TRUTH, RACIAL HARMONY & TRANSFORMATION
Tuesday night was an exceptional night of music and unity. The Truth, Racial, Healing, and Transformation movement sponsored a National Day of Racial Healing across the country. Here in New Orleans, The Ashe Cultural Center partnered with TRHT to present a wonderful performance featuring Verve recording artist Lizz Wright and Cuban percussionist, Alexey Marti at the Mahalia Jackson Theater.
Opening the show, Alexey and his band took us on a journey around the world. I arrived a little late, and Marti had already begun his set, but because of the weather( the rare below freezing and snowy New Orleans evening), I was blessed with front row seats. Marti’s band was also the same musicians on Marti’s most recent recording “Travesia.” a beautiful recording, but here in the live setting the musicians got to stretch a bit. Saxophonist, Brent Rose, was weaving his horn lines through Brazil and Cuba with ease and fun. Always a treat when the band is dancing on stage.(Side note: I had the double bonus of catching Brent just a few weeks earlier at a rare New Orleans Nightcrawler gig at DBA.) Pat Casey handled the low end on the bass and watching his fingers glide across the fretboard, almost as if the groove was coming from the “slide” of his hands.
The core of Marti’ performance was the rhythms. The percussion “Batterie,” consisted of Marti, alternating between Bata drum and Surdo, along with Headhunter alumni, Bill Summers, also on percussion and Julian Addison on the drum kit. For the final number, The title track, “Travesia,” a djembe player stepped onstage to bring the groove even higher, delivering a crisp, solo and inviting us to clap and sing along. Marti thanked the audience by reminding us that the global rhythms are another way of bringing people together, especially in this rhythmical city of New Orleans.
The idea of unity continued as Lizz Wright’s band took the stage with a musical intro, and we knew this set was going to be something rad, by the enthusiasm and giant smile of Hammond B-3/Pianist, Kenny Banks. Throughout the show, Banks would alternate between B-3 and Piano sometimes playing both together. Wright took the stage in a stunning red and black dress accentuating her style and poise as she began with the first track “Barley,” from her latest release Grace. Wright followed with a beautiful tribute to New Orleans with her version of “Southern Nights.” Warm and rich, I could feel the power of the song and I felt Toussaint was somewhere listening and smiling. Wright also thanked the THRT for the opportunity to celebrate Unity of all races with her performance and followed with a killer version of Neil Young’s “Old Man.” Wright took the tune’s simple, honest beginnings and opened up the song until it was as big as a mountain, with her rich, full voice giving a larger than life feel before bringing us back with a beautiful calming guitar solo.( Couldn’t make out guitarist name, but had a light touch reminding me of Bill Frisell.) The St. Peter Claver Choir joined the band, for the rest of the performance, adding the harmony that filled the room. At certain moments, Wright would step away from the microphone and her voice floated through the hall.
The kindness and compassion that you can hear in her songs shown bright, during a sound snafu. A photo montage began as Wright began a tune, and the studio recording started playing simultaneously. The band stopped playing as the problem was being corrected, which took a few moments. Wright could have lost her temper and easily ended the performance, but, instead, she chose to dedicate the song to her sound man. Explaining he was under the weather and how important he was to her, praising his talents. In this moment, I was reminded of a Herbie Hancock interview, and Hancock describing a mistake he made during a Miles Davis’s solo and instead of Miles being angry, Miles took Hancock’s wrong note and changed his own solo, so, Hancock’s note became right. “Turning poison into medicine,” was how Hancock described the moment, and I saw that with Wright’s patience. Turning technical difficulties into a moment to give us insight into one of the most important components of her performance: her sound guy. As Wright finished her story, the problem was solved and the performance went on. “Freedom,” from the 2015 album, Freedom, and Grace, began with a dynamite drum intro from Bradley Temple, and we knew the band was cooking and the choir danced and made the “I’m into it, smushy face.”
I was entertained, moved and felt apart of something bigger than myself, as I was invited into these songs.( for those not familiar with Wright’s latest record, Grace is a collection of covers.) As I watched her sing, I could see the shape of the melodies and rhythms through her motions and movements, giving form to her words. An amazing performance from an artist who has searched herself and her roots. The reason for Truth, Racial healing, and Transformation.
