“Catching Dreams” review by Julia W. Rath

Highly Recommended *****  “Poets hold the soul of our stories,” is one of the quotations from the award-winning poet, author, and musician J. Ivy, who graced the stage of the Eighth Blackbird production facility at 4045 N. Rockwell Street, in Chicago, in an online concert as part of the continuing series by the Chicago Artist’s Workshop (CAW).

It is rare that when a show ends I applaud my computer screen. I did just that after Wednesday night’s live-streamed performance, featuring selections from CATCHING DREAMS, Ivy’s fourth and latest album. Ivy captivates the audience with his soothing voice and easy style consisting of heartfelt songs and powerful poetry in a blend of hip-hop, jazz, and soul music with touches of classical and country. His life partner and collaborator Tarrey Torae serves as his backup singer with her gospel-inspired voice; their different resonances combine smoothly and successfully. The mix of live music and recorded audio tracks create a standout concert that is impassioned and memorable, bolstered by stage musicians Lisa Kaplan on piano and Matthew Duvall on percussion. The syncopated rhythms on the piano at the beginning are only matched by the stirring cymbal reverberations at the end. The highly effective musical arrangements add depth to the vocals and sparkle to the performance.

Ivy’s poetry slams are often autobiographical testaments to his life in Brooklyn and Chicago; he was born in Chicago and constantly talks about “the experience called life”: both his and the lives of others. He explains the power of words and the need to choose the right ones to express the virtues of kindness, consideration, and compassion. Above all, he credits his talent and his inspiration to his Higher Power. “It’s not me, but He,” is one of Ivy’s lines. In his very personal message to himself and to his audience, he proclaims: “God’s penmanship has been signed by the word love.”

The four-camera video design with fade-ins and fade-outs captures the intimacy of this relatively small space. Camera placement is excellent: We see close-ups of Ivy and medium shots of Ivy and Torrae together, as well as long shots of the stage, where we can observe the plexiglass separating the two performers from the live musicians. Most importantly, the sound design and sound mix are superb!

Eighth Blackbird Artistic Director Duvall introduces the show, and during its course, he and Kaplan do live interviews with Ivy and Torae. J. Ivy is probably best known for his use of the spoken word in “Never Let Me Down”, in the 2004 Grammy-winning album THE COLLEGE DROPOUT, where he got to work with notables like Kanye West and Jay-Z, for whom he is still in awe.

The songs in total are probably one hour all together, and the interviews plus all of the still photos of Ivy and Torae (shown between songs) are thirty minutes additional, for a total of a one-and-a-half-hours.

In addition to the pure enjoyment of the entertainment, Ivy’s hopeful message resonates well on a personal level. He tells us how grit and hard work can push us to be our best. He tells us something about black history, such as the Great Migration, and how “We’re Here to Change the World.” He shares a bit about his own life struggles, especially about the loss of his dear father. In the end, by hearing his wise and magical words, we are inspired to become better people, although Ivy himself says, “No one has words for 2020.”

J. Ivy in concert is sponsored by the Chicago Artist’s Workshop (CAW) and produced by Eighth Blackbird. This live streamed ticketed event also featured limited in-person seating.

For more information on this show and others in the series, please visit eighthblackbird.org. If you would like to make a donation in support of the Eighth Blackbird’s mission to support Chicago’s performing artists, please go to https://www.eighthblackbird.org/donate/.

Also follow them on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/eighthblackbird/.