Tim Lawrenceauthor of Russells biography Hold On to Your Dreams: Arthur Russell and the Downtown Music Scene, 19731992describes a change in atmosphere after the move, writing that the new space gave The Kitchen a different sense of prestige. These collaborators were attracted to the mixture of classical, folk, and popular music techniques they heard in Russells playing. FIRST THOUGHT BEST THOUGHT collects Arthur Russells out of print instrumental and orchestral compositions along with over 45 minutes of previously unreleased material on 2 CDs. As a complement to ourArchive Website, these posts offer focused reflections on the artists, exhibitions, events, and institutional practices that have defined and shaped The Kitchen since its founding in 1971. His skill for inter-genre synthesis had a lasting impact on his peers and continues to influence contemporary artists. Recorded April 27th, 1975 at the Kitchen. This From the Archives post is written by Elana Engelman-Lado, Fall 2019 Curatorial Intern. Rhys Chatham, a nineteen-year-old musician and composer, had initiated the music program in 1971the year The Kitchen was foundedby starting a series of events on Monday nights. To view the full press release, click here. From his early encounters with The Kitchen through his time as Music Director and later in his performances at the space, Russell injected into the institution a boundary pushing, genre-blending ethos, setting a precedent for artists who built on Russells legacy long after his tenure. Arthur Russell was a formally trained cellist and composer with a background in Indian classical music, and a resume highlighted by collaborations with Allen Ginsberg and Philip Glass. Stearns recalls Russell pushing the edges of pop music as Music Director, but this direction wasnt immediately apparent. From his early encounters with The Kitchen through his time as Music Director and later in his performances at the space, Russell injected into the institution a boundary pushing, genre-blending ethos, setting a precedent for artists who built on Russells legacy long after his tenure. We begin with the 10-piece suite "Instrumentals Vol. In an interview shortly after Russells passing in 1992, his partner Tom Lee described Russells drive to make this art-dance hit. There was overlap in programming that took place across the different spaces within Mercer Arts Center: The Dolls, for example, performed at The Kitchen on May 5, 1972 and, later that year, had a months-long residency at the Oscar Wilde Room. Only four years after the show took place, a draft of a 1979 press release for one of Russells own performances at The Kitchen, 24 to 24 Music I was excited about it Richman just brought a fresh air that I thoroughly enjoyed. , highlights this moment in Russells tenure as Music Director, calling the Modern Lovers concert the first pop music event at The Kitchen. First Thought Best Thought (2-CD) by Arthur Russell - CD (2006) for $21.70 from OLDIES.com Jazz The Wire : 'The tracks on included on FIRST THOUGHT BEST THOUGHT are especially scarce and were barely heard in their original form.This collection is nearly perfect.' Terri Bloom. The title Rock and Roll Show differentiated the event from previous performances at The Kitchen that were called names like Natural Sound Workshop,An Incantation, andA New Look at Melody. While the show began with a mix of standards and Modern Lovers originals, the second half of the evening featured the band fielding requests, supplied mainly by the fans. IN NOVEMBER 2019,Audika Records releasedIowa Dream, a compilation of demos Arthur Russell recorded for major labels. His involvement in Manhattan's downtown performance scene of the '70s resulted in a long running association with the Kitchen. In an interview shortly after Russells passing in 1992, his partner Tom Lee described Russells drive to make this art-dance hit. As a complement to our Archive Website, these posts offer focused reflections on the artists, exhibitions, events, and institutional practices that have defined and shaped The Kitchen since its founding in 1971. Tim Lawrenceauthor of Russells biographyHold On to Your Dreams: Arthur Russell and the Downtown Music Scene, 19731992describes a change in atmosphere after the move, writing that the new space gave The Kitchen a different sense of prestige. 4) Version of press release forArthur Russell,24 to 24 Musicat The Kitchen, 1979, detail. Russell first encountered the Modern Lovers when the band performed in New York in January 1974. Though the bands frontman Jonathan Richman performed with his own earnest theatrics, it seems the show was not the strict, staged affair that the term often signals. Russell assumed the role of Music Director less than a year after The Kitchen moved into its new space. The performances filled The Kitchens Soho loft with an unusual blend of audiences, including both Kitchen regulars and Modern Lovers fans. He was a Buddhist, an Arthur Russell's New Album 'Iowa Dream' Extends The Avant-Pop Savant's Legacy On the typically far-afield, but equally understated, new album Iowa Dream, the shadow of Arthur Russell Though Russell died of complications from AIDS 20 years ago, as the ensemble launched into Instrumentals, he felt very close to the moment and my mind and emotions raced the whole evening. I was excited about it Richman just brought a fresh air that I thoroughly enjoyed. Last night's performance of Arthur Russell's Tower of Meaning, originally written for Robert Wilson's production of Medea, 70s-Kitchen style, the first half featured immersive, explorative renditions of compositions by Bach, Julius Eastman, Mary Jane Leach and Mica Levi. The press release serves as an institutional record characterizing Russells legacy as a pioneer who introduced new programming to the organization. Lawrence notes that the Director at the time, Robert Stearns, had the impression that while some musicians might have enjoyed the exposure and interplay that was present in the shared setting of the Mercer Arts Center, other composers were pleased to be removed from the more raucous backdrop. Part of Rock's Backpages, The ultimate library of rock music writing and journalism. Audika Records released Through his Kitchen connections, Russell was invited to score a musical version of Medea for Robert Wilson, whose 1976 collaboration with Philip Glass, Einstein on the Beach, gave both their first taste of international renown. RUSSELLS ABILITY For instance, on the opposite side of the floor from The Kitchen, the Oscar Wilde Room hosted regular performances by artists including Eric Emerson and his glam punk group the Magic Tramps, proto-punk groups like the New York Dolls and Wayne County & the Electric Chairs, and a rotating roster of touring performers. In booking the Modern Lovers, he made clear that the same fascination directed his curatorial work. It was founded in Greenwich Village in 1971 by Steina and Woody Vasulka, who were frustrated at the lack of an outlet for video art. Lawrence notes that the Director at the time, Robert Stearns, had the impression that while some musicians might have enjoyed the exposure and interplay that was present in the shared setting of the Mercer Arts Center, other composers were pleased to be removed from the more raucous backdrop. Others remember it as an exciting moment of disruption, bringing in sounds that diverged from the downtown music typically presented at The Kitchen. Artists were understandably protective of what many felt was a space for the downtown community. 2) Floor plan, Mercer Arts Center, circa 19711973. In 1973, Russell moved to New York and enrolled in a formal degree program at the Manhattan School of Music, cross-registering in electronic music and linguistics classes at Columbia University. While Russells music has received increasing attention, his curatorial work has rarely been the subject of study. After meeting again, this time in Boston, Russell invited Brooks and some of his bandmates to record music together. . The press release serves as an institutional record characterizing Russells legacy as a pioneer who introduced new programming to the organization. I thought The Kitchen walls were going to fall apart. It also exemplifies the boundary pushingbetween pop culture and art that Stearns and others recall as the defining feature of Russells tenure. Explaining the impact of Russell booking the Modern Lovers, Lawrence writes, his invitation to Richman broke new ground because it implied that some forms of unadulterated rock didnt just have minimalist potential but were actually minimalist already. In his own music, Russell was distilling sound, balancing plain-spoken generalization and nuanced innuendo, defining his own pop idiom. The Kitchen is a non-profit, interdisciplinary organization that provides innovative artists working in the media, literary, and performing arts with exhibition and performance opportunities to create and present new work. When Russell encountered The Kitchen in 1974, it was a young organization that already had a strong track record of music programming. Jim Burton assumed the role of Music Director in 1972, and continued programming in this vein. Having graduated from high school, he attended Parks Air College until he was expelled for spending too much time in Missouri, where his Oskaloosan girlfriend, Performance view, The Kitchen. Before his untimely death from AIDS in 1992, Arthur prolifically created music that spanned both pop and the transcendent possibilities of abstract art. Tim Lawrenceauthor of Russells biography Hold On to Your Dreams: Arthur Russell and the Downtown Music Scene, 19731992describes a change in atmosphere after the move, writing that the new space gave The Kitchen a different sense of prestige. The two had met earlier in the year when Russell played cello alongside Kitchen regular Jackson Mac Low for a radio broadcast. This album is the most recent addition to a collection of at least nine posthumous releases of Russells work, indicating a seemingly ever-growing interest in the artist and his music. Instrumentals Volume 1 (Part 5) 6. Previously unreleased. Arthur Russell was an avant-garde cellist active in the New York art scene of the late twentieth century. There was overlap in programming that took place across the different spaces within Mercer Arts Center: The Dolls, for example, performed at The Kitchen on May 5, 1972 and, later that year, had a months-long residency at the Oscar Wilde Room. Tim Lawrenceauthor of Russells biography Hold On to Your Dreams: Arthur Russell and the Downtown Music Scene, 19731992describes a change in atmosphere after the move, writing that the new space gave The Kitchen a different sense of prestige. In light of the recentIowa Dreamrelease, I was inspired to look at Russells relationship with The Kitchen and his work as Music Director from 1974 to 1975. - Though several other young alternative spaces presented interdisciplinary and experimental work like The Kitchen did, minimalist composers and experimental performers remained unwelcome in many of the larger art institutions. Now, to some, it seemed that rocka pop genre that, thanks to its commercial appeal, enjoyed a broad platform and a wider range of welcoming venueshad invaded their limited space. Only four years after the show took place, a draft of a 1979 press release for one of Russells own performances at The Kitchen,24 to 24 Music, highlights this moment in Russells tenure as Music Director, calling the Modern Lovers concert the first pop music event at The Kitchen. 2 via Another Side of Les Disques Du Crpuscule (SIDE 8401) in 1984. Russell was excited by what he encountered in the Modern Loverss music: an approach to the project of sonic deconstruction and abstraction that was different from what was happening in the downtown scene. Rhys Chatham, a nineteen-year-old musician and composer, had initiated the music program in 1971the year The Kitchen was foundedby starting a series of events on Monday nights. His involvement in Manhattan's downtown performance scene of the '70s resulted in a long running association with the Kitchen. While the show began with a mix of standards and Modern Lovers originals, the second half of the evening featured the band fielding requests, supplied mainly by the fans. The performances filled The Kitchens Soho loft with an unusual blend of audiences, including both Kitchen regulars and Modern Lovers fans. The show ran for four nights from March 19 to 22. Garrett List, who succeeded Russell as Music Director, remembers a vision they shared, recalling that we wanted to go from minimalism into popular language, and it was very much in the air at The Kitchen to break down those barriers. Under Lists direction, The Kitchen became a venue for a widening field of artists, including Jazz musicians in particular. These tapes were filled with hundreds of hours of music, much of it unheard, unreleased, and often unfinished. In the following months they stayed in touch. He figured there could be a cross reference between dance music and downtown Soho new music. Russells curatorial work at The Kitchen shows that he began working to realize this mission early in his career. Primarily, though, under Chathams direction, The Kitchens music program focused on the conceptual experimentation of artists from New Yorks downtown scene, creating space for composers and performers who had limited opportunities to present this work in other local venues. The two had met earlier in the year when Russell played cello alongside Kitchen regular Jackson Mac Low for a radio broadcast. On Iowa Dream , we meet the aspiring pop star. For instance, on the opposite side of the floor from The Kitchen, the Oscar Wilde Room hosted regular performances by artists including Eric Emerson and his glam punk group the Magic Tramps, proto-punk groups like the New York Dolls and Wayne County & the Electric Chairs, and a rotating roster of touring performers. Explaining the impact of Russell booking the Modern Lovers, Lawrence writes, his invitation to Richman broke new ground because it implied that some forms of unadulterated rock didnt just have minimalist potential but were actually minimalist already. In his own music, Russell was distilling sound, balancing plain-spoken generalization and nuanced innuendo, defining his own pop idiom. Yet this New York composer was a true visionary, traversing dub, disco and Minimalism and anticipating the 90s obsession with musical hybrids. Russell moved from Iowa to San Francisco in 1968, where he befriended (and apparently had his first gay sexual experience with) the poet Allen Ginsberg. Instrumentals Volume 1 (Part 1) 2. Detail. Jim Burton assumed the role of Music Director in 1972, and continued programming in this vein. From the Archives is a series that spotlights The Kitchens history. Using its own extensive history as a resource, the organization identifies and supports artists who are making significant contributions to their respective fields as well as serves as a safe space for more established artists to take unusual creative risks. Russells curatorial legacy was immediately apparent in the direction of the institutions subsequent programming. The potential for tensions between the downtown artists curated by The Kitchen and the wide-ranging artists brought in by other spaces in the building dissipated with the move, postponing a debate within The Kitchen about the differences in the artistic merit of avant-garde experimentation, pop aesthetics, and entertainment. And that raised a whole other argument/discussion that was going on in the community that I think was probably most brought to a head by a performance by Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers. How broad would its definition of artistic merit and experimentation be? How broad would its definition of artistic merit and experimentation be? With its reference to a mainstream genre, the title signified the popular styles Russell intended to meld with experimental sonic structures and the straight-talking, quotidian melodrama Richman and the band delivered. Best known as a cellist, singer-songwriter, composer, and electronic musician, Russell wove together dance, pop, classical, and folk music. The Kitchen is a non-profit, multi-disciplinary performance venue and art space located at 512 West 19th Street, between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. 3) Poster for Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers,Rock and Roll Showat The Kitchen, 1975. But frankly, I loved it. Though his career was cut short by his early death from AIDS-related illness, his posthumous releases continue to expand our understanding of his work. While Russells music has received increasing attention, his curatorial work has rarely been the subject of study. Wanting to collaborate further, Russell and Brooks began planning theRock and Roll Show. To view the calendar, click here. The titleRock and Roll Showdifferentiated the event from previous performances at The Kitchen that were called names likeNatural Sound Workshop,An Incantation, andA New Look at Melody. This performance went on to be seen as a significant moment in the institutions history. 4) Version of press release forArthur Russell, 24 to 24 Music at The Kitchen, 1979. With the exception of a few dance recordings, including "Is It All Over My Face?" At the time of the concert, some did not consider Richman and his band to be on par with other work presented at The Kitchen. In booking the Modern Lovers, he made clear that the same fascination directed his curatorial work. Iowa Dream, a compilation of demos Arthur Russell recorded for major labels. The Kitchen was the obvious place for Lets Go Swimming, a revisiting of Arthur Russells work by past colleagues and present admirers. Performance view, The Kitchen, detail. Nobody knew him, nobody had heard of him. Wanting to collaborate further, Russell and Brooks began planning the Rock and Roll Show. The track finds the singer-songwriter brilliantly merging Russells interest in acoustic folk sounds, akimbo horns, personal lament and dance beats, all in one fell swoop. AT CHATHAMS SUGGESTION, Instrumentals Volume 1 (Part 2) 3. But frankly, I loved it. Charles Arthur Russellor Chuckwas born in Oskaloosa, Iowa, to a Methodist father and a Quaker mother in 1922. By its name alone, it sounds like something straight out of the fifties They were love songs, four beats, and harmonic notes. Garrett List, who succeeded Russell as Music Director, remembers a vision they shared, recalling that we wanted to go from minimalism into popular language, and it was very much in the air at The Kitchen to break down those barriers. Under Lists direction, The Kitchen became a venue for a widening field of artists, including Jazz musicians in particular. When Russell encountered The Kitchen in 1974, it was a young organization that already had a strong track record of music programming. RUSSELLS ABILITYto defy boundaries of genre and explore pop-musical idioms in his curatorial work points to one of the driving forces throughout his career. 3) The Kitchen, May 1972 programming calendar. Primarily, though, under Chathams direction, The Kitchens music program focused on the conceptual experimentation of artists from New Yorks downtown scene, creating space for composers and performers who had limited opportunities to present this work in other local venues. Hold On to Your Dreams is the first biography of the musician and composer Arthur Russell, one of the most important but least known contributors to New York's downtown music scene during the 1970s and 1980s. about the kind of institution The Kitchen would become. The potential for tensions between the downtown artists curated by The Kitchen and the wide-ranging artists brought in by other spaces in the building dissipated with the move, postponing a debate within The Kitchen about the differences in the artistic merit of avant-garde experimentation, pop aesthetics, and entertainment. Courtesy of The Kitchen, c. 1971 - 1999, The The disapproval of the Loverss performance was not solely due to a judgment of artistic merit or musical sophistication. With time, it became clear that, in staging theRock and Roll Show, Russell successfully introduced new perspectives into The Kitchen. By Jon Wilde, Melody Maker, 9 May 1987. This show forced The Kitchen to revisit the conversation that had been brewing in the adjacent spaces of Mercer Arts Center, when punk musicians and minimalists found themselves performing under one roof. AT CHATHAMS SUGGESTION,Russell assumed the role of Music Director less than a year after The Kitchen moved into its new space. 3) The Kitchen May 1972 programming calendar. By Elana Engelman-Lado, Fall 2019 Curatorial Intern. His skill for inter-genre synthesis had a lasting impact on his peers and continues to influence contemporary artists. IN NOVEMBER 2019, Taking place in The Kitchen, which was originally located within the Mercer Arts Center in Soho, these music events happened alongside the programs that neighboring performance and exhibition spaces hosted within the Center. Instrumentals Volume 1 (Part 8) 9. It also exemplifies the boundary pushingbetween pop culture and art that Stearns and others recall as the defining feature of Russells tenure. Russells curatorial legacy was immediately apparent in the direction of the institutions subsequent programming. Arthur Russell died in obscurity of AIDS in 1992. RUSSELL ENTEREDthe New York music community in 1973 when he enrolled in the Manhattan School of Music, uptown. Was this Modern Lovers performance anathema to The Kitchens ethos, or an expansion of the exploratory mission established just a few years prior? BothThe Village VoiceandSoHo Weekly Newsreacted positively to the performances, with theSoHoWeekly Newspraising Richmans performance as good-natured deadpan antics coupled with loneliness and longing that make for a powerful combination one of those mixtures of wacky profundity and awkward professionalism that New York could use more of. But theVoicedid make reference to the crowds mixed reaction, noting that there were a few remarks that Richman is too facile, false.. ARTHUR RUSSELL, a cellist and composer, was three years into his many-sided New York life the night he first went to a disco. RUSSELL ENTERED To view the calendar, clickhere. THE EVENT RAISED QUESTIONS Instrumentals Volume 1 (Part 3) 4. He figured there could be a cross reference between dance music and downtown Soho new music. Russells curatorial work at The Kitchen shows that he began working to realize this mission early in his career. And through the decades until today, The Kitchen has continued to deepen and expand its metamorphic approach to discipline and genre, further revealing the lasting impact of Russells programming. Images: 1) Arthur Russell and Peter Zummo in Arthur Russell, 24 to 24 Music, 1979. Though his career was cut short by his early death from AIDS-related illness, his posthumous releases continue to expand our understanding of his work. Just right for the changing of seasons, Audika offers another glimpse into the expansive world of Arthur Russell. to defy boundaries of genre and explore pop-musical idioms in his curatorial work points to one of the driving forces throughout his career. In light of the recent Iowa Dream release, I was inspired to look at Russells relationship with The Kitchen and his work as Music Director from 1974 to 1975. Arthur Russell was known as Charlie while growing up in rural Iowa in the 50s. In an oral history for The Kitchen, Stearns remembers his own impression of the show: Well, Arthur brought another point of view, and that was pushing the edges of pop music, of popular music. featured gallery for June 2018 Overnight Wave (For Arthur) My mind drifted out to sea at a performance of avant-garde musician Arthur Russell's Instrumentals this spring at The Kitchen. Others remember it as an exciting moment of disruption, bringing in sounds that diverged from the downtown music typically presented at The Kitchen.
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