Get Ready To Be Entertained!

This is a picture of the group “Sing Harlem” as they rock out a absolutely terrific gospel brunch – sporting their signature red tennis shoes!

That seems to fit the decor just perfectly, because my wife Alex and I saw the “Sing Harlem” group performing at Chef Marcus Samuelsson’s Red Rooster restaurant in Harlem!

Here’s how he describes his restaurant:

“Located in the heart of Harlem, Red Rooster Harlem serves comfort food that celebrates the roots of American cuisine and the neighborhood’s diverse culinary traditions. We seek to share the story of Harlem with our guests and offer a space that celebrates local artists, musicians and culinary talents alike. We embrace today’s Harlem with a spirit of inclusiveness and community by hiring our family of staff from within the community, inspiring better eating through neighborhood cooking classes, and buying from local purveyors.”

Here’s a look at the interior of the restaurant – lots of room in the bar and the main dining room:

The area on the far left is where the Gospel Choir was set to perform – it’s a tradition now, and a “must see” for locals and visitors alike – oh and guess what? They sing directly in front of our table!

Yes, they were set to perform just to the left of Alex, but before the music started, we had time to eat some of Chef Samuelsson’s incredible food – well, after a Bloody Mary that could be a meal in itself!

The restaurant has a great menu of classic southern food, soul food and more – like the Fried Catfish with Black-Eyed Peas that Alex ordered:

I order the shrimp with creamy grits…the creamy richness of the grits were a perfect compliment to the shrimp which had just the hint of a cajun kick to them:

For my side dish, it was a fun take on “Mac’n’Cheese” – as some collar greens were added to make it “Mac’n’Green!”

Food finished – although dishes still on the table – it was time for music!

That’s Ahmaya Knoelle in the spotlight – she co-created the Choir and leads the spirited performance…she is incredible!

She got the crowd going with a spirited performance:

The music continued as various members of the choir each had the chance to perform solo – although always with incredible backing harmonies, like this performance of Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You”:

Up next was a gorgeous version of “Amazing Grace”:

One of the younger students in the program brought the house down with a stunning version of “Killing Me Softly With His Song”:

When I say were were right up front, look at how close this Singer was to Alex as he performed!

The gospel choir performed for an hour – and kep the entire dining room and bar mesmerized with the beauty of their voices…

The group “SingHarlem” put on an incredible show…they have been featured on many TV shows – including one very close to home!

As soon as the show ended, this woman rushed up to our table to ask how we enjoyed the show…and Alex told her: “I’ve had you on my show!”

That’s right – Alex had the group on “The Kelly Clarkson Show”! It was a reunion at the Red Rooster with the legendary Vy Higginsen!

Here’s a bit of this incredible woman’s career:

In 1983, Higginsen co-wrote and co-produced the musical Mama, I Want to Sing! with her husband-to-be, Ken Wydro. The show opened at the Heckscher Theater in Harlem in 1983 and ran there for eight years, becoming the longest-running off-Broadway black musical in history!

Vy has had an amazing career, and when Chef Samuelsson wanted to open Red Rooster, he sought out her advice – and the legendary Sunday Gospel Brunch was born!

Ahmaya came out to catch up as well…what a great time to re-connect, since “The Kelly Clarkson Show” has moved to New York with all new shows beginning in Octore from the legendary 30 Rock studio!

Please go to their website, support their effort and meet all of the incredible singers who take part in this show and more – their bios are all here!

https://www.singharlem.com

They can be hired for live events, conferences and more!

It’s all part of the magic of New York City, especially when it honors the cultures and traditions of the various neighborhoods like Harlem, rich in history.

And what about this castle that is nestled in Central Park?

Here’s a look at one of the world’s most beautiful parks and the magical things that are inside…

I will be exploring more of this incredible oasis as well – but remember the time I was in New York and got my “walk on?”

196 blocks to be exact!

It was all part of my “Hitch Hiking” series, where take a fun hike and tie it in to a Hitchcock classic – in this case “Rear Window!”

196 blocks through New York included this walk through Central Park.

See it all here!

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https://johnrieber.com

If you enjoy these posts, please help me get the word out and share on social media and and with your friends – and leave a comment to let me know if you’ve seen the incredible “Sing Harlem” group!

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