The World Famous Harlem Gospel Choir
Blue Note131 West 3rd Street, New York 10012
WBGO Presents Brunch brings The World Famous Harlem Gospel Choir to Blue Note for an afternoon set. Billed as a choir, the group presents singers and musicians drawn from Harlem’s Black churches and the wider New York tri-state area. The listing identifies the occasion as brunch, with no individual lineup or guest artist announced.
The Harlem Gospel Choir performs contemporary gospel touched by jazz and blues, drawing on modern gospel classics as heard in Harlem’s Black churches. Its concerts have included appearances alongside Bono, Diana Ross, Gorillaz, André Rieu, Damon Albarn, Pharrell Williams, Jamie xx, Lang Lang, Sia and Nile Rodgers; the choir also performed with Sam Smith at the 2018 Grammy Awards. Its own description promises “power vocals, glorious sound and infectious energy.” Reviewing a Montreal appearance, Montreal Rampage singled out the choir’s “rich harmonies and upbeat rhythms,” calling its energy “consistently sky-high,” while finding some unison passages less compelling.
Blue Note Jazz Club is a dedicated listening room in the heart of Manhattan's jazz district, where the music is the focus and the space is designed to let the sound fill the room. The club features a stage with a small audience area, and the atmosphere is one of quiet concentration on the music. Shows typically begin at 8:00 PM with a second set at 10:30 PM, and the audience sits on chairs close to the stage. The club has a bar, and drinks are available. The experience is primarily about listening to live jazz, with occasional gospel and soul performances, and the audience often stays to talk and enjoy the music after the sets.