The Jazz Leaders Fellowship funded by the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music is another much-needed platform that provides Black women and non-binary jazz musicians of color the resources to further their craft and pursue endeavors their specific creative. This year’s annual scholarship (2022-23) was presented to singer, poet and songwriter Jasmine Wilson and pianist, composer, singer and cultural ambassador Melvis Santa.
As a recipient of the scholarship, Santa will perform a summer night concert at the BKCM Recital Hall on August 6, at 8:00 p.m. “The music I will be presenting is a selection of original compositions, lyrics and arrangements that I have been working on currently.” Santa explained. “I like to express myself with different formats and instruments, so I will sing, play piano and percussion, including bata drums. I will also have special guests joining in.”
She will also premiere her song dedicated to Abbey Lincoln on what would have been her 92nd birthday. “This new composition is part of a larger project I’m developing, a duet with trumpeter and arranger Josh Evans, who will be one of my special guests on August 6,” said Santa. “The Abbey Lincoln work-in-progress project was influenced by my fascination with Abbey since my high school years in Cuba. Her distinctive timbre and the spirit she conveys in every recording reminded me of the powerful tradition of oral storytelling I grew up with, so it has stayed with me ever since. Years later I also ventured into acting, and as I matured in the process, I often returned to listen to Abbey’s music and unique style. She is definitely one of my heroes. “My Music Is Mine” is the title I chose to write and compose an original song inspired by the greatness of Ms. Abbey Lincoln and the influence her legacy still has on me as a songwriter and actress as well.”
Born and raised in Havana, Cuba, Santa is a creative resource who uses the diverse cultural spirits of the African diaspora in her music as a bandleader, songwriter and singer. Her multicultural exploration bands have included Ashedi, Ellas-Son, Melvis Santa Quartet and La Rumba de Santa. As a member of Kenny Garrett’s Sextet, she plays keyboards and percussion. This company will only catapult Santa to greater, limitless heights.
“I anticipate a fruitful year of cooperation as JFL with BKCM. The scholarship has a performance and an educational component. For the latter, I am invited to be part of the jazz program as a guest”, said Santa Claus. “I plan to do a workshop that I developed based on two important and recurring themes that I have encountered throughout my career and personal experience: Movement and Repertoire. I call the first one Dance for Musicians, and the other, Female Voices and Songs in Latin Jazz. Today I am grateful and excited by the responsibility and opportunities this award brings. I think it’s worth celebrating out of the gate!”
For ticket information, visit the Bkcm.org website.
On August 7, renowned jazz producer/promoter Berta will present her 11th annual “tribute to our fallen jazz heroes” with saxophonist Patience Higgins and The Sugar Hill Quartet., a long-standing collaborative force of international jazzmen and renowned bandleaders: pianist Marcus Persiani, bassist Tom DiCarlo and drummer David Gibson; featuring vocalists Ghanniyya Green, Lady Cantrese and Ras Chemash Lamed, and hosted by MC Murphy. The music is so nice, don’t be surprised if some swing dancers are in the set.
“Unfortunately, in the last two years many famous musicians have left us, as well as those who joined the predecessors earlier; they include Onaje Allan Gumbs, Donald Smith, Tulivu-Donna Cumberbatch, Junie Booth, Alex Lane and original Sugar Hill Quartet member Andy McCloud III,” said Berta. “We must always remember the great musicians who have passed away – it is their legacy that we are keeping alive.”
The concert (1:00 pm – 6:00 pm) takes place at Ralph Ellison Memorial Park (150th Street and Riverside Drive. For more information call 646-705-2932.
Good music should do more than just make you feel good, it should knock your socks off and make you scream. On August 11, Jazz at the Schomburg will present Nite Bjutian explosive collaboration of three inventive ladies: vocalist Candice Hoyes, percussionist and tourmalist Val Jeanty (evoking the creative subconscious self-defined as “Afro-Electronica”), and bassist Mimi Jones. Together, the trio of Afro-Caribbean artists oscillate in the esoteric realms of music, improvising to the rhythms of drums, sampling, electronics and Haitian spoken word.
Nite Bjuti reflects the centuries-old Haitian folklore “Beauty of the Night,” about a girl whose bones begin to sing in the afterlife, her soul seeking justice. Together, they improvise to build layers of intimate community both within the band and with its audience. This performance will also feature creative collaborators, choreographer/dancer JoVonna Parks and ballerina Courtney Sauls (at 6:30 p.m.).
The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is located at 515 Malcolm X Blvd. (corner of West 135th Street). For tickets (donation) visit nypl.org/Schomburg.
