The Legendary Roots Crew were inaugurated into the Highline Ballroom in New York City last night around 11:45pm.  Fans roamed the sidewalk before doors opened asking for tickets as relentlessly as Obama roamed the nation asking for change.  There was an energy about the evening that complemented the capacity crowd.  The DJ of the night mixed soul and hip-hop cuts from the likes of Diamond D and the Liks to set the groove.

As an amateur musician and long time scholar of music (okay, maybe “scholar” is a bit grandiose, I can often hang with the best of them when it comes to music talk), it takes a significant level of musical authenticity to get my attention and hold it.  It’s one thing to entertain, it’s another to educate and broaden.  For those that have followed me, you know how much I value music for music’s sake and artists that inspire artists.  The Roots displayed a level of technical understanding seldom seen bridged so effectively with a palate for the aesthetic appeal.

The Roots brought on a slew of musicians and performers to join The Jam.  Talib Kweli joined Black Thought on stage for an extended freestyle followed by Pharoahe Monch, John Forte (JF’s music videos) and Dice Raw (see cypher footage below).  Singer Chrisette Michele (listen to her feature with Nas) and another dude named Raheem Devaughn that dressed like Anthony Hamilton, but was not on point (i.e. couldn’t hit high notes and was off-key) joined later for the soul segment of the show.  Chrisette Michele was incredible.  Pure tone, great improv and her self-introduction to the crowd was an incredible scatting (wiki: scat) that blended perfectly with the rest of the group.  They also brought on a guest keyboardist and a guest sax player to accompany the band.   I was not able to catch everyone’s names so if you have some information, please let me know.  (Edit: Jonathan just let me know in the comments that the keyboard player was Robert Glaspert and the saxophonist was Gary Bartz, who played with Miles Davis in the Cellar Door Sessions).

I had heard of all of the emcees on stage except for John Forte.  John Forte produced / co-wrote a couple of tracks on The Fugees‘ The Score and dropped a solo album produced by Wyclef after the Fugees disbanded (remember Canibus?).  He received a full scholarship to Phillips Exeter Academy to study violin where he graduated from in 1993.  He was convicted on drug charges but some hook-ups through the PEA helped him get a pardon from George W. Bush.  His story is interesting, but it was his flow that got my attention.  His words were crystal clear and his meter was precisely delivered, supported by a bboy attitude cultivated only from the maturation of his passion over time; in other words, dude has a “vintage flow.”

The series is called “The Jam” and rightfully so given the number of improvisational journeys the music took us on.  I’m a bit ashamed to admit it but I was not familiar with any of the songs they performed last night.  This did not inhibit me in any way from appreciating the show and it is part of what makes the concert series so special.  The Roots’  repertoire is very deep and I’m sure you can go to a number of these concerts and not hear the same song twice.  My guess is that their set list will change on a weekly basis.

Apologies if the video shakes a little at times, sometimes you just gotta bounce you know?

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Black Thought and Talib Kweli killing it on stage:

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John Forte, Dice Raw and Pharoahe Monch join Black Thought and Kweli on stage:
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Chrisette Michele introducing herself to the crowd with her amazing voice:
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The Roots will be residents at Highline Ballroom through June.

For those that don’t know, this is what the Roots were doing before they came to Highline to rock the crowd.

The Roots with Ludacris on Jimmy Fallon: