Vision Festival NYC (2024)
VISION FESTIVAL NYC 2024
From June 18th to 23rd, 2024, New York witnessed the 27th edition of the Vision Festival, a worldwide reference for free jazz and free improvisation, known for its interdisciplinary character by combining music with visual arts, dance, and poetry. This edition, titled “Building Bridges,” paid tribute to double bassist and multi-instrumentalist William Parker, a fundamental pillar of the creative jazz and improvisation scene in New York. Since the 1980s, William Parker and Patricia Nicholson have organized concert series that have gradually consolidated and earned a reputation. Their contribution to improvised music in the Big Apple is widely recognized by both young and veteran musicians.
During the six days of the festival, true legends of the New York scene like Oliver Lake and Cooper-Moore performed, alongside prominent figures such as the German Ingrid Laubrock, Nasheet Waits, Jen Shyu, and James Brandon Lewis. However, the highlight was the tribute for his 100 years to saxophonist Marshall Allen, who led the iconic Sun Ra Arkestra on the festival’s closing night.
The Vision Festival has been held since 1996, and although it has changed venues, it seems to have settled in Roulette, a cozy theater in downtown Brooklyn. I attended the final day, which included five performances.
The night opened with Matana Roberts and her band COIN COIN midAtlantic, a septet that includes saxophonist Darius Jones and pianist Cory Smythe. Matana, who has won several awards including the Doris Duke Impact Award, has an extensive discography. She invited the audience to sing, holding a pedal note over which the group improvised. Her musical quality was evident in every note produced by her alto sax, conveying a special warmth. Additionally, there were emotional memories and dedications to the iconic improvising trumpeter Jaimie Branch, who passed away in 2022.
The night continued with the duo World in a Life, consisting of Thollem McDonas on piano and ACVilla with live video projections. The pianist demonstrated superb technique, great control of sound, and a very percussive approach to the keyboard. His improvisations were accompanied by a live video that, despite some technical problems, effectively complemented the music. Thollem alternated between the piano and electronics, adding different textures.
The third concert of the night was by Isaiah Collier & The Chosen Few, reminiscent of the classic Sonny Rollins Trio, with Nate Reves on bass and a substitute drummer replacing Michael Ode. They started with high intensity, performing several pedal pieces. The bassist’s maturity and solidity were notable, providing a significant composure to the rhythm section. Isaiah showcased his great talent and flow of ideas on both tenor and soprano sax. Over time, he will likely refine his art even more; who knows how far this young prodigy,can go?
The penultimate concert was one of the evening’s gems: Watershed Continuum, featuring Rob Brown on alto sax, Steve Swell on trombone, Alexis Marcelo on piano, and Whit Dickey on drums. The combo, led by Rob Brown and Steve Swell, offered a fully improvised set. Their 20 years of playing together resulted in incredible synergy and mutual understanding. They blended perfectly as a section, proposing ideas combatively and making it look like a game. They also assumed the role of accompanists, with highly imaginative textures and backgrounds. Rob’s individual quality was evident in the fluidity of his ideas and the warm sound of his alto sax. Steve, a veteran who never disappoints, regardless of the context, brought creativity and doses of humor to the group, often necessary in music. Alexis Marcelo did an excellent job as an accompanist. His sound and musical background, influenced by Latin jazz and modern harmony, contributed an original mix that worked very well with the group. Drummer Whit Dickey also knew how to let the flow go and follow the initiative of the two horn players. It was a fresh performance that renewed the energy in the room, leaving the audience expectantly awaiting the final concert and grand closing of the festival.
The Sun Ra Arkestra took over an hour to set up their instruments, do the sound check, and get everything ready for the concert. Meanwhile, there was palpable excitement and anticipation among the audience. Attendees browsed the band’s merchandise, as well as vinyl and CDs from Pi Recordings and other labels. Both inside the hall and at the theater entrance, people chatted excitedly about the prospect of a historic night. It was thrilling to witness true veterans of the scene—many of whom have been connected with each other and the Vision Festival—gathered to celebrate this special occasion. Everyone was aware that this might be the last opportunity to hear the 100-year-old Marshall Allen in New York with the iconic Sun Ra Arkestra.
Sun Ra created an important legacy. Initially he worked as a pianist and arranger for the renowned big band of Fletcher Henderson, but in the 1960s he began combining traditional big-band techniques in terms of composition with a more transgressive approach, experimenting with tonality and new textures, and adding fully improvised transitions, something never seen before in that genre.
Additionally, he incorporated Afro-futuristic attire and songs with lyrics about outer space, contributing to creating his own mythology around the group and its leader. It is worth mentioning that this band shares many spiritual beliefs and a lifestyle, to the point that many of its members have lived together since the 1970s in the same house in Philadelphia. Sun Ra had a strict vision of life in society and exerted a great influence on the members of the Arkestra, who live practically as a brotherhood. Their extensive discography includes iconic recordings with major soloists like Pharoah Sanders and John Gilmore, who led the band after Sun Ra’s death. After Gilmore, Marshall Allen took on the responsibility of leading the Arkestra, a role he continues to perform to this day.
Sixty years after its beginnings, this concert was a total display of energy from the first to the last piece. The whole group sounded like a cohesive unit. They played long forms with multiple sections without hesitation at any time. Everything sounded confident, sometimes reinforced by the direction of Knoel Scott, who gave cues from his stand and sounded truly inspired on the alto.
Tara Middleton shone with a spectacular and unconventional vocal recital, sometimes reciting or even playing the role of an accompanist. Another highlight of the night was the incredible pianist Farid Barron, very intuitive and with a deep knowledge of stride, offering several spectacular intros. Additionally, the influence of Sun Ra was clearly perceived, as Barron, without trying to emulate him, captured his sound on the synthesizers, with his characteristic clusters and 360-degree turns.
The ensemble could be described as a perfectly functioning psychedelic party machine. Percussionist Elson Nascimento and drummer Wayne Smith Jr. kept the engine running, as did Tayler Mitchell, very musical with his double-bass lines and constant energy. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the Arkestra is its vitality and overflowing energy.
As for Marshall Allen, he was excellent. In addition to the alto sax, he performed several solos on a Steiner EVI (Electronic Valve Instrument), which fit incredibly well with the harmonies of more classic pieces. Before the concert, there was a presentation where the entire hall clearly showed respect and paid homage to Marshall. There was a lot of excitement to witness the Arkestra led by one of their major symbols over the last 66 years. The concert ended past midnight, much later than expected. All attendees seemed happy with the closing of a fantastic festival that has greatly contributed to the jazz scene in New York, and with the historic performance of one of the most important avant-garde saxophonists since the 1960s, Marshall Allen.”
