Visual Artist Gilbert Hsiao is Busy This Summer

My lifelong friend and music lover, the New York-based visual artist Gilbert Hsiao, is hitting his stride after about 57 years and has a busy exhibition schedule this summer. You can (and should) catch his work in the U.S., Germany, Holland, and Thailand according to the following schedule. This post comes by way of Gilbert's mailing list; you can subscribe by directly accessing his blog. Oops, I think we missed the first one.

UPCOMING SUMMER SHOWS (NEW YORK & VICINITY):

Lumen Festival, Staten Island, June 15, 6 PM-Midnight.

One night only, a quick walk from the Staten Island Ferry. This festival features installations, video and perfomance by over 60 artists, curated by David Terry and Esther Neff. I'll be spinning painted records on turntables under black light in public for the first time. This festival is a great excuse to take the Staten Island Ferry (check the times; the ferry is still free but runs on an hourly schedule). For more info go to the Festival website at http://statenislandarts.org/lumen-2/

Phaedo, Storefront Bushwick, June 28-July 28

16 Wilson Ave, Bushwick near the Morgan Ave Stop on the L (917) 714-3813

My first show in Bushwick. Looking forward to this; however I won't be at the opening because I'll be in Berlin (see below). With Emily Berger, Benjamin Echerverria, Nate Ethier, JJ Garfinkel, Elizabeth Hazan, Osamu Kobayashi, Dominic Mangila, Laruen Portada and Anne Russinof. For more info go to http://storefrontbushwick.com/

Dynamic Invention: Abstract American Artists at 75, Brattleboro Museum and Art Center, Brattleboro, VT.. June 29-October 30

This is the first exhibition of the 75th Anniversary Edition of the Abstract American Artists Print Portfolio, featuring the work of 48 of its members. Unfortunately, can't make this opening, either. For information on the Art Center, go to http://www.brattleboromuseum.org/. For Abstract American Artists, go to http://www.americanabstractartists.org/. For images of the portfolio, go to http://www.americanabstractartists.org/publishing/editions/2012/aaaprints1.html#adams

Doppler Stop, Parallel Art Space, July 13-August 18

1717 Troutman, Ridgewood Queens near the Jefferson stop on the L

The 2013 version of this show organized by Mel Prest. Last year this show was seen in a number of different venues in Europe. This year, I'm proud to have been asked to do my first wall piece to be seen in a NY gallery. Artists include Steven Baris, Richard Bottwin, Edgar Diehl, Kevin Finklea, Brent Hallard, José Heerkens, Gracia Khouw, Sarah Klein, Stephen Maine, Gay Outlaw, Mel Prest, Debra Ramsay, Albert Roskam, Karen Schifano, Iemke van Dijk, Henriëtte van 't Hoog, Ruth van Veenen, Don Voisine, Nancy White, Guido Winkler, and Patricia Zarate. For more info go to http://www.parallelartspace.com/Parallel_Art_Space/Current.html

FURTHER AFIELD:

Rituals of Exhibition II curated by Light Space Projects, H Gallery, Chiang Mai, Thailand, June 16-August 25

Truly international show featuring artists from four continents. John Aslanidis/Pedro Boese/Merric Brettle /Katja Brinkmann/Nate Ethier/Wolfgang Flad/Ludovica Gioscia/Brent Hallard/Nithiphat Hoisangthong/Jan Holthoff/Franziska Hünig/Mit Jai Inn/Isabel Kerkermeier/Jeremy Kibel/Andrew Leslie/Julie Oppermann/Rob de Oude/Mel Prest/Debra Ramsay/David Rhodes/Giles Ryder/Gunna Schmidt/Andreas Schmid/Alexandra Schlund/Mark Sengbusch/Jessica Snow/Elisabeth Sonneck/Nicola Stäglich/Michael Swingle/Klaus-Martin Treder/Tilman/Anke Völk/Nancy White/Patricia Zarate. For more information go to https://www.facebook.com/events/549256791793429/

Two Person show with Don Voisine, dr julius austellungen \ projeckten, opening June 27

60 Leberstraße, Berlin, Germany

I'm pleased to be returning to Berlin to show work alongside Don Voisine, whose work I have admired for a number of years. I'll be showing a wall painting. To our Berlin friends: Don and I will both be at the opening; hope to see you them. For more info go to: http://www.dr-julius.de/

the great BIG little graphic Art Show, PIT, Eindhoven, Netherlands, October 3-November 1

Curated by Linda Arts of Project Initiative Tilburg, whose work and curative endeavors I've always admired. In this first opportunity to work with her, I will show a piece from a series of prints done in 2005.

Unlikely Iterations of the Abstract, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, opening October 31

Curated by Bill Arning, who gave me my first solo show back in 1986 at White Columns. More spinning records.

Fela's Musicians - Interview with Rilwan "Showboy" Fagbemi, Part 5

Showboy: When we were recording in New York, we went to the studio, the (name unclear) Sound Studio, we laid everything that was to be laid, as in part of everyone. When we finished Fela asked to stay in the studio to do the mixing, to do the solo work, and the voices, and so on. So we were asked to be taken to our hotel. So they took us to Harlem, I was living at 27 Adam Clayton Powell Avenue in Harlem, so, I was in my room when I had a call that, "Showboy, you are needed at the studio, Fela said they should bring you". I said, what is happening? Did I play my part wrong or what? It was very, very cold, almost minus degree, you know what I mean, when you are hearing (whistles) in your ears in the night. So I was picked up in Harlem back to Manhattan, so when I got to the studio Fela said "Showboy, where is your saxophone?". I said "I brought it." He said "Go get it, I want to try you on a solo work." We were doing Pansa Pansa {click to listen} so, Fela, you know, and the horn lines, we have ten horns, we have four trumpets, that's two trumpet, two fluegel, two alto, two tenor, two baritone.

Showboy with Femi's band on June 7
The first time ever, 15 years after Fela's death

I went to the rest room, I put my fingers in the hot water to get myself warm, I asked for a cappuccino with brandy to get myself warm; I had two shots of cappuccino with brandy, then I mount my saxophone. I went to a room, did some major practice, then Fela said "OK let's start, let's hear what you have." I took the headpiece, I put it on my head. I sat down. I now listened, I listened to what we had already laid. Ahhh. I started meditating, thinking about what to add, what am I gonna do, where am I gonna start from? You see, so I listened for about two minutes, three minutes, I took the mike, I said "Fela, we should take it back, I've listened, let me try something." They started again. When I came in, Fela said, "Stop. Showboy, you are there. This is what I am expecting. Can I record you?" I said no, I want to try something else. The engineer took it back again. I started again, the music started, I listened. When I came in the second time, Fela said "Showboy, don't waste my time, you've got what I want, let's record." That was on the first album we did three full solos - me on baritone, I started it, Fela on piano, then YS on tenor saxophone. Man, by the time we laid everything, tell you what, I never believed I played it. 

Ron: You know, on all the albums Fela released in the West at the time, there were no names of musicians. But it was not just Fela who was great, the band was great. 

Showboy: We were behind him. You are right, you are right. 

Ron: Were you around when Lester Bowie played trumpet? 

Showboy: Yeah. Lester Bowie, I know him. Roy Ayers, I know him. He is a good trumpet player. He could play everything. He was BAD in No Agreement. 

Ron: So how long did he spend with Fela?

Showboy:  He was Fela's friend.

Just like, there was this year we were on tour in New York, we did not come with our pianist, we had to borrow Roy Ayers' pianist to feature with us in New York. He had never played that music, he had never played that steady rhythm, playing maybe two, three notes, same thing in the next 45 minutes, in the next 30 minutes. 

Ron: Because in America there is so much emphasis on harmony, on moving chords. 

Showboy: But you know, some of Fela's tracks, they go for 29 minutes, one track. Some go as much as 35 minutes. 

Ron: But here's what happened in my country - like James Brown said about the mid-60s, you don't need to do all that chords and stuff, it is all about the rhythm, every instrument is rhythm. Then Miles came and said forget about what key you are in, because you are in every key. So it became like, universal. 

Showboy: That's it. You know, it started like a revolution, you know. It is like what you are hearing today, they are completely different. 

Ron: But they never got beyond it. 

Showboy: They can't.

Relic of 1970's New York Loft Scene Discovered

Wilson, Hemphill, Dara, and Murray.
All for $3.

I was going through some boxes of LPs (remember them?) in my storage space and came across this fascinating relic of the 1970's New York loft scene. It was doing time as a divider inside a cardboard box.

Actually I don't recall this particular show or why I took home the sign, but it must have been a hell of a performance, an ad hoc group of some of the most creative players on the scene circa 1976. The ecstasy of jazz as it existed pre-Marsalis. Why this particular sign remained in my possession, I have no idea, just a serendipitous find. It is quite artistically drawn, no? You can see that loft jazz in the 70's was a high-marketing-budget production.

To put things in historical perspective, as many years have passed between this performance and today as did between Pearl Harbor and this performance. 

Unfortunately both Phillip Wilson and Julius Hemphill, great players whose every recorded note is worth seeking out and hearing, checked out out early. Olu Dara is still around as is the prolific David Murray who, in my opinion, is one of the best tenor players around and can play the entire history of the horn. I like his small group work best but I'm not so hot on some of his fancier projects. Check Death of a Sideman with Bobby Bradford.

My Musical Biography, Part 3

The 1970’s were the height of the New York loft scene; a live show costs just a couple of bucks in those days and most places did not clear the floor between sets. I used to take the train frequently to NYC, where my Lab School best friend Gilbert lived. Gilbert loved music and had the world’s largest record collection but he never had any musical talent himself (his amazing talents lie elsewhere - he is now a world-renowned artist, see http://www.gilberthsiao.blogspot.com/). I guess we have that in common, no innate musical talent. I used to go hear live music all the time – Studio Rivbea and the Tin Palace come to mind. Once I walked across lower Manhattan blowing my alto in the street the whole way; when we walked in front of Ali’s Alley, Rashied Ali himself came out to see what the commotion was – can you imagine doing that in post-Giuliani NYC? Probably get locked up.

Some of the greats I’ve had the fortune to see and hear live: Miles Davis (his pre-retirement electric band with Sonny Fortune and Pete Cosey), Charles Mingus (with George Adams and Danny Rich-man; Mingus cussed me out with some racial epithets when I naively tried to say hello between sets in Montreal), Dexter Gordon (once with Woody Shaw on trumpet; Dexter was a real gentleman), Dizzy Gillespie (who was interested in my wife and not the least bit in me), Sam Rivers (at Rivbea), Sonny Rollins (in Philly where I sat so close I could’ve shined his shoes), Leroy Jenkins (at the recording session for his JCOA album), Clark Terry (I interviewed him for WHRB), Archie Shepp (I interviewed him for WHRB and got to hang out with him and Dave Burrell in their hotel; he certainly never showed any hostility towards white people to me), James Moody (in Terre Haute!), McCoy Tyner (maybe his best band with Junie Booth and Azar Lawrence), Kalaparusha (I had, and still have, a real taste for the AACM), Muhal Richard Abrams, Ornette Coleman with Prime Time, towering Randy Weston, Max Roach (with the fabulous Billy Harper on tenor), Dewey Redman (whose music puts his much more highly touted son to shame), Julius Hemphill (Tim Berne was his manager at the time and sent me some unreleased cassettes of Julius), David Murray (the saxophone prodigy of the day, not much older than me), Jimmy McGriff, Lou Donaldson, Ray Charles, Pepper Adams (in Munich’s famed Domocile), Chicago’s great Fred Anderson, Joe Henderson (whose introverted style I never really understood until I saw him in person), Jackie McLean (one of his last concerts), Cecil Taylor (who plays the piano like he has three hands), Paul Quinichette at the West End, Art Blakey (not one of his best bands unfortunately) and Sun Ra and James Brown multiple times…JB twice with Wilson Pickett on the bill. My favorite is Vonski Von Freeman who instructed me that “Music is not mathematics.”

Someone I didn’t see…Rahsaan…one of the dumbest things I ever did in my life. Big Dave called me to come down to Bloomington and see Rahsaan at the Bluebird and I was too lazy to make the hour drive by myself. Rahsaan died that night after the concert. Big Dave is gone now too.