Aiee! The Phantom: Horace Tapscott

How did the Arkestra survive over a period of almost forty years without a dominating leader or leadership and lacking strong organizational structures? How did Horace Tapscott keep it together and replenished, when there was rarely any money involved? Why were artists continually attracted to it and willing to make the necessary sacrifices to be part of this movement? The answers lie in aspects of his character and lifestyle choices, in the quality of his musical art as composer, pianist, and bandleader, and, most importantly, in the role he forged and the example his life set as a community artist, exemplifying an ethos and aesthetic that resonated throughout his community.