UNCOOL 2012
music for cosmic life
Valposchiavo 18 - 24 June
>> click here for program PDF >>
MICHAEL RAY
Cosmic Michael Ray plays trumpet soloaccompanied by the sparkling rushing of the Palü waters. >> details >>
The UNCOOL Festival 2012 is dedicated to the wonderful american trumpet player and poet Michael Ray.
Originally from Trenton, New Jersey, Michael Ray's three decade professional resume includes early stints with the likes of Patti LaBelle, The Delfonics and the Stylistics. Ray's affiliation with Sun Ra's Intergalactic Arkestra began in 1978. He toured and recorded with Sun Ra performing on and producing nearly two dozen albums internationally with the Jazz Hall of Fame keyboardist that led the # 1 Big Band on the planet (Downbeat's international Critic's Poll) for more than a dozen years. Sun Ra designated Ray his "Intergalactic Research Tone Scientist," featuring him on trumpet and vocals. Ray appears on Sun Ra albums on Saturn Records and on CDs released by Evidence, Enja, HatHut, Rounder, Black Saint, Horo, A& M, Philly Jazz and ESP labels. Ray also mixed the critically acclaimed Mayan Temples, Sun Ra's last studio session (Black Saint/Italy-1992).
Michael Ray is also recognized as a member of the front line for Kool & the Gang, the top selling jazzy R&B group of the 1980's. Ray danced, sang, played trumpet and assisted with writing and producing seven platinum/gold albums and seven Top 10 hits for the group, winning dozens of awards and a Grammy nomination. Ray continues to perform with this solid group in both the U. S. and overseas.
Ray moved to New Orleans in 1989 where he is now considered a star of both funk and jazz. In addition to concerts, he creates innovative multi-arts collaborations focusing on sound and color that utilize original jazz compositions, neon set installations, dance and poetry. His Neon-Sound Performance concept won a regional arts award in 1993 (National Endowment for the Arts, the Rockefeller and Andy Warhol Foundations).
Michael Ray continues to perform with the Sun Ra Arkestra and has appeared with rock-phenom PHISH, live and on two Elektra recordings (Phish, A Live One & Trey Anastasio's Surrender to the Air). He recently worked on a PBS soundtrack for producer Delfeayo Marsalis and appears on recordings of Galactic drummer Stanton Moore and avant rockers Iris May Tango. He has made special appearances with many popular groups including Aquarium Rescue Unit, Medeski, Martin & Wood, Widespread Panic, Porno for Pyros, Col. Bruce Hampton and Deep Banana Blackout.
Sunday 24 June – Alpe Palü – 14:00
RhB train to Alp Grüm
from Poschiavo – departure 11:33 / 12:24 – arrival 12:14 / 13:04
from Pontresina – departure 11:31 / 12:09 – arrival 12:08 / 12:52
downhill walk on mountain path to Agriturismo Alpe Palü – 15 min
www.elrarecords.com
PETER GIGER SOLO DUO TRIO
Peter Giger is the most wonderful drummer in Swiss Jazz historyhe rarely performs and dedicates his precious time to painting. >> details >>
On the contemporary music scene he represents a exceptional figure. He celebrates in 2008 his 50th year of professional musicianship. Like hardly an other musician he always played at the highest level in all style directions of jazz, from his 19-th year on , with European and American musicians and orchestras, as well as since 1970 with own formations. In his career, he has developed from the New Orleans jazz drummer to a pioneer and master of World Music.
Since some time his interest is aimed to the drumming of West Africa. As a lecturer and musicologist Giger has attained a high respect. Among his countless students, there are known drummers and a handful of professors. He has co-founded several modern music schools (Bern, Frankfurt, Darmstadt,) and worked 12 years at the conservatory of music in Cologne. Both of his long time out-of-print drum-methods, as well as his book " the art of the rhythm ", belong to the best, that has been published on this subject. Soon there will a new edition in form of innovative multimedia e-books.
Alberto Mesirca and Jonas Giger together form the DUO RESPONSE.
workshop playing together
Monday 18 June – Scuola Valposchiavo 14:00
Tuesday 19 June – Scuola Valposchiavo 14:00
in concert
Friday 22 June – Cinema Rio Poschiavo – 20:00
Saturday 23 June – Cinema Rio Poschiavo – 20:00
PETER GIGER SOLO DUO TRIO
PETER GIGER drums
TOM NICHOLAS drums, percussion
GERD DUDEK tenor & soprano saxophones
VITOLD REK bass
ALBERTO MESIRCA guitar
JONAS GIGER drums
PETER GIGER - PAINTINGS
THE SUN RA ARKESTRA
under the direction of MARSHALL ALLEN
It is Marshall Allen’s longed for dream to add to the superb Jazz big band the cello, the viola, the violin, the harp and the kora, the African lute that he masterly plays. The Sun Ra Arkestra performs as part of the music theatre Oedipus – Akhenaten.
>> details >>
The Sun Ra Arkestra under the direction of Marshall Allen was for the first time part of the UNCOOL Festival in 2003. We now have a wonderful edition of that video material with the Soundtrack from the RSI Rete Due radio station available for sale and for public viewing during the festival.
The Sun Ra Arkestra will perform in an extraordinary line-up with 25 musicians and dancers. This will include the Jazz Big Band line-up plus an additional string section which will give the music a very unique and exciting sound. These will be concerts of unheard excellence and imagination. A trip though Sun Ra's Space Music under the guidance of his faithful deputy Marshall Allen.
The Sun Ra Arkestra will be part of the theatre performance OEDIPUS–AKHENATEN. There will be rehearsals earlier on, the musicians will give workshops in the schools and they will also play another concert. The Big Band comprises 25 Jazz musicians and dancers as well as a string section with violin, viola, cello and harp.
Marshall Allen will compose the theme of the theatre piece from the HYMN TO THE ATEN by Akhenaten, pharaoh and poet.
workshop playing together
Monday 18 June – Scuola Valposchiavo 14:00
Tuesday 19 June – Scuola Valposchiavo 14:00
OEDIPUS
Wednesday 20 June – Cinema Rio Poschiavo – 15:00 – dress rehearsal
Friday 22 June – Cinema Rio Poschiavo – 22:00
AKHENATEN
Thursday 21 June – Cinema Rio Poschiavo – 15:00 – dress rehearsal
Saturday 23 June – Cinema Rio Poschiavo – 22:00
THE SUN RA ARKESTRA under the direction of MARSHALL ALLEN
MARSHALL ALLEN alto saxophone, flute, clarinet, electric valve instrument, kora
KNOEL SCOTT alto saxophone, vocals, percussion
ABSHALOM BEN SHLOMO alto saxophone, clarinet
CHARLES DAVIS tenor saxophone
JAMES STUART tenor saxophone
DANNY RAY THOMPSON baritone saxophone, flute
MICHAEL RAY trumpet, vocals
CECIL BROOKS trumpet
FRED ADAMS trumpet
VINCENT CHANCEY french horn
DAVE DAVIS trombone
FARID BARRON piano, moog synthesizer
DAVID HOTEP guitar
KASH KILLION cello, sarangi
TYLER MITCHELL bass
CRAIG HAYNES drums
ELSON NASCIMENTO percussion
…
…
plus viola, violin, harp, dancers
www.thesunraarkestra.com
OEDIPUS – AKHENATEN
Pharao Akhenaten is the historical source of King Oedipus – their stories are told in poetry, music and dance together with THE SUN RA ARKESTRA under the direction of MARSHALL ALLEN. >> details >>THE VENUS PROJECT
by Jacque Fresco and Roxanne MeadowsThe Venus Project advocates an alternative vision for a sustainable new world civilization unlike any socio-economic system that has gone before. It calls for a straightforward redesign of a culture, in which the age-old inadequacies of war, poverty, hunger, debt, and unnecessary human suffering are viewed not only as avoidable, but totally unacceptable. >> details >>
„The Venus Project advocates an alternative vision for a sustainable new world civilization unlike any socio-economic system that has gone before. It calls for a straightforward redesign of a culture, in which the age-old inadequacies of war, poverty, hunger, debt, and unnecessary human suffering are viewed not only as avoidable, but totally unacceptable. “
Es ist eine ausserodentlich kreative und innovative Vision und Sichtweise von Jacque Fresco und Roxanne Meadows, die auf einer Ökonomie der gemeinsamen Ressourcen beruht und das monetäre System als überflüssig betrachtet.
Am UNCOOL Festival möchten wir das Venus Projekt als Ausstellung und eventuell als Workshop anbieten. Am Konzept wird noch gearbeitet.
film
Wednesday 20 June – Saturday 23 June
Galleria PGI Poschiavo 13:00 – 18:00
www.thevenusproject.com
THE REALM OF LIGHTENING
by Peter Dennett of Art YardA visual discography of Sun Ra and His Arkestra album sleeves projected onto the buildings in Poschiavo. >> details >>
Peter Dennett runs his own label and regularly publishes new editions of Sun Ra recordings. He has a profound knowledge in music and is in contact with theatre since his early childhood. He will show an exhibition of Vinyl and CD cover artwork from the three different periods Saturn, El Saturn and Art Yard. This will also involve large projections onto the walls of the houses.
projection
Wednesday 20 June – Saturday 23 June
Piazza Cumün Poschiavo 20:00 – 24:00
opening Wednesday 20 June – 20:00
The artwork of Saturn Records and El Saturn has been inspirational and unique in many ways and helps tell the story of Sun Ra and his Arkestra from the early 1950's to the present day. This presentation will project in sequence the album artwork of Sun Ra and create a visual explanation of the Myth of Sun Ra and his music. Saturn records was groundbreaking and at the cutting edge of contemporary art, not just for the music that was presented, but also for the philosophy integral to Sun Ra. The artwork of the celestial 'angel race' of this sociological and musical phenomena will be projected onto the sides of buildings for The Music of Cosmic Life Festival 2012.
www.myspace.com/artyard
COSTUMES' SKETCHES
by Isa MehnertThe exhibition shows the inspired sketches of Isa Mehnert for the music theatre Oedipus – Akhenaton and for The Sun Ra Arkestra. >> details >>
NARCISS & GOLDFADEN is the name of the "factory for garments" run by Isa Mehnert and Heike Hartmann. They specialize in viewy costumes and spectacular events with costumes in collaboration with experienced actors and performers.
Isa Mehnert designs and produces the costumes for the music theatre performance OEDIPUS–AKHENATEN. The scetches of the layouts will be shown in an exhibition.
exhibition
Wednesday 20 June – Saturday 23 June
Cinema Rio Poschiavo 13:00 – 18:00
opening Wednesday 20 June – 20:00
www.narcissundgoldfaden.de
AMNESIA’S LANDSCAPE
by YumenoatoWe designed a screenplay by which the travels follow a precise schedule of theme, site and season. The soundtrack features one solo acoustic instrument per site. >> details >>
The fading of Memory turns always into a new story. The piece AMNESIAS' LANDSCAPE by YUMENOATO is inspired by a fragmented remembrance within Space, Architecture, Literature. Since 2004 YUMENOATO are dedicated to enact the dialoge with chosen places that lost a former identity or intent. These places tell much and hide a lot. Some wander, others wait. During our fieldwork, all the fragments that have exited their original story - the single dots on the map, the words, the shapes, the movement, the sound - enter a single playground: AMNESIAS'LANDSCAPE. It is a spiritual research about the omnipresence of death in life.
film
Wednesday 20 June – Saturday 23 June
Lo Spazio Poschiavo 13:00 – 18:00
opening Wednesday 20 June – 20:00
YUMENOATO
GYOHEI ZAITSU dance
GOETZ ROGGE imagery
ANDREAS FROEBA sound
musicians
AUDREY CHEN voice
EVAN PARKER soprano sax
ALEKSANDER KOLKOWSKI stroh cello & gramophone disc recording
ROBIN HAYWARD tuba
ROLF SUDMANN trautonium
www.heimat.de/halqa
GIORNALE UNCOOL
by Mauro Lardi and kid journalists of Valposchiavo >> details >>screening text and photos, layout
Monday 18 June – Scuola Poschiavo 16:00
Tuesday 19 June – Scuola Poschiavo 16:00 – 18:00 deadline for printing
Thursday 21 June – pubished on Il Grigione Italiano
PASSEGGIATE
with Marco Lavizzari and Flavio AlessiMarco Lavizzari is blind and walks with his dog in the mountains. He will guide you to spectacular places and make you understand the precious gift of seeing. Flavio Alessi will show you the beauty of nature and link you to it using meditative exercises. >> details >>
FLAVIO ALESSI
invites us to a fascinating excursion that will open up our senses by means of meditation and dialogue with nature.
MARCO LAVIZZARI
is blind and under the guidance of his guiding dog he will guide us through the lush and flourishing southern-alpine landscape of the Valposchiavo. This might bring us to a a new esteem of visual perception.
It illustrates what precious gifts we posess in the eysight and also how precious the things are that we can see.
Marco Lavizzari
Friday 22 June – Poschiavo train station – 8:15
Flavio Alessi
Saturday 23 June – Stazione train station – 8:15
17th INTERNATIONAL SUN RA CONVENTION
by Hartmut Geerken >> details >>Members of the Sun Ra Convention will meet during the festival. Guests are very welcomed.
Please contact Hartmut Geerken (waitawhile@t-online.de)
NEW WAITAWHILE PUBLICATION in spring 2012
Documentation of the 1st – 16th Sun Ra Conventions
including 5 CDs with music and interviews
Hybriden Verlag Berlin
LO SPAZIO
>> details >>
LO SPAZIO is a space in the Casa Bondietti, Via dal Poz 69 in Poschiavo (next to the swimming pool) that is available for creative people for their artistic and musical communication for free.
LO SPAZIO ist ein Raum in der Casa Bondietti, Via dal Poz 69 in Poschiavo (neben dem Hallenbad), das gratis kreativen Menschen zur Verfügung gestellt wird für ihre künstlerische und musikalische Kommunikation.
LO SPAZIO è uno spazio nella Casa Bondietti, Via dal Poz 69 a Poschiavo (accanto alla piscina) che sarà messo gratuitamente a disposizione a delle persone creative per le loro comunicazioni artistiche e musicali.
