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BREAKING BARRIERS
By Jaan Uhelszki
Even after the civil rights gains of the past half century -- not to mention the influence of black artists on pop culture worldwide -- the speed of racial change in the classical music field has been gruelingly slow. With their debut in 2000, Victor Trent Cook, Rodrick Dixon, and Thomas Young set out to nudge greater acceptance of African-American tenors on the world's concert stages. At the same time, the trio's unique ability to move among genres won them accolades across a much wider spectrum of listeners. Few voices can leap, as they did in their original show, from Verdi and Puccini to Ellington and Cab Calloway, with stops in between for spirituals and Philly soul -- all while underscoring the contributions of African Americans to the music of the past several hundred years. These men can and do. Dubbed "inspiring, beautiful and fun" by one august publication, they have managed a rare mix of entertainment and education.
Distinguished by smart, Broadway-like pacing, their latest concerts continue to defy easy categorization, and although all three singers are classically trained, they've never really limited themselves to a particular genre, as the group's most experienced member, Thomas Young, attests: "I mean, I have always done all kinds of music. This is not new to me. I've had a career of almost 37 years that involved singing 20th-century concert and operatic repertoire and also popular music."
Of the trio's overall appeal, Victor Cook explains, "I think it's the fusion of music, and music can bring [together] all ages, all races, all types, even children. I had one little guy write me a letter telling me how much he loved 'Minnie the Moocher' from our last album. He came backstage ... and he knew every word and every step from our routine. It's things like that that make it all worthwhile." He continues, "We have so many different forms that everybody can come to the concert, whether you like opera, jazz, blues, spirituals, [or] Broadway. What my greatest joy [is,] is that we're bringing, whether [or not] we're in an opera house, people who've never been to this opera house [or] ... a Broadway house." He is also heartened by the multiracial makeup of the audiences and believes the group is helping to break barriers, thanks to their unique melding of musical styles.
Top banner photos: Cook, Dixon, and Young in performance and the American Theater Orchestra. |
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In addition to performing, Thomas Young is a music professor at New York's Sarah Lawrence College. |
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The son of a preacher, Rodrick Dixon began singing and playing piano at his father's church. |
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