alex gordon, 6766 rue clark, montreal, quebec

’Liberty Avenue’ is based on an astonishing real-life event. A Russian musical family band, including many children, escaped communist Russia and then fought their way through every conceivable horror on the streets of East New York. Not only did they survive, but they have since created an enormous success in the underground of American rock music. Their name - the Black Mama Dharma Band. They had the guts and the daring to play live gigs not only every day, but more than once a day, for years on end, in every conceivable venue, big and small. All this was continually documented by an entire array of video camera teams, including one directed by the father of the family, Dimitri Gusev, himself being a graduate of the Moscow Film School. The result has been a unique promotional project of staggering potency since on the internet now exists literally thousands of accompanying photographs and videos, the music is experimental, dynamic and exciting, and the family band, as documented by the refreshingly neo-realist style of Gusev’s video work, are astonishingly attractive visually. The period that the band were most active was the 1990s, and yet the eldest daughter, Tina Kristina, continues to record albums and tour internationally as of today. This book opens the door to an unforgettable NYC music media feast of many dimensions. A second book is already being prepared. Almost all the action occurred exactly as described in the novel.