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The Major Scale – African-American Art in the 20th Century in the Sunshine State

December 2, 2019 By Chris

The Major Scale is proud to present a three-part special for Cornell Fine Arts Museum’s exhibit African American Art in the 20th Century, on loan from the Smithsonian American Art Museum. It’s a bounty of bold and brilliant masterworks that showcases paintings and sculptures from 32 African American artists. In our special series, we delve into the stories that tie together the exhibit’s themes, including jazz and civil rights, as well as the music with the show’s curator, Virginia Mecklenburg.

Part 3:

Among the many amazing artists in the exhibit is Purvis Young, a native to Florida. We thought it apt since the exhibit since both Cornell Fine Arts Museum and the Major Scale are based in Central Florida that we take the time to explore some of the regional roots. Young, the term “Outsider Art”, and the legendary Highwaymen are on the table for conversation as well as some of the Sunshine State’s – Slim Galliard, Fats Navarro, Charles Tolliver, Gigi Gryce, Pee-Wee Ellis, Archie Shepp, and more.

This special series is a must for curious eardrums.Continue Reading …

The Major Scale – African-American Art in the 20th Century – Civil Rights, the African-American Experience, and Rallying Cry

December 2, 2019 By Chris

Part 2: In the post WW II era the pace of the Civil Rights Movement picks up at a rapid pace. African-American life is flux, the demand for change and equality is everywhere. There is tragedy concurrent with hope as leaders and legislation move forward. The music moves right along with it. The art’s come into their own, uncompromising talents like Bo Diddley, Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, Ornette Colman, Amiri Baraka, and countless others begin to make their voices heard, and we’ll hear them in this episode.Continue Reading …

The Major Scale – Mark De Clive-Lowe & Idris Ackamoor

May 1, 2019 By Chris

Two artists, from different decades and veterans in their own right, presented to a new generation that’s taking on bold new territories.

Mark De Clive-Lowe’s musical calling began when he discovered his father’s jazz records around the dawn of acid house. From earnestly composing electronic music in his native New Zealand, to making a name for himself in the clubs of London and around the world, De Clive-Lowe has racked up points working with the likes of 4-Hero, Shirley Horn, and Lauren Hill. From Broken Beat to Blue Note, he’s always delivered an inspired collaboration. His recent output has both worlds merging, producing something new and sonically exciting with CHURCH, Live at the Blue Whale and Heritage.

Idris Ackamoor is the type of sonic treat that one really looks forward to and savors, knowing that it’s the sort of pleasure that doesn’t come around very often. Over the decades Ackamoor, with or without his band the Pyramids, has selectively released a series of wonderfully crafted gems steeped in soul, psychedelia, dub, and Afrobeat that are always heavy on spirituality and social awareness. His latest, An Angel Fell, may be his greatest–its freshness and originality make him a contender in the canon of jazz notables.

The Major Scale – Roy Hargrove & Ghost-Note

April 17, 2019 By Chris

Perhaps Generation X’s first jazz star, Roy Hargrove came through at a time where the ‘new’ was pushed along by the rising tide of hip-hop. Hargrove gave both the genre and the trumpet a newfound energy, one that could stand up to the changes happening as the 20th century gave way to the 21st. With two Grammys and a career that’s spanned 30 years, his talent has held its own with such titans as Joe Henderson, Shirley Horn, Sonny Rollins, Wynton Marsalis, and Joshua Redman. He sadly left us too soon, but his influence lives on in his collaborations with contemporary artists such as D’Angelo, John Mayer, and Common. We pay our respects to the man with violinist Tanner Johnson, whose arrangement of Hargrove’s “Strasbourg-St. Denis” serves as a touching tribute, and Jon Lampley of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s Stay Human band, who finishes the segment with thoughtful insight and a sensitive note.