Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra: Black History Month Concert 2007 February 25, 2007

Jazz at Pearl's Black History Month Series 2007 is proud to present the unveiling of selections from Marcus Shelby's oratorio, "Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman" (a work in progress), in a performance featuring vocalist Faye Carol, during the first program of a special 2-program evening.

For our second program of the night, the MSJO will perform selections from Shelby's acclaimed "Port Chicago Suite," plus Duke Ellington's "Black, Brown, and Beige."

"Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman" is an original secular oratorio for jazz orchestra and chorus composed and written by Marcus Shelby, based on a book of the same name by Kate Clifford Larson. In its completed form, the piece will feature the MSJO and several leading Bay Area vocalists.

Port Chicago was the northern California naval base where a devastating explosion in July 1944 killed more than 320 men, predominantly African American sailors, and injured 400 others. Shelby's suite is his homage to the men who died that day, and his tribute to the survivors' fight for justice.

Program 1 (8:00 pm): Excerpts from Marcus Shelby's oratorio, "Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman" (a work in progress).

Program 2 (10:00 pm): Selections from Marcus Shelby's "Port Chicago Suite," plus Duke Ellington's "Black, Brown, and Beige."

Yerba Buena Arts & Events, along with The Museum of the African Diaspora, will partner with Marcus Shelby in the development and presentation of this work, currently set to premiere at the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival in Spring 2007.

Shelby has received support from the Creative Work Fund and the Committee for Black Performing Arts at Stanford University to compose this dramatic new work on the life of Harriet Tubman. "Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman," along with supporting outreach and education materials, will tell the compelling story of Harriet Tubman, a genuine American hero.

Shelby's oratorio will tell the remarkable story of Harriet Tubman, a woman who rose out of humble beginnings, escaped slavery and dedicated her life to challenging the grave injustices in her day. Working on the Underground Railroad, Tubman personally led 70 slaves out of bondage at great risk to her own life, and helped dozens more to freedom. During the Civil War, she led raids for the Union and served as a nurse. After Emancipation, Tubman turned her great energy toward the woman's suffrage movement, again helping to push our nation to live up to its responsibility to stand for true civil rights for all. Throughout her life, this courageous woman worked to unite American women and men of all colors and classes in a common struggle for liberty.

In the second program of the evening (beginning at 10:00 pm) Shelby and orchestra will also perform excerpts from Shelby's highly acclaimed "Port Chicago Suite." Port Chicago was the northern California naval base where a devastating explosion in July 1944 killed more than 320 men, predominantly African American sailors, and injured 400 others. It was the single worst disaster on U.S. soil during World War II. A work stoppage after the disaster to protest the unsafe working conditions was called mutiny by the Navy, resulting in the largest mutiny trial in U.S. Navy history.

In addition, this spectacular evening includes Duke Ellington's Black Brown & Beige, long considered a classical symphonic masterpiece. Duke called it a "tonal parallel to the history of the American Negro."

Bassist Marcus Shelby is often called a "Renaissance Musician," earning well-deserved acclaim as a bandleader, bassist, composer and arranger. The Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra performs a dynamic repertoire of original tunes and the works of great jazz composers including Ellington, Basie, Strayhorn and Gershwin. As important, Shelby's original compositions, while resonant of the classic composers he reveres, are uniformly timely, invigorating and thought-provoking.

No singer on the Bay Area club scene comes close to Faye Carol's sheer intensity. . . . She doesn't just sell a song, she sells her soul for that song to her audience. And she's an original." That's how the late, legendary jazz critic Phil Elwood described Faye Carol.

Carol’s illustrious career has found her in the company of, and in artistic collaboration with, such artists as Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Albert King, Charles Brown, Bobby Hutcherson, Ben Vereen and Billy Higgins. In 2003, radio station KPFA awarded Carol their Bay Area Living Legend Award.

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Times:
Doors open 30 minutes prior to each show.
2 Shows:
8:00 pm & 10:00 pm
Shows are 75 - 90 minutes each.

Official Website: http://www.jazzatpearls.com