In January, Professor Mike Sonksen co-hosted and co-produced an event at the Getty Center: 鈥�.鈥� Working in conjunction with Brian Cross aka B+, Sonksen put together a two-hour show that combined music, film, and poetry to celebrate the connections between Blake鈥檚 words and Axelrod’s music. Held as the closing event of the Getty exhibit 鈥�,鈥澛爄t was a full circle moment in multiple ways because it was the first major William Blake West Coast exhibition in over 80 years. It was also one of the only times Axelrod, the now deceased American composer, arranger, and producer, was celebrated in his hometown.
The event鈥檚 genesis emerged from a Sonksen wrote that celebrated Axelrod鈥檚 music and his close connection to William Blake. Sonksen said, 鈥淕etty staff members read the Axelrod article in 2023 and approached me with the possibility of an event honoring Blake and Axelrod together. I immediately thought of B+, who had a longstanding close connection with Axe dating back to 1997.鈥�
According to The Getty, 鈥淲illiam Blake鈥檚 collection of poems聽Songs of Innocence听补苍诲听Songs of Experience聽mirror the sunshine and noir myths about Los Angeles. No one understood this better than LA composer David Axelrod (1931鈥�2017). Starting in 1968, Axelrod, a self-described 鈥楤lake freak,鈥� released two groundbreaking albums interpreting Blake鈥檚 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.鈥�
Sonksen envisioned the celebration as a coming together of music and words. The event featured DJ J Rocc playing an Axelrod mashup set.聽鈥淩as Kass rocked his song 鈥楽oul On Ice,鈥� the Diamond D remix that sampled Axelrod, along with his Axelrod collaboration 鈥楾he Little Children,鈥� from the 2001 Mo Wax album,鈥� Sonksen said. The Grammy Award-winning cultural journalist Lynell George, whom Sonksen has introduced to many of his Woodbury students, read an excerpt from her Axelrod essay. Other contributors included labor historian Lee Boek, who read a piece connecting William Blake, Axelrod and the Wobblies in an original poem that bridged 150 years of history. Spoken-word artist and screenwriter Monique Mitchell read Blake鈥檚 鈥淭he Tyger,鈥� and her own response poem to Blake鈥檚 signature piece.
Professor Sonksen was particularly proud of the latter. 鈥淢onique was my [high school] student in 2008-2009, and even when she was in the 11th grade, she was a phenomenal poet. To have her on stage sharing her work with us 15 years later was sublime.鈥�
Last Updated February 13, 2024