Odean Pope Saxophone Choir; conductor Pope at far left (photo by Marek Lazarski)
Artistic Director Patricia Nicholson Parker (photo by Marek Lazarski)
Farmers by Nature, from left: Craig Taborn, Darius Jones, William Parker and Gerald Cleaver (photo by Marek Lazarski)
Poet Jesús Papoleto Meléndez (photo by Marek Lazarski)
Artifacts Trio, from left: Nicole Mitchell, Mike Reed and Tomeka Reid (photo by Marek Lazarski)
Nicole Mitchell (photo by Marek Lazarski)
Tomeka Reid (photo by Marek Lazarski)
Mike Reed (photo by Marek Lazarski)
William Parker (photo by Marek Lazarski)
Mat Maneri and Whit Dickey at back on drums (photo by Marek Lazarski)
Jason Kao Hwang's Burning Bridge (photo by Marek Lazarski)
Matthew Shipp, William Parker, Michael TA Thompson and Joe McPhee, from left (photo by Marek Lazarski)
Gebhard Ullmann (photo by Marek Lazarski)
Fred Lonberg-Holm (photo by Marek Lazarski)
Steve Swell (photo by Marek Lazarski)
Chicago Plan, from left: Michael Zerang, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Gebhard Ullmann and Steve Swell (photo by Marek Lazarski)
Dom Minasi (photo by Marek Lazarski)
Joe McPhee (photo by Marek Lazarski)
Daniel Carter (photo by Marek Lazarski)
Rosi Hertlein (photo by Marek Lazarski)
Joe McPhee's The Dream Book: For Ornette Coleman and Dominic Duval (photo by Marek Lazarski)
Dave Burrell (photo by Marek Lazarski)
Kidd Jordan (photo by Marek Lazarski)
Dave Burrell Quartet, from left: Burrell, William Parker, Kidd Jordan and William Hooker (photo by Marek Lazarski)
William Hooker (photo by Marek Lazarski)
Gerry Hemingway (photo by Marek Lazarski)
Mark Helias (photo by Marek Lazarski)
Ray Anderson (photo by Marek Lazarski)
Andrew Cyrille (photo by Marek Lazarski)
Whit Dickey (photo by Marek Lazarski)
Matthew Shipp (photo by Marek Lazarski)
David Murray (photo by Marek Lazarski)
Oliver Lake (photo by Marek Lazarski)
Songs for a Free World: Vision 22 Finale (photo by Marek Lazarski)
The Vision Festival, whose 22nd edition ran May 28 through June 3 in Manhattan, at its home base of Judson Memorial Church, is an enduring institution with a well-defined aesthetic and a loyal community. Organized by artistic director Patricia Nicholson Parker, this year’s fest included a lifetime achievement celebration for multi-instrumentalist Cooper-Moore, and a cathartic closing finale reflecting the multi-disciplinary, ’60s-rooted avant-garde at the event’s core. Titled “Songs for a Free World,” and with sections composed by Oliver Lake and William Parker, it featured a large ensemble with strings and voices, plus dancers and live video art.
Enjoy this extensive photo essay by Marek Lazarski.
