Aiesha Little, a self-professed blerd (black nerd), discovered the grittily nuanced splendor of Cowboy Bebop — one of most richly textured Japanese anime series — on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim as a graduate student at Xavier University in 2001. She was struck by a combination of elements: The series’ stylized look, its unique Jazz-drenched soundtrack and its engaging tale of interstellar bounty hunters in a somewhat distant future.
With its 20th anniversary on the horizon, she felt compelled to mark the occasion. Along with a network of like-minded friends, she orchestrated an event to pay homage: 3-2-1 Let’s Jam! A Philanthropic Jazz Tribute to Cowboy Bebop.
“It’s my absolute favorite show, because of the storyline but also because of the music,” Little says. “There are lots of themes of loss and putting the pieces back together, finding a new group of people to align yourself with. I had just graduated (from undergrad) in 1999 so I related to the characters because I felt like I was getting ready to go on my next big adventure.”
A live Jazz Big Band will recreate the anime’s score in a typical festival/comic-con atmosphere, which will take place at Withrow High School on Saturday night (Sept. 29). This event is slightly different than what Little originally envisioned.
“I bought a Cowboy Bebop CD at an anime convention and I was listening to it driving back and I thought, ‘This would be amazing birthday present to myself for my 40th birthday,’ ” Little says. “It took a little longer than I expected. So it’s an early 42nd birthday present.”
The Cowboy Bebop festivities are co-sponsored by the Midwest Black Speculative Fiction Alliance, a small literary organization that Little co-founded, and Her Royal Airship Ashanti, a steampunk appreciation society/philanthropic organization where Little is an active member; both groups began in 2014. The former “highlights and celebrates African-Americans in all the genres that fall under speculative fiction,” Little says — that includes science fiction, fantasy and sword and soul.
In efforts to get those genres more recognition — as well as the people behind them — BSFA hosts film nights, black sci-fi book clubs and simply makes a space for blerds to gather and discuss their interests.
“And HRA Ashanti is a steampunk group that focuses on multi-culturalism and philanthropy; we’ll go out in steampunk gear and raise money for particular organizations,” Little says. “It’s a way to combine two things we enjoy: philanthropy and getting dressed up and having fun in our steampunk gear.”
The proceeds from 3-2-1 Let’s Jam! will benefit Melodic Connections, a music education program designed to get instruments into the hands of special needs individuals. The program’s founder, Betsey Zenk Nuseibeh, recruited Little when she conceived Melodic Connections a decade ago.
“Betsey was a special education teacher at Clark Montessori (High School) and she had a student who was autistic. He didn’t read or write; he barely spoke, but he had perfect pitch,” Little says. “She was trying to find a way to connect with him, so she taught him a couple of chords on the piano. They left for holiday break and when he came back, he sat down at the piano and started playing part of ‘Moonlight Sonata.’ ”
They didn’t know where he had picked the Beethoven classic up, but Nuseibeh saw the way music engaged him; so, she worked it into his individual education plan, along with other students’ plans.
At the time, Little wrote for Cincinnati Magazine and wrote an article about Nuseibeh and her musical teaching approach, which inspired Nuseibeh to start a nonprofit music therapy program. She then invited Little to be a board member.
Little spent over six years as Melodic Connection’s marketing director, a period that saw the program grow from an initial class of 30 students to over 300 annually.
“If we were going to do a charity component, it had to be Melodic Connections,” Little says. “It’s so close to my heart. I love what they do and music is such an amazing way to bring people together and bring out the best in people.”
For the concert itself, Little enlisted the assistance of renowned local Jazz trumpeter Mike Wade, who used his connections to assemble a group of gifted local and regional talent to translate Cowboy Bebop’s weirdly appropriate Jazz soundtrack. It seems fairly daunting, considering the specific and largely-unknown source material that the band will cover, but Little notes that rehearsals have been very productive. (Members include band-leader Wade; vocalist Kayla Upthegrove; drummer Reggie Jackson; pianist Patrick Kelly; guitarist George Simon; bassist Peter Gemus; percussionist Ricardo Wilkins; trombonists Terry Twitty, Marvin Curry Jr., Umvikeli G. Scott Jones and Marc Fields; saxophonists Joshua Atkin, Eli Gonzalez, Hal Melia and Dwayne Irvin; and trumpeters Dennis Reynolds, William Ward and Roland Joseph.)
“The music is going to be the centerpiece. The music of the show is very distinct and probably unlike any music featured in an anime, so it’s quite a beloved soundtrack.” Little says. “I’m interested to see how people will respond to this interpretation and tribute to it.”
She adds that getting a Big Band sound for the opening theme song was vital, as it sets the mood for the entire series.
Another philanthropic aspect of the event is the ability to purchase a ticket and donate it to a local student who can’t afford one. Other elements of 3-2-1 Let’s Jam! will include vendors selling everything from jewelry to organic soy candles, art and photography. Oh, and Cowboy Bebop cosplay; attendees are encouraged to dress as their favorite characters.
Little plans to portray Jet Black, captain of the starship Bebop and head of the bounty hunting “cowboys,” whose love of saxophonist Charlie Parker informs the show’s Jazz soundtrack. As it appears, the cycle of fandom has brought this late ’90s cult-anime back via 3-2-1 Let’s Jam! to celebrate its lasting impact. As Jet says, “Everything has a beginning and an end.” But Cowboy Bebop still lives on.
Editor's Note: A previous version of this piece stated that Little had first discovered "Cowboy Bebop" as an undergrad at Central Michigan University. She didn't watch it until it premiered on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim in 2001; she was in graduate school at Xavier at this time.
Celebrate 20 years of Cowboy Bebop with 3-2-1 Let’s Jam! A Philanthropic Jazz Tribute at Withrow High School (2488 Madison Road, Hyde Park) on Sept. 29; doors open at 6 p.m. More info/tickets: 321letsjam.eventzilla.net.
