Club Passim's Global Roots Series Continues With Special Jazz Performance and Discussion

Celebrating Boston's diverse international community, Club Passim's Global Roots series showcases roots music from around the world. Shows into this spring include jazz artist and art educator Tahira Clayton along with an interview with music historian Hannah Grantham on February 22 as part of Black History Month at Passim.

The series continues with raga and jazz pianist Utsav Lal March 22, violinist, composer and teaching artist Shaw Pong Liu on April 26 and fiddle and vibraphone duo Harriet Riley & Alex Garden on May 24. Shows are free to watch on Passim's Facebook and YouTube pages, as well as www.passim.org/streams. There is a suggested donation of $15 for each show, which will be split between Passim and the performers.

On February 22, the Global Roots Series will feature a performance and discussion with jazz artist Tahira Clayton and music researcher Hannah Grantham exploring intersectionality and women in jazz. A strong lyricist and storyteller, Tahira is known for her honest vocal delivery and transcendent charisma on stage. Her musical style melds Jazz, soul, and R&B together. She is also a well known and respected educator and clinician nationally and internationally. She currently holds coveted teaching artist positions at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, The Bloomingdale School of music, and Trinity Wall Street where her main focus is teaching interpersonal skills through the music. In addition, Tahira is an activist and uses her musical platform to promote social change. She currently serves as the vice president of the Women in Jazz Organization (WIJO) and is a founding board member of Women In Jazz Organization, Inc. based in NYC.

Hannah Grantham is a music researcher currently working at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African American History & Culture as the Curatorial Assistant for Music & Performing Arts. Her research focuses on the history of musical instruments, jazz, folk music, and the material culture of music.

The Global Roots Series will continue with Utsav Lal March 22. Treading the line between an ancient musical tradition and an innate desire for innovation with utmost respect , Lal's music is acclaimed for its powerful intensity that sweeps the audience into a transcendental journey. Earlier this month, he released his album "Visangati" featuring Nitin Mitta.

Violinist, composer and teaching artist Shaw Pong Liu will be featured on April 26. She engages diverse communities through multidisciplinary collaborations, creative music and social dialogue with her involvement with Code Listen and Play for Justice, a network of musicians and artists in Boston supporting social justice causes. Her compositions have been commissioned by Silkroad Ensemble for the Freer-Sackler Museum, Anikaya Dance Theatre, A Far Cry, Lorelei Ensemble, and pianist Sarah Bob.

Finally, fiddle and vibraphone duo Harriet Riley & Alex Garden will perform the Global Roots Series on May 24. The pair will show a pre-recorded set but will be tuning in live from Bristol, UK. The folk duo released their debut album 'Sonder' in 2020 during lockdown.

"Our artists hold the key to describing our experiences throughout the pandemic and how we will feel as it comes to a close," said Outreach Coordinator Julian Loida. "Whether we are talking about social justice, bringing unlikely music together such as Indian ragas and Irish reels or connecting with artists living in England who, despite being across an ocean, are facing the same challenges as we are throughout the US...and in all it's tragedy and trauma it lets us know we are not alone."

Passim's Global Roots Series is streamed on the fourth Monday of each month. The shows are free to watch on Passim's Facebook and YouTube pages, as well as www.passim.org/streams. Past streams from the series can be found on Passim's Facebook and YouTube Channel. There is a suggested donation of $15 for each show, which will be split between Passim and the performers.