LIVINGSTON MANOR, NY — Catskill Art Space will host an evening of contemporary performance to celebrate Black History Month beginning at 4 p.m. on Saturday, February 17. 

The first event of the evening is African/American Composers, Then and Now, a lecture and performance by Bard College professor and legendary percussionist Thurman Barker, followed by a screening of “Rebirth of a Nation,” a multimedia film remix by Paul D. Miller (aka DJ Spooky), from 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. 

Both events will take place in CAS’s second-floor River Gallery.  

Barker and Miller will be in attendance for audience questions and talk-back. 

The evening is a chance to reflect on the important artistic contributions of Black artists, while examining historic and present-day narratives around race and power in America.

African/American Composers, Then and Now discusses the impact of Black jazz composers on compositional music today. The narrative intertwines historical context with Barker’s own orchestral compositions, drawing on his experience writing for the chamber orchestra and working with orchestras in Chicago and New York. The presentation includes a live performance by Barker himself of selections from his trio’s latest release, titled “IMPACT!.”

Miller’s “Rebirth of a Nation” reinterprets D.W. Griffith’s infamously racist silent film, “Birth of a Nation,” to create a commentary on exploitation and political corruption in America’s history and present-day society. 

Miller writes, “We live in an age where media across all platforms has come to reflect the toxic sensibility of an era dominated by a hyper-partisan political discourse. ‘The Birth of a Nation’ is generally considered one of the most controversial films of all time, and could be considered a precursor to the media landscape of our time.” Miller’s remix project encapsulates a new approach to thinking about applying the concept of “remix” to cinema—where “the director is the DJ.” 

With an original soundtrack scored by DJ Spooky and performed by the Kronos Quartet, the film intends to encourage the questioning of the power structures propagating media of yesterday and today.

About the artists

Percussionist Thurman Barker, a professional musician, composer and college professor, focuses on entertaining, educating and expanding the horizons of art. He created Uptee Records in the early ‘80s and has released multiple recordings. 

In 2016, he began writing for the chamber orchestra; his website notes that his first score, titled “South Side Suite,” premiered at Bard College in 2017 and had its New York premiere at Roulette in 2019.

Barker said that his wealth of knowledge was built through his association with countless incredible collaborators. He is a charter member of the appeared with Joseph Jarman’s pioneering ensembles, and recorded with AACM members Dr. Muhal Richard Abrams, Amina Claudine Meyers, Anthony Braxton and more. After moving to New York in the late ‘70s, he became a charter member of and worked with others in the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians; he also worked with Sam Rivers and Cecil Taylor. 

Barker became a professor emeritus of Bard College in music/jazz studies in June 2021. He is a recipient of a 2022 NYSCA award for composition as well as numerous Meet the Composer grants.

The trio (which includes Rave Tesar and Michael Jackson) performed last year at Lulu’s Social Club in Jeffersonville.

Paul D. Miller, aka DJ Spooky, is currently Artist in Residence at Yale University Center for Collaborative Arts and Media. 

He is a composer, multimedia artist and writer, and his work encompasses genres, global culture, and environmental and social issues. 

Miller has collaborated recording artists Ryuichi Sakamoto, Metallica, Chuck D from Public Enemy, Steve Reich and Yoko Ono. His 2018 album, titled “DJ Spooky Presents: Phantom Dancehall” debuted at #3 on Billboard Reggae. 

Miller currently lives and works in Roscoe, NY. 

Catskill Art Space is located at 48 Main St.

To learn more, visit www.catskillartspace.org/.