Marvin Gaye: What’s Going On at 50 / A Concert Celebration – Christian McBride, music director - The 92nd Street Y, New York
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Marvin Gaye: What’s Going On — A 50th Anniversary Celebration

Marvin Gaye: What’s Going On at 50

A Concert Celebration – Christian McBride, music director
Christian McBride, Marcus Strickland, Christian Sands

May 21, 2021 marks 50 years since the release of one of the most iconic, enduring and resonant albums of all time – Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On. Seven-time Grammy winning bassist, artistic director, broadcaster and educator Christian McBride curates an exploration and celebration of the landmark album and groundbreaking artist.

Marvin Gaye’s 1971 masterpiece is universally regarded as one of the most influential recordings ever made, arguably the most – Rolling Stone awarded it the Number One spot on their 2020 list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. And with its themes of social justice, police brutality, environmental anxiety and a world on edge, the album, its messages and its cry for compassion are as resonant in the spring of 2021 as they were an astonishing half century ago.

Music Director of 92Y’s 50th Anniversary Celebration of What’s Going On Christian McBride launches our events with a concert streamed from our stage celebrating the musical genius of this timeless album through a soul-jazz lens. Joined by an intimate group of stellar jazz artists featuring Marcus Strickland on sax, David Gilmore on guitar, percussionist Gabo Lugo, and the top flight rhythm section of Christian Sands and Billy Kilson with McBride on bass, they reimagine What’s Going On’s most essential tracks, including the title track, “Inner City Blues,” “Mercy Mercy Me” and more. What’s Going On is an album many know intimately. Christian McBride invites you to hear its music and spirit in a whole new light.

Christian McBride, music director

Marcus Strickland, saxophone
David Gilmore, guitar
Christian Sands, piano
Christian McBride, bass
Billy Kilson, drums
Gabo Lugo, percussion

This event will be available for three days only after the streaming date.

This event is part of Marvin Gaye: What’s Going On — A 50th Anniversary Celebration

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This program is part of the Gilda and Henry Block School of Music.
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Christian McBride

Christian McBride

Christian McBride is a seven-time GRAMMY Award winning bassist, composer, and bandleader …

Christian McBride

Christian McBride

Christian McBride is a seven-time GRAMMY Award winning bassist, composer, and bandleader. McBride is the Artistic Director of the historic Newport Jazz Festival, New Jersey Performing Arts center (NJPAC) and the TD James Moody Jazz Festival, and the National Jazz Museum in Harlem. Christian is also a respected educator and advocate as the Artistic Director of Jazz House KiDS, and the Jazz Aspen Snowmass Summer Sessions. In addition to consistent touring, McBride hosts NPR’s Jazz Night in America and The Lowdown: Conversations With Christian on SiriusXM. Whether behind the bass or away from it, Christian McBride is always of the music. From jazz, to R&B, pop/rock, hip-hop/neo-soul, to classical, he is a luminary with one hand ever reaching for new heights, and the other extended in fellowship—and perhaps the hint of a challenge—inviting us to join him.

Marcus Strickland

Marcus Strickland

Born in 1979, jazz saxophonist Marcus Strickland is a charter member of the 21st century jazz vanguard …

Marcus Strickland

Marcus Strickland

Born in 1979, jazz saxophonist Marcus Strickland is a charter member of the 21st century jazz vanguard. Similar to the torrent of artists that appeared on the jazz landscape in the early ’80s to pull jazz out of the grasp of the Fusion Era, Strickland, his identical twin brother E.J. Strickland (drummer), and artists such as Jeremy Pelt and Robert Glasper breathed new life into jazz early in the new millennium. During a five-year stint with venerable drummer Roy Haynes, Strickland released two albums on the Fresh Sound New Talent label. At Last was released in 2001, followed by Brotherhood in 2003. Both albums featured precocious peers (Pelt, Glasper, bassist Brandon Owens) playing a lyrical, fiery, contemporary jazz. For the next three years, Strickland toured with artists such as Jeff “Tain” Watts and Haynes and Dave Douglass, while also holding down dates with his own band. In 2006, he independently released Twi-Life, an adventurous double-album on his own label, Strick Muzik. The album received much critical praise and proclaimed him “Best New Artist” in the JazzTimes Readers’ Poll. In 2007, the Twi-Life Group released a live album entitled Open Reel Deck on Strick Muzik. The album featured Lage Lund on guitar, Carlos Henderson on electric bass, and E.J. Strickland on drums, as well as trumpeter Keyon Harrold, the hip-hop-tinged poetry of Malachi, and one track with pianist Jon Cowherd. The album displayed the curious side of Strickland’s compositional skills through funk, hip-hop, Afro-beat, rock, ska, and jungle grooves. Strickland was voted “Rising Star, Soprano Saxophone” in Downbeat Magazine’s 2008 Critic’s Poll. He released two albums in 2009 — Of Song on the Criss Cross label and Idiosyncrasies on his label under the new name of SMK. Of Song, with brother E.J., Ben Williams, and David Bryant was a more straight-ahead set, whereas Idiosyncracies featured Strickland’s increasingly daring compositions. Throughout his career, Strickland has worked with a variety of artists, including Mos Def, Nicholas Payton, Christian McBride, and the Charles Tolliver Big Band, Tom Harrell, among others. ~ Vincent Thomas

David Gilmore

David Gilmore

David Gilmore has recorded and performed with many of today’s most influential modern artists …

David Gilmore

David Gilmore

David Gilmore has recorded and performed with many of today’s most influential modern artists. He has worked with Wayne Shorter (appearing on Mr. Shorter’s Grammy winning album, High Life (Verve)), Dave Douglas, Muhal Richard Abrams, Sam Rivers, Steve Coleman, Cassandra Wilson, Don Byron, Uri Caine, Randy Brecker, David Sanborn, Ron Blake, Carolyn Leonhart and Christian McBride, among many others. In addition to his significant presence on the national touring scene, Gilmore has also appeared on over fifty recordings, including two of his own as leader. His first CD, Ritualism (2001), received international critical praise and was nominated for the 2001 Debut CD of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association.

Billy Kilson

Billy Kilson

The Berklee educated, innovative drummer Billy Kilson may have started out playing the trumpet and trombone …

Billy Kilson

Billy Kilson

The Berklee educated, innovative drummer Billy Kilson may have started out playing the trumpet and trombone, but playing the drums was certainly his calling. While in Boston Alan Dawson became his teacher and mentor. Billy absorbed everything Alan taught.

This diversified performer has toured, received Grammy awards as well as several nominations for his work with such famed musicians as Bob James, David Sanborn, George Duke, Hank Jones, Ahmad Jamal, Dave Holland, Ron Carter, Larry Carlton, Philip Bailey, Jill Scott, Dianne Reeves, Michael Franks, John Mayer, Chris Botti and Sting.

Billy has four recordings of his own. His band projects are a summation of his collective musical experiences which illustrates his diverse background. Although he has achieved notable success as a sideman in concert and on recordings, Billy’s greatest passion is sharing his musical experiences in clinics and teaching the art of drumming globally.

Although Billy is a debut author of his new book The Solid Bead Concept, he will be forever known as a drummer of the highest caliber, known as such for his revelational improvisation, timing, and an undeniable stage presence.

Gabo Lugo

Gabo Lugo

Gabriel [Gabo] Lugo, born in Puerto Rico, received a Latin Grammy nomination at the age of 17 for production work …

Gabo Lugo

Gabo Lugo

Gabriel [Gabo] Lugo, born in Puerto Rico, received a Latin Grammy nomination at the age of 17 for production work on Tego Calderon’s “Ni Fu Ni Fa” from the reggaetón star’s album El Abayarde Contra-Ataca. While Lugo may claim that his main axe is actually the computer, those who check out his deft conga drums playing might think otherwise. His work as a percussionist includes collaborations with Jerry Barnes, Gerald Clayton, Los Pleneros De La 21 and many more.

Raised by a father who was both an architect and a ballet dancer, and a mother who was the first female sound engineer in the Island, Lugo straddled that line between performance and technology from an early age. While Gabo’s architect and dancer father might have influenced his creative approach to embracing multiple roles as a musician and producer, clearly his sound engineer mother made a strong impression on his early education, as he spent nearly everyday after school in the recording studio. Producing records, and focused on finding fresh ideas to deliver music.

Gabo is currently working on his next album set to be released on July 2021.

“... I’m just a kid who makes beats”

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