Govinda Gallery

Mick Rock is on fire! This Thursday, May 10th he will give a talk, “Mick Rock on David Bowie” at Music Video Night for the exhibition David Bowie is at the Brooklyn Museum. That exhibition, which began at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London in 2013 and is now at the Brooklyn Museum, includes a selection of Mick Rock’s photographs and artworks. At Mick’s exhibition at Govinda Gallery in the spring of 2002, Moonage Daydream: The Life and Times of Ziggy Stardust and Other Photographs, we screened Mick’s vintage videos of David Bowie throughout the exhibition.

David Bowie and Mick Ronson, Lunch on Train, Scotland, 1973. © Mick Rock.

Mick just returned from a massive one-person exhibition of his work, Starman: Bowie by Mick Rock, in Mexico City at the Foto Museo Cuatro Caminos.  Mick’s photographs and other works have been in numerous Govinda Gallery exhibitions as well as in the touring museum exhibition, Sound & Vision: Monumental Rock & Roll Photography.

Mick at the entrance to his Starman exhibition in Mexico City.

Some of the press in Mexico City meeting Mick Rock.

Meanwhile, Netflix is now streaming SHOT! The Psycho-Spiritual Mantra of Rock, the documentary feature film on Mick and his career as one of the outstanding music photographers of our time. It is a compelling documentary.

I love Mick. He is funny, witty and a dear friend. He is also a great visual artist.

Lou Reed, Transformer, 1972. © Mick Rock.

Freddie Mercury, 1974. © Mick Rock.

Mick Rock’s photographs are available through Govinda Gallery.

Rizzoli has just published Bruce Springsteen: From Asbury Park, to Born to Run, to Born in the USA, which features the remarkable photographs of David Gahr. Gahr photographed Springsteen, and the E Street Band, over a period of 12 years in 25 photo sessions. The majority of the photographs have never been seen before. It was my great pleasure to edit the photos in this book and to bring it to publication. Check out Beth Py-Lieberman’s remarkable story about the book on Smithsonian.com.

David Gahr, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, New Jersey Shore, 1973. © Estate of David Gahr/Courtesy Govinda Gallery.

David Gahr, Clarence Clemons and Bruce Springsteen, The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA, 1984. © Estate of David Gahr/Courtesy Govinda Gallery.

Starting May 8th, The Kennedy Center is presenting a festival of Cuban music, dance, theatre, film, fashion and design.  Grammy Award winners Los Van Van, the Ballet Nacional de Cuba, Arturo O’Farril, Yissy Garcia, and the Afro-Cuban Sextet are among the 50 events being featured in the Kennedy Center’s festival of Cuban culture, Artes de Cuba: From the Island to the World.  This festival will be a great opportunity to enjoy the brilliant creativity of a variety of Cuban artists.

Hamilton Live is also presenting this Thursday, April 26th, the brilliant Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca.  Born in Havana, Fonseca was part of the touring Buena Vista Social Club.  Fonseca is considered to be one of the most innovative Cuban pianists in generations, with a sound at the crossroads of jazz, traditional music, and soul, steeped in a spirituality faithful to his Afro-Cuban roots.  This will be a great gig.

On Monday, The New York Times reported that it was “extraordinary to see last week how many women and Afro-Cubans were chosen for positions in the highest echelon of Cuban politics in the new government: Half of the six vice presidents of the ruling Council of State are black, including the first vice president, and three are also women.  The new council will serve under the new president, Miguel Díaz-Canal, who took over on Thursday.”

Govinda Gallery’s Claire Hines with Guille Vilar at Submarino Amarillo.

It was my great pleasure and honor to sit with the new President of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel and his wife in Havana last November at the Cuban rock club, Submarino Amarillo, where Cuba’s great classical pianist Frank Fernández performed with the Cuban rock band Sweet Lizzie Project.  My dear friend Guille Vilar made arrangements for me to attend, as I was in Havana picking up Ted Russell’s photographs of Bob Dylan that had just been exhibited at Fototeca de Cuba, Cuba’s national photo gallery.  The collaboration between Frank Fernández and the Sweet Lizzie Project was wonderful, and it was terrific to meet Mr. Díaz-Canel and his wife, Lis Cuesta, at this extraordinary concert.  Govinda Gallery has organized five exhibitions in Cuba.  Govinda Gallery’s partnership with Fototeca de Cuba has been a truly exciting collaboration.

Walter Iooss, Havana, 1999.

It was an historic occasion when President Obama and a bipartisan group of senators and congress traveled to Cuba just two years ago and normalized relations with our Caribbean neighbors.  I had the good fortune to attend the baseball game  with the delegation from the U.S. between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cuban National Team on   March 22nd, 2016.  Havana is one of the most cultural and dynamic cities in the world.  A visit to Cuba is well worth it for the beauty of the island, its people and its extraordinary culture.

Here are a few of the photographers from Cuba we have exhibited and represent at Govinda Gallery.

Osvaldo Salas, Con Hemingway, 1960.

Cirenaica Moreira, Bandera, from the series “Ojos que te vieron ir,” 1994-96.

Mario Díaz, 1980, Cuba.

Liudmila and Nelson, Absolut Revolution, 2002.

José A. Figueroa, Vedado, La Habana, 1992.

John Kelly from The Washington Post published an account of a truly extraordinary time I spent with Jimi Hendrix in 1968.  I loved Jimi, a fellow Sagittarian. He is one of the most talented and hip persona of our time.  He played his heart out and always put it on the line.  He had the coolest style. I loved how he chewed gum while singing and playing. He is simply the greatest of all rock guitarists…one of a kind.  He was fearless and an angel.  John Kelly’s story in The Washington Post was itself a lovely tribute to Jimi.  Space did not allow John to tell every detail of that terrific day in March of 1968.  Here are a few details not in John’s story that may be of interest to fans of Jimi Hendrix and his music.

Chris Lamborne, left, with Jimi Hendrix, Chris Murray and Chris Gray at the at the Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC, March 10, 1968.

The photo above, taken in Jimi Hendrix’s hotel room, was shot with Hendrix’s own Polaroid camera–his first, he told me.  Jimi started taking photos of me and my three friends.  In our youthful exuberance, we wanted to be in a photo with Jimi, of course.  The photo you see of us above was a copy I took later with my 35mm camera of the original Polaroid.  That is why it does not look like the Polaroid format.  My pal Chris Gray, “the rooster head man,” gave the original Polaroid away.  I wish I had the Polaroid Jimi took of me!  I never thought of that at the time.  Our friend Anselmo Paulino-Alvarez, who was with us, took that photo with Jimi’s Polaroid camera.

The 50 year old poster from the Jimi Hendrix Experience shows, March 10, 1968, at the Washington Hilton.

While Jimi and the Experience were performing at the Washington Hilton, they were staying nearby at the Shoreham Hotel, which I found out by asking a roadie onstage after the gig.  It has been reported that Chris Gray tackled Jimi onstage.  That is absolutely not true.  As two policemen approached Chris Gray from each side of the stage while he was dancing after I boosted him up on to the stage, they tackled Chris.  Jimi simply stepped back a step or two, and Chris simply touched Jimi’s leg in homage as he was dragged away with the rooster head still on.  Jimi went to the mic as he continued to play and said, “I love you too, man!”  What a beautiful and appreciative gesture by Jimi.  I was standing directly in front of center stage just six or seven feet from Jimi.  That is exactly what went down at the climax of the show as Jimi and the Experience performed Wild Thing.

Baron Wolman, Jimi Hendrix, San Francisco, CA, 1968.

After inquiring with the roadie about where Jimi was staying, Chris Gray and I regrouped.  We were both exhilarated.  Jimi was going to play an evening gig following the afternoon show we had attended.  Later that evening we went to the Shoreham Hotel, and I went to the front desk and asked for Mr. Mitchell’s room number, Jimi’s drummer.  In those days you could ask for somebody’s room number and they would give it to you.  Chris and I, along with two other friends, took the elevator up and knocked on Mitch Mitchell‘s door.  He opened the door and I asked for Jimi’s room.  Mitch was very friendly and seemed to be bouncing around his room doing several things at the same time.  He said, “Jimi’s next door.”  We went to the next room and knocked on that door.  Noel Redding, Jimi’s bass player, answered that door.  Noel’s room was very dark and I think he had a guest with him.  He said, “No, Jimi’s next door.”  I then knocked on the third door and none other than Jimi Hendrix opened the door!  Chris Gray was standing to my right with his head bowed down, looking a little sheepish, as I spoke to Jimi and said, “Jimi, this is the rooster head man.”  Jimi said, “Far out, come on in.”  The rest of the story is pretty well documented in John Kelly’s piece in The Washington Post.

Gered Mankowitz, Jimi Classic, Masons Yard London, 1967.

Seven years later, I opened Govinda Gallery in Georgetown and had the opportunity to exhibit the finest photos taken of Jimi Hendrix by some of the great photographers of our time, including Gered Mankowitz, Baron Wolman, Jim Marshall, Amalie Rothschild and Eddie Kramer.  I also had the great pleasure of showing Mati Klarwein‘s paintings.  Mati’s work was included in the massive Jimi Hendrix Exhibition at Govinda Gallery in 1993.

Mati Klarwein, Jimi Hendrix, 1970.

My meeting Jimi Hendrix was only nine months after his debut at the Monterey Pop Festival and just three months after his album, Axis: Bold as Love, was released.

Jim Marshall, Jimi Hendrix, Monterey Pop Festival, 1967.

Jimi’s music was transformative.  He accessed the archetype.  He honored the musical traditions that preceded him, including the blues and R&B, and then turned it upside down and reinvented it.  He was a true contemporary…an artist and a rock & roll shaman.

Eddie Kramer, Jimi Hendrix and Mick Jagger, Madison Square Garden, 1969.

I am looking forward to this lively and engaging dialogue with Tom Meyer this Saturday, April 7th.

The Strypes are the best young rock band in Ireland.  Last weekend they killed it at the U St. Music Hall and the crowd could not get enough.

I saw Miles Davis at Bohemian Caverns on U St. in the mid-sixties, and this was the best show I have seen on U St. since that one!

Here are some great photos from the evening by Nalinee Darmrong.  Govinda Gallery organized an exhibition of Nalinee’s photographs of The Smiths in Los Angeles at Mr. Musichead Gallery. It was terrific that Nalinee was there at U St. to photograph The Strypes — an amazing band and an amazing photographer.

Pete O’Hanlon.

Josh McClorey.

Ross Farrelly.

Evan Walsh.

Backstage with The Strypes.

Artist Carlotta Hester, Chris Murray, girl about town Allesandra, and Patricia Baggio, who hosted a lunch for the Strypes at Darlington House.

Strypes CDs.

I was sad to see that photographer Nitin Vadukul passed away at the age of 52. Govinda Gallery had one of the first exhibitions of Nitin’s photographs as part of the Hip Hop Immortals exhibition we had in the spring of 2004. He photographed Barack Obama that same year. I would visit Nitin in his studio in New York after that exhibition and was always impressed by the originality and creativity in his photographs. It was Nitin’s remarkable photo of Dr. Dre that I used for the invitation card for the exhibition Hip Hop Immortals. We will miss Nitin.

Nitin Vadukul, Dr. Dre.

Chris Murray, Tom Meyer and Chris Addison. Photos by Carlotta Hester.

Addison/Ripley gallery in Georgetown was the place to be last Saturday evening. An overflow crowd came to enjoy the first showing ever of Tom Meyer’s remarkable paintings, organized in association with Govinda Gallery. It seemed everyone went home with one of the artist’s works. A self-taught ‘outsider’ artist, Meyer’s exhibition coincides with the National Gallery of Art’s Outliers and American Vanguard Art. A great time was had by all at the opening. The exhibition will continue through April 7th. Congratulations, Tom!

Robert Lehrman and his daughter, Juliette.

Alison Paley, Tom Meyer and Jane Cafritz.

Who is Brave, acrylic on canvas, 2017.

Bobby Meyer, proud owner of the painting R-man’s Vision, the centerpiece of Tom Meyer’s exhibition, with Govinda Gallery Director Chris Murray.

Carlotta Hester, Chris Murray, Rosemary Kilkenny, Tom Meyer and Virginia Satterley, known as ‘The Fab Five’ from their journey to Cuba together last March to explore the art scene in Havana. Photo by Maria Mariani.

Tom Meyer and ‘Uncle Don’.

Murder of Crows, acrylic on panel, 2017.

David Moran, President of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, and Martin’s Tavern Manager Joey Filosa.

Alternative Wonderland, acrylic on canvas, 2017.

This Sunday is George Harrison’s 75th birthday. The world is a better place with George having been born. He inspired so many people. Govinda Gallery has exhibited master photographs of George Harrison by Harry Benson, Barry Feinstein, Baron Wolman, Mark Seliger, Linda McCartney, David Kennerly, Michael Cooper, Henry Grossman, Jim Marshall, Jurgen Vollmer, Astrid Kirchherr and Max Scheler.

These two photos of George were taken by William Coupon in 1988 in Los Angeles for the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. They are among my favorite portraits of George Harrison. Jai Sri Krishna!

Music’s ‘ground zero’ was in downtown Washington Saturday night, as The Wailers and Tedeschi Trucks Band were playing at the same time a block from each other, at Hamilton Live on 14th Street and at the Warner Theater on 13th Street. Such a powerful musical vibration had not aligned in such a spectacular way in many moons.

I attended The Wailers show, as I had never seen Junior Marvin perform with Donald Kinsey, two original guitarists from Bob Marley and the Wailers, and two of reggae music’s greatest riff masters. They were a super-duo of electric reggae that evening. Original Wailer Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett played bass and the spirit of Bob Marley was alive and well. Junior Marvin introduced me to Family Man backstage and we talked about our friend photographer Kate Simon, who photographed Bob Marley and the Wailers and whose image of Marley is on the cover of his Kaya album.

Junior Marvin, Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett and Chris Murray backstage at the Hamilton Live. Photograph by Carlotta Hester.

Enjoy this short clip of Donald Kinsey’s searing guitar break on Heathen and Junior Marvin performing I Shot the Sheriff.

Meanwhile, Tedeschi Trucks Band were blowing minds, by all accounts, with an epic version of Sly & the Family Stone’s I Want to Take You Higher that had the entire audience at the Warner Theater on their feet. I was fortunate to see Tedeschi Trucks Band at the Warner the weekend before, where their performance of Santana’s Soul Sacrifice had the same effect on the audience. Tedeschi Trucks Band may well be the best band performing today.

Tedeschi Trucks Band trumpet player extraordinaire Ephraim Owens with Govinda Gallery director Chris Murray backstage at the Warner Theater. Photograph by Carlotta Hester.