(l to r): Val Jeanty, Marvin Sewell, Bruce Mack, Kevin O'Neal
Photo and review by Earl Douglas
On a night that was described by Bruce Mack as 'Duke Ellington meets Frank Zappa', Kevin O'Neal (accompanied by Patrice Quinn) and tribal electro trio Tricky Dilemma, played the The Multi-Media Arts Center in Bloomfield, New Jersey.
The MMAC, as its called, is a facilty that has a concert hall, a cabaret space that can also be used to show films, a cafe for all of you coffee drinkers, art gallery, and broadcast capabilites. Its still in work in progress, but has the potential to being the new home for the experimental, avant garde and the mainstream all at the same time. Its location is also perfectly for those in the Jersey/Philly area who want to remain in the state but also for those in New York City who want to get removed from city craziness for the night.
I managed to make through commuter hell (MAJOR delays on PATH train) to catch the talil end of Kevin O' Neal's set. Best known for his work in the seminal Black Rock band The Bus Boys, O'Neal performed a beautifully understated set on piano with the beautiful and talented Patrice on vocals. 'Dedication' was a moving, wordless piece that went out to Michael Jakckson (and MMAC owner, Chuck Brownley). A significant jazz & blues influence was the thread on a stunning run of standards including 'I Loves You Porgy' and a great new song, 'Expectation' ended the set that literally had everyone, performers included, dancing in the aisles. I was really bummed that I didn't catch the entire set, but I'm looking forward to hearing new recordings from Kevin & Patrice.
I've always been drawn to Tricky Dilemma as a concept, but never seen them live. I love their CD, 'John P. Parker: Viewed From 9 Dimensions' (I listened to it on my way over to The MMAC) so I was really excited to see what the live performance would be like.
I wasn't disappointed at all. More like blown away.
With Bruce Mack handling all of the vocals, electronic and traditional percussion, Marvin Swell was on guitar and Val-Inc (Jeanty) dropping the beats on the turntables and electronic drums, Tricky Dilemma assaulted the senses with bop phrasings, atmosphere guitars, Eastern rhythms, spiritual cries and tribal dancing. Clearly inspired, Kevin and Patrice joined in on a version of Money Driver was both experimental and flat out funky. The set ended with a tribal jam of James Brown by way of Bali which included 'I Don't Want Nobody Giving Me Nothing' and 'Funky President'. It was a truly amazing night of music that truly came from the heart and was done with a spirit of love. Love of the craft and the love of music.
It's really important that we support The MMAC, Kevin O'Neal, Tricky Dilemma and everyone who is out there presenting or playing live and original music. Now more than ever.
Sandra returns with a string of dates, mostly in New York, but DC will get blessed, too. She's back to debut songs from an upcoming self-authored theater piece, entitled "The Musical DNA Of A Southern Bird". The piece fuses together songs that became the soundtrack of an adopted child in Dallas looking to find herself in an environment that was not at all musical. The songs that were played on FM and AM radio were polar opposites to some, but felt like home to this artsy southern bird.
The BadAssBand is:
Tom Hammer - on keys V. Jeffrey Smith - on everything Leslie Lemon - on b ass Mike Ciro - on guitar Scoota Warner - on drums Keith Fluitt - on vocals
I'm not sure if this is the entire universe of Michael Jackson samples, but this map is pretty cool nonetheless. A quick explanation:
Michael, of course, is at the center
The next ring out are all of his songs
Third ring are the songs that were created from samples in the second ring
Outermost ring are the artists who used the sample
A double hat-tip is in order: First, to Victoria Clark, who hipped me to it and to Ethan Hein, who created the map. Turns out he's done sample maps for a bunch of other artists. You can find other examples here.
The BRC's Native Sundays series continues, this time with a punky dread ska party. Last month's show with Earl Greyhound was off the hook. If you're in the area, check it out.
The final Full Spectrum panel is tonight. Produced by Brian Tate and Danny Simmons, this session features four producers at the forefront of New York City’s nightlife scene. Panelists Joann Jimenez [ALMA, RAZA], Kim Knox [Ubiquita], Jen Lyon [MeanRed Productions, Lose Your Shit Loft Parties], Aldo Sánchez [Fresa Salvaje] will address the question, "What drives us to create community?". The panel will be moderated by DJ Reborn [Def Poetry Jam].
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS: THE PARTY PEOPLE
7:00 Presentation of Panelists' Work
7:30 Panel Discussion
8:30 Audience Q&A
This FREE event will be held at:
DANCE THEATER WORKSHOP
219 W. 19th St
[btwn Seventh & Eighth Aves, in Chelsea]
New York, NY 10011 www.dancetheaterworkshop.org · 212.691.6500
1/9 to 18th St, or 2/3, F, L and A/C/E to 14th St
Icons pass and we’re left speechless. Their passing hits home particularly hard when they’re not much older than we are. Things become existential real quick.
Perhaps it is because I came of age in the 80s that I’ll always feel like Michael Jackson was my age. I was aware of Off the Wall, but it was Thriller that held me along with everyone else in the collective imagination. Hit after hit. In fact, of the nine songs on the album, seven were released as singles. It’s hard to think of another album that stayed with us so long and constantly felt fresh.
I guess I took it for granted that the greatest entertainer in the world was a Black man. I wasn’t the kid who wanted to do all the dance moves. Anyone who knows me, knows I’ve got a basic two-step and that’s about it. I also wasn’t begging my parents for red leather jackets. I mean, they were everywhere: The zippers, the epaulets, the sleeves bunched up. Even then, I knew enough to know that Michael was the one person who could pull off that look. And the high-water pants? Believe me, I wasn’t trying to draw any more attention to my nerdiness. But I was proud that HE could pull it off.
Some have noted, most recently both the Rev. Al Sharpton and filmmaker Ralph Richardson, that before there was Barack Obama, there was Michael, the global face of America. A Black man was global pop culture. My wife told me of how, during the she spent time in Kenya, it was in a Nairobi disco that she saw how hard Africans danced to “Beat It”. And if you’re wondering if, at the time of his death, he was still the King of Pop, look at how people all over the world are gathering to remember him, to sing his songs, and to mourn communally.
And I can only wonder what effect Michael’s creativity and force of nature had on other areas of cultural production, particularly within the Black community. For example, I think the Black film renaissance of the 80s could be attributed to him? Not directly, mind you, but come on: Remember, his videos weren’t just videos. They were short films, with incredibly high production value. There was an aesthetic in those videos that harkened back to the classicism of an Astaire or Fosse. In Michael Jackson, particularly his dance, you saw Blackness and American-ness as one. Talk about firing our collective imagination! Mix in the pride that African Americans felt from him and you’ve got Michael to thank for a whole lot of inspiration.
But he’s gone. Inexplicably, even. And we’re left with this hole that won’t be filled in our lifetimes. At his worst, he was a caricature. But at his best—and we all hoped that his best days were still ahead of him—he showed the world that artistic and creative excellence could come in the form of a Black man from Gary, Indiana.
Lots being written about the Michael Jackson in these days following his untimely death. Here's just the tip of the iceberg that I've seen:
VIbe Magazine's Danyel Smith: "He gave himself to the world. And Michael Jackson left nothing but blood on the dance floor."
The Nation's John Nichols: "He projected into the world (the genius and strength) of African-American culture."
Nelson George: "Along with Eddie Murphy, Bill Cosby, Oprah Winfrey, and so many other media legends, Michael made the '80s a golden age for black pop culture."
An appraisal by the NY Times' Jon Pareles: "In the end, the superstar and the recluse were not so far apart. "
Vanity Fair's Maureen Orth: Michael Jackson is Gone, But The Sad Facts Remain
Duke University's Mark Anthony Neal: Dear Michael: Love Letters from Cyberspace
Author Eisa Ulen: "Even when he pissed us off, we understood him. Who among us doesn't understand internalized self-hatred? Whether we were light or dark, trying to survive in a white neighborhood or trying to survive in the 'hood - we all knew what he was going through."
Filmmaker Ralph Richardson: "Before Obama, there was Michael Jackson, a talented, welcoming figure that could bring white and black people together. "
Ebony Magazine's Bryan Monroe's Q&A with Michael from December 2007: Michael on the state of the music business: "I think the answer is just phenomenal, great music. Just reaching the
masses. I think people are still searching. There’s not a real musical
revolution going on right now, either. But when it’s there, people will
break a wall down to get to it. I mean, ‘cause before Thriller, it was
the same kind of thing. People were NOT buying music. It helped to
bring everybody back into the stores. So, when it happens, it happens."
The Rev. Al Sharpton eulogizing Jackson outside the Apollo Theater: "Michael Jackson made culture accept a person of color, way before
Tiger Woods, way before Oprah Winfrey, way before Barack Obama,"
Sharpton said. "Michael did with music what they later did in sports
and in politics, and in television. And no controversy will erase the
historic impact."
Another artist performing at URB Alt tonight is Otto Fischer, who's from Nigeria via London. His songs tend towards the electro-acoustic and revolve around affairs of the heart. Also, thrilled to note that Otto is one of the artists on the upcoming Boldaslove.us compilation, Fire In the Dark.
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