Singer's music centers on quest for freedom Black history recognized in concert at Sayreville library BY MICHAEL ACKER Staff Writer MIGUEL JUAREZ staff Gabriel Galvez, 5, and sisters Grace, 8, and Louise McCrone, 6, help singer Briz with his presentation of "Freedom Stairway." Gabriel whips the mule cart, Grace washes clothes and Louise handpicks cotton. SAYREVILLE - Patrons of the borough's public library were treated to a musical narrative based on the stories of American slaves Saturday, courtesy of a Mercer County singer and songwriter. Accompanied by his acoustic guitar and harmonica, David "Briz" Conard, 54, of Lawrenceville, performed the program "Freedom Stairway," which he created after watching "Unchained Memories," a series of documentaries that recreated the slave narratives on HBO. The documentaries aired several years ago and were based on the accounts collected by the federal Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression, Briz told the Suburban. Briz's 14-year-old son, Codey, assisted his father during the performance, displaying on a projector pre-Civil War-era photography from the Library of Congress. Kevin Gonzalez "runs for his freedom" during the musical tribute to Black History Month at the Sayreville Public Library. Briz, who grew up in the area of Hopewell, has been playing music since his youth. He performs a variety of shows that include what he calls "The Freedom Trilogy." "Freedom Stairway" is the first installment of the trilogy, retelling the hardship endured by slaves during the time of slavery. The next installment, "Freedom's Cry," recounts the events of the Civil War; the third installment involves the civil rights movement and is called "Freedom's Glory." Briz, who also performs a program about the environment, takes his music to libraries, schools and other venues across the state. He described most of his music as contemporary, listing his influences as Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young on his Web site. He was the lead singer of Green River Ordinance, a hard rock band, before moving toward acoustic folk and blues music. "The Freedom Trilogy" is a departure for him, and was created, in part, at the suggestion of his wife, Michele. Saturday's performance included audience participation from several children, who Briz asked to re-enact the labor that slaves had to perform and the escape that some attempted along the Underground Railroad. Twelve-year-old Sayreville resident Katelynn Gonzalez was among those who enjoyed the show. "I learned a lot," Katelynn said, "and he was really good." Karen Damoah, 12, also of Sayreville, agreed, saying she also learned from Briz's music. "He is a great guitar player," Karen noted. "Freedom's Stairway" is named after a pathway at the Ohio River, where those seeking freedom went to escape the slave state of Kentucky, Briz said. An abolitionist would use a lantern to signal to those seeking freedom, to let them know if bounty hunters were in the area looking for fugitive slaves. "If slaves in Kentucky saw the lantern," Briz said, "they knew it was safe to cross the river." The show includes "Ol' Man Foley's Plantation," a song that is included on Briz's album of the music from "Freedom Stairway." Briz also performed "The Block," a song about the cruelty of slave owners who publicly inspected people and separated family members who were sold to various slave owners. He displayed historical images that advertised the dates and locations of the auction blocks where slaves were sold. New Jersey was the site of several safe houses along the Underground Railroad, Briz said, adding that the Raritan River was considered to be one of the last stops for those seeking freedom. At the end of the performance, Briz noted that the efforts and sacrifices of African Americans should be recognized all year long, not just during Black History Month in February. "We should be celebrating Black history all year-round," Briz told the audience. "It is a part of our American history and it should be one and the same." For more information, visit the Web site at www.brizsongs.com.