BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. — Drawing from his life and repertoire as an Afrofuturist, oro-shamanic, Black gay poet, and jazz bass clarinetist, Toussaint St. Negritude presents a dynamic solo performance of liberational truth-telling, collaboratively pairing the call of his poetry with the intuitive responses of the bass clarinet and additional instrumentation. Along with the music and poetry, Toussaint further extends the experience visually with his own hand-made hats and accompanying attire. As is the tradition of all black and queer artistry, Toussaint St. Negritude summons the soul to be held, heard and seen.
Former poet laureate of Belfast, Maine, poet, bass clarinetist, and composer Toussaint St. Negritude conjures whole liberations in full tempo. U.S. poet laureate Gwendolyn Brooks described his work as “full of sweet sounds and surprises.” Originally from San Francisco, Toussaint has lived and broadly thrived across the African diaspora, from the sacred mountains of Haiti, to the Coltrane District of North Philadelphia. He, along with bassist Gahlord Dewald, is the leader of the band Jaguar Stereo!, a free-form ensemble of his own poetry and improvisational jazz, and his works have been widely published and recorded for over 40 years. On an alpine sanctuary facing east, Toussaint St. Negritude continues to thrive in the farthest elevations of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom.
Tickets can be purchased in advance or at the door at Stage 33 Live, 33 Bridge Street in Bellows Falls, Vt., on Sunday, May 7, 2023, at 7 p.m. There will be no opener, so plan on a timely arrival. Seating is limited. This event will be recorded and filmed.
The Covid protocol will be the guidelines in effect in the community on show day; currently the guidance is that masks are optional, which may change without notice. Please do not attend if experiencing respiratory virus symptoms. A pair of high-capacity air purifiers will be running.
Stage 33 Live is a casual and intimate industrial-rustic listening room in a former factory, hosting local, regional, and national performances and presentations of original material. No bar or kitchen, the stage is the mission. Coffee, soda, juice, water and snacks are available by donation. More information about the nonprofit, all-volunteer project, and this and other upcoming events online at www.stage33live.com.
Stage 33 Live gratefully acknowledges the help of so many individuals without whom none of this would be happening, and institutional support this season from The Island Corporation, the Vermont Arts Council, the Bellows Falls Opera House, the Rockingham Arts & Museum Project, and WOOL-FM that helped fund improvements and maintenance, and generally smooth out a lot of the rough edges. Stage 33 Live is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, and all donations are deductible to the fullest extent. Volunteers run the thing from stem to stern.