Celebrate Withers w/ J. James

CELEBRATE BROOKLYN! WITH HAL WILLNER’S BILL WITHERS PROJECT
SATURDAY, AUGUST 9 AT THE PROSPECT PARK BANDSHELL
PERFORMERS WILL INCLUDE: JIM JAMES, ANGELIQUE KIDJO, THE SWELL SEASON, COREY GLOVER,
JAMES “BLOOD” ULMER, THE PERSUASIONS AND OTHERS

Bill Withers – Hal Wilner inset

On Saturday, August 9 the 30th summer of Celebrate Brooklyn! continues as the visionary music producer Hal Willner and his Co-Artistic Director Janine Nichols return to the Prospect Park Bandshell to explore the music of acoustic R&B pioneer Bill Withers in a multi-artist celebration for the ages. The FREE concert, the final free concert in Celebrate Brooklyn!’s 30th Summer season and the last concert in the WaMu Concert Series, will begin at 7:00 p.m.

Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “Lovely Day,” “Use Me” and “Lean On Me” only hint at a body of work that ranks him among our greatest songwriters. Withers released eight albums in the 1970s, beginning with the landmark Just As I Am in 1971. His musical legacy has influenced succeeding generations of writers and performers and inspired a generation of soul and R&B artists, especially in terms of subject matter: his unwavering focus on the state of black manhood in America. Withers’ recordings are frequently sampled for hip-hop records, and covers of his songs crop up in nearly every genre, from pop and jazz to country, classical, rhythm and blues, gospel and hip-hop.

JIM JAMES, ANGELIQUE KIDJO, THE SWELL SEASON, COREY GLOVER, JAMES BLOOD ULMER, THE PERSUASIONS, NONA HENDRYX, SANDRA ST. VICTOR, ERIC MINGUS and many more! Plus an all-star band featuring Lenny Pickett, Steven Bernstein, and Cornell Dupree will be among the ensemble.

Withers’ extensive catalogue offers the visionary producer Willner an exciting opportunity to explore, shed light on and take liberties with Withers’ work. The song list for this “concept show” will draw on now-obscure album tracks and live performance recordings throughout Withers’ career. What’s familiar will be re-invented; what’s been lost will be found again.