Terri Lyne Carrington: "Ella is Present" Preview - New York City Article

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

515 Malcolm X Boulevard (135th St), (917) 275-6975

Monday, March 13

This is neither the first nor the last big event of the Ella Fitzgerald Centennial (the big day is actually April 25) but it just may be the most thoroughly original. Drummer, composer, and bandleader Terri Lyne Carrington has shown that she knows a thing or two about singers; her 2012 album “The Mosaic Project,” featuring eight different major contemporary jazz vocalists) won a Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal album. This unique ensemble features some of the expected instruments, but often played by some very cutting edge musicians, like pianist Marc Cary, saxophonists Casey Benjamin and Edmar Colon, bassist Rashaan Carter, and guitarist Ben Eunson. But there’s also turntablist DJ Val Jeanty and the young singer Charenée Wade, a highly flexible artist who can go either way. Leave us not forgot that Ella herself was very receptive to soul and R&B music – have you ever heard her medley of songs from “The Wiz?” In bringing Ella Fitzgerald’s music up to the 21st century, Ms. Carrington will show how relevant the First Lady of Song is to our current generation and illustrate the enormous impact that she’s had on contemporary music.