ArtBeat: Andrzej Pilarczyk’s “Freedom Through Collective Improvisation” @ ACCR

We are pleased as punch to announce that the Arts Center of the Capital Region in Troy will be hosting a month-long exhibition of photographs by Nippertown.com’s own chief photographer Andrzej Pilarczyk beginning on Thursday, April 1.

The exhibition is titled “Freedom Through Collective Improvisation: iEAR Presents! Free Jazz from the Sanctuary” and features Pilarczyk’s photos documenting the 13-part free jazz concert series that was presented at the Sanctuary for Independent Media in Troy between 2007-2009.

Pilarczyk, who has documented over two decades of musical events throughout the Capital Region, photographed all but one of the “Free Jazz from the Sanctuary” concerts.

“I am out there in front of the stage with a camera because of my passion for the music and the musicians,” Pilarczyk explains. “Since I’m not a musician, this is the way I emotionally and psychologically connect with the music and the performance.”

Photographer Jon Flanders – also a Nippertown.com contributor – photographed the one concert that Pilarcyzk was unable to attend, and his photographs will also be on display in the exhibit.

The exhibition will also include the work of a collective of artists working at the Sanctuary for Independent Media, who documented the performances of the free jazz concert series with video and sound recordings.

The musicians documented in the exhibition include the Thirteenth Assembly (Taylor Ho Bynum, Tomas Fujiwara, Mary Halvorson, Jessica Pavone), the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble (Kahil El’Zabar, Ernest Dawkins, Corey Wilkes), the Fay Victor Ensemble (Ken Filiano, Anders Nilsson, Michael TA Thompson, Fay Victor), the From Between Trio (Michel Doneda, Tatsuya Nakatani, Jack Wright), the Michael Vlatkovich Quartet (Christopher Garcia, Jonathan Golove, David Mott, Michael Vlatkovich), Sax Soup Poetry and Voice (Joe Giardullo, Pierre Joris, Nicole Peyrafitte), Trio Tarana (Sam Bardfeld, Ravish Momin, Brian Prunka), the Ras Ensemble (Clif Jackson, Dave Miller, Ras Moshe, Tor Yochai Snyder), William Hooker, the Empty Cage Quartet (Ivan Johnson, Paul Kikuchi, Jason Mears, Kris Tiner), the Weasel Walter Trio (Peter Evans, Mary Halvorson, Weasel Walter), the Splatto Festival Chorus (Dave Barrett, Michael Bisio, Ed Mann, Todd Reynolds) and Amiri Baraka & Rob Brown.

“Freedom Through Collective Improvisation” will be on display at ACCR from Thursday, April 1 through Friday, April 30. There will be an opening reception with light refreshments at 6pm on Thursday, April 1, as well as a closing reception during Troy Night Out on Friday, April 30. Admission to exhibition and receptions is free of charge.

In conjunction with the opening night reception, renowned, visionary, NYC-based jazz pianist Matthew Shipp will perform in concert with his trio (featuring bassist Michael Bisio and drummer Whit Dickey) at 7pm in the Art Center’s theater. Admission to the concert is by donation – $10 suggested; $5 student/low income.