Native Staten Islander David Johansen is perhaps best known as the frontman
for the early '70s seminal glam/punk act, New York Dolls. He achieved notoriety
in the 1980s performing as alter ego Buster Poindexter. In recent years, he's
explored the world of American roots music with his band The Harry Smiths. He
currently tours with the New York Dolls in support of their 2006 release, One Day
It Will Please Us to Remember Even This. “The David Johansen Mansion of Fun
Show” can be heard weekly on Sirius Satellite Radio.
Galt MacDermot may very well be the father of modern musical theatre. The
jazz pianist/composer is the man responsible for the innovative and wildly
successfully musical score to the 1967 worldwide phenomenon HAIR. Winner of
two Grammy Awards and one TONY, he composed the soundtrack for the 1970
film Cotton Comes To Harlem, and the Broadway play, Two Gentlemen of
Verona. In 1990, MacDermot received an ASCAP Top R&B Award for his
contribution to Run DMC’s track “Down With The King." Founder/owner of
Kilmarnock Records, he continues to record, release and perform with his
group, New Pulse Jazz Band.
Vernon Reid is one of music's modern renaissance men. As a guitarist and
frontman, he's best known for his work with the multi-platinum, Grammy-award
winning rock group, Living Colour. As a record producer, he's received two
Grammy nominations: one for his work on James “Blood” Ulmer’s Memphis
Blood: The Sun Studio Sessions, and one for his production of African singer
Salif Keita's record, Papa. His vast musical oeuvre includes music for
choreographer Bill T. Jones and soundtracks for film and television such as Mr.
3000, starring Bernie Mac, and Court TV’s documentary, Ghosts of Attica. He is
the cofounder of the Black Rock Coalition and frequently performs with his
project Vernon Reid and Masque. Currently he tours with Living Colour and with
DJ Logic as one-half of the The Yohimbe Brothers.
A collaboration between Johansen, MacDermot, and Reid might appear to be
counterintuitive - each one has made a name for himself in completely different
musical genres. Yet, when reflecting upon their individual careers, it becomes
clear how these artists’ work compliments one another. It’s with eager
anticipation that COAHSI awaits the commissioned pieces.
Council On the Arts and Humanities for Staten Island (COHASI) presents a one-of-a-kind opportunity to see these three great composers - all Staten Island residents, of course - perform original material both together and separately, all commissioned especially for one grand evening at the St. George Theatre.
Please visit our main website for more info and tickets!
Staten Island Composers Project's Friend Space (Top 37)
" The means by which we live have outdistanced the ends for which we live. Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men. " Dr. Martin Luther King
Happy New Year! Dance With Us! LATIN NIGHT PARTY Sat., Jan. 26, 2008, 7-10pm Cha Cha and Samba dance lessons and refreshments. $12-RSVP $15-at the door www.dancecentralnewyork.com
Pity the nation whose people are sheep, and whose shepherds mislead them. Pity the nation whose leaders are liars, whose sages are silenced, and whose bigots haunt the airwaves. Pity the nation that raises not its voice, except to praise conquerors and acclaim the bully as hero and aims to rule the world with force and by torture. Pity the nation that knows no other language but its own and no other culture but its own. Pity the nation whose breath is money and sleeps the sleep of the too well fed. Pity the nation—oh, pity the people who allow their rights to erode and their freedoms to be washed away. My country, tears of thee, sweet land of liberty.
By Lawrence Ferlinghetti - Beat Poet Extraordinaire
This was one of the most well-produced, affecting concerts that I have seen anywhere in a long time. Vernon Reid's 9/11 Suite was beyond genius, beyond words, from the ground, to the fire, to the heavens. Unbelievable. I hope there will be a CD. David Johannsen's Addagio was dreamy, with a bit of the insouciance one might expect. Brave and out of the box for him in StatNisland fashion. Galt M.'s jazzy, jumpin' finale was just what we needed to finish off the night. I can't imagine the intense labor that this took--to compose the work,arrange it, stage it, and do the publicity. Bravo to all you involved. It was an honor for me to be there last night.
Loved all the Hair songs played during the intermissions...
To keep us under foot they bury us in soot, pretending its a chore to ship us off to war. In this dive we rediscover sensation, in this dive we rediscover sensation.
If I wasn't slated to be recording on the 27th I'd certainly be there. I hope this becomes an annual event so I can get another chance to see it. Cheers Jayster AOK / NYC
