Poetry: Donald Green

A reading by Donald Green


Interview with Donald Green

Artist: Donald Green
Medium: Poetry
Location: University Avenue right off of Washington Square Park (but I’ve also seen him right outside West Fourth Station)

A poet of the utmost urbanity, Donald Green pedals his wares on the sidewalks of the great Manhattan byways. Seated at his folding table, with large mountings of his favorite poems flanking Mr. Green is more than happy to engage passing pedestrians in manner that is anything but. In his worn jacket and rumfled shirt you would not suppose that the man before you is anything less than poetic and that his regular manner of speech would have your forget your place and believing you were in the middle of a spontaneous theatrical dialogue. Such are the ways of Donald Green.

Such are the ways of a man who, as a young boy in Harlem, living just near the former house of Langston Hughes, felt different and turned to writing as his sanctuary. Such are the ways of a man whose father was standard working class but chose to work at Columbia University’s Library by day, study writing by night and sell poetry on the street.

Mr. Green has had a truly interesting career. After studying briefly at Columbia he began publishing his work. His work has appeared in books alongside such illustrious poets as Robert Frost, Langston Hughes and Donald Hall. He wrote The New York Times Millenium Poem in 2000 and was the lead off article in a New York Magazine spread on writers. Richard Rueben’s article “For a Pushcart Poet Life is Getting Verse and Verse” in 1997 was followed by articles on Patti Smith, Jim Carol, Mia Farow and more. Mr. Green also has a recorded reading with the Columbia School of Journalism on permanent archive which you can find at the school’s website.

In the midst of all this Mr. Green was persistently pursuing a career of poetry in his unique way. After saving up a few thousand dollars, Mr. Green left his job at Columbia to commit himself to writing. After quickly using up his savings, Mr. Green decided not to accept an offer to return to his previous job, but to persist while staying with his twin brother in Brooklyn who is “very traditional in his way of life”. Then, as Mr. Green tells it, recently (that is, a decade ago) he got the idea to try selling his poetry on the street in Brooklyn. “And the first person I asked bought a poem from me, and I was on my way.”

Today, Mr. Green sells collections of his poetry, some typed some hand written, in hand made anthologies on the street. He is also unafraid of the challenge to create spontaneously and will write a personalized poem upon request. However, as much as Mr. Green enjoys this life and feels it has contributed to his abilities, noting, “it’s given me a lot to write about...it has helped me a great deal with writing,” he says his time on the street is drawing to an end. Now he hopes be a more traditional writer and publish books of his poetry as well as a musical he has been working on.

Some poems by Donald Green:

Blue Joy
Out of gray
sky
came a bright blue
bird.
He sat upon my window sill
and for and instant - no
more than a ray of sun
in the whirl of time – we
stared at one another

He then lifted his blue wings
and gently returned to the gray

I combed my hair
I brushed my teeth
I dressed
I then had my morning lemon
and went off to work

And when the gray had
gone to yellow and from
yellow to a soft mellow
brown, I gathered my things and rushed home.

I wanted to see if he had
come again with evening time

Why?

I could not really say.

Perhaps this is what
loneliness can come to

When the Friend is You - Written by Donald Green on the spur of the moment
And a friend,
begins in
my mirror,
Not Alone in one
I can encounter.
For if the friend is not in my mirror,
how is it possible
to join
with someone
other,
Is it possible even
to look with
beauty consistent
with,
at the wonderous
Earth,
All that’s about us,
Without ever at first
To relish the self,
can God be company without
Yourself?
What bond, connection,
celebration can there honestly be
without the ONE before
You

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Guitar: Geo

Geo playing


Geo playing


Interview with Geo

Artist: Geovanni “Geo” Suquillo
Medium: Guitar
Location: Union Square Station on the mezzanine above the Q,N,R platforms

Geovanni Suquillo, or Geo as his fans know him, has come to New York by way of Ecuador and then Europe. As a boy in Ecuador Geo started studying guitar 13-15 years ago, went to school for it and then went to tour Europe where he played in several cities in several countries including Spain, France and Norway.

While he was abroad Geo always wanted to come to New York to “know what’s happening here.” Therefore, after studying with an important guitarist in Spain Geo packed up and came the U.S. In the end he decided he liked it so much he stayed.

Now that he’s in New York, Geo plays in the subway to support his true goal, composing music for movies. Geo is studying composition and works to create music in his own style which he characterizes as a fusion. “Fusion because it’s…my roots, my Latin culture and I pick some little harmonies from things like jazz and Spanish/Flemenco music.” Geo particularly likes instrumental works and is influenced by musicians like Yanni. He find the New Age style relaxing and likes the peace and meditative thought it invokes.

Geo says that he enjoys playing in the subway for several reasons. Not only is it fun, but most of the work he receives and the fans he has made have come from his subway work.
“Sometimes you don’t make money but you have something to in the weekend…you always have some birthday party, wedding, something.” This space is like a commercial on TV he explains, maybe even better. He also notes that he’s happy to play underground as he makes more money than working in another job.

Like what you hear?
Check out his influences - Yanni and, please forgive me and watch interview, I can't spell anyone else's name

Really like what you hear? Contact him
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Live Appearances In November '07: Greg Patillo and Eric Stevenson, Max ZT, Trip, Luke Ryan, Melissa the Loud

Greg Patillo and Eric Stevenson’s performance info below video


Most days at midnight at the Broadway-Lafyette station going downtown. Tell ‘em Concretebeat sent you.

They also perform regularly at the night club The Box

Max ZT’s performance info below video

Thursday, November 29th
Galapagos Art Space
70 N. 6th St
$7 cover ($5 for mailing list)
(www.galapagosartspace.com/)
(L train to Bedford)

performing with quintet Naya:
Moto Fukushima (bass)- www.motobass.com
Luke Notary (percussion)- www.lukenotary.com
Rich Stein (percussion)
Brandon Terzic (guitar)- www.bluesufi.com
Max ZT (dulc)

Trip's performance below info below video

November 28th at the Lion's Den, New York

Luke Ryan

LUKE RYAN LIVE AND KICKING
AT THE
YIPPIE MUSEUM CAFE
9 bleeker street......
November 30...8:00.....212 677 5918
also visit myspace.com/mocombolounge

Melissa's performance info below video

Every Wednesday, 7:00-10:30pm
Je'Bon, 15 St. Marks Place

______________________________________________________________________

Electric Guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, fiddle, saxaphone: King's County Crawlers

The King's County Crawler's playing with some awesome solos


The King's County Crawlers playing


The King's County Crawlers


An interview with the King's County Crawlers

Artists: Nikhil P. Yerawadekar, Mikey Hart, Dave Dawda, Liz Hanley, Aurora Nealon
Medium: Electric guitar (Nikhil), Acoustic Guitar (Mikey), Bass (Dave), Fiddle (Liz), Saxaphone (Aurora)
Location: Washington Square Park (West side by the statue)

The Kings County Crawlers are a primarily a bluegrass band composed of people who, primarily, just got into bluegrass about 6 months ago (that’s about the time they started playing together). The band is comprised of four regulars who met at NYU and, in this case, a guest appearance by a saxophonist who is a friend but isn’t officially in the group.

Nikhil P. Yerawadekar is a Queens resident and has been in NY all his life. He’s been playing music for about as long and has decided to remain in the city for the music scene. He recently got into bluegrass and is also a big fan of traditional jazz and swing. Nikhil studied music education at NYU and is teaching but “I’m not gonna say where ‘cause I don’t wanna make the reputation bad or anything.” How modest.

Mikey Hart, the raspy lead voice of the Crawlers hails from Lack Charles, Louisiana. I caught Mikey while he was tallying up the proceeds from the day’s work and, when asked why he’s in New York he hollered out “there’s $60, someone remember” and with a grin said “the money.” Mikey grew up playing music but notes that bluegrass isn’t really a Louisiana thing, that’s really jazz and Cajun sounds. Instead, he says, “I’m appropriating bluegrass” although he reminded me that both styles of music do have the fiddle in common.

Dave Dawda is from Seattle, Washington and came to New York for music and school. Like his band members he’s been into music his whole life and has studied music at NYU. Dave is happy to be playing with his friends reminiscing that “we started this up a few months ago, it’s been fun, it’s fun to get out in the sun, you know, relaxin’.”

Liz Hanley is a Redsocks girl. Well, I don’t know that but she is from Boston, Massachusetts. She told me she studies classical violin at NYU (to which her band members all chimed in – “ooh fancy.”) and that bluegrass is “something I recently decided I like…there’s a lot of music around, you just get into it.” Liz commented that some her liking of bluegrass, though, has to do with her liking of her great band.

Aurora Nealon is all the way from California and has come to NY for music. She was in New Orleans for the past two or three years but after Katrina made her way up to New York. She likes New York but misses New Orleans lamenting that “it’s getting smaller and smaller.” While not officially a member of the Crawlers, Aurora is their friend and, when they found her playing in Washington Square Park when they arrived, invited her to play.

The King’s County Crawlers thoroughly enjoy playing outside. Nikhil explains: “[you] don’t have to deal with bad owners…a lot of the problems with clubs, like them taking the money from you, doesn’t exist because you have a direct interaction with the audience. And it’s nice to be in the out of doors.”
Like what you hear? Check out some of their influences
Some Influences: Carter Family, Bob Wills, Bruce Arnold, Bono, Winton

Really like what you hear? Hire ‘em
streethoot@gmail.com

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Charcoal and Paint: Tom Barlow

Tom Barlow doing some charcoal work


An interview with Tom Barlow


Some of Tom's work


Tom at work

Artist: Tom Barlow
Medium: Charcoal, oil, acrylic, pencil, sculpture
Location: South East corner of Union Square

Tom Barlow is a multi-faceted fellow. Initially from upstate New York (near Buffalo) Tom is a renaissance man – or at least artist – working in a variety of media including silkscreen, acrylic, oil, watercolor, pencil, charcoal and sculpture. If you’re asking how a man becomes so skilled in so many things (and his work is quite good, especially the charcoal), Tom explains that he was always good at this sort of stuff and it just became his career. He did go to school for art, though, at University of Binghamton and the fine arts school in Buffalo.

Tom does “a kind of new realism, it’s not connected with photography, it’s all done from space with three dimensional space.” He says that he enjoys this form of art because it’s more challenging than working from a still life. The scenery is always changing, the light is changing, even your perspective is changing. Moving a few feet can completely alter a picture or inform a new idea on how to change the piece. Furthermore, Tom likes the street. “I’m used to it and I find it very stimulating, it really forces me to focus despite everything that’s going on…I find it incredibly dull to work from a photo or work in a studio all the time.”

Although not a native city-dweller Tom is quite inamorate of the place. He came down from upstate some 12 years ago for a friend’s wedding and just decided to stay. “It’s very conducive to the arts, people will pay for good art. It’s a little hard making sales upstate.” But it’s not all about the money, New York is just a great city, and Tom should know. He’s been commissioned to work in London, stayed over in Paris and outright lived in Montreal, working from life on the street in all places, of course. Of New York Tom says: “I find New York easier. There’s more elbow room, it’s bigger. Europe, everything’s tight, and small, more constrained…I noticed, after I came back from London how nice and roomy it is here, freedom.”

However, Tom isn’t uncritical of the city. He dislikes the way New York is changing – the gentrification, the abandonment and gutting of old buildings and the work being done by the newer architects. “I don’t care for it…I don’t think they’re doing a good thing.” As we were speaking, Tom pointed out that the building behind me, in fact, was being gutted and it’s decorative pillars capped to serve as a condo in a high land value area. While he feel this detracts from the character of the city he admits “it’s probably a natural process, so what can we do?” And it’s not that Tom is reminiscent for high crime and grittiness but he did say “the 80s were great.” And, with a chuckle, revised it to “yeah, good for art and crazy life…things were cheaper and a little scarier. In the subway you sometimes felt threatened. But it was beautiful in it’s own way.”

Tom is primarily known for his architecture work and, if you’re looking at the picture above, you’ll agree his Wall Street silk screen is quite taking. But he also does sketches on the subway noting that it’s “pretty intense. It’s like going to the zoo, you get to see specimens in their natural habitat.”

Like a true New Yorker Tom leaves the following message: “We’re running out of space here, stay where you are.” I can only assume he forgot to add: “I’m talking to you, tourists, learn how to swipe a metrocard.”

Influences: Fan K'uan from the Sung dynasty, Van Gogh, Hokusai, Hiroshige and other print makers, the impressionists, the renaissance, the medieval ages – you name it.

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Bucket drums, African jembe, bass drum, hand drum, shaker, saxaphones: The Drumadics

Full song from The Drumatics


Spliced pieces of a really, really long song. Yeah, I know, the video doesn't synch up in the middle section but it's still awesome.


Founder Will Johnson talks about the idea of the band and the music.


The rest of the band talks about the music and their lives.

Medium: Bucket drums, African jembe, shaker, bass drum, African dun duns, alto sax and alto sax
Artists: William Johnson (buckets), David Park (bass drum), Alla (jembe), Alissa (African dun duns), Joel (shaker), Welf Dorr (alto sax), Nick Gianni (baritone sax)
Location: 42nd Street Times Square Station

William Johnson, Bronx resident, is responsible for this motley and highly talented crew of musicians. Founder of the Drumatics, he has been playing in the subways and on the streets of New York for well over 10 years. After being around for so long, Will has become an innovator has created a band which incorporates many of the cultural sounds unique to New York areas like Times Square, 34th St., Herald Square and Penn Station into a coherent art form. So, for example, you would normally see an individual instrumentalist playing by his or herself, a sax here, a drummer there. Will decided to combine them with his drums to make a whole new style of music that is uniquely American and uniquely New York. Will takes great pride in the extent to which his band’s music captures the sound of America, a well blended combination of several styles of music and types of instruments. “America has one of everybody…we actually have 15, 20 of everybody. So take all that rhythm and all of that culture and you put it in one room you have America.” So when people are on their way to and from work we like to lock them into that culture and diversity. Will himself lends an urban, industrial tone with his bucket drums while others blend in African, Carribean, jazz and funk flavors. Will’s goal is to make his and his original partners’ drum work more musical and accessible to people who are not necessarily into just the buckets or just industrial rhythm.

Will has been playing music his whole life, starting with the violin, flute and piano. In high school he began playing the drums with the original bucket drummers Larry Wright and JR. They would invite him to play with them and challenge him to improve. Now, after playing on the streets with them he’s living it up in the Subway. Of course, the Drumatics also do gigs, though, and right now have an off Broadway project called “Drumatics: American Culture Defined.”

David Parks plays the bass drum, the really big one that requires him to stand. Well, he plays a lot of other things as well but here he plays the bass. He moved to NY about three years where he met Will. He explains that when they met he happened to have his drum with him, Will mentioned he was looking for someone and “ever since I’ve been part of the group.”

David truly enjoys playing in public. “[T]o be honest with you, it gives me a chance to do what drumming is actually intended for, which is to bring communities together…Whenever you see a circle around drummers, that’s an ancient thing and, in this day and age, that I get to participate in that process, I feel that’s a big thing in my life…I dig playing the drums for the people who enjoy it.” He adds further that “this isn’t necessarily performance for us…we’re not pretending at all.”

David says that initially stardom is what brought him to New York. He picked up the drums after going to cooking school and was looking from something “a little more challenging, a little more grassroots/up-start…a little less corporate.” After playing in several different African dance companies and traveling to Africa, he found what he was looking for in the Drumatics. He likes the band so much, in fact, that he turned it into a family affair.

Alla is David’s son. Nine at the time of this interview, he has been playing for 7 years (since he was two if you’re too lazy to do the math). Alah came to join his father from Portland, OR. Alah explains that originally he came to NY with his father one summer and began playing with him on cans, noting, though, that “soon enough we got some new drums.” After returning to Portland at the end of the summer, Alah was invited back by David after he joined the Drumatics. At first Alah was a bit hesitant to play with the new band but now he’s really into it and says that he would like to be drummer when he grows up.

Alissa, the only female of the group comes all the way from Trinidad. After witnessing some amazing drumming in the Trinidadian “Best Village” competition Alissa knew she had to play. Unfortunately there are not many female drummers and she found it difficult to find a teacher. After tenaciously beating on any solid object she could find, however, she was finally accepted into a drum company. She has continued with her passion to this day and is now attending Marymount College for a degree in performing arts.

Alissa met Will and them in the subway about a year and half ago and has found the experience quite educations. Having been traditional African drumming for 5 years, Will has been trying to get her to open up and try new ways of drumming.

Joel, like Alissa, is from the Carribean. A drummer from Jamaica Joel is actually in the U.S. to study science. After school Joel plans to have a traditional career in his field but, in the meantime at least, finds drumming really fun. He’s been drumming ever since he was a baby but has only been working the shaker since he joined the Drumatics about three years ago.

Joel really likes working the Subway. “I love coming down to the subway. High energy, a lot of people…there’s different people from all over the world. It’s not a club scene, it’s a subway.”

Welf Dorr, familiar to Concretebeat veterans from his work with the Underground Horns, met Joel in the subway and, through him, started playing with the Drumatics. Welf then brought Nick Gianni, another Underground Horns member into the fold.

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Martial Street Art - Tai Chi, Bagua, Capoeira: Roberto Sharpe

A capoeira class with Roberto


A lesson in capoeira street tactics


Capoeira sparring


A lecture on Tai Chi push hands


A lesson in Tai Chi push hands combat (see above video first if you don't know what push hands is)


A lesson in Chinese martial art combat and street applications


A Tai Chi Class with Roberto


Interview with Roberto about real fighting and being a black martial aritist


Interview with Roberto about his life

Artist: Roberto Sharpe
Medium: Tai Chi, bagua, Xingyi, capoeira, judo, karate, boxing, jiu-jitsu, xuejiao and others
Location: Thompson Square Park on the Lower East Side

Roberto Sharpe will kick your ass. With Tai Chi. Well, no, he won’t. But he could. “Those of us who have been around a while know that the human life is the most precious thing we have and you don’t just go around challenging people.” That being said, Roberto has been challenged many times in his life, often, he says, because people want test his slow, stately art of Tai Chi. Having suffered no permanent injuries Roberto modestly says that, in terms of showing his martial prowess, he’s done OK and notes “most people walk away from me feeling like…I’m alright.” As in, an alright guy, not merely a decent fighter. “I don’t try to hurt anyone, unless of course it’s really called for.” Of course, you can afford to be modest if you’ve been as successful in competition as Roberto has, you trophies will speak for you.

Roberto has been studying the martial arts since he was a young boy. Coming from a martial arts oriented family, he started with Judo when he was very young and continued learning throughout his life studying, most notably, karate as a teenager, Jiu-Jitsu and Tiger Claw later on and, in the latest stage capoeria, boxing and Tai Chi and its sister arts Bagua and Xingyi. But Roberto isn’t limited to just these styles, of course not, these are just the ones he comments on most readily.

Now Roberto is most committed to Tai Chi. He feels that Tai Chi’s slow, methodical style allows a person to study their own nature – the way they move, the way they react, the way they think – and make themselves a better person all around. He notes that great athletes like Tiger Woods, have themselves taped and watch their movement in slow motion to acquire deeper understanding of their action. Roberto personally advises skipping the cash outlay and just taking things slowly. As such, Tai Chi is a philosophy of combat that Roberto incorporates into all his martial arts and, in turn, allows all his martial arts to contribute to.

As a true practitioner of Asian martial arts, Roberto does the Asian thing and practices openly in the park. Just like in China, or Chinatown for that matter, where throngs of people gather in public spaces to study their martial arts, so too do Roberto and his students. In fact, it was as a function of practicing outdoors that people started requesting lessons from him. A holder of degrees from both Columbia University and New York Law Roberto never envisioned that he would be making a living teaching martial arts full time. In fact, up until a few years ago he wasn’t. After law school Roberto was a parole defense attorney. When Bloomberg came in to office, however, his hard stance towards crime left little room for Roberto’s job. Thus, Roberto made the switch to full-time instructor, a job he finds equally fulfilling. “To me, they’re all part of a similar mission which is try to help those who need the help…[Such as those] who are in prison who can’t possibly help themselves.”

Although Roberto now teaches in gyms, schools, retirement homes and other institutions, he still loves doing it in the park. “If there’s a lot of people we have a great time…if there’s one person we have a great time and if it’s just me I still have a great time.” And, if you find him in the park, he’ll teach you anything you want to know. I’ve seen him doing Tai Chi, Bagua, Capoeria, Boxing and MMA. Ultimately, though, Roberto teaches people to be comfortable with whoever they are and whichever style becomes them. A practitioner of his own form, Liberation Martial Arts, Roberto seeks generate confidence in physical ability and awareness to free the psyche of needs and insecurities, to make a person free from their troubles and individual shackles. Like many martial artists Roberto does not endorse violent action but like all martial artists, he understands that without investigating your own capacity for violence and for dealing with violent aggression, even in self-defense, you are never free of its threat. Roberto likes to talk about the holy man who, when assaulted by a street tough, loses all comport and risks killing out of confusion and out of lack of preparation for an intensely stressful scenario.

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Like what you see? Take a class
Thompson Square Park - Wednesdays and Fridays from 10-12, weather permitting (i.e. rain, he does it in the cold). Only $25 suggested donation for a 2 hour lesson

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