At the Apollo, Jazz Foundation of America Concert Lives Up to Its ‘Great’ Billing

An earthquake hit Harlem last night at about 9 p.m., when low rumblings were felt from Central Park North to Washington Heights. Upon investigation, the disturbance seemed to be emanating from the world famous Apollo Theater on 125th Street.Well, what I would have sworn was an earthquake turned out to be the sound of five well-amplified veteran bass players all performing together, as the opening act of “A Great Night in Harlem,” the (usually) annual concert produced by the Jazz Foundation of America. Actor Geoffrey Wright (the real one, not the android incarnation that we know from HBO’s “WestWorld”) launched the event by saying, “Good evening, welcome to everyone here who wasn’t indicted by a grand jury today,” referring of course to President Trump’s legal woes. He then outlined the agenda: “Tonight, we’re not just assisting musicians in need, but honoring their achievements, and the way in which they enrich our lives.”For the first 20 years of this century, the JFA has been under the direction of Wendy Oxenhorn, whose guidance has turned the organization into the major philanthropic force in this area. As Mr. Wright and the other two actor-celebrity narrators, Danny Glover and Mario Cantone, informed us, with Ms. Oxenhorn at the helm the foundation now has more than $70 million in funding, up from having $7,000 in the bank. Each year, it takes on an average of 8,000 cases across 43 states.The JFA’s first “Great Night in Harlem” concert since 2019 was divided into four acts — or was it five? First up was the “Titans of Jazz Bass,” a quintet of legendary double basses whose ages range from 79 to 89: Buster Williams, Paul West, Reggie Workman, Rufus Reid, and Cecil McBee. This opening set had a double purpose: not only to give props to the five bass titans but to salute a 94-year-old NEA jazz master, the saxophonist and composer Benny Golson, who was introduced in the audience. The five bass masters performed Mr. Golson’s funky blues “Killer Joe,” on which they played a continual trade of fours — it was challenging for the eye and and ear to figure who was playing when — followed by his classic ballad “I Remember Clifford,” wherein they each took a full solo, following the lead of trumpeter Wallace Roney Jr. Next, there were three songs honoring Wendy Oxenhorn, who stepped down from active management of the JFA during the pandemic and has spent most of the last year in Ukraine, helping musicians, their families and children. All three dealt with the soul and the spirit: an original hymn performed by 94-year-old gospel singer-songwriter Essie Mae Brooks in her wheelchair, the veteran soul singer Betty LaVette doing “Strange Fruit” — in an arrangement patterned after “I Put a Spell on You” and featuring the remarkable James Carter on tenor saxophone — and a rousing spiritual by New Orleans singer-pianist Duvell Crawford with a 10-voice choir.The third set was a tribute to Ramsey Lewis, who died in September at 87, warmly and hilariously hosted by Mr. Cantone, who seemed to be straining to keep his comments relatively clean. The most substantial part of this was Monty Alexander and his Trio, with bassist Hassan Shakur and drummer Steve Jordan (who also served as musical director for the entire evening). Mr. Alexander essayed Lewis’s three biggest trio hits, “The In Crowd,” “Hang on Sloopy,” and his funky reimagining of the Beatles’s “A Hard Day’s Night.” Piano prodigy Mathew Whitaker, a few days shy of his 22nd birthday, joined with horns, rhythm, and choir for “Wade in the Water,” and Mr. Crawford took charge for 1974’s “Sun Goddess,” Lewis’s hit collaboration with Earth, Wind, and Fire.Virtually any one of these segments could have been an entire concert unto itself, and that was especially true of the last set, honoring songwriter-producer-philanthropist and pop music legend Mike Stoller. TV journalist Ann Curry hosted and producer Russ Titelman, whose forthcoming album with Rickie Lee Jones is probably the most anticipated release of the spring, gave the spoken testimonial. Two of the greatest contemporary bluesmen, Robert Cray and Taj Mahal, played “On Broadway” and a mashup of “Young Blood” and “Poison Ivy,” respectively. Betty LaVette returned to sing Mr. Stoller’s English-language adaptation of the Italian song “I Who Have Nothing.” A cake was rolled out to celebrate Mr. Stoller’s 90th birthday (March 11); but even before then, he received his birthday wish when his first major hit, Big Mama Thornton’s recording of “Hound Dog,” was recreated by an even bigger, and barking, mama, Diunna Greenleaf of Houston.Throughout the evening, the accompanying band members — trombonists Steve Turre and Clifton Anderson, pianist Kenny Barron, bassist James Genus, and guitarist Ray Parker, in addition to Messrs. Roney, Carter, and Jordan — were occasionally featured. There also were multimedia, pre-filmed video segments, and a longish auction segment.By the time the lights came up, it was ’round midnight. Nobody was complaining; more so than Carnegie or Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Apollo is situated with a bar in the back of the house — you don’t even have to leave the room. Attendees were constantly getting up and getting refills. I’ve attended shows in jazz clubs that felt more like concerts; this might have been the first time it was the other way around. Thus, over the course of nearly four hours, funds were not only raised, but also voices, glasses, and spirits.

At the Apollo, Jazz Foundation of America Concert Lives Up to Its ‘Great’ Billing

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