Title Page from Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience, Plate 1 of Copy E, printed by 1806, William Blake. Relief etching with watercolor. The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, San Marino
London Fog Meets LA Smog: William Blake and David Axelrod
GETTY CENTER
Harold M. Williams Auditorium
This is a past event
A limited number of unclaimed reservations will be released 10 mins before the program start time.
Program co-curated by Mike Sonksen and B+.
William Blake’s collection of poems Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience mirror the sunshine and noir myths about Los Angeles. No one understood this better than LA composer David Axelrod (1931–2017). Starting in 1968 Axelrod, a self-described "Blake freak," released two groundbreaking albums interpreting Blake’s poetry as psychedelic jazz fusion. His music was revived decades later when sampled by admiring musicians like DJ Shadow, Lauryn Hill, Dr. Dre, and Lil Wayne.
This afternoon of music, film and poetry celebrates the connections between Blake's poetry and Axelrod's music, featuring Los Angeles creators like DJ J. Rocc of the World Famous Beat Junkies, the legendary lyricist Ras Kass, filmmaker and photographer Brian "B+" Cross, Grammy Award-winning cultural journalist Lynell George, poet-professor Mike "the Poet" Sonksen, labor historian Lee Boek, and the screenwriter and spoken word artist Monique Mitchell, plus surprise guests.
J. Rocc will pay homage with one of his signature mixes and Ras Kass will relive his collaboration with Axelrod from the 2001 Mo' Wax album. Lynell George will be reading an excerpt from her remarkable Axelrod essay and a Blake poem. Lee Boek will connect Blake, Axelrod, and the Wobblies in an original poem. Monique Mitchell will be reciting both a Blake poem and a response poem of her own. Mike Sonksen will present his and Blake's poetry, connecting Songs of Innocence and Experience with LA's legendary sunshine and noir.
After the program, enjoy conversation and a hosted reception and see the exhibition William Blake: Visionary on its closing day.
PARTICIPANTS
Words by William Blake, Lee Boek, Lynell George, Monique Mitchell, and Mike Sonksen
Music and mixing by David Axelrod, Ras Kass, and J Rocc
Visuals by B+
Read about the ways Blake inspired Axelrod from PBS SoCal.