Leonard Brown is an associate professor at Northeastern University in Boston, with a joint appointment in the Music and African American Studies Department. In addition to Jazz Studies, he also teaches courses in Ethnomusicology. It could easily be argued that he breathes jazz. Approximately once a year, Brown visits his son, Omrao, owner of Bohemian Caverns, one of D.C.’s best jazz clubs. It is then that Leonard switches into his performance mode as a professional saxophonist, composer and arranger.
“I timed my visit this year to do a tribute to Dr. [Martin Luther] King,” he explained. “That weekend allows me to do a thematic approach to the music. Dr. King clearly understood how jazz has to do with the African-American quest for freedom. I teach courses that educate students on how much [jazz] has to do with human rights and freedom.”
| Onstage |
| Leonard Brown and Joyful Noise |
| Where: Bohemian Caverns, 2001 Eleventh Street NW |
| When: 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday |
| Info: $18 advance; $22 day of, 202-299-0800, bohemiancaverns.com |
He further elaborated that the gig at his son’s club Friday and Saturday nights gives him the opportunity to share his experiences as an educator and musician in ways that exemplify, not only what the civil rights leader was about, but also what still needs to be done to carry on Dr. King’s work.
To that end, Leonard will work with his group, Joyful Noise that includes D.C. players, Bob Butta at the piano, James King on bass and drummer Nasar Abadey.
“I use that [name] for my group whether I get a trio, quartet or ten or twelve pieces,” he continued. “[Joyful Noise] allows me to put together a thematic repertoire, or, like in this instance, I’ll select compositions that I think reflect some of the essence of what Dr. King was about.”
A sampling of the repertoire includes John Coltrane’s piece, “Reverend King” and Black Spirituals such as, “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” and “Steal Away to Jesus.”
“The [pieces] will be good in improvisational format,” Leonard noted. “The roots of music that we know as jazz and blues all came out of the Spiritual tradition.”
While he teased with a repertoire that also includes his own compositions dealing with the Black experience in America, he wouldn’t divulge any more information than that — except to say, “We will play music that I believe [audiences] will enjoy; and we’ll play in a way that they’ll remember it.”
