(Reprinted from the June 2021 issue of New York City Jazz Record)
When the Blue Note reopens with its much-anticipated annual festival this month, British composer/arranger Jacob Collier will be the only headlining vocalist in the lineup. A teenaged Collier surprised the music world almost decade ago with precocious arrangements of various pop tunes, released via YouTube videos of himself singing all the parts a cappella. Since then Collier has worked with scores of musicians both inside and outside the jazz world, including Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock, Dr. Dre, Snarky Puppy and the WDR Big Band. His debut jazz album, In My Room (Membram), with the latter group, won him two Grammys for arranging, and his second, Djesse Vol. I (Hajanga), with Metropole Orkest, went on to solidify his reputation as a jazz trailblazer for his generation. But it would be a mistake to tag him as a jazz singer.
Collier followed the first release from Djesse—an ambitious four-installment opus—with two others, Djesse Vol. II and Djesse Vol. III, original forays into the many musical worlds that first inspired Collier’s capacious musicianship. His melody-rich, deeply layered compositions on these records favor his warm baritone and the vocal contributions of more than a dozen up-and-coming guest singers, most of whom defy ready classification—just like Collier. So when he plays his two sets at Blue Note on June 21, better to think of him as a musician who sings jazz and release all expectations except one: how glorious it will be to hear live music in a club again.
Downtown Brooklyn’s Roulette Intermedium, one of the few premier spaces for concertizing during the pandemic, will also be one of the first to open its doors to live audiences. Among the ensembles on offer there this month is improvisational musician Amirtha Kidambi (vocals, harmonium, synth, electronics, compositions), who will play with her trio, Elder Ones, on June 10. If their new work is anything like their 2019 release From Untruth (Northern Spy), the room will reverberate with a visceral mix of sounds, unmitigated emotion, and societal soul searching.
For the most part, however, business as usual still means remote performing. Fact is, as the pandemic wanes without disappearing completely, it’s getting harder to remember a past or to imagine a future without livestreamed concerts. To be sure, Collier isn’t the only musician who finds opportunity in this shift toward online platforms.
For singer/composers Jen Shyu and Sara Serpa, and writer Jordannah Elizabeth, online collaborations only expand their already extensive creative reach. Together these three jazz leaders have formed Mutual Mentorship for Musicians (M3), an organization that engenders creative partnerships among womxn musicians from around the globe. This month the National Jazz Museum in Harlem will host their virtual M3 festival on June 12-13, with six world premieres featuring singers Fay Victor, Ganavya Doraiswamy, Shanta Nurullah, Miriam Elhajli, Richie Seivwright, Monnette Sudler, Michele Rosewoman and Malika Zarra.
With all postponements in the past, The Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, too, will embrace remote performance with a Facebook broadcast of the contest from NJPAC’s Prudential Hall. The four U.S.-based finalists—Hailey Brinnel, Tawanda Suessbrich-Joaquim, Benny Benack III and Gabrielle Cavassa—will compete via livestream on June 6, joined by 2019 winner Samara Joy McLendon. (This gig is just a preview for McLendon, whose career next month picks up where it left off pre-pandemic, with the release of her debut album and a full roster of high-profile dates.)
Two days later, on June 8, singers Cécile McLorin Salvant and Angélique Kidjo, both multiple Grammy winners, will share their thoughts on how to remain open and expressive during challenging times. Their free joint lecture, “Creativity Cannot Be Locked Down”, will stream on the NJPAC Facebook page on June 8.
The Blues Alley Jazz Society also found it expeditious to conduct the Ella Fitzgerald Competition virtually this year. Though newly inaugurated, this competition draws contestants from around the world; Kansas City native Lucy Wijnands took the top spot on April 24 against finalists from as far away as Germany and South Africa. (Coincidentally, both Wijnands and McLendon were named Ella Fitzgerald Scholars at SUNY Purchase, where each studied with vocalist/educator Alexis Cole.)
Final notes: Multi-dimensional singer Veronica Swift will perform as part of an online master class on the artistry of Songbook composer Jule Styne at 92nd St. Y on June 17, and velvet-voiced Lauren Henderson unveils her new album Musa (Brontosaurus Records) at Soapbox Gallery on June 30.