Miguel Atwood-Ferguson's 'Suite For Ma Dukes' J Dilla Tribute is Headed To NYC
The west coast composer is bringing his string-heavy J Dilla salute to NYC (for free)
Suite For Ma Dukes -- by far the most beautifully lush and impossible thoughtful J Dilla tribute that ever was -- holds a special place in the collective heart of disciples near and wide.
Miguel Atwood-Ferguson's star-studded and string-heavy salute (featuring Karriem Riggins, Kamasi Washington, Thundercat, De La Soul, Bilal, Talib Kweli, Dwele and other collaborators and family members) premiered in Los Angeles in 2009 with a 60-member ensemble in tow. The full performance was captured on a DVD set from Mochilla that has become increasingly difficult to track down. Despite its disappearance from streaming platforms and shocking Amazon market value, SFMD remains a teary-eyed (and swung-to-death) marker of a rare legacy in hip hop that transcended beat-making, the absence of which has been felt and heeded as a call for musicians to continue the assault on boundaries wherever they're found.
Earlier this season, Atwood-Ferguson brought the suite back to LA and has officially set a date for its east coast debut. On Friday, August 4th, Suite For Ma Dukes will grace the stage of the Guggenheim Bandshell in Damrosch Park on West 62nd Street as part of the Lincoln Center's Out Of Doors series, presented by the good folks at REVIVE. The performance will begin at 7:30pm and will be open to the public, free of charge. For more information, hit the link below and scroll on to see a clip of De La and the BK MC joining forces to perform "Stakes Is High" for a taste of what to expect.
