JAM: April/May 2002 Issue: Scrapple From the Apple

by Russ Dantzler

Abbey Lincoln's Songbook:
Full of Anticipated Surprises

Abbey Lincoln

Abbey Lincoln received a warm standing ovation March 8 at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall, just for appearing on stage. It was the first of many, as she began a three-night retrospective. "Abbey Lincoln: Over the Years, An Anthology of Her Songs" was an overdue concept, adoringly embraced by her fans. Having played significant roles in the civil rights movement, as an actress, poet, painter and composer, her time has certainly come.

With a different program and personnel each night, Lincoln performed about half of her more than 80 compositions, joined by Joe Lovano, Savion Glover, Freddy Cole, Steve Coleman, and others.

Lovano's saxophones and James Weidman's piano complimented Abbey's first night -- they watched every movement of her body for direction, and knew when not to play. Her bassist, drummer, cellist and singers did not seem as comfortable following the spontaneity that ruled the evening.

Ms. Lincoln drops tempos dramatically at unusual times during her songs. While these surprises delight an audience, they seemed less welcome for the accompanists. "It doesn't matter how many times you practice a song in rehearsal, it will be different," explained one of the musicians following the first concert.

Her encore was another surprise, as we expected only her own material. She introduced Hoagy Carmichael's "The Nearness of You" stating, "I learned by listening to the great songwriters."

"The River," full of fire, opened the second night, with only cellist Jennifer Vincent and singers Bemshi Shearer and Stacie Precia returning again. "Talkin' to the Sun" closed the first set with another stunner. She scat-sang some of the tune as if she had done so all of her life, in spite of a reputation for never scatting. She later explained to me, "I did that because I forgot the words," and laughed aloud. "I want to know the words -- every word counts. Bessie Smith didn't scat. Billie Holiday didn't scat."

Lincoln brought out her backup vocalists to open the next set with an upbeat, powerfully sung "Caged Bird," perfection to my ears. "You Gotta Pay the Band" gave pianist Rodney Kendrick, alto saxophone player Steve Coleman and percussionist Khalil Kwame Bell each room to shine.
The evening closed with an encore of "The Music is the Magic," again with Shearer and Precia's backup, no less intoxicating than her 1992 recording with the Staple Singers, from "Devil's Got Your Tongue," a favorite. The audience gave her yet another lengthy "standing O" before drifting out in a trance. People could be heard whistling, humming and singing "the music is the magic of a secret world, it's a world that is always within."

Savion Glover and Freddy Cole were added to the final concert, which I couldn't attend. Having witnessed Savion's ability to make music with his feet as well as great drummers, and having been told that the third night was even better -- hard to believe -- made me wish that the taping of this event that had been discussed had taken place.

"Savion stopped the show. Freddy Cole was like having Nat there," Lincoln told me, as I also verified that each performer had been exclusively her choice. She said she is interested in taking some of these musicians into a recording studio. I look forward to the next chance to hear this quintessential Renaissance woman of jazz, and to enter her magic, secret world.

New York Mayor Bloomberg addresses the hard hats and suits.

The Crowning of a Jazz Palace
Jazz at Lincoln Center and AOL Time Warner held a "Topping Out" ceremony at Columbus Circle in Manhattan February 27. While "Topping Out" might sound like the name of a swing tune, we learned that this is a traditional completion celebration for iron workers putting that last steel girder into place as they "top out" the skeleton of a skyscraper.

Hard hats far outnumbered suits atop five stories of open framework that is to be the Allen Room, one of three primary performance stages for the new J@LC campus that will be part of these sophisticated twin towers. Our folding chairs faced a stage with a gaping hole for a backdrop, five stories high and about eight stories wide. When permanent seats face a similarly situated stage in about 18 months, only a glass wall backdrop will stand between the audience and clear vistas of Central Park and the graceful east side skyline. (See "Scrapple From the Apple" in the Aug./Sept. 2000 JAM).

Mayor Bloomberg and construction executives explained that while the steel would be complete for this south tower at 20 stories, the concrete above would climb to 80 floors. Following increasing trends for building big, this 2.8 million square foot structure is really five different buildings stacked atop each other for radically diverse uses. AOL Time Warner's world headquarters, massive retail, condominium and hotel spaces with valet parking and 24 entrances will be complete late in 2003.

Wynton Marsalis played "Buddy Bolden's Blues" with a few bandmates from his orchestra, as that last beam, decorated with an evergreen tree and American flag, was hoisted behind him. Marsalis announced "The Year of the Drum," J@LC's 450-event 2002-2003 season, detailed at www.jazzatlincolncenter.org.

Lincoln Center should be commended for continuing to diversify its programming beyond its former scope. Abbey Lincoln praised Marsalis as "a lot more than a musician." Her retrospective is the type of concept we look forward to seeing more of.

© 2002 Russ Dantzler

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