Salters Scene: Summer Stage 2010- Gil Scott-Heron

Gil Scott-Heron

Derrick Hodge and DJ Brainchild warmed up an already hot audience for the Gil Scott-Heron & Special Guests show on Sunday June 27th .  Scott-Heron smoothly walked on stage alone to a warm reception.  Before jumping into the music, Scott-Heron wanted to interact with his fans a bit.  He talked about his time away from society and some less than pleasant things critics have said about his latest release I’m Hear.  

To the crowd’s delight,  he opened the set with “Blue Collar” off of the Moving Target release.  Then slowing down the pace, he went into “Winter in America” off the Winter in America release.  

Taking a quick break in the music, Scott-Heron told a couple of funny stories before the band joined him on stage:  Kim Jordan on piano, Tony Duncanson on bongos, Glenn Turner on keyboards and harmonica and Carl Cornrow on saxophone.   With everyone now in place,  the musical journey for the rest of the afternoon was set with the groovy, hand-clapping song  “Is That Jazz.”  

Common

Scott-Heron could not praise his band members enough.  At one point during the set he left the stage so that the band could play a Kim Jordan tune.  After returning to the stage for a couple of other songs, Scott-Heron introduced a special guest to join the set: Hip-Hop Artist and Actor Lonnie Rashid Lynn  aka Common.  He went into his part of “My Way Home” from the Kanye West release Late Registration, which then led Common into freestylin’.  

Common and Gil Scott-Heron

You never know who is going to pop up and join a scheduled performer at Central Park’s Summer Stage.  

Check out the schedule for coming shows at www.summerstage.com