Painter/assemblagist Allan Kaprow didn’t coin the art term “happening” until 1959 — but, according to some schools of thought, the first “happening” happened at Black Mountain College back in 1952. That year, composer John Cage presented his “Theatre Piece No. 1” with a little help from his BMC artist friends, among them modern-dance pioneer Merce … Read more
It all began five years ago, when a Mexican weaver was coming to Asheville and looking for a place to display her work. Several local groups, including Catholic Social Services and the Asheville Art Museum, got together to help make something happen. “They decided that a good way for people to come in was to … Read more
Pre-1993, Victoria Williams was perhaps better known to fellow musicians than the listening public. A songwriter’s songwriter, she didn’t become a significant recording artist till after the release of Sweet Relief: A Benefit for Victoria Williams. The album — recorded to help offset her high medical expenses from Multiple Sclerosis — featured covers of Williams’ … Read more
Almost by definition, jazz resists structural boundaries and traditional limitations. This allows a constant opening toward innumerable influences from other global genres, endless musical opportunities, constant discoveries — and a profound connection to the human creative spirit. Improvisation has always been a fundamental tenet of jazz and other jam-based music. The ability to exist solely … Read more
This year’s edition of the popular free concert series Downtown After Five concludes this week with a performance by bluesman-and-more Corey Harris and his band The 5×5. Although grounded in the blues tradition, Harris’s most recent recording, Downhome Sophisticate (Rounder Records, 2002) journeys across the many voices of the African diaspora, from Chicago, the Mississippi … Read more
Of note Not so fast … Former chunkstyle bassist Dan Taylor will not be joining local metal group New Dark Science as reported in the Sept. 4 edition of Random Acts. Taylor briefly agreed to work with the group as bassist, but due to creative differences, the arrangement ended late last month. For more information … Read more
Ever since I came to WNC, I’ve gone out of my way to seek out old-timers who were part of the frenzied, 18-month rush to harvest the greatest nut, timber and shade tree that ever dominated our mountain forests before all the American chestnuts became useless. It had taken several decades for the accidentally introduced … Read more
An organic celebration There’s a whole lot to celebrate about organic food. It won’t expose you to harmful herbicides and pesticides (and thanks to new federal legislation, customers can also be sure it hasn’t been irradiated, genetically modified or fertilized with sewer sludge); numerous studies have found that it contains significantly more vitamins, minerals, enzymes … Read more
“With good intentions … we’re giving a lot of attention to dog poop.” So noted Asheville City Council member Carl Mumpower during Council’s Sept. 10 formal meeting. Although his comment was delivered somewhat tongue-in-cheek, Mumpower’s observation (made during a public hearing on revamping the city’s animal-control ordinance) nonetheless underscored the prosaic nature of municipal governance: … Read more
“Life is the game that must be played.” — Edwin Arlington Robinson If tennis greats like Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras need coaches to help them through a showdown at the U.S. Open, then why wouldn’t the rest of us need a little help in the big game of life? So goes one of Mark … Read more
