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April 2010, Jazz
Jazz and Good Juju
Cassandra brings some class to the magazine. Photos by Kim Giffin.
Downtown Norfolk's Chrysler Museum of Art hosted an evening of wine, cheese, and zestful music featuring jazz group Juju and the After Hours as the live entertainment, whose members include Gary L. Garlic (Juju), Brian Sullivan, and Faheem. The band performed songs such as "Stella by Starlight" and Anita Baker's "Sweet Love" as the audience nibbled on brie and crackers and sipped on assorted wines. With such an exquisite ambiance, there wasn't an empty table in room. Surrounded by all avenues of the arts, the luxurious evening progressed into a break for an art riff where I was able to meet the drumming talent himself - Juju.
33: How long has the band been together?
Juju: We have been together about sixteen years - we started in 1997. Faheem has been with us since 1999, and Brian...since '01.
33: What variety of instruments will we see with the group?
Juju: Oh everything, drums, steel drums, vibes...
33: As a fan of jazz myself, I have found it difficult to pinpoint the jazz scene here in Norfolk. Do you have any advice for those of us that are looking for different styles of jazz in the area?
Juju: Actually, I wish you had seen me earlier. I played at Uno's and it was a much different vibe. I also play the Selden Arcade on East Main.
33: What struggles and accomplishments have you and the band gone through? Are we looking forward to records labels?
Juju: Not looking for a record deal as a band, but single...yes. I actually toured with Donna Summer [pulls out camera phone to show pictures of him with Donna Summer]. I also teach at the YMV [Young Musicians of Virginia], HSP [Homeschool Plus], and Norfolk State.
33: Who would you say have been your biggest musical influences?
Juju: I wanted to drum since age three, but I listen to Chick, Bobby McFerrin, Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams...
33: As a musician, how would you describe the word "success"?
Juju: Well-respected and well-versed in the area.
Juju was an absolute delight to speak with, and he has a lot to offer to the Hampton Roads jazz scene. After the art riff break, Juju and the After Hours brought the evening to a close with the cool sounds of acoustics and percussion that had the gallery of listeners tapping their feet and swaying their heads.
Cassandra is an aspiring writer and an enthusiast of words, music, and traveling. By the age of 5 she lived in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Iceland. Four years later, she moved to upstate New York, where she embraced her inspiration to write. She has since attended Jefferson Community College while working on her Associates in Business Administration and Eastern Nazarene College to work on her Bachelors in English. She joined the U.S. Navy in 2006, and serves in Norfolk, Virginia as an IT. She has published poetry at a very young age, performed in readings for her college open mic nights, and is now taking on the art of journalism and screenplay writing; as well as traveling Europe and the Middle East. An assortment of music has served as inspiration to this young writer. Artists include everyone from Louis Armstrong, John Legend, and J. Holiday to Atreyu, Sublime, 30 Seconds to Mars, and Journey. Her eclectic collection of writings is comprised of authors such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Nicholas Sparks, Walt Whitman, and Simon R. Green. Cassandra maintains her stride towards her passion for writing and hopes to be an addition to her assorted collection of authors someday.