E51 - The power of music: Living with Hope

Feb 8

For years, Jeannine Otis, jazz pianist, vocalist, conductor, and educator, has used music and poetry to bring healing into communities in crisis, including prisons, community centers, and churches. In this episode of the Short Fuse, Jeannine talks with Elizabeth Howard about her musical career and theater piece Living in Hope, developed from a writing workshop based on Otis's book, The Gathering: City Prayers, City Hopes. Otis was born and raised in Detroit, and now lives in Staten Island, She has been a singular and substantial voice for four decades, drawing equally from jazz, classical, dance, gospel, and pop genres. New York Times critic Anthony Tomassini described Otis as a “show-stopper” in the role of Ella Worker in Downtown Music Production’s staging of The Cradle Will Rock.

She is a graduate of Wellesley College (Presser Music Scholar), the only African-American to win that award. She also holds a Masters Degree from Emerson College in Boston, where she was a teaching fellow. Jeannine has toured as a vocalist with many distinguished artists, including Donald Byrd, Grover Washington Jr., Vishnu Wood, and Arthur Prysock, among many others. She is the music director of St. Mark's in the Bowery in New York City.

Also featuring a performance recorded at St. Mark's Church in the Bowery in 2020 of "All Good Gifts" performed by Rufus Muller, written by Matthias Claudius From the Uniquely St. Mark's series; music director, Jeannine Otis.