As I have previously observed, keeping up with the free performances scheduled for the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival (YBGF) is no easy matter! Indeed, I must confess that my only visit to Yerba Buena Gardens this summer took place earlier this month, when I attended the performance of Iolanthe by the Lamplighters Music Theatre. Where free events are concerned, my primary source for learning about them has been the Community Music Center (CMC).
Marcus Shelby with his bass (courtesy of CMC)
The next of these events will be a world premiere performance by the Marcus Shelby New Orchestra. Shelby is the Director of the CMC Teen Jazz Orchestra, but his contribution to YBGF will involve his own ensemble. The premiere performance will present a composition somewhat less than 90 minutes in duration entitled Blues in the City. The participating performers will be Aaron Smith on trumpet, Dillon Vado on vibraphone, Destiny Muhammad on harp, Rebecca Rodriguez on percussion, Luis Peralta on piano, and Shelby himself on bass. The ensemble will collaborate with vocalists including Tiffany Austin and Kennedy Shelby.
This project was inspired by Nina Simone. More specifically, Simone believed that “An artist’s duty … is to reflect the time.” The music for Blues in the City was conceived to examine how San Francisco’s most vulnerable citizens have been drastically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Those citizens include the homeless, the poor, and the BIPOC (“Black and Indigenous people of color”).
As is the case with all Festival events, there will be no charge for admission to this performance. It will begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday, September 3. Yerba Buena Gardens is located between Mission Street and Howard Street and between Third Street and Fourth Street. A limited amount of seating is usually available, but many visitors bring a blanket to put on the ground, often synthesizing the experiences of a concert and a picnic. Those attending should also bear in mind that financing the Festival is greatly facilitated by voluntary donations from the audience. Further information will be provided for those calling 415-543-1718.
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