Social Media was in its relatively early days, reeling from the organizing opportunities exemplified by the Arab Spring, before the advanced evolution of the Algorithm. Amirtha Kidambi, former partner of one of the teeth kickers, noticed the stir caused by Keir Neuringer on the internet within that community of 21st Century Creative Improvisers, often from the protected privilege of the suburbs who were now living deep in the inner cities from which their families fled, raised to fear-yet-yearn for the city. In Philadelphia, Queens, Brooklyn, Baltimore, and DC, it was very rare to see any sort of pushback from one of their own. This prompted an invitation to the continued activist concert series at the Silent Barn, a venture prompted in this iteration of activity by Matana Roberts. Amirtha stepped up and continued the practice of organizing the Creative Music community of Brooklyn around the important issues. Thus, the “Musicians Against Police Brutality” event. The state-sponsored killing of Akai Gurley was due to the ways in which the City of New York had continued its agenda of alienating and killing Black and Brown people, even in their own homes. 2015 is the height of the irony of Black Power and Black Death. Only in Brooklyn can this irony really make people Hip.

Greg Tate hosted a panel discussion, bringing the issue to light. It was easy to see from most any Black and Brown person how gentrification is the first stage of police violence. Yet, most were not able to see the Gentrification in the Music, exemplified by the then-current state of the Musicians community in Brooklyn’s uber-cool DIY scene. It was this gentrification that gave us the Stars of the day, endowed with the Institutional blessing of the masters who were trapped in Ivory Towers by systemic opportunity. They had the experience and knowledge of Braxton, Shepp, Smith, Mitchell, and more, and had weaponized it in their Music, and wielded it mightily through the final heyday of DIY America, where Brooklyn was its capital.

Camae, Keir, and Luke were representatives of Philadelphia and DC, coming to the Silent Barn to participate in this important creative meeting, at this crucial moment. The orbits had been in place, circling. This was now their first opportunity to come together.

The Trio played, early on in the night. Not too long after the panel discussion, which was a perfect prelude to the poetics and sounds. Black Quantum Futurism in its infancy, together with bass and saxophone, in the Downtown tradition that we were all seeking. The next set came seamlessly, as they started playing almost before we were able to get off stage: brothers-in-Arms, navigating the emerging community in New York, Aquiles and Tcheser were already celebrating and honing the Heritage of the Invisible. It was a statement of visibility, of Representing, to be present in the event, among the gentrified warzone of Bushwick, Brooklyn. From the first sound, it was clear that this was different from anything else happening in that community.