The Last Days of the Black Elks Hall in Bronzeville..

A Once Sacred Place in a Once Sacred Space ..

is now reduced 

2 a pile of rubble …

A rubble of red bricks

now sit on the spot 

at the end of my block

A pile of red bricks 

that sit unknown 

against the night  sky

as I

pull the car up to see  

the crime .. up close...

A murder in the night…

There’s no red tape around the corpse.. but 

It still feels like a death in the darkness... 

where someone took away my heart and my soul...

Yes … my  Big little “Red Schoolhouse’..

The Elks Hall…

Where they used to  hold “Elks Affairs”

With B.B. King as a headliner

 Where they dressed in their best.. 

With  beautiful fur collars and 2 inch heels.

And Dobb hats

The end of an era..

of important Black Elks who started  up in  Bronzeville

back in the day.

I remember the cars that lined the block and  

how the lots were full when there was an “Elks Affair..

I remember when guitarist, George Freeman, brother of Von Freeman..

and Byron Barbour  and Terry Norman ... played gigs there.

I remember after many years,… when the Elks  had gone.. 

and the Temple of the African Community  came...

With  Dr Jake Carruthers as their  leader,

we looked forward to the works of the Kemetic Institue

but .. alas.. he passed away 

and the dreams seemed to leave with him..

because the building was never brought to the original vision.

I  came to say  goodbye 

To a piece of my light…

A part of my family history

Growing up on the block..since 1966

Growing up...

knowing 

that 

I could go get some 

Jays potato chips... and a pop..

and watch the elders talk ... 

about important  'things' that elders talk about..

and feel safe...

 knowing that the BIG RED BUILDING  stood

at the  end of the street

 towering  like a big red Fortress 
protecting 'Short Vernon from the  Hawk,

 the folks...

and that it had a history ...

but now it's

Reduced to nothingness... 

against the night sky

It’ s cold… and I stare and stare

before taking a picture

I am alone..

Feeling some kind of way…

 like a lone warrior who cared…

 like a Bronzevillian Shogun

who guarded ... the Stable... 

who watched  over...

and groomed and  

maintained the grounds.

I know I tried..  

to imagine  

a school for the Arts

The children inside ..

a place of learning

filled with music  again..

with community again..

learning about the beauty, the history that we

have in Bronzeville

and interfacing that history with  the world..

The world who always came to visit 43rd St

They  would  stop  at my door 

to learn about the Checkerboard Blues club...

And they would always ask 

"What y'all going to do with that Big Red Building 

at the end of the block?

And I would  always say..

"Some of  us would love to see it become a  

Historical  place of learning.."

A place where the Arts & Technology can flourish...
Where literacy can rise..

But what really happens 2 a dream when it gets no support

Too little.. too late…

No support from those..

who have cultural roots here

 but No imagination..

No love.. 
No Interest..

For a Stable built in the 1890’s
surrounded by cobblestones...

With a rich history..

I’m  having  a flashback

A FLASH BLACK  

2  a whole 'nother time..

In Bronzeville 

On 'short Vernon

 Which is the nickname 
for this block on 43rd St..
because it is only one block long...
on Muddy Waters Drive

With its own rich history..

A flashback to when they tore the Checkerboard down..

As I watched  from the window…

It was a long time coming…

And it hurt just as much..

By Aki Antonia c2018 12418

Denise Thimes.. A Musical Raconteur at Winters Jazz Club

Vocalist, Denise Thimes appeared in a Tribute to Nina Simone  

at Winters Jazz Club on July 6 and 7th, 2018.

On a sold out Saturday night in the summer in Chicago…

Denise Thimes was ON … like 3 neck bones!… 

Shimmering…Shining..

Poignant and Mesmerizing..

Regal… Sensual  and Sophisticated…

Soulful…Mournful …Saucy and Humorous!     

She was Oh so commanding and oh sO real… 

Denise was all of the above in the intimate setting of the 

new Winters Jazz Club as she performed her compelling 

hommage to Nina Simone…

A storyteller is a storyteller and a good  vocalist is expected to sing a musical story… 

but a Raconteur is “someone who can regale his or her listeners with riveting stories, usually funny, sometimes dramatic”.

Denise Thimes is a masterful storyteller… 

a musical raconteur…  who pulled us into the turbulent waters of Nina’s musical journey of love…social justice and compassion for fellow men and women.

She WAS riveting… as she regaled us… 

through many emotional moods all evening.

She seemed to channel Nina Simone’s spirit as she sang…

and we were drawn into the deeper meaning of Nina’s lyrics in such a way that this concert begin to feel like we were at a Jazz theatre in the round. 

No one had told me that Denise Thimes 

was also a gourmet musical chef!

And...at this concert,…. she put on the pot!  

She cooked up her music like a succulent gumbo .. 

stirring up a sensual and spicy musical roux  

peppered with Nina’s outrage and songs of Freedom…

Then on the side …

she added some St Louis styled ribs with sauce…

while channeling Bessie Smith & Nina  

and an ‘Old Soul ‘ version of herself….

singing thangs like……

I want  a little sugar 

In my bowl

I want a little sweetness

Down in my soul

I could stand some lovin'

Oh so bad

I feel so funny and I feel so sad…

I want a Little Sugar in my bowl

Please.......give me some sugar….

Um um umph!  

It was so good, we were licking our  fingers…

Accompanied by a  superb band , a mixture of  incredibly musical ….musicians from St Louis and Chicago,  she started her performance with  Simone’s ‘Aint Got No, I’ve Got  Life…

At the beginning of the song, 
the words sounded campy and depressing...  

“I ain't got no home, ain't got no shoes

Ain't got no money, ain't got no class

Ain't got no skirts, ain't got no sweater

Ain't got no perfume, ain't got no bed

Ain't got no man”

but 
by the end of the song... 
the winds had changed...
ands she began to roar the words
loudly..

I got my arms, got my hands!

Got my fingers, got my legs!

Got my feet, got my toes!

Got my liver, got my blood!

I've got life! 

I've got my freedom!

I've got life!

I've got the life!

And I'm going to keep it!

I've got the life!

Words that reminds us to appreciate all that we do have…

From the moment she entered the room of  listeners.. 

we were under her spell.. 

I Put  A Spell On You…

And she told us we were under her spell..  

that she had  put a spell on us  

Why?  she said “Because you’re mine! “

(Silly me I had thought she was singing to a man… but no!  

She had us all enthralled from the first  note!)

And then she enthralled us more..
with the song 

Four Women… 
a song I have heard sung many times,
but... not sung like that! 

Four Women who had a story to tell..

Four Women ...

Aunt Sarah, 

Saffronia, 

Sweet Thing  

Peaches…

When Denise SANG their stories, 
she went in deep...

she stepped inside their characters and brought each one to life. 

At the end, she received a standing ovation… 

and a tip!

My Skin Is  Black!

My  n….a....m….e    is Aunt Sarah!

Yes! She is a serious musical ranconteur.

From gut-bucket to church!

And her quintet was superb! Subtle and potent, they were the perfect accompaniment , while each band member had the musical chops and skills to fire up the whole room when they took a solo!

  

She brought in a highly skilled music director/pianist, 
Adaron "Pops" Jackson and a funky bassist, John King  
from St. Louis, and seasoned up the rest of the quintet with two experienced  Chicagoans, the fiery jazz drummer, Charles Heath and the smooth stylizations of guitarist, Henry Johnson. 

Johnson is a well known Jazz guitarist in the tradition of  

Wes Montgomery and George Benson.

He has performed in many Chicago Jazz venues including the Jazz Bulls Club, Andy’s, Rick’s  Cafe Americane’ and tours with pianist, Ramsey Lewis. 

Guitarist, Johnson has performed on several of his own albums and has played with many performers including  

Jack McDuff, Hank Crawford, Freddie Hubbard, Jimmy Smith, Sonny Stitt, Stanley Turrentine, Joe Williams and Nancy Wilson.

Drummer, Charles Heath’s talents have been showcased at venues and events including The Chicago Jazz Festival, the Chicago Jazz Showcase, Birdland  in Canada, The Blue Note , Poznan, Poland and Tokyo, Japan.

He also served as the resident drummer with the national tour of Oprah Winfrey and Quincy Jones' theater production of "The Color Purple" and currently as the drummer for pianist and jazz legend Ramsey Lewis

The pianist, Adaron "Pops" Jackson  
transported us back in time to a club in our mind….

where the tinkle of piano riffs and runs 
coupled with Thimes big saucy voice 
had us snapping our fingers…

and singing back and forth in call and response… 

With just right mix on the ivories of Earl Father Hines 
and Count Basie riffs.. 

I thought I was in a juke joint and a supper club…

The bassist, John King was so tasty, 
I wanted to get some fries with all that St Louis rub... 
he had going on those bass strings…

She’s from St Louis , Missouri and she  told us with a bit of an accent, “ We put an R in everythang!   

She also told us she was happy to be in Chicago; 
that she is moving to Chicago ....
Then she showed out...
by sliding into some serious low-down and dirty blues… "

" ’cause you can’t be in Chicago and not ’sang’ some blues!”

Denise Thimes had the guitarist, Henry Johnson playing solos with so much grease on the strings a la Chicago blues style,

I thought I had walked in on Howling Wolf at Theresa’s Blues Club back in the day!

Denise Thimes is an enchanting performer who kept us mesmerized at both of her shows in tribute to Nina Simone at Winters Jazz Club.

I wish I could know 

how it is 

to be free!

She took us church! 

Amen!

Had us clapping and crying!

And remembering that everything is new  

again. 

The band was so musical!

The band was so awesome!

Lovely!

Finally! 

She channels you back to a time that you wish you had been born in...

Thank you Denise Thimes for an evening of musical excellence 

we welcome you to Chicago!

Aki Antonia c 2018

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Bronzeville Arts Blog