Featuring The Portland Sacred Harp Singers, Roman Norfleet And Be Present Art Group, Collate and Jay Ringer.
A celebration of the work of artist, alchemist, anthropologist, filmmaker and creator of The Anthology Of American Folk Music - Harry Smith! A night to make your head spin in all the right ways.
We'll be showing some of Harry's best known films accompanied by live musicians performing pieces based on what Harry would play while screening the films. Here's the program!
Film #11: Mirror Animations and Film #15: Untitled Animation of Seminole Patchwork
Accompanied by The Portland Sacred Harp Singers
This huge acapella Gospel ensemble will be performing the kind of music Harry Smith spent years researching and loved best. A powerful sound that'll shake all the walls and doors. The films are as stunning as films come.
Early Abstractions: Films # 1-5, 7 & 10
Accompanied by Collate
Collate are a local high caliber angular rock band. They'll be performing covers of early Beatles songs (!) as a homage to how Harry Smith would often play The Beatles first album during these beautiful hand painted abstract films.
Film #14: Late Superimpositions
Accompanied by Roman Norfleet And Be Present Art Group
These practitioners of Spiritual Jazz / Great Black Music will be riffing on Dizzy Gillespie songs that Harry would often play during films.
In addition to all this, Jay Ringer will be playing songs from The Anthology Of American Folk Music on melodica as transitional music between films.
Special guest Rani Singh, Director Harry Smith Archives.