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Filmed in May 2019 during bassist and composer Marcus Shelby’s 2018-2019 Season week as Resident Artistic Director, this exceptional performance features author, activist, and educator Angela Davis in a program of music and spoken word dedicated to her 1999 book Blues Legacies and Black Feminism, celebrating the legacies of blues and jazz legends “Ma” Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Billie Holiday.

An all-star quartet including saxophonist Tia Fuller, pianist Tammy Hall, and drummer Terri-Lyne Carrington joined Shelby and Davis for this once-in-a-lifetime event. along with guest vocalists Kim Nalley, Paula West, and Tiffany Austin and visuals by artist Andi Wong.

Personnel:
Marcus Shelby: bass
Tia Fuller: alto saxophone
Tammy L. Hall: piano
Terri Lyne Carrington: drums
Kim Nalley: vocals
Paula West: vocals
Tiffany Austin: vocals

Special Guest:
Angela Davis: narration

Setlist:
“Me and My Gin” by Harry Burke
“Need a Little Sugar in My Bowl” by Clarence Williams
“Supper Time” by Irving Berlin
“Gimme a Pigfoot and a Bottle of Beer” by Wesley Wilson
“My Man” by Maurice Yvain
“Strange Fruit” by Abel Meeropol

ABOUT MARCUS SHELBY

“Marcus Shelby illuminates history through jazz” — San Francisco Chronicle

Bassist, composer, arranger, educator and bandleader Marcus Shelby is a figure synonymous with Bay Area jazz and the spirit of collaboration. A recipient of the Charles Mingus Scholarship, Shelby attended Cal Arts and studied with Charlie Haden and James Newton while working simultaneously with the all-star jazz ensemble Black/Note, who were mentored by legendary drummer Billy Higgins at his Los Angeles venue The World Stage, releasing a series of highly regarded albums in the 1990s.
Since moving to the Bay Area, he has led an acclaimed jazz orchestra and numerous small groups, with large-scale commissions focused on the history, present, and future of the African American experience. In addition to his work with SFJAZZ, Shelby is currently the Artistic Director of the Healdsburg Jazz Festival.