By Elizabeth Howard
Episode Summary
For years, Jeannine Otis, jazz pianist, vocalist, conductor, and educator, has used music and poetry to bring healing into communities in crisis, including prisons, community centers, and churches. In this episode of the Short Fuse, Jeannine talks with Elizabeth Howard about her musical career and theater piece Living With Hope, developed from a writing workshop based on Otis’s book The Gathering: City Prayers, City Hopes.
Otis was born and raised in Detroit, and now lives in Staten Island. She has been a singular and substantial voice for four decades, drawing equally from jazz, classical, dance, gospel, and pop genres. New York Times critic Anthony Tommasini described Otis as a “show-stopper” in the role of Ella Worker in Downtown Music Production’s staging of The Cradle Will Rock. She is a graduate of Wellesley College (Presser Music Scholar), the only African-American to win that award. She also holds a masters degree from Emerson College in Boston, where she was a teaching fellow.
Jeannine has toured as a vocalist with many distinguished artists, including Donald Byrd, Grover Washington Jr., Vishnu Wood, and Arthur Prysock, among many others. She is the music director of St. Mark’s in the Bowery in New York City. The episode also features a 2020 performance recorded at St. Mark’s Church in the Bowery of “All Good Gifts,” performed by Rufus Muller, written by Matthias Claudius; part of the Uniquely St. Mark’s series; music director, Jeannine Otis.
Episode Notes
Jeannine Otis was born and raised in Detroit, and now lives in Staten Island. She has been a singular and substantial voice for four decades, drawing equally from jazz, classical, dance, gospel and pop genres.
New York Times critic Anthony Tommasini described Otis as a “show-stopper” in the role of Ella Worker in Downtown Music Production’s staging of The Cradle Will Rock.
She is a graduate of Wellesley College (Presser Music Scholar) — the only African American to win that award — and she also holds a masters degree from Emerson College in Boston, where she was a teaching fellow.
She has toured as a vocalist with many distinguished artists including Donald Byrd, Grover Washington Jr., Vishnu Wood, and Arthur Prysock, among many others. She is the music director of St. Mark’s in the Bowery Church in New York City.
Jeannine Otis would like to recognize:
St. Mark’s Church in the Bowery
THE SUNDOG THEATER FAMILY
The SOUNDTRACKS PROGRAM
Jewish Community Center of Staten Island
Bruce Jones
Dr. Theddia Jones JJe
Susan Fenley, Victoria Collela, Ellen Petillo, Poet Gold (SUNDOG), and Ela Seeley (JCC)
Elizabeth Howard is the host and the producer of the Short Fuse Podcast. For her, there are no barriers between her life, work, art, and writing. She seeks collaboration, flexibility, spontaneity and responsiveness in the projects she designs and completes. As the host of the Short Fuse podcast she draws individuals into lively and provocative conversations around the arts: dance, theater, literature, music, and film.
Alex Waters is a media producer and editor for the Short Fuse Podcast, a music producer, and Berklee College of Music student. He has written and produced music and edited for podcasts such as The Faith and Chai Podcast and Con Confianza. He produces his own, as well as writes music and records for independent artists such as The Living. Alex lives in Brooklyn. You can reach him with inquiries by emailing alexwatersmusic12@gmail.com.
The Short Fuse Podcast is produced by the Arts Fuse. Email: theshortfusepodcast@gmail.com
The Arts Fuse was established in June, 2007 as a curated, independent online arts magazine dedicated to publishing in-depth criticism, along with high quality previews, interviews, and commentaries. The publication’s over 60 freelance critics (many of them with decades of experience) cover dance, film, food, literature, music, television, theater, video games, and visual arts.
JEANNINE OTIS says
Grateful to Elizabeth and her team for doing this PODCAST