NEXTFest’s second iteration continued to honor the continuum of Black music in D.C.

By: Leon Spinner

ON SEPTEMBER 24 & 25 2022, SWARMS OF WASHINGTONIANS GATHERED AT THE HISTORIC MALCOLM X PARK IN THE COLUMBIA HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD IN D.C. FOR CAPITALBOP’S SECOND ANNUAL MUSIC AND COMMUNITY FESTIVAL.

NEXTFest, the organization’s free, two-day festival –jam-packed with workshops, cultural programs, and some great music – welcomed D.C.-area residents to participate in all the festivities at the twelve-acre park in the uptown neighborhood of Columbia Heights. While the festival entered its second year of existence, it has been an idea of the creators, Giovanni Russonello and Luke Stewart, for years longer. Stewart, a renowned bassist and presence in the creative music world, and Russonello, a jazz writer for The New York Times, created CapitalBop to give residents exposure to some of the best and boldest creatives, and revive the city’s enthusiasm for great jazz, funk, and instrumental music. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed the idea of a festival by a couple of years, but in 2021 NEXTfest blossomed into life with a successful turnout of more than 3,000 DMV residents in its inaugural year.

Washington is home to some of the finest musicians in the country, and CapitalBop’s mission is to ensure that the natives are aware of all its homegrown talent, especially in jazz, funk, soul, and D.C.’s creative imprint, Go-Go.

In 2021, NEXTfest featured musicians responsible for establishing one of D.C.’s premier independent Black jazz record labels and those making their mark on the city’s contemporary scene. Among these artists was Richmond and D.C. legend Plunky Branch and his group Oneness of Juju and Jamal Gray [Disclosure: Home Rule Magazine’s Creative Director] who performed with his genre-blurring group, Nag-Champa Art Ensemble. The presence of these two groups made the festival, unintentionally, somewhat about the legacy of the D.C.-based independent music label, Black Fire Records. Plunky was one of the label’s more prominent artists and a co-founder, and Gray is the son of the label’s co-founder and executive, Jimmy Gray.

In addition to witnessing Black Fire [and Black jazz] royalty, attendees also were able to see Idol Beings, a D.C. jazz/soul duo led by Akua Allrich (vocals) and Kris Funn (instruments/producer), GoGo dignitaries, Marc Cary’s GoGo Project, and TOB Band & Show.

CapitalBop, for those unfamiliar, is a nonprofit organization “dedicated to preserving, promoting and presenting jazz in Washington, D.C.,” taking great pride in building audiences and community around Black music because it is essential to the city’s historical identity, according to the organization’s mission statement.

NEXTfest 2021 accomplished one of its several purposes: to remind Washingtonians of the city’s musical history and the musical tradition that continues to thrive with the district’s younger artists. Another festival objective was to showcase the bridge between D.C.’s go-go and jazz scene and the genetic links in the culture. For the casual listener, the two genres may seem worlds apart. However, the

Godfather of go-go, Chuck Brown, was a student of and honored D.C.’s rich jazz heritage with his funky guitar (i.e., Brown’s rendition of the Duke Ellington standard, “It Don’t Mean a Thing”). The love affair between jazz and go-go is deeper than admiration. One of Black Fire Records’ top acts, Experience Unlimited (shortened to E.U. sometime later), became go-go ambassadors, championing the style in some of its earliest recordings (see E.U.’s 1977 album Free Yourself). The 1970s was a period that saw a significant shift in music: Funk, soul, disco, and R&B replaced jazz in Black communities as the music of choice. In the nation’s capital, go-go was born out of this sudden shift. In its inaugural year, CapitalBop teamed up with Long Live Go-Go (aka Moechella) founder Justin “Yaddiya” Johnson to ensure that D.C.’s music had a place at the table. Johnson, an artist, and activist who works to challenge how city newcomers and local law enforcement handle go-go, has been a vital contributor to the festival’s success as a key sponsor, city advocate and performer.

According to CapitalBop organizers, 2022’s theme was D.C. Statehood, a politically charged theme as the nation’s capital’s fight for statehood reemerges as a potential possibility. “It’s about pushing for the city to continue having a voice, and doing this through music, activism, and the arts.” Preserving and remembering native Washingtonians fighting spirit is another key element of the festival’s purpose and is factored into everything for the CapitalBop team, right down to the location of the festival, Malcolm X Park. This is a place that has been a significant site for preserving what remains of Black Washington in its past. Today, the park is known for the historic Sunday drum circles that date back to the late 60s, its beautiful views of the uptown D.C. landscape, and oddly charming statues scattered throughout the square. Some who frequent the park may also point out the yoga circles, poetry readings, and acoustic guitars littered throughout the area on any given weekend. Still, the park’s history of being a place for black citizens to protest and organize peacefully is equally essential. In 1972, for example, Malcolm X Park was the starting point for the African Liberation Day protest. Black Washingtonians organized a protest, rebelling against colonialism and white rule on the continent of Africa. The protest became a staple in the park, helping usher in the post-colonial years. The circle drums stayed, even as Washington changed. The park has seen many versions of “Chocolate City”: The decline and “decay” of the surrounding neighborhood in the 80s and 90s, and the gentrification after that. Malcolm X Park is a vital organ in the makeup of the communities north of U Street. According to many of the festival attendees, NEXTFest capitalized on the park’s location and the neighborhoods fun loving and overall celebratory spirit with its lineup of renown musicians and community activities. The music started on September 24, and festival attendees were able to enjoy an impressive lineup of talented artist including, legendary Baltimore drummer Lenny Robinson, D.C.’s own Raw Poetic with Damu the Fudgemunk, New Impressionz, UCB, Cecily, as well as park staples like the Malcolm X Drummers & Dancers. On the following day attendees gathered near the Josephine Butler Parks Center for a bevy of workshops, panel discussions, and cultural programming. Discussions and workshops that included DC Statehood NOW! with Eugene Kinlow and Dr. Maurice Jackson, “GoGo as a Weapon of Culture” moderated by Dr. Jocelyn Imani, and a viewing of Barry Farm: Community, Land and Injustice in Washington D.C. September 25th was not absent of musical melody, though as Honest Politix (a group formed by Justin Johnson of Long Live Go-Go) held an interactive Go-Go workshop in the South Garden area of the park. According to CapitalBop staffers, lots of attendees attended both days of fun and celebration. Folks received the workshops, lectures and discussion panels as receptive as they did the Go-Go, jazz, and funk just the day before, lending truth to the city’s seal “Justice [and great music] for all.”