Reel History: The Lost Archive of Juma Sultan and the Aboriginal Music Society

We Were Conscious

VJB VJBES CONSCIOUS 127 "THENEWPERFORMANCESPACESPROVIDEDANOVELSORTOFATMOSPHEREFOR HEARINGJAZZ,ONETHATENABLEDEXTENDEDUNINTERRUPTEDSETS,AMORE INTIMATERELATIONSHIPBETWEENTHEARTITSTSANDTHEAUDIENCE,ANDAN OPPORTUNITYTOEXPLOREAMORETHEATRICALANDPOLITICALPERFORMANCE SENSIBILITY." INGRID MONSON, 2007 FREEDOM SOUNDS: CIVIL RIGHTS CALL OUT TO JAZZ AND AFRICA THBRB VOAS AUVOAYS A PR Pl^AY, BSPB6IAULY IF Y£>U VOBRB N^T M0TBD- IT WAS AUOAYS A PR£>BUBM- Y£>U C&ttUb PLAY AMC> ^BT RUM 0UT ^>F Y^UR APA1ZTMBMT. BUT F0R MANY, TMB ^F^P^RTUNIITIBS JO PLAY AT A £LUB F0R AM AUDIBhJCB VJBRB FBVJ AMD FAR BETWBBMJAMBS DUS^IS STARTBD "STUDIO VJB11 PROBABLY AR^UMD 1968 WITH A SBRIBS £AUUBD *V JAZ3 THR^U^H THB 6ARS; ' VONBRB THBY RAM 7 DAYS ^>F M(JSI£ AR^IJMD TMB CJL&CK. STUDIO VOB VOAS L^^TBD RltX£B STRBBT—BLDRID^B AMD STANTMB BU56K FR£>M M^>dST^M, MB BU^dlC BAST OP 1ST AVBMUB ^>M THB U9VJBR 5AST SlDB F MAMHATTAM- PR^BABUY 8 T^ ld> BLOCKS FR£M SUU^S. THB U5VOBR BAST SlDB VOAS A MUSIC MB££A AT THAT TIMB128 THEY WERE TRYING JO HAVE A SPOT OPEN WHERE MUSICIANS COULD COME IN, OF ALL CALIBERS, AND THE MUSIC PROCESS COULD BE PASSEt) ON FROM £>U> T^> Y^>UM^- THEY HAD A VJH^UE C^MCEPT THEEE. IT WAS A PLACE T£ PLAY VJPTH ^>THEE MUSICIANS, MEET, AND £0N£fcE£ATE. IN THE EVENING THEY HAD SESSIONS AND THEY WERE PRESENTING CONCERT SERIES. VOHEN JAMES AND I MET, \OE WERE B0TH MUSICIANS- WE B^TH L^VED THE MUSIC BUT WE B^TH HAD S£RT F ITS P5RF0RMAMCES AMD C^MCERTS- STUDIO VJE VUAS PR^DUCIM^ C^MCERTS AMD STARTIM6 JO RECEIVE FUMDlM^. THAT'S VOHERE VOE STARTED. 150 TEDDAMIEUI VUE Dlt> PRODUCTIONS IN HALLS. \UE t>lt> RECORDINGS- I HAD APUBLISHING COMPANY — IT VOAS VALUED SUNOANCB PUBUICATI^NS — IN VUHI£H V05 V05EB TJ2VING JO PE£T5£T TH6 ARTISTS VJH^ MDN'T HAVE ANY PUBLISHING. JO GIVE THEM THE RIGHTS JO PUBLISH THEIR S0NGS- $1 1J2 DURING THB PBRI0t> FR£>M, SAY, 1'S THE PRIN£IPUE PUA£E VOAS STUDIO VOB. AN0THBR PI^A THBM SAM ElVBRS UMt>B£ THB F THB S^CIBTY ^>F UMIVBBSAU CUUTURB ARTS 0PBKJBD UP "STUDIO ElVBBA." THIS VJAS AFTBR HB HAt> A ST012BF1^MTJ ^)B UBB VOILS^NJ VOARRBNI SMITH | THEN SUBSEQUENTLY EASHIED ALI B0U£HT A PU*£E £>N GREENE STREET AND HEOPENED A £UJB CAL-UED "flU'S ALLEY." THAT VJAS A NI£E SP^>T, BUT SINCE HE WAS N0T— ME WAS IN MAFIA TE£J2IT£>fcy AND HE DID N0T ADHERE JO THEIR DESIRES, AND AFTER THEY BR£>KE HIS JAVO ^>NE TIME, AND HIS UE£ ANOTHER TIME, ME DECIDED JO £L£SE THE CL-UB. BUT IT VJAS A £L-UB LICENSED WITH AL-C^H^L AND SO F£>RTHU4 RASHIED AUI THERE WAS £RNETTE'S "ARTIST H0USE-" THERE WERE A COUPLE £F PLACES IN HARLEM THAT HADTHE SAME lt>EA- THEV WERE M0RE LIKE PRIVATE CLUBSTHERE WERE GUYS WH0 W£ULD HAVE THE BASEMENT £>PEN AND WITHOUT LICENSES, WHERE VERY DISTINGUISHED MUSICIANS WULD DRAVO- USUALLY VJHEN THE N£TED PLAYERS \0^>ULD SH^VJ UP, OTHERS VO^ULD DEFER AND INEXPERIENCED PLAYERS VO^ULD GET A £HAN£E JO PLAY WITH THE GREATS. GEORGE SRAITH, EVER SINCE I CAN REMEMBER, HAD APLACE ^VER £>N SPRING STREET. ME HAD A PLACE VJHERE, F£R YEARS, I MEAN Y^>Uy D FIND NOTABLES PLAYING WITH UNKNOWNS D^VON IN A BASEMENT. F^>R YEARS HE HAD A FACILITY. THIS WAS AFTER H0URS- WHEN THE BARS CLOSED IT W£>ULD BE FR£M 2 1O 6 £>R 7 IN THE MORNING- THEN HE OPENED UP ANOTHER PLACE IN HARLEM £>N 125™ STREET CALLED xV THE SPACE STATION7 ' T£ PR^)VlDE AN OUTLET F^>R MUSICIANS. AND THESE WERE ALL SMALL CONCERTS, SMALL FEE AT THE D0£>R, BUT TH0SE WERE HAPPENING AT THAT TIME. 155 THE RENTS VUERE CHEAP AMDTHERE WERE A U9T£>F ARTISTS D^VUlsi TH5R5 IM TM^SB U9FTS- I VJAS RBC^RDIKJ^ A U£T ^>F ^UVS. « L^>T Cfr TM5 ARTISTS VJ^UUD M5 INIBECAUSE I HAD A L£>T 0F SPACE. U6 VJE DID THE L£>FTS F£>R SURVIVAL- VOHEM Y£>U REALIZE IN TH£>SE DAYS IF Y£>U DIDN'T HAVE AN OUTSIDE J^>B, Y^)U VOERE N...