Just in time for Mother's Day,the concert "Geri Allen and Friends Celebrate the Great Jazz Women of Apollo" will celebrate some of the more legendary female singers who crossed the Apollo stage.
Some of the great female singers to be celebrated include Nina Simone, Betty Carter Nancy Wilson, Mary Lou Williams, Dinah Washington, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughn and more.
The show is directed by actress-director-filmmaker S. Epatha Merkerson (of Law and Order fame) and a historical narrative would be told by acclaimed author Farah Jasmine Griffin.
Along with Geri's Timeline Quartet, you can also expect to see performers such as sax player Tia Fuller, vocalists Lizz Wright and Dianne Reeves and drummer Terri Lyne Carrington.
Tap dancers Maurice Chestnut and Alexandra Bradley will also be present, along with comedian Karen Malina White.
In a recent interview about the upcoming show, Geri said that she was "humbled to share the stage with the other artists on the program. "I feel very privileged to be collaborating with S. Epatha Merkerson, and Farah Jasmin Griffin, both brilliant trailblazer's in their respective fields," reflects Allen.
"Laura Greer at the Apollo has given us a wonderful opportunity to pay tribute to the beloved Grand Dames of the Iconic Apollo Theatre, while acknowledging the significant contributions being made by our present day great jazz women. These women are authentically connected to this time-honored legacy, and it is so very gratifying to join them on stage in celebration and song."
Showtime for this concert will be at 3pm and later at 8pm.
Saturday's concert isn't the only event that Geri is announcing; she is also working on her album to be titled "Grand River Crossings: Motown and Motor City Inspirations." The CD is carded for a September 10 release and from reports it will be a full solo piano album.
As the CD name implies, one can expect to hear the Motown/ Detroit sound which, as a Detroit native, Geri seems to feel a deep personal connection to.
More information to come on this; in the meantime, see you at the Apollo this Saturday.
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