Greetings Everyone:

I am pleased to announce on Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 8:00P.M. at the Berklee Performance Center, a cast of incredible young artists will perform in a concert celebrating the life, patriotism and impact Lena Horne has made on American culture. PLEASE NOTE THAT MONDAY IS A HOLIDAY AND TUESDAY WILL BE A MONDAY SCHEDULE AT BERKLEE.

The first part of the concert will connect our students to the direct impact Lena Horne has had on the careers of Beyonce, Whitney Houston, Gladys Knight, Dionne Warwick, Patti Labelle, Diana Ross and Aretha Franklin. By most accounts these women represent the legacy of contemporary music in America. We have chosen this approach to challenge the categories that always limit our great iconic figures. Lena Horne was a singer who performed in many different venues. To see her as strictly a Jazz or Cabaret singer would do a disservice to her overall importance and significance to Americana.

The second half of the concert will feature the incomparable Grammy nominated Jo Thompson. Ms. Thompson is 82 and has toured with the likes of Count Basie and Lionel Hampton to name a few. Her current tour honors the late Lena Horne. A contemporary and friend of Ms. Horne, her latest CD and her current show is entitled show "Thank you Lena". She will present that show to the Berklee community. http://fwd4.me/vED

Ten Berklee female students will honor Lena Horne by paying homage to those women who were Lena's contemporaries and those female singers who came after her. Our cast consist of Germaine Wilson, from Trinidad, Karen Taylor, Tamara Rodriguez Mexico, Tara Tennant, Nina Kenny, Katrina Bello,Taylor Washington, Sabrina Seidman, and Ai from Japan . The musical director is the very talented songwriter, composer and pianist Calvin E. Brown. He has assembled a multiracial musical ensemble to accompany these talented women. Frank Flucker will be the drummer, Alexander Toth from Canada the bassist, Theron Leonard the Saxophonist, Elad Cohen from Isreal the Trombonist, Shh-Chieh Hsu from Korea the guitarist, will play guitar and faculty member Alonzo Harris will play second keyboards.

The day of the concert we will also have a luncheon symposium with Ms. Jo Thompson, our own Professor Andy McGhee and Professor Phil Wilson talking about the bridge that Black and White performers built before it was legal for Black and White people to interact, stay in the same hotels, or even perform on the same stage.

Please do what you can to pass the word on this important day at Berklee.

Any further questions, please feel free to contact me at saveourselves@aol.com

Sincerely yours,

Lawrence "larry" Watson
Professor, Ensemble and Voice
Performance Division
Berklee College of Music

This event is being sponsored by the Berklee Performance Division / Ensemble Department with co sponsorship from the Liberal Arts Department, Office of Diversity, Rob Rose and the office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Lawrence Watson SaveOurSelves Productions and Consulting www.lawrencewatson.com saveourselves@aol.com 617-825-9600