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Posted by djafan on Tuesday, December 13, 2011
credit Heather Farble
Posted in Appreciation, Art, artistic freedom, concerts, David Archuleta, jazz, lyrics, music, Musical icon, My Kind of Christmas Tour, performance art, Personal freedom, Respect, tours, Uncategorized | 158 Comments »
Posted by bebereader on Friday, May 27, 2011
Having no idea how important a bass player is to a band, my assumption was that the bass is the least important instrument because you can barely hear it, right? Seems that I had it all wrong. In any band, the bass player has a crucial role because he is depended upon to propel the music along. Establishing and keeping a steady rhythm by working with the drummer is another one of the bassist’s primary functions. The bassist is also responsible for linking the harmony or backing chords of a song with the rhythm. The link is so important to the song because it contributes to the style of the music, whether rock, jazz, pop, etc.
Enter Ben Shepherd, David’s new bassist.
Ben hails from Wellington, New Zealand and now resides in Valencia, California where he attends California Institute of the Arts and majors in Jazz Studies. He plays funk, fusion and jazz. At only 21 years old, he’s already worked with top New Zealand jazz musicians like Leigh Jackson and Kirsten McKenzie. In 2008 he recorded his first album “Double Play” featuring his own compositions.
Ben Shepherd has his own band called Mr. DanZ. It’s a jazz/fusion/rock/funk/blues/gospel band and Steven Robinson, David’s percussionist is a member. He credits Herbie Hancock and Weather Report as the band’s biggest influences.
“With the tight explosive pocket of Steven J. Robinson on drums, the thunderous low end from Ben Shepherd on Bass to the mind blowing technique of Bulgarian Pianist/Keyboardist Milen Kirov combined with the fiery fingers of Neil Kogan on Guitar, Mr. DanZ’s sound and style will keep you on the edge of your seat with their high energy and freight train-like groove like no other.” ~from Mr. DanZ’s facebook page.
There is a more mature, complex, raw vibe showing in David’s recent performances. It’s no stretch of the imagination to believe his new band has played a role in that growth, and will continue to be a seminal influence in the months to come. This is not the track Jive had in mind for him, but this “explosive..thunderous..high energy freight train” has left the station and there’s no turning back.
Click here to go to Mr DanZ’s FB page.
Click here to visit Ben’s YouTube Channel
Posted in David Archuleta, jazz, Mr. DanZ, music genres | Tagged: All aboard!, Ben Shepherd, David Archuleta, It’s a jazz/fusion/rock/funk/blues/gospel band | 220 Comments »
Posted by bebereader on Thursday, May 19, 2011
Guitarist, Brian Green
We’ve already learned about two of David’s new band members; keyboardist Mark Nilan Jr and percussionist Steven Robinson. Each, with his unique abilities and background brings something special to the mix to complement David’s voice.
Next up is Brian Green, an accomplished guitarist/composer with an impressive resume. I contacted Brian on facebook (he’s not on Twitter) and asked him for updated biographical information for this article. He immediately and good-naturedly responded with a link to his website. His music stretches to many genres including jazz, pop, ambient, Brazilian and groove music.
What is groove music? According to Wikipedia:
“Groove is the sense of propulsive rhythmic “feel” or sense of “swing” created by the interaction of the music played by a band’s rhythm section (drums, electric bass or double bass, guitar, and keyboards). Groove is a consideration in genres such as salsa, funk, rock, fusion, and soul. The word is often used to describe the aspect of certain music that makes one want to move, dance, or “groove”.
Hailing from and residing in Los Angeles, California, Brian first picked up a guitar when he was just eight years old, to impress a girl he liked in grade school. He credits rocker Eddie Van Halen as his earliest influence but later became interested in jazz when he was in high school. In 2000 he was a Spotlight Award finalist, giving him the opportunity to perform at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion with renowned pianist Gerald Clayton. In 2001 he was honored as a Clifford Brown/Stan Getz Fellow and selected to participate in the 2001 Grammy Band.
Brian was accepted to the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California in 2002, where he studied jazz and classical music and began a degree in Studio Jazz Guitar. In 2004 he worked with and recorded for producer David Foster as a featured soloist on Michael Buble’s hit single “Home”. Then Warner Brothers approached him to play with Michael Buble on a tour around the world for a year and a half. After the Buble tour, he concentrated on completing his degree at USC and on being a composer and artist. He graduated with honors in 2007, the same year he recorded his debut album of all original jazz music, “Scenic Route”.
“The disc is fantastic for relaxing at home but the music is at its best live, where, in the tradition of jazz, Green and his band create plenty of improvised solos and experimental melodies. His is a modern jazz, often eschewing the piano but making use of other tools such as looping pedals to lay down melodies live and solo over them.” ~from Brian Green’s myspace page
“I always prefer playing live shows. Something can be lost in jazz that is too studied. Sometimes it’s better to create a vibe for the audience, an aesthetic. That’s what I try to do with my music…
I want to make a fun environment for everyone so that they can relate to me, the performer, without needing extensive knowledge of the history of jazz.” ~Brian Green
Brian and Steven accompanied David to the Invisible Children event in Nashvile last month. We were treated to a new acoustic guitar-driven “Crush” that gave the song new depth.
credit JR
Since October 2010, Brian has been singing vocals and playing lead guitar for his own jazz/pop/indie band, Montë Mar. He credits The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Johnny Marr, Milton Nascimento and Radiohead as the band’s major influences. With music that grooves, improvised solos and experimental melodies, Brian’s skills and experience make him perfectly suited for David’s band.
The versatility of David’s new band is exciting and I can’t wait to hear them meld their sounds together and get their “groove” on!
Click on pic above to go to Brian’s Facebook page.
Posted in artistic freedom, concerts, David Archuleta, David Foster, genres, Invisible Children, jazz, Michael Buble, music, music genres, Musical icon | Tagged: David Archuleta's repertoire, Guitarist extraordinaire, Invisible Children, To be continued, versatile band | 125 Comments »
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