I’ve known the artist No Land for over a decade and I have watched her develop and build a full body of work. Her aesthetic, much like her process, is a deeply organic one. It is refreshing to witness the creative work of an artist who displays no pretention, no cheap frills, nothing to distract
Thomas Ferrella, M.D., Michael McDonald, M.D., Ben SidranMadison, WI You take great steps to maintain your health: You measure steps, count calories, avoid carbohydrates and meat…but do you keep track of your decibels? At concerts, sporting events, spin classes and on city streets, volumes are dangerously loud. The same is true with hand dryers in bathrooms, lawnmowers,
Ground rules I am not a jazz professor or jazz musician, nor do I hold myself out as an expert or a jazz illuminato. I have never taken a class in jazz or its history. And, honestly, I do my best to avoid the intellectual side of jazz – I am simply a fan and
After time spent visiting the estate of Harriet Tubman in Auburn, New York, Viktor Le Givens and Angel Bat Dawid presented a new work, Suite Harriet, on the main stage of BRIC Jazzfest in Brooklyn on the 21st of October. Le Givens’ work seeks to deepen and broaden our contact with the “etheric realm” through
During the Covid pandemic, I experienced contrasting periods of artistic lucidity and activity and periods of despondency. Overall, the former won over, and I’m happy to share a few developments that occurred during this time. When the pandemic first hit, I knew if I didn’t stay active playing piano I would go insane, so I
It’s not everyday that everyday looks like any day. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2249446941857509 The pandemic was a time of opportunity, perhaps, to woodshed, to workshop, to reflect, to reassess. It was also, for me, a time of uncertainty, anxiety, and of doubt. Keeping busy, and doing “the good work,” seemed at once absolutely necessary, but searching the
Arkinetics Daniel Carter – Trumpet, Reeds Alexis Marcelo – Fender Rhodes Damon Banks – Bass Roshni Samlal – Tabla Dan Kurfirst -Drums, Percussion, Compositions Arkinetics is an instrumental quintet that utilizes the practice of rhythm as mantra to enter a space of boundless joy and freedom. The concept has been inside of me for the
Early in the global pandemic, I learned about the theory of the “hedonic treadmill.” Maybe all of you know about this already, but in case you, like me, didn’t know, basically this theory posits that after an extremely positive or extremely negative change in a human’s life, we ultimately return to about the same level
Despite performing rarely the past couple of years have been fruitful in a few different ways. Below is a list of some of my musical activities since the spring of 2020. In May of 2020 I started a long distance collaboration with Philippe Lauzier, a composer, improviser, clarinetist and saxophonist based in Montreal, Canada. We began
From saxophonist Travis Laplante: Before I write about my personal and artistic experience during the pandemic thus far, it feels important to acknowledge that this period of time has been devastating for countless people. Whether it’s losing loved ones, working in an over-taxed health care environment, losing one’s business, or dealing with severe long-Covid symptoms—my
