phoenixnewtimes.com Nov. 24th - Nov. 30th, 2022 N E W T I M E S H O L I D AY G U I D E 19 See Prince’s Piano and Other Treasures at a New Musical Instrument Museum Exhibit in Phoenix By Geri Koeppel Originally Posted on phoenixnewtimes.com on November 9, 2022 10:34am The first electric guitar played in public. The first Hawaiian-made ukulele. Eric Clapton’s 1956 Fender Stratocaster, “Brownie,” which helped create his signature sound on classic songs like “Layla” and “Bell Bottom Blues.” All of these and over two dozen new rare and precious objects will be on display starting on Friday, November 11, at the Musical Instrument Museum’s special exhibit, Rediscover Treasures: Legendary Musical Instruments. Twenty of the original 80 items from the previous iteration that closed in October, titled Treasures: Legendary Musical Instruments, were removed to make room for these 28 pieces. The objects span time, geography, and cultures, and are the “best of the best,” says Rich Walter, MIM curator. They’re instruments that are “the most artfully created, [have] been in the hands of the most important people, and used in the most important settings.” He adds, “They’re the items that really stop us in our tracks when we see them.” While the MIM’s regular collection is impressive, everything in this exhibit is “superlative,” Walter says. “We’ve asked people, ‘What does it mean to be a treasure?’ That cross-section of answers is interesting ... Things that are fancy and decorative, things that have belonged to chiefs and rock stars, things that have been hard to find. There are examples of all of those throughout the gallery.” He adds, “Each one of them has a real energy and gravity around it.” Some instruments were created thousands of years ago, while others are contemporary, and all reveal exquisite craftsmanship. One item Walter is excited about is a Chinese bronze bell that’s about 2,500 years old. These items “help us understand musical traditions from around the world, but they’re artful objects,” he says. Other objects include one of four surviving examples of an early pedal harp, a figurative carved drum from Gabon on the west coast of central Africa, and a Japanese emperor’s hitoyogiri flute from the 14th century. Walter says all of the instruments are “stunningly well- preserved, so you’re not only getting a sense of history, but the artistic ability, the tastes, the aesthetics, from cultures around the world.” Of course, he understands that many people will be jazzed about the more recent pieces, including Clapton’s guitar and items that belonged to Prince on loan from his home and studio, Paisley Park. The musician’s “Beautiful” purple Yamaha grand piano that he danced on during his Jam of the Year Tour in 1997-98 and a bright green stage outfit worn on tour in 1997 will be there, along with his “Black Power” electric bass. These items will remain on loan once the exhibit closes in fall 2023. “They were very generous to loan three pieces that would represent his career from an interesting time,” Walter says. “A lot of those items just don’t circulate far from Paisley Park, so to have them here in Phoenix is cool for fans of Prince.” More celebrity instruments added to this display include Dizzy Gillespie’s gold-plated Martin Committee trumpet with its distinctive
