Cindy Blackman-Santana leads her band, Another Lifetime, tomorrow night at the Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club. Photo by Hal Miller. Way back in the ’90s, the days when music channels actually played music, there weren’t many stars more ubiquitous than rocker Lenny Kravitz. But those of us who remember his flailing locks will also recall another potent coif that was a regular presence in his videos from that time, that of powerhouse drummer Cindy Blackman-Santana.
While the stint with Kravitz certainly broadened her exposure, even more so than her recent nuptials to a certain iconic guitarist, many people don’t realize that Blackman-Santana was already a seasoned jazz drummer. She started her recording career as a leader in the late-’80s, working with both electric and acoustic ensembles. In addition to her 14-year stint with Kravitz, she has toured with jazz luminaries like Pharoah Sanders, Cassandra Wilson and Joe Henderson, as well as pop artists like Joss Stone. Her last visit to D.C. came last year with a band that included legendary Cream bassist Jack Bruce and Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid.
“I was a bandleader well before joining Lenny’s group,” said Blackman-Santana, who will bring a group to the Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club on Friday night. “One of the things that I liked about him as a bandleader was that he kept the same band for quite a long time. I like when a band grows together.”
The ensemble Blackman-Santana will be leading is one that she hopes to work with regularly. The band is the latest iteration of Another Lifetime, named after the album that she released in 2010. The recording was made in tribute to drummer Tony Williams and his pioneering fusion group, Lifetime, which was active in the late 1960s through mid-’70s. The jazz-rock alchemy that was taking place during this time made for one of the most fertile periods in jazz history, and Lifetime was at the vanguard of this movement. Williams himself turned drumming on its ear when he was just a teenager, playing with Miles Davis’s great quintet, and his playing is hugely influential on Blackman-Santana.
“The first time I heard Tony was on Miles Davis’s Four & More and then Live In Europe,” Blackman-Santana recalled. “His concept, sound and technique were so completely amazing and intense that it all set the path for me in terms of level.”
Another Lifetime features guitarist Aurelien Budynek, bassist Rashaan Carter and keyboardist Zaccai Curtis. The band covers Lifetime material, but uses those songs as a starting point and not an endpoint, often employing its own arrangements. Each member also composes, so originals will be incorporated into the set. These musicians are highly skilled and capable of playing any style of music, and as a result the band moves through many textures during a show. Blackman-Santana cites dynamics, energy and intention among Another Lifetime’s key strengths. While the band and its namesake have virtuosity to spare, Blackman-Santana understands that forging a connection with the audience is the ultimate goal.
“We’re exited to have the opportunity to touch hearts and to take them on a musical journey,” she said. “I hope they leave feeling uplifted and inspired, creatively and spiritually.”
Cindy Blackman-Santana and Another Lifetime will perform on Friday, November 22, 2013 at the Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club. 8 p.m. Tickets $25 plus food and drink minimum.
