Press Releases

Harlem Speaks Continues with Paul Robeson, Jr.

Paul Robeson,  Jr., February 23, 2006     

New York, NY -- The Jazz Museum in Harlem continues its Harlem Speaks series with Paul Robeson Jr. on February 23, 2006.

Paul Robeson Jr. will discuss his father’s legacy as an activist, actor, singer, and cultural theorist on February 23, 2006. Once the most famous black artist in America, Paul Robeson knew many of the giants of jazz, and even recorded a song with lyrics by Richard Wright about Joe Louis with the Count Basie Orchestra in 1941. With his wonderful bass voice, Paul Robeson was best known for singing Spirituals. He retired in Harlem in the early 60s.

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Long-time Harlemite Rudy Lawless, 75, was the honored guest on Thursday, January 26, 2006.

He spent his early years in Harlem on 159th and Amsterdam Avenue, within blocks of fellow drummers Sid Catlett, Denzel Best, “Slick” Jones and Jimmy Crawford. He heard these artists and others as a young man at Harlem clubs such as Pop’s, Lou’s, Dexter’s and the Amsterdam Café. Alto saxophonist Jackie McLean set up his first drum set; Art Blakey, one of his idols, even came to his home to give him drumming tips. At 16, he spent a summer touring cross country with Eddie Durham.

Among others, Lawless has performed with Andy Kirk, Blue Mitchell, Hank Jones, Rex Stewart, Roy Eldridge, and bassist Addison Farmer. In the early ’60s he did a three-week stint with Mary Lou Williams at the Hickory House on 52nd Street. He worked with Dorothy Donegan and Hazel Scott during the mid-70s, performing in venues such as the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Town Hall, Jimmy Weston’s and at private parties all over the city.

He’s recorded with pianist Junior Mance (in Tokyo), vibraphonist Freddie McCoy, vocalists Etta Jones and Betty Roche, and pianist Lenore Raphael, with whom he recently did a five-day gig at Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola. From 1988-1990 Lawless took his own group to perform in Tokyo. Through the ’90s until today, he and his ensembles have been a favorite on the private party circuit, also performing in clubs and private affairs with vocalists Keisha St. Joan and George Jackson, with whom he also recorded three albums.

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Christian McBride, the co-director of the Jazz Museum in Harlem, was special guest as interviewee on the evening of January 12, 2006, replacing the originally scheduled guest, Buster Williams. With a voice as deep and resonant as his bass tones in the low register McBride related stories of his stellar career, ranging from his early years in Philadelphia playing electric bass and studying classical music on acoustic contrabass, moving to Harlem while attending Juilliard, and playing with a plethora of top artists in jazz and pop music.

He described the essence of Philly as “soulful” while recounting the great musical legacy of the city, from whence numerous great jazz and R&B musicians have come. He described the workman-like life of a bassist, often under-appreciated for their contributions. For instance, after his mentor Ray Brown died, an editor of one of the major jazz magazines admitted outright that a bassist would never be on its cover. But at the age of 14, Wynton Marsalis recognized McBride’s talent, and brought him onstage to play a tune with his group on Philadelphia’s prestigious concert hall, The Academy of Music.

McBride discussed the pros and cons of jazz press identification as a “young lion” back in the 1980s; memories of playing with Sting during 9/11; bass influences such as the unsung Buster Williams, Sam Jones and Robert Hurst; the difficulties and triumphs of playing with a bow, and much more.

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Howard Johnson was the Jazz Museum in Harlem’s special guest on February 9, 2006. Best known as a top tuba player in jazz, Johnson also plays the baritone sax, other reeds and trumpet. Now a Harlem resident, he moved to New York in 1963, where he worked with Charles Mingus (1964-1966), Hank Crawford, and Archie Shepp. He started a 20-year association with Gil Evans in 1966. In the late '70s, he formed a tuba band called Gravity that has recorded two CDs on the Verve label. Howard Johnson has also recorded with Jack DeJohnette's Special Edition, Jimmy Heath, Bob Moses, George Gruntz's Concert Jazz Band, and frequently with Evans' orchestra, among others.

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The Harlem Speaks series is produced by the Jazz Museum in Harlem's Executive Director, Loren Schoenberg, Co-Director Christian McBride, and Greg Thomas Associates. The series occurs at the offices of the Jazz Museum in Harlem, located at 104 East 126th Street, between Park and Lexington Avenues, from 6:30pm-8:00pm.

This discussion series is free to the public. To view the photo archives of Harlem Speaks go to: http://www.jazzmuseuminharlem.org/gallery.php

The Harlem Speaks Education Initiative culminating event, featuring the Loren Schoenberg/Christian McBride duo and the Joe Wilder Quartet, occurred on Saturday, January 14, at the Frederick Douglass Academy.