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holiday gift guide 2011
A Child Is Born
Bears Holiday Fruit
By John Ephland
It’s the kind of holiday music that somehow manages to transcend the holidays. Pianist Geri
Allen’s A Child Is Born (Motéma) is music that’s reminiscent of all things year-end, but it’s also
something that...stays with you.
Yes, it’s jazz—maybe not as jazzy or whimsical
as Vince Guaraldi. But it’s every bit as expressive,
a spiritually driven work in the tradition of
Mary Lou Williams and Duke Ellington.
“My family is spiritually based,” Allen said,
citing her paternal grandfather, a Methodist
minister, as one of her primary inspirations. “My
pastor, Dr. William Howard, hugely impacted
my musical and spiritual growth by warmly welcoming
me into the church. ”
Perhaps it also has something to do with the
title track, written by the late, great Thad Jones.
Asked in September when she’ll start playing
tracks from the CD on her fall tour, Allen said,
“I won’t start performing this music until after
Thanksgiving.” She added that her trio with
Jeff “Tain” Watts and Kenny Davis, along
with Marcus Belgrave, did do a version of the
title track when they performed at the Village
Vanguard earlier that month.
“It’s a wonderful focus for this CD,” Allen
noted. “I had participated with Marian McPartland
on her Piano Jazz program, and she was reminiscing
about having played the song and how
appropriate it would be for the Christmas canon.
And I was like, ‘Yes! You’re absolutely right.’ It’s
a perfect addition to the Christmas season and
the songs we’re used to.”
The end of that tour includes a special performance
at her home church, Bethany Baptist,
in Newark, N.J., on Dec. 17.
An integral part of A Child Is Born, the second
in a piano-driven trilogy for the Motéma
label, is Allen’s selective use of voices. “We decided
to create three solo-piano-driven conceptual
records,” Allen explained. “Flying Toward The
Sound was the first one. [Her second release is
the quartet date Timeline Live, also released in
2010. The third piano project is in the works.]
And now, A Child Is Born. It’s still piano-driven,
but I felt I really needed the voices. The human
voice resonates in a way that connects us all. And
I think that the voices that are part of this project
are clear, pure sounds in concert with each other.”
These voices include Connaitre Miller,
Allen’s daughter Barbara Roney, Carolyn
Brewer, Farah Jasmine Griffin and the women
of the Gee’s Bend Quilter’s Collective. All of
the vocalists are used in different configurations
on selective tracks, some of which include spoken
word, sampled vocals, and vocal soundscape
engineering and design. Among the songs are
Allen’s touching “Journey To Bethlehem” and
the more traditional (both arranged by Allen)
“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” and “Amazing
Grace.” Allen added other “voices” that join her
acoustic piano in the forms of concert celeste,
Fender Rhodes, Farfisa and Hohner clavinet.
Along with the human voice, these other “voices”
reminded Allen of her “early experiences
with a harp-and-vocal program in high school,”
she recalled. “It included 20 harps, pump organs
and bells, all on stage. It was like a choir, a chorus.
That was my reason for wanting to go back
to those older-sounding instruments.”
This release is replete with thanks, starting
with her parents—Mount Vernell Allen Jr. and
her late mother, Barbara Jean Allen. The pianist
also acknowledges such musical influences as
Dr. Billy Taylor and Hank Jones; The Reverend
Dwight D. Andrews, who wrote the liner notes,
and is a composer, musician and a published
author on jazz and spirituality; Jana Herzen
from the Motéma family; co-producer Kunle
Mwanga and associate producer Jim Luce; and
cover artist Kabuya Pamela Bowens, whose
evocative print artwork feels like an extension
of the music. Allen mentions Dorthaan Kirk
“because she has brought jazz to the community
through Bethany Baptist’s jazz vespers ministry.
People like Jimmy Heath, Randy Weston
and Barry Harris, but also young and upcoming
jazz musicians have been part of this program.
A program that was so influential to me coming
to this church.”
With an album both serene and imaginative,
Geri Allen says simply, “A Child Is Born
is a celebration of the joys and blessings of the
Christmas season.” DB
Ordering info: motema.com, geriallen.com
66 DOWNBEAT DECEMBER 2011