“Blue Note will never be the same,” said rapper, producer, and songwriter Wyclef Jean to a sold-out crowd at the Blue Note Jazz Club in Manhattan, kicking off a weekend residency at the famed venue on September 11 — and he was right. The Grammy Award-winning artist who is responsible for producing chart topping hits that include Santana’s “Maria Maria,” and Shakira’s “Hips Don’t Lie,” along with being a member of influential hip-hop group, The Fugees, delivered an energetic, connective performance to a crowd that couldn’t help but get up from their seats to dance.
“Fusion” may not be the first word audiences associate with Wyclef Jean, but the artist challenged contemporary definitions of the genre on Thursday, showcasing a unique blend of styles that illustrated the deep cultural connection between American, African and Hispanic music. Jean, who began the set walking through the audience and freestyling, has always been successful in bridging the gap between genres, injecting elements of reggae, jazz, rock and Afro-Cuban rhythms into hip-hop, while drawing influence from his upbringing in a Haitian household amidst the urban streets of Newark and West Orange, New Jersey.
Jean was joined on Thursday by drummer Emmanuel Laine, bassist Emanuel Washington, Patrick Pelissier and Branden J Washington on keys, horn players Jon Altino and Jephte Guillaume, percussionists Rodney Fleurimont and Jean Mary Brignol, and vocalists Lynette Rhett, Keirsten Hodgens and Kayla Carpenter. The ensemble reinterpreted a slew of tunes across Jean’s career, including “If I Was President,” which was originally performed on “Chappelle’s Show,” and “Gone Til November,” which appeared on Jean’s landmark 1997 release, The Carnival. Jean cultivated an environment of family-friendly fun, taking time in between songs to crack jokes and tell stories about being Haitian (the reason he agreed to let DJ Khaled sample “Maria Maria” for “90%”), Bob Dylan appearing in the video for “Gone Til November” (“Bob Dylan don’t even show up for his own son’s music video,” said record execs when he came up with the idea, according to Jean), and the presence of food at the show, even eating a slice of bread from an audience member’s plate in the front row (“Haitians love bread, we don’t fuck with the dogs and cats,” said Wyclef). He frequently called out to friends and family members in the audience, reporting legendary music mogul Clive Davis’ attendance at an earlier 8 p.m. set, and beckoning to his cousin and Haitian producer Jerry Wonda, who produced the Fugees’ seminal work The Score. Wonda was among the special guests who joined Jean onstage, laying down fat bass riffs on reimagined versions of “Maria Maria,” and “Hips Don’t Lie.”
The inclusivity and fun were a welcome respite from the chaos and divide that permeated through the city on the 24th anniversary of the 2001 September 11 attacks, and in the wake of the Charlie Kirk shooting that has polarized Americans across the political spectrum. Jean pleaded for an end to the violence with songs like “Gunpowder,” and paid tribute to the first responders who aided during the 2001 tragedy. Whatever was happening in the world outside, unity, togetherness and connection were present in the Blue Note as Wyclef Jean joined the audience on the floor in song.
You can stay up to date with Blue Note programs at their bluenotejazz.com, and stream Wyclef Jean’s latest single on Spotify.
What an awesome collaboration! Shakira and Wycleaf Jean, “Hips Don’t Lie.”