#Growns, we want to start this week off right heading in a direction that I feel we should all take into consideration – allowing more time to listen to the elders. I believe this is important across all facets of society and of the utmost importance in art. Thanks to NYC based award-winning songwriter, producer and musician Jerry Jean for reaching out to us with this story of NYC Subway Singer Geechie Dan. Make sure to check out Jerry and his work here.
As you can tell from the above clip of Geechie Dan’s performance of Otis Redding’s “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” this is a sound close to the root. The root of this country, the root of the soul. I can hear the sound of the South Carolina shores in this performance, and often the only way to get close to that type of intimacy, that type of authenticity is to be minimal. Minimal in the sense that as a listener I want to hear the history, so I don’t need nor want too many people in the conversation. In other words, this piano/vocal duet is just what we need for the lecture at hand.
The New York Times did a great profile on Geechie Dan several years back which you can read here. Also take a look at the interview that Jerry conducted with Geechie Dan below.
Ivan Orr is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, performer, and writer. A native of Charlottesville, Virginia Ivan was involved with the forming and nascent days of The Music Resource Center as its first Program Director. A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Music, Ivan currently resides in Richmond, VA where he maintains an active performance and production schedule while serving as the Music Editor for Grown Folks Music, a position he has held since 2010.
