But if The Doors Are Open, "I'll Be There."

As a singer, it is my job to find tunes that fit my tessitura. 

If I have the opportunity to serenade a roomful of folks, I want to try to champion my efforts by doing a song that properly fits my voice. This means that I should know every lyric and every nuance of the songs chosen and must also  be open to speculation if I forget even one lyric or utter the song a little different than what the listening audience knows. 

But even while doing cover songs, we as singers still work hard to try to create our own distinctive sound. Lately, I have had this willingness to just  experiment from the confines of the bandstand in front of whoever is there and so, I decided to start sharing my original compositions more and more because I am not just a cover artist; I am a songwriter. 

Such was the case the other night when percussionist, Rick Santa, asked me to co-host their open mic night at Hat City Kitchen in Orange, NJ. 

In spite of all the talks of the coronavirus, I feel that there is a sort of healingness in music and so, I showed up ready to sing. 

If God put me on this planet with a purpose, my duty is to share my gift and talent and so I did. The Corner Pocket Band was subtle and flexible which made it easy to be able to flex with them as I scanned the crowd and tried to send out some encouragement to the people and the establishment which saw less of a crowd because of growing concerns of their customers about the pandemic, as I sang the words to my song "I'll Be There." Please check out a snippet of my performance 

here: https://youtu.be/QRWA0FvntKs

It always feels good to be able to do my own material and to see folks who are open-minded and willing to participate in my effort of getting people to have some type of response to what I am doing. 

I guess I will be home working on my music and craft until everything passes over. This is a time where we can focus on improving who we are and getting things done that we need to do until the light at the end of the tunnel appears. 

I won't say that I am not scared of becoming ill with this ailment but in growing times of uncertainty and unrest, I think this is the perfect time to even if you stay home from everything else, to make it to church on Sunday morning. Why wait until you actually get the disease to access God?  

Use your smarts. Be safe out there. Wash your hands. I see people who come out the bathroom stall and leave the lavatory without even sprinkling a bit of water onto their hands. 

Do you know if the person who touched the doorknob you just touched before you did, just picked their nose or sneezed without washing their hands? You just never know. 

Let's stay safe. If you feel sick, stay home. If you feel under the pressure and not sure of how to handle all the news reports, have an intimate conversation with God and see what happens. 

We should be actively praying for a healing over the world. I'll play it safe and be at home doing everything I can to keep my mind engaged and not get weary and lazy but on Sunday morning if the church doors are open, "I'll Be There."   

Please check out the original version of my song "I'll Be There" on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/track/11V3lJph5uzycZa2Qa8azp?si=wZKX5QifQMC_mYkMXAyFiw

Thank you for checking out my blogpost.

God bless you all! 

On the Black Panther Movie

Black Panther the movie will have you streaming with perspiration like you are on a treadmill in a gym because it is action-packed and so hot that you won't be able to help it. 

As my friend and I were walking into my neighborhood theater in Brooklyn, people were walking out from the previous showing of this film talking about how great it was. I am going to try my best to formulate my enthusiasm into words without spoiling it for those who have yet to see this amazing movie.

There is nothing new under the sun. Marvel Comics have been producing some of the best films I have seen in theaters for years. I loved Wonder-woman, Thor, The Amazing Spiderman and the Avengers a lot. But here, we have a fresh perspective that arouses the audience’s attention with new twists to familiar plots, except not so familiar because of the setting and the people who are being represented.

Now, if you are like me and go to the movies, you might be someone who often finds yourself getting up in the middle to head on over to the lavatory which causes you to miss some great content. Or perhaps, you are someone who sometimes sinks into lethargy in the middle of a great movie because your choice of time to go to catch a good flick is after a day of toil when you have only but the remaining flicker of your strength. Black Panther however, will not allow you to miss a beat of it because of all the excitement that is involved that will somehow force you to make a frantic effort to pay attention.

The wild and distant region in West Africa known as Wakanda is the setting. What comes with the territory is the beautiful fields, the Amazon warriors with their swords and fighting skills, the breathtaking landscapes, West African cultural practices and music, a royal kingdom and its most aristocratic people in their majestic, tribal fashion and one of the most sophisticated advances of technology that the world has ever seen, though Wakanda is considered by outsiders as “the poorest country in the world.”

As with any of the Marvel comic heroes, the Black Panther uses his superhuman strength and emotional investment to go boldly to the task to defend the land and the people, in the face of crisis. 

Chadwick Boseman portrays the role of King Dijala and does a great job in showcasing the strength of the black panther who has been preparing his whole life to lead and manifest faith in his people as their respected king. He is the ethical representative of the republic with a great deal of responsibility to handle the undiluted nonsense that comes in and tries to demolish the people of Wakanda's masterpiece of existence, which prompts action from the king and his army to fight to escape the clutches of ruin. 

Other memorable actors in this film are Angela Bassett who portrays his mother, Forrest Whitaker who plays the role of his uncle, Michael P Jordon who plays the role of one of the antagonists and Lupita Nyong’o who portrays the love interest of the Black Panther.

If you love a movie with lots of action, Black Panther has it. I love the fighting scenes. You can feel the force of each blow as you watch and are entertained by the suspenseful and thrilling scenes. Being moved from scene to scene became like a routine that never wavered. 

The story built with intensity as in an oral history being retold by a Griot to a child alongside a pile of wood being burnt to the beating of Conga drums.  The series of events the Griot shares under the cover of the night, are something that you may crave to hear again a few times because of the intensity of the story being told; especially with the 3-D effects.

With all the airing out of opinions that I heard of Black Panther, it was only a matter of time before I would take the leap to find out what the buzz was all about. This movie about the heroic soul, meshed well with me and suited my purpose. It was one of the best movies I could have ever expected to watch. I would say, this movie is so worth seeing, but if you want to know more about the Black Panther, maybe you want to acquaint yourself with this superhero first and then go. Check out:

Who is the Black Panther? (Marvel Novels)

My favorite lines from Black Panther Movie:

“Guns, so primitive!” (Such perfect timing to hear a thought like this; especially with all the recent sad events that have taken place in Florida.)

&

“You cannot let your father’s mistakes define you. You must be the one to decide what kind of King you are going to be!” (This definitely inspired lots of meaning for me to be able to carry on with motivation for whatever lies ahead on this journey of life.)

Black Panther Inspired This Week’s Jazz on the JNote

This week on my radio show Jazz on the JNote, we continue our black history series on Sunday, February 25, 2018 and celebrate those black conquerors who pushed boundaries in the world of acting. There are so many television shows and movies that have dramatically affected my life because people who looked like me were being represented on the big screen and changed the face of acting to sumptuous entertainment for people with black skin; many of which I watched with eyes of love.

This week’s show was inspired by the wonderfully penned Marvel comic screenplay, Black Panther, that is unlike any other because of its featuring a black superhero, images of black aristocratic people well bedecked with jewelry and fine clothes, and talks about issues concerning black people of this world.

Here is How You Can Listen

Tune in Sunday February 25, 2018 

7:00 PM EST http://www.theenglishconnectionmedia.com  (worldwide)

7:30PM EST WNYE 91.5FM (NY, NJ, CT)

Thank you for stopping by my blog. If you are interested, Jazz on the JNote is on Facebook. Like our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/jazzonthejnote/

Wordless Wednesdays: J is for JNote Band at Shrine NYC on April 13, 2017

 Here is a sample of what you will see at this cool, 

live event with JNote Band

https://youtu.be/hkM6ZIcnETo

Hope to See You There!

Stephanie Jeannot at 2014 TCS NYC Marathon, Brooklyn NY

with Carl Orlando and Resia

It was a cold day in New York City on November 2nd, 2014, but thank God for the energy to bring warmth to the runners, running in the 2014 TCS NYC Marathon.

While runners were running,  many musical performers were out there with them, providing a taste of rhythm to their foot-to-the-pavement melody.  What a great way to add a little warmth to the 30°  weather runners were experiencing that day! Orlando Enterprise Entertainment was one of those entertainment groups which featured myself as well as artists Resia and Yeshua; thankful to Carl Orlando for the opportunity to share my talents. 

The following is a short medley of  my performance from that day. I'd like to invite you to watch the performance by either clicking on the link here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmOn7ZVPnf4 or by watching the clip that is embedded below.

 

What a blessing to have seen things of this sort, that I hadn't seen before and to have been a part of such an amazing experience. Thank you for checking out my blogpost and for watching the youtube video of my performance. 

Have a wonderful week everybody!

Performing at Melba's Restaurant in Harlem this Tuesday, September 16, 2014 at 8pm

This Tuesday night, September 16th, 2014 from 8pm to 10pm,  if you are free, I will be performing live with the Swagga Band at Melba's Restaurant located at 300 w 114th street (corner of Frederick Douglass) in Harlem from 8pm to 10pm. 

The atmosphere is really nice at Melba's. What makes it so great is the food, the friendly wait staff, the cleanliness and the live music hosted by keyboardist Michael Collins. The music that will fill the air will be a nice mix of R&B, soul, funk, pop, rock, jazz and more. I think you will enjoy the experience and hope that you can make it Tuesday night. 

See you then!