“Sunday Gras” Jazz Music, International Food to Bring Joy Before Lent Begins

On Sunday, January 15th, St. Mark’s will kick up its heels for a last celebration of the Epiphany season before shifting gears into the observation of Lent. Jazz music will bring a taste of New Orleans to our 10:00 a.m. worship service, and afterwards we will share a potluck lunch  with contributions that represent the rich ethnic and cultural diversity of our congregation.

“Sunday Gras” is a relatively recent tradition at St. Mark’s, taking its queue from the celebration of mardi gras “fat Tuesday” where rich foods were used up in preparation the more austere diet that was required for Lent. This itself had practical roots as perishable foods that had been stored away at the beginning of winter neared the end of their useful life.

This year we will enjoy the musical stylings of the Ardie Walser Quartet, who will bring the spirit of the Big Easy to our worship with hymns evoking street parades and jazz funerals.  Joining us will be:

• Billy Carrión (bass) – with over 25 years of experience drawing from jazz, Latin music, rock, and the classic video games of his youth, he has performed with Eddie Palmieri, Ray Barretto, Tim Gilles, Henry Cole, Giovanni Hidalgo, Suit Of Lights, Alfredo Rodriguez, Papo Vazquez, Ray Santos, and many more. He may be seen performing with U.L.T.R.A.S. and Higher Standards.
• Campbell Charshee (keyboard) – Campbell has worked with a diverse array of artists from the Drifters to Winard and Philip Harper. He brings expansive sonic possibilities to Ultra S with his compact but powerful synth rig. A health justice organizer by day, Campbell writes consciousness awakening liberation music. His 2022 release The War on Health Mixtape has relieved over $76k of U.S. medical debt to date.
• Steve Johns (drums) – Steve Johns is one of the most dynamic and versatile drummers on both the New York City and international Jazz scenes. Since the early 1980’s he has performed and recorded with virtually the “Who’s Who” of the Jazz
  World. Steve has played with The Sonny Fortune Quartet, The Benny Carter Quartet, The Billy Taylor Trio, Nat Adderley, Jimmy Owens, Stanley Turrentine, Jimmy Heath, The Randy Brecker Quintet, Jesseye Norman, Dave Liebman, The Ronnie Cuber Band and many others.
• Ardie Walser (vocals) – as singer, pianist and songwriter, was a member of the award winning vocal trio BLACK TIE, two-time winners of the Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Club (MAC) Award for Outstanding Vocal Group and the winners of the Bistro Awards for Outstanding Vocal Group and Best New York Debut. With Black Tie he has shared the stage with the likes of Melba Moore at Carnegie Hall; Sylvia Sims and Ann Hampton Callaway at Town Hall; and Noel Pointer at Avery Fisher Hall; and performed on radio and appeared on a number of TV shows such as The Joan Rivers Show. He has recorded with a wide range of artists from cabaret to pop including – Jazz Composer, Anke Helfrich; Cabaret Artist, Natalie Douglas; Salsa Singer, Michael Stuart; and Salsa Star, Marc Anthony.

After the service, we will repair to Carroll Hall for a potluck luncheon enjoying foods that represent the rich mix of ethnicity and culture represented by our congregation as the festive music continues. The event is being organized by the Flag Guild, who has taken the mantle of visually representing this diversity. Besides the flags that flutter above St. Mark’s, we conducted a cultural survey of the congregation last year, the results of which will be on display at the celebration.