Concert: Tristan Honsinger, Harri Sjöström, and Okkyung Lee; Thulani Davis, Cheryl Banks-Smith and Henry Grimes
Fri, Apr 15, 2016
7 pm
Whitney Museum of American Art, Neil Bluhm Family Galleries, Floor Five. Photograph by Timothy Schenck
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Floor Five, Neil Bluhm Family Galleries
A trio set by cellist Tristan Honsinger with Harri Sjöström and Okkyung Lee, followed by a poetry, dance, and bass trio by Thulani Davis, Cheryl Banks-Smith and Henry Grimes initiate a ten-day performance program series for Open Plan: Cecil Taylor.
About the program
Active since the 1970s, Tristan Honsinger is a Berlin-based cellist versed in free jazz and improvisation. His violent command of the cello rivals the explosive piano attack of Taylor, whom he performed with in Europe in the 1970s and on a recording, The Hearth (FMP, 1989), with Evan Parker. Honsinger will perform a solo set on the Whitney Museum stage in this rare U.S. appearance. He will be joined by Harri Sjöström, a Berlin-based saxophonist, who also has a long history of playing with Cecil Taylor, and Okkyung Lee, a NYC-based cellist.
Three of Taylor’s collaborators unite for a special trio performance combining poetry, dance, and bass. Grammy-winning writer Thulani Davis works at the intersections of fiction, poetry, memoir, criticism, and spoken word, and performed with Cecil Taylor in the 1970s as part of his Quintet and Sextet.
Cheryl Banks-Smith is a veteran dancer, choreographer, and frequent collaborator of jazz improvisers. She performed with Cecil Taylor in the 1980s on dozens of tour stops in Europe both independently and as part of Dianne McIntyre’s troupe Sounds in Motion.
Henry Grimes is a virtuoso double-bassist who has played, toured, and recorded with the greatest jazz musicians of his era. He performed throughout the 1960s with Taylor’s band, both live and on seminal recordings such as Unit Structures (Blue Note, 1966), and most recently joined Taylor for several performances in 2006 and 2007.
Free with Museum admission. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. A limited number of guaranteed seats are available for advance purchase; tickets include admission to the galleries.
