Transfigured New York - (Columbiana) by Brooke Wentz (Hardcover)

About the Book

Transfigured New York presents conversations with iconic, genre-bending artists who shaped the sounds of experimental movements like no wave, avant-jazz, and electronic music.

Book Synopsis

Transfigured New York presents conversations with iconic, genre-bending artists who shaped the sounds of experimental movements like no wave, avant-jazz, and electronic music. As an undergrad in the 1980s, Brooke Wentz hosted the show Transfigured Night on Columbia University's WKCR-FM, discussing art and ideas with avant-garde music luminaries. She unearths these candid interviews--heard before only when first broadcast--from cassettes and reel-to-reel tapes, letting readers today feel the excitement and creative energy of the 1980s New York underground scene.

Musicians and artists, now icons of their craft, tell their stories and share their thoughts about the creative process, capturing the ambition and energy that animated their work. Legends in the making like Bill Frisell, Philip Glass, and Laurie Anderson convey what it was like to be a struggling artist in 1980s New York, when the city was alive with possibilities. Others who were well known at the time, including John Cage, La Monte Young, and Ravi Shankar, advocate for their distinctive ideas about art and open up about their creative lives.

Featuring an astonishing range of interviewees--Morton Subotnick, Joan Tower, Steve Reich, Glenn Branca, Joan La Barbara, Living Colour, Arthur Russell, John Lurie, Eric Bogosian, Bill T. Jones, and many more--Transfigured New York provides new insight into the city's cultural landscape in this era. It is a one-of-a-kind account of one of the most exhilarating and inventive periods for art and culture in New York City's history.

Review Quotes

Wentz is knowledgeable about the subjects and also aware of what she doesn't know, and that makes her an interested and interesting interviewer, fueled by intelligence, passion, and delight.-- "Brooklyn Rail"

They all have the interest of being old, that is to say, prior to the definitive explosion of fame and/or prestige of the interviewees, thus avoiding many of the commonplaces and over-understandings created about each of the characters as their respective careers were being consolidated.-- "Minimalismore"

As a picture of what was being done in the decade (perhaps for curious listeners who didn't live through it), its a broad cross section of what was new then.-- "The Wire"

Together, the collection represents a comprehensive look at an incredible era in New York's artistic history, featuring an eclectic mix of acts that would go on to influence generations of artists to come.-- "Bad Feelings Magazine"

We should be glad that several decades later this material is available so we can reconsider how music was changing and had changed, who was playing where and when, and the part New York City played in nurturing new and challenging music.-- "International Times"

My mind was blown on almost every page of this engaging, near-exhaustive collection.--Mat Smith "Further"

This book is a one-of-a-kind account of one of the most exhilarating and inventive periods for art and culture in New York City's history.-- "NYS Music"

Since her WKCR radio show in the eighties, Brooke Wentz has been an inspiring explorer of global music and has also remained a devoted and curious fan, always looking for new sounds in diverse countries and cultures. Her excitement vibrates on every page of this engrossing read. Enjoy Brooke's journey!--Chris Watson, founding member of Cabaret Voltaire

The avant-garde artists Brooke Wentz so adeptly interviewed in the 1980s reveal how music of that decade defied genre limitations and categorization, introduced fresh perspectives and explored sounds as no one had before, truly transfiguring not only New York, but creative culture worldwide. There are rich stories here, informing how we listen today.--Howard Mandel, author of Miles Ornette Cecil: Jazz Beyond Jazz and Future Jazz

About the Author

Brooke Wentz is a Billboard Music Award-winning music producer, music supervisor, and former radio host who founded Seven Seas Music and the Rights Workshop. She is a leading expert on music copyrights and former ESPN music director. Her books include Hey! That's My Music: Music Supervision, Licensing, and Content Acquisition (2007) and Music Rights Unveiled: A Filmmaker's Guide to Music Rights and Licensing (2017).