Outpost Fall Season 2023 Just Ahead!
It’s officially Fall and, as always, we welcome the season of changing leaves and crisper days with a new season of music and much more at the Outpost! The 17th Annual New Mexico Jazz Festival continues this week with a show every night at the Outpost, then we fall (literally!) right into the Fall 2023 season with our opening concert featuring the Emmet Cohen Trio with legendary drummer Tootie Heath on October 5, followed by Sourena Sefati’s Nava Persian Trio, the Ben Wendel Group, Kirk Knuffke and much more! Plus Jazz & Latin Music Classes for Youth & Adults begin October 9! Check it all out on our Schedule Page!
Meanwhile, we are still looking for sponsors for the fall season! Even though the newsletter already went out, this year, the fall season sponsorships got away from us as it was the first time we printed a newsletter for both the NM Jazz Festival and the Fall season! If you are interested in becoming a sponsor this fall, please contact Alicia Ultan at alicia@outpostspace.org, or give us a call at 505-268-0044 to discuss the options! We need your support! We look forward to seeing you soon and often this fall at the Space and beyond!
Inpost Artspace Reception: IN FLIGHT- Taken at the Outpost: Photos by Mark Weber & Roch Doran. Music by the Cal Haines Quartet
Inpost Artspace Reception: Sunday, September 10, 3-5pm
Exhibition dates: July 10 – November 2, 2023
This Inpost Artspace photo exhibit features two dedicated jazz fans/photographers who have frequented Outpost shows ever since each of them moved to Albuquerque. They are an intrinsic part of Albuquerque’s celebrated jazz scene. We decided to let them use their own words to define the show and their artistic approaches. Mark Weber: “Photographs inhabit the 4th dimension, they are shadows & light of what has passed, five days ago or 25 years bygone. I take them for memory. Sentimental. First time I watched the ghost of an image appear in a developing tray it blew my mind. I was like the wildman Enkidu seeing Babylon for the first time. As to my aesthetic, it’s a bit sideways of prevailing practices . . . For the most part I’m a documentarian in the anthropological sense: A jazz scene includes artists, instrument repair techs, promoters, deejays, record stores & record collectors, journalists, priests, recording studios, historians, photographers, hagiographers, club owners, university jazz departments, agents/managers, and the audience. Is there a narrative to this show? Yup. It’s the community of listeners and musicians that have grown up around the Outpost. My favorite jazz photographer (besides, Roch) is William Gottlieb, who knew that jazz is a culture and photo’d it in its natural habitat: the jazz club of the 40s & 50s. Like any art form, one must be decisive, and with photographing music concerts there’s an etiquette, unspoken, but if you don’t pick up on it, you won’t last – it involves common decency, patience, tact, and mostly the fact this is the audience’s concert, not yours.” Roch Doran: “My goal is to document what I see without ever changing the experience of those that may be sharing that space in time with me. The challenge is to see beyond the obvious and to capture what is unique in that solitary moment. After years of being in a band that had dissolved more into talking about music than playing music, I was in heaven when I got my first camera. The camera gave me the freedom to share something about my world without hours of conversation. Since 1977, when I began this journey, my two loves have been constant, nature and documenting people creating music. Over the years the technology has changed and I have gone from film to transparencies, back to film, to digital and now digital with a mirrorless camera. While the tools have changed, the objects of my interest have not.”
Led by renowned Albuquerque-based drummer Cal Haines, a long-time friend and associate of Mark Weber, The Cal Haines Quartet, which took home three awards at this year’s New Mexico Music Awards, also features David Parlato, electric bass; Alex Murzyn, tenor sax & flute; and Adolfo Acosta, trumpet & flugelhorn. The group plays original compositions and beloved standards, but with an open, chordal-free format (i.e. no guitar or piano). FREE!
Saying Goodbye to Longtime Outpost Friends
From Outpost Founder/Director, Tom Guralnick: Outpost is a family. And as with any family, comes a whole lot of joy, but also sadness, as we lose beloved members of the Outpost family. It’s the cycle of life. Over the last 6 months we have lost some very special people who have made Outpost the place that it is for so many years. There was musician, teacher and Outpost Volunteer, Bob Gusch (who was honored at our final Summer Thursday Jazz Night concert featuring the New Orleans band Flambeaux); photographer, Jim Gale, who is honored in our recently established “Jim Gale Back Hall Gallery” at the Space, where the photos he generously donated to us from his last 25 years of work at Outpost will be shown in a constantly revolving exhibit; Outpost supporter and beer & baseball afficianado, Bob Klein (https://www.tempemortuary.com/obituary/robert-klein); and most recently the lovely Kathryn Kaminsky, a former Outpost Board Member and generous contributor along with her deceased husband Tom “Tomás” Singleton (https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/abqjournal/name/kathryn-kaminsky-obituary?id=52961957). All 4 of these dear people were Outpost regulars and supporters for more than 30 years. We will hold them close in our hearts and memories and miss them deeply. They will remain a part of Outpost forever, and our condolences go out to their friends and families. Generous to Outpost until the end both Bob Klein & Kathryn Kaminsky suggested donations to Outpost in their names.
Helping to Keep Outpost Strong!
It’s that time again! Outpost’s Annual Summer Fundraising Appeal! We need your help to Keep Outpost Strong and Keep It All Happening! There’s so much to look forward to with the 17th Annual New Mexico Jazz Festival just ahead in September, another terrific Fall Season 2023, and of course all the great Summer Thursday Jazz Nights yet to come in August! We love sharing it all with you and we always love seeing you at the Space and beyond! Your support keeps it all happening and that’s why we are once again coming to you to ask for your HELP! We hope you’ll consider making a donation to our Summer Fundraising Appeal so we can continue to bring you the best in jazz, folk and roots music, international and experimental music, art, classes and more! WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT! Be a part of what keeps Outpost healthy and strong and MAKE A DONATION ONLINE TODAY! OR, you send a check to: Outpost Productions, Inc. at PO Box 4543, ABQ, NM, 87196. Either way, we can’t do what we do without you and we truly appreciate YOU!
Outpost Director, Tom Guralnick, Recipient of 2023 Creative Bravos Legacy Award!
Outpost is proud to announce that Founder/Director Tom Guralnick/Outpost Performance Space was named the 2023 Creative Bravos Legacy Award recipient by the City of Albuquerque, which “recognizes his sustained leadership, mentorship and professional excellence in Albuquerque’s creative economy.” Given annually to individuals, youths, teams, events, programs, organizations and businesses that celebrate the breadth of creative work that exists in the city, the awards are dedicated to recognizing and honoring work that makes a significant impact on the lives of residents, neighborhoods, and/or communities. Check out the other eight award recipients here! An award ceremony will take place on June 28th, 6:00pm, at the Kimo Theater.
We are also proud to announce that Outpost also recently received a $25,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to support the New Mexico Jazz Festival and ancillary events! We have been very fortunate to receive support from the NEA for the NM Jazz Festival since our first festival in 2006 (including the NEA Jazz Masters on Tour support) and we continue to present NEA Jazz Masters each year! This year’s NEA grant supports the entire NM Jazz Festival and NEA Jazz Master, violinist Regina Carter will perform on Sept. 14 at The Lensic in Santa Fe. Retired NEA Chairman, A.B. Spellman, will also host a Meet the NEA Jazz Master event! Check out this year’s 17th Annual NM Jazz Festival Schedule Here!
Looking Ahead: 27th Annual Summer Thursday Jazz Nights June 29-Aug 24! NMJF Stage at Route 66 Summerfest! + 17th Annual NM Jazz Festival Schedule Now Up!
We’ve still got some great shows coming up in June, including the Edward Simon Group featuring award winning vocalist Magos Herrera, June 10; Django Festival Allstars, June 15; José James Sings Badu, June 16; and Eliza Gilkyson, June 24 (in partnership with AMP Concerts)! Wow! ! Get Your Tickets Early! These shows as they are sure to sell out! Then we look forward to our 27th Annual Summer Thursday Jazz Nights kicking off on June 29 with the James Emery NEO Trio plus the Route 66 Summerfest New Mexico Jazz Festival Stage on July 22 featuring a fantastic line-up! Tickets on sale soon! AND the 17th Annual New Mexico Jazz Festival Schedule is now up! Some tickets are already on sale and more will be on sale very soon! We look forward to sharing all the great music and more with you all summer long!
Abstraction in Albuquerque: Seven Artists. A group exhibition featuring Lucy Maki, Min Che, Kim Arthun, Bryce Hample, Abdiel Beltrán, Robbie Sugg, and Daniel Hojnacki.
Inpost Artspace Reception: Saturday, March 4, 5-8pm
Exhibition dates: March 4 – May 31, 2023
This exhibition explores some of the different ways artists in Albuquerque are using ideas of abstraction in their work. A variety of artistic methods including painting, collage, and photographic processes will be on display and in dialogue with one another. In 1991, the KiMo Theater hosted an exhibition called Abstraction in Albuquerque: Five Artists. This exhibition is an update, continuation, and connection back to that time and place. How have things changed and how have they stayed the same? Where is there continuity and where is there new invention? Some of these artists are long time Albuquerque residents, contributing to the art scene here for decades. Others are fairly new to this beautiful and thriving artistic community. Abstraction in Albuquerque: Seven Artists explores the multifaceted and ever evolving concepts of abstraction in art and celebrates the abstract art community in Albuquerque.
Poet, photographer, jazz historian, KUNM Jazz DJ & Outpost member Mark Weber receives Jazz Hero Award!
We are proud to announce that poet, photographer, jazz historian, and longtime KUNM Jazz DJ and Outpost member Mark Weber was named a Jazz Hero by the Jazz Journalists Association just recently and we will be presenting him with his award just prior to the Doug Lawrence-Jerry Weldon- Dan Trudell concert this Thursday May 11! The Jazz Journalists Association (JJA) is an international membership organization of writers, broadcasters, photographers, videographers and other media professionals. You might remember, Outpost’s own founder and Executive Director, Tom Guralnick, was named a Jazz Hero back in 2016! Congrats to Mark and again to Tom! Meanwhile, only a few tickets remaining for that concert this week, so get your tickets today!
We look forward to seeing you soon and often at the Space and beyond!
25 Years of Jazz at Outpost and the New Mexico Jazz Festival: Photographs by Jim Gale
Exhibit Curated by Mark Weber
Music by Dogbone featuring Jefferson Voorhees & Micah Hood
Opening Reception: Saturday, October 8, 5-7 PM.
Exhibition Dates: September 8, 2022-February 24, 2023
To close out the 2022 New Mexico Jazz Festival, the Inpost Artspace hosts a special photography exhibition celebrating the work of longtime Outpost photographer Jim Gale, who, over the past 25-plus years, has generously taken thousands of photos at Outpost concerts and events, capturing Outpost’s musical history in a memorable collection of images. We asked poet, photographer, jazz historian, longtime KUNM Jazz DJ and Outpost member Mark Weber to Guest Curate this show. Mark writes:
Jim’s pictures are reminders that culture is worth saving —- The world moves on, but we have these photographs —- elegant and precise —- Taken as a whole they are about remembering —- And this thing of creativity —- Jazz attracts, if you give it time it grows on you —- Jim’s shots are spirit arrows —- Memories like monsoon cloud formations.
Jim Gale on Jim Gale:
My love of photography began when I was about 12 years old, learning to develop and print B&W in a school art class. For years I used my grandma’s old range-finder camera. By the time I was in high school, I had built a small darkroom in the basement. Throughout college, I worked as a free-lance photographer to help pay the bills, along with being the college paper photography editor for 3 years (the Stylus at SUNY Brockport). As editor, we had complimentary tickets to all music shows on campus, which became my first experience with photographing live music shows. At the end of college, I was at a crossroads. I was considering local jobs in photojournalism. However, many pro photographers I had meet advised me that it would be tough to make a living, especially if you valued things like health insurance or retirement savings. In the end, I decided I loved photography too much to try and make a living with it. This allowed me freedom to pursue only projects I cared about, on my own terms. This boils down to both nature and music. My parents were both music lovers (Dad played some classical piano, even with a damaged finger from the Korean war). Mom found a used copy of The Complete backpacker (Collin Fletcher) which soon motivated my first 4-day solo backpack at 14 years old. One summer in college, I had saved enough money (barely) to hike the entire 2000-mile Appalachian Trail in one long summer (also solo). This has evolved to documenting my adventures to preserve some of the details and try to capture some of the beauty I have seen. It still amazes me how much a single image from 40 years ago can still bring back vivid memories I thought I had forgotten.
I really had not gotten back into music photography until I moved to Albuquerque and discovered the Outpost! After only my first show at the old Morningside location, I was hooked! Although my taste in music is very eclectic, I was drawn deeper into the beauty, improvisation and creativity of Jazz. Since I could never afford all the shows I wanted to see, I approached Tom about an exchange of my show photographs for free admittance. This arrangement as the volunteer “house photographer” has now lasted over 23 years now. At this point, there are few (if any) other clubs or performance spaces that have such a complete and extensive photographic documentation.
Music by Dogbone. The New Mexico duo features the percussive ingenuity of Jefferson Voorhees (drums, percussion, bells, gongs, whistles) and the versatility of Micah Hood (trombone, flutes, talking drum, electronics) who together create unbounded, improvised soundscapes and grooves. Their creative improvisations are inspired by the duo’s collected experiences performing art rock, electronic music, funk, free jazz, fusion, African and Caribbean rhythmic music, and South American sounds. DogBone’s music freely and unabashedly conjoins these influences into one-of-a-kind soundscapes, textures, and grooves for audiences to enjoy. The duo has performed in art galleries and contemporary music festivals in New Mexico, and have released three full-length albums.