Contact: Golda Solomon, 877-529-9528, or info@icaan.biz

For immediate release

 

 

Po’Jazz  at The Cornelia Street Cafe

Poetry in Partnership with Jazz

Thursday, December 18TH, 2003  6 - 8 p.m.

 

Po’Jazz—the one-of-a-kind jazz and poetry series—returns to The Cornelia Street Café in its third Thursday evening of the month slot on December 18th at 6 pm.  Admission is $15 ($13 students/seniors), which includes one drink.

 

Spoken word artist Farrah “Love Child” Rios joins “Medicine Woman of Jazz” Golda Solomon and guest poets Christine Lewis, Denise Utt and Monique Avakian in a year-end celebration of Po’Jazz friends and favorites. Rios’ fusion of spoken word poetry and hip-hop will partner with the hip and urban J. D. Parran on reeds, Kelvyn “The Kelvynator” Bell’s explosive guitar, and emerging artist Randolph Scott McLaughlin II on saxophone.  Artist bios below; e-mail info@icaan.biz for photos.

 

Gladys Serrano of Mutable Music says, “Po’Jazz at Cornelia Street is one big friendly party of good words, good sounds, and good food.”

 

This performance is part of a third Thursday of the month poetry and jazz series at The Cornelia Street Café programmed and hosted by ICAAN co-founder Golda Solomon in association with JazzJaunts.  Dedicated to the belief that the arts are vital for tapping into processes needed for individual healing and community building, ICAAN (Interactive Communication and Arts Network) provides on-site arts programming to workplaces, schools and other organizations.  For more information about ICAAN, call 877-529-9528 or visit www.icaan.biz.

 

The Café is located at 29 Cornelia Street, Greenwich Village, NYC.  By subway, take the A, C, E, F or V train to West 4th Street, or the 1 or 9 train to Sheridan Square (walk 21/2 blocks east on West 4th and make a right onto Cornelia Street.)  By car, take 7th Avenue south to Bleecker; left on Bleecker; left onto Cornelia.  For more information, visit www.corneliastreetcafe.com, or call 212-989-9319.

 

The Cornelia Street Café poetry series is curated by Angelo Verga.  The next event in this series will be held on Thursday, January 15th, from 6 until 8.

 

 

 

About the Artists

 

Monique Avakian, poet, regularly performs her “musical,” “inventive,” and “off the hook” poetry around Westchester and Manhattan.  Her work has appeared in several poetry publications, and she has earned awards for both poetry and non-fiction.  Whether teaching or performing, Monique seeks to spark everyone's intuitive love of language and natural enthusiasm for imaginative depth.

 

Kelvyn “The Kelvynator” Bell, guitar, has been cited by The New York Times as “explosive.” His band has served as rhythm section for Maceo Parker and Fred Wesley and has opened shows for Living Colour and

James Brown. He performs with saxophonist Arthur Blythe and the jazz/funk band Defunkt. Mr. Bell can be heard on Double Moon, Faizah, Grass Roots, Enemy and CBS records, and he has recorded with Cassandra Wilson, David Murray, and Craig Harris.  He is Director of The Harlem School of the Arts Jazz Band.

 

Christine Lewis, poet, is a Jill of many genres.  Dancer, performer, and poet, she brings her unique Trinidadian voice to poetry that moves with island flavor and rhythms.

 

J. D. Parran, reeds, is well-known as a player of the saxophone, clarinet and flute. For two decades his featured instrument has been the rarely-heard alto clarinet. A native of St. Louis, he was a member of the Black Artist Group (BAG). He has performed and/or recorded with Derek Bailey, Muhal Richard Abrams, Douglas Ewart, Quincy Troupe, Hamiet Bluiett, Lena Horne, Frank Foster, George E. Lewis, Leroy Jenkins, Don Byron and Julius Hemphill, among others, and is a member of the prestigious Me We & Them Orchestra led by James “Jabbo” Ware. Mr. Parran teaches at City University of New York and at The Harlem School of the Arts, where he has served as Music Department Chair and Director of Jazz and African-American Music Studies.

 

Farrah “Love Child” Rios, poet, is a 23 year old Queen-born, Bronx-raised spoken word artist of Haitian and Puerto Rican descent.  Her fusion of spoken word poetry and hip-hop is rooted in her wide range of musical and lyrical influences, and her solo performances and partnerships with other artists are receiving widespread attention.  She has performed at The Chyna Club, Nells Nightclub, the Nuyorican Poet’s Café, the Backdoor Café and Jimmy’s Uptown Café, and is touring the northeast college circuit as a part of S.T.A.N.D. – an Undercover Entertainment Artist Showcase that features spoken word poetry, rhyming, singing, and live music.  Ms. Rios recently completed her work on a project for DJ Tech’s “The Tech’s Book Series Volume IV” and her first spoken word album is expected to be released in the spring of 2004.  She is currently completing her Associate in Arts degree at Borough of Manhattan Community College.

 

Randolph Scott-McLaughlin, II, saxophone, is sixteen and attends the United Nations International School. He is a member of his school's Jazz Ensemble and Orchestra.  Randolph is a reporter for his school newspaper, a certified scuba diver, a track and field athlete, and is currently in lifeguard training.

 

Golda Solomon, “the medicine woman of jazz,” is a professor of communications, speech, and theater arts; a poet, performer, producer, and docent; a supporter of women musicians as well as young musicians, poets, and performers.  She was project director of Po’Jazz at The Hudson Valley Writers’ Center for four years, and co-founded the brooklyn poetry choir.  Golda has pioneered several unique businesses including JazzJaunts, a personalized jazz service, and, with Barbara Sfraga, ICAAN (Interactive Communication and Arts Network), which provides innovative, on-site, organization-specific arts programming to workplaces, schools, and other organizations.  Golda has a collection of poetry, Flatbush Cowgirl, published in 1999, for which she co-produced a companion CD, First Set.  She also co-produced the CD Po’Jazz: Takin’ It To The Hollow, which includes over 20 poets and musicians.  Her book and CDs are available on www.mouthwideshut.com.  In 2002, Golda's poetry won first prize at the Writer's Workshop in Asheville, North Carolina.  Madeline Peters, President and founder of Poet’s Corner, says of Golda “Her poetry has a rhythm and spontaneity that goes right to the heart. Golda Solomon has found her perfect accompaniment in jazz.”

 

Denise Utt, poet, comes to New York from Seattle.  She is both lyricist and poet. Her poetry inspires her R&B songwriting.  She has written lyrics for Angela Bofield and Hank Crawford.  Her poetry has the movement of rhythm and blues.