Okay, you dance folks! I know you flocked to Lincoln Center Out of Doors last Thursday to see David Dorfman Dance--and dance those kids (and David) did; they were a tremendous force and incredibly moving in their repeat performance of 2006's underground--but you also got a hefty helping of Toshi Reagon and BIGLovely, a band most of you probably never heard of before, let alone heard. So, welcome to the rest of my world!
I've been a fan of Toshi Reagon, Toshi's mom Bernice Johnson Reagon (and her acclaimed women's acapella group, Sweet Honey in the Rock) and Judith Casselberry (formerly of Casselberry and DuPree) for many years. In fact, I recall with pleasure interviewing Toshi on WBAI, back in the day, when she was just getting notice, and I love everything about these women and their big, generous (BIGLovely) music. Their mellifluous voices and valiant, rocking rhythms got the crowd worked up, and their serious roots in social justice activism dovetailed with Dorfman's project (which is to say it resonated with underground's ultimate affirmation and images of renewal, rather than its ambivalence). All in all, it was a strong program and an unforgettable evening at Damrosch Park, and even the weather blessed it real good.
If you're craving more of Toshi's sound--or want to check it out for the first time-- you can catch the band at Highline Ballroom (431 West 16th Street, Manhattan) on Thursday, September 25. Click here for more information.
I've been a fan of Toshi Reagon, Toshi's mom Bernice Johnson Reagon (and her acclaimed women's acapella group, Sweet Honey in the Rock) and Judith Casselberry (formerly of Casselberry and DuPree) for many years. In fact, I recall with pleasure interviewing Toshi on WBAI, back in the day, when she was just getting notice, and I love everything about these women and their big, generous (BIGLovely) music. Their mellifluous voices and valiant, rocking rhythms got the crowd worked up, and their serious roots in social justice activism dovetailed with Dorfman's project (which is to say it resonated with underground's ultimate affirmation and images of renewal, rather than its ambivalence). All in all, it was a strong program and an unforgettable evening at Damrosch Park, and even the weather blessed it real good.
If you're craving more of Toshi's sound--or want to check it out for the first time-- you can catch the band at Highline Ballroom (431 West 16th Street, Manhattan) on Thursday, September 25. Click here for more information.
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