When vocalist Evelyn Harris took the Arts Block stage last March, she expected to share it with Samirah Evans. After all, she was there at the invitation of the former New Orleans jazz and blues singer, who had been producing a “Ladies in Jazz” series at the Greenfield, Mass. concert hall for months.
A sudden and extreme case of vertigo that morning left Evans unable to perform. Harris made the concert her own, earning three standing ovations from the packed house.
Still, she'd wished her friend Evans had been by her side to take a bow.
“Samirah was indeed with me last March as her spirit rang through every note I sang,” says Harris: “I have found in Samirah a singer who knows what it means to be an artist, giving and getting all the while. Our collaboration reminds me of my Sweet Honey days because we found our individual voices in harmony with each other and we celebrate that. I am venturing into uncharted waters when we meet on stage.”
Fans of the two artists will finally get to see these dynamic vocalists together on Saturday, Oct. 26, when the “Ladies in Jazz” series resumes at the Arts Block after a summer hiatus.
“It is my honor to share the stage with Evelyn. Her artistry is so completely raw and soulful it's impossible to not be moved by her,” says Evans. “Opportunities to perform with such an artist challenge me to dig deeper. This will be a fun and powerful presentation."
The trio of supporting musicians includes another prominent female jazz musician in drummer Claire Arenius, as well as Paul Arslanian (piano) and David Picchi (bass).
“Ladies in Jazz,” conceived by Silktone Productions and co-produced with the Arts Block, brings Samirah Evans together in concert with another female jazz vocalist or instrumentalist every other month.
The goal: introduce new female artists to audiences in western Massachusetts, and bring established female artists to the area.