It’s not every day you get to meet one of your musical heroes?the Wooten family has had a huge impact on my life and an even larger impact on music in general.
Recently Roy “Futureman” Wooten came to the MTSU Tucker Theater, and I was honored to witness his most recent project, “The Black Mozart Ensemble.” He has combined genres such as classical, jazz, hip-hop, soul and bluegrass to create the next level of music.
Future, being the scientist that he is, slammed the various types of music together in a formula filled with harmony and rhythm that makes you want to jump up and move.
The ensemble led by Futureman consists of Zach Casebolt, Lyndsay Pruett and Lindy Donia on violin, Tyler Andal on 5-string violin, Jesse Hale on cello, Andy Pond on banjo, Priya Darshini on vocals, and Murfreesboro’s own Todd Johnson on vocals and choreography. All are talented young artists focused on telling the story of Joseph Boulogne de Saint Georges, an athlete, violin virtuoso, composer and above all, musical hero.
The son of a slave and a French plantation owner, Saint Georges being an afro-French composer has been looked over by most, but those who know of him call him the “Black Mozart,” hence the name of the ensemble.
The June 9 show at MTSU kicked off with Futureman introducing the opening artist, Damien Horne. Horne played acoustic guitar with soulful lyrics and upbeat rhythms. He only played a handful of songs, but every one was equally moving; during one song Horne even requested dancers from the audience join him on stage. The crowd loved it and wanted more, but it was a request that would not be granted because it was time for the main event.
After about 10 minutes of video played on a projection screen, Future came on stage dressed in black slacks, a black shirt with silver designs and a pirate hat with a big white feather.
“We’re about to take a journey . . .” he said, and man was he right. A journey through musical history from classical to bluegrass to soul to hip-hop, from the east to the west, sounds from all over the world filled our ears and opened our minds. The set began with classical music; all of the violinists and the cellist played expertly and beautifully. The banjo was an amazing touch. Now just add Futureman’s drums, the singers’ vocal styling and an occasional hip-hop sample to create a sound that only Roy “Futureman” Wooten himself could whip up.
It didn’t take long for Futureman to throw in some funk to his classical mix by shouting out “ONE TIME! TWO TIMES!” etc. like James Brown. As the show progressed the music evolved seamlessly from one genre to the next. A showcase of sounds filled the theater as the crowd became more and more interactive with the music. The show only got better when Horne came out to accompany Darshini in singing an interpretation of “Ain’t No Sunshine.”
Shortly after, Wooten invited some of the crowd onstage to learn a dance called the Saint Georges Shuffle. By the end of the show, what seemed to be half of the audience was on stage dancing. Futureman and the Black Mozart Ensemble really made everyone feel like part of the show, bringing people of all shapes, sizes and nationalities together. I would like to think most of the viewers from that night learned at least 10 things. The performance represented not only a musical masterpiece, but a fantastic history lesson.
For more information about the ensemble or Saint Georges, click here.
