New York Street Photography – Post #2 – Washington Square Park Musicians
This is the second of several posts to highlight my street photography weekend in New York City, which took place May 31 through June 2, 2019. I joined five other photographers as we hit the streets and captured thousands of images.
Washington Square Park (WSP) has a rich history. It’s a public park in Greenwich Village, but it also serves an important gathering place for students and faculty at New York University (NYU). To me, WSP is like a room where the neighborhood gathers to enjoy open space, people, and music in the city. The following is a brief overview of some key park moments:
- In the 1600s, freed African-born slaves were given plots for farming on land that is now part of the park. The British later took the land back.
- In 1838, Samuel Morse, who was a professor at what is now NYU, gave the first public demonstration of the telegraph, running a copper wire from his lab at 22 Washington Square around a tree in the square and back.
- In 1870, a plan was made to transform the land from an unattractive parade field to an urban park. The redesign was done by Ignaz Pilate, assisted by Montgomery Kellogg, who had worked closely with Frederick Law Olmsted in constructing Central Park. The fountain in the center of the park came from one of the southern entrances to Central Park at 59th Street.
- The Washington Arch, designed by Stanford White, is reminiscent of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. It was commissioned following the construction of a similar temporary arch (Washington Centenary Arch) built to commemorate the centenary of George Washington’s inauguration at Federal Hall in the Wall Street district.
- In the mid 1930s, residents and activists fought off a plan by Robert Moses to construct a new road through the park.
- A 1970s renovation opened up of the central area around the fountain to create a large sunken plaza flanked by shade trees. This important improvement now serves as a vibrant focal point for the park.
To learn more about the park’s history, visit the conservancy page and 6sqft.
The park has also served as a place for musicians to gather and practice or perform. John Coltrane came here to play his saxophone. In the early 1960s, Bob Dylan and Joan Baez gathered around the fountain basin to sing and play guitars. Today a wide variety of musicians play; some are buskers and others are there for the camaraderie they share with other musicians and friends.
Rasheed and the Jazz Collective
My first featured artist is Ra’sheed Richard Howard. Rasheed and the Jazz Collective is a standard at Washington Square Park. He has been an activist to preserve the rights of musicians to play in public parks. After playing in Central Park for years and fighting for the right to perform there, he moved to Washington Square Park, where he can be found Saturdays and Sundays in the west side of the park where John Coltrane would practice.
The image below is from a previous visit in 2016.
Colin Huggins
Colin Huggins – the Crazy Piano Guy – started his New York music career as an accompanist with the Joffrey Ballet. He started bringing an upright piano to park sites in New York including Union Square. He was ticketed for performing in public and had to fight for his right to busker. Through a crowdsource campaign, he raised money for a Steinway piano, which he now pushes over a half mile through Manhattan to perform at Washington Square Park. That is beautiful.
The Hungry March Band
The Hungry March Band (HMB) is a brass band that has been playing in and around New York for over 20 years. Founded in Brooklyn in 1997 for the Coney Island Mermaid Parade, HMB incorporates music and dance to the delight of audiences.
Coyote and Crow
One of my WSP favorites, Coyote and Crow, were not performing during my most recent visit, so I am sharing photos from a past visit. Originally hailing from the Upstate New York, the husband and wife duo has been described as the “White Stripes of Bluegrass.” The upright banjo bass is something to see and hear.
Folk
Not everyone playing in WSP is a busker. Some are there to share music and conversation with like-minded friends and musicians.
Jazz
I did not get the name of this duo, but they were drawing a crowd near the fountain.
Kenny Garrett
I conclude with a photo of Detroit’s Kenny Garrett performing at the legendary Blue Note Cafe. The Blue Note is just a short walk around the block from Washington Square and it is amazing. I first saw Kenny performing with Pat Metheny at the Detroit Jazz Festival. At the Blue Note, he delivered one of the finest jazz performances in recent memory. He is not to be missed.
My next post will feature non-musicians of Washington Square Park.
These photos were captured with my Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II cameras. I used my Olympus M.Zuiko ED Zoom 12-40mm F/2.8 Pro for the Washington Square Park series.
Rod Arroyo, Photographer and Urbanist
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