Evidence: The James Baldwin Suite

William Hooker's

Evidence: The James Baldwin Suite

The "Year of Baldwin" was very important to me. I took stock of this great writer and social critic by revisiting his works and looking at the new works being published---all in an effort to be inspired enough to dream a story that would include music, dance, and his own illuminating words as a form of homage to this great man.  He is very complex.

He loved freedom and justice----as all great men do. However, he had the gift of insight and abstraction enabling him to create beautiful works of art to explain life and its paradoxes. His words spurred me along--when the music and the strength of my interpretation were questioned.

I have absorbed the inner and the outer. The wheat and the chafe---and with the help of my own creative friends---I am giving you this homage.

James Baldwin rose to accept the challenge of life.  This is all of us--in one. We are all of us---in him. Thank you, James Baldwin....for shining light...William Hooker.

And with the above thoughts Mr. Hooker set about creating a masterpiece of art, music, and words that swept you into the world of James Baldwin, making you not only feel the power of his words but the music which flowed behind his words. You also saw the beauty of how dance could be performed to the music created, and all together this homage brought you into a parallel universe until the last note was played, the last words spoken and the dancer had vanished from the stage. Yes, Mr. Hooker you paid homage to James Baldwin at St. Peter's Church no less; but more than that you created a world with words, dance and music that we could enter and not leave.

The Company: Fay Victor - Vocals, Mark Harmon - Piano, Ras Moshe - Saxophone & Flute, Jesse Henry - Guitar, Eric Robinson - Trumpet & Electronics, William Hooker - Drums

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One Breath Rising, Inc. Presented Warren Smith

Friday, November 4, 2016; One Breath Rising, Inc. Presented a Tribute to Warren Smith

 The Warren Smith Ensemble Ensemble: James Steward - Reeds, Rod Williams - Keyboards, Ratzo Harris - Bass, and Warren Smith - Percussion

Born in Chicago to a musical family, Mr. Warren Smith graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana/Champaign in 1957, and from Manhattan School of Music in 1958. As he established his professional carreer,Mr. Smith's contributions to American music became phenomenal.

A tasteful and disciplined New York based drummer and percussionist, Warren I. Smith  has a long history of pitching in on various masterworks, from the recordings of soul queen Aretha Franklin to the avant-garde saxophone maverick and fascinating  composer Sam Rivers. Mr. Smith was a founding member of the Composers Workshop Ensemble, a New York based co-operative group dedicated to performing original jazz compositions by its members, and of Max Roach's M'Boom Ensemble of drummers. His reputation has always been that of a no-nonsense, hard-working, and dedicated performer, so he is a favorite working partner of bandleaders or composers who want to present projects with an agsolute minimum of hassle or attitude from their collaborators. This list includes Anthony Braxton, Charles Mingus, Henry Threadgill, Van Morrison, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Sun Ra, Sam Rivers, Tony Williams and Joe Zawinul. He has accoumpanied such great vocalists as Sarah Vaughn, Lena Horne, Artetha Franklin, Nina Simone, Nancy Wilson, Carmen McRae, Roberta Flack, and Nat King Cole.

Mr. Smith has never been one to lord over newcomers or put up barriers against innovative jazz forms on the contrary, he seems to always be part of the crew that is out front. He performed  in landmark concerts of iconic composers like Charles Mingus, Jahn Cage and Harry Partch. Mr. Smith was Janis Joplin's Musical Director on her 1968 European tour, and on Melvin Van Peeble's first release, "Sweet Sweetback's Bad Ass Song." During the late 'yo's/early '80's "loft jazz" scene in New York City, Studio WIS (Warren I. Smith)  was one of the few so-called "lofts" that actually was a loftt; there are so many artists that came through, and I was lucky enough to be asked to video a series which included at the end Mr. Smth's grandchildren playing the instruments as toddlers.

Mr. Smith taught as a Professor at SUNY Old Westbury for twenty-five (25) years, as well as in NYC Public Schools, and Adelphi College and at Jazzmobile. He shows no signs of stopping and is currently working on a book which will include DVD's of perfomances and interviews.

This was an enchanting evening with Warren Smith being presented with an award for the lifetime of work he has given to the arts. It was a pleasure for me to video and photograph this event along with Susan Yung;  since I have known Mr. Smith for over twenty years.  The ensemble switched from original compositions to Ellington to a Billie Holiday and then launched into some of Warren Smith's unique and incisive poems dealing with some of the social events and personal episodes of his life without a hitch or a hiccup.

The audience was rapt and included fans, students, friends and fellow musicians. We will be waiting for Warren Smith to present this ensemble again, hopefully in the near future.

Please take a look at some of the pictures from this wonderful and historic event. I hope to see you at the next venue. Sorry, I am late posting this, but it should give you incentive to get to the next one.

Left to right, Newman Taylor Baker, Master Percussionest, Rod Williams Keyboards, Warren Smith Percussion & Poetry, Ratzo Harris Bass

Note: Newman T. Baker, did not play this night

"Storm Trooper" by Mija Jung

The Little Underground Gallery presents, "Storm Trooper"

A Solo Exhibition by Mija Jung @ 425 Ave of the America's

Storm Trooper, incudes several paintings by Mija Jung. Jung's work represents iconic images related to "propaganda" and nationalism. These works interweave the lives of individuals in a historical context. Storm Trooper reveals the complex nature of social consciousness with multiple layers of figures, words, and shapes In one painting, Stalin Girls, anonymous girls are marching under the shadow of Stalin, a symbolic figure of the Cold War era. Her expressively painted canvases provoke viewers to rethink male chauvinism and the terror behind the surveillance system and the urban environment filled with excessive advertisements. By layering the iconography, minimally drawn figures, rapid brush strokes, and words, she builds up political tension, and simultaneously reaches aesthetic freedom. Through the paintings, she tries to identify conflicts between different religious beliefs, gender roles, and political positions. 

Born in South Korea, Mija Jung currently lives and works in New York Jung earned two Masters in Fine Arts in painting from Rutgers University, New Jersey, and Hongik University, Seoul Korea, and a Bachelor in Fine Arts in from Hongik University, Seoul. Her one person exhibitions have presented internationally and her works have been included in numerous gallery and museum exhibitions such as the Robert Miller Gallery, NY, Socrates Sculpture NY, Hyundai Gallery Seoul, Galerie Nord, Berlin; and Galerie ARTQ13 in Rome Italy to name a few. For more information, please visit www.mijajung.com

Seward Park Library and Feargal Doyle Present:

"Ultramarine"

Originally from Ireland, Feargal Doyle now lives and works in New York. He moved to New York in 2012 via Thailand. where he and his family spent two years on a life transforming adventure. It was during this time that he turned to painting as his life's passion. Prior to that his career had been in architecture - working for several years with New York based "starchitect" Daniel libeskind on projects in his native Dublin and in Berlin - and in theatre where he worked as a set designer. 

This exhibit will be shown from Friday, September 9 - Monday January 2 2017

 The artist and his family

The artist Fergal Doyke and his family along with curator/Librarian Mr. Carlos Chavez.  The artist will be having a discussion about his art at Seward Park Library on December 21, 2016 at 6 P.M.  Please contact the library for further information.

Leroy Campbell: The Fight Continues

"The Fight Continues" honoring the Greatest, Ali

Leroy Campbell is a prolific artist whose work opened at the Richard Beavers Gallery 408 Marcus Garvey Blvd. Brooklyn, NY 11216 on November 5, 2016. The Art Exhibit will run through till the 22 December 2016.

The Exhibition is called "The Fight Continues" by renowned artist and activist Mr. Leroy Campbell. I am going to use part of an interview done by Sharon Barnes-Waters with Richard Beavers the owner of he Gallery and Leroy Campbell.

The exhibit was birthed out of conversations Mr. Beavers and Mr. Campbell and how they wanted to honor the fighting spirit of Ali. What he represented and the many layers of the man. There are over 17 pieces in this exhibit and when you stop by you should make sure that you take time to look at each piece and you will see iconic posters included but you will also see statements from people all over the world, which was the power of the reach of this man, and all of this is from an African-American view but with the world view of us coming together, on a world scale
The art work is sometimes historic, captivating and according to your sensibilities may catch you off guard; but Mr. Campbell is square in the middle of bringing you these images to awaken and make you think.

An Art show not just for art's sake but to make clear the history claimed and unclaimed of Ali, and how his love of life, and embrace of the world, brought him fame not only in the U.S. but all over the world and made people respond all over the world, presented with a love of the people and a strong unapologetic stance this exhibit will make you stand up and take notice.

Here we have examples of the captivating work of Mr. Leroy Campbell at the Gallery, Please stop by and bring your credit card. You will want to bring at least one of these works home to hang in your home.