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[Associated Press Report] Wyclef Jean Jams at Carnegie Hall By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY, AP Music Writer NEW YORK (AP) - It's not surprising that Carnegie Hall gave Wyclef Jean the distinction of being the first hip-hop artist to play the revered concert hall. As was clear on Friday night, when Jean played host and entertainer during an all-star benefit for his self-titled foundation, there is perhaps no other artist in hip-hop - or most other music genres - as multifaceted and as talented as the engaging Jean. Jean proved that in his Carnegie debut, as he mixed Bach with hip-hop, jazz with rap, and collaborated with the likes of Eric Clapton, Stevie Wonder and Whitney Houston for a captivating, cross-cultural concert. ``See, I'm the new Sammy Davis Jr.,'' Jean joked during the event, which also included performances by Destiny's Child, Charlotte Church, Macy Gray, Marc Anthony, Steve Marley and reggae band Third World. ``I'm accepted by everyone.'' Jean, a member of the rap group the Fugees and a successful solo artist, songwriter and producer, showed his dexterity in intermingling various musical styles from the show's start, as he sang a jazz medley with his ``Clef's Kids,'' musical teens who receive the benefit of education and training through his Wyclef Jean Foundation. Then he introduced Israeli violinist Miri Ben-Ari, who brought the crowd to its feet when, backed up by a DJ, she played rap hits with her electric instrument - putting a classic tilt on the Notorious B.I.G.'s ``One More Chance'' and Jean's ``It Doesn't Matter.'' The moment was one of many times when the crowd stood in applause. A surprise appearance by Wonder during Jean's performance with Third World, with Wonder playing his harmonica and singing ``Now That We Found Love,'' caused an ovation, as did Jean's emotional, soulful duet with Mary J. Blige on their current hit, ''911.'' The crowd also went wild for Clapton, who sang his ``Wonderful Tonight,'' with a reggae tilt (he later came back to debut a new Jean composition, ``My Song,'') and for Whitney Houston. Houston, who was backed by her new girl group Sunday and brother Gary Houston, sang the gospel song, ``I Go To the Rock,'' with a fervor that replicated the church spirit. Houston's voice sounded a bit strained when she sang with Jean on the hit he produced for her, ``Your Love is My Love,'' but with a voice like Houston's, even a slight strain is hard to detract from her performance. Church was in her usual classic mode as she sang ``Ave Maria,'' but later came out and sang a soulful version of the ``Porgy and Bess,'' standard ``Summertime,'' with Jean providing the guitar background. It was a rarity when Jean wasn't on the stage - one of the few times he wasn't was during Destiny Child's performance, as the girl group sensation ran through their Grammy-nominated ``Say My Name,'' and the No. 1 hit ``Independent Women Pt. 1,'' backed by canned tracks, instead of a band. Though at times they appeared to be lip-synching, lead singer Beyonce Knowles' forceful vocals came through loud and clear, as she tried to engage the already-standing crowd into the group's performance. Though the crowd was enthusiastic for Destiny's Child, it's understandable that they were not bowled over, after the dazzling performances they had previously witnessed. One of the night's best moments came with Jean donned black tails and the conductor's role to lead his ``Clef's Kids,'' through Bach's two-violin concerto (perhaps one of the night's only disappointments, none of the performing teens were ever formally introduced by name). Jean, of course, used his own arrangements, adding a drum beat, saxophone and other instruments to give it a funky edge, breathing new life into the old classic. But Jean didn't stop there. As the night wound down with the singing of ``Guantanamera,'' featuring a surprise appearance by Anthony, drummers filled both aisles of Carnegie - on the one side Brazilian drummers, and on the other, drummers from Africa and Haiti, with dancers swaying to the beat. Jean led the fierce drumming to a crescendo as he and the audience wildly jumped up and down to the beats. Surely Carnegie has never seen a night quite like this.
NEWSFILE: 20 JANUARY 2001 |