Musicians – longlistshort

Pennsylvania Exhibitions- Philadelphia International Records 50th Anniversary Installation at Philadelphia International Airport

Art, Art Shows by Location, Artists, History, Installation Art, Music, Musicians / Bands, Pennsylvania Art Shows, Philadelphia

Mar 062026

If you have time between flights at Philadelphia International Airport, in addition to the many artworks on view, you can also learn about some of Philadelphia’s musical history. An installation dedicated to the 50th Anniversary of the music label Philadelphia International Records is currently on display in Terminal A.

More from Art at PHL’s website–

Philadelphia is proud to be the home of the legendary label Philadelphia International Records (PIR) known for creating The Sound of Philadelphia (TSOP). Songwriters and music producers Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, and Thom Bell nicknamed The Mighty Three, are referred to as the masterminds of the Black-owned label known for its unique sound and vision based on messages of love, peace, empowerment, pride, and strength.

Their prolific catalog includes more than 3,500 songs that include instantly recognizable hits like Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now, Back Stabbers, Don’t Leave Me This Way, Enjoy Yourself, For the Love Of Money, I Love Music, If You Don’t Know Me By Now, Lady Love, Love Train, Me and Mrs. Jones, TSOP (theme song for the national dance show Soul Train), Use Ta Be My Girl, You Make Me Feel Brand New, You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine, and When Will I See You Again. The list of artists that PIR wrote songs for and signed is extensive – Archie Bell & The Drells, Jean Carn, Phyllis Hyman, The Jacksons, The Jones Girls, Patti LaBelle, McFadden and Whitehead, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, MSFB, Billy Paul, Teddy Pendergrass, The O’Jays, Lou Rawls, The Stylistics, and The Three Degrees.

For more than five decades, PIR’s music has captivated people of all generations, from all over the world. With countless classics, international acclaim, and their continuing legacy, PIR has made an indelible contribution to the world of music and the City of Philadelphia.

Philadelphia International Records has several videos on Youtube detailing aspects of its history- including the one below.

For a little more history, Philadelphia musician, producer and author Questlove went to elementary school next door to the offices of Philadelphia International Records and writes about that experience here.

NYC Art Shows- Brian Alfred at Miles McEnery Gallery

Art, Art Shows by Location, Artists, New York Art Shows, Painting / Painters

May 132024

“Capturing the Moment”, 2023, Acrylic on canvas

“Prismatic Window”, 2023, Acrylic on canvas

“El Paraíso”, 2023, and “Coin Laundry”, 2023, Acrylic on canvas

“Kurashiki Ki”, 2023, Acrylic on canvas

“Daikanyama”, 2023, Acrylic on canvas

Brian Alfred’s paintings for his exhibition Beauty is A Rare Thing at Miles McEnery Gallery capture moments from his travels around the world. Small details are removed to focus on shapes and colors, resulting in works that are extremely pleasing to the eye.

From the press release-

…Alfred’s process, honed over the past two decades, distills his source imagery to its most essential forms, layering idyllic elements together and segmenting forms into two dimensional planes of mostly-solid color to reveal a sense of stillness that can be tranquil, unsettling, or both. His compositions are reminiscent of architectural ukiyo-e prints, both in technique and style, while his exploration of collage continues to inform the resulting paintings.

“Alfred captures the ephemeral, silencing the noise of the world and focusing solely on the composition,” writes Annabel Keenan. “In every image, there is a sense that he is not only preserving the memory of a place, but also the essence of a specific time. This show… is more personal than his others.” Beauty is a Rare Thing casts a newfound appreciation on the everyday, presenting an aura of hope over our ever changing world.

Also included in a separate room are his portraits of contemporary musicians, pictured below.

Films to Watch- Richard Linklater’s “Slacker”

Art, Artists, Films, Music, Musicians / Bands, Video and Film

Jul 072023

Richard Linklater’s 1990 film Slacker, is a wonderful trip back in time to the pre-Internet days and a celebration of American eccentricity. If you haven’t seen it, the film follows various different Austin locals in brief scenes and conversations, all within a 24 hour period in 1989.

The film opens on a monologue from Linklater himself describing his dream to a taxi driver and then moves on to a man who hits his mother with a car. The scenes flow from one character or group to a new one almost seamlessly. Conspiracy theorists, coffee shop philosophers, a man who collects televisions and disaster footage, a group of housemates reading a story on postcards from a former housemate left behind, and on and on as the day turns to night and then back to day again.

Linklater wrote these interactions and many of them are based on stories or projects from the people seen in the film. In his director’s commentary he gives the background for many of the involved participants. He also explains how he directed them not to treat any of the people speaking as if they are strange or odd. It’s another aspect of the film that makes it special, and a reminder of the way we should try to treat people.

Sadly Teresa Taylor (pictured in the above two photos center), aka Teresa Nervosa, one time drummer for the Butthole Surfers, died last month. Her image was used for the movie poster and promotional materials. Her scene in Slacker is one of the most memorable as well. She tells a story of a highway suicide and then attempts to sell what she claims is singer Madonna’s pap smear.

Throwback Thursday- John Cale- Fear is A Man’s Best Friend

Los Angeles Music, Music, Musicians / Bands, Throwback Thursday

Sep 162021

John Cale- Fear is A Man’s Best Friend

This song is from John Cale’s fourth studio album, Fear, from 1974. The Welsh artist was a founding member of The Velvet Underground before leaving and going solo. He also works as a producer and helped create the debut albums for artists including The Stooges and Patti Smith.

Below is a live version where you can see how animated he is as a performer. This version of the song also includes the addition of a bit of Chopin.