Page 20 - Media Coverage Book_Wynton Marsalis, The Ever Fonky Lowdown

Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and vocalists Camille
Thurman , Ashley Pezzotti , Christie Dashiell and Doug Wamble. The
new recording revolves around a narration by actor Wendell Pierce ( The
Wire, Treme, Jack Ryan) who plays the role of "Mr. Game", whose
commentary reveals a "stampede" that hangs by our throats and prevents
us from working together to build a fairer and more friendly world. "Mr.
Game" is a strong, composite man, part evangelical preacher, lawyer,
businessman, politician, con artist, journalist, social worker, street corner
prophet, and reality TV celebrity. Its language is refined, familiar and slang,
and its confident and populist message keeps you going for more. He is
constantly charismatic, generates both connivance and irreverence, but his
lack of respect for convention is so shocking that it becomes provocative.

The “Ever Fonky Lowdown” booklet was written in 2018 to deal with
universal issues of human exploitation and suffering, with a focus on how
these issues have been handled in America. The recent police violence
and social inequalities revealed by the Covid-19 pandemic have brought to
light national problems and have also touched a planetary nerve, as
evidenced by the many international demonstrations of solidarity. Right
now, our world is witnessing more and more social upheaval over a myriad
of human rights issues. The “Ever Fonky Lowdown” is even more timely
today because it exposes a model of the game that has been and is being
played on so many of us. "Mr. Game" said himself: "We're here tonight, but
it's an international turmoil. This has been played out over and over again
in time and space and is not specific to any language or race. It takes on
different flavors according to people's tastes, but always ends up in the
same placeReturning to “Blood on the Fields,” the orchestra and singers
take on the role of an ancient Greek choir commenting on the action and
getting things done. Playing a symbolically complex, multi-level score with
the absolute precision, feeling and soul of jazz musicians, they cover
everything from gospel and American folk to New Orleans funk, using the
rhythm of the swing, as well as the tresillo - the beat Cuban habanera - and
other grooves The music also functions as a character in itself, festive and
ecstatic, expressing the inner joy and glee with which we exploit our fellow
men.

“The Ever Fonky Lowdown” is entertaining, but it also reveals an incisive,
panoramic and satirical take on modern society. Funky jazz parable for
2020, the work covers a field ranging from football to politics, from power to
poverty, from love and romance to betrayal and corruption? It makes you
dance and sing and makes you think and reconsider.

Wynton Marsalis says, “Usually I research and learn a lot of this new
knowledge for longer pieces. For this one, I started with the music and the
experience I had. music that my dad and the great New Orleans drummer