Jazz at Pearl's (San Francisco, CA)
Bassist Marcus Shelby is often called a "Renaissance musician," earning well-deserved acclaim as a bandleader, bassist, composer and arranger. The Marcus Shelby Orchestra performs a dynamic repertoire of original tunes and the works of great jazz composers including Ellington, Basie, Strayhorn and Gershwin. Shelby and the group will also perform some of their original music from their new CD, Harriet Tubman.
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The last date listed for Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra was Friday June 13, 2008 / 8:00pm. (view all dates)
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Great venue in the heart of North Beach. The space is a bit tight, but if you're lucky enough to snag a booth, you'll be sitting rather close to your neighbor. Marcus and his band were great. He's a story-teller and he definitely us on a journey. I'm going back for more!
Candle-lit 1930s ambience, top jazz acts and lush cocktails make this legendary jazz club your perfect getaway for a romantic date, a night of world class jazz and a little trip back in time!
Enjoy the world's leading jazz, blues and Latin recording artists in a room intimate enough to be your lavish Hollywood classic movie living room. Cocktails elegantly appear at your table while you're eye
Website: http://www.marcusshelby.com
Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra's newest CD, Harriet Tubman, is an original oratorio for jazz orchestra and vocal ensemble chronicling the life one of America’s greatest heroes. Once again working with his remarkable 15-piece jazz orchestra, MSJO, composer and librettist Marcus Shelby adapted historian Kate Clifford Larson’s book Harriet Tubman: Bound for the Promised Land (2004) to create a deeply inspired tribute to Ms. Tubman. In addition to the MSJO, the work features the dynamic vocalist Faye Carol in the role of Harriet Tubman. Joining Ms. Carol on vocals are Bay Area favorites Kenny Washington, Jeannine Anderson and Joseph Mace. In the tradition of the great jazz oratorios, such as Ellington’s "Black Brown and Beige," Shelby explores American history using the great narrative of African American music. The double CD was released nationally on Noir Records on May 20, 2008.
Harriet Tubman is one of America’s greatest, yet least understood, heroes. Called the “Moses of Her People,” Tubman is most often recognized for her work as a “conductor” on the Underground Railroad. But her significant contributions hardly stop there. Tubman also worked as a scout, nurse and spy for the Union in the Civil War and was a pioneer in advocating for the civil rights of women and the elderly. In all of her work, music was Tubman’s constant companion--she even used music to communicate coded messages to escaping slaves! Shelby notes that he “tried to organize this composition to reflect the sources of the language of jazz--field cries, blues hollers, work songs, spirituals, scat singing--and to portray this music’s profound relationship to Harriet Tubman’s heroic story.”
Marcus Shelby Orchestra's show also includes performances of classic Basie and Ellington, and selections from Shelby's majestic, affecting "Port Chicago Suite," a piece written in commemoration of the African American sailors who died in a World War II-era explosion at a Northern California armaments loading dock.
In addition to leading one of the most dynamic big bands in Northern California, if not the whole U.S., Shelby has become one of the country's foremost modern Ellington interpreter. Shelby's arrangements of Ellington classic suites never fail to bring rewarding, fresh perspectives to these great works, while retaining respect for the originals.
But it's Shelby's original scores that truly set him apart as a force in modern big band music. With a long list of successful large ensemble compositions, including myriad collaborations for dance and theater, Shelby recently released the stunning "Port Chicago Suite" to great acclaim. The composition musically re-creates the hopes of young African Americans as they join the armed forces to serve their country during World War II, journeying through the devastating fatal explosion that cost hundreds of lives, and relives the court martial of the surviving sailors who refused to return to work until the horrifying conditions that had caused the blast were improved. That Shelby manages to accomplish all this with pathos, humor and engrossing musicality, while making the whole thing swing, is a true testimony to the powers of his gift.