Berklee College of Music | The Sleepless Critic

REVIEW: Ben Makinen offers a fresh take on Jazz history and more in new documentary ‘Echoes of Tradition’

Posted on May 1, 2024 by The Sleepless Critic

Mary Lou Williams, featured in the National Women’s History Museum in Virginia, mentored jazz greats such as ‘Dizzy’ Gillespie and Charlie Parker. The latter two names may have become legendary, yet the former name is not quite as familiar. However, the significant impact she had on Jazz should have put her on equal footing. Among many other topics, Ben Makinen’s Echoes of Tradition offers an explanation.

Since Jazz’s roots are about breaking the rules, Ben Makinen’s latest documentary breaks tradition by highlighting exceptional and groundbreaking musicians while calling for change.

Written, directed, and produced with remarkable reflection by Ben Makinen, Echoes of Tradition is a comprehensive and absorbing jazz documentary that runs just under an hour. Click here for more information.

In Who Killed Jazz, featured at the New York City Indie Film Festival in 2022, Makinen explored the evolution of live music and the impact of today’s surging technology, the expansion of creativity and simultaneously the lack of original ideas, the use of sampled music and jazz’s vast array of music influences. Echoes of Tradition looks back at jazz’s history and fascinating roots while also highlighting some notable talents such as Dean of Jazz Arts at the Manhattan School of Music and Canadian trumpeter Ingrid Jenson, Berklee College of Music’s Brass Department Chair and Trumpeter Tanya Darby, Indian DJ Harleen “Leen Tree” Singh, and Native American trumpeter Delbert Anderson who share their outlooks on Jazz’s lack of inclusiveness as well as their love for the genre. Both documentaries place an emphasis on music as a universal language, a source of camaraderie, and one of the most powerful forms of therapy and healing. Losing sight of music’s inherent unifying power could make for a bleak future.

Echoes of Tradition is an enlightening and optimistic film which brings thought provoking insight to a number of prevalent topics. Filmed all over the world with multilayered cinematography and a blend of modern and vintage flair of city landscapes as well as historical portraits and photos, Echoes of Tradition offers wonderful behind the scenes footage, insight from distinctive jazz musicians, some memorable jam sessions and much more. Among some of the notable performances include Delbert Anderson’s Heart Passage, a gorgeous acapella rendition of an Indian hymn sung by Harleen ‘Leen Tree’ Singh, and Julia Keefe’s lively rendition of You’d Be So Nice to Come To.

Ingrid Jansen and Julia Keefe are among the many musicians taking the stage at the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival live and in person on May 10 and 11 at the Kennedy Center in New York City. Click here for more information and tickets.

REVIEW: Season 5 of WGBH’s ‘Sing That Thing!’ still packs a vocal punch

Posted on April 12, 2019 by The Sleepless Critic

Maybe there was a moment watching American Idol or The Voice where that person auditioning is a friend, acquaintance, or just familiar somehow. Perhaps it’s a moment of six degrees of separation where suddenly Kelly Clarkson, Lionel Richie, or Katy Perry are not so out of reach now that the person you know knows them.

Now imagine how much likelier that might happen watching WGBH’s popular local singing competition, Sing that Thing! kicking off its fifth season on Friday, April 12 on WGBH 2. Composed of eighteen dynamic choral ensembles over this season from Boston and beyond, each group competes by creating a unique vocal performance within variety of music genres as coaches decide who will make it to the next round and give feedback on their performances. Click here for further details.

Divided into three categories consisting of adult, high school, and college, the coaches measure on factors such as visual performance, musicality, intonation, and projection during the course of eight episodes. Expect less of the Hollywood glitz and glamour and much more insight into what it truly takes to deliver a thrilling performance.

Sing that Thing’s Season five coaches include Anthony Trecek-King, President and Artistic Director of the Boston Children’s Chorus, Jared Bowen, Executive Arts Editor at WGBH and host of Open Studio, and Annette Phillip, vocalist and creative director of Women of the World and Assistant Professor at Berklee College of Music.

From L to R: Coaches Anthony Trecek-King, Annette Phillip, and Jared Bowen Photo credit to Meredith Nierman/WGBH

Sing that Thing’s season five premiere returns to its roots in a way by showcasing a couple of talented groups from its first season. Season one returning champs Boston Arts Academy Spirituals competes with The Zumbyes from Amherst College also featured on the first season. Univoz Vocal Ensemble also joins the competition, making their debut on the show with original compositions. Sing that Thing! offers a peek into how these ensembles prepare to perform and get ready for their sheer energy! Whether singing a tender ballad or a resounding hymn, these sophisticated and lively ensembles are the real deal.

Click here for more on Sing that Thing’s new season starting on Friday, April 12 at 8 pm on WGBH 2. This program can also be seen on WGBX 44, WGBY, New Hampshire PBS, Vermont PBS, Maine Public, and CPTV – Connecticut Public Television. Apply to be a part of Sing that Thing’s sixth season here and catch up on previous episodes here. Find out more about Sing that Thing! on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using #singthatthing.