Little Bang Theory

There’s a musical tour making the rounds which you should Google, to see if it’s coming your way.

Seriously.

Because it’s more than music. It’s a Life-Line of Hope, wrapped in a Quilt of Sonic Beauty, decorated with a Rainbow of People and Cultures of All Religious Affiliations.

The Songs of the Spirit Tour blends the artistry of some of the world’s greatest musical treasures with the concept of Intercultural Unity to deliver a moving night of music and love.

I’ve had the privilege of seeing this show twice, the first time in Troy, New York in November and the second time just over the hill in North Adams, Massachusetts, this Friday night. While the scale of the two shows was entirely different, the intent and result were strikingly similar.

The Troy show was a grand affair, staged in the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, an exquisite space with the kind of acoustics which make experienced performers weep. I had the foresight to buy tickets early, and found myself fifteen feet from the stage (I paced it) and two seats from Dead Center of the joint.

I was pleased.

The show began with a group of Tibetan Monks doing traditional tri-tonal throat-singing, accompanied by an avant-guard jazz ensemble led by legendary trombonist Craig Harris. I swear, the combo rocked! Color me a fan of a new icon, Craig Harris. Check him out.

And Ladies, he’s a stud. Trust me on this.

Then came Shangilia, a choir of Kenyan street children, abandoned by their world but salvaged by the vision of the extraordinary people who run this mission which feeds, clothes, houses and educates these homeless children. And teaches them to dance and sing like Nobody’s Business. Very cool. I cried.

Then came Haale, the New York born Iranian singer/guitarist/Sufi trance-rock goddess. Breath-taking, mind-blowing, and up to my navel in shwing!

Eh-hem.

Followed by the legendary South African trumpeter, Hugh Masekela and his band. A musician of mythic proportions since the 1968 Monterey Pop Festival, he’d somehow eluded my voracious quest for quality live music. Chalk it up as one of the prices I pay for living in the sticks.

But thirty-nine years later, he was still excellent. Exciting, invigorating, involving and emotive, Mr. Masekela delivered a message of hope and love and an enthusiastic embrace of the Possibilities of Life, coupling his extraordinary musical gifts with an irresistible smile aimed directly at the hearts of his audience.

Oh, and let me here mention the beautiful readings delivered between each act by prelates and practitioners of an array of faiths, all espousing tolerance and acceptance of differences and peace. It was powerful, to say the least.

The night was capped with a short set by Odetta, the legendary voice of the Civil Rights Movement, a steam roller of a woman who let nothing stand in the way of her commitment to Equality For All.

Now, I’m not a Folkie. I tend to rock. So some things, even important things, have slipped by me unnoticed. And Odetta was one of those things.

But when this Powerhouse of Song and Social Justice was pushed to center stage,

thin and frail,

in a wheelchair,

beaming,

my heart stopped.

……….

And then she began, sweet and low, exhorting us with Gospel Songs and Songs of Determined Struggle and Songs of Courage. And as she sang, she grew, expanded into the room, encompassed us with hope and love and a fire for Peace and Justice. And as she sat there, a quilt over her lap and a shawl around her shoulders, her voice rang out like a bell, a clarion call, a clear-eyed challenge to all who heard it, to finish the job she had started.

I cried like a damned baby. And as the entire cast joined her on stage for the finale, we all cried, and sang, and swayed, and held the hands of strangers.

You should have been there. Really.

…………

So I was thrilled to get a chance to see another version of this tour this past weekend, at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. It’s about a half-hour from me, and at a quarter of the price of the Troy show, going to it was a total no-brainer.

Plus, I got to spend the evening with one of my heroes, my Big Brother. Thank You, Father Sky.

This modest affair went down in the intimate Church Street Center, and again we had seats right down front.

The night began with the Gabriel Abbot School Children’s Choir, singing their little hearts out with all the fidgetty earnestness you’d hope for from a double handful of wide-eyed children. Their hopeful innocense was a powerful reminder of what the evening would be about – Peace and Unity and Understanding, as prerequisites to leaving our children a world worth inheriting. Thanks, kids. That was beautiful.

Then came readings from MCLA students, beautiful words worth sharing and deserving of our consideration, first from the Torah, later from the Bible, followed by poems from Buddhist writers and American Indian poets. All spoke of love and unity in a time of division and mistrust. All were heard and appreciated by the audience.

Next up was local musician Jamie Choquette and his band, whose short set of original songs was well executed and well received. A visit to the above link could well have you grooving to a new-found musical friend. He’s really good!

Then came the part of the evening I’d most looked forward to, a solo acoustic set by guitarist Gary Lucas. Currently fronting his band “Gods And Monsters,” featuring former Talking Head Jerry Harrison on keyboards, Lucas has been described as “The thinking man’s guitar hero ” and is considered by the cognoscenti to be one of the best and “most challenging” guitar players in America.

At this show he justified all of the hyperbole, employing an entirely original style of finger-picking on a 1920’s vintage National Steel guitar and displaying a virtuosity which belied his lack of stardom outside the small circle of people who take guitar playing very, very seriously.

And he kept it accessible. I had wondered how this would go, as his career has included stints with the outlandish Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band, and some of Gods and Monsters’ stuff is way out there. But this night, he was kind to us hicks. And that’s the hallmark of a pro.

Lucas was followed by Salman Ahmad, a Pakistani physician, musician, actor and activist for peace. He traded his stethoscope for a guitar in the late 80s, forming Pakistan’s first pop/rock band, and in 1990 formed Jujoon, South Asia’s most successful rock band. He has a reputation for using his considerable talents to foster dialog and understanding between arch-rivals India and his native Pakistan and has toured the world bringing his message of Peace through Understanding to millions. Despite death threats and being banned from Pakastani television and radio for decrying his country’s pursuit of nuclear weapons capability while her people go without clean water, Ahmad and his bandmates have stayed the course of Speaking Truth to Power.

And this night, he spoke plenty of truth, accompanied by tabla virtuoso Dibyarka Chatterjee, bringing the power of Western rock to the forms and structures of Eastern music.

Way Cool, Mr. Ahmad. Count me as a New Believer.

The night ended with all of the musicians together on stage, jamming, listening to each other, building on each others’ ideas, appreciating each others’ differences.

The metaphor wasn’t lost on this appreciative audience.

Hey, if you’ve gotten this far, thanks for hanging in there with me. These shows were both too good not to share, and if you’re half as lucky as me, you’ll get to see at least one of them.

Special thanks to my Bro for being there for me. I love ya, man.