“The words, the music, the personality—it all just flows as naturally and easily and powerfully as waves breaking upon an inviting shore.” —Talkin’ Broadway
A genre-melding, blues-rock song cycle, Notes of a Native Song celebrates James Baldwin, a leading African American writer and activist of the mid-20th century, whose work explored the inherent complexities of Western racial, sexual, and class distinctions. Rather than an exploration of Baldwin himself, the show is conceived as Stew’s reaction to Baldwin’s work—a demonstration of the impact the writer continues to have on black artists today. Backed by a full band with longtime collaborator Heidi Rodewald, multimedia projections, video and commentary, a driving rock rhythm with jazz elements, along with thought-provoking and sometimes humorous lyrics, the work demonstrates the often unspoken bond between contemporary artists and those who have gone before, and speaks to the evolution of art shared over time.
Featuring Stew & the Negro Problem
Text and Lyrics by Stew
Music by Stew and Heidi Rodewald