Lafayette Gilchrist and the New Volcanoes Featuring Rapper Eze Jackson Light Up Baltimore at Beth Am Synagogue
[Photo: Left to Right: Lafayette Gilchrist (piano); Brandon Woody (Trumpet): Leo Maxey (trumpet): Christian Hizon (trombone); Gregory Thompkins (tenor sax); Shaquim Muldrow (tenor sax).]
On Sunday, May 18, as part of its year-long 50th Anniversary celebration, Reservoir Hill’s Beth Am Synagogue gifted Baltimore City with a blazing concert by Lafayette Gilchrist and the New Volcanoes, along with guest Eze Jackson, a rapper, journalist, and educator.
An hour before the doors opened at 3pm, people from all over Baltimore and surrounding areas—including many Beth Am congregants—were gathering around tables set up outside in anticipation of experiencing this jazz concert in a seemingly strange venue. Little did the audience know that this synagogue has a 50-year history of serving Baltimore in countless ways, including music. In fact, it was a Martin Luther King Day Concert at Beth Am in 2016 that first introduced me to this unique worship space and its members; I’ve been a friend and associate of this House (Beth) of the People (Am) for nine years.
By 4pm, the audience was seated in the pews of the beautiful sunlit sanctuary, as recorded jazz music filled the air. After greetings and introductions by Senior Rabbi Daniel Cotzin Burg, Eze Jackson took the stage, performing four original songs (“Goals,” “Black, Black,” “Hey Baltimore,” and “Be Great”) that quickly got the audience on its feet, clapping, dancing, and joining in on call-and-response parts. Eze’s rapping style felt different from other styles I’m familiar with. First, the lyrics tell stories that are relatable and hope-filled. For example, the song “Goals” entreats listeners to look beyond themselves if they want to be seen and heard and to make a difference. Second, the music draws on the rapper’s jazz roots. “Hey Baltimore” begins with a beat-driven rendition of Louis Armstrong’s “St. James’ Infirmary” and segues into Cab Calloway’s “Hi-De-Hi-De-Ho” call-and response. In the song “Be Great,” Jackson displays his classical roots by combining an a cappella chorus background that is an unmistakable variation of Pachelbel’s Canon in D Major with the refrain “I just want you to be great.” Eze Jackson gained new fans that night.
As the legendary Lafayette Gilchrist and his band the New Volcanoes took their places, Rabbi Burg introduced David Simon, creator of The Wire, the well-known television show for which Gilchrist’s scores provided context and nuance. In turn, Mr. Simon introduced the main event by recounting his first meeting with Mr. Gilchrist via an unsolicited email. Then, the music exploded.
Lafayette Gilchrist (keyboard) was joined by Brandon Woody and Leo Maxey (trumpets), Christian Hizon (trombone), Gregory Thomkins and Shaquim Muldrow (tenor saxophones), Carl Filipiak (guitar), Bashi Rose (percussion), Anthony Blue Jenkins (bass), and Kevin L. Pinder (drums).
Their set list also comprised four songs: “Cut Through The Chase,” “The Flipmochase Squad,” “Solid,” and “Move With Love.” “Cut Through the Chase” began with an atonal blare of horns and a delicate, otherworldly, piano accent, followed by a fast-paced, catchy 4/4 piece, suggestive of a chase. The chase theme continued with “The Flipmochase Squad, punctuated by a smooth virtuoso trombone solo by Christian Hizon. “Solid” was just that—a solid, rocking beat anchored by a lush three-part harmony of horns. As the final number, “Move With Love,” began, the candles on the Bimah were lit, to counter the fading sunlight and approaching dusk. But the energy flowing from the band through the audience brightened the room even more. I was so into the music—my feet tapping out the main rhythm, my hands fluttering with the horns, that it took a stray glance to my right to notice that my friend who’d been sitting next to me had already left!
After the concert, attendees and performers joined together for a lovely reception in the Courtyard, where refreshments and conversation solidified the feeling of unity, community, and love. What makes Lafayette Gilchrist and The New Volcanoes so magical is the mutual love and respect the band members share after years of playing together.
–By Jackie Oldham.
Jackie Oldham is a Baltimore native who writes essays, poetry, memoirs, and short stories on many topics in her blog, https://www.baltimoreblackwoman.com. She has done readings at various Baltimore venues and on radio shows. Her essays have appeared as editorials and letters in the Baltimore Sun. She retired from a career as a copy editor, trainer, and team leader for the former Waverly Press and its successors. She is also a musician who loves all kinds of music, including jazz.