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Sojourner Truth (1797?-1883) led a life that was at once<br />
humble and heroic. She jettisoned the bonds of slavery<br />
and paternalism to become an indomitable voice for<br />
the abolition of slavery and the advocacy of women’s<br />
rights. Bassist Avery Sharpe crafts a heartfelt tribute to<br />
a truly extraordinary woman.<br />
In a sense, Truth is a silent collaborator on this<br />
album as Sharpe incorporates some of her words into<br />
the narrative. The title cut is a spoken-word version of<br />
her watershed speech “Ain’t I A Woman?”, set to a<br />
gospel theme. Truth also was a lyricist, in spite of her<br />
illiteracy, and Sharpe wrote music for her poem<br />
“Pleading for My People”. Sharpe’s arrangement of the<br />
traditional “Motherless Child”, a favorite of Truth’s,<br />
underscores the homage by invoking John Coltrane’s A<br />
Love Supreme. All of these songs, as well as “The Way<br />
Home” and “Son of Mine”, feature singer Jeri Brown as<br />
the embodiment of Truth’s spirit and whose earthy<br />
vocals are as elemental and poignant as the woman<br />
herself.<br />
The band recounts other elements of Truth’s story<br />
quite eloquently through straightahead songs like<br />
“Isabella’s Awakening” and “Truth Be Told”. Craig<br />
m A R ch 1-3<br />
warren wolf group<br />
m A R ch 4<br />
jason marsalis quartet<br />
m A R ch 5-6<br />
grace kelly quintet<br />
cD release –Live at Scullers<br />
m A R ch 7-10 dizzy & bird festival<br />
wycliff gorD o n & frienD s<br />
the Dizzy Birds: Bebop then & now<br />
m A R ch 11<br />
Sojourner Truth “...ain’t I a Woman?”<br />
Avery Sharpe (JKNM)<br />
by Terrell Holmes<br />
amina figarova sextet<br />
music of twelve<br />
m A R ch 12-13<br />
e DDi e D a niels & roger kellaway<br />
m A R c h 14-17<br />
B i lly hart quartet<br />
m A R ch 18<br />
new york youth symphony<br />
jazz classic<br />
m A R ch 19-20<br />
luis B o nilla quintet<br />
m A R ch 21-24<br />
michael carvin experience<br />
featuring sonny fortune (3/22-24 only)<br />
m A R ch 25<br />
floriD a state university<br />
jazz ensemB le<br />
m A R ch 26-27<br />
terri lyne carrington’s<br />
m O NEy juN g L E<br />
cD release<br />
m A R ch 28-31<br />
B e n wolfe quintet<br />
featuring nicholas payton<br />
RESERVATIONS 212-258-9595 / 9795 jalc.org/dizzys<br />
Handy’s passionate tenor saxophone drives the<br />
distinctly African rhythm on “Bomefree”, a tribute to<br />
Truth’s father, who was sold into slavery from what is<br />
now Ghana. Duane Eubanks’ flugelhorn is honey<br />
smooth on drummer Yoron Israel’s “Virtuous She Is”.<br />
And the mingled voices of Onaje Allan Gumbs’ piano,<br />
Sharpe’s bass and Eubanks’ trumpet form a stunning<br />
chorus that captures the themes of alienation, loneliness<br />
and tumult on “NYC 1800s”.<br />
Throughout his career Sharpe has made it a point<br />
to honor his heroes, whether they are other musicians<br />
(see his album Legends & Mentors) or historical figures<br />
and the profound respect he feels for Truth comes out<br />
in this excellent music. Sojourner Truth “…ain’t I a<br />
Woman?” is a bold praise shout to someone whose<br />
fierce dedication to the pursuit of equality, justice and<br />
humanity remains timeless.<br />
For more information, visit jknmrecords.com. Sharpe is at<br />
Ginny’s Supper Club Mar. 9th and Brooklyn Public Library<br />
Central Branch Mar. 10th with this project. See Calendar.<br />
Live at Smalls<br />
Grant Stewart (smallsLIVE)<br />
by Alex Henderson<br />
Pianist Spike Wilner, who co-owns Smalls Jazz Club in<br />
the West Village, is among jazz’ more ambitious<br />
entrepreneurs. Since launching his smallsLIVE label in<br />
2010, Wilner has released more than 30 CDs from a<br />
long list of artists, including this recent date by Grant<br />
Stewart, who plays a brawny tenor saxophone along<br />
the lines of Sonny Rollins, Don Byas, Coleman Hawkins<br />
and Wardell Gray.<br />
Leading a quartet of Tardo Hammer (piano),<br />
David Wong (bass) and brother Phil Stewart on drums<br />
(all Smalls regulars, with Hammer a regular participant<br />
in Stewart’s recordings), the saxman swings hard and<br />
passionately on material ranging from Henry Mancini’s<br />
“Mr. Lucky”, Billy May’s “Somewhere in the Night”<br />
and Jule Styne’s “Make Someone Happy” to a Latintinged<br />
take on Cole Porter’s “Get Out of Town” and<br />
energetic, rather than sentimental, “Tea for Two”, the<br />
Vincent Youmans standard.<br />
In the ‘50s, saxophonists like Hawkins, Rollins,<br />
Byas and Gray were not only known for their<br />
barnburners but also for being excellent ballad players.<br />
And that fact isn’t lost on Stewart, who demonstrates<br />
his own abilities in that realm with takes on Bobby<br />
Troup’s “The Meaning of the Blues”, Jerome Kern’s<br />
“Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” and Thelonious Monk’s<br />
“Reflections”.<br />
Stylistically, Live at Smalls could have been<br />
recorded 60 years ago, given its material and aesthetic<br />
sensibilities. Stewart has never claimed to be<br />
groundbreaking, but what the saxophonist may lack in<br />
originality, he more than makes up for with warmth,<br />
good taste and a healthy sense of swing, which could<br />
be the motto for Smalls Jazz Club as well.<br />
For more information, visit smallslive.com. Stewart is at<br />
Smoke Mar. 15th-16th with Eric Reed and Smalls Mar. 17th<br />
as a leader. See Calendar.<br />
THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | March 2013 27
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