Eighth Blackbird’s J. Ivy Concert Solid Gold

Artists have a special sensitivity to life.  Their minds are like eyes that see the world a little differently than most of us.  With their imagination and through their chosen form of expression, they feed their visions back to us in music, painting, theater, dance and verse.  Whatever their format, they are telling stories about what they see and how they feel.  If the stories are good, they connect.  If the stories are great, they penetrate and become a part of the listener or viewer.

This holiday season, when the whole world is looking for uplifting cheer, Eighth Blackbird and the Chicago Artists Workshop delivered on that wish splendidly with a one-night only live streamed performance featuring J. Ivy and Tarrey Torae.  The Dec. 8 show was part of a live concert series the arts ensemble debuted this Fall and included several works from Ivy’s newest album Catching Dreams. 

Brimming with revelations, talent, incisive poignancy, surprises and joy, the one hour and 30-minute program’s only disappointment was that it couldn’t have been enjoyed in person.  Being in the room with the energy rising from the program’s stylish Covid-conscious stage could fuel a soul for weeks. 

A product of Chicago’s south suburbs and, according to Ivy during a mid-show interview, in no way interested in anything resembling poetry, a high school teacher not only noticed, but actively encouraged him to develop his gift for imaginative verbal expression.  That prodding and Mr. Ivy’s natural gifts eventually led to a collaboration with Kanye West on his acclaimed 2003 College Dropout release, work with both Jay-Z and Beyonce and multiple featured appearances on HBO’s Russell Simmons presents Def Comedy. 

These associations provide a clue to Ivy’s rhyming abilities but may not go far enough to inform those not familiar with his art on its impressive power and depth.  Awash in highly varied and always exceptional music, the Tuesday night performance ran through a sweep of both new and established works that often straddled the line between poem and song. 

In the intro, through rhyme, Ivy reminded us why words matter with his acapella rendition of The World Needs More Poets.  The rest of the show simply proved his point.  Initially acting as background accompaniment, vocalist Torae provided melodic emphasis to key words and phrases.  Much in the way Lisa Kaplan on piano and Matthew Duvall on percussion provided acoustic embellishments to Ivy’s lyricism through much of the show.  Things changed on Fall, Don’t Trip when Ms. Torae stepped it up; bringing her voice more to the forefront, and adding a gutsy insistence that skillfully burnished the song/poem’s message of perseverance with the distinct sound of soul.    The pulse, rhythm and tone of the piece also set the stage for what was to become a noticeably Chi-town inflected performance.

There’s something about Ivy’s delivery that bespeaks Chicago as much as the distant profiles of the Sears (Willis) Tower or the Hancock Building.  But this silhouette is in language and posture rather than glass and steel.  It’s also emblematic of a culture and the way a group speaks universal truths.

Now an established author, winner of multiple distinguished awards including the Peabody, Clio and NAACP Image Award, as well as becoming a celebrated spoken word artist, Ivy’s journey to notoriety and acclaim saw difficulty.  He found a nurturing haven in Brooklyn; another concrete dense landscape that’s been a breeding ground for creativity for ions. The New York borough became the place where he found people who helped him rediscover his voice.  Brooklyn Rain was one of the results of that experience; a work that showcases his ability to interweave sensitivity and strength while letting us know how wonderful gratitude can sound. During the concert on Eighth Blackbird’s Rockwell Ave. stage, it danced with eloquence and rhythm; leaving chills on both the performers and the audience.     

Later in the show, he reprised his unforgettable Wings, a poem he completed in the 90’s that reverberates with power and beauty.  Gazing at how providence, the dynamics of a flawed society and youth can converge to horrific effect, he finds a way to show how release and forgiveness might be reclaimed from tragedy.  Tuesday night’s rendition of the piece was superbly executed.  

Much of the show’s pleasure sprang from the finely crafted balance between spoken word and musical adornment.  The range of Tarrey Torae’s voice and her complete control in how she used it were stunning and the ideal complement to her partner’s mesmerizing verse. 

Eighth Blackbird’s Chicago Artist Workshop Live Stream Concert

J. Ivy, Poet

December 8, 2020