The second night of the 2019 Vision Festival is dedicated to Alvin Fielder, drummer, pharmacist, and founding AACM member who passed away earlier this year. A native of Meridian, Mississippi, Fielder helped spread jazz and creative music throughout the South with artists like Kidd Jordan whose relationship with Fielder goes back to the early 1970s, and who along with pianist Joel Futterman, and William Parker performed as the Creative Collective for over twenty years. The group welcomes drummer Hamid Drake for this tribute performance. Born out of his latest release, Songs of Resistance, and considered the spiritual successor to his Spiritual Unity project, Marc Ribot’s new quartet features musical partners old and new. Frequent collaborators Brandon Lopez and Gerald Cleaver join renowned poets Edwin Torres and Fred Moten for a first time meeting. The artistic duo of dancer/choreographer Davalois Fearon, and composer/multi-instrumentalist Mike McGinnis will combine dance, music, performance art, and live poetry readings into their performance. Drummer/composer Tomas Fujiwara presents his latest ensemble project, the 7 Poets Trio with cellist Tomeka Reid and vibraphonist Patricia Brennan.
Tomas Fujiwara’s 7 Poets Trio
Tomas Fujiwara: drums
Patricia Brennan: vibraphone
Tomeka Reid: cello
Nick Dunston: bass
Marc Ribot: guitar
Jay Rodriguez: reeds
Chad Taylor: drums
Edwin Torres: poetry
Fred Moten: poetry
Brandon Lopez: bass
Gerald Cleaver: drums
Davalois Fearon Dance
Davalois Fearon: dance
Mike McGinnis: woodwinds
Patricia Smith: poetry
Peter Apfelbaum: piano, keyboard, woodwinds
Gerald Cleaver: drums
Kidd Jordan Tribute to Alvin Fielder
Kidd Jordan: tenor sax
Joel Futterman: piano
William Parker: bass
Hamid Drake: drums
The Vision Festival is a celebration of boundless improvised art. Now in its 24th year, this festival of music, dance, poetry, and visual art is heralded as “one of New York’s most essential art events” (New York Times). Legendary and emerging stars representing the free jazz, experimental, and avant-garde communities will perform 30 sets over six nights.
Founded in 1996, festival presenter Arts For Art (AFA) is a New York City based tax exempt organization dedicated to the promotion and advancement of free jazz — an American indigenous art form in which improvisation is principle.
The Vision Festival is a co-production between Arts for Art and Roulette. The festival is made possible in part thanks to public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the city council. This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. Support through New Music USA’s NYC New Music Impact Fund is made possible with funding from The Scherman Foundation’s Katharine S. and Axel G. Rosin Fund. This program is made possible in part thanks to the Howard Gilman Foundation and the Jacob and Ruth Epstein Foundation.
