What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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immigration and race. American Patchwork Quartet consists of an 11th-generation classical Hindustani musician, a drumming protegee of the late Ellis Marsalis, a first-call Issei jazz bassist, and a co-founder of Ranky Tanky, a Grammy-winning group inspired by the Gullah musical culture of the Carolina coast." "While we are all very obviously coming from different ethnic backgrounds, there are values, principles, hopes and ideals that we all share as Americans," says Ross. "Falu's Indian vocal inflections may be surprising in the context of these songs, but the fact that they sound so beautiful and blend so seamlessly is no surprise to me at all. For us, these surprises become the reason to explore these sounds more deeply. And these time-tested folk songs serve as sturdy vessels for us to explore music, history and humanity. We are looking to learn and to share all that connects us, and all that makes us unique." Ross says the collaboration was born out of "a very serendipitous set of circumstances." In 2002, he moved to New York City from South Carolina to pursue a career as a jazz musician. "This led me to encounter incredible artists like Yasushi and Clarence, who have been longtime collaborators and influential contributors to the international jazz scene," he explains. "I also have a deep appreciation for American folk songs, especially those connected to my Southern roots. "I've spent a lot of time researching old recordings of everyday Americans from all parts of the country singing their regional music," he goes on. "The deeper I've gone with this music, the more I've come to appreciate the melting pot of immigrant influences that make American music unique. And really, when you look at any beloved American style, from blues to jazz to country to rock, there isn't just one culture, race, or ethnicity that defines it. These sounds that we love exist in a tangled web of cultural commingling. This is what defines our music, and really our country." When Ross and Shah, both artists- in-residence at Carnegie Hall, met in 2013, "through our collaboration it became obvious to me that certain human expressions transcend cultural boundaries," he remembers. "In Falu's voice, steeped in Indian classical training, I would recognize the same expressions that I found in a blues vocal from the Mississippi Delta or the high lonesome melodies of rural Kentucky," Ross says. "I also felt that through our friendship, we had an opportunity to explore some of these expressions and perhaps even learn a little more about ourselves and the world we live in along the way. Now, here we are. "In selecting these specific songs for our APQ repertoire, we were looking to explore our connected humanity," Ross goes on. "We found spiritual messages that resonate beyond our separate religious beliefs, stories of nature, stories of the supernatural, and stories of love. These are songs of necessity, sorrow, hope, and joy. "We live in times of growing tensions, in a world where our news feeds often overwhelm us with negativity. Sometimes looking back can show us the path forward. While we're not trying to reinvent a complex past, we do hope to highlight how music has always given Americans a safe space to forge deeper cultural connections. This is the story of the American melting pot and our music. And the story continues to unfold." www.malco.com www.malco.com www.malco.com WWW.MALCO.COM WWW.MALCO.COM 6 WHAT'S UP! FEBRUARY 13-19, 2022 Roots Continued From Page 5 FAYETTEVILLE American Patchwork Quartet brings together bassist Yasushi Nakamura, born in Tokyo and trained at Berklee School of Music and Juilliard (left); Grammy-winning guitarist/vocalist Clay Ross, a native of South Carolina; Falu Shah, raised in Bombay, India; and three-time Grammy-winning drummer Clarence Penn, born in Detroit to sing the roots music of America. (Courtesy Photo/APQ)