A reminder to come out tomorrow evening after today’s snowy day to welcome renown percussionist Pheeroan akLaff to the Capital Region in a collaboration with Arts Numbers & Letters for a special percussion immersive workshop/performance that will be open to percussionists and non-percussionists!

PUBLIC WORKSHOP / EVENT

Thursday, Dec. 11th 2025

Illusions of Time

Finding your place in the challenge of continuity

Pheeroan akLaff 

Participants will engage with a purview of the social, political, and heightened sensitivity of jazz pedagogy, its impact, and meaning in American life. They will advance cognizance of pre-colonial and African diaspora art practices that fostered jazz as a response to Euro-centric performance art practices.

This workshop is approximately 75 minutes in duration and is driven by the interaction of the participants. It will explore rhythm in music, poetry, and world events, as well as the impressions the cycles have on our immediate and recorded histories. We will listen to ancient sounds, modern sounds, and reflect upon their significance in our daily lives. We will engage in playful challenge and record our reactions to what is demanded of us in protocols. There is no need for musical training for these exercises. Our goal will be to gain a new perspective from an unexpected source and refresh our sense of curiosity. Topics covered will include: From Full Circle To Whole Cylinder, Finding Voice Wrestling with Homeostasis, and Shepherding the Metamorphosis. This will be followed by a solo by akLaff.

The program is open to percussionists and non-percussionists and will also expose participants to discussions probing the spiritual, stylistic, political, and economic environments within 19th and 20th Century Jazz creators. Reference Authors may include Psyche Loui, Robert Palmer, Gary Giddins, Giovanni Rosellini, Jon Parales, Bill Cole, Ben Sidran, Oliver Sachs, Ingrid Monson, Stanley Crouch, Roger Riggins, Chip Stern, and Jose Arguelles, alongside Reference Musician Biographies such as Blind Tom, Willie Ruff, Thelonius Monk, Cannonball Adderley, Art Taylor, and Yusef Lateef.

Participants may be asked to bring a few simple materials to support the workshop activities, including a plastic bucket of any kind (preferably in the large Lowe’s, Home Depot, or joint-compound size), any colors of magic markers, and a notebook. A Swiss Army knife or screwdriver may also be brought if available, though it is not necessary.

About the artist:

Pheeroan akLaff’s signature drumming with adventuresome composers has been voluminously documented. His studies with “Pistol” Allen (Motown) and Randall Hicks (NJSO),  was broadened by living and working in Abidjan, Cote D’ivoire, with the African ballet company of Marie Rose Guiraud, and by meeting Fela Anikulapo Kuti, and Steve Rhodes in Lagos Nigeria.  He participated in U.S. State Department tours of nine African nations, the Near East, and India. He has toured Japan and Korea with national treasure artist Yamashita Yosuke since 1988. He made groundbreaking collaborations with Oliver Lake, Wadada Leo Smith, Anthony Davis, Henry Threadgill, Liu Sola, Tom Pierson, Andrew Hill, Cecil Taylor, Anthony Braxton, and has interdisciplinary work with Dr. Psyche Loui and Dr. Julian F. Thayer.  Through Seed Artists, a New York City and Montclair, New Jersey based non-profit, akLaff presents and expands the terrain of creative music.

THURSDAY, DEC 11, 2025
TIME 7-9PM
LOCATION Arts Letters & Numbers, 1548 Burden Lake Road, Averill Park, NY
ADMISSION Free to the public with suggested donation $20

We hope to see you tomorrow evening for a rare opportunity for all to work with akLaff!
Alex and Adam
Co-Directors