Other Minds Festivals ➔ Other Minds Festival: OM 8, Concert 3: 03 “Blues for Langston Hughes” & more by Randy Weston & African Rhythms, 1 of 5
Digital Audio
Event Type
MusicOrigin
Other MindsIdentifier
OMF.2002.03.09.03.AProgram Series
Other Minds FestivalProgram Length
66 minPart
1 of 5Dates
| broadcast| 2002-03-09 | created
Description
African Rhythms quintet performs new and classic works by Randy Weston, music which, according to Robin D.G. Kelley, New York Times jazz critic and NYU African Studies professor, "…pushes the African rhythms to the foreground and always tries to work within a framework true to the source, whether it's the West African dance music called highlife or sacred songs from Morocco. These forms fit seamlessly in a jazz context precisely because, in Mr. Weston's words, ‘the music that is called jazz ... for me is really an extension of African culture.'" Hearing African Rhythms is like, "witnessing a joyous, sacred ceremony." —Amanda Piasecki“Their set began with the very powerful and evocative "African Cookbook", from the band's 1991 album The Spirit of Our Ancestors, which gets its juice and its resplendence from Weston's completely thought-out yet deeply felt, and thrillingly voiced chords. These are frequently parallel, and Weston makes them sound either monumental or lyrically delicate, without the slightest show of strain. There was a world of nuance here, and the band contributed beautifully gauged sonorities to the total affect. Other numbers in the set were just as impressive, especially "The Shrine", from African Rhythms' CD Khephera, which is based on a mysterious blues-redolent figure from Weston's piano; and T.K. Blue's solo flute added to the primeval effect of this great tune. The set also included deeply poetic versions of "African Sunrise " (c. 1989, but probably composed much earlier ), which Weston wrote for Dizzy Gillespie and Machito, and Bobby Benson's seductively rhythmic "Niger Mambo." He also played his festival-commissioned piece, "Blues For Langston Hughes", which he wrote to observe the centenary of the poet's death, and to honor his personal friendship with him. Weston also dedicated it to his actor friend Mel Stewart (1929-2002), who has impersonated the role of the writer, and died this February. The composer performed this short, delicate, and deeply moving piece as a duet with bassist Alex Blake. And the audience, realizing, that the whole set was, to put it mildly, one from the heart, went crazy. This, obviously, was music for a reason, and a fitting end to an evening of blues of all kinds.” —Michael McDonagh (from http://www.classical-music-review.org/reviews/OpenMinds8.html)
Genres
JazzMusical Selections
African Cookbook, for jazz ensemble (ca. 1991) (24:09) / Randy WestonPerformers
African Rhythms:Randy Weston, piano
T.K. Blue, saxophone & flute
Benny Powell, trombone
Alex Blake, bass
Neil Clark, African percussion
Subjects
JazzRelated place
San Francisco (Calif.) (was recorded at)Related Entities
Other Minds FestivalRandy Weston African Rhythms Quintet
Weston, Randy
Kibwe, Talib
Blue, T.K. (pseudonym)
Powell, Benny
Blake, Alex
Clark, Neil