PREVIEW: An All-Star Tribute to Musician and Educator Clyde Criner
6/14 @ ‘62 Center for Theater and Dance in Williamstown, MA
“This year’s tribute is the latest in a series of steps taken by Criner’s fellow classmates at Williams College to ensure that Criner’s legacy and contributions to music are not lost to the annals of time.”
On Saturday, June 14, a group of all-star musicians will come together to pay tribute to Albany native Clyde Criner. The performance will take place at the ‘62 Center for Theater and Dance in Williamstown, MA from 1:00pm to 2:30pm and is free and open to the public.
Criner was born and raised here in Albany attending high school at Albany Academy. He then studied and later taught music at the nearby Williams College in Williamstown, MA. In 1991, he was coming into his own as a musician and bandleader. He had written and performed more than 800 songs, had worked with the likes of Queen Latifah, Carlos Santana and The Boys Choir of Harlem and was about to release his fourth album. In November of that same year, Criner passed away at the age of 39.
According to the article “Two Worlds” by Heather Hansen, published on the Williams College website, at the time of Criner’s death no funeral or memorial services were held as his passing was likely the result of complications from HIV/AIDS, which was highly stigmatized at the time.
This year’s tribute is the latest in a series of steps taken by Criner’s fellow classmates at Williams College to ensure that Criner’s legacy and contributions to music are not lost to the annals of time. Peter Hillman, with help from Jim Baker and Ken Kubie, who graduated from Williams with Criner in 1975, have spearheaded this project which began in 2020.
"Clyde was a creative genius who had a unique and distinctive musical style that forged jazz, classical, blues, fusion, funk, gospel and other genres into what he liked to call 'Contemporary Classic' and African-American music, " Hillman said. “Sadly, he passed quite young, and his achievements and vision became overlooked until now, when we and those who knew, performed with, and loved him are proud and honored to proclaim his lasting contributions."
For this year’s tribute, the all-star quartet will be led by Avery Sharpe, bassist and long-time friend and bandmate of Criner. Sharpe will be joined on drums by Royal Hartigan who also studied and played with Criner. Rounding out the quartet will be John Mulholland on piano and Kris Allen on the saxophone.
Criner began his recording career even as he pursued graduate studies, first at The New England Conservatory of Music where he received his Masters and then at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst where he received his doctorate His early contributions were playing keyboards on albums by the likes of Alphonso Johnson, Chico Freeman, and Archie Shepp. Soon, he began touring extensively, debuted at Carnegie Hall, and had featured profiles in Down Beat Magazine and other publications. Criner's own three original albums were New England, Behind the Sun (featuring Carlos Santana), and The Color of Dark.
To learn more about Clyde Criner’s life and musical legacy visit the “Clyde Criner Tribute” page on YouTube or read Heather Hansen’s piece Two Worlds.