Search - Daryl Waters, Zane Mark, BJ Crosby :: George C. Wolfe's Harlem Song (Original Apollo Theater Cast Recording)

There are many things to like about Harlem Song, its unabashed boosterism first among them. The show was conceived by writer-director George Wolfe as a love letter-cum-tourist attraction for Harlem and that neighborhood's famed Apollo Theater. Today, most people know the Apollo for the televised, raucous It's Show Time at the Apollo, but when Harlem Song opened there in August 2002, it was a way for Wolfe to remind us about Harlem's central place in the history of American popular music. As for the other things to like: well, the revuelike show is packed with good songs, and the hot cast latches onto them with energy, good humor, and chops to spare. Wolfe has focused his efforts on music from the first half of the 20th century (no surprise from the man behind Jelly's Last Jam). This means that while James Brown recorded a famous album at the Apollo, you won't hear much '60s soul and funk; rap is ignored altogether. But then, the numbers you do get were made famous by the likes of Count Basie, Cab Calloway, and Jimmie Lunceford. How can you go wrong? --Elisabeth Vincentelli