Sponsor July 6 –28, 2013 July 26 and 27 Alice Tully Hall Starr Theater, Adrienne Arsht Stage Sinéad O’Connor: The Gospel Sessions Vocals Sinéad O’Connor Guitar Sam Butler Jr. Hammond B3 Organ Butch Heyward Bass Guitar Benjamin Odom Drums Dana D. Shepherd Vocals Gene Stewart Piano/Music Director Bob Telson Inspirational Voices of the Abyssinian Baptist Church Director Jeff Bolding Artistic Consultant Chris Goldsmith Approximate performance time: 1 hour 15 minutes, with no intermission Major support for Lincoln Center Festival 2013 is provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. This performance is made possible in part by the Josie Robertson Fund for Lincoln Center. Lincoln Center Festival 2013 is made possible in part with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, New York State Council on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts. LINCOLN CENTER FESTIVAL 2013 SINÉAD O’CONNOR: THE GOSPEL SESSIONS Not Your Average Angel CS: Are there any singers or songwriters who inspired you early on, or were important Pop icon and music legend Sinéad in your own development as a musician? O’Connor sat down for a brief talk with SO: Religious music definitely played the Lincoln Center Festival’s Charles Sheek to largest role in me wanting to be a singer. discuss her musical influences, gospel music, When I was somewhere around 11, my and how tonight’s concert came together. brother Joseph brought home Bob Dylan’s Slow Train Coming album, and that was a Charles Sheek: What drew you to music huge influence on me. It was Dylan’s first as a career? Of all the songs you have Christian album, and it was the first time I composed, do you have a favorite? heard “cool” religious music. I saw that Sinéad O’Connor: I love all kinds of music religious music could be funky, even sexy. and have always been interested in explor - I sort of assumed Dylan then as a father ing different genres as a singer. But, I’ve figure—artistically speaking—a guide or been interested in “religious” music since role model in terms of the path I wanted to I was a child growing up in an extremely be on artistically. religious country, which, unfortunately, was riddled with dreadful religious music brought I loved Dylan and also Van Morrison to bear by the Charismatic Movement of because they were both such spiritualized the 1970s. I always felt that poor God artists. What was perhaps most powerful must be quite fed up listening to terrible for me about their personalities was the Irish religious music, yet unable to com - fact they weren’t “goody-goody,” or square, plain. Rather like a kid who keeps getting they were normal and flawed. Yet you just meatloaf at his granny’s on a Monday—too knew by them that there is a God. I loved polite to say he hates it. the American boxer Muhammad Ali for the same reason, although he seemed When I was around seven, I decided that I much more perfect than your “average” would like to contribute to the religious angel. I believe angels—if they are only messengers—have to be imperfect and music field. Particularly, I wanted to engage flawed, otherwise no one would identify musically with the Old Testament, which with them enough to listen or be inspired. gets rather ignored by songwriters. There are amazing songs already written in there, CS: How about songs by other composers— for example, in the book of Isaiah when either ones who you have covered or just God sings about his vineyard. [Isaiah 5:1: “I admired—is there one who you have will sing for the one I love a song about his always loved, and why? vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on SO: I think one of my favorite gospel a fertile hillside.”] songs is “Father, I Stretch My Hands to Thee” because I love the lyrics. The yearn - With that in mind, I made the album Theology ing in it makes me cry when I sing it. But it a few years ago and all the songs on it came is hard to choose a favorite, though. I have out of Old Testament scriptures. Although it is to say Curtis Mayfield’s “Jesus” is the not mainstream, it is my favorite of all my best song about Jesus I ever heard. It is work as a songwriter and one of the songs almost impossible to perform, though, on it, “Psalm 33,” is my favorite song that because it’s very complicated insofar as I ever wrote. the relationship between the drums and LINCOLN CENTER FESTIVAL 2013 SINÉAD O’CONNOR: THE GOSPEL SESSIONS vocals is concerned. I think no one but Curtis know by him, even if he’s only singing the could understand it. alphabet, that there’s a God. For me, Van is CS: When you were at Lincoln Center the highest priest music ever had. I dunno Festival last year singing in the Curtis if he knows that, or intended it, but priest - Mayfield tribute people were genuinely hood is all over him. blown away by your soulful renditions of his songs. Was that your first time singing his CS: What do you say to someone who music and did that experience lead to these can’t believe you are headlining an evening gospel concerts? of gospel music? SO: Singing “Jesus” and “Billy Jack” at the SO: I’m conscious that me being Sinéad tribute last year was, for me personally, the O’Connor means there may be criticism musical highlight of my life. I love Curtis so because there’s so much nonsense about bad, and it was such an honor to be there how people involved in religious music and to perform such powerful songs—not to should be perfect. I refer those who feel that mention the joy of seeing The Impressions way to my earlier remark about angels need - and Mavis Staples! ing by nature to be imperfect. No one relates to squares. Squares don’t know how to get It was as a result of that night I was asked their hands dirty and that’s no use to God. by Lincoln Center Festival to consider a gospel show or two, plus I was approached Also, I say you don’t have to be perfect to by a few gospel producers who suggested have perfect faith. I might consider an album. I was terribly excited by that because religious music is an arena I believe I could contribute well in About the Artists and have always wanted to embrace. I Sinéad O’Connor (Vocals) cannot be mis - think I have something quite different to bring taken for anyone else. With a voice born to to the table. And that is an understatement. break as many hearts as windows, as tender as it is lethal—a face, simultaneously that of CS: By definition, gospel music is music ocean-wide-eyed angel and shaven-headed written to express personal or spiritual warrior queen—and a spirit courageous in its beliefs. Is there a “sound” to gospel music conviction, undaunted by controversy, and that defines it as much as the words that are fortified with endless reserves of resilience, actually sung? Can you separate the two? O’Connor is that rare thing in popular SO: I suppose I am with reggae legend music: a complete one-off. From her first Lee “Scratch” Perry when he said “music breakthrough hit “Mandinka” in 1987 to is the Holy Spirit.” There can be a very thin the 1990 multi-platinum international suc - line between gospel and pop, and I think cess of I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got Van Morrison shows that better than any with its unforgettable No. 1 version of other artist. Songs of his that seem at first Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U,” and with to be pop, when you listen closely, are her fearless genre-crossing forays into extremely spiritualized. His album Astral Irish folk and roots reggae and collabora - Weeks is a good example. The songs tions with artists as diverse as Peter seem to be love songs and maybe that is Gabriel, Massive Attack, and The Chieftans, what they are, yet in his delivery there’s she has taken a unique path to becoming gospel going on, and as I said, you just today’s most iconic Irish female artist. LINCOLN CENTER FESTIVAL 2013 SINÉAD O’CONNOR: THE GOSPEL SESSIONS Sam Butler Jr. (Guitar) is one of ten chil - 1988 the group was inducted into the dren born to Bishop Samuel Sr. and Loretta American Music and Entertainment Hall of Butler in St. Petersburg, Florida. At the age Fame and the following year were inducted of four he started singing in church and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, was playing guitar by age seven. By 1972 becoming the first gospel group to be so he was singing, playing guitar, arranging, honored. He has performed alongside and producing with The Blind Boys of entertainment greats, including Stevie Alabama. His vocal style and soulful guitar Wonder, Morgan Freeman ( The Gospel at have helped to define the Blind Boys’ Colonus ), The Blind Boys of Alabama, the sound on recordings and in their live per - late Lou Rawls, Dr. John, The Oak Ridge formances. As a musician he has worked Boys, the late Billy Preston, and Aaron with many noted performers in both the Neville. He has been influenced by such secular and gospel communities, including greats as Earth, Wind & Fire; Donny The Staple Singers, Laurie Anderson, Keith Hathaway; and Take 6.