Presented in collaboration with Warriors of Wonderful Sound and Fire Museum Presents
Wonderful Sound 3: Cooper-Moore, Pheeroan akLaff & Bobby Zankel:
As a composer, performer, instrument builder/designer, storyteller, teacher, mentor, and organizer, Cooper-Moore has been a major catalyst in the world of creative music for over 40 years. As a child prodigy Cooper-Moore played piano in churches near his birthplace in the Piedmont region of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. His performance roots in the realm of avant jazz music date to the NYC Loft Jazz era in the early/mid-70s. His first fully committed jazz group was formed in 1970 – the collective trio Apogee with David S. Ware and drummer Marc Edwards. Sonny Rollins asked them to open for him at the Village Vanguard in 1973 and a studio recording of this group was made in 1977 - issued as Birth of a Being on hatHut under Ware’s name in 1979.
Following an evidently rather trying European tour with Ware, Beaver Harris, and Brian Smith in 1981, Cooper-Moore returned home and completely destroyed his piano, with a sledgehammer and fire in his backyard. He didn’t play piano again until some years after, instead focusing his energies from 1981-1985 on developing and implementing curriculum to teach children through music via the Head Start program.
Returning to New York in 1985, he spent a great part of his creative time working and performing with theater and dance productions, largely utilizing his hand-crafted instruments. It was not until the early 90s, when William Parker asked him to join his group In Order To Survive, that Cooper-Moore’s pianistic gifts were again regularly featured in the jazz context. In the early ‘aughts the group Triptych Myth was his own first regular working jazz group in decades and together they blazed some trails and released two albums. A destined creative re-union with David S. Ware in the Planetary Unknown quartet, the Digital Primitives trio with Assif Tsahar & Chad Taylor, and continued work with William Parker followed. Cooper-Moore’s creative life continues well-strong and unabated into the present day. He was the Lifetime Achievement Honoree at the 22nd iteration of Vision Festval, NYC on May 29, 2017.
Pheeroan akLaff believes that his music is driven by ritual and imagination. He has been a contributor to creative music and interdisciplinary mediums since 1976. He believes that the arts are a way to give thanks and to work for change. His performances and recordings include tours of Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe. His work is found with Wadada Leo Smith, Oliver Lake, Anthony Davis, Amina Claudine Myers, Henry Threadgill, Sonny Sharrock, Yamashita Yosuke, Liu Sola, Andrew Hill, Mike Nock, James Newton, Anthony Braxton, and Tom Pierson.
He is a co-founder of Seed Artists Inc. to further arts within communities.
He has mentored many great drummers at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, and led workshops worldwide.
Bobby Zankel began playing music at an early age, soon favoring the alto saxophone. After studying at the University of Wisconsin, he attended Berklee College Of Music, then went on to attain a BA degree from Empire State College (State University of New York). In the early 70s, he attracted favorable attention during a spell with Cecil Taylor’s Unit Core Ensemble. Concurrently, Zankel’s reputation spread within the adventurous New York loft scene owing to performances with Ray Anderson, Sunny Murray, William Parker and others. From 1975, Zankel became resident in Philadelphia where he raised his family meanwhile becoming a respected and in-demand sideman with many artists, notably those associated with the city’s thriving jazz scene. Groups he was with in these years, in Philadelphia and elsewhere, include the Hank Mobley -Sonny Gillete Quintet, Jymmie Merritt’s Forerunners, Odean Pope’s Saxophone Choir, and Ruth Naomi Floyd. He continued to work with Taylor, including visiting Europe. As a performer, Zankel delivers intricate virtuoso bop playing with an intensely emotional core. Zankel was also continuing with his studies, now with Dennis Sandole, becoming a skilled and significant composer. As leader and sideman he has appeared at numerous festivals. His compositions have been performed by Lester Bowie, Coles, Marilyn Crispell, Pope, Jamaaladeen Tacuma and others.
Doors open at 7:00 PM
Limited food menu: We offer slices of the best tomato in Philly from Liberty Kitchen. You're also welcome to bring in your own food.
venue is wheelchair accessible, please contact us in advance for assistance.