Harlem Speaks Honors Jazz Advocate Arthur Barnes May 25th 6:30pm-8:00pm

Harlem Speaks Honors

Jazz Advocate Arthur Barnes
May 25, 2006

Olu Dara, Cornetist/Guitarist/Singer
June 8, 2006

Hank Jones, Pianist
June 29, 2006

Arthur H. Barnes has been HIP Health Plan of New York's Senior Vice President for External Affairs and Corporate Contributions since 1993, promoting the health and well-being of the diverse communities that make up New York City. Through him, HIP provides grants, scholarships, contributions, sponsorships and in-kind services to nonprofit organizations striving to improve the quality of life for NYC residents. For almost 20 years before joining HIP, Mr. Barnes was President and CEO of the New York Urban Coalition.

He is former Chairman of the Board of Governors for the Jazz and Contemporary Music Program at New School University, which makes a lot of sense, given his intimate knowledge of the music and the musicians who created it.

Born and raised in Harlem, New York City, Mr. Barnes attended the Bronx High School of Science and Brooklyn College. At the October 20, 2005 Harlem Speaks night, which honored Congressman Charles Rangel, Barnes joined his childhood friend on stage and recounted the swinging times of their teenage years in Harlem. His night in the Harlem Speaks spotlight is May 25, 2006.

Olu Dara (born Charles Jones III in Natchez, Mississippi in 1941) first became known as a jazz musician, playing alongside musicians such as David Murray and Henry Threadgill. He also spent a year playing with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. His unique approach to art and life will be self-evident when he joins us on June 8, 2006.

With his first album under his own name, In the World: From Natchez to New York (1998), Dara was the leader and singer of a band that plays a mix of blues, folk, jazz and funk, African popular music and even reggae. Neighborhoods, with guest appearances by Dr. John and Cassandra Wilson, followed in a similar vein in 2001.

His son, rapper Nas, encouraged his father to record the music he was playing with his band, and contributed a track on In the World. In 2004 his vocals were featured on Nas's single “Bridging the Gap," from the album Street's Disciple.

One of world's greatest pianists, Hank Jones, is the special guest of Harlem Speaks on June 29, 2006. Born Henry W. Jones in 1918 in Mississippi, but raised in Pontiac, Michigan, Jones received classical piano training from Charlotte Franzell during his childhood.

By the age of 13, he was already performing with territory bands, and by 1944 he moved to New York at the recommendation of Lucky Thompson, to join the band of Hot Lips Page, with whom he made his first recordings for the Continental label.

While freelancing with Andy Kirk, Billy Eckstein, John Kirby, Coleman Hawkins and Howard McGhee, Jones developed his own style. Freely mixing the newer idioms of Bud Powell and Al Haig with that of his main mentor, Art Tatum, Jones rose quickly to the top shelf of jazz pianists.

In late 1947, he joined the Jazz at the Philharmonic, and from 1948 to 1953 he became the pianist for Ella Fitzgerald. During this period Jones also made several recordings for Norman Granz's various labels, including historical sessions with Charlie Parker and Lester Young. After leaving Ella, he formed a steady rhythm section with Barry Galbraith, Milt Hinton and Osie Johnson. This unit recorded with some of the finest talent in New York at the time, like Roy Eldridge, Lionel Hampton, Milt Jackson, Rex Stewart and many others.

He displayed his mastery recently at Dizzy's Club Coca Cola, playing stunning duets along with tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano. Don't miss this stately gentleman of jazz on June 29th at the offices of the Jazz Museum in Harlem.

The Jazz Museum in Harlem All Stars, featuring vocalist Delores King-Williams, presented a concert tribute to America's First Lady of Song, Ella Fitzgerald, on Thursday, May 18th at Nubian Heritage, a splendid Harlem space on Fifth Avenue at 126th Street. Museum Executive Director Loren Schoenberg led the 8-piece ensemble from piano, laying down rich chords that spurred Williams and fellow band mates to swinging bliss. The song selection reflected some of Fitzgerald's well-known hits and several of the lesser performed masterpieces she recorded.

Juilliard graduate Chris Madsen masterfully scaled down the original arrangements that the legendary Nelson Riddle wrote for large ensemble accompaniment of Ms. Fitzgerald's classic Song Book recordings. Ms. Williams brought her own sass and entertainment style to the proceedings, and the standing-room only audience loved her interpretations of songs such as “Fever" (with walking and talking bass by former Harlem Speaks guest Larry Ridley), “A Ship Without a Sail" and “Mr. Paganini."

Although the gorgeous Ms. Williams looked much the diva, in a quite un-diva like fashion she made way for several ballad features which put the improvisational talents of band members front and center.

After intermission, in which audience members milled about the bookstore/cafe lounge on Nubian Heritage's main floor, Schoenberg, Ridley, and another previous guest of Harlem Speaks, writer Herb Boyd, shared their memories of Ella. Her collaboration with bassist Ray Brown at Jazz at the Philharmonic inspired Ridley to dedicate his life to jazz; Schoenberg recalled her easy grace during rehearsals at Radio City Music Hall for her last performance there; and Boyd regretted not snagging an interview with the very private legend, but urged the audience to check out Stuart Nicholson's biography of the first lady of American song, who crossed over a decade ago.

This free concert was made possible through the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation, which also provides funding for the Harmony in Harlem Youth Band. In addition, support for this music program comes from the Music Performance Fund, enriching lives through music by sponsoring free, live performances in all 50 states and Canada. For more information, visit MPF's Website at www.MusicPF.org .

The free bi-weekly Harlem Speaks series is produced by the Jazz Museum in Harlem's Executive Director, Loren Schoenberg, Co-Director Christian McBride, and Greg Thomas Associates. The series occurs at the offices of the Jazz Museum in Harlem, located at 104 East 126th Street, between Park and Lexington Avenues, from 6:30pm-8:00pm.