07-16 Blind Boys C:Gp 3.qxt 7/7/10 9:01 AM Page 1
Sponsor
Welcome to Lincoln Center Festival 2010. We have searched the world to bring you some of the best the performing arts have to offer. Over the 18 days of this month’s Festival, we present 45 performances by artists and ensembles from 12 countries, and expand our venues to include a new site on Governors Island. The Lincoln Center Festival opened with the Chui Chai . The title, meaning “transformation,” North American premiere of Musashi , a lavish is as much a metaphor for Pichet’s own mod - Noh-inspired drama. Yukio Ninagawa directed ernization of Thai classical dance as it is a the late Hisashi Inoue’s reworking and revital - description of the Ramayana, an Indian epic on ization of a traditional Japanese tale based on which it is based. the life of a real samurai warrior. Two dynamic directors give new life to classics If we had a musical survivors series, it would from literature and film at our newest perfor - undoubtedly include three groups making mance venue. An industrial warehouse on Festival debuts this month: The Blind Boys of Governors Island will be the dramatic backdrop Alabama, Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou, for the North American premieres of Peter and Emir Kusturica and The No Smoking Stein’s marathon adaptation of Dostoyevsky’s Orchestra. The Blind Boys have inspired musi - novel The Demons and Toneelgroep Amster- cians and music lovers of all tastes for decades, dam’s Teorema , based on the film by Pier Paolo and over three nights we’ll celebrate their con - Pasolini and directed by Ivo van Hove. tribution to the American music scene. Benin’s Orchestre Poly-Rythmo and Sarajevo’s No Georgian writer, director, and master puppeteer Smoking Orchestra are hugely successful in Rezo Gabriadze returns with an encore of his their homelands but have only recently burst elegant and elegiac The Battle of Stalingrad . onto the international scene. Both make their Puppet theater for adults, it mixes humor and U.S. debuts at the Festival. heartbreak to tell the story of one of the most devastating battles of World War II. It is always a pleasure to present innovative work from the world of dance, and wonderful to We take an unprecedented look at the complete wel come back the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane work of 20th-century musical maverick Edgard Dance Company. Bill has never been one to shy Varèse with a two-night retrospective. A true away from difficult subjects, and his Fondly Do pioneer, Varèse longed to “liberate sound” to We Hope… Fervently Do We Pray is an inspiring reflect in music the immense technological and emotionally wrenching work. Dancer and changes of the last century, and the forces of choreographer Saburo Teshigawara, who made the New York Philharmonic, International Con- his Lincoln Center Festival debut in 2006, brings temporary Ensemble, S o¯ Percussion, Musica back his laser-like focus for the compelling one- Sacra, and the Oratorio Society reveal his suc - man tour-de-force Miroku , and Pichet Klunchun cess . With the Festival debut of Germany’s brings his brilliant company from Bangkok for Wuppertal Opera and the North American pre - miere of Salvatore Sciarrino’s La porta della legge , we continue to celebrate composers who break with convention. A master of harmonics and structure, Sciarrino challenges all pre-con - ceived notions of what opera can be.
I am pleased that you are joining us and hope that you will visit often throughout the month.
Nigel Redden Director Lincoln Center Festival The Blind Boys of Alabama
Photographer credit: Shannon Brinkman 07-16 Blind Boys C:Gp 3.qxt 7/7/10 9:01 AM Page 2
Lincol n Cente r Festiva l 2010 Blind Boys Family Revival The Blind Boys of Alabama
The Blind Boys of Alabama July 16 Jimmy Carter ALICE TULLY HALL Bishop Billy Bowers Ben Moore Eric (Ricky) McKinnie There will be no intermission Tracy Pierce Joey Williams Program to be announced from the stage Peter Levin
John Hammond
Dan Zanes
Charlie Musselwhite
Joan Osborne
Aaron Neville
New Orleans’ Own Hot 8 Brass Band Bass Drum Harry Cook Trumpet Terrell Batiste, Julian Gosin, Raymond Williams Snare Drum Samuel Cyrus Saxophone John Gilbert Sousaphone Bennie Pete Trombone Corey Peyton, Gregory Veals
Lincoln Center Festival 2010 is made possible in part with public funds from the New York City Depart - ment of Cultural Affairs, New York State Council on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
This performance is made possible in part by the Josie Robertson Fund for Lincoln Center.
Sponsor 07-16 Blind Boys C:Gp 3.qxt 7/7/10 9:01 AM Page 3
Lincol n Cente r Festiva l 2010
About The Blind Boys To hear them sing is to recognize the basis of soul, ’60s R&B, and to some extent, rock of Alabama and roll. Artists including James Brown and For seven decades The Blind Boys of Ala- Little Richard have acknowledged the bama have been making distinctively familiar legacy of The Blind Boys in helpi ng to shape music, as recognizable as it is original. To their own musical styles. When you experi - hear them is to understand their conviction ence a Blind Boys concert today you hear that they were put on Earth for the singular songs that you might not have thought of purpose of singing—something they have as gospel, like Norman Greenbaum’s“Spirit been doing since first coming together in in the Sky” or Ben Harper’s “I Shall Not the late 1930s. Walk Alone,” or even The Velvet Under- ground’s “Jesus,” and you hear gospel- After the successes of the Gospel Caravan inspired music reconnect with its roots. days of the 1940s and ’50s the music busi - ness began to change, and while The Blind It is the giving spirit of The Blind Boys Boys continued to sing, old-time gospel that is the key to their long success, not was played in obscure venues, often hin - only to their audiences, but to the other terland churches that were anything but artists with whom they freely collaborate. mainstream. When I heard them live for As one generation learns from the other, the first time in the mid-1980s, at a hastily it’s in the giving that you receive, and at the arranged concert in California with barely end of the day, the message is clearly 30 people in the audience, I didn’t know found in the music. exactly what to expect. I saw a line of lavender-clad, elderly gentlemen walk care - It is with great pride that The Blind Boys fully onto the stage, each with his hand on have been asked to curate, host, and per - the back of the one in front of him. When form in three distinct programs developed the music began, they transformed into specially for Lincoln Center Festiva l audi - ageless musicians with more energy than ences. In tonight’s concluding performance you see from performers 50 years their of the series, The Blind Boys get down to junior. Though it was essentially the same basics doing what they enjoy doing most— performance they’d been giving for a foot-stomping, all-inclusive, gospel revival. decades, it was one of the most mind- Joining in the celebration tonight are some blowing, amazing, and unique musical of their favorite collaborators who come experiences I have ever had. together to perform songs from most of the Blind Boys Grammy Award-winning albums. —Chris Goldsmith, Artistic Consultant 07-16 Blind Boys C:Gp 3.qxt 7/7/10 9:01 AM Page 4
Lincol n Cente r Festiva l 2010
About the Artists Gospel at Colonus , which brought the The Blind Boys of Alabama are recog - timeless sound of The Blind Boys to an nized worldwide as living legends of gospel enthusiastic new audience. In recent years music. Celebrated by the Grammys and The Blind Boys have been awarded five the National Endowment for the Arts with Grammy Awards culminating with a Lifetime Achievement Awards, they have Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2009 attained the highest levels of achievement Grammys. Their colleagues have paid in a career that spans over 60 years and homage to their legacy and their continued shows no signs of diminishing. Longevity relevance by asking them to contribute and and major awards aside, The Blind Boys collaborate on new projects. The Blind have earned praise for their remarkable Boys have appeared on recordings with interpretations of everything from tradi - Bonnie Raitt, Randy Travis, k.d. lang, Lou tional gospel favorites to contemporary Reed, Peter Gabriel, Charlie Musselwhite, spiritual material by acclaimed songwriters Susan Tedeschi, Solomon Burke, Ben including Curtis Mayfield, Ben Harper, Eric Harper, Asleep at the Wheel, and many Clapton, Prince, and Tom Waits. Their per - others. The Blind Boys of Alabama have formances have been experienced by mil - profoundly influenced an entire generation lions on The Tonight Show , Late Night with (or two) of gospel, soul, R&B, and rock David Letterman , the Grammy Awards musicians and are still blazing trails after all telecast, 60 Minutes , and on their own hol - these years. iday PBS special. Unlike some of their old-time gospel music The Blind Boys of Alabama formed at the brethren, The Blind Boys eagerly embrace Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind in the popular music world, bringing gospel 1939. They toiled for nearly 40 years, music to mainstream audiences. As a almost exclusively on the black gospel result the group has formed fast friend - circuit, playing in churches, auditoriums, ships with an impressive array of musi - and stadiums across the country. Their cians—venerable colleagues and youthful recorded output, reaching back to 1948 protégés alike—who span a wealth of gen - with their hit I Can See Everybody’s res. Many artists have asked The Blind Mother But Mine on the Veejay label, is Boys to guest on their projects and their widely recognized as being influential for new release, Duets , documents these rich, many gospel, R&B, and rock and roll artists eclectic, and cohesive interactions. The that followed. The Blind Boys had their music ranges from rock to reggae, country own chance to cross over to popular music to contemporary Christian, and blues to in the 1950s, along with their gospel friend ballads, all unified by The Blind Boys’ deep, and contemporary Sam Cooke, but stayed soulful harmonizing. Featuring 14 unique true to their calling. In the 1960s they collaborations, the CD includes nine previ - joined the civil rights movement, perform - ously released tracks, seven of which ing at benefits for Dr. Martin Luther King. In have appeared on Grammy-nominated or the 1970s it appeared that the world of Grammy-winning albums. The diverse popular music was beginning to pass them group of artists that make up Duets by, but in 1983, their career reached a turn - reflects the expansive appeal of the group ing point with their crucial role in the smash as well as the sweeping reverence for their hit and Obie Award-winning play The talent throughout the industry. 07-16 Blind Boys C:Gp 3.qxt 7/7/10 9:01 AM Page 5
Lincol n Cente r Festiva l 2010
John Hammond is one of the world’s pre - Musical Album for Children, Catch That mier acoustic blues artists. He was born Train! . In 2009 he released 76 Trombones in New York City and is the son of record (a collection of classic Broadway tunes that producer and talent scout John Henry have been reworked as 21st century all- Hammond, Jr. He made his professional ages music) and The Fine Friends Are debut in 1960 performing carefully crafted Here! . In 2008 he released The Welcome reproductions of traditional acoustic blues, Table: Songs of Inspiration, Mystery, and but over the decades has transformed into Good Times , a collection of old and an authentic blues original. He received a (mostly) new recordings of songs drawn 2010 Grammy Award nomination for from gospel traditions; and ¡Nueva York! , Rough & Tough for best traditional blues featuring songs from Puerto Rico, Mexico, album, which was his 33rd album since his Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and 1962 self-titled debut. He won a Grammy other parts of the Spanish-speaking Award in 1985 for his performance on Americas. He is currently the front man for Blues Explosion (a compilation from the Dan Zanes and Friends. Montreux Jazz Festival), and has received Grammy nominations for many recordings Charlie Musselwhite was born into a including In Your Arms Again (2006), Long musical family in Mississippi where his As I Have You (1999), Found True Love father played guitar and harmonica and (1998), Trouble No More (1994), and Got his mother played piano. The legendary Love If You Want It (1993). He also nar - bluesman spent his formative years in rated and produced the documentary The Memphis, Tennessee, where he was Search for Robert Johnson , detailing the exposed to rockabilly, western swing, elec - life of the legendary Delta bluesman tric blues, and early rock and roll and later Robert Johnson and shown on the Bravo moved to Chicago, where he met and television channel. He has performed or worked with Lew Soloff, Muddy Waters, recorded with artists including Jimi Junior Wells, Sonny Boy Williamson, Hendrix (who was discovered while play - Buddy Guy, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter, ing in John’s band in New York’s West and Big Walter Horton. He released his Village in 1966), Eric Clapton, Muddy first album, Stand Back! Here Comes Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Duane Allman, Mike Charley Musselwhite’s Southside Band , in Bloomfield, JJ Cale, Tom Waits, The Band, 1966 to immediate and great success. John Lee Hooker, and Dr. John. Since then he has released over 20 albums, and has been a guest artist on albums by Dan Zanes has always been interested in many other musicians including Bonnie making music for and with families and Raitt’s Longing in Their Hearts and The people of all ages. His music either intro - Blind Boys of Alabama’s Spirit of the duces people to new songs or reconnects Century , both winners of Grammy Awards. them to songs they’ve always known. He has won 14 W. C. Handy Awards and Born in Exeter, New Hampshire, he was a six Grammy nominations, as well as member of the Del Fuegos from the begin - Lifetime Achievement Awards from the ning to the end of the 1980s. After moving Monterey Blues Festival and the San to Brooklyn in the early 1990s he released Javier Jazz Festival. He finds inspiration in Rocket Ship Beach (2000), Family Dance diverse cultural experiences that reinforce (2001), Night Time! (2002), the Grammy- his belief in music’s universality. His most nominated House Party (2003), and the recent album, Rough Dried , was released 2007 Grammy Award –winner for Best last year. 07-16 Blind Boys C:Gp 3.qxt 7/7/10 9:01 AM Page 6
Lincol n Cente r Festiva l 2010
Joan Osborne was born in Kentucky and categories as diverse as country and west - moved to New York City in the late 1980s. ern, pop, R&B, and gospel. In 1994 he and After releasing a few independent record - Trisha Yearwood won the Best Country and ings on her own label, she made her record Western Vocal Collaboration Grammy for “I album debut in 1991 with Mercury Records ’ Fall to Pieces.” During the same period, he Soul Show: Live at Delta 88 . Her break - was named Best Male Singer for two years through second album, Relish , sold more running in Rolling Stone ’s critics’ poll. than five million copies and was nominated for six Grammy Awards. It contained the New Orleans’ Own Hot 8 Brass Band has pop-oriented hit “One of Us,” as well as epitomized New Orleans street music for the more country-blues-folk-inspired best- over a decade. All of the members were selling cuts of “Right Hand Man” and “St. born and raised in New Orleans, where Teresa.” She was featured in the 2002 doc - they play the traditional Second Line umentary film Standing in the Shadows of parades hosted each Sunday afternoon by Motown and has toured with the Funk Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs, and many Brothers and the Dixie Chicks. She has also of them began playing together in high joined San Francisco jam-rockers The Dead school. Coaxing sound from their well- as a vocalist, performed on numerous loved and well-worn horns, they infuse occasions with Phil Lesh and Friends, The each performance with the funk and Holmes Brothers, and Vivian Campbell. Her energy that makes New Orleans music latest album, Little Wild One , was released loved around the world. The group per - in 2008 and marked her reunion with Rick forms annually at the New Orleans Jazz & Chertoff, Rob Hyman, and Eric Bazilian, the Heritage Festival, world and jazz festivals writing and producing team that worked across the U.S. and Europe, and has toured with her on Relish in 1995. in Japan, Italy, France, Spain, Finland, England, and Sardinia. The Hot 8 has released three Aaron Neville is a native of New Orleans critically acclaimed recordings and is fea - and is the second of the famous four tured on the latest Blind Boys of Alabama Neville brothers. A product of the city’s recording. The group, featured in the Spike richly complex musical culture, his first Lee documentary When the Levees Broke , vocal mentor was his older brother Art, also has worked to help provide relief after keyboardist and founder of The Meters. Hurricane Katrina, having been part of the Brother Charles played sax with B.B. King local grassroots project “Save Our Brass!” while younger brother Cyril became which has brought music and instruments Aaron’s partner in a funk band called the to shelters, temporary trailer parks, and Soul Machine. Aaron made his solo debut communities across the Gulf Coast. in 1966 with the hit single “Tell It Like It Is,” which hit number one on Billboard ’s Chris Goldsmith (Artistic Consultant) is a R&B charts. While he toured nationally and producer and creative consultant, and was became well known for his singular style, the producer of the recent Grammy he didn’t chart again until 1989, when he Award –winning Blind Boys of Alabama CD collaborated with Linda Rondstadt and won Down In New Orleans as well as executive two Grammy Awards for his duets with her producer of four other Grammy-winning on the top 10 hits “Don’t Know Much” and releases by The Blind Boys, including their “All My Life.” In the following years, Aaron acclaimed effort with Ben Harper, There was nominated for 16 Grammy Awards in Will Be A Light (Virgin Records). He has 07-16 Blind Boys C:Gp 3.qxt 7/7/10 9:01 AM Page 7
Lincol n Cente r Festiva l 2010
also produced albums for (and with) many Lincoln Center for the Performing other artists, including Charlie Musselwhite’s Arts, Inc. Delta Hardware (named Album of the Year Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts at the 2007 Blues Music Awards), and (LCPA) serves three primary roles: presen - releases from Ruthie Foster, Dan Hicks and ter of artistic programming, national leader the Hot Licks, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, in arts and education and community rela - and The Skatalites, to name a few. He was tions, and manager of the Lincoln Center also an executive producer on two Blind campus. As a presenter of more than Boys DVDs, has worked on recordings for 400 events annually, LCPA’s series include Disney and HBO, and has produced ses - American Songbook, Great Performers, sions with Lou Reed, Meshell Ndegeocello, Lincoln Center Festival, Lincoln Center Out and many other great talents. Building on of Doors, Midsummer Night Swing, and his 15 years of experience as a booking the Mostly Mozart Festival. The Emmy agent, he is also currently a talent and Award –winning Live From Lincoln Center booking consultant for the Belly Up night - extends Lincoln Center’s reach to millions clubs in Solana Beach, California, and of Americans nationwide. As a leader in Aspen, Colorado, and serves as artistic arts and education and community relations, producer for national performing arts cen - LCPA takes a wide range of activities ter tours in association with Columbia beyond its halls through the Lincoln Center Artist Management, Inc. Institute, as well as offering arts-related symposia, family programming, and acces - Lincoln Center Festival sibility. And as manager of the Lincoln Since its inaugural season in 1996, Lincoln Center campus, LCPA provides support Center Festival has received worldwide and services for the Lincoln Center complex attention for presenting some of the and its 11 other resident organizations. broadest and most original performing arts programs in Lincoln Center’s history. In 14 Acknowledgements seasons, the Festival has presented more Lighting and Rigging Equipment than 1,100 performances of opera, music, PRG Lighting dance, theater, and interdisciplinary forms Sound Equipment by internationally acclaimed artists from Audio Production Services more than 50 countries. To date, the Instrument Rental SIR Festival has commissioned 30 new works Production Assistant Lauren Zuber and offered some 120 world, U.S., and New York premieres. It places particular emphasis on showcasing contemporary artistic viewpoints and multidisciplinary works that push the boundaries of tradi - tional performance. 07-16 Blind Boys C:Gp 3.qxt 7/7/10 9:01 AM Page 8
Lincol n Cente r Festiva l 2010
A Partial Discography
Since their first recording in 1948, The Blind Go Tell It On The Mountain* Boys of Alabama have released more than 60 2003 albums. Following is a partial discography of With Solomon Burke, Tom Waits, Michael Franti, their most recent and significant recordings. Chrissie Hynde, Richard Thompson, Aaron Neville, Mavis Staples, Shelby Lynne, George Clinton, Robert Randolph, Meshell Ndegeocello, 2000s Les McCann, Robert Randolph Duets 2009 Higher Ground* With Ben Harper, Susan Tedeschi, Toots Hibbert, 2002 Randy Travis, Timothy B. Schmit, With Ben Harper, Robert Randolph and the Charlie Musselwhite, Bonnie Raitt, Jars of Clay, Family Band Dan Zanes, Solomon Burke, Lou Reed, Marva Wright, Asleep at the Wheel, John Hammond Spirit of the Century * 2001 Live in New Orleans (DVD) With John Hammond, Charlie Musselwhite, 2008 David Lindley With Susan Tedeschi, Dr. John, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Henry Butler, Marva Wright 1980s and 1990s
Down in New Orleans* I Brought Him With Me 2007 With The Hot 8 Brass Band, The Preservation Hall Holdin’ On Jazz Band, Allen Toussaint
Atom Bomb Deep River 2005 With Billy Preston, David Hidalgo, Gift of Gab The Gospel At Colonus (Cast Recording)
Live At The Apollo (DVD) I’m a Soldier in the Army of the Lord 2005 With Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals Best of the Early Years
There Will Be A Light * You’ll Never Walk Alone 2004 With Ben Harper True Convictions
Go Tell It On The Mountain: Live In Oh Lord, Stand By Me New York (DVD) 2004 Marching Up to Zion With Chrissie Hynde, Aaron Neville, Mavis Staples, Michael Franti , John Medeski, Charlie Musselwhite, Robert Randolph, Duke Robillard *Grammy Award –winning albums