# The warmth that Chief Adjuah displayed a beautiful chord with each person in the club: Video, Photos

- Link: https://jazzblues.eu/2023/08/27/the-warmth-that-chief-adjuah-displayed-a-beautiful-chord-with-each-person-in-the-club-video-photos/
- Published: 2023-08-27T00:02:35+01:00
- Author: https://JazzBlues.EU

**It was the return of Chief Adjuah formerly known as Christian Scott and a cause
for celebration.** **The concert opened with Chief Adjuah playing his Chief Adjuah
bow, an electrified stringed harp painted bright gold.  **

For the first two songs he played the bow and sang. Impressed by the sound of the
bow and his singing the audience became mesmerized. Finally addressing the crowd
Chief Adjuah spoke at length about the two previous numbers and introduced all of
the members of the band including Elena Pinderhughes on flute, Matthew Stevens on
electric guitar, Elé Howell on drums, Kriss Funn on upright bass and Weedie Braimah
on djembe, congas and percussion. The enjoyment of playing in a familiar place with
a receptive crowd made Chief Adjuah’s job appear quite enjoyable. For the rest of
the show each band member took some extended solos. Pinderhughes made some dynamic
and shifting contributions throughout the evening. Stevens played some cool solos
in harmony with all that was going on and Funn supported all of the band members
by supplying the backbone of the music. Braimah added accents to all the various
instruments while keeping a solid pulse. When Chief Adjuah picked up one of his 
trumpets a commanding tone and melodic force permeated the club.

When the set wound down, Chief Adjuah spoke eloquently about each member of the 
band.  He saved the most comments for the drummer, Elé Howell. Chief Adjuah recalled
when he played Yoshi’s in the early 2000’s how a 6 year old Howell ran all over 
the club, getting into the dressing rooms and messing with the instruments. At 6
years of age Howell told Chief Adjuah he wanted to play with the band. At 24 years
of age everything has come full circle and Howell is now an official member of the
band. Howell certainly made his mark that evening as he energetically played all
over the drum kit. Turns out Howell has lately been playing with Ravi Coltrane in
his band celebrating the music of John and Alice Coltrane.

An impressive aspect of the show was Chief Adjuah’s wonderful rapport with the audience.
He acknowledged the sold out crowd and provided a lot of information about the music
and his fellow musicians. His attitude was in direct contrast to some jazz musicians
who rarely speak and seem indifferent throughout their performances. He told us 
about his home in New Orleans and we really got an impression about his life inside
and outside of music.

There is an element of looseness in Chief Adjuah’s music. There are heads that the
horns, trumpet and flute play, which form the basis for conscious exploration. Then
the music enters uncharted territory winding through multiple paths. Chief Adjuah
demonstrates his love of the sounds by moving/dancing and occasionally playing a
tambourine. There is an unforced  jam band feel to the proceedings where the soloing
is equitable and truly involved.

The warmth that Chief Adjuah displayed a beautiful chord with each person in the
club. He did not pander to the audience, his asides were informative and necessary.
Not only did we leave with memorable music in our ears, he had a message as well.
He reminded us that we can’t put the burden of fixing things (democracy, politics,
injustice) on the young folk, we need to fix things ourselves.

![Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah [formerly Christian Scott]](https://i0.wp.com/latinjazznet.
com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Chief-Xian-aTunde-Adjuah-740.jpg?resize=740%2C500&
ssl=1)

Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah formerly Christian Scott is a two-time Edison Award-Winning,
six-time Grammy Award-Nominated sonic architect, trumpeter, multi-instrumentalist,
composer, producer, designer of innovative technologies and musical instruments (
Adjuah Trumpet, Siren, Sirenette, and Chief Adjuah Bow, Chief Adjuah’s N’Goni), 
Founder and CEO of the Stretch Music app company and record label, the face of the
first-ever BMW XM starring in BMW’s campaign of commercials commemorating the release
of the new vehicle. And is the crowned Chieftain and OBA of the Xodokan Nation of
the maroon tribes of New Orleans. He is the grandson of legendary Big Chief Donald
Harrison Sr., and the nephew of jazz innovator and legendary saxophonist-composer,
NEA Jazz Master Big Chief Donald Harrison, Jr.

Since 2001 Adjuah has released thirteen critically acclaimed studio recordings, 
four live albums, and one greatest hits collection. According to NPR, Adjuah “Ushers
in a new era of Jazz”. He has also been heralded by JazzTimes Magazine as “Jazz’s
young style God.” and “ He is known for developing the harmonic convention known
as the “forecasting cell” for his use of an un-voiced tone in his playing, emphasizing
breath over vibration at the mouthpiece known as the whisper technique. Adjuah is
also regarded as the progenitor of “Stretch Music,” a jazz-rooted, genre-blind musical
form that attempts to “stretch” jazz’s rhythmic, melodic and harmonic conventions
to encompass multiple musical forms, languages, and cultures. His innovations have
garnering a PBS American Masters short “The New Chief”, JAZZFM’s Innovator/Innovation
of the Year Award, Jazz Journalist Association Trumpeter of the year, The Herb Alpert
Award in the Arts, The Paul Ackett Award, Echo: Deutscher Musikpreis, Induction 
into the inaugural constituency of the Black Genius Brain Trust, a host of Downbeat
Magazine’s Critics and Readers Poll’s wins for Best Composer, Best Trumpet, and 
Best Electric Jazz-Rock Contemporary Group, and The Changing Worlds Peace Maker 
Award.

![Trumpeter, Composer, Producer Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah](https://i0.wp.com/latinjazznet.
com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Chief-Xian-aTunde-Adjuah-900.jpg?w=640&ssl=1)

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