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Dear Readers:
I recently wrote about a new endeavor of mine that involves producing a show in Portland celebrating the poetry of Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance.
What follows is the complete press release for the February 7 performance at the Alberta Abbey in Portland, Oregon.
Come join if you can!
Joe Maita
Editor/Publisher
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The Weary Blues
Celebrating The Harlem Renaissance and Langston Hughes during Black History Month
The Signature Musical Event of Black History Month in Portland will present the audience opportunities to experience and understand the literary giant’s work via a multi-media off-Broadway-style stage performance combining history and the artistic excellence of Portland jazz musicians
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In honor of Black History Month and the 100th anniversary of the publication of Langston Hughes’ first collection of poetry, The Weary Blues, Jerry Jazz Musician Experiences is staging a multi-media off-Broadway-style production headlined by prominent Portland entertainers that will include jazz music, performance poetry, and historic visual imagery. The event will be held on February 7, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. in the NE Portland, Oregon venue The Alberta Abbey, and is presented in partnership with the Oregon Music Hall of Fame.
The evening will be headlined by the performance poet Emmett Wheatfall, winner of the prestigious 2024 Oregon Poetry Association Patricia Ruth Banta Award, and a jazz quartet made up of musicians led by the drummer Christopher Brown, and including pianist Darrell Grant, trumpeter Noah Simpson, and bassist Garrett Baxter. During the two-set show (with intermission), Wheatfall and the band will perform several poems from The Weary Blues that helped define Hughes’ career, including “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” “The Weary Blues,” “I, Too, Sing America,” and “The Dream Keeper.” Historic photography and art from the era will be projected on the screen behind the performers. This immersive experience will provide attendees with an opportunity to understand the complexity of the era, and the profound and enduring impact Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance has had on American culture. Maude Hines, Professor of English, Chair of Black Studies, and affiliated faculty of Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies at Portland State University will give a 30 minute talk “Jazz Rhythms in Harlem Renaissance Poetry” to interested ticket holders prior to the event.
The Harlem Renaissance was the explosion of art and culture that emerged in the wake of the Great Migration, the movement of Black Americans fleeing the Jim Crow Deep South to the promise of employment and freedom in the urban Northeast in the early 1900s. It provided an opportunity for significant creative expression within the Black population in politics, art, music, dance, poetry, literature and theater. One of the leaders of this artistic movement was the novelist and poet Langston Hughes, who is revered for his first poetry collection, The Weary Blues. Published in 1926, it is a hallmark of the Harlem Renaissance. His poetry connected to the complexity of the Black experience, and he would often perform it accompanied by jazz musicians in Harlem clubs and on the tour circuit.
The event is produced by Joseph Maita, former Board President of PDX Jazz and editor-in-chief of the website Jerry Jazz Musician (www.jerryjazzmusician.com), which celebrates the history and culture of jazz music. “I have always felt that understanding the complexity of Black history helps us all better understand American history, and ultimately ourselves,” he said, “and Portland lacks immersive theatrical experiences that focus on Black history and the figures central to the Harlem Renaissance, which is one of the most important artist movements in 20th Century America. This event will be the signature event of Black History Month in Portland, one that will raise awareness of Hughes – an historic Black American who made evergreen contributions to the arts – because it will provide an experience for Portland that demonstrates the complexity of life in the years prior to the civil rights movement. This is a show Portland is ready for.”
The show’s director, Rhonda R. Dorsett, has an extensive background in theatrical design, with creative credits on and off Broadway and in corporate theatre. She will utilize her extensive experience to create a visual collaboration with the performance poetry and jazz music. “The images we display on screen during the musical/poetry performances will tell the story of the Harlem that Black Americans migrated to, and in which artists like Hughes emerged,” she said. “We are confident our event will be a wonderfully enriching evening, and designing a collaborative relationship between entertainment and Black history for the audience to take home with them is an exciting and critical goal of ours.”
Emmett Wheatfall – twice nominated Oregon poet laureate, whose versatile poetics has earned him acclaim – believes this opportunity to read Hughes’ poetry pays homage to one of America’s greatest poets. “I feel my poetry journey has made possible the opportunity to be featured in this signature Black History event. Reading Hughes’ poetry accompanied by Christopher Brown’s jazz quartet is an incredible opportunity to introduce the audience to Langston Hughes and his historic rhythmic poetry.”
The drummer and musical director Brown sees the opportunity to lead the band as one that will “offer the musicians a chance to revere a prominent Black literary figure while also offering challenges that come with playing with a performance poet. This experience has drawn together the top jazz musicians in Portland and will encourage us to uncover interesting creative avenues within us. We are extremely excited to be musical collaborators for this unique event.”
Terry Currier, Board President of The Oregon Music Hall of Fame and owner of Music Millennium says that he is “proud to be sponsors of this event. Joe’s experience as PDX Jazz Board Chair for several years and Rhonda’s talent for directing unique theatrical experiences, combined with the enormous talent on stage ensures this will be an evening of distinction. I expect our collaboration will greatly benefit the programs of the Oregon Music Hall of Fame.”
The Alberta Abbey is located in the heart of the historic Albina neighborhood in Northeast Portland, and is dedicated to celebrating community through live music and cultural programming, and to nurturing the creative, visual and performing arts in N/NE Portland by amplifying opportunities for Black and underrepresented communities. In addition to its 350 seat auditorium, the Abbey has a café with small bites and a full bar. The producers of the show intend to offer cocktails with a Harlem Renaissance theme.
Alberta Abbey/126 NE Alberta Street/Portland, OR 97211
- What: “THE WEARY BLUES” Celebrating Langston Hughes & the Harlem Renaissance
- Where: The Alberta Abbey, Portland, OR
- When: February 7, 2025 @7:30 PM. Maude Hines will speak @ 6:30 PM
- Tickets: On sale mid-December
- Performers: Emmett Wheatfall (Spoken Word Poet); The Christopher Brown Quartet, featuring Darrell Grant, Garrett Baxter, and Noah Simpson
- Producer: Joseph Maita [email protected]
- Director: Rhonda R. Dorsett [email protected]
Tickets: https://www.albertaabbey.org/calendar
Three tiers of seating available: Reserved/General Admission/Student
Emmett Wheatfall is a multi-talented poet and recording artist based in Portland, Oregon. Twice nominated for Oregon Poet Laureate and recipient of the 2024 Oregon Poetry Association Patricia Ruth Banta Award, his work explores social truths and personal identity. He has published multiple poetry collections and released four albums and five singles of poetry recorded to music. Wheatfall bridges poetry and music, creating both lyrical and non-lyrical spoken word recordings, and performs widely in jazz and blues venues, weaving art, faith, and activism.
Portland native Christopher Brown is a musician, composer, bandleader, educator, and 20-year military veteran who seeks to be a voice within the advocacy of Jazz and American culture. Following his 13-year tenure on the NYC Jazz scene, he now serves as the Jazz drums instructor at PSU, leader of the Metropolitan Youth Symphony’s Jazz program, and the creator of an education initiative for High School musicians entitled “Behind the Scene” with support from Montavilla Jazz. His performance credits include artists such as Beyonce, Roy Hargrove, Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Esperanza Spalding, Benny Golson, David Sanborn, Mel Brown and more.
Darrell Grant has built a reputation as a pianist, composer, and educator, channeling the power of music to make change. He has performed throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe and recently made his debut as a soloist with the Oregon Symphony. Dedicated to themes of hope, community, and place, Grant’s compositions include Step by Step: The Ruby Bridges Suite; The Territory, inspired by Oregon’s history; and Sanctuaries, a jazz chamber opera exploring gentrification. He directs the one-of-a-kind Social Justice & the Arts degree program at Portland State University.
Garrett Baxter is an important fixture in the Oregon jazz community. Garrett has performed in bands led by Alan Jones, George Colligan, Domo Branch, Noah Simpson, Randy Porter, Mike Gamble, Christopher Brown, Kerry Politzer, Charlie Porter, Michael Raynor, and more. He has performed with the WDR Big Band in Cologne, Germany, and has had the privilege of touring internationally with Andy Middleton in 2023, and with the Oregon Jazz Ensemble in 2018. He has also performed with artists such as Gilad Hekselman, Allison Miller, Kevin Hays, Geoffrey Keezer, Camille Thurman, Benny Benack, Dick Oatts, Greg Ward, Jonathan Pinson, Sasha Berliner, Martina DaSilva, Caroline Davis, Yoav Eshed, Jaleel Shaw, Bruce Williams, Clay Jenkins, Mike Lee, and Javon Jackson. In 2020, he received the Outstanding Jazz Studies Undergraduate award while attending the University of Oregon. In addition to freelancing, Garrett teaches private lessons to all ages, and has given masterclasses to middle schools, high schools, and Universities across Oregon, Washington and Vienna, Austria.
Noah Simpson is a trumpet player, composer, and producer currently based in the PNW. Originally from Phoenix, Noah started his music education at Scottsdale Community College, and would finish at Portland State University. Simpson’s modern approach to trumpet playing and improvisation is described as energetic, dynamic, and attentive. While currently teaching at Reed College and George Fox University, he frequently collaborates with artists like George Colligan, Alan Jones, Domo Branch, and other PNW natives. He’s also worked with artist like George Benson, Bernard Purdie, Alex Acuna, and Ron Artis II. Currently he’s producing AR location based media under the As:Is label.
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