Upcoming DVD Salutes Apollo Theater

In March 2004, some of the biggest names in jazz, R&B, hip-hop, rap, gospel and Latin music, including Branford Marsalis (pictured), Harry Connick Jr. and Herbie Hancock, gathered at the Apollo Theater, a national landmark in the heart of Harlem, for “Apollo At 70: A Hot Night In Harlem,” a gala benefit event held to commemorate 70 years of the theater’s rich musical heritage, and the now it arrives on DVD September 14 from Rhino Home Video.

Natalie Cole, Bob Dylan, Vivica A. Fox, and Denzel Washington, along with were also among the numerous actors, musicians, performers and dignitaries that gathered for the celebration that combined live music, comedy and dance.

Among the performances presented on the DVD are Cole’s rendition of “Something’s Got A Hold On Me,” Connick, Marsalis and Hancock collaborating on “I Got it Bad and That Ain’t Good” and Tito Puente Jr. paying homage to his late father with a version of “Oye Como Va.” A full list of the DVD’s performances follows.

The DVD has a runtime of 95 minutes, is presented in 5.1 audio and includes performances not seen on the original broadcast (which aired on NBC in June), behind-the-scenes footage and other extras.

The Apollo Theater received national, state and city landmark status in 1983, has long been one of the nation’s top arenas for emerging and established black and Latino entertainers. Based in the heart of Harlem, the venue has launched the careers of legends such as Ella Fitzgerald, Michael Jackson and James Brown. A top tourist attraction in New York City, the theater’s programming includes major R&B and pop concerts such as Annie Lennox and Lauryn Hill as well as prestigious dance performances from companies such as the American Ballet Theater and Broadway-bound plays such as Harlem Song. The neo-classical theater is in the midst of a multi-million dollar exterior and interior restoration project and is managed by the Apollo Theater Foundation, a non-profit corporation.

Songs performed on Apollo At 70: A Hot Night In Harlem

Natalie Cole – Something’s Got A Hold On Me

Ashanti – I’ll Take You There/Rock Steady

Patti LaBelle – You’ll Never Walk Alone/Over The Rainbow

Bob Dylan – A Change Is Gonna Come

Brian McKnight – Let’s Get It On/Unforgettable/Overjoyed

Gerald Levert – Try A Little Tenderness

Willie Nelson – I Can’t Stop Loving You

James Ingram – In The Heat Of The Night

Angie Stone – Neither One Of Us

Anthony Hamilton & Angie Stone – Love And Happiness

Tito Puente, Jr. – Oye Como Va

Arturo Sandoval with Herbie Hancock – Mack The Knife

Harry Connick, Jr. – Caravan

Harry Connick, Jr. with Herbie Hancock & Branford Marsalis – I Got It Bad And That Ain’t Good Patti Austin with Herbie Hancock – How High The Moon MC Lyte & DJ-K-Rock – Ruffneck Slick Rick, Doug E. Fresh, Hype Man, Lil’ Vicious, Chill Will & Barry Dee – La-Di-Da Di/The Show Donnie McClurkin with Andrea Mellini, Sherry McGhee, Olivia McClurkin & Ayanna George – I Call You Holy Fred Hammond with Pam Kenyon McDonald, Davey Hammond, Adrian Smith & Eugenia Newman – He Lives Yolanda Adams with The Abyssinian Baptist Choir – How I Got Over Shirley Caesar with The Abyssinian Baptist Choir – Sweeping Through The City

BONUS PERFORMANCES: (not seen in the original broadcast):

Brian McKnight – Back At One

Brian McKnight & Gerald Levert – Papa Was A Rolling Stone

Patti Austin with Brian McKnight & Gerald Levert – What’s Going On

Gerald Levert, Patti Austin & Brian McKnight – I Can’t Help Myself

MC Lyte – Cha Cha Cha

Cassidy – Hotel

Doug E. Fresh & Slick Rick – The Show

Originally Published July 15, 2004