Latest news with #KindofBlue
NZ Herald
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Death becomes him: Crime writer Michael Connelly's long exploration of LA continues
Like his iconic Los Angeles sleuth Harry Bosch, crime novelist Michael Connelly's musical tastes lean strongly towards jazz. Miles Davis: Kind of Blue. Frank Morgan: Lullaby. John Coltrane: Soul Eyes. Chet Baker, Cole Porter, Art Pepper and many more. But it's the words of another timeless musician that leap to mind when surveying Connelly's own prolific creativity and his ongoing drive to write, to explore, to raise questions while entertaining. Bruce Springsteen, the New Jersey rocker, has repeatedly said of
The Citizen
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
Sam Nhlengethwa moves his art into hotel setting
Nhlengethwa is also deeply invested in young talent. 'I paint what I like,' says Sam Nhlengethwa on his first ever hotel exhibition. More than three decades have passed since Nhlengethwa received the Standard Bank Young Artist of the Year Award in 1994 and he remains as committed as ever to his craft. From the early days of apartheid-era protest art to post-democracy reflections on everyday life, the 70-year-old visual art legend's style and themes have continued to evolve. 'I am an artist through and through. I cannot stop myself from thinking about art. I live art and breathe art. 'I have always worked with different themes. I've never been stuck to one form. Steve Biko said, 'I write what I like.' I can borrow that and say, 'I paint what I like',' Nhlengethwa told The Citizen. Born in 1955 in Payneville, Springs, and raised in Ratanda near Heidelberg, Nhlengethwa is one of South Africa's most celebrated visual artists. His work captures the political shifts and everyday moments of life, often through the lens of jazz culture, urban landscapes, and social commentary. He honed his skills at the Johannesburg Art Foundation under Bill Ainslie in the '80s, before co-founding the Bag Factory Artists' Studios in Newtown. There, he shared studio space with pioneering artists such as David Koloane and Pat Mautloa. Nhlengethwa recently broke new ground with his latest showcase – and it's not in a gallery. For the first time, the artist is exhibiting in a hotel space, with his works on display at the Radisson RED in Rosebank. Though initially hesitant, Nhlengethwa said the results exceeded his expectations. 'I didn't know how the delivery of the project was going to look, but I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the billboard-style prints and how each space was allocated an artwork that perfectly suited it.' Nhlengethwa said, unlike traditional white-cube galleries, the hotel offers a more dynamic setting where art interacts with daily life. He highlighted that displaying art in accessible, everyday spaces can help spark a wider interest in visual arts. 'Some hotel guests may not usually visit galleries, but now they get to engage with artworks in public spaces like the reception, dining area or bar. 'I hope this experience encourages guests to move from being passive to active appreciators of art – maybe even collectors,' he said. ALSO READ: Youth month: Young creators get a spot on the wall in Joburg Jazz, journeys and mentorship Among the standout pieces in this unconventional exhibition is Nhlengethwa's tapestry of jazz icon Miles Davis, his personal favourite. Sam Nhlengethwa Miles Davis tapestry. Picture: Supplied His admiration for the music legend culminated in a solo exhibition titled Kind of Blue in 2009, paying tribute to Davis as his album of the same name turned 50. 'I have more Miles Davis albums than any other jazz artist. Every time I paint him, it feels like I'm listening to his trumpet,' he said. Over the years, Nhlengethwa's work has travelled the world, with solo and group exhibitions across Europe, the US, Africa and Asia. He has featured at the Venice, Havana, Beijing and Cairo Biennales and is represented in major collections such as the Johannesburg Art Gallery, Durban Art Gallery, Iziko South African National Gallery, Museum of Fine Arts in Houston and others. Despite international acclaim, he said he remains deeply invested in developing young talent back home. 'I have been and still am involved in the mentoring of young artists – from high school-equivalent art students to practising artists. As we speak, I am sponsoring an artist's studio at the Bag Factory for a young black female artist in residence. 'This private sponsorship has been running for five years. Sometimes young people come and visit our house, where I have mini-workshops with them.' NOW READ: WATCH: Leleti Khumalo's unexpected encounter with Ramaphosa after international TV award win
Irish Examiner
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Culture That Made Me: Tony Sheehan of Triskel in Cork picks his touchstones
Tony Sheehan, 62, grew up in Youghal, Co Cork. His arts administration career includes over 10 years' service as director of the Fire Station Artists' Studios in Dublin. He served as arts advisor to the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism, and was part of the Cork 2005: European Capital of Culture programme team. In 2006, he was appointed artistic director of Triskel Arts Centre. He's a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. See: Kind of Blue My granduncle, Thady O'Shea, who lived in Knockadoon, East Cork, was a noted box player. Another granduncle made his living as a jazz saxophonist in England in the 1950s. My father and grandfather were founding members of St Mary's Brass & Reed Band. I luckily got an introduction to Miles Davis's Kind of Blue at an early age. Most young fellas were listening to AC/DC and Queen at the time. I had this other secret world going on with jazz music. It was no problem because music – and brass instruments – was in us as a family. The Cure at the Arcadia I remember going to see The Cure at the Arcadia Ballroom in Cork in 1981. What was most memorable about it was that wash of almost trance-like, complex harmonies they did; that, big hair and Cork accents. For some reason, I was transported by The Cure, but I was brought back to Cork fairly fast. Floating along, and the next thing you'd have someone in earshot going, 'C'mere to me!' ' London Calling An album that defined my teenage years was The Clash's London Calling. It was something special. I was knocking around aimlessly for most of the 1980s because Charlie Haughey's Ireland had no options for us. You either emigrated or became an artist because you might as well. Everybody was on the dole. London Calling spoke to the anger that young people felt. It's an iconic album for that time. Shortwave radio I've always loved shortwave radio stations like the BBC World Service, foreign language stations operating in Europe and English-language Chinese radio stations. Interestingly, there was a young, brilliant solo pianist Fionnuala Moynihan who played the Chopin Nocturnes at Triskel last March. When I was a kid in 1981, I used to listen to Radio Warsaw in Poland every night at midnight to the Chopin concert they'd broadcast, including the night when martial law was declared. The broadcast stopped. The next voice you heard was the military saying they'd now taken over. Then everything went dead. Paco Peña My dad was a factory worker in a Kilkenny textile mill. The guys running it were Belgian. They had no clue about the arts or music, but they were asked by the Kilkenny Arts Festival committee to sponsor a concert. So, a manager called my father from the factory floor, and said, 'You're a guitarist. Who would you like to bring to the Kilkenny Arts Festival?' He didn't hesitate: 'Paco Peña.' And so, one of the world's most famous guitarists played Kilkenny courtesy of a man who made his living in a textile factory but had a love of music that was unsurpassed. McCoy Tyner and Charlie Haden The Jazz Festival for Cork Capital of Culture 2005 is a landmark jazz festival. People still remember it because Cork's European Capital of Culture team supported bringing McCoy Tyner and Charlie Haden, those two legendary American artists, to Cork for it. I got to introduce them from the stage. Charlie and McCoy are pillars of the history of jazz. I'll never forget it. They were on the same bill. 'You want Capital of Culture? We'll give you Capital of Culture.' John Berger John Berger with Marisa Camino at the Vanguard Gallery in Cork in 2005. Picture: Cillian Kelly John Berger is one of the most influential twentieth century art critics. He made Ways of Seeing for the BBC in 1972. It influenced generations of us. John came to Cork for the Capital of Culture. He had this searing integrity, clarity of thinking and an ability to express complex thoughts. An example is his book The Success and Failure of Picasso. He said he wrote the book to keep Picasso company – that Picasso was now this completely isolated giant of visual art. John didn't pull punches in the book, which annoyed Picasso. Brian Friel When you think about Brian Friel's play Making History and his commentary about war, it brings to mind the war in the Ukraine. If you draw the two together – Queen Elizabeth is Putin; O'Neill is Zelensky, the other guy. There are all these parallels. Some of his plays aren't easy, some are dense historical works, but Brian Friel is our Shakespeare. Translations and Philadelphia, Here I Come! are still some of my favourite plays. John Potter Triskel Christchurch was launched with a full performance of a work called Being Dufay, composed by Ambrose Field. It's about the early music of a composer. It's sung by the tenor John Potter. It's a work for electronics and voice. It's extraordinary. John came to international acclaim years before. He always produces these creative partnerships and ideas that are captivating. He opened up a rich vein of music for me, especially with ECM records. John and Ambrose, when they performed Being Dufray, set the tone for the kind of music Triskel would excel at – beautiful music done to the highest of standards, something we aspire to all the time. Denis Conway Denis Conway. Denis Conway is one of our best actors, probably the most passionate actor I know. He does nothing by halves. It's his commitment as an actor that I've always admired. He loves Cork, and he has a complicated relationship with Cork [laughs] like we all do, but the actor who I think of when I think about theatre is Denis Conway. Kazuo Ishiguro Kazuo Ishiguro is my favourite novelist. I've always loved science fiction. As a kid, I was a big fan of Philip K Dick. Ishiguro is a contemporary development of his sensibility. Fans know there's often a conflict in sci-fi between what's regarded as literature and pulp. Ishiguro crosses that divide. The books are gripping. They're beautiful and poignant. They envelop you in something. Even if it's dark, every word is so finely tuned. His book Klara and the Sun is just poetry. Patrick McCabe A writer I love is Patrick McCabe. What a guy. The Butcher Boy is incredible. Patrick McCabe also has a particular sensibility around music that I enjoy. He has that unhinged view of the world, or it's not that he has it, but he's able to completely internalise seriously unhinged stuff, complete lunacy, that makes reading his novels this incredible adventure.
Scotsman
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Previously unheard recordings of jazz legend Miles Davis to be heard in festival play premiere
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A play about the life of jazz legend Miles Davis and featuring previously unheard tracks is to be performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival after winning a funding award. Miles, which details the life of the American musician, based on his own autobiography and describes the musician as 'pimp, addict, genius', is the winner of the Meadows Award for underrepresented artists of colour. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The production, which details the "chaos" of the making of a Kind of Blue, the bestselling jazz album of all time, will receive cash to fund a full run at Summerhall. Presented by theatre company :DELIRIUM: and Lauren Reed Productions, the play will see acclaimed jazz trumpet player, Jay Phelps perform alongside an actor representing Miles. Mr Phelps, who has performed at London jazz club Ronnie Scott's and the BBC Proms, has recently been touring Kind of Blue in various venues across the country with his band. Described as a 'hypnotic, smoke-laced fever dream', the story of Mr Davis' life is said to be 'a visceral journey into the soul of an artist who redefined modern music'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Miles Davis Quintent, Hammersmith, London, 1967. Artist Brian Foskett. (Photo by National Jazz Archive/Heritage Images via Getty Images) | National Jazz Archive/Heritage I Creative director Oliver Kaderbhai, who was resident director for the UK tour of hit musical Hamilton, said: 'As a mixed-race theatre maker of Anglo-Indian descent, I am curious about identity - what drives people to do the things they do. We're interested in humanity under pressure. 'Miles was a complex man and we're going to explore how he became the creative genius we know today - how did his race, his circumstances, his upbringing impact his choices? And would we have been a different Miles if he existed today?' Summerhall Arts, the new charity heading arts and culture provision at the venue for the next three years, said: 'Summerhall is proud to support MILES. through the Meadows Award, a production that embodies the bold, necessary, and artistically rich storytelling we believe deserves to take centre stage. We are committed to making space for Artists of Colour at the Fringe and thrilled to see MILES. lead that vision.' International work makes up more than half this year's Fringe Summerhall this week announced its line-up for this year's Fringe, which includes over 50 per cent international work, with artists from countries such as Singapore, Brazil, New Zealand, and the USA. It features a 50 per cent female-led line up, with 20 per cent of shows created by artists of colour and 25 per cent including LGBTQ+ narratives. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Highlights include Skye: A Thriller, written by Ellie Keel. Set on the Isle of Skye, follows a group of siblings confronting the reappearance of their deceased father. Earlier this year, a financial crisis at Summerhall was averted after a winding up order over alleged unpaid tax was abandoned. Summerhall's management announced that HMRC had dropped a legal action that led to its bank accounts being frozen. A public consultation is being launched into the future of the building, which has operated as an arts hub for 14 years. Developer AMA recently said it wanted to include residential properties in its redevelopment of the venue, as well as commercial space and a 'facility to sustainably continue the provision of the arts'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Summerhall Arts Fringe producer and programmer, Tom Forster, said: 'As promised back in January, our 2025 Fringe performance programme continues to be exactly what we know and love. It's the same beating heart - consisting of colleagues old and new - but underneath brand-new skin, an approach that denotes quality not quantity.' MILES. premieres at this year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Tech Cube Zero at Summerhall,
Vogue
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue
12 Friends of Vogue Curate a 'Superfine' Playlist for the Met Gala 2025
Tonight, on the first Monday in May, some of the brightest stars from the worlds of fashion and culture (and much more besides) will be walking the red carpet for the 2025 Met Gala. But what will they be listening to while getting ready? Thankfully, we have just the solution. Inspired by the theme of this year's exhibition, 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,' which examines the rich history and legacy of Black style—with a particular focus on dandies from across the centuries—we asked 12 friends of Vogue to recommend the perfect soundtrack to a big night out ahead. From Miles Davis to Rihanna, here (and on Spotify) find the ultimate getting-ready mixtape for the 2025 Met Gala. 'Joromi,' Victor Uwaifo Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche 'There is no genre more quintessentially West African than High Life; this song is a pioneer classic and I love its indulgently nostalgic beauty.' Kind of Blue, Miles Davis Dapper Dan 'The entire Kind of Blue album by Miles Davis. It is the all time greatest jazz record. It's not only the music, but Davis himself. He's always translating sound, and while the concept of dandyism never changes, the way it's translated does.' 'Back On 74,' Jungle Edvin Thompson, Theophilio 'It captures a sense of revival and confidence stepping into your power with rhythm, grace, and unapologetic flair. The energy feels perfectly in sync with the bold spirit of the Met.' 'Movement 1,' Pharoah Sanders, Floating Points, and the London Symphony Orchestra Rachel Scott, Diotima 'Drawn from the body of Sanders' final work, it feels at once historical and modern, powerful yet tender. Its nuance and complexity, to me, embody the elegance of the Dandy' 'L.O.V.E.,' Nat King Cole; 'Do U Lie,' Prince; 'My Jamaican Guy,' Grace Jones; 'Mas, Que Nada!' Jorge Ben Jor Regina King 'Songs that I feel evoke the dandy vibe include: 'L.O.V.E.' by Nat King Cole, 'Do U Lie' by Prince (and pretty much the entire Parade album), 'My Jamaican Guy' by Grace Jones, and 'Mas Que Nada' by Jorge Ben Jor.' 'Three Piece Suit and Thing,' Trinity Nicholas Daley 'My chosen song has to be 'Three Piece Suit' by Trinity, released in 1975. My parents played this record in the 1970s when they ran one of Scotland's earliest reggae club nights. It is such an anthem and the way the lyrics describe each part of the look, details and the attitude behind looking sharp. The LP album cover artwork is also so iconic and has been an inspiration within my collections. My grandfather was part of the Windrush generation and had such a sharp tailored style with his trilby hat, so this song is a dedication to him!' 'Mr Bojangles,' Sammy Davis Jr. IB Kamara 'Sammy, for me, was a Black dandy, within the tradition of dandyism that includes heroes of mine such as Miles Davis, Sam Cooke, and Louis Armstrong, among so many others.' 'Int'l Players Anthem (I Choose You),' UGK (Underground Kingz) Torishéju Dumi 'This song just makes me feel so alive, present and hopeful. It just makes me so happy.' 'Bitch Better Have My Money,' Rihanna Erdem Moralıoğlu 'Rihanna, dressed in tailored trousers—not a gown—stomping on the main table of the 2015 Met Gala singing 'Bitch Better Have My Money' felt rebellious and bold. And in the trousers, very much 'tailored for you.'' 'Young Forever,' Jay-Z & Mr. Hudson Dynasty Ogun, L'Enchanteur 'Creating legacy that surpasses lifetimes. Remaining present throughout time and space.' 'Good Thoughts Bad Thoughts,' Funkadelic Soull Ogun, L'Enchanteur 'It feels like a mantra, a practice that realigns my thinking and the way we can view the world with a deeper and birds eye's lens simultaneously.'
