Melanie Charles + Make Jazz Trill Again: Trill 101 Premiere
MELANIE CHARLES + MAKE JAZZ TRILL AGAIN
TRILL 101 PREMIERE
SAT, MARCH 1 at 8:00PM
Brooklyn-based composer, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist Melanie Charles launched Make Jazz Trill Again (MJTA) as a cultural movement to rejuvenate the independent jazz scene in the digital age. What began as a modest hashtag in the mid-2010s has since evolved into a vibrant network producing and curating performances, a podcast series, and live events that engage with contemporary issues of access, equity, education, and technology within the arts.
The premiere of Trill 101 marks the culmination of a year-long, Skidmore-commissioned, multidisciplinary project developed by Charles and the MJTA family in collaboration with Skidmore students and faculty. Through a series of class visits, podcast and video recordings, and jam sessions, the project explored the intersections of jazz, Afro-diasporic musical traditions, and contemporary artistic practice.
Trill 101 reimagines jazz as a living, dynamic art form, shaped by both its rich history and its ongoing evolution. Charles will perform alongside her band – Zacchaeus Paul (keys), Rogerst Charles (saxophone), Barry Stephenson (bass), Bendji Allonce (percussion), and Diego Ramirez (drums) – and a cast of Skidmore student singers, drummers, horn players, and dancers. Together, they will lead an unforgettable celebration of creativity and community, blending genre-defying originals with a richly layered medley of traditional Afro-diasporic rhythms and Black spirituals like Deep River.
Throughout the performance, video interludes will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process, featuring student jam sessions, workshops, and mentorship moments that took place during MJTA’s Fall 2024 residency at Skidmore. This performance highlights the collaborative spirit of the project and its commitment to fostering an inclusive and dynamic artistic dialogue.
Trill 101 is presented in partnership with the department of Music and the office of Special Programs and is cosponsored by Black Studies, Gender Studies, Intergroup Relations, IdeaLab, Arts Administration, Management & Business, with collaborators in Dance, Theater, and International Affairs, among others. Funding is provided by the Zankel Music Fund and the McCormack Artist-Scholar Residency Fund.
This event is free and open to the public. No ticket required.
