Harlem News Group BRONX LIVING LEGEND: VALERIE CAPERS

HARLEM . QUEENS . BROOKLYN . BRONX

BRONX

By Howard Giske
remarkable program at Hostos College, on Nov. 20th gave homage to Bronx living legend Valerie Capers. Before the concert began, Valerie was interviewed by Maxine Gordon-the senior Interviewer and Jazz Researcher for the Bronx African American History Project at Fordham University. Maxine described how she had some trouble tracking down Valerie Capers, finally going to Valerie's regular performance at a certain New York City lounge. Valerie went through how Valerie got a great education at the New York Institute for the Education of the Blind, and was able to graduate from the Juillard School of Music. For many years, Valerie studied the classical music of Beethoven, Mozart, and also was interested in the operas of Richard Wagner. It was only later that her brother Bobby Capers got Valerie interested in jazz music, and she switched over to the looser idiom of improvisational jazz. As a blind person, Valerie had a difficult time getting full-time employment as a musician. She worked for many years at the Bronx Neighborhood School of Music at a low salary. In 1968 she finally became a faculty mem-

ber at the Manhattan School of Music, running a jazz workshop. In 1975, she was appointed adjunct professor at Bronx Community College, and later was elected the chairman of the music department. Valerie wrote her Christmas Choral Piece, "Sing About Love," and jazz pieces such as "Billy's Song" (to Billy Holiday) and "Mr. Satchmo" (to Louis Armstrong). She played with great musicians like Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, and Tito Puente. Recently, Valerie became a board member of the Bronx Musical Heritage Center, a project of the non-profit WHEDco (Women's Housing and Economic Development Corporation), which includes a school, performance spaces, and housing for retired musicians. Valerie thanked Angel R. Rodriguez, Living Legends Project; Dr. Mark Naison, Professor at Fordham University; and Nancy Bieberman of WHEDco for giving her the opportunity to have a wider audience for her long years of musical work. Then, Valerie performed with her band, she on the piano. Other instrumentalists played saxophone, drums, bass, guitar and the congas. The

ensemble played a medley of pieces by Duke Ellington including the recognizable tune of "It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing." Then, in a shift, only Valerie and the bass player-by the way, a big string bass instrument-played a slow song. It was about a person reminiscing about a lost love, singing "I get along without you very well-except, perhaps in spring." Valerie's jazzinflected voice was in tune and up to the challenges, though she is age 77. The slow and developed piano solo showed that Valerie has not forgotten her classical piano roots. The performance ended with a Latin Jazz instrumental jam, with wellknown instrumentalists joining on stage that had been students of Valerie at Bronx Community College including Peter Nader on Trumpet; one,Vincent on Baritone Sax; and Randolph Noel. BMHC (Bronx Musical Heritage Center) will have a number of upcoming performances both at Hostos College and at the BMHC performance space at 1303 Louis Nine Blvd. For more information please see http:/bronxmusic.org.

Pictures above: (l-r top) Bassist- John Robinson and GuitaristMark Marino. (bottom) Valerie Capers receiving flowers.

Harlem News Group November 29, 2012

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