Bending Towards the Light – a Jazz Nativity at Christ and St. Stephen’s Church

Two performances:  5:00pm and 8:00pm.

Bending Towards the Light....a Jazz Nativity.  A Jazz opera - "The Christmas story told in thoroughly American musical terms".

It features opera and jazz artists of note weaving together word, dance, song and musical instruments to tell the story in a new way, composed and arranged by Anne Phillips. special guest performer: Deborah Voigt co-hosts: WQXR’s Terrance McKnight and WBGO’s Sheila Anderson featuring: Wycliffe Gordon, King/trombone Maurice Chestnut, King/tap (5pm) Ingrid Jensen, King/trumpet Max Pollak, King/tap (8pm) Amy London, Mary/soprano David Gordon, Shepherd/tenor Larry Long, Shepherd/bass-baritone With the voices of: Anne Phillips, David Gordon, Dylan Pramuk, Ema Mitrovic, Jann Jaffe, Joanie Brittingham, Larry Long, Pete McGuiness, Shadia Almasri and appearing for his 25th year, 93 year old Latin conga great, Candido. directed by Beth Ann Kennedy

Bending Toward The Light, composed and arranged by Anne Phillips, originated in 1985, when Ms. Phillips was asked to create a Christmas benefit at St. Peter's Lutheran Church in NYC. That first performance featured Dave Brubeck, Clark Terry, Gene Bertoncini and Tommy Flanegan, among others. Over the past 30 years the work has been presented at Birdland, Lincoln Center, and Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, among other venues, with a long list of luminary performers including Tito Puente, Lionel Hampton, Phil Woods, Jon Hendricks, and Paquito D'Rivera. Music director Bob Kindred's haunting rendition of "Silent Night" created the opening mood in the darkened church that very first night just as it does today.