So often, beautiful things are born from adversity . Such is the case with Daniel J. Watts‘ spoken word show, Daniel J. Watts’ THE JAM: Spoken Word Preserves. More than just spoken word poetry, The Jam is a unique fusion of poetry, dance and music. Watts, who has performed in many Broadway shows such as Hamilton, Motown: The Musical and In the Heights, decided to focus his idea of THE JAM more intently after he lead a protest flash mob speaking out on the death of Eric Garner.
This JAM is a look-back at my experiences growing up in the South, encounters with friends, family, and police, and recognizing positive role models in television programming, all while navigating through predominantly white environments. These memories propel me to continue the conversation that began with the flash mob. This JAM ain’t sweet!
A play-on-words, THE JAM pays homage to his great-grandmother, who after making jam from scratch would share with others what she was unable to consume herself. THE JAM is Watts’continuation of that legacy, featuring his original spoken word sometimes set to music and/or dance.
https://youtu.be/bf9L5PiKWBQ
Watts is not alone in this production that features Gilbert L. Bailey, II (Book of Mormon) as music director and keyboardist, Derrick Baskin (Whorl Inside A Loop, Hulu’s Difficult People) as featured vocalist, Preston Dugger, III aka DJ Duggz (Motown, Memphis), Ephraim Sykes (Hamilton, HBO’s “Vinyl”) on drums, Taharqa Patterson (Lights Out On Broadway) on guitar, and Voltaire Wade-Greene (Hamilton) on bass.
Check out video of a previous performance of The Jam at the Clark Studio Theatre at Lincoln Center.
One of the most fascinating aspects of Broadway Black stars is their capacity to use their gifts not only as expressions of their craft, but to shape the narrative around issues that impact the community at large. Beautiful things often come from adversity. We are grateful that artists are using their platforms to make beautiful things out of the adversity we face. Daniel J. Watts’ THE JAM: Spoken Word Preserves will take place Monday, November 16 at 8pm at The Studio at Webster Hall. For more information click here.
