(Press Release)
A tribute to the 50th anniversary of Dr Martin Luther Kings’ historic ‘I Have A Dream’ speech will be performed by top
UK
It is a prequel to his original suite ‘Let Freedom Ring’
which was nominated for a MOBO award for Best Jazz Act in 2004, the BBC Jazz
Awards for Best New Work and Best Album, and the Parliamentary Jazz Award for
Best Album 2004, sealing his position as one of the top saxophonists in Europe.
‘Let Freedom Ring’, which was commissioned for the
Cheltenham Jazz Festival, combined contemporary jazz with rousing gospel, blues
and Afro-Cuban music, the poetry of Ben Okri, and featured an explosive
international line-up including Omar Puente, Abram Wilson and Gary Crosby.
Baptiste said: “As an artist and composer, I am humbly
honoured to see that Let Freedom Ring! has endured, and I'm of course
delighted to have an opportunity to reprise this work.
“When I created the original commission I
focused Let Freedom Ring! around the most memorable, second half of
Dr King's speech
“With the help of my wonderful 14-piece band, poetry, and
soulful voices of community choirs, I aim to shine a light on the first half of
the speech where Dr King sets the scene for the second part speaking of
the evil of slavery, The Emancipation Proclamation, the importance of peaceful
and dignified protest and, ultimately, his vision for the future.”
Baptiste has won a raft of other prizes. In 1999 he won
the MOBO award for Best Jazz Act and his debut album 'Be Where You Are', won
the Mercury Music Prize for Album of the Year. He also won the British Jazz
Award for Rising Star 2000 and his second album, 'Alternating Currents',
received great critical acclaim.
Denys Baptiste's Now Is The Time...Let Freedom Ring! comes to Sage Gateshead on October 5,
2013. Tickets are £16.50 (concessions available) and can be booked either by
calling 0191 443 4661, online at www.sagegateshead.com
or in person from Sage Gateshead’s Ticket Office.
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