Mos Def's Big Band & Gil Scott Heron at Carnegie Hall by DuEwa Frazier On Saturday, June 28, 2008 at 8pm, presented by Festival Network in partnership with Carnegie Hall and co-produced by Jill Newman Productions , the JVC Jazz Festival brought Brooklyn’s own renaissance man, Dante Smith, a.k.a. Mos Def , to town with his big band Amino Alkaline Orchestra, featuring special guest Gil Scott Heron. Mos Def: Amino Alkaline – The Watermelon Syndicate rocked the dome of Carnegie Hall for a multi-general audience of what seemed like thousands. The show opened with Mos’ twenty-three piece band walking onto the stage and the image of the late, legendary radio man, talk show host, and activist, Petey Greene , shown overhead on a large screen above the stage, eating watermelon . Petey Greene urged the audience to eat and enjoy; perhaps a metaphor for the evening to come. Once his band was in place, Mos Def seemed to glide smoothly onto the stage, to the roar of shouts and applause. ...
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