Blog Posts

5/20/2020

Angelica Sanchez Artist Profile

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Pianist/Composer/Educator Angelica Sanchez moved to New York from Arizona in 1994. Since moving to the East Coast Sanchez has collaborated with such notable artists as: Wadada Leo Smith, Paul Motian, Richard Davis, Jamaladeen Tacuma, Nicole Mitchell, Rob Mazurek, Tim Berne, Mario Pavone, Ben Monder amongst others. Sanchez leads numerous groups, the most recent being her Nonet which features Chris Speed, Michael Attais, Thomas Heberer, Kenny Warren, Ben Goldberg, John Hebert, Omar Tamez and Sam Ospavot.

Her music has been recognized in national and international publications including Jazz Times,The New York Times,Chicago Tribune amongst others. She was also the 2008 recipient of a French/American Chamber Music America grant and the 2011 Rockefeller Brothers Pocantico artist residency. Sanchez’ debut solo CD “A Little House” was featured on NPR’s Weekend Edition and her recording “Wires & Moss” featuring her Quintet was chosen as one of best Releases of 2012 in “The New York City Jazz Record (formerly All About Jazz-New York).” Her recording “Twine Forest” a duo with Wadada Leo Smith received Honorable Mention as one of the best releases of 2013 in "The New York City Jazz Record." Her latest trio project “Float The Edge” features Michael Formanek and Tyshawn Sorey and has garnered wide critical acclaim. Sanchez has a Master's degree from Willam Paterson University in Jazz Arranging. She is currently a lecturer at Princeton University.

Recent AFA performances:
May 1, 2020 On_Line Salon w/ Tony Malaby

Website: http://www.angelicasanchez.com/home.html

Angelica Sanchez & Sam Newsome at Raza y Resistencia

Arts For Art & El Taller Latino Americano present pianist Angela Sanchez & Sam Newsome at Raza y Resistencia on October 14, 2018.

5/20/2020

Nasheet Waits Artist Profile

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Nasheet Waits, drummer/music educator, is a New York native. His interest in playing the drums was encouraged by his father, legendary percussionist, Frederick Waits. Over the course of his career, Freddie Waits played with such legendary artists as Ella Fitzgerald, Sonny Rollins, Max Roach, McCoy Tyner, and countless others.

Nasheet’s college education began at Morehouse in Atlanta, GA, where he majored in Psychology and History. Deciding that music would be his main focus, he continued his college studies in New York at Long Island University, where he graduated with honors, receiving his Bachelor of Arts in Music. While attending Long Island University, Waits studied privately with renowned percussionist, Michael Carvin. Carvin’s tutelage provided a vast foundation upon which Waits added influences from his father, as well as mentor Max Roach. It was Max that first gave Nasheet’s formidable talent international spotlight, hiring him as a member of the famed percussion ensemble M’BOOM. One highlight of Nasheet’s tenure with M’BOOM was the live concert performance of M’BOOM with special guests Tony Williams and Ginger Baker.

Most recently Nasheet has been a member of Andrew Hill’s various bands, Jason Moran’s Bandwagon, and Fred Hersch’s trio. As an originating member of pianist Jason Moran’s Bandwagon, Jason, bassist Tarus Mateen, and Nasheet have been deemed, “the most exciting rhythm section in jazz” by JazzTimes, The 2001 recording “Black Stars” with the Bandwagon, featuring Sam Rivers was named the “Best CD of 2001” in (Jazz Times, Jan 2002) and “The New York Times”.

Nasheet’s recording and performing discography is a veritable who’s who in Jazz, boasting stints with jazz notables such as Geri Allen, Mario Bauza, Hamiett Bluiett, Abraham Burton, Ron Carter, Marc Cary, Steve Coleman, Stanley Cowell, Orrin Evans, Stefon Harris, Andrew Hill, Bill Lee, Jackie McLean, The Mingus Big Band, The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Greg Osby, Joshua Redman, Vanessa Rubin, Antoine Roney, Wallace Roney, Jacky Terrason, Bunky Green, and Mark Turner. Waits has recorded and toured extensively in Africa, Europe, Japan, Canada, South America and the United States.

Recent AFA Performances:
July 10, 2020 On_Line Salon w/ Antoine Roney & Taurus Mateen

Julie Ezelle Patton / Nasheet Waits / Ken Filiano / Paul Van Curen | Vision 23

“Patt'n Mouth, like cat and mouse, is a 17th Century English language idiom meaning "constant pursuit, near captures and repeated escapes stemming from a contrived action"...More

5/20/2020

Wadada Leo Smith Artist Profile

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Wadada Leo Smith, trumpeter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and improviser is one of the most acclaimed creative artists of his time, both for his music and his writings. For the last five decades, Mr. Smith has been a member of the historical and legendary AACM collective. He distinctly defines his music as “Creative Music.” Mr. Smith’s diverse discography reveals a recorded history centered around important issues that have impacted his world. Mr. Smith’s awards and commissions include: DownBeat Magazine’s 65th Annual Critics Poll: Artist, Trumpet, and Album of the Year (America’s National Parks). Mr. Smith is featured on the cover of the August 2017 issue of DownBeat. And in the 2016 Jazz Times’ Critics Poll, he was honored the Artist of the Year. His America’s National Parks earned wide praise as one of the best albums of 2016 from media like The New York Times, the NPR Jazz Critics Poll, The Wire and many other publications. A finalist for the 2013 Pulitzer Prize in Music, he received the 2016 Doris Duke Artist Award and earned an honorary doctorate from CalArts, where he was also celebrated as Faculty Emeritus.

Recent AFA Performance: October 8, 2020 Vision Festival Healing Soul
Website: https://wadadaleosmith.com/

Wadada Leo Smith | AFA Artist Talks

Wadada Leo Smith shares his philosophy on music, leadership and successful collective models, education, and more in this interview for AFA Artist Talks...More

5/20/2020

Joe McPhee Artist Profile

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Joe McPhee, born November 3, 1939 in Miami, Florida, USA, is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, improviser, conceptualist and theoretician.

He began playing the trumpet at age eight, taught by his father, himself a trumpet player. He continued on that instrument through his formative school years and later in a U.S. Army band stationed in Germany, at which time he was introduced to performing traditional jazz. Clifford Thornton’s Freedom and Unity, released in 1969 on the Third World label, is the first recording on which he appears as a side man. In 1968, inspired by the music of Albert Ayler, he took up the saxophone and began an active involvement in both acoustic and electronic music.

His first recordings as leader appeared on the CJ Records label, founded in 1969
by painter Craig Johnson. These include Underground Railroad by the Joe McPhee Quartet (1969), Nation Time (1970), Trinity (1971) and Pieces of Light (1974). In 1975, Swiss entrepreneur Werner X. Uehlinger release Black Magic Man by McPhee, on what was to become Hat Hut Records
In 1981, he met composer, accordionist, performer, and educator Pauline Oliveros, whose theories of “deep listening” strengthened his interests in extended instrumental and electronic techniques. he also discovered Edward de Bono’s book Lateral Thinking: A Textbook of Creativity, which presents concepts for solving problems by “disrupting an apparent sequence and arriving at the solution from another angle.” de Bono’s theories inspired McPhee to apply this “sideways thinking” to his own work in creative improvisation, resulting in the concept of “Po Music.” McPhee describes “Po Music” as a “process of provocation” (Po is a language indicator to show that provocation is being used) to “move from one fixed set of ideas in an attempt to discover new ones.” He concludes, “It is a Positive, Possible, Poetic Hypothesis.” The results of this application of Po principles to creative improvisation can be heard on several Hat Art recordings, including Topology, Linear B, and Oleo & a Future Retrospective.

In 1997, McPhee discovered two like-minded improvisers in bassist Dominic Duval and drummer Jay Rosen. The trio premiered at the Vision Jazz Festival in 1998 but the concert went unnoticed by the press. McPhee, Duval, and Rosen therefore decided that an apt title for the group would be Trio X. In 2004 he created Survival Unit III with Fred Lonberg-Holm and Michael Zerang to expand his musical horizons and with a career spanning nearly 50 years and over 100 recordings, he continues to tour internationally, forge new connections while reaching for music’s outer limits.

In 2012 he was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Vision Festival

Recent AFA Performances:
June 5, 2020 On_Line Salon

Website: http://joemcphee.com/

Joe McPhee in Conversation at the Under_Line Salon

5/20/2020

Daniel Carter Artist Profile

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Daniel Carter is an American experimental saxophone, flute, clarinet, and trumpet player active mainly in New York City since the early 1970s. One of the legendary masters of creative music. Born in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania in 1945.
Carter is a prolific performer and has recorded or performed with William Parker, Federico Ughi, DJ Logic, Thurston Moore, Yo La Tengo, Sun Ra, Cecil Taylor, scientist/musician Matthew Putman, Patrick Holmes, Sabir Mateen, Cooper-Moore, Sam Rivers, David S. Ware, Yoko Ono, Medesky Martin and Wood and Jaco Pastorius among others. He is a member of the cooperative free jazz groups TEST and Other Dimensions In Music.

Recent AFA Performances:
August 13, 2020 On_Line Salon w/ Matt Lavelle, Mara Rosenbloom, Warren Smith

Website: https://www.577records.com/danielcarter

Daniel Carter w/ Charles Gayle Trio + Dance at Vision 19

5/20/2020

Cooper-Moore Artist Profile

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Cooper-Moore came of age as a musician and active member of the civil rights and peace movements. He became a pivotal member of the Free Jazz movement beginning with the collective Apogee with David S. Ware in the 70s. He has led his own bands Triptych Myth and Digital Primitives and has also been a central figure in William Parker’s In Order to Survive and Gerald Cleaver’s Black Host. Cooper-Moore has written and performed for playwrights such as Rita Dove and Laurie Carlos, and choreographers Joan Miller, Rod Rogers, Marlies Yearby, and Judith Jackson. He is also an important educator, inspiring generations of young artists through Head Start and other music programs around the world. At the Vision Festival in 2017, Arts for Art celebrated Cooper-Moore's lifetime of Achievement with performances by In Order to Survive, Digital Primitives, and Black Host.

Recent AFA Performances:
July 17, 2020 On_Line Salon

Website: http://www.aumfidelity.com/cooper-moore.html

Ashimba: A Portrait of Cooper-Moore

Cooper-Moore has been a pivotal member of the Free Jazz movement since the early 70s. His primary instrument is the piano, though the variety of instruments he has designed and built are part of his trademark...More

5/20/2020

Ingrid Laubrock Artist Profile

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Originally from Germany, Ingrid Laubrock is a saxophonist/composer based in Brooklyn since 2009. Laubrock is interested in exploring the borders between musical realms and creating multi-layered, dense and often evocative sound worlds.
She’s worked with: Anthony Braxton, Muhal Richards Abrams, Dave Douglas, Kenny Wheeler, Jason Moran, Tim Berne, William Parker, Tom Rainey, Mary Halvorson, Kris Davis, Tyshawn Sorey, Craig Taborn, Luc Ex, Django Bates’ Human Chain, The Continuum Ensemble, Wet Ink and many others.
Laubrock's main projects as a leader are Anti-House, Sleepthief, Ingrid Laubrock Septet and Ubatuba. Collaborations include Paradoxical Frog, Ingrid Laubrock/Tom Rainey Duo and Crump/Smythe/Laubrock. She is a member of Anthony Braxton's Falling River Music Quartet, Nonet and 12+1tet, Tom Rainey Trio and Obbligato, Mary Halvorson Septet, Kris’ Davis Quintet, Nate Wooley’s Battle Pieces and Luc Ex’ Assemblée. She was one of the featured soloists in Anthony Braxton’s opera Trillium J.

Recent AFA Performances:
June 17, 2020 On_Line Salon w/ Nick Dunston & Tom Rainey

Website: http://www.ingridlaubrock.com/

Ingrid Laubrock / Nate Wooley / Chris Corsano | AFA Evolving Series 2014

Performed July 28, 2014 at the Clemente, NYC as part of Arts for Art’s Evolving series, New York City, NY... More

5/20/2020

Andrew Drury Artist Profile

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Andrew Drury is a drummer, composer, and organizer who has performed in 30 countries and on 70 recordings, recently recognized by All About Jazz as “one of the most adventurous drummer/percussionists in creative music today, and a dedicated humanitarian.” A long-time student of the legendary drummer Ed Blackwell, he performs as a soloist and leads ensembles of all sizes—most recently Content Provider featuring Ingrid Laubrock, Briggan Krauss, Brandon Seabrook. In addition to his work with Jason Kao Hwang and Ken Filiano he has worked in the last decade with J. D. Parran, Ku-umba Frank Lacy/1032K, Stephanie Richards, Robert Dick, Kris Davis, Alan Braufman, Cooper-Moore, Satoko Fujii, Thomas Buckner, Joseph Daley, Aruán Ortiz, Tomeka Reid, Roswell Rudd, Jack Wright, Bonita Oliver, and many more.

Recent AFA Performances:
June 10 2020 On_Line Salon

Website: http://soupandsound.org/about/

Jason Kao Hwang’s Spontaneous River Orchestra | AFA Under_Line Salon

In December 2016, Arts for Art hosted a holiday fundraiser at the Lowline Lab in NYC featuring Jason Kao Hwang’s Spontaneous River Orchestra performing the compositions “New York” by Leroy Jenkins...More

5/20/2020

Michael TA Thompson Artist Profile

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Michael T.A. Thompson is an anomaly. T.A.'s palate encompasses an abundance of sound colors. He hears everything and plays with it in a way that's ever inventive and perceptively responsive. Thompson plays as he breathes. You'll always find him in the moment, inspired as well as inspiring.

That's why you'll find him in the company of such a wide variety of musical artists, Jazz giants, including Charles Gayle, Nels Cline, Jason Hwang, Vinny Golia, Patricia Parker, Joe McPhee, Oliver Lake, Kidd Jordan, Fay Victor, Matthew Shipp, Uri Caine, Henry Grimes, Christopher Dean Sullivan, Marc Ribot, William Parker; The Shadow, Becket, reggae artist Owen Gray, as well as artists from classical to rap and beyond.

Recent AFA Performances: September 3, 2020 On_Line Salon with Cooper-Moore, Ken Filiano

Douglas Dunn + Dancers w/ Jason Kao Hwang's Critical Response Trio

Performed and recorded May 25, 2018 for Vision Festival 23 at Roulette, Brooklyn...More

5/20/2020

Rob Brown Artist Profile

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Rob Brown was born in 1962 in Hampton VA. Rob took up the saxophone at age 12. Early on he was introduced to the music of Charlie Parker and Eric Dolphy by his older brother who also played the saxophone.

Rob moved to New York in 1984 and established the musical relationships that came to define his career. Immediately he re-established ties with pianist Matthew Shipp whom he met in Boston in 1982 and continued to develop an improvising language with him.

Rob also began working with William Parker’s many ensembles and has continued to be very active with him for almost 30 years, touring Europe and the US and recording at least 18 albums.

Rob has been collaborating with visual artist Jo Wood-Brown since they met in 1996. Often performing live with Jo’s frequent collaborator dancer/choreographer Miriam Parker and/or creating sound for video and other installations.

Recent AFA performances:
May 8, 2020 On_Line Salon with Steve Swell

Website: https://www.robbrownmusic.com/

Jo Wood-Brown & Rob Brown Artist Diary

"During sheltering in place, I made several small videos, one at the South Street Seaport and the other in the studio that interfaced two realities, one of which was painted...More

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Angelica Sanchez Artist Profile

Angelica Sanchez & Sam Newsome at Raza y Resistencia

Nasheet Waits Artist Profile

Julie Ezelle Patton / Nasheet Waits / Ken Filiano / Paul Van Curen | Vision 23

Wadada Leo Smith Artist Profile

Wadada Leo Smith | AFA Artist Talks

Joe McPhee Artist Profile

Joe McPhee in Conversation at the Under_Line Salon

Daniel Carter Artist Profile

Daniel Carter w/ Charles Gayle Trio + Dance at Vision 19

Cooper-Moore Artist Profile

Ashimba: A Portrait of Cooper-Moore

Ingrid Laubrock Artist Profile

Ingrid Laubrock / Nate Wooley / Chris Corsano | AFA Evolving Series 2014

Andrew Drury Artist Profile

Jason Kao Hwang’s Spontaneous River Orchestra | AFA Under_Line Salon

Michael TA Thompson Artist Profile

Douglas Dunn + Dancers w/ Jason Kao Hwang's Critical Response Trio

Rob Brown Artist Profile

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​Ashimba: A Portrait of Cooper-Moore

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Ashimba: A Portrait of Cooper-Moore