West Stockbridge — The Foundry presents a two-part show on Saturday, May 13, consisting of a tribute to pioneering African-American blues singer and “Mother of the Blues” Ma Rainey and an acoustic blues set with guitarist Charlie Apicella, vocalist Madame Pat Tandy, and bassist Avery Sharpe. The entire presentation draws from Mr. Apicella’s curriculum for “The Blues and Beyond” a 12-part, cross-cultural, remote and in-person course that teaches history through the lens of music.
Most jazz guitarists’ idols are other jazz guitarists. But that is not the case with Charlie Apicella. Although he’s a bona fide jazz master (e.g., like this), his idol growing up was the King of the Blues, B.B. King. Blues is at the heart of Charlie’s musical universe—as a player and to an even greater extent as an educator. Apicella is Director of Music Curriculum for The Blues and Beyond and has published two masterclass lessons (serious stuff) for DownBeat magazine.
Voted onto the 84th and 86th DownBeat Readers Poll for Guitar, Apicella has performed concerts and recorded with jazz legends Dave Holland, Sonny Fortune, John Blake Jr., and Avery Sharpe, as well as contemporary masters Joe Magnarelli, Vic Juris, Dave Stryker, Don Braden, and Jon Herington of Steely Dan.
Like many blues and soul singers, Madame Pat Tandy got her first singing lessons at church. Later, she studied jazz with Professor Aaron Bell, a former bassist with Duke Ellington, and has been singing professionally since the 1970s—starting with an R&B group and off-Broadway musicals such as “Good Time Blues” and “Billie.” Her CD releases include “Our Day Will Come,” “Good Time Blues,” “All We Want To Do Is Swing,” and “Madame Pat Tandy Remembers Irene Reid.”
Avery Sharpe is a jazz bassist, composer, and educator. Born on August 23, 1954 in Valdosta, Ga., Sharpe began playing the bass in high school and later studied at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. He has collaborated with such notable jazz artists as McCoy Tyner, Art Blakey, Archie Shepp, and Pharoah Sanders. In addition to his work as a live performer, Sharpe has released several albums as bandleader and composer, blending jazz with elements of gospel, blues, and world music. Here he is, talking about a project related to Ma Rainey.
When blues music emerged in America during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, African Americans were excluded from many mainstream media and educational institutions. And as they had few opportunities to document their experiences and express their perspectives, the blues became one of the best outlets Black people had to chronicle their own history.
“The Blues and Beyond” tells the story of African Americans from slavery to the present day through music, narration, video and still images. It’s about giving students, Apicella says, “a new appreciation of how far we’ve come as a country and how far we still have to go.” So, as the American far right continues its campaign to erase all details of American history that make white people uncomfortable, it’s incredibly heartening to see people like Charlie Apicella standing in the gap and teaching American history through the plain-spoken lens of American music.
Hear Charlie Apicella’s “Blues Alive” featuring Madame Pat Tandy and Avery Sharpe at the Foundry, 2 Harris Street, West Stockbridge, on Saturday, May 13. Seating/bar: 7:00 p.m., show: 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available here.
