MN Original Showcase

January of this year I was honored to be invited by Dessa Darling to be a part of  the 416 Club Series at the Cedar in Minneapolis, MN.   She commissioned several artist to work with her in making new music in new ways.   The show was filmed live for television for MN Original  for Twin Cities Public Television. 

The song we co-wrote, "Motown" was chosen to be re-broadcast  as part of MN Original's Music Showcase for the holiday season.  In case you missed it - here's your chance to see it again!

Date               Time                   Channel
12/25/11           6:00pm                  2
12/25/11           10:00pm                tptLIFE
12/29/11            11:00pm                2

Or you'll be able to check it online at www.mnoriginal.org!

Hope you had a wonderful soltice & a solid/fulfilling end to the year! 

Welcome back the sun and the death/rebirth of 2012!

.

Big Quarters - Party Like A Young Commie

In case you didn't know - I have a long history with Minneapolis Hip Hop.   Over the years I've worked with luminaries such as Atmosphere, Brother Ali, I Self Devine, as well as up & comers like I.B.E. - my musical collaborations with T.C. hip hop artists have spanned more than a decade.

In the past four years i've been developing deeply felt collaborative work with Medium Zach, Zach Bagaason of the grinding Big Quarters' Bagaason brothers. Their third full length release - Party Like A Young Commie - just released in November, 2011 - is their most intricate & live musical project to date.  Soon to be on the road w/ Atmosphere, Kill the Vultures and Mally for the Rhymesayers Welcome to Minnesota tour- Big Quarters has their heads & hearts truly in the game with this one.

Check out videos from the album:

Perfect Match

and Unreal - Live! for City of Music

Enjoy!

Remember the 5th of November

I've been connecting with people in all sectors of the Minnesota Economy on Awareness Based Collective Systems Change.  I've been facilitating General Assembly meetings for the Occupy/Decolonize Minnesota Movement.

The 5th of November will be "Take your Money out of the Banks Day"w/ a rally in St. Paul....

I'll also be playing a late-nite set of Music w/ Douglas Ewart and Quaser; Douglas R. Ewart, Jaqueline Ultan, Steve Goldstein and mysef, as part of the Zeigeist New Music Cabaret - all weekend at the Zeitgeist Studio in St. Paul.  It's a wonderful, intimate space for new and exciting music.  The entire Evening begins at 7:30 w/ Mississippi Peace, the Zeitgeist itself at 8:30 and Quaser at 9:30.

The musical range & textures are otherworldly - come & experience for yourself!

3rd Annual Zeitgeist New Music Cabaret
November 3, 4, 5, 6, 7:30 p.m.
Studio Z

275 East Fourth Street, Suite 200, 

St. Paul 55101
$10

October Minnesota shows - what's yr pleasure?

I'll be singing at three late October shows in the Twin Cities - besides singing at the People's Plaza - downtown - as part of the encampment for OccupyMN.  If you are interested in helping with facilitation, teach-ins, classes, or otherwise - please come join us at the People's plaza.  Agendas are made at 5pm, the General Assembly is at 7pm nightly.

So in addition to coming hear me trade echoes with the Government Center, you might wanna check out one of these other spots - w/ more ceiling, intimacy and amplification!

Tuesday, October 18th - American Composer's Forum's Tuesday Composer's Salon at Studio Z

7pm
Studio Z
275 E. Fourth St.
Lowertown, St, Paul, MN  55101

I'll be working with Multi-instrumentalist Greg Schutte and Indian music scholar and Hindustani vocal magician Pooja Goswami working on Music for Oil - as we begin to compose for Ananya Dance Theatre's 2012 production - moreechika.We're hot off a fiery success making music for the magnetic Tushaanal.

We will be one of four groups highlighted - will play an 8 minute piece & then discuss it.  We'll be FIRST- so if you are coming don't be late!  and plan for construction!


Thursday, October 27th - 9pm at the Pass - the Khyber Pass that is!

I'll be singing a casual solo set (w/ invited special guests) late night at Khyber Pass.   I'll be doing some songpainting and some improv duet ting w/ friends who drop by for musical conversation!

9 - 11pm
Khyber Pass Cafe
1571 Grand Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55105

Saturday, October 29th - Saltee's Halloween Show! - Aster Cafe

The indie-experimental power trio Saltee (Jaqueline Ultan - Cello, Mike Michel - guitar, Carnage the Executioner - Beatbox) invited me to join them for their Halloween Show at the Aster.  I'll be opening for them w/ my collaborator/producer Medium Zach - premiering some new songs from our upcoming full length album (still working on a title).    And  I'll be sitting in for some spooky tunes w/ the Saltee crew!

In case you forgot how good we are - here's a reminder from the beginning of the year in City Pages!  from our set opening for Dessa.

 9pm
St. Anthony Main
125 SE Main Street
Minneapolis, MN 55414
612 379-3138

It's been a busy Summer & Harvest!  Are you ready to occupy your life & your world?

I've had many 2011 adventures seeding and harvesting music.  w/ young people, w/ movers & shakers, w/ community organizers, w/ gardeners & farmers, w/ musical magicians.  Lots of music, lots of stories.

Here's one:  

I got to be part of the Inferno Mobile Recording Studio -   A program of the Chicago Parks District  (thank you Parkways Foundation), the studio has been unlocking and unleashing open creativity of youth in Pariks all over Chicago since it's premier at the 2006 CPD's TeenArts Expo. This year the Inferno grew to 5 with Captain Jayve and Ed (First mate) on Sound Recording & Editing, Sarah and Alberto on Video Recording and Editing.  I (with the whole group chipping in) was on Child Whisperer/Writing & Performance Coach. We spent anywhere from 2 to 6 hours with youth in nine parks from four different areas of the city, then brought as many kids/groups as could come to catch a bus downtown Chicago and see their work (kids did a lot of the editing using handheld video recorders) edited and up on the Big Screen at the Gene Siskel Film Center.

One of the best jobs I ever had - so much fun & wisdom from young people - so many stories that they are learning how to tell each other!  Such a good & creative team.  Go Inferno!

• More information about Inferno: PARK DISTRICT YOUTH SCREEN THEIR DOCUMENTARY MUSIC VIDEOS AT GENE SISKEL FILM CENTER AUG. 3-4  

• Inferno Day Campers work:Our City Our Songs (Inferno Playlist 2011)

Peace, Mankwe

Sunday Sounds in Minneapolis

Sweet sonic exploration: two tidbits for you


Sunday Rhythmic SongPlay#2  : http://youtu.be/S-h081Jz690

you can find it's better audio Here

and w/ Sarah Greer- talk in the city:

Chicago Chronicles - David Boykin & the Dorchester Projects - April 22nd & 29th, 2011

I have been travelling, playing, working, dreaming between Minneapolis and Chicago looking to expand my Creative Realm, and to add flow to the migration of creative people who connect these two Midwestern creative powerhouse cities.  I'll be introducing you to artists that move me - hope you connect with them as well.

David Boykin @ Dorchester

David Boykin is a musical journeyman, a saxophone shark and free-minded player -a member of the group Boykin, Sigfried and Reed, and  leader of groups such as David Boykin Expanse, the Microcosmic Sound Orchestra, and his David Boykin Outet, and Host of Sunday afternoon Sonic Healing Ministries.  

David has been in Residency at the Dorchester Projects for March and April and will culminate w/ two evenings of live, recorded performance, April 22nd and 29th, 2011 at 7:00pm

The event I went to on April 9th was warm, inviting and exciting - with creative souls of all sorts, and all ages, mixing, talking, eating, listening, and exploring the house, listening room, book, music and slide collections in these two buildings owned by Chicago Cultural Planner and South Side icon Theaster Gates. toasty and inviting as a cultural fire needs to be.......build on!

Pictures from April 8th - Here

April 22nd and 29th Events are at  6918 S Dorchester Avenue, Chicago, IL

Whose University - Tomorrow - Wed, April 20th

Friends and Colleagues are gathering to question & discuss the priorities, power plays and politics of the  University of Minnesota - our largest publicly funded University. In their own words:


WHOSE UNIVERSITY?

Whose education?

Whose voices are heard?

As the University of Minnesota pursues a path toward becoming an elite, global research institution, it is becoming more visibly exclusive. The Whose University? Campaign is organizing students, educators, workers, and community members to challenge this institution's priorities in equal access and resources for underrepresented groups.  This semester we began production of a documentary-style film which will be released next fall.

See "About Our Project" on the left sidebar for more details.

Please join us: 

DAY OF EDUCATION
April 2oth, 2011

11am-4pm, Coffman Memorial Union

 follow them & register Here

Interview / Review w/ Mankwe Ndosi & Dusun Mosley @ Chicago's Sixty Inches from Center

I've been at Elastic Foundation for the Arts on the Northside of Chicago over the past two Saturdays.....invited by Dushon Mosely to come and Play with him and:  Kenneth Green from Detroit on April 2nd & with he & Tatsu Aioki on April 9th. 

Jenny Lam was there on the 2nd covering the evening & the Intersections Series (of which these two shows were part) for "Sixty Inches from Center" - she came up to talk with me and with Dushun afterward...

here's what came of it:  http://sixtyinchesfromcenter.org/archive/?p=6575

...so we find ourselves in this handbasket.....

We will never be able to go back.  the coal can't be un-mined, slavery and genocide can't be undone, the banks can't be un-bailed out, the last person you chose to date can't be un-chosen, the cigarette can't be unsmoked, the bill can't be un-made....it's all still real, and still due and no one is going away.  Most likely the economy will not go back to flush (for many it hasn't been flush since the 70's) - more than likely what used to be has been flushed.

So what now?  there is no giving up.  the sun still shines, we still have our mind (most of it), and people we love and care about.  We just cannot rely on the old patterns of action, of social structure, of work, of life.

Now is the exciting time to invent the future - pray, shout, research, dream, draw, dance, discuss.....all heads, hearts and hands on deck...

Maybe some inspiration is instore - here's Utah Phillips talking about the folk music economy....maybe we can apply some of these ideas in other realms....

New Blog, songs, and questions for the world....

New Blog, new to blogging, so I'll start by posting some music, some questions that i am pondering about the world as it is-and as it will/may be going into the future. In this blog I'll share questions, ideas, experiences, opinions, and music-ways to listen to and access the music that I make.

So I'm including three pieces in this blog.