By Marilyn Lester***A jazz oratorio? Why, yes. Jazz is no stranger to classical art forms—think of Duke Ellington’s ballet music, such as The River or Mary Lou Williams’ Zodiac Suite. This particular iteration of jazz meets classical is 2024 Grammy- and Tony Award-winner Bryan Carter’s seven-part oratorio Rustin in Renaissanc
e, a tribute to the influential and now mostly overlooked Civil Rights activist and musician, Bayard Rustin.
But before the main event in Jazz at Lincoln Center’s The Appel Room, Celebrating Bayard Rustin, there was a varied program of song, fronted by drummer, composer and vocalist Carter. Although it wasn’t quite clear how the entirety of this musical appetizer connected to Rustin, despite program notes that the selections traced the lineage of Black American music, assumptions could be made,. The selections were none the less enjoyable, performed with gusto by Georgia Heers, J. Hoard, Shenel Johns and Vuyo Sotashe. An obvious statement at the begining of the program, delivered by Carter himself, was a call to action: “Let the Good Times Roll” (Sam Theard, Fleece Moore).
J. Hoard, a performer with a unique vocal style and expressive body movements, followed with “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” (Shania Twain, R.J. Lange) arranged by Carter as a 1950s-style R&B/rock number. The lyric also spoke to having a good time—one’s own conclusions to be drawn by the gender-bender delivery. The very gifted Johns, who works with Hoard when they appear with Endea Owens’ Cookout, sang an asssertive, Latin-based “Much More” (Tom Jones, Harvey Schmidt).” a tune of longing from their now legendary work, The Fantasticks.
Giving it the old college try was Heers’ “Lush Life.” During his lifetime, writer Billy Strayhorn would allow only Lena Horne to sing the tune. He himself recorded it as it should be sung. When you hear him and the complex lyric and construction of the piece, that desire is understandable. “Lush Life” has a specific story arc, best told straight without vocal or arrangement gimmicks, both present in this version. In “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” (Eric Maschwitz, Manning Sherwin), Sotashe’s smooth vocal was applied to the standard in a slow-dance balladic mode.
Properly prepped through this fast-paced opening segment, the singers and the Jazz at Pride Orchestra, led by Carter, presented the musically-rich, multi-genred Rustin in Renaissance: I. Hymn for Julia, II. Mr. Rustin, III. Journey to Your Soul, IV. King, V. The Big Six Show, VI. Walter and VII. Angelic Troublemakers. Music and lyric for each movement of the oratorio were beautifully conceived and rendered, 
telling the story of Rustin, a prominent (gay) man who was a life-long activist for civil rights, socialism, nonviolence, and gay rights. (Click here to learn more.). However, the spoken, expository narrative introducing each movement proved a distraction, jolting the listener out of the flow of the music. A more refined way of communicating Rustin’s biography, or even eliminating the text altogether, would help the compelling forward movement of the piece to be more effective.
Celebrating Bayard Rustin was an entertaining evening; the illuminating and compelling Rustin in Renaissance deserves its place in the canon of jazz and beyond.
The members of the orchestra in solos and as an aggregate were top-class. They were:
Piano: Joe Block; Guitar: Leo Larratt, Bass: Alexander Claffy Percussionists: Cameron Macintosh, Will Hopkins
Concertmaster: Audrey Hayes; Associate Principal: Eli Bishop
Violins: Kevin Kuh, Tomo Akaboshi, Josh Henderson, Edward W. Hardy, Lavinia Pavlish, Daniel Constant, Maria Im; Violas: Tia Allen, Laura Sacks, Yumi Oshima;
Cellos: Kristine Kruta, Sasha Ono, Mitch Lyon
Reeds: Christopher McBride, Lucas Pino, Erica Von Kleist, Lauren Sevian; Trumpets: Bryan Davis, Anthony Hervey; Trombones: Jasim Perales, Mariel Bildsten
Photos by Leandro Badalotti/Jazz at Lincoln Center
