Songs are sung all over the world with many different purposes. Some people act though that songs are to be sung sacredly and only done for religion, others believe anytime is a good time to sing a song. This week’s reading is Armbruster’s Before Seattle Rocked: A city and it’s music. In the first few chapters it touches on the Duwamish Native American Tribe with their music as well as the fusion of the settlers music/work songs.

The Duwamish Tribe, much like some of the citizens of Ghana see music as an incorporation of everyday life. There is not a second thought on wether or not a certain time is a good time for sining, and there seem to be no insecurities on what exactly to sing about. For example: basket weaving songs, fishing songs, gambling songs, welcoming songs, etc. all played to the beat of a few drums and many voices (Armbruster, pg. 13, 2007). Armbruster also makes mention of songs being sung during different seasons “…singing seemed to peak in the warm months…’they sympathize too much with Nature to sing in the winter’ “(Armbruster, pg. 12, 2007). This again brings a point to certain spots in time where songs and music can indeed be led by nature and weather patterns.

Jim Pepper was a Native American songwriter and Saxophonist who tested the boundaries of scared music and fusion, and to his surprise his music became popular with the elders.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2YeEUlyhQw&list=RDS2YeEUlyhQw#t=443

The development of Seattle was conducted by Mr. Arthur Denny and brought many lumber and coal jobs to the new area. Both the Duwamish and the settlers came to the new land seeking these jobs and during this time work songs were sung. Some of the instruments used were flute, fiddle, and reed organ and were played often in the first parlors and saloons of Seattle (Armbruster, pg. 20, 2007).

Seattle was built with a foundation of music, it’s structure and culture reflects directly on the history of the music in the city. People lived their life based upon music and in the 1860′s The Seattle Brass Band was formed and gave way to a mesmerizing sound that guided the community through laborious endeavors. This sound was inspiring to more than just one group of people and introduced a new feeling to the community that pushed the forward industrially.

Earlier this week Industrial Revelation from Seattle came to Olympia’s Rhythm and Rye for the second time and performed with great virtuosity and extreme passion. All members of the band graduated college in Seattle, either at Cornish or University of Washington and have been playing together for at least 10 years, and it shows.

The synchronicity in their Jazz/Blues/Symphonic/African and Brazilian fusion music is done so naturally and organically that as an audience member and professional musician was not only inspiring and bonding but allowed room for collaboration with the audience and proper energy flow increasing entertainment value. The group dynamics between the four members are close and eye contact isn’t even needed for the refrain after ever member has showcased their skills while the other members holler and clap encouragingly for every song. The band draws most of their influence from major artists such as Chick Webb, Duke Ellington, Coltrane, etc, but more interestingly the drummer has musical roots dating back to his grandparents, some influential folks to the industry at the time in the Pacific Northwest.

http://www.industrialrevelation.com/band-biography/

Since the Rhythm and Rye has allowed me to help out with event promotion I was able to capture a few great videos of the performance, as well as stay until close and talk to Josh Rawlings the Fender Rhodes performer.

Josh was kind enough to answer some of my field study related questions such as “Does Industrial Revelation’s music change from city to city and how big of a factor is the audience during this change?” He said some venues in Seattle or other cities haven’t put off as much energy as given at the Rhythm and Rye. That the audience matters and they change small details to the songs according to the entire vibe of the venue. Some audiences don’t dance or holler which makes the energy low and show shorter than normal. But each song that night lasted around 10-13 mins because the band was feeding off the energy that the crowd was giving them.

About a month earlier Hillstomp (Portland, OR) rolled through and brought well over 200 audience members to Rhythm and Rye and gave one of their best performances. I was able to talk with Henry Christian, guitarist and thanked him for his performance and he said something to the fact that the audience is everything and how all you can do on that stage is just feed off the energy.

This leads me to a new question, does the size of Olympia compared to neighboring larger cities such as Portland, and Seattle change the appreciation of certain types of music? Has some of the larger cities taken for granted their musicians or are the cities just growing too fast that audience members can’t keep up with the music scene?

Alen de Bottoms ideas of ego loss and realizations at the end of “Art of Travel” are important elements to understand while both reading the page, safe at home cozied up with a coffee or a beer, or while out in some foreign land watching the lightning dace across the sky. “There was always more in the world than men could see, walked it they ever so slowly, they will not see it no better for going fast. The really precious things are thought and sight, not pace.” (218).

We as a species need association to avoid feeling isolation, and as our worlds grown and new technologies come out the isolation between thought and sight against pace has grown more and more. Little fragments of life just pass us by and even though we can feel connected to something by just taking a quick snap shot of a groovy building or some other shit that we find intersting, and we can post it to social media it has not truly satisfied our being. We become isolated in thinking we are associating but the point that de Bottom makes is that even though we have these great things that could help us, we neglect the time to really see what it is we a looking at, “…and a man, if he be truly a man, no harm to go slow; for his glory is not at all in going, but in being.” (218).

This to me is like Timothy Leary’s ideas of his book “The Psychedelic Experience; A Manual on the Tibetan Book of the Dead”. In the first Bardo called “The period of ego-loss” he describes “the conscience-expantion process is the reverse of the birth process, birth being the beginning of game life and the ego-loss experience being a temporary ending of game life.” (37) If we look at it not as a psychedelic trip but a physical one, the “birth process” would be like the planning of the trip, the beginning of the plane ride (ect ect). The ego-loss experience would in effect be what de Bottom states about man and his being. As well as this the ego-loss process is encourage by de Bottom through the whole book, he constantly reiterates the fact that while abroad do not fall in to “tendencies” you would have at home. Dare to see, dare to live, dare to do something different other wise your time will not be spent properly and while I am on my trip to New Orleans I will every day try to do this for my self.

Ego-loss can truly be achieved if he or she is willing to step out of them selves and just exist and be as they are at that moment, not imposing any ego games upon them sleves. It will be hard and you may or may not e able to achieve it, but through constant thought and awareness to all thats going on and not getting too fixated on bullshit things, it will come as easy as breathing or walking, one just needs a little time and patience.

The quote is from Wordsworth’s Imagination and Taste, How Impaired and Restored. He goes on to say that these “spots of time” “with distinct pre-eminence retain a renovating virtue […].” This aligns perfectly with a belief of mine that it’s the events we remember which change us including our imagination and taste. Whether this change is an impairment or an aid isn’t as easily stated. Regardless, Wordsworth’s idea is more specific than that; he speaks here of only memories with a renovating virtue.

As I sit propped up on my dorm bed (something I’ve done far too often the past six years) I question how exactly a spot of time can retain anything and if it did how could we ever access it again except in the abstraction of memory. Plenty of times (especially on a dorm bed) I’ve wished for a spot of time with renovating virtues. I’ve wished for trips to Moscow and Trinidad. I’ve wished to see people far away or long gone. I’ve wished for a spontaneous spiritual renewal and physical renovation, wrongly. Wordsworth specified renovating virtues are experienced outside of “false opinion and contentious thought, or aught of heavier or more deadly weight, in trivial occupations, and the round of ordinary intercourse”.

In Uruguay, I won’t be involved in any trivial occupations and there certainly won’t be any rounds of ordinary intercourse or any ordinary behavior for that matter. I’ll keep the web updated on any and all experiences of renovating virtues.

“Journeys are the midwives of thought” said Alain de Botton. Anytime we come into contact with something new, we put it into the context of past experiences and sensations. This, done consciously can be revealing as to what we think about, how we go about it, and why.

Visiting a new city, I begin with researching what cultural attractions the city has to offer before making some kind of plan of what I’d like to see. What a city contributes to culture is what it uniquely has to offer. These unique differences beg the question “Why the difference?” as well as stimulating passible answers in our head and further questions. It could be anything to a certain square or market to a certain painting in a museum or a style of architecture to all manners of people that stimulates our desire to see, hear, smell, taste, and learn more – in other words: travel more.

De Botton’s use of the word “journey” here is accurate because, at least in my world of traveling, you haven’t really seen enough of a city unless there’s blisters on your feet. I’ve hiked many a city, spending most of my traveling days on my feet wandering through neighborhoods one by one, museums, boutiques, wondering which restaurant to wander to next. My thoughts in this state can not be written down. Mostly it’s a matter of what catches my eye- maybe a red telephone booth on streets reflecting white with rain or a hand spun hand dyed hand knitted crop top, or giant tapestries depicting events too numerous to register at once. Other times, more of a small investigation takes place. For example, I read the plaque next to a piece of art I want to know more about or take special care to visit someplace I heard of and want to learn more about and experience for myself.

My favorite act of curiosity in the city is people watching. The best place for people watching in the city is escalators: either looking at people passing you on the left as you stand on the right or the people on the escalator going in the opposite direction. Although this necessarily takes place on a journey because I’m not from a city, I do not experience thoughts during this activity of the curiosity of people. I don’t form opinions or develop plans while I am doing this although perhaps towards the end of the trip I may remark “this is a very well dressed city.” Maybe when I return home I’ll be better dressed. However, most of my brain’s activity in the city is taking it all in and processing new images, smells, sounds, whatever.  I suppose I’m less of a thinker than de Botton because personally journeys create more subconscious inspiration than thoughts.

I leave for Montevideo in two days now. Technically less than two days, to be specific. The tickets were officially booked about two days ago since there was a last minute change of plans thanks to my lovely loving family. Thankfully, they helped with the last minute securing of a room in a student house (full of medical students I understand), a ride from the airport, musical contacts, and information about classes I want to take while I’m there such as Spanish, Salsa, and piano. Much thanks to my grandfather’s friend, Enrique Graf, a concert pianist from Montevideo who is well connected especially with the composers there.

Just let me pack my suitcase and Montevideo, here I come.

There are in our existence spots of time. When time slows down, and pure beauty takes over the mind. For instance, when driving through Yosemite National Park a few years back, I could not really focus on any one thought in particular. Elation filled my chest, and I had never felt as truly centered. To this day, I can look back on my memory and recount the blissful experience. Moments like these remind us that we are more than just drones going about our daily lives; we are human beings. But these moments should not be put aside just for grandiose and wild experiences. If we allow ourselves the ability to actively observe and take in our surroundings, we will be happier, more active people. Observing ones surroundings should not just be a hobby, but a constant practice, building neurological pathways within the brain that will allow your brain to work in new ways that you did not realize it could.

In class on Tuesday morning, we took a class from Ratna Roy on Orissi Rhythms. She discussed with us how integral dance is to developing the mind, and how children in India have a dance class in school as well, which has shown to improve math and science test scores across the board. The reasoning for this is that working the brain in a creative form such as dance, one is using parts of the brain that they have never worked before, building new ways of thinking and interpreting information. When we were dancing, I tripped over myself constantly. There were so many different patterns that we had to learn, and by the time that I felt that I had the hang of the footwork, she would introduce the arm movements and I would look like a flailing blow-up character outside of a used car lot. I really couldn’t keep up.

Another interesting point she brought up was about people thinking that you have to be born a  musician or an artist to be able to create art, as well as being able to spend most of your time doing this. She said that much of this ideology stems from British imperialism, where in India they made dancing illegal. They use the dance to communicate ideas between each other, and this threatened western power. By outlawing dance, they took away other art forms too, for art in India is all interconnected. Singing does not come before dance or vis versa; they commune hand in hand.

Being able to create adds a special place in ones life. It shows them that they are capable of becoming more than their own earthly body, and that they can transcend into sound, images, and stories. Not only is this important for an individual, but it is important for a community to thrive. This is how imperialism came to despise the arts, for they were something that was not straight forward, however it gave people enough power for them to feel threatened.

As humans, it is healthy for us to view the world as De Bottons’ artist, one who takes life i. In order to get the most out of life, we must pay close attention to everything. We let too many beautiful things pass by without any notice, due to stress and the fast paced environment of the twenty first century. By focusing on our environment, we can see our world in different ways than we have before, and when we create with our own hands, we can really notice the subtleties within concepts and landscapes, and we can come to understand how truly beautiful yet fleeting the world around us is. While this can be viewed as a morbid balancing act, I would say that it is quite the contrary. Death is a beautiful force, one that all  living beings must face, and without it life would be a complete bore. Our daily tasks would become pointless in the grand scheme of things. But some people do view life in this way. They fall into complacency, and don’t want their mental walls that they have built around what life is, what social standards have set them to believe, or what to expect next to come toppling down. Because, at the end of the day, life is a complete mystery, and to act like it isn’t is just a ploy to fool oneself. Not to say that I have any answers to how to live ones life. Everyone has their own path. But, how much life are you truly living if you let preconceived notions control you?

While I was on lunch break at work, I looked through the local newspaper and found a listing of the “Top 10 ShowsAround Philly This Week.”

At number one is Dave Manley & Boots Greene performing at 8:00 p.m. April 8th (tonight) at a venue called World Cafe Live.

 

 

 

 

 

 

ABOUT DAVE MANELY:

Philadelphia based Guitarist/Composer/producer/educator Dave Manley has worked with major artists ranging from neo-soul, world, and Jazz. Touring and Recording with artists Such as: Dj Jazzy Jeff, Jill Scott, Music SoulChild, Jeff Bradshaw, Carrol Riddick, Herbie Hancock, Raheem Devaughn, Chiwoniso Maraire, Kindred The Family Soul, Dave Chappelle among many others. Dave co-wrote the song “Still Here” on Jill Scott’s Words and Sounds Vol. One, released in August of 2004, was featued in Jill Scott’s “Live In Paris” DVD as well as performing in Dave Chappelle’s “Block Party” Movie. Dave has also performed on “The View” “Ellen”, “The Tonight Show”, “Jimmy Kimmel” “The Tavis Smiley Show”, The Today Show Philadelphia and New York.
His early experiences include performing in the Detroit area with Dr Morris Lawrence and his Afro Musicology big band, (Dr. Lawrence was prize pupil of Sidney Bechet), as well as members of the original Funk Brothers Motown House band. Dave has since worked and lived in Los Angeles, Dallas, Philadelphia and New York City.
Soon after arriving in Philly in the mid-nineties, Dave broke ground working with international Dj’s King Britt and Josh Wink.
Over the years Dave has demonstrated his expansive knowledge of musical styles from Jazz, R&B, Rock, Electronic and Latin music.
Dave is currently recording his group “The Indigenous Trio’s” first record. The group formed after meeting Cuban born Drummer- Percussionist, Francois Zayas and bassist Jason Fraticelli.
In between touring and recording, Dave has also held a position as an adjunct professor at Eastern University Music School for over 10 years where he teaches Jazz improvisation and Private students.”

The link below is a video of Dave Manley playing at the Grape Room on 12/22/2015. I would describe the performance as a soul/ska/progressive rock performance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UO2rl2lE-g The World Cafe Live is located at  3025 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104.

ABOUT BOOTS GREENE:

“Eric ‘Boots’ Greene born Eric Tyrone Jr. in Georgetown, South Carolina has been a hidden commodity within the music industry for years. Raised in the city of Philadelphia, he was influenced early in his life while watching his father play the drums in the church. While Boots mastered the skills of playing the drums at the age of 15 he also learned music production. He was considered a musical prodigy by his peers in the music industry at this time.
At the age of 15 Boots went on to produce his first album as producer/ & composer of the entire gospel album for Tarra Scotton and Strong Tower on the independent label Zopro out of Pennsylvania.
His career in the music industry as a musician began to take on a life of its own. Hanging out at Jazzy Jeff’s studio, in the Philadelphia area, he met many older friends that were already established R&B musicians who had the connection that was needed to get his foot in the door. He was offered his first big gig with one of Philly’s finest, Ms. Jill Scott whom he toured with at the age of eighteen for two years. Since that introduction to the industry he has toured with such well-known artists as; Floetry, Kelis, Common, Pharrell Williams (N.E.R.D.), Patti Labelle, Kid Cuddi, Skylar Grey Jay-Z, Sean “P-Diddy” Combs, and currently tours with Wiz Khalifa.
As a producer, Boots has comprised a library totaling ten albums where he has been the lead or sole producer, including the latest album for his production work for Def Poetry Jam’s “Black Ice” on the album Death of Willie Lynch.

“I have toured the world with many artists. Now, I want to step out and let the world hear me, the artist and my music.””- World Live Cafe’

ABOUT THE VENUE

 

 

 

 

 

The venue has two levels. Opening act, Boots Greene, and Dave Manley played downstairs, a local artist named “Lady Lamb who wasn’t listed on the venue’s website, played an acoustic set on the second (street) level.
When you enter the venue, the first thing that you see is a giant mural that is faces the entry way in a stair case.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When you go down the stair case to reach the second level, a second mural is painted on the right side in the lobby.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Both murals were created by the local artist Paul Santorleri. You can find more of his artwork at http://www.paulsantoleri.com.

ABOUT PAUL SANTORLERI

“Birthplace -Philadelphia, PA, 1965

Currently resides, Philadelphia PA

Received a BFA (Painting) from Tyler School of Art, Temple University, in Philadelphia and Rome, Italy (1987), and an MFA (Painting) at the University of Arizona in Tucson (1991).
Also at the Skowhegan School of Art in Maine on a scholarship (1991 and 93)
Artist in residence at the Banff Centre, Canada, the MacDowell colony (Peterborough, NH), twice, also at Altos de Chavon, Dominican.Republic, Fundacion Valparaiso, Spain, and Villa Montalvo in California.
My work is included in the collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Pennsylvania State Museum, the corporate collections of Wyeth-Ayerst, Standard and Poor’s, McDonald’s, Moorfeed, Rohm and Haas, among others.
I have numerous public works commissioned by the City of Philadelphia (MAP) and the city’s Percent for Art Program: I’ve completed 30 mural commissions, including murals /mosaicsfor the Philadelphia Zoo, Sunoco, Rohm and Haas, and the Philadelphia Free Library where I did a fresco commission for the Walnut Street Branch (Percent for Art Competition) 2004, and a stained glass mosaic at the Rodriguez branch (2006) also 2 murals at the University of Pennsylvania’s WXPN/World Café Live. also a 3story mosaic/mural relief at Mural Arts Program headquarters at the Thomas Eakins’ House
Grants received from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (1992 & 2004) also from the Independence Foundation, Philadelphia, PA, (2002) and the Brandywine Workshop (1998), MacDowell fellowship 98 &92
Some of my latest group exhibits include , The Noyes Museum, in NJ(2 person show), L’Annotazionid’Arte, Milano, and Galeria Aunkan, Barcelona, Spain, and also at the Spector, Projects and Qbix Galleries in Philadelphia, and at Robert Miller Gallery NY, PRIMO Piano Gallery, Lecce ,Italy: “Effemera Meravigliosa”
Recent Solo exhibits: Thomas Eakins’ House Philadelphia,: 08, RED Gallery, Hull, UK Nov..- Dec 07; the KENTLER International Drawing Space, Brooklyn, NY Sept-Oct 2007;; the Arts Center in Troy, NY 1/07; the PAINTED BRIDE ART CENTER, Philadelphia, 2005-6 and 1997; also at the Delaware Center for Contemporary Arts, Wilmington, DE, 2003; and at the Projects Gallery, Philadelphia, 2005; the Spector Gallery, 2000; the Philadelphia Art Alliance, , 2000.

I recently presented work as part of an annual festival at CESTA, in Tabor, Czech Republic. The semi permanent installation in an 18th c. smokehouse is still on view at the Art center.”

 

I have recordings from both Boots Greene and Dave Manely, however, I am experiencing technical difficulties uploading them to Word Press. I will post them shortly.