(Regarding "WIDE AS HEAVEN: A Century of Song by Black American Composers")
Before we discuss your recording A Century of African American Song, I would like to explore your background. I have encountered artists with a wide range of repertoire before, but I must say I don’t think I have experienced a vocalist with as wide a range as you. Your biography states that your repertoire spans from J. S. Bach to bebop, Ferruccio Busoni to Burleigh, and Alban Berg to Leonard Bernstein. Judging from the range of styles on the CD, my impression is that you are comfortable in all of those areas. Talk a bit, if you would, about how you approached your career and in particular your ability to be comfortable in such a range of musical idioms.
I have been fortunate enough to have been influenced by many great artists. All of them encouraged me to immerse myself in good music, and never to discriminate based on genre or style. Good music is more than a feeling; it is a point of view. It is our job as artists to explore and present different points of view in service of the beautiful. That’s the highbrow answer. In truth, necessity breeds invention and a man’s got to eat. I wasn’t ashamed to sing Don Giovanni one night, Joe’s Pub the next, and then put both side by side on my résumé. Besides, you do what you love. Why shouldn’t I sing the Chansons Madécasses and The Cradle Will Rock? I love them both, and why be limited? When I came up as a Black, American, male-identifying singer, the expectations were both high and low. Because you were Black the powers that be didn’t expect much of you until they expected everything from you. You needed to be nimble to be a part of the game. I happen to love all kinds of music, so I looked at having a diverse portfolio as a positive thing. I never wanted to be placed in a box or limit my own experiences. I have always been able to work in my field and, except for a few missteps, have been pleased to do so whether it be as a soloist, teacher, or chorus leader.
Your bio indicates such a wide range of skills and activities that it makes me feel exhausted! Your skills include not only performing and teaching, but graphic design, composition, and creative writing, and cartooning. How do you balance all of these things?
I wish I could! The singing and teaching come first, the other gifts I pull out when needed or I use them as party tricks. They do come in handy when trying to put on a show, however. Graphic designers are expensive!
Your CD includes a very wide range of repertoire, from spirituals and arrangements of spirituals to blues and art songs. I find a natural flow to the whole program. How did you research that material, and how did you decide what to include and in what order to structure the program?
I have been singing some of these songs or songs like them since I was old enough to sing. This album is really the culmination of my many years of work within the field. The struggle to be heard, the joy of finally being heard—this album celebrates it all. It celebrates me and those like me. We are a wondrous people.
Choosing which songs to include was a little more difficult. I wanted the scope to be broad and inclusive so as to be sure to highlight certain composers and the many different styles of music that represent Black America. In particular, it was necessary to represent the men and women of the Harlem Renaissance. I wanted a spiritual to ground the project historically in the Black experience. I chose Roland Hayes because he arranged so many spirituals and folk songs. I had one of my favorite pieces of his, “O Le’ Me Shine,” transcribed from his recordings much in the same way that spirituals were passed down through listening to the oral traditions. I knew I wanted to include Howard Swanson because so few people know of his incredible works, and Robert Owens because of his prolific catalog. The rest is gravy … good gravy!
As far as the order, I did want a slight historical chronology to give the sweep of a retrospective and the scope of the project, but I also programmed it to tell a story. The themes of heaven and hope come back in the music a great deal. We start with the song Elysium (like Heaven) and end with To the White Fiends, a call to go forth into the world with strength, pride, and hope.
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