By: Kenneth E. Boone, Sr.
One of the last times Celia and I attended a church service, we were totally blown away, and not in a good way. That's because the Worship Leader admitted to us, without shame, that she couldn't sing harmony. And she was actually laughing when she told us. That's sad, but I think I know why. I'm Ken Boone. Welcome to my Podcast, “MUCH MORE TO SAY” When Mike and I were kids, we sang in what became known as the Boys Choir of Harlem. Rehearsals took place Saturday afternoons at our church, located at the corner of Lenox Avenue and 123rd Street, in Harlem USA. To get there, we had to take the 101 Bus Line, that would put us off just two blocks from the church. On our way to the bus stop, we would pass Poor Richard's Park, a tiny cutout on the corner of 3rd Avenue and 109th Street in East Harlem (aka Spanish Harlem). It was there we would hear musicians playing what's known as a “Descarga”. Descargas are improvised jam sessions consisting of variations on Cuban music themes, such as son montuno, guajira, bolero, guaracha and rumba. The genre is strongly influenced by jazz, and it was developed in Havana during the 1950s. The instruments typically used are piano, double bass, percussion section, horn section, tres, flute, and violin. The descargas we heard on the streets of East Harlem were usually performed by a percussion section joined by vocals chanting the chorus, typically in three-part harmony. Less than a block from our stop, we would pass Lehman Music Company Shop, located on 125th Street between 5th and Lenox Avenues. In addition to selling everything from sheet music to violins, to trumpets, and more, Lehman would spin records on their house stereo system. One of the speakers would be pointed outside, playing the latest in contemporary gospel music. The stop we got off the bus is known as the “Heart of Harlem”, which is the corner of 125th Street and Lenox Avenue (also named Malcom X Boulevard). It was there that our ears would be serenaded by the latest R&B, Soul, Southern and Urban Gospel music. The source of that music was the legendary Rainbow Music Record Shop, a tiny storefront with an oversized influence in the world of black music. At the time, Mike I were unaware of the nation-wide significance of the three spots we passed on our way to choir rehearsal. But we did know that the music we absorbed would stay with us forever. While doing research for this episode, I came across a Wikipedia blurb about something called the Harlem Hit Parade rankings. I learned that since 1942, Billboard Magazine used sales from certain Harlem record stores as the source of the nation-wide charts covering jazz, blues, soul, and gospel. Two of those stores they collected data for the charts were Lehman Music and Rainbow Music. I admit that while we did learn a lot by singing in the choir as well as through congregational singing on Saturday mornings, most of our musical education took place outside the four walls of the church. I give the church credit for teaching discipline and stage awareness, but the rest was learned in “the streets”. Since my formal training was limited, I had to be creative in order to get a decent musical education. So, I learned by doing a lot of listening. And since I wasn't blessed with a great musical ear, the process was slow and painfully annoying. But I was endowed with relative pitch and a good head for numbers, making it possible to eventually have the information stick. Most of my listening lessons took place at the Lehman Music Company store, who sold mostly classical and contemporary gospel music. After hearing my first Andrae' Crouch and the Disciples' record in 1974, shout out to Mr. Freddie Odom, I visited that store every week for the next five years. I went there so much that they knew me by name. And I wasn't just browsing the bins, I spent most of my disposable income there on any vinyl LP released on Light Records and any sheet music published on Lexicon Music. Thank goodness the music included guitar tabs, or I would have been screwed. The guys who I refer to as my friendly rivals also figured things out musically the same way that I did. But unlike me, they frequented Rainbow Music. Their musical taste leaned toward Southern and Urban gospel, which was Rainbow's forte'. While these stores were neighborhood institutions, neither one of them is still around. I just learned that Rainbow closed its doors for good in 2002. Lehman has also gone out of business, although I haven't been able to find out when. Now that's sad, because today's young musicians could benefit from their existence. Mike was fortunate in that he got a world-class music education. Starting with private piano lessons during his childhood, he went on to attend Music and Art High School, now known as the High School for the Performing Arts. His teen years were also supplemented with private lessons on double bass. Mike then earned his degree from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. While those entities provided a fantastic foundation in scales, modes, arpeggios, and concertos, it was what he learned in the streets and bandstands that made him the accomplished musician he is today. Mike also learned a lot by listening. When he was still living in New York City, his record store of choice was J&R Music World. In fact, when I decided that it was finally time to expand my limited musical palette, Mike suggested I check out J&R. And I wasn't disappointed. Unfortunately, as with the two record stores I mentioned previously, J&R is no longer in business. For them, the end came in 2014. That was around the time when digital sales, such as downloads and streaming, began outpacing physical sales, such as CDs and vinyl. Which brings me back to the opening section of this episode. As I said, Celia and I were stunned when a local worship leader admitted to us me that she couldn't sing harmony. I was confused because I just finished listening to one of their sets. The songs were so easy that everyone in my peer group, friends and rivals alike, could have picked out four-part harmony totally on the fly. There are a number of reasons for this growing trend, and I've discussed some of them on past episodes. Today's reason is that, like in the schools, music education in many churches leaves a lot to be desired. Or better yet, are their shortcomings finally getting exposed? I think I'll go with the latter. In the best of times, churches only have access to the talent for a few hours per week. And while that's enough time to teach them the songs they'll perform during service, there's not much time for anything else. Also, you can tell that the musicians don't seem to put in the time to listen to other styles of music. There's also the preferred genre of music they're using these days. All you need is a person on acoustic guitar who can play four chords, carry a tune, and read the lyrics from the screen to be able to pull it off. Even I can do that, minus the four chords on acoustic guitar. Or anything on guitar. Another problem is that church attendance is no doubt in decline. Surveys point to the political overtones that have crept into both the pews and the pulpits across the country. A number of churches have started the process formally dislodging themselves from their governing denominations. It's a mess, but that's humans for you. I'm convinced that the lack of care put in musical presentation plays a much larger role in the church's woes than we admit. While true that tastes are subjective, a large number of potential congregants find the new music boring. Personally, I don't mind listening to, or even playing the styles that are popular today, as long as I can spice up the arrangements. A little seasoning goes a long way. Some people point to the decline of the choir. Various reasons for the decline have been cited, including the money and time it takes to assemble a good choir, a lack of participation and interest, a lack of leadership, and a desire to connect with younger audiences through other sorts of music. The music my brother and I heard on the way to choir rehearsals had a profound impact on who we became as musicians. But I would be remiss if I didn't credit the choir for instilling a sense of discipline and teamwork. Stage fright wasn't a concern since we performed in front of large crowds from a very early age. Parting Shots To end this episode, I'd like to read a portion of a review of Mike's latest CD, “Enjoying the View”, that was written by journalist Eugene Holly, Jr.: “One of the new releases I’m digging now is “Enjoying the View” by the New York-born, Eastman-trained, Philadelphia area-based bassist Mike Boone: an African American who grew up in Spanish Harlem, enjoying the aural salsa, funk, jazz and R&B “views” he heard in El Barrio.” Mr. Holly goes on to write that “... Mike’s basslines provide the magic carpet for all of the CD’s musical genres to fly on, from Frank Emilio Flynn's Afro-Cuban classic “Sanduga,” and Pee Wee Ellis’ funky number “The Chicken,” to Boone’s Nuyorican versions of Stevie Wonder’s “Lately,” Benny Golson’s “Killer Joe,” and a clave-coded reimagination of the George Benson hit “Give Me the Night.” And for my two cents, my personal favorite track is the gospel-influenced title track, simply named “The View”. The salsa influenced ballad features some of the most gorgeous background vocal parts, all sung by Antonio McClendon, the father of Grammy Award winner Samara Joy. Listening to Mike's CD reminds me of those weekly trips from my in East Harlem apartment to choir rehearsal back in the 1960s and 1970s. While the religion of my youth frowned upon partaking in secular activities on our day of worship, the road to and from church was lined with the real spiritual food we needed to get us through life in the concrete jungle we knew as home. Today's Quote “Music kept me off the streets and out of trouble and gave me something that was mine that no one could take away from me.” Eddie Van Halen – American Guitar Legend
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About the HostKenneth E. Boone, Sr. is a writer, podcaster, music lover, sports enthusiast, and retired accountant. Archives
May 2024
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