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Tyrone Birkett

Tyrone Birkett is a saxophonist, composer, producer, and speaker with extensive experience partnering art and social consciousness as an "artist for humanity". Focused on creating music that affirms the good and the beautiful, in spite of what we see in our world. As the conceptualist, composer and musical director of the band Tyrone Birkett | Emancipation, he has created Postmodern Spirituals, a project that synthesizes jazz language, black church music, soul music & Negro spirituals. Fronted by his saxophone and the declarative vocals of his wife, Paula Ralph Birkett, lyric and melody are enveloped in a sonic environment of intriguing harmonies, funk and jazz rhythmic underpinnings, shaped by painstakingly constructed arrangements, topped off with virtuosic & soulful improvisation. 

An encounter with an audience member on the street after a performance really pushed Tyrone to present this last edition of the band. “After we played our set, a young woman came up to me stating she ‘needed’ the music but we didn’t have CDs at the location. I told her to wait and I’ll get her one, but when I returned, she was gone. She said she 'needed' the CD, not 'wanted' as I remembered her face of desperation. She was in sort of distress and the music provided something for her”. This experience led to creating music that was “necessary”, purposed to bring the hope of freedom song into the 21st century, to provoke social change through art for the benefit of the disinherited and disenfranchised. And a voice against oppression of the soul by our own inner conflicts. 

“I want the music to be a catharsis for expressing freedom of heart, mind, and soul. A 'lifting' of the atmosphere at least for a little while”, Tyrone remarks. To that purpose, he assembles a core set of musicians with experience in jazz, r&b and black church music. Musicians that have played with diverse acts such as gospel superstars Mary Mary, jazz trendsetter Jason Moran, r&b mainstays Faith Evans and Kelly Price and a cappella African-American music legends Sweet Honey In The Rocks to name a few. This merger of Jazz sensibilities, with Soul and Spirit music with his own conception brings a multi-dimensional experience to the listener. 

For twenty-five years Tyrone has been comfortable in bringing curative and empowering art to concert stages and clubs as well as prisons, hospitals, and schools, what keeps him going? “The joy of abstract creative ideas which then become sonic realities on stage, and the imagining of people feeling free and revived. It is a quest you want to take on over and over again. I want people to be free.”

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7
Album Review

Tyrone Birkett | Emancipation: Post Modern Spirituals: The Promised Land

Read "Post Modern Spirituals: The Promised Land" reviewed by Hrayr Attarian


Saxophonist and composer Tyrone Birkett's early output, particularly his In the Fullness of Time (Convergence Records, 2006) was dangerously close to the over-sentimental, syrupy and innocuous sounds of (gasp!) smooth jazz. What kept the record from falling over into that, much maligned, genre was Birkett's superlative improvisational chops and his robust devotional sense. On his sophomore release as a leader Post Modern Spirituals: The Promised Land both of these attributes are at the forefront leaving any flirtations with instrumental pop ...

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109

Performance / Tour

Prosperity Gospel and Jazz Debut CD - Tyrone Birkett "In the Fullness of Time"

Prosperity Gospel and Jazz Debut CD -  Tyrone Birkett "In the Fullness of Time"

Source: All About Jazz

The “prosperity gospel" with its detractors and supporters has created quite a stir recently. This controversial message of personal, emotional, and spiritual wholeness has been commended for its positivity and denounced for its apparent emphasis on a “faith equals wealth" formula. Spiritual Jazz artist Tyrone Birkett makes an effort to musically reconcile this issue on his debut CD “In The Fullness Of Time" on the Convergence Music Group label. Tyrone remarks, “Jazz & gospel were born out a people persevering ...

125

Performance / Tour

Prosperity Gospel and Jazz Debut CD - Tyrone Birkett "In the Fullness of Time"

Prosperity Gospel and Jazz Debut CD - Tyrone Birkett "In the Fullness of Time"

Source: Jim Eigo, Jazz Promo Services

The “prosperity gospel" with its detractors and supporters has created quite a stir recently. This controversial message of personal, emotional, and spiritual wholeness has been commended for its positivity and denounced for its apparent emphasis on a “faith equals wealth" formula. Spiritual Jazz artist Tyrone Birkett makes an effort to musically reconcile this issue on his debut CD “In The Fullness Of Time" on the Convergence Music Group label. Tyrone remarks, “Jazz & gospel were born out a people persevering ...

94

Performance / Tour

Tyrone Birkett Group Featuring Paula Ralph-Birkett Friday Night Freedom a Gospel Jazz Experience at the Harlem Tea Room Friday March 16, 2007, 7PM

Tyrone Birkett Group Featuring Paula Ralph-Birkett Friday Night Freedom a Gospel Jazz Experience at the Harlem Tea Room Friday March 16, 2007, 7PM

Source: Jim Eigo, Jazz Promo Services

Friday Night Freedom A Gospel Jazz Experience at the Harlem Tea Room Friday March 16, 2007, 7pm 1793A Madison Avenue at 118th Street 212.348.3471 In building bridges between styles with sometimes-questionable results, occasionally we get a pleasant surprise. One such surprise is the unique music of progressive gospel/jazz saxophonist, Tyrone Birkett. Progressive, because he uses contemporary gospel as a springboard and extends it through jazz & soul music. ...

Gary Bartz
saxophone, alto
Wayne Shorter
saxophone
John Coltrane
saxophone
Kenny Garrett
saxophone, alto
Bunky Green
saxophone, alto
MeShell NdegeOcello
bass, electric
Steely Dan
band / ensemble / orchestra

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