Last year, I saw some wonderful performances, like my favorite tapper Savion Glover at Howard Theatre, here in D.C., and Steve Martin and Martin Short, making a stop on their comedy tour at Ohio Theatre in Columbus. I attended my first opera, which I was drawn to by trumpeter Terence Blanchard, who wrote the music. Called Champion, this jazz-infused opera at the Kennedy Center tackled homophobia through a moving portrayal of closeted gay boxer Emile Griffin. (Watch Terence Blanchard talk about the opera in this video.) I hit the theatre a few times, too. My favorite show was Mean Girls, the Musical, at National Theatre. Tina Fey wrote it based on her spot-on movie about high school cliques. I felt lucky that it made a stop in D.C. before heading to Broadway, just when I needed a good laugh.
The rest of 2017 was all about music. Here's a run-through of my favorite concerts, with some links to tunes, so you can get a taste. Enjoy!
Hello, Hip-Hop!
I saw these hip-hop legends for the first time.
- I kicked off the year with Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def) on New Year's Eve. He played a series of concerts before heading over to Africa to begin a new adventure as a painter. I know Mos Def more from his movie roles, but it was special to see him perform and get the Kennedy Center crowd bouncing. Listen to Mos Def's 2009 song, "Life is Good".
- Q-Tip did the same, accompanied by pianist Jason Moran. I was thrilled to see the frontman of A Tribe Called Quest, who is the inaugural artistic director of hip-hop culture for the Kennedy Center. Performing in the renovated Terrace Theater, Q-Tip introduced himself and the genre to the Kennedy Center regulars. Watch A Tribe Called Quest performed their new song, called "We the People", on Saturday Night Live in 2016.
Jazz It Up!
I stuck with some of my favorites in jazz.
- On a night off from playing in the jazz quartet for Terence Blanchard's opera, Jeff "Tain"Watts played two sets at Blues Alley with his own band. One of the most inventive drummers in the world, Tain gets in the zone, and his blissful facial expressions make him just as entertaining to watch as he is to hear. I stayed for both sets because I would've regretted leaving. Here's a 2009 video for "Return of the Jitney Man" by Jeff Watts.
- Also at Blues Alley, I caught vibraphonist Gary Burton on his farewell tour, accompanied by pianist Makato Ozone. Watching these two master musicians play a flawless set was unforgettable. The level of artistry and sound transformed the space, stunned the attentive audience into cheers, and left us wanting "Farewell Tour" to be a typo. Watch Gary Burton and Makato Ozone, from 2002, play "Afro Blue" at the Montreax Jazz Festival.
- With 2017 marking Thelonious Monk's 100th birthday, pianist Jason Moran, the Kennedy Center's artistic director for jazz, threw a celebratory concert with fellow fans, including pianist Kenny Barron. While this concert included bits of Jason Moran's In My Mind: Monk at Town Hall show, which he performed at the Kennedy Center in 2016, this concert offered additional music and first-hand personal stories about the musician. Like any good party, the concert ended with band members parading into the grand hall and mixing with the elated audience members who followed. See Jason Moran play Monk's "Thelonious" in this video from 2009.
- I was thrilled to see bassist Ron Carter again with his quartet at the Kennedy Center. Ron Carter is all class – always polished, professional, and pure sound. He played everything from jazz standards, like "My Funny Valentine", to the classical music of Bach. He even threw in an old cowboy jingle. I don't think he knows any bad notes. I don't know what song Ron Carter is playing in this 2011performance, but I like it.
Make Way for the Girls!
These ladies are all unique and wonderful.
- I've followed Aimee Mann since her 'Til Tuesday days in the '80s, and her artistry and musicianship only gets better. Supporting her latest solo album, Mental Illness, she stopped at Lincoln Theatre, and invited us to settle in for some sad songs. She describes this collection of songs as her most depressing yet, but that's not how you feel at her shows. With her deadpan sense of humor and down-to-earth charm, Aimee Mann lit up the venue between songs and kept everyone laughing. Her shows feel like intimate parties among all of us who have a mutual understanding of her messages. We get her music, we get her jokes, and we know it's a special combination that only she can deliver. She performed "Patient Zero" in 2017 for Prairie Home Companion.
- A few years ago, my friend sent me her favorite Gillian Welch album, and when the songs come up on my iPod, they always stop me. Accompanied by David Rawlings at the Kennedy Center this summer, Gillian Welch didn't disappoint with her folk/rock concoctions. The sparse set and acoustic show, involving two guitars and sometimes a harmonica, didn't detract from the fullness of sound or energy. Like Aimee Mann, she charmed us with her sense of humor and blew us away with her voice. I'm not sure what year this is, but watch Gillian Welch and David Rawlings show off their guitar skills, playing one of their best songs, "Time (The Revelator)".
- I first saw Meshell Ndegeocello when she supported Sting on tour in the '80s or '90s at a concert I attended with my dad and sister. We became instant fans. For this special concert tribute to Nina Simone, Meshell Ndegeocello played songs from her album, Pour un Ame Souveraine: A dedication to Nina Simone, and had surprise guest Toshi Reagon join her on some of them. I first saw Toshi Reagon when she supported a Michelle Dorrance tap show. Afterward, I told everyone about the cool lady with the big voice who accompanied the dancers. To see these two women performing together felt like a once-in-a-lifetime event. Their interpretations of Nina Simone's unique music flooded the room and entranced those of us who experienced it. Here's a track from the album called "Real, Real" that features Toshi Reagon.
- I know Lisa Fischer because of Sting too. She's performed with him and as a special guest at the last few benefit concerts he's hosted for the Rainforest Foundation in New York. She's also toured with the Rolling Stones as their lead back-up singer, but you might know her from the Oscar-winning documentary about amazing back-up singers 30 Feet from Stardom. I was excited to see Lisa Fischer and Grand Baton with her performing front and center. She has a big voice with surprising range. The song arrangements by Grand Baton were entirely unique. With their accompaniment, she sang jazz standards, original compositions, and popular songs, including barely recognizable versions of "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and "Message in a Bottle." Sting's right, Lisa Fischer is a star. See her with Grand Baton performing the "The Last Goodbye" in 2014.
These Guys Know All My Favorite Songs.
Where Sting goes, I will follow, and wherever David Bowie is, I hope he hears us.
- Only Sting could get me to a casino. He performed at the new MGM National Harbor casino in Oxon Hill, Maryland, in support of his latest studio album, 57th & 9th. Begrudgingly, I arrived in the suburbs bright and early, with snacks and activities planned to help me while away the hours until the 8 p.m. show started. I waited in line to get my wristband at 11 a.m. Then I waited around until it was time to wait in line as part of the general admission crowd. After I finally claimed a second-row spot in the theater, I had to wait among the crowd for another couple hours until the show started. The show began on time and never bothered to pause. It was a continuous 3-hour performance of new material and classic hits, shared with up-and-coming energetic support act The Last Bandoleros and family members – Sting's son, Joe Sumner, and longtime guitarist Dominic Miller's son, Rufus. I felt old when I realized that I last saw Rufus Miller with braces on his teeth selling CDs for his dad at Blues Alley, but Sting snapped me out of it. As usual, he was in top form, able to outlast us all and keep us bouncing in unison. I never doubted he'd be worth the wait. Listen to Sting perform his latest Oscar-nominated song, "The Empty Chair" – a tribute to murdered American journalist James Foley.
- In Wes Anderson's 2004 film, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Brazilian musician/actor Seu Jorge plays a guitar-carrying sailor on an expedition with Bill Murray. Throughout the film, he performs in Portuguese acoustic renditions of David Bowie classics, like "Ziggy Stardust" and "Changes." For this Kennedy Center concert with the National Symphony Orchestra, The Life Aquatic: A Tribute to David Bowie, Seu Jorge dressed in character and shared stories about hearing and learning these songs for the first time. (The only David Bowie song he knew when Wes Anderson approached him about this project was "Let's Dance.") The dimly lit concert hall was set with some maritime props and covered in mist, which all seemed appropriate for this special occasion. Despite the unnecessary orchestral arrangements and foreign language interpretation, everyone in this audience recognized each song instantaneously and had the same joyful reaction. (Some of us even sang along in English.) These songs are built to last. Thanks, Bowie! Because I couldn't pick a favorite, watch Seu Jorge performing "Space Oddity" and "Rebel Rebel" in for Austin City Limits in 2016.
What does 2018 have in store? See you at the next show.
Best,
Photo credits: Q-Tip with Jason Moran: Tracey Salazar; Jeff Watts: Ralf Dombrowski; Kenny Barron and Jason Moran: Jati Lindsay; Ron Carter: Joal A. Siegel; Aimee Mann: Mark D. Caicedo; Gillan Welch and David Rawlings: Rick Diamond/Getty Images; Meshell Ndegeocello: Joachim Bertrand/Funk-U; Lisa Fischer: Joyce Jones/Suga Bowl Photography; Sting: Matt Condon; Seu Jorge: Sachyn Mital
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