Hilliard Greene, left, and Michael Jefry Stevens
Bassist Hilliard Greene and pianist and composer Michael Jefry Stevens will perform an evening of eclectic music featuring spirituals and classic jazz on Saturday, February 14, at Mars Landing Arts Center in Mars Hill.
The 7 p.m. show at Mars Landing Arts Center—formerly known as Mars Landing Galleries—will include two sets. In the first set, Greene will perform selections from his program Milestone Negro Spirituals Until the Civil War: When Folksongs Bring Freedom featuring coded Negro spirituals used in the Underground Railroad. Stevens will join Greene for a second set, with the two musicians performing their original compositions mixed with reimagined jazz standards.
Mars Landing director Miryam Rojas says Greene developed his program of spirituals to spotlight the significance, art and beauty of 19th-century American heritage songs associated with the Underground Railroad, the network of secret routes and safe houses used by enslaved people of African descent.
“Beyond honoring Black History month, this program shines a light on a corner of our collective history that is often forgotten,” Rojas says. “In our present time when our communities of color are in fear of speaking out against a range of injustices, it’s inspiring to look back on what these spirituals were—messages of rebellion at a time when speaking out could get you killed. As a woman of color, I wanted to lean in and provide a platform in which these voices could be heard through a relatable format such as music.”
Greene regularly performs in the New York City area at recitals, nightclubs, concert halls—including Carnegie Hall—and recording studios, as well as on radio and television. He also performs in major cities in the US and abroad. Musical genres he explores include classical, jazz, rock, blues, R&B, tango and the music of specific regions of the US and other continents. He also composes and performs solo music for contrabass.
“I hope people will leave the evening uplifted, inspired with a new perspective of the songs that they had been listening to and perhaps singing.,” says Greene. “The songs I will perform have meanings most are unaware of. When I talk about the meaning of the lyrics, I hope the audience will have knowledge and an appreciation of the songs they didn’t have before.”
Active on the international jazz scene for four decades, Stevens has composed more than 400 pieces of music across a variety of styles and has released more than 100 recordings featuring his own music. Musical artists he has performed and recorded with include Dave Liebman, Oliver Lake, Dave Douglas, Matt Wilson, Han Bennink, Jeanne Lee and George Schuller.
Stevens has taught master classes in the US, Europe, Latin America and North America and currently teaches jazz piano, composition and jazz theory privately and via Zoom. He has written hundreds of original compositions and arrangements for small jazz combos, large jazz ensembles, voice and classical strings, brass and orchestra.
“I hope the audience will be able to feel the affection and respect Hill and I have for each other,” Stevens says of the performance. “We have known each other for 30 years, maybe longer. We both have a deep love and respect for this music we call ‘jazz’.”
Mars Landing Arts Center is located at 37 Library Street in Mars Hill. Learn more at MarsLandingArtsCenter.com.
