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Health & Fitness

The Blues Mothers and Women's History Sunday

     In the firelight tonight I recall the day, the light

     Songs, the eagles’ flight, spirits flying free

     A spinning ball in outer space, sunlight through spider lace

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     The touch, the feel, the taste, someplace to call home

                     -- from Colors of a Dream   by Irene Maher

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On March 9, 2014, I had the good fortune of attending a church service augmented and enhanced with a focus on personal story, Women’s History and live music. This service of worship and celebration on the First Sunday of Lent took place at the First Reformed Church in Hastings. The event was sponsored by the North Yonkers Community Church.

I am not part of the congregation nor a member of this religion. However, I felt completely welcome and at home. The open-mindedness of the service allowed me to engage with the words and music and leave the event feeling completely at peace and inspired.

The narrative arc of the musical sequences supported the flow of the narrative words of the program. Several congregation members shared personal stories relating to inspiring women (from mothers who have persevered, to the immense strength of young hero, Malala Yousafzai, to the leadership of Michelle Obama and FDA chief Margaret Hamburg). The theme, Women of Character, Courage and Commitment, continued on with a very short, but intriguing Scripture Lesson by Rev. Paul D. Aquavella, D.Min., Senior Minister.

While exploring Romans 16: 1 and 2, Rev. Aquavella reminded us that the choice of translation is a key point in Bible study. Rev. Aquavella went on to discuss the context within which three women exhibited courage in order to discover Jesus’ empty tomb, “while the men were hiding.” I appreciated this informative and open-minded talk, and hearing this reminded me that Bible study can include thoughts that are female-affirming.  This runs contrary to the overly-literal Biblical translations and interpretations that certain groups active in our larger society proclaim as authoritative. Though Rev. Aquavella spoke very little, his words had a big impact on me, as he seemed very comfortable taking a feminist stance. In this day and age, I found this refreshing and rather radical. What he said really made me think, and I respect that in a leader.

The music during the program covered many genres and did so in a very authentic way. Song choice is one of the many strong points of The Blues Mothers. We enjoyed blues, reggae, jazz-oriented, folk-oriented, and mild psychedelic choices. Their version of the reggae song, Lioness on the Rise (by Queen Ifrica) stuck with me for many days. I marveled at how I kept waking up with the song in my head and how empowering it felt to sing the song throughout the day while working. During the Sunday program, we had a mix of originals and standards and the placement of the songs helped to carry the thread of thoughtful concepts that were explored during the service. There was nothing cut-and-paste about the set list, and these careful choices bolstered the overall positive feeling of the program. Much care was taken to avoid sinking into despair, even though audience members were pressed to confront some of uncomfortable realities of the human condition (Brother Can You Spare a Dime? and Dangerous Love, a Murphy original). An authentic and meaningful balance was struck by the thoughtful sequence of tunes, showing also how music in church and music in life can deliver complex threads of thought seamlessly and encourage people to ponder and wonder.

As a community member, it is wonderful to be able to observe the artistic evolution of this group of high-caliber musicians. I was happy to discover that The Blues Mothers were also voted Best Indie Artist by WOS (Women of Substance Radio) in 2012. It is important to note also that all five women compose music and/or lyrics as well as sing and play.

Two of the most musically accomplished members, Pam Sklar (flute) and Hope Berkeley (harmonica), traded solos throughout. The contrast sonically between the two instruments coupled with the high improvisatory skill level of the two musicians provided many satisfying and unique explorations of the variety of musical genres presented. Both players have their own strong styles, but true to the best of improvisatory skill, they are able to work together to create something greater than the sum of parts.

Irene Maher (guitar) showed once again her spectacular song-writing finesse with her Color of a Dream (quoted above). Irene continues to grow as a player on rhythm guitar and with improvisatory experimentation during lead moments. She’s not afraid of risks and freedom and her relaxed, good humor shines through musically.

Jenny Murphy’s vocal range and character of style are also evolving rapidly. Over the years, she’s become deeper, fuller, rounder and more free in her delivery, tone and phrasing. (On a side note, many community members got to see Jenny’s strong arranging and leadership skills with her a children’s choir at the Peace and Justice Concert at South Presbyterian later on this same day).

Attendees also got an extra treat with the addition of the NYCC Miracle Choir. Yulia Potulova, Bill Watson and Ben Indig provided additional layers of harmonic beauty on Something’s Got a Hold on Me, Lioness on the Rise and I Hope. (Ben Indig also wrote the first number performed, Gone With the Summer Heat).

As for The Blues Mothers proper, Joan Indig, like all excellent bass players, provides the anchor. Joan, however, in her characteristic gentle manner, also leads with a steady hand from the back. Her overt and covert direction helps the band gel effectively, which is challenging given the unique instrumentation. In addition to adding her steady and passionate presence at the bass, Joan led as the fire-starter for the focus onto Women’s History. (Joan’s written introduction to the program, in entirety, is re-printed with permission below).

While much of American programming related to Women’s History month can be informative and well-done, sometimes these events can also be simultaneously stilted, canned, predictable or distant. The North Yonkers Community Church Congregation and The Blues Mothers did a really nice job avoiding the clichéd and superficial.

It’s really exciting to witness the creative and technical evolution of this home-grown group. The Blues Mothers provide an important reminder of what can be accomplished with time and attention given to one’s art. All have busy, full lives with work and family, yet they continue to push themselves to thrive as artists as well. All of us, females and youth in particular, need mentors like Jenny, Pam, Hope, Joan and Irene.

Where are The Blues Mothers playing next?

Sunday, April 13, 2014

The Blues Mothers @ Taiim Cellar

11 Boniface Circle

Scarsdale, NY 10583

5pm, all ages

http://taiimcellar.com

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Spring Fest at Andrus on Hudson

185 Old Broadway

Hastings-on-Hudson, NY 10706

11:30am

all ages

For a continuously updated gig calendar,

check out The Blues Mothers website: http://thebluesmothers.net

 Joan’s Intro for the Women’s History Portion (reprinted with permission):

Women Sing the Blues

North Yonkers Community Church

March 9, 2014

Introduction by Joan Indig

Hello, and welcome to our special service in honor of Women’s History Month. 

It may seem hard to believe, but 100 years ago the world was a very different place for women. We had:

·      No vote and no voice.

·      No equal pay—we made only 60% as much as men.

·      No place to turn if the boss asked for “special favors.”

·      Not much chance of housework help from the man of the house. 

The good old days—they weren’t so good, were they? 

But good things were happening 100 years ago—those years have even been labeled the Progressive Era.

Women got the vote in 1920.

Nurse Margaret Sanger had the nerve to open a birth control clinic in 1916. She WAS arrested on obscenity charges, but went right back to her mission when she got out of jail. 

Today, we have laws about equal pay and sexual harassment.

And asking for household help is no longer a no-no. I remember when I went back to work in 2003 while the kids were still in school. I was doing the full load of housework plus driving to Connecticut and back every day. One day I said to a gal at my job, “I think I’m going to drop dead if this goes on.” She said. “OH—you have to have THE CONVERSATION.” Aha! “The conversation!” She didn’t have to tell me what it was. I had “the conversation” with my spouse, who was wonderful about everything and prevented my untimely death. He’s actually better than I am at some of the tasks he took on. Thank you.

There’s never been a better time to be alive and especially to be a woman.

But of course, we’re still not there yet. Earlier we sang “You Can’t Cancel a Subscription to the Blues”—because sometimes there’s just no way to shake those blues. You have to pass through them, and maybe singing a song helps a bit. 

Let me take you back about 150 years. It’s the Deep South—in summer. Workers are on the job under the blazing sun, maybe in a field or on a railroad or construction project. They’re tired, they’re hot, they almost can’t go on… and then a work song arises—it could be a chant or a spiritual or a field holler. This was the birth of the blues.

Soon the blues were heard in cities and gathering places too. And they’ve been popular ever since. We are ALL struggling with something, and that’s the story that blues songs tell.

I’m reading the autobiography of Keith Richards of Rolling Stones, who said, “The blues is universal, which is why it’s still around. I’m gonna play it straight from the heart to the fingers. Nobody has to turn the pages.”

You may have heard the names of the early blues men, like Robert Johnson and Lead Belly. Women who sang the blues include Mildred Bailey, Bessie Smith and Sophie Tucker.

Our next song, called Help Me, is a 12-bar blues, one of the most common chord progressions in popular music.

With these blues songs we may go to some dark places. But don’t worry, we’ll come out on the other side into the light with stories about women of character, courage and commitment that will uplift and inspire you, and we’ll end with some happy songs to celebrate how far we’ve come and how far we can go.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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