THE MOVEMENT Revisited, A Jazz Opus by Christian McBride
In Celebration of Black History Month
In celebration of Black History Month, the Detroit International Jazz Festival will present THE MOVEMENT Revisited, a jazz opus by Mack Avenue recording artist and Grammy Award-winning bassist/bandleader Christian McBride, on Sunday, February 14 at 7:30pm at Second Ebenezer Church in Detroit. Dedicated to four icons of the Civil Rights Movement, McBride will perform and conduct the piece featuring the Detroit Jazz Festival Orchestra, the Second Ebenezer Majestic Voices, and his quintet--Ron Blake, saxophone, Geoffrey Keezer, piano, Terreon Gully, drums, and Warren Wolfe, vibes.
THE MOVEMENT Revisited pays tribute to Rosa Parks, Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. Confirmed narrators include internationally renowned poet, author and playwright Sonia Sanchez as Rosa Parks; actor Dion Graham, whose credits include The Wire, Law & Order and Homicide: Life on the Street, as Muhammad Ali; Dr. Willis Patterson, Professor Emeritus of the University of Michigan School of Music as Malcolm X; and Bishop Edgar L. Vann of Second Ebenezer Church as The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
McBride believes that “the sacrifices made by these four individuals have been so enveloped in myth that to a large extent, their names are remembered more than their accomplishments. This piece captures musically how their deeds shaped our world, and reminds us of our responsibility to pave the way for many to live a better life." Celebrating the election of America's first Black President in 2009, McBride has written a new movement that will premiere at this performance.
Christian McBride is a top-tier solo artist who is equally adept on acoustic and electric bass, but he's also been the go-to bassist, with support duties ranging from Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea to Diana Krall and Sting. In addition, he has been at the forefront of jazz education, including serving as an artist in residence at festivals (Detroit International Jazz Festival and the Monterey Jazz Festival); artistic director at various arts centers and museums (including co-director of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem and the creative jazz chair for the Los Angeles Philharmonic); and as artistic director of the JAS Band Academy (Jazz Aspen Snowmass, Band Edition). His current critically-lauded Mack Avenue CD, Kind Of Brown, will be issued in an LP edition on March 16, and his digital download Conversations With Christian duets series is available on iTunes.
The MOVEMENT Revisited is made possible in part by a grant from the Erb Family Foundation and the donation of space by Bishop Edgar L. Vann II of Second Ebenezer Church. With a capacity of 3,000 seats, Second Ebenezer Church is located at 14601 Dequindre, at I-75 and McNichols, in Detroit.
In Celebration of Black History Month
In celebration of Black History Month, the Detroit International Jazz Festival will present THE MOVEMENT Revisited, a jazz opus by Mack Avenue recording artist and Grammy Award-winning bassist/bandleader Christian McBride, on Sunday, February 14 at 7:30pm at Second Ebenezer Church in Detroit. Dedicated to four icons of the Civil Rights Movement, McBride will perform and conduct the piece featuring the Detroit Jazz Festival Orchestra, the Second Ebenezer Majestic Voices, and his quintet--Ron Blake, saxophone, Geoffrey Keezer, piano, Terreon Gully, drums, and Warren Wolfe, vibes.
THE MOVEMENT Revisited pays tribute to Rosa Parks, Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. Confirmed narrators include internationally renowned poet, author and playwright Sonia Sanchez as Rosa Parks; actor Dion Graham, whose credits include The Wire, Law & Order and Homicide: Life on the Street, as Muhammad Ali; Dr. Willis Patterson, Professor Emeritus of the University of Michigan School of Music as Malcolm X; and Bishop Edgar L. Vann of Second Ebenezer Church as The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
McBride believes that “the sacrifices made by these four individuals have been so enveloped in myth that to a large extent, their names are remembered more than their accomplishments. This piece captures musically how their deeds shaped our world, and reminds us of our responsibility to pave the way for many to live a better life." Celebrating the election of America's first Black President in 2009, McBride has written a new movement that will premiere at this performance.
Christian McBride is a top-tier solo artist who is equally adept on acoustic and electric bass, but he's also been the go-to bassist, with support duties ranging from Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea to Diana Krall and Sting. In addition, he has been at the forefront of jazz education, including serving as an artist in residence at festivals (Detroit International Jazz Festival and the Monterey Jazz Festival); artistic director at various arts centers and museums (including co-director of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem and the creative jazz chair for the Los Angeles Philharmonic); and as artistic director of the JAS Band Academy (Jazz Aspen Snowmass, Band Edition). His current critically-lauded Mack Avenue CD, Kind Of Brown, will be issued in an LP edition on March 16, and his digital download Conversations With Christian duets series is available on iTunes.
The MOVEMENT Revisited is made possible in part by a grant from the Erb Family Foundation and the donation of space by Bishop Edgar L. Vann II of Second Ebenezer Church. With a capacity of 3,000 seats, Second Ebenezer Church is located at 14601 Dequindre, at I-75 and McNichols, in Detroit.
