LA PHIL PRESENTS CHRISTIAN McBRIDE’S THE MOVEMENT REVISITED FEATURING SPECIAL GUEST NARRATORS JAMES AVERY, LORETTA DEVINE, CARL LUMBLY AND WENDELL PIERCE AT WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL
St. James Sacred Nation Concert Choir and 17-piece Big Band Also Perform for Musical Tribute to the Civil Rights Movement
FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2008, AT 8 PM
Acura is the Sponsor for the Concert - All Acura Vehicles Park Free for the Evening
The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association’s 2007/2008 Jazz Series concludes on Friday, May 16, at 8 p.m. with Christian McBride’s The Movement Revisited, a musical tribute dedicated to civil rights icons Rosa Parks, Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Movement Revisited is comprised of four movements, each dedicated to one of these influential figures in American history. Loretta Devine narrates the words of Rosa Parks, Carl Lumbly narrates the words of Malcolm X, James Avery narrates the words of Muhammad Ali, and Wendell Pierce narrates the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The heroes of the civil rights movement captured Christian McBride’s imagination when he was a young boy growing up in a struggling neighborhood of Philadelphia. The courage of the individual against the many, the fight for what is right against all odds, became powerful concepts that resonated with McBride as he grew older and discovered his own unique musical voice. Fascinated by the selfless act of a simple seamstress that sparked years of protest, decades of growth, and collective awareness of social injustice, McBride felt compelled to write The Movement Revisited, a uniquely American jazz opus for the latter half of the 20th century.
McBride composed all the musical selections for The Movement Revisited, including the narrative and lyrical works. The piece is composed for a 17-piece big band, narrators, and a gospel choir. The St. James Sacred Nation Choir debuts at Walt Disney Concert Hall for this special performance.
McBride believes that “the sacrifices made by these four African-Americans have been so enveloped in myth, that, to a large extent, their names are remembered more than their accomplishments. This piece will capture musically how their deeds shaped our world, and remind us of our responsibility to see, paving the way for so many to live a better life.”
Grammy Award-winner CHRISTIAN McBRIDE is THE bassist-in-demand. Over the course of three albums as a leader and over a hundred as a sideman, Christian McBride has arguably become the most acclaimed acoustic and electric bassist to emerge from the jazz world in the 1990s. His passion for musical diversity has led him to work with everyone from Chick Corea to Pat Metheny, from Kathleen Battle to D'Angelo, from Diana Krall to Bruce Hornsby, from Quincy Jones to Sting. Given that the bass is the heart and soul of any music, this makes McBride's versatility all the more impressive. McBride’s Ropeadope recording, Live at Tonic, captures his capacious quartet joined by an array of guest artists, including eight-string guitar ace Charlie Hunter, Logic, pianist Jason Moran, violinist Jenny Scheinman, beat boxer Scratch, and Soulive guitarist Eric Krasno. McBride holds Artistic Director posts at the Jazz Aspen Snowmass summer program and is the co-director of The Jazz Museum in Harlem. McBride’s incredibly busy schedule continues in 2008. He was chosen as the Artist-in-Residence for the Monterey Jazz Festival, and can now add the Detroit International Jazz Festival to his impressive list of directorships. McBride is the second Creative Chair for Jazz for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, and works year-round building on the Philharmonic's presence in the musical community as a leading presenter of jazz.
JAMES AVERY is a man of the world -- literally. His love of
travel has seen him host the critically acclaimed PBS series, Going Places,
go on USO tours and attend charity events around the world. James has a
recurring role on TNT’s The Closer, as medical examiner Dr. Krippin, and
Lucas on CW Network’s All of Us. He starred in the comedy series Sparks,
(1996-97 and 1997-98) on UPN, as Alonzo Sparks, the patriarch of a family of
lawyers in inner city Los Angeles, and he portrayed Philip Banks, a successful
Harvard-educated judge on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which ran for six
years on NBC. Recurring roles include Showtime’s Soul Food, Lifetime’s The
Division, TNT’s Bull and as judges on Steven Bochco’s ABC series Murder
One and NBC’s L.A. Law and Hill Street Blues, as well as NBC’s
Amen. He recently toured in the original play Cheaters with
Brian McKnight, and performed Othello at the Theatricum Botanicum. He
received the 2006 NAACP Image Award for Lead Male for his performance in Othello.
He was ‘Producer Howard Benedict’ in UCLA’s Freud Playhouse’s production, Applause.
He was part of the Los Angeles 2004 production of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
with Loretta Devine, which received LA Weekly’s Theatre Award for “Revival
Production of the Year” and “Ensemble.”
Equally at home on stage or on screen, award-winning actress LORETTA DEVINE has
created some of the most memorable roles in theater, film and television.
Devine first captured national attention in the role of Lorrell, one of the
three original “Dreamgirls” in
Michael Bennett’s classic award-winning Broadway
musical of the same name. She followed that performance with a fiery portrayal
of Lillian in Bob Fosse’s critically acclaimed stage
production Big Deal. Subsequent work in George C. Wolfe’s Colored
Museum and Lady Day at Emerson Bar and Grill cemented Devine’s status
as one of the most talented and versatile stage actresses. Film roles soon
followed including a poignant turn as a single mother in Waiting to Exhale,
which earned her an NAACP Image Award for Best Supporting Actress. Devine also
won an NAACP Image Award for Best Supporting Actress for her work in The
Preacher’s Wife. Devine
received an IFP Spirit Award nomination for Best Actress for her work in Woman
Thou Art Loosed. Devine was featured in the Academy Award-winning film Crash
and the hit movie Dreamgirls. On television, Devine can be seen in
ABC’s Eli
Stone, as well as her recurring role as Adele on Grey’s
Anatomy.
WENDELL PIERCE is recognized by film audiences for his extensive work for such directors as Woody Allen, Spike Lee, Brian De Palma, Barry Levinson, Sidney Lumet and Paul Schrader, among others. Currently, Wendell is one of the stars of HBO’s critically acclaimed drama series The Wire. Wendell was also recently seen in HBO’s Life Support starring opposite Queen Latifah. He was in Spike Lee’s documentary When The Levees Broke telling his family’s story of loss. Wendell starred in Stay Alive for Disney and the award-winning movie Ray based on the life of Ray Charles. Other film credits include Spike Lee’s Get on the Bus, Sleepers, Waiting to Exhale, Malcolm X, Bye Bye Love, It Could Happen to You, A Rage in Harlem, Bonfire of the Vanities, and Casualties of War, among others. His television credits include recurring roles on Numb3rs, Law and Order, Third Watch, New York Undercover and I’ll Fly Away. Heralded for his work in the world premiere of Queenie Pie at the Kennedy Center, Wendell includes among his Broadway stage credits roles in The Piano Lesson, Serious Money and The Boys of Winter. He recently received rave reviews for The Cherry Orchard at the Classical Theatre of Harlem in which he was nominated for a VIV award in the lead actor category. Wendell is a two-time NAACP Image Award Nominee for Best Actor in a television drama for his work on The Wire and won the 2008 Image Award for best actor in a television movie for HBO’s Life Support as well as the Women’s Image Network WIN Award.
ST. JAMES SACRED NATION CONCERT CHOIR has been featured on Celebrity Fit Club (VH1), Next (MTV) and the new number one gospel show in the country, The Kitchen Sink. The group has also performed with Andrea Bocelli and Michael Buble. The St. James Sacred Nation Concert Choir uplifts, enlightens, inspires and empowers through a global gospel vision through music.
The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, under Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen, presents the finest in orchestral and chamber music, recitals, new music, jazz, world music and holiday concerts at two of the most remarkable places anywhere to experience music — Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. In addition to a 30-week winter subscription season at Walt Disney Concert Hall, the LA Phil presents a 12-week summer festival at the legendary Hollywood Bowl, summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and home of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. In fulfilling its commitment to the community, the Association’s involvement with Los Angeles extends to educational programs, community concerts and children's programming, ever seeking to provide inspiration and delight to the broadest possible audience.
FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2008, at 8 PM
WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL, 111 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles
Jazz Series
THE MOVEMENT REVISITED
CHRISTIAN McBRIDE, musical director
ST. JAMES SACRED NATION CONCERT CHOIR
Sylvia St. James, choirmaster
With Big Band
JAMES AVERY, narrator
LORETTA DEVINE, narrator
CARL LUMBLY, narrator
WENDELL PIERCE, narrator
Acura is the sponsor for the concert - all Acura vehicles park free for the evening.
Tickets ($35-95) are on sale now online at LAPhil.com, at the Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office, or via credit card phone order at 323.850.2000. A limited number of $10 rush tickets for seniors and full-time students may be available at the Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office two hours prior to the performance. Valid identification is required; one ticket per person; cash only. Groups of 10 or more may be eligible for special discounts for selected concerts and seating areas. For information, please call 323.850.2000.
