January 2003 2003 Spring Season Cecily Brown, Against Nature, 2002 BAM Spring Season sponsor: PHILIP MORRIS ENCORE COMPANIES INC. BAM 2003 SorioQ Brooklyn Academy of Music Alan H. Fishman William I. Campbell Chairman of the Board Vice Chairman of the Board Karen Brooks Hopkins Joseph V. Melillo President Executive Producer presents Rhythm & BAM Winter Soul Approximate BAM Howard Gilman Opera House running time: Jan 18, 2003 at 7:30pm 2 hours with one intermission Bobby "Blue" Bland Cody ChesnuTT Lighting designer Sylvester Weaver Project director Danny Kapilian BAM 2003 Spring Season is sponsored by Philip Morris Companies Inc. Rhythm & BAM is made possible by a grant from Independence Community Foundation. This event is an official part of NY GRAMMY Fest 2003. 21 Who's Who Bobby Bland earned his enduring blues sizzling support, Bland's assured vocal on the superstar status the hard way: without a guitar, swaggering "It's My Life Baby" proved he had harmonica , or any other instrument to fall back reached a new level. By now, Duke was headed upon . Al l Bland had to offer was his magnificent by Houston entrepreneur Don Robey, who voice, a tremendously powerful instrument provided top-flight bands for his artists. Scott even in his youth, injected with charisma and soon became Bland's mentor, patiently teaching melisma to spare, and establishing him as a him the intricacies of phrasing when singing sex symbol. For all his promise, Bland's musical sophisticated fare (by 1962, Bland was credi­ career ignited slowly. He was a founding bly crooning "Blue Moon," a long way from member of the Beale Streeters, the fabled Beale Street). Most of Bland's savage Texas Memphis aggregation that also included B.B. blues sides during the mid to late 50s featured King and Johnny Ace. Singles for Chess in the slashing guitar of Clarence Hollimon, 1951 (produced by Sam Phillips) and Modern notably "I Smell Trouble," "I Don't Believe, " the next year met with limited success, but that "Don't Want No Woman," "You Got Me (Where didn't stop local DJ David Mattis from cutting You Want Mel," and the torrid "Loan a Helping Bland on a couple of 1952 singles for his Hand" and "Teach Me (How to Love You)." But fledgling Duke label. Bland's tormented crying the insistent guitar riffs guiding Bland's first style was still in development before he entered national hit, 1957's driving "Farther Up the the Army in late 1952. But his progress upon Road ," were contributed by Pat Hare, another his 1955 return was remarkable; with saxist vicious picker who would eventually die in Bill Harvey's band (featuring guitarist Roy prison after murdering his girlfriend and a cop. Gaines and trumpeter Joe Scott) providing Later, Wayne Bennett took over on guitar, his 23 \/\/ho's Who elegant fretwork prominent on Bland's Duke next year boasted some notable moments recordings throughout much of the 60s. The (including an album's worth of country stan­ gospel underpinnings inherent to Bland's dards). The singer re-teamed with his old pal powerhouse delivery were never more apparent B.B. King for a couple of mid-70s albums that than on the 1958 outing "Little Boy Blue, " a heightened Bland's profile, and he continued to vocal tour de force that wrings every produce solo work for MCA. Since the ounce of emotion out of the grinding mid-80s, Bland has recorded for ballad. Scott steered his charge Malaco Records based in into smoother material as the Jackson, MS. Bobby "Blue" decade turned: the semina l Bland endures as a blues mixtures of blues, R&B, and superstar of the top eche- primordial soul on "I Pity the Fool ," the Brook Benton-penned "I'll Take Care of You," and "Two Steps From the Blues" Cody ChesnuTT, work­ were tremendously ing as a long-distance influential to a legion of operator in 1992, left up-and-coming his day job to pursue Southern soulsters . his dream in music. It Scott's blazing brass would be another ten arrangements added a years until fully realized, shot of adrena line to but the experience made Bland's frantic rockers ChesnuTT the musician "Turn on Your Love Light" he is today. He began tin­ in 1961, and "Yield Not kering with the guitar in his to Temptation" the next year. early teens in his native But the vocalist was learning his Atlanta. Hi s father was a man- lessons so wel l that he sounded just as conversant on sou lful R&B in turn, opened doors for ChesnuTT rhumbas (1963's "Calion Me") and polished and by age thirteen, he was playing shows. ballads ("Th at's the Way Love Is," "Share Your In his late 20s, by then a skillful guitar player, Love With Me") as with an after-hours blues he founded the band Crosswalk. A major label revival of T-Bone Walker's "Stormy Monday deal was in the works, but fell through. The Blues" that proved a most unlikely pop hit for new millennium, however, brought success. him in 1962. With "Ain 't Nothing You Can Do," ChesnuTT retreated to his bedroom, a home­ "Ain't Doing Too Bad, " and "Poverty," Bland made studio he nicknamed the Sonic rolled through the mid-60s, his superstar status Promiseland , and began recording. What arose maintaining its luster. In 1973, Robey sold his from those personal sessions was a 36-track labels to ABC Records , and Bland's contract double-disc entitled The Headphone was part of the deal . Without Scott and his Masterpiece, a debut album released recently. familiar surroundings to lean on, Bland's It features members of The Roots , with whom releases grew less consistent artistically, though ChesnuTT will tour through the winter of 2003. His California Album in 1973 and Dreamer the ChesnuTT sings and plays on Phrenology, the Cody ChesnuTI. Photo: Ready, Set, Go. 24 \Nho's \Nho recent recording by The Roots. ChesnuTT also Wave Festival, featuring Rufus Wainwright, tours with Erykah Badu in January 2003. His Meshell N'degeocello, and Beth Orton) and song "Serve this Royalty" was featured in 2002 (Ben Folds, Stephin Merritt, and Marc Brown Sugar, released by Fox Films, and he Anthony Thompson), Kapilian's live productions was selected as ASCAP's 2002 Songwriter of for BAM have included A Magic Science: the Year in Georgia. More information on the Celebrating Jimi Hendrix (2000 Next Wave artist is available at www.codychesnutt.com. Festival), and Party At The End of Time: 1999 Live (1999 Next Wave Festival), a concert Sylvester Weaver (lighting designer) has performance of the complete Prince album toured the world lighting concerts and video 1999; the annual BAM Rhythm & Blues productions for the group led by the late Miles Festival at MetroTech, and BAM's annual Davis. Weaver has also designed concert Martin Luther King Day Celebration. From lighting for Tracy Chapman, guitarist AI Di 1995 to 1998, Kapilian also produced Don Meola, and saxophonist Kenny Garrett. Other Byron's Jazz: The Next Wave series at BAM. lighting design credits include Louie & Ophelia In 1999, Kapilian produced the JVC Jazz by Gus Edwards, Blues for an Alabama Sky by Festival's Kind Of Blue at 40; and Joni's Pearl Cleage, and American Media by Silas Jazz, a benefit concert for Central Park Jones at the Los Angeles Theater Center. SummerStage. In 2000, he produced From Recent theatrical design projects include Cooley Spirituals to Swing at Carnegie Hall, and High, Sparkle (the musical), and The Black returned to Carnegie in 2002 with Broadway Nativity and Coming Time for Freedom Theater Celebrates Billie Holiday. Also in 2002, in Philadelphia, PA . Weaver is a graduate of Kapilian programmed the World Financial Howard University School of Fine Arts. Center and Castle Clinton concerts in lower Manhattan, which included performances by Danny Kapilian (project director) is an Randy Newman, Angelique Kidjo, and Jane independent producer and music consultant Siberry. This year, he is producing The Movie for BAM and other performing arts centers and Music of Spike Lee and Terence Blanchard for presenters including Carnegie Hall , Festival the Barbican Center in London , the JVC Jazz Productions, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and the Festival at Carnegie Hall, and the Hollywood Hollywood Bowl. In addition to the successful Bowl. debut of The Next Wave of Song (2001 Next 25 .