Studio Rivbea: 24 Bond Street as Epicenter of the Loft Music Scene
Like so many New York addresses, 24 Bond Street has a rich history. It was, of course, the home of Bea and Sam Rivers. It’s where they raised their kids, where Sam held ensemble classes and rehearsal and where, several nights a week, cutting edge artists would come to ply their art. No tables, no booze – just camaraderie and music. By 1976, lofts and musician-owned clubs in lower Manhattan had grown into a healthy vibrant scene. Alan Douglas of Douglas Records approached me about capturing the loft scene, initially wanted to put recording equipment in half a dozen places and seeing what bore fruit. All I could think of was paranoid artists being expected to record without the protection of a contract and hundreds of hours of after-the-fact listening. So I suggested we curate and book a festival over two weekends at Sam’s place and record it multi-track. We did and Wildflowers was the result.
-Michael Cuscuna
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