Of Stonnington Jazz‘s 40+ events, ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised’ was a standout event. I don’t know if it was the captivating image or the promised blend of soul, jazz and blues — but we knew it would be a special evening.
The performance was based on the works of Gil-Scott Heron, a U.S.-based musician, known for his political spoken-word style poetry throughout the 70s and 80s. To some, he’s also thought of as the father of hip-hop with modern day artists (Drake, for example) continuing to sample his music. On the night, we were in for a treat with several performers, punctuated with visual throwbacks to footage of Gil taking us on a journey of his best creations.
During the performance seven performers — Vince Jones, N’fa Jones, Ryan Ritchie (The Raah Project), Hue Blanes, Hailey Cramer and Walter Saluni — showcased pieces that they felt best embodied Gil. Vince Jones had met the man himself and recanted tales of his impressions and inspirations.
I didn’t know anything about Gil prior to the performance. It is amazing how his work is timeless and can be applied to today’s time just as readily as the environment from which he created it. As always, the Chapel Off Chapel production was slick and the sold out theatre had a lot of simling faces at the end.
– Rukmal
Co-founder of The Plus Ones, Rukmal lives and breathes events.
