Songs from Lady Bird by Tangria Jazz Group

Tangria has put its unique stamp on many of the jazz pieces from the book, and, with an original by Sheryl Mebane added in from the world of percussion, Songs from Lady Bird stands alone as a journey in its own right or as an audio accompaniment to the book.

An Introduction to Lady Bird

“A harmonica moaned, reaching deep inside. Down-home bass throbbed from the radio to her chest. Honey locked into the steady pulse, released into its space, exhaled.”

With one breath, Lady Bird, a story of three women begins in word and sound. Honey, a songbird of rare quality, soars out of segregated Eastern North Carolina only to face deep betrayal and the high price of her talent. Her daughter Passion writhes under Honey’s shadow, taking dangerous turns to avoid the musical salvation that is her birthright. At a desperate time, a straight-laced stranger named Freida enters Passion’s world and becomes, in one afternoon in Brooklyn , the chance for peace that Honey defies death to seize. In the final section, “Naming thunder and wind,” Freida’s past threatens Honey’s supernatural intervention in a struggle for Freida’s identity and her newly freed heart.

Through the power of the women’s tales, the novel follows the fourth central character, the music. Each chapter is a song, building into three sets that form the lyric soul of the women’s lives, tracing the legacy of the music with the complexity and varied pace of jazz. http://www.pearlstreetpublishing.com/LadyBird.htm

Tangria's Band Bio

The Tangria Jazz Group is acclaimed as one of the future jewels of the Bay Area jazz scene. This group’s unique blend of fire, intensity and sensitivity sets them apart, moving audiences to new heights and drawing them in to the closest confines of intimacy. Formed in the spring of 1997, the Tangria Jazz Group has developed a rich, captivating sound that brings new contributions to bear upon the genres of Latin and straight-ahead jazz.

Each player brings an individual style — and impressive talent — to the group, always keeping Tangria’s sound interesting and dynamic. Their influences range from Ellington to Jobim, from Miles Davis to Joe Henderson. Simon Rochester on Rhodes piano draws upon the intricate and lush contributions left by Herbie Hancock and Bill Evans; the intensity and explosiveness of Tony Williams and the delicateness of Billy Higgins are apparent in drummer Sheryl Mebane’s playing; and the melodic and soulful contributions of bass players Ray Brown and Rufus Reid are brought forth in Justin Hellman’s playing. Despite their influences, you’ll also hear freshness, personal expression, and a unique identity, especially in their original compositions.

The Tangria Jazz Group is soon to become a fixture in the Bay Area jazz scene. Their playing, their sound, their remarkable music is an important addition to our jazz community and is rapidly finding a place in the hearts of jazz aficionados throughout the area. We hope you enjoy the music and sounds of the Tangria Jazz Group and all that they have to offer.

We hope you enjoy the music and sounds of the Tangria Jazz Group.

Extensive Tangria bio

Justin Hellman has a bachelor's degree in music from UC Berkeley, where he studied with Steve Coleman and Henry Threadgill. He has also studied privately with Michael Manring, Kai Eckhardt, and Stephen Tramontozzi for several years. He has performed at countless venues in the Bay Area including the Sweetwater, the Boom Boom Room, and at the High Sierra Music Festival. Over the years, Hellman has performed with Bay Area greats like saxophonist Paul McCandless, bassoonist Paul Hansen, and guitarist Will Bernard.

Sheryl Mebane was born and grew up in North Carolina. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she minored in Creative Writing and began writing music with the UNC percussion ensemble. She joined the Tangria Jazz Group around 2001. Sheryl also performs with Bekka’s Frogland Orchestra and jazz groups in California and North Carolina. She filed her doctoral dissertation in chemistry at the University of California at Berkeley in the fall of 2003. Her first novel, Lady Bird, was released in summer 2003.

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Born and raised in the Bay Area, keyboardist Simon Rochester has been on the local music scene since his stint as the lounge pianist at the Palo Alto Holiday Inn when he was 15. At U.C. Berkeley, while majoring in math and physics and minoring in music, Simon formed 9-piece funk/soul band !Tang with fellow members of the U.C. jazz and marching band programs. !Tang, for the next 10 years, played in most every notable Bay Area club and produced three albums. In addition to the Tangria Jazz Group, Simon currently plays in the Latrells with former Tang lead vocalist Uncle Ray. Simon is a physics doctoral student at U.C. Berkeley and dabbles in graphic and web design.

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