“Overjoyed”
Music by Stevie Wonder
Music Track Arrangement by Chris Rob for Jazz Ain’t Dead®
Vocalist: Billy Davis, Jazz Dance Artists: Shakirah Stewart & Gierre Godley
Choreography by Candice Michelle Franklin
On Saturday, December 15, Jazz Ain’t Dead® guests at the “Art is Like Me” benefit concert produced by Clarke Clark at Roulette in Brooklyn. Jazz Ain’t Dead performs a Latin version of Stevie Wonder’s “Overjoyed” inspired by the music stylings of Esperanza Spalding. Although we would have love to have played it live as we have been doing all summer, our music arranger, Chris Rob, was awesome enough to play and record a great rendition for us to use for small guest spots such as this.
For this performance, our dance artists for Jazz Ain’t Dead are the beautiful and talented Shakirah Stewart and the handsome and extraordinary, Gierre Godley. Our vocalist from Jazz Ain’t Dead is the fantastic and ever awe inspiring, Billy Davis. Recently, this past summer, Billy survived a terrible motorcycle accident, so bad that the doctors had to amputate his leg.
In October we performed the same song for Mo Beasley’s UrbanErotika Dance Edition with Rajdulari Barnes and Billy performing in a duet. We were very excited because it was the first performance Billy had since the accident. At that time, Billy just received his new leg prosthesis and we were hoping he will be able to stroll across the stage with new blocking for him to be in the dance. Well, that idea was a little too soon, for we found he had yet to master use of the new leg. Thus alas, he had to perform the song sitting on a stool. But miraculously with hard work and determination (and with the help of great physical therapy), this past weekend (nearly two months later), Billy strode out and was able to perform the song standing! Woot Woot! We’re so proud of you Billy!
