TWO WINGS: The Music of Black America in Migration
Produced by Alicia Hall Moran & Jason Moran
Photo by Dawoud Bey
About Two Wings:
The Music of Black America
in Migration
IN SPRING 2019, Jason Moran and Alicia Hall Moran presented Two Wings: The Music of Black America in Migration at Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, The Elb in Hamburg, and Symphony Center at Orchestra Hall in Chicago. ‘Two Wings’ explores the Great Migration, the passage of six million African Americans from the rural South to northern cities and beyond. Jason and Alicia draw on their own family lore and stories — both harrowing and inspired — of this historic movement with music from rhythm and blues to gospel, classical to Broadway, work songs to rock, and more. The performances featured gospel vocalist Pastor Smokie Norful, operatic tenor Lawrence Brownlee, woodwind quintet Imani Winds, jazz trio Harriet Tubman, folk singer Toshi Reagan, the Harlem Chamber Players conducted by Tania León, as well as writers Isabel Wilkerson, Professor Farah Jasmine Griffin, and Margo Jefferson along with scores of other musicians, writers, and thinkers.
VIDEO: TWO WINGS | ‘In Performance: NYC, DC, Hamburg & Chicago’
CARNEGIE HALL
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
MARCH 30, 2019
Rehearsing Two Wings for Carnegie Hall, photos (c) John Rogers. Art by Jason Moran.
Two Wings at Carnegie Hall, photos (c) Fadi Kheir. Art by Jason Moran.
Carnegie Hall
Saturday, March 30, 2019
Isaac Stern Auditorium / Ronald O. Perelman Stage
Two Wings: The Music of Black America in Migration
Jason Moran & Alicia Hall Moran, Producers
Jason Moran, Piano
Alicia Hall Moran, Mezzo-Soprano
featuring Isabel Wilkerson, Author of The Warmth of Other Suns
Lawrence Brownlee, Tenor
Pastor Smokie Norful, Piano & Vocals
Toshi Reagon, Guitar & Vocals
Rev. James A. Forbes Jr., Speaker
Hilda Harris, Speaker
with
Rebecca L. Hargrove, Soprano | Steven Herring, Baritone
Harriet Tubman: The Band
Brandon Ross, Guitar | Melvin Gibbs, Bass | JT Lewis, Drums
Imani Winds
Brandon Patrick George, Flute | Toyin Spellman-Diaz, Oboe | Mark Dover, Clarinet | Jeff Scott, French Horn | Monica Ellis, Bassoon
James Carter, Saxophone | Marcus Printup, Trumpet
Thomas Flippin, Guitar | Joseph Joubert, Piano
The Harlem Chamber Players | Tania León, Conductor
1st Violins: Ashley Horne, Concertmaster | Claire Chan | Josh Henderson | Juliette Jones | Philip Payton | Curtis Stewart | Chala Yancy
2nd Violins: Sandra Billingslea, Principal | Charlene Bishop | Frédérique Gnaman | Stephanie Matthews | José Manuel Pietri-Coimbre
Violas: Aundrey Mitchell, Principal | Tia Allen | Trevor New | Nicole Wright
Cellos: Wayne Smith, Principal | Khari Joyner | Niles Luther
Double Basses: Anthony Morris, Principal | Christopher Johnson
Carnegie Promo
Alicia Hall Moran and Jason Moran draw upon their own family lore and the historical record of the Great Migration to explore a continuum of music, shining a light on the epic event that changed the sound of America forever. Words and music come together as The New York Times best-selling author Isabel Wilkerson (The Warmth of Other Suns) joins outstanding performers for this powerful and deeply moving event.
Social Media
News
WBGO
The New Yorker
The New York Times
The New York Times
The Atlantic
Carnegie Hall site
NY1: Spectrum News
THE KENNEDY CENTER
WASHINGTON, D.C.
APRIL 14, 2019
Two Wings at The Kennedy Center, photos (c) Jati Lindsay. Art by Jason Moran.
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Sunday, April 14, 2019
Eisenhower Theater
Two Wings: The Music of Black America in Migration
JASON MORAN & ALICIA HALL MORAN, PRODUCERS
Jason Moran, Piano
Alicia Hall Moran, Mezzo-Soprano
featuring Farah Jasmine Griffin, Speaker
Lawrence Brownlee, Tenor
Kinshasha Holman Conwill, Speaker
Tarus Mateen, Bass
Pastor Smokie Norful, Vocals
with
Imani Winds
Brandon Patrick George, Flute | Toyin Spellman-Diaz, Oboe | Mark Dover, Clarinet | Jeff Scott, French Horn | Monica Ellis, Bassoon
A Quartet of Strings from the Harlem Chamber Players
Curtis Stewart, Violin | Chala Yancy, Ciolin | Tia Allen, Viola | Niles Luther, Cello
Kennedy Center Promo
Alicia Hall Moran and Jason Moran’s deeply personal new concert experience explores the Great Migration of six million African Americans from the rural South to northern cities and beyond. The duo draw upon their own family lore and the fascinating stories of how Black Americans brought the Blues to Chicago, Bebop to Kansas City, Motown to Detroit, Soul to Philadelphia, and rap and Hip Hop to NYC, and more. Featuring GRAMMY-winner Smokie Norful, GRAMMY-nominated operatic tenor Lawrence Brownlee, and more.
Social Media
NEWS
The Washington Post
DC Metro Theater Arts
JazzTimes
The Washington Informer
The Kennedy Center
ELBPHILHARMONIE
HAMBURG, GERMANY
APRIL 30, 2019
20 Uhr Elbphilharmonie Großer Staal
Internationales Musikfest Hamburg
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
Two Wings: The Music of Black America In Migration
JASON MORAN & ALICIA HALL MORAN, PRODUCERS
Jason Moran, Piano
Alicia Hall Moran, Mezzo-Soprano
with
Harriet Tubman: The Band
Brandon Ross, Guitar | Melvin Gibbs, Bass | JT Lewis, Drums
and
Imani Winds
Brandon Patrick George, Flute | Toyin Spellman-Diaz, Oboe | Mark Dover, Clarinet | Jeff Scott, French Horn | Monica Ellis, Bassoon
Elbphilharmonie Promo
Alicia Hall Moran and Jason Moran are not just a perfect partnership personally; musically speaking, they are also a dream team of modern-day black America. He achieved world fame as one of the most creative jazz pianists of his generation (and beyond). In her performances, Alicia Hall Moran draws from her training as a classical opera singer and approaches her parts with the freedom of an artist who has a mastery of a number of styles. Their latest joint project — with a distinguished line-up of Harriet Tubman and Imani Winds — recreates the Great Migration, which saw around six million African Americans move from the southern states to the north and the east of the US over the course of the twentieth century. It was a transformation that led to the development of the continent’s amazingly diverse musical identity, blending rhythm ’n’ blues, gospel, classical, soul, Broadway and jazz.
NEWS
Hamburger Abendblatt (Preview)
Hamburger Abendblatt (Review)
ORCHESTRA HALL AT
SYMPHONY CENTER
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
MAY 24, 2019
Alicia Hall Moran & Jason Moran rehearse with Kenwood Academy Band & Strings, photos (c) James Fahey. Art by Jason Moran.
Two Wings at Symphony Center Chicago, photos (c) Todd Rosenberg Photography. Art by Jason Moran.
In Chicago: Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center
Friday, May 24, 2019
Two WIngs: The Music of Black America in Migration
Jason Moran & Alicia Hall Moran, Producers
Jason Moran, Piano
Alicia Hall Moran, Mezzo-Soprano
featuring Margo Jefferson, Author
Pastor Smokie Norful, Vocals & Piano
Seth Parker Woods, Cello
Rico McFarland, Guitar
Tony Llorens, Guitar
Jason Tyson, Piano
with
Imani Winds
Allison Loggins-Hull, Flute | Toyin Spellman-Diaz, Oboe | Mark Dover, Clarinet | Jeff Scott, French Horn | Monica Ellis, Bassoon
Kenwood Academy Jazz Band
Gerald Powell, Director | Bethany Pickens, Assistant Director
Kenwood Academy String Orchestra
Ernestine Fleming-Jones, Director
First Violins: Catherine Chen | Alana Powell | Sigita Garbonkus
Second Violins: Jada Purkett | Danielle Mitchell | Robert Turner
Third Violins & Violas: Amaya Newsome | Karis Garbonkus | Cherinay Sledge
Cellos: Xavier Perry | Ezra Blake
Bass: Steven Bowman
Symphony Hall Promo
Pianist Jason Moran, a 2010 MacArthur Fellow with a command of jazz history that seems to flow from his fingertips, returns to Symphony Center for a performance of Two Wings: The Music of Black America in Migration, a Symphony Center Presents Jazz series premiere. For this ambitious project, Moran and his wife, mezzo-soprano Alicia Hall Moran, weave together a broad spectrum of musical styles to tell the story of the African-Americans who relocated from the South and how their journey shaped American culture.
Social Media
NEWS
Chicago Tribune (Review)
Hyde Park Herald
NPR All Things Considered
Chicago Tribune (Preview)
CSO Sounds & Stories
Symphony Hall Chicago
Spoleto Festival USA
Photography by Leigh Webber from the Spoleto Festival USA
Spoleto Program Booklet
CAL Performances
Two Wings:
The Music of Black America in Migration
West Coast Premiere
Thursday, February 17, 2022, 7:30pm
Zellerbach Hall
