Soundscape Presents
Encyclopedia
Soundscape Presents or simply Soundscape is a recording label in jazz
and world music
, a contributor to music festivals, and a promoter of creative arts
education.
in New York City
in 1979 by Verna Gillis
, a Ph.D. in ethnomusicology
. Committed to the ideals of multiculturalism
, it aimed to present contemporary music and musicians from diverse cultural backgrounds. It provided one of the first multi-cultural performance spaces in New York City
. Live in Soundscape is a 9-CD series on DIW
which documents the early years, through 1984.
, the Miller Pier, the Ritz rock club
, La Mama
, the Village Gate, Irving Plaza
, SOB's
, Symphony Space
, Alice Tully Hall
, Town Hall and the Beacon Theatre.
As a performance space, Soundscape brought together all musics, regardless of genre. It provided an environment that encouraged experimentation, development, and cultural fusions. It presented both established, well-known musicians and emerging composer/musicians of exceptional promise. Established musicians found a rare environment in which they were encouraged to try out new ideas without commercial pressures, while emerging musicians were given a forum with a reputation for quality and visibility. Many musicians performed and were reviewed for the first time at Soundscape, and have gone on to make significant contributions to contemporary music.
In November, 1981, Soundscape produced Interpretations of Monk in two concerts at Columbia University
. Eleven major performers and interpreters of Thelonious Monk
’s music performed together in different configurations. These momentous performances were taped by National Public Radio and broadcast nationwide, and released in 1994 on DIW
. In 1981 and 1982, Soundscape produced summer concert series at the Hudson River Museum; it produced Soundscape Presents Latin New York in 1982 at the Berlin Jazz Festival; and it produced six successful seasons of Latin Jazz
for the Center for Inter American Relations, 1982-1987.
Soundscape became the first U.S. presenter of African pop music with the appearance of King Sunny Adé
and his African Beats from Nigeria
in early 1983, which was heralded as “the pop event of the decade” by Robert Palmer
of The New York Times
. Late that same year, Soundscape produced the first Hip-Hop performance, “Dance Music New York,” at the Miller Pier.
From 1980 to 1985, Soundscape produced the New Music component of the Kool Jazz Festival and produced a World Pop series for The First New York International Festival of the Arts in 1988. The New York Festival presented talent from India
, Japan
, and three African countries with performances at The Felt Forum and the Beacon Theatre. In 1991, once again for the New York International Festival of the Arts premiered two groups from Brazil
- Paulinho da Viola and Olodum, as well as “Lights in a Fat City.” Soundscape Presents serves as a consultant to festivals and organizations around the world, assisting in the production of concerts and concert series, and developing concepts for their music programming.
- the first, Arawe by Daniel Ponce, was released in 1987, and Funky Jibaro by Yomo Toro
was released in 1988.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
, a contributor to music festivals, and a promoter of creative arts
ARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
education.
Foundation
Soundscape, was founded as a jazz clubJazz club
A jazz club is a venue where the primary entertainment is the performance of live jazz music. Jazz clubs have been in large rooms in the eras of Orchestral jazz and big band jazz and when its popularity as a dance music was common...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1979 by Verna Gillis
Verna Gillis
Verna Gillis is a free-lance producer who has gained recognition for her work promoting and producing music from various cultural backgrounds.From 1972 to 1978, Gillis recorded traditional music in Afghanistan, Iran, Kashmir, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, Peru , Surinam, and Ghana...
, a Ph.D. in ethnomusicology
Ethnomusicology
Ethnomusicology is defined as "the study of social and cultural aspects of music and dance in local and global contexts."Coined by the musician Jaap Kunst from the Greek words ἔθνος ethnos and μουσική mousike , it is often considered the anthropology or ethnography of music...
. Committed to the ideals of multiculturalism
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
, it aimed to present contemporary music and musicians from diverse cultural backgrounds. It provided one of the first multi-cultural performance spaces in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Live in Soundscape is a 9-CD series on DIW
DIW
DIW can mean:* DIW Records, a Japanese record labeL* "Doing It Wrong", a term used by some scuba divers about practices which do not accord with the set of safety rules called "Doing It Right"*Deionised water, a type of Purified water....
which documents the early years, through 1984.
Multiple venues
After 1984, Soundscape no longer operated out of just one location. Other venues used included the Purple Barge on the Hudson RiverHudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
, the Miller Pier, the Ritz rock club
Ritz (rock club)
-History:The Ritz was founded in 1980 by Jerry Brandt on 11th Street between Third and Fourth Avenues in the East Village neighborhood of New York City. Formerly a ballroom known as Webster Hall, The Ritz still retained some of its previous incarnation's Art Deco style. As a venue, it focused...
, La Mama
La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club
La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club is an off-off Broadway theatre founded in 1961 by Ellen Stewart, and named in reference to her. Located on Manhattan's Lower East Side, the theatre grew out of Stewart's tiny basement boutique for her fashion designs; the boutique's space acted as a theatre for...
, the Village Gate, Irving Plaza
Irving Plaza
Irving Plaza is a 1,200-person ballroom-style music venue at 17 Irving Place and East 15th Street in the Union Square neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City...
, SOB's
SOB's
SOB's is a live music venue and restaurant in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan. S.O.B.’s is an abbreviation of Sounds of Brazil. The New York Times writes: For a mixed crowd of all ages and all dance abilities, there’s Saturday’s Samba Soul at S.O.B.’s, after 26 years the city’s longest-running...
, Symphony Space
Symphony Space
Symphony Space is a multi-disciplinary performing arts organization at 2537 Broadway on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Performances take place in the 760-seat Peter Jay Sharp Theatre or the 160-seat Leonard Nimoy Thalia theater. Programs include music, dance, theater, film, and literary readings...
, Alice Tully Hall
Alice Tully Hall
Alice Tully Hall is a concert hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. It is named for Alice Tully, a New York performer and philanthropist whose donations assisted in the construction of the hall...
, Town Hall and the Beacon Theatre.
As a performance space, Soundscape brought together all musics, regardless of genre. It provided an environment that encouraged experimentation, development, and cultural fusions. It presented both established, well-known musicians and emerging composer/musicians of exceptional promise. Established musicians found a rare environment in which they were encouraged to try out new ideas without commercial pressures, while emerging musicians were given a forum with a reputation for quality and visibility. Many musicians performed and were reviewed for the first time at Soundscape, and have gone on to make significant contributions to contemporary music.
In November, 1981, Soundscape produced Interpretations of Monk in two concerts at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. Eleven major performers and interpreters of Thelonious Monk
Thelonious Monk
Thelonious Sphere Monk was an American jazz pianist and composer considered "one of the giants of American music". Monk had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including "Epistrophy", "'Round Midnight", "Blue Monk", "Straight, No Chaser"...
’s music performed together in different configurations. These momentous performances were taped by National Public Radio and broadcast nationwide, and released in 1994 on DIW
DIW
DIW can mean:* DIW Records, a Japanese record labeL* "Doing It Wrong", a term used by some scuba divers about practices which do not accord with the set of safety rules called "Doing It Right"*Deionised water, a type of Purified water....
. In 1981 and 1982, Soundscape produced summer concert series at the Hudson River Museum; it produced Soundscape Presents Latin New York in 1982 at the Berlin Jazz Festival; and it produced six successful seasons of Latin Jazz
Latin jazz
Latin jazz is the general term given to jazz with Latin American rhythms.The three main categories of Latin Jazz are Brazilian, Cuban and Puerto Rican:# Brazilian Latin Jazz includes bossa nova...
for the Center for Inter American Relations, 1982-1987.
Soundscape became the first U.S. presenter of African pop music with the appearance of King Sunny Adé
King Sunny Adé
King Sunny Adé is a popular performer of Yoruba Nigerian Jùjú music and a pioneer of modern world music. He has been classed as one of the most influential musicians of all time.-Background:...
and his African Beats from Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
in early 1983, which was heralded as “the pop event of the decade” by Robert Palmer
Robert Palmer (author/producer)
Robert Franklin Palmer Jr. was a 20th century American writer, musicologist, clarinetist, saxophonist, and blues producer...
of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. Late that same year, Soundscape produced the first Hip-Hop performance, “Dance Music New York,” at the Miller Pier.
From 1980 to 1985, Soundscape produced the New Music component of the Kool Jazz Festival and produced a World Pop series for The First New York International Festival of the Arts in 1988. The New York Festival presented talent from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and three African countries with performances at The Felt Forum and the Beacon Theatre. In 1991, once again for the New York International Festival of the Arts premiered two groups from Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
- Paulinho da Viola and Olodum, as well as “Lights in a Fat City.” Soundscape Presents serves as a consultant to festivals and organizations around the world, assisting in the production of concerts and concert series, and developing concepts for their music programming.
Artists involved with Soundscape Presents
Many artists have performed for Soundscape over the years, including:Record label
In 1986 Soundscape formed its own record label and to date has released two albums by the group Vortex. The first record, C Album, was voted one of the 10 best of the year in 1986 by Cadence Magazine. Two other Soundscape recordings have been licensed to Island RecordsIsland Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
- the first, Arawe by Daniel Ponce, was released in 1987, and Funky Jibaro by Yomo Toro
Yomo Toro
Victor Guillermo Toro is a guitarist and one of Puerto Rico's most famous cuatro players...
was released in 1988.