Thursday, August 14, 2008
Music / Post No Bills Phil Cohran's living legacy
Posted by Peter Margasak on 08.14.08 at 01:37 PM
Tonight octogenarian Phil Cohran, a fixture in Chicago's creative-music community for decades, presents a musical homage to Sun Ra at the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. Cohran has accomplished enough to be worthy of homage himself; he played with the earliest version of Sun Ra's Arkestra back in the 50s, cofounded the AACM, started the Affro-Arts Theater, and in the late 60s, with his Artistic Heritage Ensemble, he created a distinctive and influential strain of African-flavored jazz-funk, distinguished by the cascading, lyric lines he played on an electrified kalimba of his own design he called the Frankiphone. He's also spent many years as an educator.
Lately Cohran's most celebrated production might be the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble (pictured), which will take part in tonight's concert--he's not in the band, but it consists mostly of his sons, and he's had a huge role in shaping its identity. (I wrote about the group in the Reader back in 2003.)
A couple years ago Hypnotic moved to New York, where they continued busking as they'd done in the Loop for several years--but out east they got noticed in a way they never had here. Since then they've released a couple of ten-inch singles and participated in a collection of remakes of tunes by Afrobeat drummer Tony Allen.
Hypnotic's music pushes the jazz approach of Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy into funk and soul territory, but like much of Cohran's work it also carries a sense of history. According to the liner notes, the song "War" uses tones "based on an ancient Chinese weather tactic whereby an emperor, having assembled his troops for battle, would call on a priest or a shaman to send rainstorms over a rival's army." Hypnotic has also toured in Europe and collaborated with hip-hop artists like Mos Def (you can hear a couple live tracks with him here).
I haven't had much luck finding out exactly what Cohran has in store for tonight--he also plays trumpet, harp, and several other instruments--but aside from a single Sun Ra tune, all the music will be his. Among the several dozen musicians and dancers participating is keyboardist Robert Irving III. The show is free and starts at 6:30 PM.
Today's playlist:
Erik Friedlander, Volac (Tzadik)
Robyn, Robyn (Konichiwa/Cherry/Intersope)
Little Milton, If Walls Could Talk (Shout/Chess)
Gloria Coleman, Soul Sisters (Impulse)
Santogold, Santogold (Downtown)
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DuSable Museum To Pay Tribute To Legendary Musician Kelan Phil Cohran on May 7th
April 28, 2010
contact Lavon of Sol Cyrans solcyrans317@gmail.com or 773.458.9864
Chicago, IL. (27 April 2010) The DuSable Museum of African American History, will celebrate and honor the contributions to the world of music made by the legendary Kelan Phil Cohran, who will soon observe his 83rd birthday, with a concert in his honor on Friday, May 7, 2010. The concert will feature: The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble; the multi-dimensional expressionist Maia; the divinely inspired Aquilla Sadalla and harpist Josefe Marie Veerna, all who will pay tribute to and salute one of the world’s most revered performers. Chicago favorite, Maggie Brown will serve as the M.C. for the event which will take place at the Museum located at 740 East 56th Place (57th Street and South Cottage Grove Avenue) in Chicago.
Kelan Phil Cohran is a “sphereologist.” He coined the term to describe his lifework as a shaman, chemist, composer, activist, cosmologist, wholistic health advocate, instrument inventor and musicologist. .Cohran developed an interest in music at an early age and during his education at Lincoln University, he was introduced to the musical concepts of a local group called The Blue Devils. The Blue Devils were some of the earliest contributors to Jazz who fused blues, African and classical to create a synergy called “swing,” and notable Blue Devils have included Count Basie and Miles Davis.
Cohran began his professional career as the leader of two important bands; Chuck Taylor’s Orchestra and The Raja’s of Swing. In 1953 Cohran moved to Chicago and began to perform with the Morris Ellis Orchestra and other various bands throughout the city. While in Chicago, John Gillmore a band mate of Sun Ra, introduced Kelan Phil Cohran to the Amen Ra of the galaxy and Cohran played the trumpet and zither with Sun Ra from 1958 to 1961 and composed “Dorothy’s Dance” which was featured on the Sun Ra album Holiday for the Soul Dancer.
Kelan Phil Cohran is one of the founders of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) and in 1966, he was commissioned by Oscar Brown Jr., to create twenty-two musical works set to the poems of Paul Lawrence Dunbar. Entitled, “Lyrics of Sunshine & Shadows,” the works were performed in more than 50 schools throughout Chicago and featured in an exhibit at the Children’s Expo held at the Museum of Science and Industry. Mr. Cohran also empowered African Americans by establishing, The Affro-Arts Theatre. Thanks in part to an endowment by Sammy Davis Jr., in addition to a community wide effort, an old movie house was refurbished which became an oasis for patrons and performers such as: Eartha Kitt, Muhammad Ali, Lerone Bennett, Jr., and Gwendolyn Brooks. The curriculum at the theatre was designed around language lessons in Hebrew, Swahili and Arabic; cultural classes and endeavored to address social issues which plagued the African American community.
More than sixty years after his career began, Kelan Phil Cohran continues to teach his original approach to music, all the while still captivating audiences around the globe. He mentored The Pharaohs(some of whom went on to become known as Earth, Wind & Fire), Kahil El Zabar, Patricia Ann Smith, BoBo Brown and Khari Lemuel, in addition to one very notable vocalist who benefited from his musical teaching and training, Chaka Khan. He has written the score for “African Skies” and produced several lectures and shows for the Adler Planetarium including: Benjamin Bannaker, Slavery and Astronomy and Metamorphosis: A History of Jazz. In 1994 Cohran was invited by the Chinese Minister of Culture to lecture and perform at the Conservatory of Traditional Music in Beijing and Xian and it was during that visit that the Chinese anointed Phil Cohran with the name ‘Kelan,’ which means Holy Scripture in Mandarin.
Joining in the Celebration! of Kelan Phil Cohran will be the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, eight brothers from the southside of Chicago who come from an extraordinary musical family(they all happen to be the sons of Kelan Phil Cohran) and have performed with such superstars as Mos Def and Erykah Badu. The group has come to be known as one of the hottest and most individual bands around. Also performing will be Aquilla Sadalla, who’s inspiring display of vocal ability is the result of many years of spiritual development and multi-disciplined study. She has appeared in such diverse venues as the Empty Bottle in Chicago, the Enjoy Jazz Festival in Aarhus, Denmark and Joe’s Public Theatre in New York City.
General admission to the Celebration! of Kelan Phil Cohran is $25 per person and $83 per person for VIP admission which includes assigned seating and a special gift. Tickets are available at the DuSable Museum of African American History and the event is being sponsored by WVON-AM Radio and United Airlines, the official airline of the DuSable Museum.
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