Harlem Continues to Speak
Harlem Speaks Honors Lonnie Youngblood
Lonnie Youngblood, Saxophonist, September 28, 2006
Buster Williams, Bassist, October 12, 2006
Arlene Talley, Vocalist, October 26, 2006
6:30pm-8:00pm
Tenor saxophonist Lonnie Youngblood has been a staple performer in Harlem for decades, so it’s fitting that he will be honored by the Jazz Museum in Harlem’s Harlem Speaks program on September 28, 2006. Born in Augusta, GA, on August 3, 1941, Youngblood began playing the saxophone after hearing his mother’s favorite artist, Louis Jordan. He backed singer Pearl Reeves in 1959 for his first professional gig. His very first solo recording, “Heartbreak,” became a regional hit. Youngblood served in the Army for a short time, and returned to Harlem in 1963, where he took over leadership of Curtis Knight’s R&B band. The outfit included a talented young guitarist named Jimi Hendrix.
Later on in 1963, Youngblood took the band into the studio and recorded a total of 13 tracks (including alternate takes) with Hendricks on guitar. The two remained friends up until Hendrix’s death in 1970. During the rest of the 1960s Youngblood backed musician such as James Browne, Jackie Wilson, Ben E. King, Sam and Dave, and other soul greats. He continued to record for small labels, generally in a style that echoed King Curtis or Junior Walker. But he really hit his stride in the ’70s, when he recorded for the Turbo label. He scored his biggest hit in 1972 with the instrumental “Sweet Sweet Tootie,” which climbed into the R&B Top 40.
For over 20 years, Youngblood has been playing his mix of jazz, R&B and soul, and even gospel at Sylvia’s restaurant in Harlem on Saturday afternoons. He has also been a mainstay at Showman’s. His charisma will move you, so don’t miss it!
Vocalist Arlene Talley, a regular performer at Harlem’s St. Nick’s Pub on Saturdays, is the guest of Harlem Speaks on October 26th. She’s been singing since the age of 2, and has performed with Illinois Jacquet, Art Blakey, Max Roach, among many others, including the Isley Brothers at the RKO Palace. She has taken her Harlem style to California, Atlantic City, Virginia, and all over the country.
Those fortunate to be in attendance at the most recent Harlem Speaks evening, featuring Lester Jenkins (discussed below), heard Ms. Tally sing a beautiful rendition of “ On A Clear Day”.
On September 14th, drummer Lester Jenkins shared his warmth, wisdom and powerful swinging beat with an audience that included several family members as well as previous Harlem Speaks honorees Sarah McLawler, Jacqui “Tajah” Murdock, and Fred Staton.
Born in 1929 in the midst of the Depression, Jenkins grew up “in the heart of Harlem” on 142nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues, moving later to 148th Street in Sugar Hill, where as a teen he would practice drums in the basement while Murdock rehearsed dance upstairs. His older brother Henry, who studied with the legendary percussion teacher Aubrey Brooks in Harlem, introduced him to the rudiments of drumming after catching him playing his drums on the sly.
His father Cornelius and mother Eva (”my greatest supporter”) raised five boys; Jenkins was the next youngest. He described a cultural milieu in which music was taught in school and where Harlem parents formed marching bands that played on special occasions and ceremonies for churches, fraternal organizations, and the American Legion.
In the first of several drum demonstrations, Jenkins got the rhythm moving, playing a march beat, then explaining how the “swing of the beat stimulated the mind and the body.” He also mentioned how he relates drumming to the beat of one’s heart, striving “to play in a way that doesn’t disturb the heart.” Further, he emphasized, “It’s important to listen to what’s going on around you, not only as a musician, but in general. I would observe the way people move, and listen to the rhythm trains made on the tracks, and try to simulate that when I play.”
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.
Excerpts of post by: Jazz Promo Services
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