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 Jay Hoggard Quartet: Something 'Bout Believing  Swinging interpretations of Duke Ellington's Sacred Music by vibraphonist Jay Hoggard and Quartet 1. SOMETHING ‘BOUT BELIEVING-(8:23) 2. FREEDOM WORD YOU HEARD-(7:14) 3. ALMIGHTY GOD-(8:17) 4. COME SUNDAY-(8:03) 5. DAVID DANCED-(6:07) 6. FREEDOM #7-(7:47) 7. THE SHEPHERD-(6:21) 8. HEAVEN-(8:26) Musicians: Jay Hoggard - Vibraphone; James Weidman - Piano, Organ; Belden Bullock - Bass; Pheeroan Aklaff - Drums |
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| On April 23, 1967, my father, Bishop J. Clinton Hoggard, took our family to the performance of Duke Ellington's Sacred Concert at Mother AME Zion Church in Harlem. When the Ellington Orchestra mounted the pulpit and Duke strode out to the piano, I experienced an epiphany. Here in our church was the greatest band in the world performing swinging themes dedicated to God. It was jazz and it was God's music. At intermission, Dad took my brother Paul and me to the pastor's office, which Duke was using as his dressing room. Dad said, “Duke, this is my oldest son.” I was awestruck. My 12 year old eyes fixated on this giant in a purple paisley evening jacket when he shook my hand and said, “Glad to meet you, son. Do you like the music?” Over the next few years, I began to study the vibraphone and gained further perspective on this momentary but life affecting encounter. I have been intimately influenced by Duke Ellington's Sacred Music for the past thirty years. For me, this music ranks among the great achievements of the 20th century. Ellington's sacred compositions represent an apex culmination of his life's work; they incorporate all of his concepts, techniques and stylistic practices. 1999's centennial celebration of Ellington's life has brought much deserved attention to this under exposed sector of his compositional legacy.Ellington's compositions personify the aesthetic of jazz by being adaptable to various large and small ensemble contexts and instrumentations. Duke's Sacred Music is no exception. For this recording, I have adapted the full orchestrations and chorales to a quartet configuration with a post bop vocabulary. The vibraphone was rarely used in Ellington's recordings and is not included at all in the Sacred Concerts. For this reason, I have used artistic license informed by my years of study of Ellington's work. This adaptation focuses on the essence of the compositions as a framework for improvisation. The vibraphone/ piano/ organ/ bass/ drums instrumentation avails me the maximum format for personal interpretation and expression. My collaborators, James, Belden, and Pheeroan, bring extensive experience and great empathy to this recording. I consider the opportunity to document my personal perspective on this music to be a fulfilling blessing. The Sacred Concerts are a thematic collage of Ellington's tonal palette, invoking a celestial imagery of bold strokes and brilliant hues. We, the listeners, can auralize the visualizations of Henry O. Tanner, Horace Pippin, William H. Johnson, Aaron O. Douglas, Romare Bearden, John Biggers, and Jacob Lawrence. We can discern patches from the heroic musical extravaganzas of James Reese Europe and Will Marion Cook. We can parallel the theater productions of James P. Johnson, Eubie Blake, George Gershwin, Willie the Lion Smith, and Fats Waller. Our imagination can transport to the music tournaments where Count Basie, Fletcher Henderson, Don Redman, Jimmy Mundy, Earl Hines, Edgar Sampson, Louis Armstrong, Lionel Hampton, Benny Goodman, and Jimmy Lunceford indulged in collegial Battle Royals. We can decipher Duke's internalization of encounters with Ravel, Debussy, Stravinsky, and Mr. (T)chaikovsky by way of Billy Strayhorn. Our mind's ear can dream of Florence Mills, Mahailia Jackson, Marion Anderson, Ella, Lady Day, Na Cole, Paul Robeson, Pops, Joe Williams, and Jon Hendricks soloing with the Fisk Jubilee Singers. And we can bounce and swing with the dancers mystically inspired, ecstatic movement: fluid gestures dislocated during the African diaspora convert to the ring shout at the savoy up and down the aisles of the cathedral. Conceived, adapted, arranged and produced by Jay Hoggard Recorded March 15, 16, 17, 1999 at Knoop Recording Studios (NJ) Manfred Knoop: executive producer Alec Head: engineer James Weidman, Alec Head: associate producers All compositions by Duke Ellington published by G. Schirmer Inc. Cover photography by India Blue | ||
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