Fresh Fruit Festival: A Night to Celebrate Tribute to LGBT Jazz Greats

Show Description

The Fresh Fruit Festival is an inclusive, multidiscipline International Festival of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Cultural & Arts Festival held now in its seventh year. Fresh Fruit Festival, under the direction of artistic director Carol Polcovar, celebrates the LGBT’s community’s continuing and diverse contributions to American and world culture. Fresh Fruit’s mission is to share the LGBT community’s unique perspective, creativity and diversity and to build links between the LGBT, local, national and international artistic communities as well as to the general public. For more information, visit www.freshfruitfestival.com.

Rome Neal's
ALL OUT JAZZ
A Dedication To LGBT Jazz Greats and performed by LGBT jazz artists
Curated by Rome Neal

The world of jazz has been home to many LGBT artists….most of them closeted . Famed jazz singer, Rome Neal, the producer of Banana Puddin’ Jazz at the Nuyorican Poet’s Café has selected the newest and brightest  Out-Jazz performers to create a night of memorable music and pay tribute to the greats who preceded them. The evening features Ana Iza Otis, Dan Willis, Lorenzo Murphy, Lara Elizabeth Miller, Barry Levitt, William J. Vila, Nhojj, John De Marco,  India, Mara Rosenbloom (pianist), Mary Rodriguez  (drummer).       

New Jersey native Ana Otis, the daughter of legendary songwriter and producer, Clyde Otis and former top model and recording artist Lulu Guerrero, is  a  talented singer/songwriter in her own right. Beginning a professional singing career at the age of seven, Ana joined the original vocal cast of Sesame Street and has recorded over 70 jingles, as well as animated television specials including Frosty’s Winter Wonderland. She has performed as a solo artist in the United States and abroad  opening for the late Dizzy Gillespie.  Ana’s  song “If You Wanna Sing Me (I’ll Be A Song)” was recorded by Jazz legend Nancy Wilson.  She has been featured in in Venus, Black Elegance and Billboard Magazines.

Dan Willis, from Detroit, MI, is an up and coming pop/jazz vocalist known for his “elegantly swinging” style. . Since moving to New York in 2000 Dan has performed at the Lenox Lounge, Kavehaz, St. Nick’s Pub, , Don’t Tell Mama, SoundFactory, Banana Puddin’ Jazz at the Nuyorican Café,  and others.  In 2000 he appeared in a leading role in the Off-Broadway play Black Men’s Bluez which examined the lives and loves of four gay men of color in New York City.

This is Act Two for John De Marco, a 2007 BEST MALE JAZZ SINGER MAC AWARD AND 2008 BEST JAZZ CD MAC AWARD winner.  After working in the 1960s everywhere from intimate New York nightclubs to the Folies Bergère in Paris, he took a long intermission. His new album shows him to be not just a guy producing a pretty sound. There is thoughtfulness that comes through in his phrasing and a mature comfort level with emotion.
 Lorenzo Murphy  developed his vocal skills  in churches and  talent shows.  He also performed with  the Daryle Coley's group, "Voices of Integrety ".  

Lara Elizabeth Miller has been singing for the past fifteen years in jazz, blues, rock, classical and gospel. Currently, you can see her around town with Lavender Light, the black and people of all colors lesbian and gay gospel choir. Jazz has always played an important role in her life and she is honored to remember LGBT greats that contributed to the tradition.


WILLIAM J. VILA, a born and bred Nuyorican (that’s, New York-born, Puerto Rican), started developing his chops at his birth church in Spanish Harlem (the building -- turning out to be -- the former home of the Park Place, a Latin dance venue back in the 40's), which included learning by ear (and in all 12 keys) about 100 different praise choruses or "coritos" and then playing said "coritos" on the piano, sometimes without the benefit of introducing the music before the congregation would start singing.  At the High School of Music and Art he was introduced by Mr. Justin DiCioccio to the language of jazz in its various forms and nuances and has been hooked ever since.  His love of the genre started showing up in his piano playing, utilizing voicing not generally used in church music and catching hell for it, too.  

Wisconsin born composer, pianist, and arranger, Mara Rosenbloom grew up with an inherent sense of songwriting and desire to improvise. Her works for large ensemble have been premiered at the Blue Note Jazz Club New York, and she has arranged for and performed with Internationally acclaimed Afro-Peruvian singer Eva Ayllon. Recently, Mara released her debut album as a leader School of Fish.

Nhojj is an out neo-soul singer and instrumentalist, his music has earned him the #1 position on the Neo-Soul, Fusion, Nu-Jazz, Healing, Easy Listening, and Gospel Myspace Indie NY Charts for a total of 31 weeks, and a mention at the 13th and 14th Annual Billboard Songwriting Competition.  


Mary E. Rodríguez - Drums
For the past 25 years, Mary has worked extensively for musical theatre productions touring nationally and internationally.   Mary has worked on the NYC and New Orleans cabaret circuit with Karen Mason, Richard Skipper, The Uptown Express, James Beaman, Tommy Femia, and others.  Mary made her Carnegie Hall debut in December 2000 playing for the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus, and her Lincoln Center debut this past March with composer Bobby Cronin.   She has played annually for The Arts Project Cherry Grove on Fire Island and for the past 7 years.

India M.
Is a singer-songwriter, who began her career at fourteen, singing with a band.Two year’s later she was invited to open for BT Express at Virginia Beach. She has worked with several singers including Janet Sol and sang back-up on the Naked Cowboy album. India has toured the US and has appeared in many New York venues and was featured at Brooklyn Pride. She is currently working on her album From the Soul  featuring her songs. It will be released in 2010.

As a Jazz producer Rome Neal has six years under his belt creating the now famous Banana Puddin’ Jazz series at the Nuyorican poets Cafe.  Also producing three plays about jazz musicians such as “Don’t Explain about Lee Morgan and Monk about Thelonious Monk, as well as the play Primitive World an anti-nuclear jazz musical by Amiri Baraka, music by  David Murray.  He has produced the Fresh Fruit Festival’s  Jazz component for three years and is the recipient of the Festival’s  2008 Spirit Award.   

Tara Thierry  raised in New Orleans and seasoned in Los Angeles and New York City, eclectic performer, musician, and poet Tara Thierry embodies authenticity and community, while simultaneously engaging in deep exploration into worlds unknown.

RECENT ACTING EXPERIENCE
Voice acting in independent film Adventures of Little Herbert in Mushroom Land
Reading for Talk Books for the Blind (Jewish Braille Institute)
Vocalist for Tara Thierry and Cry of Heart music and poetry project

MUSICAL PERFORMING EXPERIENCE
As composer and poet for the emerging Tara Thierry and Cry of Heart music and poetry project, Tara has performed before discerning and appreciative audiences in various venues including coffeehouses, cafes, the Schomburg and Wow Cafe Theater.  Her voice has been described as “like chocolate” and her music “like water.”  She is currently completing the CD and developing visual and performance art collaborations.

As an upright and electric bassist, Tara has worked with a variety and diverse range of talented artists such as Tamar-Kali, Akim Funk Buddha, Abdoulauye al Hassan, Kali Fasteau, KJ Dennhert, and was house bassist for Africa Night at St. Nick's Pub for 3 years. An amazing writer and composer, Tara Thierry's music can be heard in independent films like The Second Room, documentary Recycled Christmas Tree, and the soon-to-be-released Shaman’s Room. She has also provided sound clips for the Does HIV Look Like Me ad campaign. Tara was part of the cast of "Same Train," a musical theatrical production written by Audelco Award-winner Levy Lee Simon; and bassist for the Black Rock Coalition Tribute to Nina Simone performing in Paris, France and New York City.

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