Check out Tina: The Tina Turner Musical star Daniel J. Watts performing a jazz-inspired spoken word piece, “Fish Heads,” above. Filmed at the Louis Armstrong House Museum, the video is part of Armstrong Now!, a new initiative that pays tribute to the jazz artist.
“‘Fish Heads’ is about the hope and resilience and ingenuity it takes to turn every day survival into a more livable existence,” says Watts. “It also returns the spotlight to the Black women who fueled the jazz movement from the mothers and grandmothers, to the cooks on the road, to the muses, to the female jazz pioneers themselves. Black women have always had something cooking up in their kitchens.”
In addition to Tina, Watts’ Broadway credits include The Color Purple, Memphis, In the Heights, and Hamilton. The performer is also an activist, with his concert series The Jam among his projects serving as fundraisers for a variety of causes.
Later in November, the series will feature Ain’t Too Proud Tony nominee Derrick Baskin singing “What a Wonderful World” in Armstrong’s living room. Videos will be released weekly through December on the museum’s website and YouTube.
