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 performance. The bill identifies the group as a choir, with singers and musicians drawn from Harlem’s Black churches and the wider New York Tri-State area. Expect a program rooted in modern gospel classics as they are performed in Harlem’s Black churches today, with the choir’s own blend of contemporary gospel, jazz and blues. It is a brunch presentation rather than the club’s usual evening schedule.
The Harlem Gospel Choir comes from Harlem and the New York Tri-State area and is known for what it calls “power vocals, glorious sound and infectious energy.” Blue Note has described it as the most renowned gospel choir in America and a leading gospel choir worldwide. Its performers have appeared alongside Bono, Diana Ross, Gorillaz, Pharrell Williams, Sia and Nile Rodgers, and performed with Sam Smith at the 2018 Grammy Awards. A Montreal Rampage review singled out the choir’s “rich harmonies and upbeat rhythms,” finding it at its strongest backing a soloist or singing in harmony; the reviewer called the energy “consistently sky-high.”
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.