If you dd not get a chance to hear this program, you can now listen to it on soundcloud at https://soundcloud.com/stephanay-jnote/01-jazz-on-the-jnote-41016
Life has its ups and downs but if you can say you had more ups than downs in your life, then you are like me.
Jill Scott was right; we ought to take our freedoms and live life like its "Golden" because any other way would make life a drag. And to have been able to use my freedom to sing about it in this cover was meaningful. Music is said to be like your communication with God or your prayer and it really is a spiritual experience to let your soul ring; especially when live music is involved.
"I'm living my life like itsGolden" and I'm thankful for the blessings of each moment. God is awesome. Please check out my cover on YouTube of Jill Scott's amazing and very inspiring tune here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THNFaccltsk&feature=share
Ken Burns said, “Louis
Armstrong is quite simply the most important person in American music. He is to
20th century music (I did not say jazz) what Einstein is to physics.” His music
has that ability to influence a person’s playing and their mind.
He was a native New Yorker who lived in the Corona
section of Queens, NY and one of the most significant things about this jazz
great to me was that of all the thing is life (the music, the traveling all
over the world, his family), what made his world wonderful were the children in
the neighborhood running to him and greeting him as Uncle Louis when he came
home from touring. After hearing that story at one of the many tours offered at
his home, now a museum in Corona, NY, “What A Wonderful World” became one of my
favorite tunes.
My story is a little
different though. I was invited to perform at a Leukemia Foundation Fundraiser
hosted by Roxanne Productions and it made me consider a few things.To have everything and complain is selfish.
When I say everything, I mean good health. Once you lose your health, you lose
everything. But then to not be in the greatest of help, having to deal with
hospital visits and radiation therapy everyday and to make it a cause to
benefit others, is going beyond yourself and instead not just drowning in the
effects of something but becoming a cause for change.
To see an event like
this and to know that people are so beautiful to do things like this, in my
opinion, makes the world wonderful. For that reason, I performed and dedicated
to this song for the fight and for the cause. What a wonderful world it truly is
to still be able to raise up the name of Jesus and bless him the only way a
person knows how, in good times and in bad. Thankful, for the opportunity of
being part of this awesome event.
A cover song is a song that was created by and performed by another artist that is reinterpreted by someone else.
Jazz artists created blueprints of what jazz music is and decades later, singers and musicians remain entrenched in history when sharing tunes, many of which are known as jazz standards, with an interpretation of one's own.
There are so many jazz standards that can be added to a repertoire, some of which I am just discovering as I read the book "Jazz Standards" by Ted Gioia which is sort of like an A to Z guide of
standards. Gioia shares the best versions that were ever released and performed of each.
The last few months have been very interesting. I have always loved to sing and always sang with a passion within, but had very little vocal or music training. I guess there is a stubbornness that goes along with a genuine love to sing and liking how the sound is released but without any structure or true knowledge of the theoretical values of music. Then I came across Jazz Mobile and found that musicology is fun. It is eye opening and really has enriched my life. So thankful for the opportunity.
A few things I learned:
- I do not know everything about music
- There is more to singing then singing
- Knowledge is power
- Theory in music is important
- I need to listen more than sing
- Listen a lot to other artists
- Jazz has so much history and I am a part of its culture
In listening more, I have found that there are no limits to versions and interpretations of a song. Not one person sings it the same. And with every version, there is something to love so much that you may even add a bit of it to your way of interpretation.
Such was the case for my performance of "Take the A Train" at the Jazz Mobile Student Recital/Award Ceremony at the end of the three moth jazz workshop I was blessed to participate in. I admit; I find myself listening to on singer more than any other. And in that listening, I lack knowledge on how other singers did it. Then I nominated myself to sing a song at the recital and the student rehearsal, I took it upon myself to listen to five different versions back-to-back and on repeat mode. I listened to both instrumental and vocal jazz versions.
Still not a perfect version, but glad I as able to try it and do some improv. Please watch my performance with the students of Jazz Mobile, performed at Wadleigh at our end-of-program recital. How cool that even our recital performance was still somewhat in rehearsal or preparation mode with guidance and direction from our teachers.
Every Wednesday night is jazz night at E Savoy Lounge located at 2192 Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, NY.
Hosted by the Ken Bogan Trio, the music fills the beautiful atmosphere with love and excitement. From 8PM to 11PM, expect to hear some of the best jazz standards from the voice of Pastor Ken Bogan who has somewhat of a likeness of the late Frank Sinatra. But being a pastor, he also adds some Gospel jazz making patrons interested in seeing what this crooner will do next because one never knows when they enter into the big glass doors.
Like any other night, Wednesday, December 3, 2014 was a night when vocal jazz romanticizes the ears of everyone willing to listen. The Ken Bogan Trio which includes Bogan on vocals, Kim Clarke on bass and Danny Dalileo on piano cruised into musical heights of beauty.
But what made this night different was that from the stage of this cozy Brooklyn venue, Bogan used it to do his own little peaceful protest in support of the protestors making their voices heard about our judicial system.
He sang a wonderful cover of Mahalia Jackson's "On My Way" and I'd like to invite you to check out his positive message vesselled through voice and music. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHoy8gsuZSg
The music and the colors of jazz; seems almost like a rainbow with shooting stars in the night after a rainstorm when the sky opens up and leaves you with a token of beauty to dwell within.
You can go to a club and enjoy live jazz music almost every single night in New York City; and not just in Manhattan, but in the other boroughs as well.
This past Monday, October 20, 2014 at For My Sweet Garden and Event Space/Kalahari Gallery located at 1103 Fulton Street in Brooklyn, NY, folks comfortably gathered in to take in a live performance by the Aqua Ninjas band lead by phenomenal bassist Kim Clarke. The night was filled with music by notable artists as George Duke, Eddie Jefferson, Cole Porter and more.
While guests were mingling away and enjoying the sounds, the band invited them to the stage to join into the musical extravaganza. Dalthanette Mulin definitely shined her light by adding a beautiful stroke of her energy to the night with her cover of one of the greatest jazz standards in history. "Our Love is Here to Stay" was written by George Gershwin and the lyrics by Ira Gershwin" Please check out the live footage of her performance on youtube. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwEI_97gKtk
"The truest expression of a people is in its dance and music." - Agnes de Mille
My name is Stephanie Jeannot and I am a singer, songwriter and performing artist from Brooklyn, NY. It is always fun when I can get onto any stage and sing any song that I have either come to know and love or that I learned to love after writing and producing an original song.
What a day it was to be on the big stage situated inside of Six Flags Great Adventures Theme Park where the COBANY celebrated their annual family day hosted by Norman Seabrook. Together with the ATM Band, we provided a portion of the musical entertainment and it was so live.
Other performing acts included the legendary Force MDs, the doo-wop group Legacy, Singer Bobby Wall, Comedians Purnell Halloway and Talent, and rapper Fat Joe.
Great stage! Wonderful crowd! Exceptional soundmen! And yes, the song selections we decided to work with was wonderful. One of those tunes was an old classic by Bernard Wright entitled "Who Do You Love."
It's a great tune. It's funky and the groove is really nice. And so, we got onto the band stage and as part of the celebration, we performed this song. Please check out the YOUTUBE clip from the September 19, 2014 performance of the cover of "Who Do You Love" performed live at Six Flags Great Adventures. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wzw0a5ivwJI
Thank you for taking the time to read my blogpost and for watching my YouTube link. I truly appreciate your support. God bless you and have an amazing week.
