SAGINAW, Mich.—The Crown Act is a law that prohibits the discrimination of hairstyles in the workplace. Today, people of all ages gathered at the Saginaw Art Museum for an event inspired by the bill celebrating black hair culture through artistic expression.
Organizers provided participants with blank canvases, colorful printouts, and bundles of hair to assemble their creations.
Braids, afros, and twists of many tints and textures filled canvas boards while strangers and friends engaged in laughter and a shared cultural experience.
Event Organizer Terra Riley shares that her friend, State Senator Sarah Anthony, who introduced The Crown Act bill, played a significant role in motivating her to create The Crown Experience.
Riley also shares her personal inspiration behind the event: ” To honor the history of our black story, our black hair story. The idea of slaves braiding rice into their hair. The idea of a braid pattern actually being a map just shows me the intellect, the deep, rich deepness of our people, and so today, I just really wanted to express that.”
Participants were also invited to contribute to the community Kente cloth, which will be displayed in the museum’s office.
While Riley encourages attendees to leave a piece of their art behind, she hopes everyone takes away something even more meaningful. “My hope is that their takeaway is the beauty and richness of who and what we are,” Riley said. “Today, I’m grateful that this space did what it was supposed to do today. People came together and celebrated the beauty of black hair.”
To continue the celebration of art and diversity, the museum is open Wednesday through Saturday.
Your early afternoon cup of Joe may be best served to a near burning temperature, but jazz on the other hand may best be served cold. A Flint resident looking for live jazz groups may find themselves to be surprised when they happen to come across the highly acclaimed Paul Keller Quartet in humble Holly Michigan. The Paul Keller Quartet has been shattering the Detroit jazz scene since 2011. One may often find the group in a bustling jazz lounge or restaurant throughout Ann Arbor and the greater Detroit area, but for this past Tuesday, Holly residents were welcomed to a more personal and intimate experience right in the towns’ cozy library.
Alongside coffee and decadent bite size pastries sat a quartet with genuine love for the craft.
“Yeah man, give it to me!” exclaimed an engaged Sarah D’Angelo while entranced in her collaborator’s spontaneous creative auditorial flow.
It’s something you like to hear, the engagement, the mid-song applause and praise, being feet from performers, one can close their eyes, and interrupt their surroundings as a communicative gathering for personalized expression. Don’t close your eyes for too long, for when looking at the performance you can see the passion put forth in the faces of the artists’ subtle (and maybe not so subtle) gestures communicate their truths through facial expression. It seemed while one player took a solo, the others happen to be singing or scatting the melodies they had just produced.
Every artist brought a unique color to the performance provided a clean and collective combo array of sound. The blend of clarinet and tenor saxophone especially crafted a dark inflection of the lows that complemented the upper clarion register of the clarinet. As both a clarinet and tenor saxophonist myself I find myself amazed at how these two instrument colors merge, I feel inspired to write harmonically for these two horns in my own original material.
Paul Keller wrote many arrangements of the works played that evening proving his myriad of utility as performer, artist, and creative writer. I found it quite compelling how for one of the tunes the saxophone was written over the clarinet for the melody. The upper range of the saxophone combined with the low register of the clarinet displayed a low smokey undertone not many works utilize. A creative choice of breaking the rules of typical western harmony one may say.
Two original songs draped the small library that evening. Two tales of the passing and coming seasons, winter and spring. The work titled “winter song” featured the jazz singing of Sarah D’angelo along with a the tenor saxophone in the upper register, giving a cold whisper presence. The song personified both the season and the weather, this was followed be delightful solos in a “cool” jazz type of style. “Frosty winds say hello…”
The song focusing on spring was unique as it was written the day before the event, making this work a welcomed premier. Paul Keller spoke on how when he wrote the song, the title was the start of the creative process. Following the title, the chords, melody, and words came to him quickly. “Spring is just around the corner” also used personification when talking about the changing weather. Steve Wood turned to the flute which reminded me of the Grieg song, “Summer Mood.” Flute is synonymous to me with warm weather and early mornings, which may be what the artist was going for. Following the chorus the song sped up which made me reflect on the speed of time and the changing weather. Ralph Tope on the guitar provided a strong harmonic groove with a relaxed but consistent feel. The colors of the strings blended great with the horns, allowing all voices to balance.
Cool Jazz is a subgenre of jazz that was popularized by the jazz trumpetist Miles Davis. This style of jazz focuses on a walking but relaxed tempo and a prioritization of memorable and tasteful melodies when improvising. The quartet made everyone feel welcome and I found myself enjoying every moment. I am excited to see more of what these artists have to offer for future events.
Following the performance I was able to speak with the group. Prioritising small local concerts allows audience members to greet artists directly, something many people wish for when wishing to talk to their artistic influences.
I was able to talk to Steve Wood and get his take on what artists influenced him the most. Steve Wood is influenced by artists such as Yusef Lateef, Dexter Gordon, Ben Webster and Sonny Rollins
These great jazz giants defined and captured styles of the genre. Steve wood noted he transcribed several Dexter Gordon solos, and I can hear it in his sound. The dark subtone inflection is strong in his sound. The jazz language spoken by Steve wood was one that captures elements of all his inspirations. Jazz is a melting pot of what is picked up by the listener. You are what you eat? You are what you listen to!
When a celebrity is asked for a backstage interview what is the most common question the interviewee asks? What can you say to those looking to follow in your footsteps of course! I ask this question not only as a reporter but also as an artist with an increasing drive for jazz. Sarah’s answer was one that was simple but non the more true and possibly the most important. Play. Play often. Get out and find those with similar interests. I found that there is no substitution for experience. I can tell from
Sarah D’angelo giving her all
this show that Sarah D’Angelo has played countless gigs and presented herself as a courageous and wonderfully charasmatic jazz singer and clarinetist that was a true pleasure to listen to. Sarah recommends newer jazz musicians to head out to Arethas Cafe, a jazz sit-in that focuses on education and learning, hosted by Scott Gwinnell every Sunday. I am hopeful the culture of jazz continues to grow. Going out and playing is a great outlet for individuals to express themselves.
This concert was made possible by the wonderful staff and directors of the Holly Township library. Notable efforts such as Tina Russette, the adult services manager, and Greg Hayes the library director allow concerts and events like this to be a regular occurance. The Holly Township library has several upcoming events that Flint campus locals can look forward towards. A belly full of piping hot coffee and jelly filled pastries held down the audience as they whisked into a warming but still winter night as cool and relaxed melodies packed the listeners ear in delightful hums.
The origins of jazz are often noted to have taken place in African tradition and early American life styles, but with the popularity of jazz throughout the world, it is of no surprise that the genre has been interpreted and retold through many cultural lenses as years come. On a winter morning of Wednesday February the 12th, the University of Michigan Flint was welcomed to a unique and fresh twist of Korean traditional music and folk stories with the deep entwined American styles of swing jazz. This concert was organized and directed in part by Kelly Craig, Brian Diblassio, and the other talented musicians you will read further about.
Before viewing of the concert, it is important to understand the art of Pansori in Korean culture. The word Pan in Korean represents an interactive stage experience that breaks barriers between audience and performer, allowing a more intimate and involved experience. Pansori, a similar word, combines Pan with the Korean word for song (sori). The art of Pansori combines singing, storytelling, and musical gestures for audiences.
Pansori storytelling enhance through body gestures and personal expression
In a traditional Pansori performance, only a single drum with a vocalist is used, but for this performance a jazz rhythm section joins the fun with the addition of Lisa Sung (Piano), Tom Knific (Bass), and Kevin “Bujo” Jones (Drum kit). Hee-Won Park connects the ensemble in a very traditional sense. Hee-Won Park dawns a beautiful and traditional garb known as a Hanbok. The floral covered dress is distinctive attribute to the performance of pansori, along with welding her customary buk drum and creative storytelling. With the addition of a rhythm section, the Pansori experience is largely
Hee-Won Park Singing In front of her drum (Buk)
altered in a rather charming and inviting way that has never been previously seen before. Many mark jazz as the root of free expression in music. One must look openly at the colors that unfold, and not that is written on the page. Combining the free improvisatory nature of the artform with stories that have been passed down, allows both artist and audience to manifest themselves to unique interpretations of every single musical motif and idea presented. I found that our mainly american audience, who may not understand the unknown and alien culture of foreign origin and traditions, were able to connect much more smoothly, and were able to have greater takeaways from the pansori performance by having the addition of iconic jazz textures
Although all works displayed at the performance had a story attached to the music, a select few stood out to me in particular. One of these is Heungboo’s Song. Heungboo’s Song comes from a traditional childhood tale about a poor but kind man who comes across a swallow bird. Heungboo sees the swallow in despair over an injured leg. After nursing the bird back to health, Heungboo is given a bountiful gift from the swallow; a large gourd that contains treasures for the poor man. Using a saw to cut open the gourd, Heungboo pulls out endless amounts of rice and money, and with his generosity he goes to provide for his community. In this song, the sound of the saw cutting through the large gourd can be heard through the instruments. Pansori uses special vocal inflections and spoken word. Telling of Heungboo’s tale with the addition of a groove and feel from a jazz scope allows listeners to relate to the tale and experience a truly unique and legendary performance. Combining rhythm and emphasis on certain beats allowed the performance of spoken words to almost sound like a form of rap or R&B. Combining multiple cultures not only creates a new experience but also highlights similarities across other genres that are present throughout the world.
What also caught my interest was the opening of the concert with the instrumental work titled “New Year Song.” This piece is based on a child nursery rhyme in Korea, that celebrates the new year. With it now being the second month of the year the work was very appropriately timed. This work sounded like a classic jazz standard that one may find in Detroit or any local jazz venue. This is not a criticism but rather praise on how well certain musical motives heard in previous context can be adapted for a small jazz combo and improvised over.
Lisa Sung taking a solo over “New Year Song”
One can still hear pentatonic sounding themes throughout the song, and there was still a very asian jazz sound that may be hard to classify. The origins of many jazz charts originate in the world of musicals and even operas, jazz is all about rewriting and remixing old ideas with a new hip context. This piece specifically rotated through several grooves such as swing and bossa nova during the solo section. Even though the work is based on Korean origin, several cultures combine in a melting pot of sound and discovery. The Piano solo starts in the key but Lisa Sung dables with exploring and playing out, providing whole tone colors. The language of blues is also present throughout the performance. This work was very graceful and reminded me of what it would feel like to fly. The bright opening of this work comes to an end with a strong sustained dark note from the bass side of the keys.
To close, the Pan-Tastic performance seeks to connect with audience members and come together to share relatable stories from a childhood setting while also spreading the message of love and togetherness. The Group plans to take this project to multiple locations and is currently getting ready for their performance on the Dearborn and Ann Arbor campus. I am always excited to hear new unique angles of the jazz idiom, and Pan-tastic was a delectable treat for a cold winter morning and a refreshing twist to start this new year.
Left to right: Kelly Craig, Brian Diblassio, Lisa Sung, Kevin Dalton-Jones, Hee-Won Park, Tom Knific
Lastly I would like to credit the wonderful organizations that made this event possible. The Nam Center for Korean studies, has enriched the community in cultural experiences that previously would not have been possible. Evan Vowell, Minyoung Song, and Tina Griffith are credited for being involved in allowing this event to take place. University of Michigan-Flint faculty, Audrey Scribner, Kelly Craig and Laura McLeman were also heavily involved in allowing this to take place. As both a musician and audience member, I am extremely excited to see what future events take place.
