After last semester’s exceptional Neo-Soul Ensemble performance in the BPC with Bilal, this time we welcome much-anticipated guest, Lalah Hathaway, to Berklee.
Lalah Hathaway is one of the biggest stars of the R&B/soul world today. The daughter of soul legend Donny Hathaway, Lalah channels his spirit of voice and song into her own memorable style as her career makes its way through its second decade. Lalah is a graduate of Berklee College of Music, and was a student of Maggie Scott, who was honored with a tribute concert last semester.
Dr. William Banfield, the chair of Berklee’s Africana Studies Program, opened the night by greeting the eager audience and introducing the Neo-Soul Ensemble. Darla Hanley then stepped on stage for Lalah’s introduction: “Her name, legendary. Her music, timeless.” When Lalah stepped on stage, the crowd screamed in applause. She thanked Berklee, Dr. Banfield, and the students in attendance as the members of the Neo-Soul Ensemble filed on to the stage.
Concert Program
The first song, “Bad By Myself,” featured one of the groups lead vocalists, Jaime Woods. Showing a mastery of her instrument, she seemed to float through the song. After Jaime was her brother, Daniel Woods, followed by Chauncey Matthews; and William Gittens who sang a wonderful rendition of Donny Hathaway’s “Someday We’ll All Be Free.”
The second half of the concert was Lalah’s time to shine, and shine she did. Looking as comfortable as someone could be on stage, she had a way of bringing the most quiet moments into bursts of applause and cheers at the sound of her precise yet beautiful runs. In a rare moment, Lalah stepped behind the piano and played a song about a lost love, titled “Boston.” Afterwards, returning to the front of the stage, she jokingly said, “Y’all don’t know how much it took to do that!”
The show ended with an innocent song called “Dreamland,” about a young child going through a day of school. The piece consisted of guitar, piano, and a string section as the focal instruments. Just as the house lights came on and the show seemed over, Lalah came right back out with the grooving encore, “Love’s Holiday,” bringing the audience right out of their seats to dance!
After the show, I caught up with Jaime Woods and asked her about the experience working with Lalah Hathaway. “Lalah was an incredible artist to work with. We learned so much from how to access freedom and control in music, how to communicate with the band, and work with sound people. Lalah made the experience so amazing.”
Overall, an amazing show. A bit short for my taste; I could have sat there all night! Lalah and all of the other performers were at their best, making the night a memorable one for all.
Loading ...
Comments