CINCINNATI — Members of the Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra and an all-star gospel choir plan to raise the roof of the Corinthian Baptist Church this Sunday.
"If you want to clap, get out of your seat, verbally encourage us, it is really encouraged," said Eric Lechliter, the jazz orchestra's artistic director.
Lechliter along with 14 members of his jazz big band and 18 local gospel singers will perform music inspired by the classic 1963 album "We Gotta Shout." That recording featured the mostly white jazz band, the Dukes of Dixieland, performing songs with legendary African American singer Clara Ward and her fellow gospel singers.
The album was widely recognized for the cultural barriers it broke down. The concert being held at Corinthian aims to do the same with music inspired by "We Gotta Shout."
Lechliter said he originally wrote the music being performed Sunday back in 2017.
"This was one of the first projects I got to write," he said.
The orchestra and another choir first performed Lechliter's original music at Memorial Hall that year.
"I wanted to do it bigger and better," Lechliter said.
Sunday's performance will begin at 4 p.m. inside Corinthian Baptist Church with an opening performance by the Little Miami Chorale.
“We believe this music needed to be played in a church and that church should be in a historically African American neighborhood,” Lechliter said. “We couldn’t be happier that Pastor K.Z. Smith and his team at Corinthian Baptist are partnering with us.”
Corinthian Baptist Church is located at 1920 Tennessee Ave. in Bond Hill. Tickets for the performance are $20 for adults and $10 for children. They can be purchased online at www.cincinnatijazz.org.
