Revisiting The Colored Waiting Room at the Blue Note

If you missed the debut of Dr. Guy’s Colored Waiting Room at the legendary Blue Note you truly missed a special evening. Thankfully, Matthew Morrison – a member of the extended Musiqology family – recaps the magic from that night in his description of the vibe Dr. Guy’s Musiqology created and everyone in attendance enjoyed.

As a special note, we’d like to offer Matthew double congratulations on his 2014 graduation with a Ph.D. in Musicology from Columbia University and on his appointment to the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at New York University!

Special Note: All photos credited to Brandi Pettijohn www.brandipettijohn.com

~Fredara M. Hadley, Ph.D., Musiqology, Managing Editor

If you happen to know me (unlikely, I know), you might say that my musical opinion on Dr. Guthrie Ramsey’s late night set at The Blue Note Jazz Club is “colored.” Colored by the fact that Guy Ramsey—pianist and bandleader—is one of my musicological (or MusiQological) mentors. You might even say that it is colored by my “connection” to the show’s featured soloists: Imani Uzuri (vocalist, composer, cultural worker, and my North Carolina sister/collaborator), Bridget Ramsey (vocalist, Guy’s daughter, and my Spelman Sister), and Kevin Mambo (musician, actor, and, um…Fela! Hello somebody!?).

Despite my conspicuously colored leanings, my “critical” eye witnessed Ramsey and his in-the-pocket band of musicians and guest soloists effortlessly transport the audience from The Blue Note into “The Colored Waiting Room.” The sounds of jazz, gospel, funk, opera, and Tin Pan Alley were cleverly weaved, mashed-up, and arranged by Ramsey and band throughout the show—but the energy of this native Chicagoans “blues” aesthetic is what shaped these styles into the set’s dynamic soundscape. The second that Ramsey touched the keys with the finesse and effervescence of a piano “Professor” (what an ill ragtime pianist such as Scott Joplin would have been called back in the day), the audience’s call/response interjections alerted me that we had indeed found ourselves in  “The Colored Waiting Room” of The Blue Note Jazz Club. How apropos.

As a bandleader, Guy Ramsey did more than just direct the band. He created an interactive space of collaboration that allowed each powerhouse musician’s voice—sax, electric guitar, bass, trap set, and piano—to be a distinct presence within its collective sound. To me, this is one of the essences of “Jazz” performance.  In the opening of the show, the band members’ featured solos were interjected between the group’s collective improvisations, driving this funky, ecstatic, and eclectic performance into a frenzy of euphonic sounds. We might have still been in “The Colored Waiting Room,” but we also found ourselves in the juke joint and church house – betwixt that sacred/secular space in which many African-American musics live.

Ramsey continued to lead the band and guests through a set that displayed both his technical mastery of various genres and his soul-ful (aka full of soul) prowess as a pianist. Ramsey’s skillful and often riveting arrangements, interspersed with his own original works from his most recent album, “The Colored Waiting Room,” and his first album, “Dr. Guy’s MusiQology: Why the Q?,” held together the dynamic and eclectic nature of the show. From the sweet, angelic tones that Bridget Ramsey floated on top of throughout the set, to Mambo’s ridiculously virtuosic and horn-like vocal dexterity, to Uzuri’s ability to vocally transport the audience to a state of ecstatic bliss, we were captivated from beginning to end. But what really made this late night set magical to me was the way in which Ramsey masterfully engaged and encouraged the special qualities of his dynamic musicians—and these guys were clearly some of the best in the business. As a sensitive, commanding, and democratic bandleader, Ramsey encouraged each musician to (individually and virtuosically) perform a sincere commitment to the power of the group’s collective sound. In “The Colored Waiting Room” of The Blue Note, Ramsey and musicians showed us that when we take the chance to be bold and free, we might still find ways to express our individuality in ways that move, groove, and connect our bodies and souls in solidarity.

– Matthew D. Morrison