GroWiser ~ Ball & Chain
CD pamphlet back
photo by Styrous®
One of the perks of living in a major metropoitan area is the chance operation that puts one in touch with amazing things, events, people, art and, of course, music.
I experienced one of those perks yesterday at the Old Oakland Farmer's Market where I met three members of the group GroWiser performing.
I had a fantastic time listening to their music and talking to the keybordist and leader, Hubert Emerson, saxophonist, Sahar Imani Miller and Ralph Eutsey on congas.
Man! Can Miller wail out a tune on that sax! They also did some
mellow tunes in which she "crooned" her way into my heart. Like Sugar, I've always been a sucker for the saxophone; Woody Herman in the forties, Earl Bostic, Charlie Parker & Sonny Rollins in the fifties, Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane & Dexter Gordon in the sixties, Stan Getz, Grover Washington, Jr. in the seventies and of course, in the eighties, John Zorn.
GroWiser - Old Oakland - 2018
photo by Styrous®
I had a fantastic time listening to their music and talking to the keybordist and leader, Hubert Emerson, saxophonist, Sahar Imani Miller and Ralph Eutsey on congas.
GroWiser - Old Oakland - 2018
photo byStyrous®
Emerson told me his group had been performing at the market for decades but for some reason I had missed him and this was my first encounter with them.
I bought several of their CDs, a couple of which they autographed for me. I'll write about the albums as I listen to them.
CD pamphlet cover
photographers unknown
photo of cover by Styrous®
The group's music is a fusion of jazz, blues, funk and maybe a hint of soul. They played a beautiful song, Hungry Eyes, (not to be confused with the song of the same name by Eric Carmen) that is a knockout (link below)! I could easily imagine moving in ecstacy to it when I was younger and in a dance club. The song is on the Tears of God album, which I bought and will write about at a later date after I've listened to it.
CD case
photo by Styrous®
There is a video of them during a recording session of Middle of the Night, from the Don't Look Back album, and Out On the Town from at the Jingletown Studios in Oakland on YouTube (link below). Miller totally wails out on sax as well as sings in it.
The Jingletown Studios was the next block down from my studio. It was founded by the members of Green Day. There were many rock groups who recorded there, the heavy metal band from Oakland, Machine Head, the rock band from San Jose, Smash Mouth, Iggy Pop, as well as Green Day. There are a couple of videos by audio engineer, videographer, and musician Chris Dugan about the studios (link below).
The last I heard, the studios were up for sale. Before it was turned into a recording studio, the building had been gutted in a massive fire in 2006.
The Jingletown Studios was the next block down from my studio. It was founded by the members of Green Day. There were many rock groups who recorded there, the heavy metal band from Oakland, Machine Head, the rock band from San Jose, Smash Mouth, Iggy Pop, as well as Green Day. There are a couple of videos by audio engineer, videographer, and musician Chris Dugan about the studios (link below).
photo by Niall David
The last I heard, the studios were up for sale. Before it was turned into a recording studio, the building had been gutted in a massive fire in 2006.
Jingletown Studios fire - 2006
photo by Styrous®
I haven't had time to listen to the GroWiser albums I bought yesterday but judging from the fantastic time I had listening to them perform, I look forward to many hours of blissful listening.
CD
photo by Styrous®
YouTube links:
Styrous® ~ Saturday, June 23, 2018
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