Pianist Mark Meadows celebrates the release of his new album with a show on Friday at Songbyrd.
District-based pianist Mark Meadows is an artist who sees the ills of the world, but rather than place blame, he hopes to find solutions that will appeal to our common interests.
“I wanted to put together a work that would apply to a wide array of people,” Meadows says of his latest album, To The People. “The lyrics and music are all encompassing, so there’s something for everyone, from conservative to liberal, old to young, and religious to non-religious.”
Themes of social justice wind through all the songs on To The People. That message is overt in the first single, “What Would You Do,” but more subtle when it comes to his cover of Steely Dan’s classic, “Reelin’ In The Years.” Meadows, who is African American, is in an interracial relationship and it was his girlfriend’s father who introduced him to that song. He found it captivating and chose to arrange and record his own version.
“The idea here is that we’ve got to discomfort ourselves slightly in order to gain togetherness as a nation and world,” Meadows says. “Just like I missed out on great music, people might miss out on social connections if they don’t take the time to interact with people who may not look like them.”
The musicians he chose for the album reflect the multi-genre and multicultural influences that Meadows drew upon during the writing process. His collaborators include top notch local talent like vocalist Rochelle Rice, guitarist John Lee, drummer Carroll “CV” Dashiell, saxophonist Elijah Balbed, and rapper Deacon Izzy, among others. Internationally renowned trumpeter Nicholas Payton is also a featured soloist.
In addition to being a prolific performer and composer, Meadows is a respected educator. He directs the Mellow Tones, the vocal jazz ensemble at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. The ensemble appears on the album and will also perform at the album launch, taking place tomorrow evening at Songbyrd.
“A lot of trial and error and a lot of experimentation went into this record,” Meadows says. “I’m very proud of this recording, but even since the recording, these songs have transformed from playing them live.”
To The People is just the latest example of a career that is gaining momentum. career seems to be gaining momentum. In 2014, the Washington City Paper named him Jazz Artist and Jazz Composer of the Year. This year, he was named as one of three semi-finalists in the DCJazzPrix, a national competition run by the DC Jazz Festival. His group and two others will perform at the finals during DC JazzFest at The Yards, the Festival’s three-day concert series on the Capitol Riverfront.
“I’ve grown exponentially from this project,” Meadows says. “Despite what the intent is, when I”m on stage, I’m honest. The crowd knows when you are playing from the heart and when you’re just playing music.”
Mark Meadows will play an album release show tomorrow, April 29, at Songbyrd. 8 p.m. Tickets $10 in advance/$12 at the door.
