Red Summer 1919 An Instrumental Opera Featuring Vinnie Colaiuta

by J. Kimo Williams

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1.	ACT I: Scene 1 "Prologue - The Chase" 05:36	info	buy track
2.	Act I: Scene 2 - "Captured" 02:57		buy track
3.	Act I: Scene 3 - "The Middle Passage" 04:07		buy track
4.	Act I: Scene 4 - "Arrival" 04:26	info	buy track
5.	Act I: Scene 5 - "This New World" 08:14		buy track
6.	Act II: Scene 1 - "With Malice Toward None" 05:51		buy track
7.	Act II: Scene 2 - "A Time For War" 07:32		buy track
8.	Act II: Scene 3 - "If 7 Was 4 It Would Not Matter" 02:56		buy track
9.	Epilogue 09:00		buy track

about

STORY: First World War Black veterans returned home from fighting in France, hoping to be recognized as equal citizens in this country. Despite their sacrifices and service, they faced continued oppression and harsh treatment under Jim Crow laws. The 1919 riots, also known as The Red Summer, marked a turning point as Black citizens supported by these returning veterans fought against their mistreatment for the first time.

In the late 1990s, I was commissioned by The National Opera Orchestra (Intersound Records) to arrange Mozart Arias for their instrumental orchestra release. It was quite the challenge in that the lyrics associated with opera are so important you sometimes overlook the essence of the music that supports the story.

In 2023, I decided to bring visibility to Black WW1 Veterans and wanted to tell their story in this format. This Jazz-Fusion project, titled 'Red Summer 1919: An Instrumental Opera,' is my musical approach to imagining the historical events leading up to the riots. I composed new music and used themes from previous works to set each scene. I relayed the visual narrative to the instrumentalists who used their imagination to create a musical representation of each scene through their improvisation or (in the case of Vinnie) shape the scene through rhythm.
Liner notes that include each scene narrative breakdown can be found at omikmusic.com/rs%3A-act-i-liner-notes.

credits

released November 11, 2023

Vinnie Colauita - Drums
Mike Stern - Guitar (solo)
Richard Bona - Bass
J. Kimo Williams - Guitar (2nd Guitar solo)
J. Kimo Williams - Audio VST, Modeling, and Sample Programming
J. Kimo Williams - Mixing Engineer
Drums Recorded September 18th, 2012 - Stagg Street Studios, Los Angeles
Bass Recorded - November 2013 - Richard Bona Studio, NYC
Guitar (Mike Stern) - November 2013 - Pressure Point Studios, Chicago
Guitar (J. Kimo Williams) - LBM Garage Studio - Shepherdstown, West Virginia
Mastered by Joe Lambert Mastering (Joe Lambert)

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about

J. Kimo Williams Shepherdstown, West Virginia

J. Kimo Williams attended Berklee College of Music in Boston from 1973 to 1976 and honed his skills as a composer, blending jazz and classical elements in his compositions. The ensemble, consisting of 22 musicians including strings, brass, woodwinds, guitar, keyboards, and percussion, creating high-energy music that blends rock and jazz. Special guests includes Vinnie Colaiuta and Michael Brecker ... more

omik.com

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