Patti Smith with Philip Glass - Tribute to Allen Ginsberg - Live in Roma 2013

Live at Auditorium, Parco della Musica, Roma

during 'Patti Smith: My Festival' 

night tribute to Allen Ginsberg 'The Poet Speaks'
April 13th, 2013

Tracklist

01 Notes to the Future [music from 'Metamorphoses' by Philip Glass]

02 Wichita Vortex Sutra [poem by Allen Ginsberg] 

03 The Blue Thangka [music from 'Metamorphoses' by Philip Glass]

04 My Blakean Year 

05 Ghost Dance

06 Pissing in a River

07 Etudes # 2 and #10 [Philip Glass solo]

08 To Aunt Rose [poem by Allen Ginsberg] 

09 On Cremation of Chögyam Trungpa, Vidyadhara [poem by Allen Ginsberg - music by Philip Glass]

10 Magic Psalm [poem by Allen Ginsberg - music by Philip Glass]

11 Footnotes to Howl [poem by Allen Ginsberg]

12 People Have the Power

Personnel:

track 1-3: Patti Smith (vocals), Philip Glass (piano)

track 4: Patti Smith (vocals, guitar), Lenny Kaye (guitar), Jesse Smith (piano)

track 5: Patti Smith (vocals), Lenny Kaye (guitar, back. vocals), Jesse Smith (piano)

track 6: Patti Smith (vocals), Lenny Kaye (guitar), Jesse Smith (piano)

track 7: Philip Glass (piano)

track 8-11: Patti Smith (vocals), Philip Glass (piano)

track 12: Patti Smith (vocals), Lenny Kaye (guitar), Jessie Smith (piano), Philip Glass (piano) 

Note: "My Festival" is a project organized by Patti Smith and Marco Tirelli to celebrate the 10th year of life of Auditorium, Parco della Musica in Rome. During this festival, from 9th to 25th April, Patti Smith remember her own life, through her friendships and music, with the exhibit 'Memories' minded by Marco Tirelli. The Festival has seen the participation of a lot of great artists, as the director Bernardo Bertolucci and the musician Nicola Piovani. During this night, Patti wants to remember her friend Allen Ginsberg through a reading of his best poems and the musical partnership of Philip Glass on piano. 

Why did Patti Smith choose this collaboration with Glass to give her personal tribute to the Master of Beat Generation? "I knew Philip" Patti said "in 1978, together with Ginsberg and Burroughs. When my husband died in 1994, we made a charity event with both of them. And then, when Allen died in 1997, we began to work together, because we missed him so much. April is the perfect month to remember Allen, because he died on 5th". Patti Smith is able to create a fantastic atmosphere with a passional and strong reading while on the back some photos of Ginsberg flow; when she comes on the stage, she turns towards the screen saying hello to his friend Allen.

Patti Smith mingles the reading of Ginsberg's poems with the Glass's execution of his best works and her great songs of her long and glorious career, with a special end that sees on the stage Patti Smith, Lenny Kaye, Jessie Smith (Patti's daughter) and Philip Glass playing the same piano while all people are dancing and singing under the stage on the fantastic notes of "People Have the Power".