Last night I had the privilege of sharing a joyful evening of music with a room bursting with humanity! About 70 people joined me at the Gateways Inn in Lenox for “Free At Last!”, a cabaret performance in tribute to the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I was joined by Rob Kelly on Piano and Dave Christopolis on Bass, and together we had the profound pleasure of making music while celebrating our human capacity to consider, reflect upon, and pursue freedom… a uniquely human opportunity, don’t you think? (Can you think of another life form that is able to step outside itself and think about it’s potential for freedom???) And what better way to celebrate than an evening of songs, spoken word, and the ever-resonant words of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech?
We ended the evening together- after numerous jazz standards, ballads, swing tunes, pop songs, show tunes, AND a poem – by singing Amazing Grace. After watching the video today, I realized even more fully how beautiful that moment of community was – and the harmonies knocked my socks off!
I am aware, once again, that so many of us long for the power of community. Together, we are elevated in our celebrations and our self-reflection, and through music we access something that exists beyond what words alone can capture. I thank those who joined me last night, as together we opened the door to that “portal to pure joy” that is so incredibly satisfying to me, as a performer.
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Lisa Kantor Sings! 
Smiling !
Wonderful, Lisa. So powerful to share reflection on the whole of the experience. I can just see/hear the room singing Amazing Grace. It is a song that connects hearts and spirit, for sure.
I’m splitting my time between the Berks and the Boston area. I hope to make the next show… xo
Lisa, it sounds like a magical night! I can only imagine how beautiful Amazing Grace must have been. And I’m so glad that you’ve decided to blog, what a great way to share your reflections with this community of friends, fans and supporters… Enjoy!
Sorry we missed this. When is the next event?
I will let you know soon!
i so enjoyed sat nite. I had been very sick all night and into the a.m. so feeling a little bit better and wanting to enjoy the rest of the w/e we happened on the Gateway. What a delightful surprise to hear you . I loved your choices and most especially the poem you read, not the oration by dr king but the other poem . I would appreciate it if you could give me the name of the author. again, thanks for a delightful night .
Mary, It was so great to meet you! In response to your query about the poem I read, I am the author. I wrote it one day, as I was putting my show together… I called it “Free At Last,” and as you may have surmised, the title held a bit of irony. The poem was intended to shed light on the ways we hold ourselves out to be free, while keeping ourselves inside a kind of mental prison, mistaking illusion for “reality.” I am happy to share it with you, if you’d like.
Glad things are going so well. Keep singing!
Pops Peterson