The multi-talented Damien Sneed brings an all-out Gospel Extravaganza to Miller Theatre on Friday, February 26. Below he previews the concert, and gives us the lowdown on what he’s been up to lately.
Describe what we’ll hear on February 26.
It’s a Gospel Extravaganza because these are all songs that have shaped my musical style. It’s starting off with songs from childhood and my experience and exposure to different genres, like jazz, classical, and gospel. There’ll be the jazz song, A Child is Born; Reading Rainbow — for which we’ll be joined by members of Wynton Marsalis’ band; and then some inspirational songs over an up-tempo swing rhythm; and finally spirituals arranged for piano and voice, which are really, really amazing. It’s sort of like a journey. And also I must say that many of the songs are original compositions.
You mentioned one of the tunes is Reading Rainbow, you mean the theme song from the TV show?
Yes, yes – that is one of my favorite songs!
As far as gospel music, which gospel artists have had a big influence on you?
Definitely I’d say Richard Smallwood. He went to the same school that I went to, Howard University, and he’s taken gospel music and created a sound with classical influences like using orchestra, and playing in a classical or a baroque style.
Also another one is Twinkie Clark, of the Clark Sisters. She went to Howard as well, and plays gospel and jazz and classical, but her style is very jazzy – lots of nice, tight, rich harmonies – so she really shaped my vocal ear.
You perform and compose so many different kinds of music. How does that inform the way you approach gospel music? How would you describe your own gospel style?
I could call it sort of like a chameleon. It’s hard, I can’t describe myself because when people have a new sound or they have their own voice, people in the arts say, “They’re a mixture of this and that.” So I guess you could say I’m a mixture of the people I look up to.
Recently you’ve worked with Jessye Norman and Wynton Marsalis. What does it feel like to work with such musical greats?
What’s so strange is that everybody I’ve ever looked up to in any genre – everybody who has had an influence on me, I listened to them on recordings, I read about them in biographies – I’ve had a chance to not just meet all these people but to have a personal relationship with them and I’ve had the chance to perform with them multiple times.
Over this past summer you conducted Wynton Marsalis and his band at Jazz at Lincoln Center. You tweeted, “I'm sitting in my dressing room here at JALC about to conduct Wynton Marsalis & JLCO in tears and awe at all that God has done in my life!!!” What else can you tell us about that experience - or does that pretty much sum it up?
It was amazing, because you know, Wynton very rarely has someone conduct him. I always looked up to him as a child. My father didn’t live to get to see that. During one of the rehearsals Wynton started talking about how he met me and he remembered my parents. It was a wonderful experience for both of us.
You seem to be constantly working and on the go – tell us about what you’ve been up to lately.
I turned 30 last year on January 30. At midnight, I got an email from Jessye Norman saying, “I would love for you to accompany me to D.C. for a performance. I want you to arrange a spiritual and I’d also like for you to play for me. It’s for President Obama and Michelle Obama, for the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth.” We did that in February. You have no idea how that made me feel, like a birthday gift for my thirtieth. And the next week, Wycliffe [Gordon] asked me to do the show [at Miller Theatre] in February…and that’s when Melissa came up to me and asked me about doing a show myself this year.
Recently I also produced and sang background, played piano, and did the musical arranging for a song by Vickie Wynans – it got nominated for a Grammy, and it’s been number one on the Billboard charts for a couple of months.
That is a ton to happen in one year! How do you follow that, what are you looking forward to in 2010?
I’m supposed to be doing a TV show on BET for six or seven weeks, Sunday Best, coming up in March and April. That’s an exciting thing coming as well. It’s like an American Idol – type competition. I’ll be appearing on the show playing, and I’ll be doing a lot of arranging and scoring songs for the show.
I’m really excited about Introspections. [A live album of the February 26 concert to be released at a future date.] Wycliffe wants this album to be on his label. Having the chance in one year to perform with Jessye Norman, Wynton Marsalis, and Wycliffe Gordon, to perform for the President twice, and to have the wonderful opportunity to be the headliner for Miller Theatre – it’s just ridiculous! It’s a surreal experience, to be totally honest.
Interview by Denise Blostein
