Harlem Stage Presents Gerald Clayton's PIEDMONT BLUES: A SEARCH FOR SALVATION This Month

Harlem Stage will present six-time GRAMMY-nominated pianist, composer, and bandleader Gerald Clayton and his multidisciplinary project, Piedmont Blues: A Search for Salvation. Developed and directed by Christopher McElroen and produced by his company the american vicarious, Piedmont Blues explores the essence and impact of the Piedmont blues musical style, defined by ragtime rhythms, fingerpicking guitar, and understated vocals twinned with searing lyrics, made famous by artists including Blind Boy Fuller, Reverend Gary Davis, Elizabeth Cotten, and Etta Baker. This music served as a salve for the suffering that African Americans endured throughout the Southeast during Jim Crow. Performances take place on June 22 and 23 at 7:30pm at Harlem Stage (150 Convent Ave, Manhattan). Tickets, which start at $25, are now on sale at www.harlemstage.org.

Piedmont Blues features Clayton's nine-piece jazz ensemble, The Assembly, featuring GRAMMY-nominated vocalist René Marie and tap dancer Maurice Chestnut. Entwined throughout the live concert is an assemblage of projected film, new and archival photography, and folklore underscoring the verdant cultural landscape of the Piedmont region. The performance features footage of recently departed Piedmont blues elders with whom Clayton spent time as he created the project, including John Dee Holeman, Algia Mae Hinton, and Boo Hanks.

Additional musicians in The Assembly include Immanuel Wilkins (alto saxophone), Jason Marshall (baritone saxophone), John Ellis (tenor saxophone), Marvin Sewell (guitar), Tyrone Allen (bass), and Obed Calvaire (drums). Additional artists include Voices of the Flame Choir, directed by Jeff Bolding, with projections by Liviu Pasare and text by Jaymes Jorsling & Lizz Wright.

Please visit www.harlemstage.org for more information.

To post a comment, you must register and login.