Some of you may not be familiar with my background on the funk/improv scene here in the Chi. It started years ago with my original project Peking Turtle (back in the "acid jazz" days). We played Elbo Room, The Note, Double Door, Sub-T, Beat Kitchen, Taste of Chicago, NorthbyNortheast in Toronto and many other places in and out of the city.
We released two self-produced CD's and had a killing vibe and sound. It was a "band", we rehearsed, wrote music together, enjoyed hanging with each other, worked our asses off with promoting, merchandise, all of it...I was proud to be the leader.
I also performed with SUMO, every Sunday night at the Elbo Room for about two years. Late nights were had by this raucous bunch of funky peeps. The Golden Apple breakfast sessions until 4am. This is where I got my first taste of an "improv" group and I don't mean "2nd city" or jazz scatting". Tunes were created on the spot, lyrics, melodies, rapping, horn licks. I was hooked, so years later, as I invested time into my jazz career, I had to bring back the improv funky rebellious spirit so I joined forces with some folks and created the BMC.
The BMC allows me to share all the stylings and the musical influences along my journey thus far. I grew up on disco, funk, soul, country, hard rock, and a smattering of world music. I also realized recently my first true love was dance, I was a dance minor in college but chose voice because doing both was too demanding at the time. I've always been very in tune with my physical body and the desire to move and how music brings us to our feet to release and connect with ourselves physically. Yes, I'm the first one at an event to get on the dance floor... it's the groove, baby, the groove.
My rebellious spirit, she loves to freestyle... allowing me to color outside of the lines, just like scatting but I get to create an entire song, melody and lyrics. The song could be based on the day, a mood, a person, a random subject... Sometime's the tunes work, sometime's they don't, so what.. you move on. Just like in life. #next
Improvisation is such a big part of my journey this lifetime. Damn it feels good. If you want to see me get down, let loose, hold on tight and get ready to dance cuz I'll make your rebellious side come out!