sam phillips
Much of the time in these pages is spent presenting arts personages engaged in the process of becoming known by the listening public. We often find them crossing a huge chasm filled with promise and perturbance. Just when, where and by whom will they be heard? And for how long? What is the shelf life of “the next big thing?” Or the throes of fading glory? What will keep the phone ringing? Where did the drive that drove the spirit of their first record get to? What is it they have to say? Sam Phillips. It took some work just to find out she was female. From 1980 to the present. Began her career in Christian music. Superb guitarist. Exacting poetess. Fab as an actress and also a unique brandisher of her own fashion. Surviving in the wilds of contemporary Californian culture. Still at it.
It’s not like its my job or anything, but I keep my eyes and ears out for any new things coming down the pike. I found this one. You can always trust the judgement of certain characters in the arts and Bill Frisell is one of them. Here are factuals about his recent work.
“THE PROJECT:
”THE KENTUCKY DERBY IS DECADENT AND DEPRAVED BY HUNTER S. THOMPSON”-an all-star cast of musicians and actors lead by Tim Robbins, Dr. John, Bill Frisell, Ralph Steadman, Annie Ross, John Joyce III and Will Forte who bring Thompson’s classic Gonzo reportage on the 1970 Kentucky Derby to life through spoken word and musical composition. Conceived by executive producer Michael Minzer, the project was produced by Hal Willner who brought together a stellar group of musicians led by composer and arranger Bill Frisell and including Curtis Fowlkes (trombone), Ron Miles (trumpet), Eyvind Kang (viola), Doug Weiselman (woodwinds), Jenny Scheinman (violin), Hank Roberts (cello) and Kenny Wolleson (drums, percussion). Ralph Steadman does double duty portraying himself in the narration and contributing original artwork for the project.”
Urban Quilt Specialist Faith Ringgold
“It is so sad it takes so long for people to understand what needs to happen in order to be free”
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The pipa, or Chinese lute, is an ancient instrument that is adaptable to both traditional and modern sounds. It’s origins date back to the Han dynasty, about 2,000 years ago, when a similar type of stringed instrument was brought into China from Persia via the Silk Road. It has enjoyed wide popularity throughout its long history, especially during the Tang dynasty, and again now.
It has four strings on a pear-shaped body and fretted (from 12-31 frets) neck. It is played by plucking and strumming much like a guitar, but is held upright with the base on the lap and the neck at the player’s shoulder.
Born in 1963 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang China, Wu Man is a world-renowned pipa player and composer. The following is one paragraph from her extensive biography on her website wumanpipa.org.
Recognized as the world’s premier pipa virtuoso and leading ambassador of Chinese music, Wu Man has carved out a career as a soloist, educator, and composer giving her lute-like instrument—which has a history of over 2,000 years in China—a new role in both traditional and contemporary music. Through numerous concert tours she has premiered hundreds of new works for the pipa, while spearheading multimedia projects to both preserve and create awareness of China’s ancient musical traditions. Her adventurous spirit and virtuosity have led to collaborations across artistic disciplines, allowing her to reach wider audiences as she works to cross cultural and musical borders. Her efforts were recognized when she was named Musical America’s 2013 “Instrumentalist of the Year,” marking the first time this prestigious award has been bestowed on a player of a non-Western instrument, and in 2021 when she received an honorary Doctorate of Music from the New England Conservatory of Music.
Wu Man has been a member of the Silk Road Ensemble since it’s founding by Yo-Yo Ma in 1998. I was one of the fortunate few who attended one of her first performances in Boston, where she relocated to when Radcliffe College gave her a fellowship in 1998. Anyone that has gone to Passim knows that it is intimate with approximately a capacity of just over one hundred. I was about eight feet from the stage. I was familiar with her music from earlier recordings, especially her duet with Martin Simpson, “Music for a Motherless Child.” She now fills concert halls so it was a privilege to see her perform at close range. I saw her a few years later performing solo as part of the Celebrity Series at Sanders Theatre, and as good as that was, it would be very hard to top the impact of the show at Passim”
In your childhood is there a memory that blazes? Small as you were made events seem even larger. And they have a familiar presence as they pop up when the years move along. Mr. Newman brings along the ringing musical americana fabric of his own pastures.
