In between a pair of concerts in the City of Brotherly Love, Grammy-nominated future-funk pioneers Lettuce dropped in on some talented teenage musicians from Franklin Learning Center High School. The surprise visit spawned a fantastic Friday afternoon jam session dedicated to the legacy of the recently-departed Philly soul legend Frankie Beverly. Band members and students connected powerfully through the enduring magic of MAZE music.
The event came together thanks to the efforts of Live Nation and Brooklyn Bowl Philadelphia, where Lettuce uncorked two searing shows on Thursday and Friday as part of a five-night run through Jersey, Philly, and Brooklyn. The entirety of Lettuce—Nigel Hall, Adam Deitch, Adam “Shmeeans” Smirnoff, Erick “Jesus” Coomes, Ryan Zoidis, and Eric “Benny” Bloom—were in attendance, collectively captivated by the impactful experience.
Your humble narrator had the good fortune to tag along with the band and bear witness to this intergenerational collaboration. I was thrilled to check out the kids band Universal Language, and to celebrate the spirit and songbook of a sensational singer/hometown hero. Upon arrival, we were greeted by Franklin Learning Center’s Instrumental Band Director Colin Sharp, also known to students and fellow musicians as C-Sharp; he shepherded our small entourage into the band room filled with the assembled students equal parts nervous and high-on-stoke.
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“I got a phone call back on Tuesday, September 10th from Frank Machos [Executive Director for the School District of Philadelphia’s Office of the Arts and Creativity] saying he had received a call from the Live Nation PR team.” explained C-Sharp, who teaches kids from 9th–12th grades across various music classes. “Lettuce was at Brooklyn Bowl at the end of the month, and they were looking to do a high school visit on Friday, September 27th. Frank said that FLC immediately came to mind so he gave me a call.”
“From there, all I had to do was give Frank a very enthusiastic ‘Yes!’ and the ball was rolling,” Sharp continued. “At some point I got another call that Lettuce wanted to play a Frankie Beverly song with our students, so we immediately got started on ‘Before I Let Go’. The timing couldn’t have worked out better. Today was a half-day for our students, so we had plenty of flexibility to get all of our students in the same room at the same time for a big jam.”
After Thursday night’s two-set Lettuce show at Brooklyn Bowl Philadelphia, Nigel played a late-night DJ set (dedicated to Philly soul deep cuts) on the third floor of a tiny nightclub called Say No More. Yet he arrived the following morning in top form, positively delighted to mix it up with these bright young musicians of color, yearnin’ and learnin’ in a city whose musical history holds great real estate within Hall.
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Once the surprise of these funk heroes hanging in their band room fully set in, there was a palpable, vibrant energy in the air. The students—who call their Modern Band ensemble “Universal Language” (a very appropriate moniker!)—took their respective instrumental positions and started up a Bruno Mars/Bell Biv Devoe mashup (“Treasure” > “Poison”) to set things off. It was clear from the jump that these kids take their craft mighty seriously, but were still having a great time with it too.
Lettuce would join Universal Language for a heart-filling take on “Before I Let Go” by MAZE Featuring Frankie Beverly. A wave of emotion and excitement washed over everybody in the room as three different student vocalists shared lead duties, to Nigel’s visible delight. Hall clapped, coached, ad-libbed, and harmonized with a huge grin, while the rest of Lettuce joyfully followed these fly youngsters through the timeless number.
Nigel Hall counts Frankie Beverly on the shortlist of his biggest influences, and has performed his songs in numerous bands and combinations over the years. Hall was clearly touched by the passion and dedication of these student musicians. He demonstratively enjoyed the young musicians’ efforts, & eventually chimed in on vocals towards the end of “Before I Let Go”, turning a few heads with his heavenly harmonies.
Nigel Hall (Lettuce) Talks To High School Student Musicians In Philly About His Hero, Frankie Beverly – 9/27/24
Then Nigel stepped up and delivered an inspirational, emotional, spiritual benediction on what Frankie Beverly meant to him. Hall credits the iconic bandleader and vocalist with giving him the inner courage to step into himself—and his voice—as a singer and human being. For roughly four minutes, Nigel held us all—the students, teachers, aids, Lettuce bandmates, and we lucky stragglers—in the palm of his hand as he summoned something super special from within himself, a side of Nigel I hadn’t often experienced in public. Lettuce bassist Jesus Coomes also chimed in with some poignant pontifications on the unifying power of MAZE music.
To close out this incredible coalescence of cultures, the full Lettuce sextet sat down at the instruments about the classroom (a mixture of their own and the school’s) and unveiled a majestic reading of “Happy Feelings”. A song that Nigel has covered numerous times over the years in a variety of settings, and performed by Lettuce of late as a terrific testimonial in the tailwind of Beverly’s transition to the great gig in the sky. As Nigel dug deep to channel the essence of his hero, the band followed suit with aplomb, and the group delivered a rousing rendition of “Happy Feelings” that nobody present will ever forget.
Lettuce – “Happy Feelings” (MAZE) – 9/27/24 – Live @ Franklin Learning Center High School In Philadelphia
After the session wrapped up, Lettuce took some time to meet the high school musicians, share wisdom, sign autographs, and snap a few photos to commemorate this special occasion. Since he was a major cog in the wheel of these happenings, I tracked down Colin Sharp, the Instrumental Band Director at Franklin Learning Center, for his immediate reflections on what we shared that day.
“This morning was a surreal experience. I remember when a buddy of mine introduced me to Lettuce in college, specifically the song ‘Squadlive’ on their 2002 album Outta Here. For me, that was the beginning of a journey into funk music that continues to this day. Today felt like the culmination of both that journey and my journey as an educator, more specifically as a Modern Band educator,” said Sharp.
“We’re still in the first month of the school year, so some of our students are new to their instruments and some of them are nervous to play in front of a group, but today none of that mattered. Lettuce came into the room with a positive and supportive energy that allowed for any of our students, beginner or advanced, to feel comfortable jumping in and jamming,” Sharp continued.
“Seeing the students playing their instruments, singing, and smiling leaves me thinking that Lettuce probably started a journey for many of them too, just as Lettuce had unknowingly done for me so many years ago. This was a beautiful, full-circle moment so I just want to say thank you again to the band, Live Nation, the Brooklyn Bowl, Frank Machos and the Office of Arts and Creativity, and the incredible music staff and administration at FLC for working together to make this happen,” Sharp concluded.
Universal Language is:
Isabella Longoria-Mendoza – Drums
Roberto Mena – Drums
Jadon Spencer – Bass
Devon Trusty – Guitar
Joseph Castro – Keys
Emmily Calaca – Trombone
Madison Staton – Flute
Cheyann Lynch – Vocals
Nevaeh Fiers – Vocals
Charles James – Vocals
To learn more about FLC and the many fabulous majors and programs that the high school offers, follow this link.
words: B. Getz
The post Lettuce Celebrates The Legacy Of Frankie Beverly With Student Musicians At Philadelphia High School [Videos] appeared first on L4LM.
