The New York City premiere of Marlon Saunders’ jazz journey Workin’ on a Building

New York, NY, Friday, July 27, 2007

This anticipated show is bringing together many of the who's who in New York City, including, author, Erica Turnipseed and her husband, composer, Kevin Web; Ann Ruckert and Broadway star Kamal Scott, along with Jason King and Jackie Adams.  Other notables that have been invited include: Harry Belafonte, Bill and Camille Cosby, Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson, Bobby McFerrin and many others.

About Workin' on a Building

Inspired by an old camp-meeting song, Workin' on a Building takes audiences on a musical and cinematographic journey through slavery and the complexities of Black life in the United States. The program begins with Papa's Branch, a moving documentary produced especially for the performance. In this film, Marlon reflects on Black history and the importance of family through the story of his own great-great grandfather, "Papa" Albert James Walker. Following the film, Marlon and his band perform an original three-movement jazz composition, which offers a meditation on the Black American experience from the Middle Passage through the present.

"In composing Workin' on a Building, I wanted to tell the story of family- through music and convey the importance of remembering the connection we have with generations who have come before. Looking through old photographs of my family, I could not help but feel that they were telling me something of importance. It was as though I could hear my ancestors imploring me to begin the journey to inspire the family to heal and remember our legacy. As I sat at the piano sketching melodic ideas I soon realized I was not just writing songs-I was composing history," explained Saunders.
 

About the Composer, Marlon Saunders

Marlon Saunders has, for several years, toured with Bobby McFerrin as a member of his world-renowned vocal group, Voicestra. He has shared the stage with the incredible jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves, recorded with Joe Henderson, Ron Carter, Michael Brecker, Gil Goldstein, Sixun, Keiko Lee, and New York Voices. Marlon is also featured on Manhattan Transfer member Janis Siegel's recent CD, A Thousand Beautiful Things, as well as jazz guitarist Jiro Yoshida's new recording, Made in New York. "Keep Taking Me Higher," a song penned with jazz vocalist/educator Lenora Zenzalai Helm, is featured on Donald Brown's recording, French Kiss.
 

Funded primarily by a major grant from the Maryland State Arts Council, through the National Endowment for the Arts, and a grant from Stories of the Chesapeake Heritage Area, Inc., with additional support from the Washington College CV Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience, Workin' on a Building was commissioned by the Kent County Arts Council and the Prince Theatre Foundation. The piece premiered in Chestertown, Maryland in February 2006.

For additional information on Workin' on a Building please see www.marlonsaunders.com/jazz.