Poet Amiri Baraka is often controversial, and his collaboration with the avant-garde jazz band New York Art Quartet (NYAQ) is no exception. Baraka, considered the "fifth member," appeared on the second track of the band's 1964 self-titled debut album. He recited "Black Dada Nihilismus," a poem from his second poetry collection, "The Dead Lecturer" (published under his original name LeRoi Jones). This song immediately sparked controversy due to its violent imagery, particularly the infamous line "Come up Black Dada Nihilismus ... throats," which some critics mocked as hostile and provocative, embodying a "highly politicized avant-garde" lyric.
Baraka had connections with Allen Ginsberg and the Beat Generation. By 1964, he had become an important young poet, music critic, and playwright. Although it wasn't until after the assassination of Malcolm X in 1965 that he solidified his position in the Black Arts Movement, Baraka's political ideas had already developed towards what he later called "social engagement," aiming to refocus contemporary art and gradually taking shape over the next few years. Baraka had a significant influence on African American music, particularly in expanding the audience for blues and jazz. He wrote several books on the history of Black music, including his groundbreaking work "Blues People: Negro Music in White America" in 1963 and "Black Music" in 1968.
Despite the controversy surrounding "Black Dada Nihilismus," the album did not sell well, partly due to NYAQ's unique reputation, even within the avant-garde jazz standards. Its reputation did not stem from the band's political color but rather from its quiet and restrained style, which was uncommon in the realm of free jazz. The band recorded another album without Baraka's involvement, "Mohawk," in 1965, which had a limited release in the Netherlands. By February of the following year, NYAQ members Roswell Rudd, John Tchicai, Lewis Worrell, and Milford Graves disbanded and pursued their individual projects.
Years later, the first NYAQ album gained more attention and became highly sought after in the avant-garde jazz scene. It was reissued in 2004. After 35 years since the original recording, Baraka and NYAQ reunited and performed live at the Bell Atlantic Jazz Festival in New York, with Reggie Workman replacing Worrell on bass. Milford Graves anticipated the performance, saying, "This won't just be a reunion; it will be a continuation of the beautiful music this band can play."
Baraka's role in the band expanded; he took center stage during performances and recited poetry in several new songs. Baraka's poetry did not completely detach from politics and ventured into more abstract territories, raising and answering questions about the essence of music and poetry creation, as in the following lines from "Reentering":
What is the use of poetry?
What do you mean by its use?
Is there a second question?
And who are you, anyway?
How did you get in?
The day after the concert, NYAQ and Baraka recorded the aptly titled "35th Reunion." Reflecting on this album, Downbeat magazine described NYAQ's lasting impact: "Whether or not you love free jazz, this album can effortlessly acquaint you with the world NYAQ created 35 years ago, a world that sounds strange but is the world we live in now."
Translator's Note:
About NYAQ:
This article was written in 2004 and published on poets.org. Six years later, as part of the "Jazz October Revolution," Cuneiform Records released recordings of the band's performances in Copenhagen in 1965, with John Tchicai returning to his hometown and only bringing back Roswell Rudd. They found Danish bassist Finn von Eyben and South African drummer Louis Moholo to form a new lineup and complete the performances.
In 2013, Triple Point Record released a 5LP set called "call it art." Packaged in a birchwood box, it included many informal recordings and a 156-page booklet with detailed lists of each quartet's performances, concert advertisements, sheet music, and notes. These five releases (including the previous three official albums) comprise all of NYAQ's officially published content to date.
About the NYAQ reunion at the Bell Atlantic Jazz Festival:
This reunion was facilitated by Thurston Moore (a fervent fan of 1960s free jazz) and invited NYAQ as the opening band for Sonic Youth.
About the meaning of "Black Dada Nihilismus":
Baraka once responded to this question at a writers' conference: "I think you know what black means. I think you know what Dada means, whether it's meaning brother or that movement in France that was dedicated to pursuing a whole new view of the world. And nihilismus is just a Latinization, or a way of making nihilism into a Latin phrase."
Original article link: https://poets.org/text/amiri-baraka-new-york-art-quartet-black-dada-nihilismus
Lyrics for "Black Dada Nihilismus": https://genius.com/Amiri-baraka-black-dada-nihilismus-annotated