Have you ever wished that you had a time machine to be wherever
you wanted to be in the blink of an eye?
No more 80-mile drives to a far distant place just to get
into the things that your heart says yes to but your energy says, maybe another
time. Instead, you could just climb into a contraption, press a few buttons,
and boom, you are there.
You wouldn’t have to rely on airlines and hope that their
staff doesn’t all get sick that day. You do not have to sit in rush hour
traffic hoping that whatever mess is before you on the journey home will clear
up. No more wishing to go back in time to revisit a person or to relive a
moment. You could just climb into the time machine and Bam.
That is what I was thinking about when I wrote the song “Time
Machine.” After a long work week, I want to be like the road runner and zoom
home in a flash. I wish I had a “Time Machine” to be where I want to be and to do what
I want to do when I want to do it.
If you could relate to any of this, please check out my song
“Time Machine.”
Sometimes I wish I had a time machine at my disposal for so many different reasons. How about you?If so and you can relate then, add the full-length version ...
The hand drum class, circle
and open mic at Potay.Haiti.Caribbean.Us.All was my point of interest this past
Friday night. I did not really know what to expect but what I can say is that a
blessing was lavished on me just by being present in that space.
With such superb skill and panache,
the host, Okai, got the air of learning and personal enjoyment flowing. Not
only did he give insight on how to play Conga drums or Djembe drums, but also
how to get your voice across with uniqueness; by voice I mean, the sound that
vibrates out of your hand hitting the drums. And by uniqueness, I mean that
though all participants were taught the same hand gestures, every person still
plays with their own incredible degree of diversity.
Potay located as 2720 Farragut
Road in Brooklyn, NY definitely had something special going on. As time slipped
away between our fingers, there were a n umber of lessons being learned between
the hand drum class and the open mic that shortly followed it. One of them is
like Paul Coelho said, “wherever your heart is there you will find your
treasure.”
My heart has had an inextinguishable
light for singing all my life and most recently in piano. I didn’t actually
consider that I might be accompanying other participants via keyboard or that I
would be learning new songs to play on the spot but being in synchrony with
others at this event helped me to increase my knowledge of my musicianship a
bit more.
Another thing that I learned
was like Carlos Santana said, “people are flowers. Music is water. Musicians
are the hose.” Considering how the curiosity of knowing more about hand drums
and becoming more familiar with the cultural aspects of it was almost like broaching
the idea that there is nothing wrong with being who you are individually. We
all shared, and all voices were respected and heard which means more to me than
I can express because at that point, it is a realization that there is no
reason to derail your efforts and so it alleviated uncertainties as far as who
you are and what you had to bring to the table because everybody banded
together like family. So, I felt
comfortable introducing my music and the scope of my performing voice as a live
exhibition to them.
The drum circle event was beyond helpful. I felt
elated to experience gather together on that Friday night and become a part of
the community and to be filled with the wealth of information that I received. It
helped to draw a smile on my face that has yet to leave ever since. If you want
to see for yourself how it went, I invite you to check out this video for
yourself and hopefully, it will bring you joy as it did for me. Watch it here: https://youtu.be/7LBROH-GfjM
Potay has a lot of great
things going on at it’s establishment. Like for instance, on Thursdays, they
have Capoeira classes where you can learn the art of this cultural dance. Every
day after school, there is tutoring being offered for those who need it. And on
Friday afternoons, I will be teaching singing and piano.
If you are even mildly interested,
I will be starting group and private singing/piano lessons starting on November
5th at Potay.
Check out the flyer and let
me know if you have interest or any probing questions that I might be able to answer
about it. And if you feel like being a part of the glorious moment of hand
drumming, it is a recurring event happening every Friday at Potay. Maybe you
feel like escaping to something different, all happening at Potay on Farragut Road
and Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, NY. So stop on through and you will not be
disappointed.
On Sunday evenings when New York
is being illuminated by the light of the moon, some folks log on to their
computers or phones to listen attentively to the positive vibrations of my
radio show, Jazz on the JNote.
Because April was Jazz
Appreciation Month, I thought it would be fitting to capture the energy and
excitement of the melodious artform by featuring some of the world’s many men
and women of jazz who could talk to a meaningful extent about their momentous
journeys as craftspeople of music. The idea danced through my head for a while.
I am thankful for the most part that I was able to shape the vision into
reality and remained remarkably consistent throughout the entire month of
April, even in these benighted times.
Our special guest on April 5,
2020 was NYC drummer, Lon Ivey who had an endless supply of ideas that he was willing
to share about how his career started, about his definition of jazz and about how
young aspiring artists can prosper in their efforts to yield their fruit.
He
definitely had some knowledge to pass on that you might get in a typical
classroom situation from a teacher delivering a lesson and leaving students
well-equipped to move forward. I admire his courage and was honored to have him
present on the show. For the most part, it was an intelligent discussion of unique
viewpoints, shared stories and prodigious knowledge.
The question, what is jazz
alone, can set someone off on a spate of wondering. And so, it is interesting
to tap into the brain of different people to see what their philosophies are. The
engaging melodies, the conversation and the cultural landscape of jazz is what
the show is centered on.
Some of the viable community
of listeners tune in while plopped on their couches in the comfort of their
living rooms. Some of the members of the diverse audience, listen to the
montage of jazz while driving in cruise control down the thoroughfares of their
hometowns. Others enjoy the creative freedom of jazz that is built into this
show while sitting on the sand at the ocean and taking in the atmosphere.
I thought the content of this
show was worth sharing for folks who didn’t get a chance tocapture the energy of
the show when it was aired. On any given Sunday, Jazz on the JNote can be heard
all around the globe at 7PM EST athttp://theenglishconnectionmedia.com.
If I aroused
interest in you and you are willing to patronize of the arts and to take in the
absorbable, joyous sounds, you can get your fix on the episode of Jazz on the
JNote Radio Show which was hosted and produced by Stephanie Jeannot and featured
NYC drummer Lon Ivey; as previously aired on April 5, 2020. Here is the link: https://youtu.be/8-O_Syg_8PQvia @YouTube.
Listening
might do a few things. It might lift your spirits and fill your heart with
content. It might calm the mind that is usually full of busy thoughts. It might
birth new feelings of creativity in you. It might get you moving them
undulating hips to the twists and turns of the music. It might even compel you to
want to listen to a live show on a Sunday evening at 7PM EST at http://theenglishconnectionmedia.com.You might have negative feedback to sting me
like a bee because it was a dismal experience for you. Or, you might be in the absence
of care just because it is not your thing.
Regardless, I feel mightily
blessed that you took the time to read my blogpost. Your simple act of kindness
means everything in the world. I am content that there are still ways to have a
connected presence with people all over the globe such as in the human connection
that is present in reading, writing and music. I am eternally grateful to you.
“Speak
life into your vision by dressing for the vision”
–
Valorie Burton
I have been on this earth for
about a quintillion of days and just thinking back is almost like looking at picture
after picture over my experiences that laid the groundwork to this moment.
I can’t say that I have
treated every moment with gentle care. Some days I fell totally short of being
in control of my responses to the world around me. I won’t claim that I had to
hurdle over many hardships, but the foolish mistakes that I was able to overcome gave me all the ambition in the world to
continue on this interesting journey, one step at a time, with my head up.
I was raised around a circle
of strong women. Seeing my mother and two sisters in action always filled me
with hope. I knew that I’d one day root out of the dirt of my parent’s little
garden with much creativity because of them.
I loved music ever since I saw
Michael Jackson moon-walking across the television. I got so excited that the
orange juice I had in my sippy cup jumped out of the container into the
television my mother had propped in front of us.
He knew how to croon a tune from the heart. Him and many other artists gave me a good dose of feeling and I continued to listen out of love.
Whitney Houston made me want
to sing to the four corners of any room I was in at the loudness of the music
that was playing on my little boombox. I guess that is why today I can sing so
loud, I don’t really need a microphone to reach anyone in a room that could
even seat about 5500 people.
I used to love New Kids on the Block
and started collecting their trading cards to share with my elementary school
friends that loved them just the same. I knew every song they had, watched their videos on VHS tapes my parents got me and could sing all their lyrics word for word. I even
had their poster on my wall.
The same happened when I
started to like Basketball in high school. I still get chills reminiscing over
the exciting games I used to watch the NY Knicks play. That was my team. Watching them made me feel good; especially
John Starks. The more I watched, the more he became my favorite bball player.
He had this loose, flexible
style when he played. He would sweep down the court like a tornado and make the
most incredible perimeter shots and I loved that. But I won’t lie, he was a great player but was was kind
of good to look at too.
So good that I started collecting basketball cards and
had a poster of him on my wall dunking over Michael Jordan. I hoped one day to
meet him in person and never thought that quenchable moment would ever come to
satisfy my hunger for it.
A few weeks ago, I had the
privilege and honor of performing with the Bartlett Contemporaries at Pat La Frieda’s
Chop House at Citifield in Flushing, NY. It was a cool night in a great place
with some of the most beautiful people. The night like any other night where
live music is involved, took on a life of its own. Music cut through the silence
and the band played to a room of people who were receptive, singing along and
dancing. I always have fun when playing with this band because they really enjoy doing what they do and get crazy; so crazy that they don't want to stop. Just play and play and play on.
I felt really positive that
night because I was about to usher in to the 2020th chapter of my
life the next week and it left me with this mature and powerful aura. So positive,
that I decided to wear these quippy four-inch heels which I never do because, I’m
getting old and my knees can’t take it. LOL! But that night, I did. I guess it’s a Queen thing. I used to dream about wearing heels and twitching with this confidence like my mom used to do. I was
feeling the 2020 coming over me and it felt quite Queenly.
That’s when it happened. John Starks
walked across the room and my eyes couldn’t help but wander behind him as he
walked past us to the other side of the room and I hadn't seen him again. But then as the night went on,
there he was standing at the bar, watching us musically do our thing. That is
when the band leader Carl Bartlett Sr said, let’s do Natalie Cole’s “Inseparable.”
That is a song I really love, and I thought to myself, why not walk over to him
and say hello. And I did. While Carl Bartlett Jr quadrated to the beat with his
saxophone solo, I asked John Starks to dance and there we were on the dance
floor in the midst of my song and I got to sing to him and everything.
My voice rang with confidence
while my favorite basketball player from childhood was dancing in my arms and I
was tall enough to talk to this 6 ft 2-inch man that I had admired since I was a teenager. If anything, to say that 2018 was a good year for me,
that moment was the quintessential. My hope went from being propped in
front of my television watching him through a tube from the confines of my
bedroom to in real time where the opportunity presented itself to actually say hello in person. I couldn’t help
but to capture the moment and to frame the keepsake for my mantle.You can check out the full video on YouTube here if you are interested: https://youtu.be/dqf-BVutH2w
I laugh it off now, but I never
thought I’d feel nervous meeting someone famous but during our little exchange,
I felt like I was back in my little high school uniform and was almost too shy to formulate my request. But thank God I rose
above my fear though because that earth moving moment is a moment that I’ll never
forget. Still brings me chills now. It may have been just a dance, but the
memory will forever remain in the clutches of my heart.
Aretha Franklin is the most
celebrated female artist in the history of recorded music.
She had uninhibited expression
full of beauty, raw power, expressive character, vitality and hope. She was
regarded as a legend in the making by the tender age of 16. She always gave all
that she had to give when she was on the stage.
Aretha had the greatest impact
on the soul sound because folks who heard her would marvel at the wonder of her
voice that just grabbed people by the collar. She transcended all musical
boundaries starting out in the church with Gospel, then being acknowledged as the
next Billie Holiday and the new Queen of the Blues singing jazz and blues, to
later move into the R&B and crossing over into the pop sphere, being
reigned the Queen of soul for winning the title of Best Female Vocal Soul Performance
for eight years in a row and also was inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of
Fame.
I have been listening to her
more and more ever since her transition from earth to her new
home in heaven
and I am finding more and more reasons to love her voice. The clarity, the
rifs, the sheer perfection of what she was able to put out when she sang was
nothing short of amazing.
She said, “artists covering her
songs was the most sincere form of flattery” (Aretha Franklin). The other night
at an event with my band, the JNote Band, I did just that, dedicating her song
to her life and everything that she was able to accomplish in this world with
the gift that God gave her.
She said that if she could get
a young singer to be inspired by her singing then she has done her job. She did
just that and more. Job well done Aretha. You have truly inspired a wealth of
talented individuals in this world and I truly R-E-S-P-E-C-T who you were as a
woman and a vocalist.
This cover of her tune was
performed at Shrine World Music Venue in Harlem, NY on August 17, 2018. Aretha
Franklin died on the 16th of August. It was only right for us to pay
tribute to an artist that we all collectively as a band really loved a lot. The band features me, Stephanie
Jeannot on vocals, Richie Johnson on drums, Mark Payne on bass, Prrrl on keys
and Phil Smith on guitar. The awesome footage was captured by my good friend, William Rivers.
“Rocksteady” is only one of
the many of her songs from her 50-year long career and there are songs I am
only now discovering she sang, as I continue to read through a biographical
writing about her life by Mark Bego entitled: Aretha Franklin: The Queen of
Soul which features a little under 600 pages about the Queen herself. I started reading it a few days ago because I was asked by one of the public libraries, to
put on a full-length tribute show dedicated to Aretha that will be about 90 minutes of a tribute to
her life and I don’t think it would be appropriate to do something of that magnitude without knowing more in
depth about who she was, besides what I already know based on the media and her
songs that I like to sing. It is an interesting book so far. I have managed to read about 35% of the book which is good because my song list and everything that happens on the stage for it is going to be based on that and other researched information I come across and though 65% of a book left to read is not that much to read, there is a lot to be done to put on a show like this. But I'm working on it.
Maybe you are interested in reading
this book too. Feel free to check it out here:
All I can say is that I hope I
do her justice because she deserves it so please, keep me in your prayers
everybody as I embark on this journey that won’t be as easy as it seems. But I
was asked, and I am going to do what I was asked to do. Thank you
for reading my blogpost everybody. Peace and blessings!
Sunday, November 5th,
2017 was the 47th annual TCS NYC Marathon since it started in 1970.
This year’s theme was “It Will Move You” and I have to say that, if you were
one of the millions of spectators who gathered together to cheer the runners on
from the sideline, some of the things that you saw would have really moved you
in so many ways.
A medley of over 51,000 world
citizens chose to fight to the finish line of this 26.2-mile journey in the
misty cool temperatures from the starting line at the foot of the Verrazano
Bridge in Staten Island all the way to the end at West Drive in Central Park
near Tavern on the Green in Manhattan.
This year was my fourth year
straight rooting from the sidelines with a jamboree of songs and encouragement.
Some of the teams that ran past my group as we sang to the melody of their feet
hitting the pavement were Strides NYC, Harlem Run, Latin Runners Club, Willpower
Fitness, Team for Kids, Black Girls Run, Black Men Run, Italian American
Running Club and Front Runners NY, just to name a few. What I noticed was that
there were more runners this year than I had ever seen in the past. And what a
medley of them where you saw all types of people; big and chunky, small and
lanky, lean and young, thick and gray, black people, white people and all types
of men and women from all over the world all exhilarated to run, walk or get
through the stretch in the best way that they could.
36-year-old Shalane Flanagan
came in first place being the first American woman since 1977 to have won the
NYC marathon. And the first man to cross the finish line was 24-year-old man
from Kenya, Geoffrey Kamworo. And then in the wheelchair division the first
woman to cross the finish line was Manuela Schar and the 1st male to
cross was Marcel Hug, both from Switzerland. But it wasn’t the fast runners
with their collective energy that thrilled me the most, making me feel excited
as we danced, sang, snapped selfies with some of the runners who stopped to
thank us or give us a hi-five while encouraging the crowd of on viewers in Bay
Ridge to make some noise for the runners.
It was the people who were in
wheelchairs, those who were running with their trainers because they just got off
of hip surgery but wanted to attempt the 26.2-mile run anyway, and
the ones that were on crutches with one leg and still trying the run on for size anyway that made
me feel overcome with emotion. As the slogan for this year said, I was really
moved by them. I have walked 10.5 miles in about two and a half hours but that
was it. I have never run 10 miles though. But these people who truly physically can't are thrusting through with all the power God gave them to at least try and that is something.
Sad to think of all the times that I complain about the
little things like my train not stopping at my stop unexpectedly due to track repairs and having to walk a few extra blocks to get home with my two working legs and capable body, yet those without were able to put all their
troubles aside to do something that seemed almost impossible without
complaining and happy to take such a chance. Seeing them proved that nothing is
impossible. I mean, in all honesty, would you attempt running a marathon after
just one month of hip surgery? The courage it takes to be able to use the one
working leg you have to run; I am amazed by that.
Check out a mini slideshow
from where we were snuggly positioned from the sidelines in the Bay Ridge
section of Brooklyn, NY. You can watch it here: https://youtu.be/gdNCcSY4U0Q
Congratulations to all of the
runners and thank you for all of the inspiration that each and every one of you
provide.
There are so musicians, bands and songs that inspire me as a
vocalist. It is always pleasurable for me to listen to music and to discover new sounds and
artists.
“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to
the mind,
flight to the imagination, & life to everything”
-Plato
Spotify has this challenge to create a playlist of the top
100 songs and I can say that I have been listening more and more to the
different artists and music on Spotify lately; especially since I currently have
a new project on the platform entitled “We Are People United” on there.
I am always up for a good challenge or ideas to be prompted
by; especially in writing because I want to be able to write as much as I can.
Through the process of trying to gain ideas, I came across this book that has
benefitted me a lot to put pen to paper and write new songs, poetry, blog posts
and more. The book is entitled 365 Journal Writing Ideas Plus 400
Quotes: A Year of Daily Writing Prompts, Questions & Actions To Fill Your
Journal With Memories, Self-Reflection, Creativity & Direction by
Rossi Fox and I really like it.
It is sorted by the day of the year and has
prompts that can make you reflect and gain ground in storming. This is always a
good benefit for any writer in my opinion because this is a way to prevent
writer’s block when getting into the process when scribing is necessary. For me, it seems like it is a need everyday as is water and sleep because, I can honestly say that there is not a day that goes by without me writing something. This book helps with more directional writing if needed. Perhaps it can help to enhance your writing as it has for me in many ways.
One of the prompts read like this: List your favorite musicians, bands and song. And so, here we go, exploring
my favorite five on my favorite topic that the world has to offer; music.
Five of My Favorite
Musicians
“I was born with music inside of me. Music was one of my parts.
Like my ribs, my kidneys, my liver, my heart.
Like my blood. It was a force already within me when I arrived on the
scene.
It was a necessity for me. – like food
or water.”
- Ray Charles
1. Sarah Vaughan
I have loved her for a very long time. Her voice was
amazing. I don’t think that there is anything that she couldn’t do with her
voice. Her range was amazing. And my favorite thing about her voice was her low
tone.
A friend of mine knew that I loved Sarah Vaughan
so much, that he gave me a DVD that featured about 500 songs that she has done
in her musical career. Of all the artists out there past and present, she is
who I listen to the most.
I currently
have just over 18 hours of music in my library that feature her voice. I also have two DVDs featuring her live
concerts. I am constantly searching for new live footage of her on Youtube and
also indulged in the book Sassy: The Life of Sarah Vaughan
which I found quite interesting to take a deeper look into her life and her being,
aside from just the music. I love her.
I think Prince was amazing. There are so many layers to him
and so much music by him that I am discovering. I think he was a genius at
writing and getting into the groove of the music. His songs are tight and so
enjoyable. And I really like his voice.
I read a book on his life entitled I
Would Die 4 You by Toure and it was excellent reading about his
life, musical journey and everything about what made him who he is.
I have always loved listening to the way
that he played his music but I don’t think I liked him as much as I do now
after conducting research to write my college thesis on jazz, identity and
racism, came across his book Miles: The Autobiography and
read some really interesting things about his life and his personality. I loved
his response to stigmas and I appreciated how he came across growing as a musician
and individual in the world. He played that trumpet so well and I really
like listening to his music.
I can’t think of a day that I did not love Whitney Houston.
I don’t think I was as devastated hearing of a musician’s passing as I was when
she did. I cried as if she was a family member because I have lived her since I
was a little girl.
If I could credit to anyone for the big voice I have that
can carry very loud and fill an auditorium without a microphone, I would give
it Whitney Houston. I used to spend entire afternoons singing her songs to the
four walls of my basement and used to always choose songs by her to go out and
sing in live settings.
I have every
album she has ever made and can actually claim as my truth that I will always love her voice, her
movie The Bodyguard and the songs that she was known for;
especially Saving All My Love which is still my favorite song by
her.
I love Dizzy Gillespie. He was an amazing musician and I
love the music that he contributed to the world. I have grown to love his personality more and more as I watched many documentaries or interviews where he was speaking with an
interviewer. I love how he spoke with such knowledge, intelligence and attitude. I also read
a few excerpts from his book To Be or Not to Bop and I
really loved some of things he talked about in regards to the culture of jazz and its music. I listen to his music a lot
and I admire what he contributed to the world as a world-class musician.
This is a current band that is often performing live at
Smoke Jazz and I love the music that I hear coming from them. Slick sounds and
fresh to the ear.
If you have not heard
them yet, you definitely need to get down to Smoke Jazz located at 2751
Broadway in Harlem, NY for their Sunday late night session to see them live.
I think you will really enjoy them.
2. Paradyce
A nice group of musicians who recently released a studio
project entitled East to Egypt featuring seven really cool jazz tracks of
songs that you will just be bopping to. The NYC based group features
keyboardist Steve Palmer, drummer David Griffin and saxophonist Saxy Ric. I recently
had the opportunity to interview them on my radio show, Jazz on the JNote which
originally aired on WNYE 91.5 FM on August 6, 2017. You can check out Part one of the
interview here: https://youtu.be/QIobFFVze4c
3. Sade
Who doesn’t love the group Sade? And who can say that they
do not enjoy listening to the lead singer Sade Anu sing away? I think I can
sing all their songs back and forth and I love everything that they do. Such
cool songs and a great, mellow vibe that comes from them. This is one group
that I never get tired of listening to. Beautiful tone, amazing songs.
4. Out of Eden
I love out of Eden and I can listen to their music all day
long. Out of Eden is an all-girl Gospel group of sisters which featured Lisa
Kimmey, Andrea Kimmey-Baca, and Danielle Kimmey. I learned about them years ago
through this music promotion site who would introduce artists and their music,
I think the site was called What’s Hot Now.
But anyway, they have some amazing soulful Gospel songs sung
to R&B influenced beats that I just love. I was even able to teach a few of
their songs to the youth choir at Mt Moriah Baptist church when I was the choir
director there and the young people loved it.
They had six studio albums which
I have all of them, with my favorite being No Turning Back: an album that featured ten up-beat and beautiful songs that I simply love.
I love, love, love Earth Wind & Fire and everything that
they sang and the fire they brought onto the stage with them each time that
they performed. I never get bored listening to their songs with my favorite
being Sing a Song because that is my favorite thing to do;
sing. LOL!
I also appreciate many of the songs that they wrote for many
of the artists I enjoy listening to such as Deniece Williams and the Emotions.
Still a favorite of mine. I think I love that I wrote and
produced the entire song it is such a special tune for me. I love performing it
and it is one of the few tunes I have shared at a live setting here and abroad.
I love the words on this song. Such a pretty tune. I love
the way Sarah sings this song and every time I hear it, it leaves a beautiful feeling
inside.
I have loved this song since I was in high school. The job I
worked at used to play 106.7 Lite FM all day long and this tune was constantly
being aired. I have adored it ever since. Such a pretty melody. I love it a
lot.
I love this song. I started liking it when I first saw my
favorite movie Stormy Weather and saw the composer of it, Fats Waller, being his humorous self on the piano, tickling away and singing this song. Awesome tune and once of may favorites to
perform live.
It would be wrong of me to not include you into this musical favorites theme. I would love to hear about the musicians, bands
and songs that you love the most. Care to share?
Perhaps you can guide me on a new path of discovery. I
would love to hear your favorites. Who do you love to listen to and what are
your favorite songs?
