The Jeanne Lee Project

‘We got a woman among us who isn’t afraid of the sound of her own voice…’ Ntozake Shang

An evening celebrating the art and music of the great African-American vocalist, sound poet, composer and educator Jeanne Lee (1939–2000). The programme consists of new arrangements and interpretations of songs, compositions and performances drawn from Lee’s 40 year career.

Jason Yarde | sax(s), pedals, M.D.
Elaine Mitchener | voice, concept
Mark Sanders | drums/perc
Neil Charles | bass
Anton Lukoszevieze | cello
Alexander Hawkins | piano

Elaine Mitchener presents an evening celebrating the art and music of the great African-American vocalist, sound poet, composer and educator Jeanne Lee.

Like her contemporary Nina Simone, Lee possessed, in the words of US scholar Daphne A Brooks, “the ability to mix and match musical forms as a way to break free of the racial and gender circumscriptions placed upon her in popular music culture”. 

To explore Lee’s radical legacy, Elaine has brought together a number of leading UK musicians from the worlds of contemporary jazz and new music: saxophonist Jason Yarde; cellist and leader of Apartment House Anton Lukoszevieze; pianist Alexander Hawkins; drummer Mark Sanders; and bassist Neil Charles. Under Mitchener’s direction, the group perform works which reveal the full range of Lee’s art in a programme that will include avant grade sound poetry, experimental interpretations of jazz standards, and Fluxus-inspired performance.

Jeanne Lee (1939–2000) was an African-American vocalist, poet, composer, improvisor, activist and educator who worked extensively in both the US and Europe. Throughout a four decade career she collaborated with numerous leading composers and performers including Gunter Hampel, Ran Blake, Carla Bley, Anthony Braxton, Marion Brown, Archie Shepp, Mal Waldron, John Cage, Pauline Oliveros, Jackson MacLow and many others.

Photo credit:
Enrico Romero

Repertoire

“Angel Chile” (1974)
“Blasé” (1969)
“Cornbread Picnic” (1979)
“Ghosts And Spirits” (mid-1970s)
“In These Last Days” (1979)
“Jamaica” (1974)
“Mingus Meditations” (1992)
“Misterioso” (1966/7)
“The Capacity Of This Room” (1968)
“The Seagulls Of Kristiansand” (1997)
“The text on the opposite page may be used in any way as a score
for solo or group readings, musical or dramatic performances,
looking, smelling, anything else &/or nothing at all” (1966)
“We Move” (1969)

“Angel Chile” and “Cornbread Picnic” arranged by Elaine Mitchener; “Blasé” and “The text on the opposite page…” arranged by Anton Lukoszevieze; “Ghosts And Spirits”, “Jamaica” and “The Capacity Of This Room” arranged by Jason Yarde; “In These Last Days” arranged by Mark Sanders; “Mingus Meditations” arranged by Neil Charles; “Misterioso” and “We Move” arranged by Alexander Hawkins; “The Seagulls Of Kristiansand” arranged by Mal Waldron.

Notes

• “Angel Chile” and “Jamaica” appeared on Jeanne Lee’s 1974 album Conspiracy.
• “Blasé” appeared as the title track of Archie Shepp’s 1969 BYG Actuel album.
• “Cornbread Picnic” and “In These Last Days” were recorded by the trio of Lee, Andrew Cyrille and Jimmy Lyons and appeared on the 1979 album Nuba.
• “Ghosts And Spirits” was recorded by the trio of Lee, Sheila Jordan and Bob Moses circa mid-1970s and issued on the 2015 album Vintage Visionary Vignettes.
• “Mingus Meditations” was recorded by the duo of Lee and Dave Holland and appeared on Lee’s 1992 album Natural Affinities.
• “Misterioso” was recorded by the duo of Lee and Ran Blake circa 1966/7 and issued on the 2018 album The Newest Sound You Never Heard.
• “The Capacity Of This Room” appeared on the 1969 album Gunter Hampel Group + Jeanne Lee.
• “The Seagulls Of Kristiansand” was recorded by the duo of Lee and Mal Waldron and issued on the 1997 album Travellin’ In Soul-Time.
• “The text on the opposite page may be used in any way as a score
for solo or group readings, musical or dramatic performances,
looking, smelling, anything else &/or nothing at all” was performed by Lee and Jackson MacLow at New York Town Hall, September 1966 and issued on the 2018 MacLow anthology Poetry & Music.
• “We Move” appeared on Gunter Hampel’s 1969 album The 8th Of July 1969.


Reviews and interviews

“Mitchener also makes a virtue of this ‘out of many threads one fabric’ aesthetic but, crucially, she brings her own character and idiosyncrasies to bear on Lee’s repertoire.” Jazzwise Magazine

“Elaine Mitchener is a singer who defies all categories — and that’s the way she likes it, she tells Chris Searle” Morning Star


Photo credit:
Dawid Laskowski