Carolyn Wilkins’ Spirited Jazz

Swings Oct. 28 at Zeitgeist

By Susie Davidson

CORRESPONDENT

The spiritual side of jazz will be in full force this Monday evening when Carolyn Wilkins, who presides over The First Church of Cambridge’s 5:30 p.m. Jazz Worship Service every Sunday at 11 Garden St., brings her soulfully rhythmic groove to the Zeitgeist Gallery.

Wilkins' ensemble SpiritJazz also includes John Voigt on bass and Yoron Israel on drums. The trio is rooted in jazz, yet evoke a potpourri of inspiration along with entertainment with added blues, swing and gospel elements. Wilkins’ words and piano join the accompaniment to provide eloquently reworked versions of African spirituals and popular jazz works by Duke Ellington, Fats Waller and Thelonious Monk, among others.

For over 13 years, Wilkins, a graduate of Oberlin Conservatory and the Eastman School of Music, and currently an Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music, has performed, taught and composed around town. She has toured South America as a Jazz Ambassador for the U.S. State Department and appeared with the Pittsburgh Symphony under Andre Previn as well as with Melba Moore, Nancy Wilson and the Fifth Dimension. Her original compositions, as well as selections from her two Tiphareth Records’ CDs Spirit Jazz I and II, have been featured on National Public Radio, at First Night Boston (this year, SpiritJazz will appear at First Night at the First Baptist Church at 110 Commonwealth Ave.) and various venues.

“Whenever I sing,” said Wilkins, “my goal is to create a positive space - an oasis where my audience and I can nurture and recharge each other.” While the musical roots of SpiritJazz lie in the African American experience and its musical traditions, particularly jazz, blues and gospel, she noted that their intention is to reach out and connect to people of all races and religions. “Many of my original songs,” she said, “deal with rediscovering our inner spirit and the intrinsic soul connection that we have with all sentient beings.”

SpiritJazz focuses on the complexities of the human nature as it seeks to alleviate dischord, if you will, with songs about love, unity, nature and spirituality. The aim is to cure without dogma or preaching. It’s an attempt to gain enlightenment outside of the weekend walls of church or synagogue.

Wilkins’ coperformers have the mettle for this effort. Voigt has performed with Chick Corea, Louie Bellson, Jameel Mondoc, Pearl Bailey, Jan Hammer and other top jazz performers. Israel, who is the Assistant Chair of the Percussion department at Berklee, has played with Ahmad Jamal, Grover Washington, Horace Silver, Sonny Rollins, Abbey Lincoln, Tony Bennett, Joe Lovano and Tom Harrell.

“My goal,” Wilkins stated, “is for people who leave a SpiritJazz performance to feel that they have been lifted in some fundamental way - reconnected with some part of the essential spirit that we as human beings all share.”

The Zeitgeist is located at 1353 Cambridge St. in Inman Square. Admission for this show is $10 ($8 for students and seniors). Light refreshments will be served.

For information, please visit www.zeitgeist-gallery.org or call 617-876-6060.