On Friday, Feb. 21, the world-class septet Jazz at Lincoln Center performed their New Orleans Songbook on the Staller Center for the Arts stage, sharing the lively spirit of Mardi Gras with the Long Island audience.
For two hours, the renowned jazz group transported the audience to the sweet sounds of New Orleans, playing tunes ranging from gospel to the blues, highlighting the city’s rich and diverse culture.
New Orleans has been a cultural cornerstone of Black history, serving as the birthplace of jazz music. With roots in the blues and spirituals, jazz emerged in the 19th century as a way for Black musicians to assert their mark on the musical landscape. With its syncopated rhythms and soulful sound, jazz has and continues to be a powerful storytelling device for Black musicians.
Grammy award-winning pianist Luther S. Allison leads the talented musical ensemble, which also includes Marcus Grant (drums), Brandon Woody (trumpet), Markus Howell (saxophone), Gina Benalcázar-López (trombone), Liany Mateo (bass) and Mariel Bildsten (trombone), with vocal performances by guest singers Milton Suggs and Quiana Lynell.
Parading across the stage and shaking their tambourines to a packed theatre, the musicians playfully opened with Louisiana native Jon Batiste’s upbeat instrumental rendition of “Little Liza Jane.” The golden and cyan spotlights illuminated their beaming smiles as they played, amplifying the high-energy and harmonious nature of the beloved tune.
Dressed in a white tuxedo, Allison then warmly introduced the members of the band and informed the crowd of the tune’s history. He then encouraged the audience to embrace their joy, chuckling while an audience member hollered.
“This is not the time to be cute, [this is the] time to have fun,” he said.
The band then performed Allison’s original arrangement of a piece by New Orleans legend Henry Butler before introducing Suggs to the stage.
Suggs’ velvety baritone voice sang New Orleans legend Louis Armstrong’s jolly song “Hello, Dolly!”
As he shut his eyelids and gestured with his hands, Suggs sank into the jocose nature of the music. He leaned into the microphone, impressively sustaining notes for more than 15 seconds with his rich, resonant vocals. Suggs left both the crowd and band utterly astonished, the members’ mouths agape as they were in complete awe of his vocal stamina.
Afterward, Suggs and the band transitioned to the next song, “How I Got Over” by renowned gospel singer Mahalia Jackson.
“This is a song about navigating life’s troubles,” Suggs said.
The band members and Suggs performed with souls; their passion was evident on their faces.
He then welcomed Lynell to sing “Cheek to Cheek.” She charismatically ambled across the stage alongside Suggs to the audience’s applause.
Before they began the duet, Lynell quipped about the festivities of the night.
“We are deep down in the bayou. We are in the spirit of high carnival,” she said.
Then, her deep voice seamlessly glided through the classic tune, balancing delicacy with the intensity of her vocals, all while snapping and swaying side to side to the jazz played by the band.
Together, Suggs’ and Lynell’s voices blended together beautifully, concluding the song with a dramatic and memorable high-powered ending.
Lynell then gleefully introduced the next song of the night, before the band quickly transitioned to play the festive classic “Mardi Gras Mambo.”
The concert became an immersive experience, urging the audience to chant “Mardi Gras Mambo,” while the band played with jubilee, the saxophonist shining during the song with a spirited solo.
Diverging into a more somber and reflective mood, Lynell dedicated the next song, “La Vie en rose,” to her child, who recently turned 17. She encouraged the mothers in the audience to treasure their children.
After her heartwarming cover of the song, Allison expressed that the New Orleans holiday is more than just a celebration, it is also a commemoration of Black history. Allison reflected on the “spirit of overcoming” the holiday represented.
“Quite frankly, this is a lifestyle for us — Black History Month,” he said. “We have a sacred way of dealing with our burdens. There’s a secular version of that and that’s the blues. The blues is something that accurately reflects Black people in this world.”
Woody, with puffed cheeks, unleashed a whimsical tune on his trumpet that carried the intensity of a scream. While Allison’s hands glided across the piano, his whole body was playing: his feet tapped to the beat and his back moved back and forth, becoming one with the sound. The drummer’s head bobbed to the beat and the bass player’s plucking had a meticulously devised dread that earned him well-deserved applause.
The tune became hopeful, then Allison dove into “Für Elise” (blues version), a three-minute long piano solo that showed Alison’s mastery of the craft.
Allison played the piano with precision, while the rest of the band stopped and looked at him. Not even a moment after the final chord was struck, the entire audience — myself included — stood up to applaud.
“This is the Black experience,” he concluded, now that all hearts and souls had been touched by the same sounds. “Enveloped in this world.”
