ROBERT J. CARMACK presents
NIGHT OF THE GRASSROOTS HIP-NOSIS: an Evening of Spoken Word ~Jazz Music of Bobby Hutcherson & Jackie McLean .
SATURDAY JULY 30 @ 8PM
The WORLD STAGE PERFORMANCE GALLERY
4321 Degnan Blvd.
Leimert Park Village(LA,Calif. 90008)
Featuring Plight (Jazz/Spoken Word Ensemble)
Guest Poet; TU’NOOK
Special Guest: Dale Fielder – saxophones
Tickets:early bird special before July 15th $15 (limited seating) afterwards $20 in advance $25 at door ~ Information regarding show or tickets contact Robert J. Carmack 951-840-7120
INTRODUCING PLIGHT Jazz Ensemble
Drums by Cornell Fauler(picture not available)
The music is a mixture of spoken word and jazz integrated into the compositions of iconic jazz artists Bobby Hutcherson and Jackie McLean. During the late 1950s and mid-1960s the record label, Blue Note churned out stellar music by saxophonist Jackie McLean. Stepping out of the shadows of Yardbird Parker and creating his own persona on alto, Jackie blazed his own unique trail that often borderlined on the Avant Garde.
His music held elements of bebop & swinging Blues numbers that captured the heart and soul of the hip new audiences that gravitated toward what became later known as, Hard-Bop. An eclectic mixture of truly adventurous, soulful artistry,while still retaining their integrity as jazz musicians.
Bobby Hutcherson is another bright spot of post bop masters to emerged onto the scene in the early 60s as a sideman to other peers and Heavyweights like Eric Dolphy. He grew into a first call vibist, embracing all of the pioneer’s skills on his instrument before him..like “Hamp”, “Bags” and Red Norvo to name a few.
After some very convincing recording sessions on Blue Note with other artists, it was not long before Hutcherson was commanding his own groups and recording sessions with authentic success.
Robert J. Carmack ,a jazz historian and archivist has chosen eight compositions. Four of which Carmack has written original poems that mesh with the songs that beckons a time in jazz history where, Poets and musicians often performed together.
The New York Greenwich Village and San Francisco “Beat Generation” hot spots often spawned great writers and poets including, the late poet laureate, Amiri Baraka (Leroi Jones).
Plight Playlist; McLean recordings~Riff Raff(Destination Out) Hipnosis(Hipnosis),Plight(Action) Blues in a Jiff (Vertigo)
Bobby Hutcherson Recordings~Night in Barcelona(San Francisco),Medina (Medina),Slow Change(Now!)Little B’s Poem(several albums).
The venue was chosen because of the long-standing history of these two giants working with the late founding member,Billy Higgins. Higgins was one of the most recorded drummer in jazz history and in-house drummer on Blue Note Records during its Jazz hey day of 1959-mid-1970s.
Carmack met Higgins at the early stages of the World Stage’s development while hanging out in the many workshops and performances. Robert witnessed Billy bring through Jazz icon after icon to the Leimert Park Village “digs”.
Many of these Legends would often stop through while in town for gigs ,conduct workshops or talk to young musicians who were struggling with their craft. Higgins was very approachable and would act as Jazz Griot in the artist community of Los Angeles. Higgins grew up as a kid on the “Eastside” of Los Angeles. As a young man ,he played with great musicians like Don Cherry, John Coltrane, Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, Dexter Gordon, Ornette Coleman, Phineas Newborn, Sonny Criss, Gerald Wilson and others.
The World Stage is monumental in the development of this new wave of musicians, writers and artists in general. while they offer writing classes,jazz workshops, music presentations by student-level performers , professionals still participate in a great deal of their activities as a “passing of the baton by those who like to give back , just as their pioneer founders Higgins and poet laureate Kamau Daaood did over 25 years ago. Gone but not forgotten, a strong “tip of the hat” to the late great World Stage contributors, Horace Tapscott and Nate Morgan. Thanks to the other faceless but important contributors. The Legacy continues today as the Kamasi Washingtons sax, Drummer Willie Jones III, Saxophonist Dale Fielder, bassist Marcus Shelby keeps repeating over and over.
posted by Kamaad Tauhid #@blues2jazzguy
