E. Doctor Smith's Blog

One of the world’s best percussionists, Ranjit Barot has joined forces with bassist Etienne Mbappe and U. Shrinivas on mandolin, to create a fabulous new album, due to be released on September 10th. “The word chingari literally means ‘a spark’ in Hindi,” explains Barot. The internationally renowned, Mumbai-based composer and drummer has taken the word as the name for a new trio featuring himself, Southern Indian mandolin virtuoso Shrinivas, and Cameroonian bassist and vocalist Mbappe. “My thought behind the name was a spark, yes,” he adds, “but one which lights a big fire.” “On their debut album Bombay Makossa – available September 16, 2014 on the Abstract Logix imprint – the three musicians mine their richly divergent experiences to create a dynamic, fluid hybrid sound that fuses the rhythmic intricacy and improvisational fervor of South Indian Carnatic music with the infectious buoyancy of Cameroonian sounds, bridged by a shared love of jazz, second-line funk, and the shimmering text...

Organist Wil Blades returns to the Boom Boom Room at Fillmore & Geary this Friday and Saturday night, with a stellar band in tow. On the heels of his wonderful album “Shimmy” with Medeski, Martin and Wood drummer Billy Martin, and his newest release “Field Notes”, Blades rolls in with the amazing saxophonist Skerik, (fresh from a reunion in Austin with Seattle’s Critters Buggin’); Mike Clark, (Herbie Hancock’s drummer from his original Headhunters band), and guitarist Jeff Parker. Parker joined Blades and drummer Simon Lott on the aforementioned Field Notes. If you saw and enjoyed the Shimmy show last year with Martin, (and with a horn section to boot), you will love this line-up. Blades’ Field Notes Released on the Royal Potato Family label, his latest effort as described on the their website, states, “When Wil Blades sits down at the Hammond B3, count on inspired music to follow. The 34-year old, Chicago-native, Berkeley-based artist is a cornerstone organist of his generation—a ...

One of the most prolific drummers to ever grace the skins, Dave Weckl has played with a veritable who’s who of musical greats; alongside bassist Victor Wooten in Chick Corea’s Elektric Band, the late, great saxophonist, Michael Brecker, or Contra-bass master Anthony Jackson, guitarists George Benson and Mike Stern to name but a few. Weckl returns to Yoshi’s in Oakland, this time leading his own, all-acoustic quartet in support of his newest album. Dave Weckl, Modern Drummer’s Hall of Fame-er and among the top 25 drummers of all time, launches his first band, tour and recording in over a decade. With Makoto Ozone on piano and keys, Tom Kennedy/bass and Gary Meek/saxes the Dave Weckl Acoustic Band is charged with riveting chemistry, ebullient communication and rare telepathy that engages audiences to their rapt delight. Early on, it was Peter Erskine who recommended Dave for French Toast, a Michel Camilo band. Next legendary bassist Anthony Jackson suggested Dave for the Simon and Garfun...