CATHERINE L. JOHNSON – Unplugged on Prince Street -18 OCTOBER 2013 + ERYKAH BADU – Unplugged + 18 OCTOBER STYRK SIGURD REQUE OMLIE “BUD” DAD’S BIRTHDAY

CATHERINE L. JOHNSON – Unplugged on Prince Street –18 OCTOBER 2013

Photo credit: Chris La Fontaine

 

 

 

 

 

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  ERYKAH BADU – Unplugged

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ce-LQet-b8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZpfWUY3EEs

 

 

 

 

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18 OCTOBER

 

STYRK SIGURD REQUE OMLIE

“BUD”

DAD’S BIRTHDAY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHAT I REMEMBER WHAT HE LOVED:

 

BLACK AMERICAN MUSIC

     Tain’t What You Do – Jimmy Lunceford

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SkoD2CIakQ

 

 

 

This is the piece that broke down the walls, and when we became friends.

My Dad taught me about the CALL AND RESPONSE of Black American Music. 

He learned so much of the roots during WWII

when he oversaw the gravediggers

-who were mostly Black Americans.

 

 

 

 

 

What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2VCwBzGdPM

 

 

 

He heard Satchmo several times while overseas during WWII.

He loved Jan Savage Big Band’s version of “What a Wonderful World”.

I was living in my beloved NYC funded by an international studio fellowship.

I found the recording at a collector’s office at the Empire State Building!

I needed it to send to Dad before his cancer surgery.

This wonderful collector made a tape so I could send it to Dad before his cancer surgery.

He told me he played it on the way to the hospital. He was a banker and always wanted to be a musician.

At the end of his life, he asked for my forgiveness.

He created steep hurdles/criticism/mockery of me being an artist.

As a teenager, I told him he was my Earth Dad and God made me an artist.

Period.

As he was dying

and

I was living in NYC as a recipient of the prestigious P. S. 1 International Studio Artist Fellowship,

he said he wished he had the determination + drive I had.

His challenge tempered me to persevere and listen to the silver horn within me.

WHAT IS A RELATIONSHIP?

IT IS : CALL+ RESPONSE.

MUSIC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THAT IS THE TEMPLATE,

THE RHYTMN, THE SCORE, THE BLUEPRINT

 HOW WE, MY DAD – MY STEP-FATHER AND I,

 BECAME KNOWN TO EACH OTHER.

HE WAS A QUIET MAN AND IT TOOK TIME + PATIENCE FOR HIS REVELATIONS.

MY TIME IN THE HOSPITAL FOR THE FIRST 10 YEARS

(MOVING TO WAYZATA WAS MY FIRST YEAR OUT OF THE HOSPITAL)

GAVE ME ANTENNAS + DIVINING RODS.

 A GIFT + A CURSE.

 

 

 

 

 

WE PRACTICED, STEPPED AWAY,

PRACTICED AGAIN + AGAIN + AGAIN,

AND WE LISTENED TO EACH OTHER, 

AND

 FINALLY, AT THE END OF HIS LIFE,

AS HIS CANCER ATE HIS BODY LIVE

 AND

HIS SPIRIT WAS RELEASING INTO UNBOUND ENERGY,

WE GOT

“SWING”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MUSIC.