Travels Over Feeling : Arthur Russell played by Speakers Corner Quartet and friends

The program associated with the exhibition "Corps et âmes" pays tribute to contemporary artist Arthur Jafa by exploring the significant yet intimate inspirations that shape his work, through a series of exceptional concerts.

Two concerts bring together musicians and singers alongside the Speakers Corner Quartet to celebrate the pioneering work of American musician and composer Arthur Russell (1951-1992), a hidden genius of underground disco – a genre beloved by Arthur Jafa. These two evenings reveal all the nuances of Arthur Russell's kaleidoscopic universe, from solitary songs born in the plains of Iowa to the inner mantras of Allen Ginsberg, and onto the emancipated dancefloors of New York.

Program

Thursday, February 6:

• 7:30pm: Le Point musique, a presentation of Arthur Russell's work by French music journalist Joseph Ghosn. In French. 
• 8pm: Arthur Russell played by Speakers Corner Quartet and Coby Sey, Loraine James, Lucinda Chua, Oko Ebombo, Sarah Tandy, Sébastien Forrester, Tawiah, Tirzah, Trustfall

Friday, February 7:

• 6:45pm: Le Point musique, a presentation of Arthur Russell's work by Richard King, author of the rich and intimate Travels Over Feeling: Arthur Russell, a Life (Faber, 2024). In French.
• 7:30pm: Arthur Russell played by Speakers Corner Quartet and Coby Sey, Loraine James, Lucinda Chua, Oko Ebombo, Sarah Tandy, Sébastien Forrester, Tawiah, Tirzah, Trustfall
• 9pm – 1am (Foyer): Club night Victor Rosado (Paradise Garage special) + Lil Mofo (the ticket for February 7 also grants access to this event). 

During his twenty-year career, Arthur Russell (1951-1992) boldly traversed genres, from minimalist music to experimental pop, and underground disco. Born in Oskaloosa, Iowa, he moved to New York in the 1970s, joining a vibrant artistic and musical avant-garde with figures such as Philip Glass, Allen Ginsberg, and Julius Eastman. He was part of the rise of New York’s club scene, as evidenced by his track Is It All Over My Face (1980), produced under the pseudonym Loose Joints and remixed by Larry Levan, the legendary DJ of the Paradise Garage. At the same time, he developed intimate compositions for voice and cello, as exemplified by his radical album World of Echo (1986), now recognized as a major work. Passing away prematurely due to AIDS, Arthur Russell left behind a prolific body of work, long overlooked but rediscovered in the early 2000s. His music, marked by fragility and formal freedom, continues to inspire contemporary generations.

The British group Speakers Corner Quartet, composed of Kwake (drums), Peter Benie (bass), Biscuit (flute), and Raven Bush (violin), blends jazz, soul, and experimental music. In 2023, they released the album Further Out Than The Edge, with dark, introspective textures, bringing together artists like Sampha, James Messiah, and Shabaka Hutchings.