Darius D.

This blog is a reflection of me, forever growing and evolving. So, only expect one thing when you visit, TRUTH. Unless I post a short story, then it wouldn't quite be true, now would it?



Sunday, March 25, 2012

All Dat Jazz!!!

Blogging is kinda like going to the gym.  When you have a consistent workout regimen, it's fairly easy to remain consistent.  Even those days when you'd rather just sit on the couch and watch TV become days spent in the gym because that's what you're "supposed" to do.  But once you miss a day, it becomes easy to miss two, then three, then you find yourself staring in the mirror, pinching parts that weren't there before, and wondering what the hell happened!
That is exactly what happened to my blogging.  I needed a jolt.  I needed that moment in the mirror that would force my the get back into blogging shape.  Two things gave me that jolt.  The first was the Trayvon Martin saga and the second was Jazz in the Gardens.

The Trayvon case is taking me a little longer to write about.  That will be coming soon, so, on to Jazz in the Gardens.



If you don't know, Jazz in the Gardens is a 2-day music festival in Miami Gardens, FL.  From its name, you might expect it to be all about jazz: WRONG!  The list of artists included Jazz stalwarts: Ramsey Lewis and Kenny G., old-school heavyweights: Doug E. Fresh and Patti LaBelle, and soul singers: Ledisi, Kem, and Jill Scott. (Patti Labelle and Mary J. Blige performed on the second day, but I didn't go.  I had stuff to do.)

One of the most exciting aspects of the event was the overall energy.  Thousands of people gathered together from all walks of life and transformed a "show" into a party!  It wasn't uncommon to see hundreds off people line dancing, Cupid shuffling, or "wobbling" at once.  Everyone was just having a good time.  After all, isn't that what life is all about? 

Now, to my insights about the performances I saw:

Doug E. Fresh
I want to make enough money one day so that I can hire Doug E. Fresh to put on his "World's Greatest Entertainer " hat for my party.  From the moment this dude stepped on stage, the atmosphere went from "cool" to "outta control".  Everyone was on their feet throwing their hands in the air like they didn't care.  It wasn't rare to catch a sporadic "wop" or "running man" in one of the aisles.  And Mr. Fresh treated the crowd to a continuous beat box set that seemed to last for ten minutes; he even busted out the harmonica.  It's obvious that he's been working on his cardio and I could tell he's been in the gym recently.

Ledisi



In the beginning, Ledisi seemed to have trouble connecting to audience, or, maybe it was more the other way around.  It was clear that a small percentage of the audience really knew her music beyond the few singles heard on the radio.  But I guarantee that they knew her afterwards.  Once she kicked off her shoes and took 'em to church with soul-stirring vocals and stories of perseverance and persistence, recalling encouraging words from her mama, she had 'em hooked.  There are very few vocalists around that can rival Ledisi's skills.  She was amazing!

Kem

Kem was cool.  His performance was...cool.  The ladies seemed to enjoy it.  I listen to Kem's music if I'm at home reading or cleaning.  It may have been  a great performance, but I think my energy was tied up in anticipation for the next artist.


Jill Scott



Jill Scott's performance was legendary.  In her roughly 1-hour set, I felt at times like I was sitting in the pew and she was the preacher speaking directly to me, and other times like I was a teenager sneaking to watch grainy HBO and Cinemax soft porn.  She was simultaneously angelic and hedonistic, spiritual and carnal.  I fell in love with her about four times that night.  She sang and sang and sang.  Her band was hot!  Her background singers struggled to stay in the shadows.  But most importantly, she connected.  When she sang "Crown Royal", every single person in the audience bit their lip, shook their head, looked at the lover they came with or sent a text message to a lover that wasn't there.   

This isn't the performance, just the song.  But take this song and smooth and sexy it up, and you'll get half of what I was lucky to experience.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uguUTOenjxg


If you've never been to Jazz in the Gardens, put it on your agenda, now.  Request time off from work, check Hotwire for flights.  I don't know who's gonna be there, but I know it's gonna be amazing!

Needless to say, I was moved.  I was invigorated.  I was inspired and all that jazz!

And I'm back.

Now, on to Trayvon...