Celebrate Ma Rainey, Mother of the Blues

North Jersey Blues Society and Blues Alive collaborated to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy with this unique musical journey. This program frames Gertrude Pritchett—a.k.a. Ma Rainey—known as a "Mother of the Blues" as a trail-blazing American composer and band leader. We shine a light on the woman as a powerful blues musician, mentor, and collaborator to several musicians who in turn became innovators in their own careers: pianist Thomas Dorsey, guitarist Tampa Red, and saxophonist Coleman Hawkins.

The 80-minute concert features Beareather Reddy, vocals, Charlie Apicella, guitar, tenor banjo, Avery Sharpe, bass, and Steve Johns, drums who will perform a set of Rainey’s classics and discuss the musical, historical, and cultural impact of her work. Includes Q&A and audience participation. Selections start with Rainey’s works and progress into examples of call and response, R&B, swing, gospel, and soul. The set climaxes with Dr. Billy Taylor’s homage to Dr. K…