E. Doctor Smith's Blog

San Francisco is home to some of the most interesting politicians, musicians and artists I have ever seen. I was surprised to find out that these talented folks include the likes of past and present SF Board of Supervisor Presidents Matt Gonzalez, (bassist) & David Chiu, (violinist); Public Defender Jeff Adachi, (guitarist and filmmaker), the Sierra Club's John Rizzo, (guitarist) & Arthur Feinstein, (saxophonist), Port of SF's Rich Berman & Mission activist Eric Quezada, (saxophonists), activist Judy B. Onze, (singer), Fog City Journal's Luke Thomas, (guitarist), OVC's Brent Turner, (guitarist), BMW&L's Mark Mosher, (guitarist) and Beyond Chron's own Paul Hogarth, (pianist), just to name a few. Add Brightline Defence's Joshua Arce, (singer, songwriter, guitarist) and his band "Addison" to this eclectic mix. During the day, Arce is doing battle as an attorney and activist with PG&E, Cal ISO, and championing the cause...

Last Tuesday evening on KPOO fm's "The Community Worker", I had the pleasure of interviewing acclaimed actor and producer Danny Glover and Dan Sturman , director, producer of the Oscar hopeful documentary "Soundtrack for a Revolution". Also joining us for the discussion was Jackie Wright, president of Wright Enterprises on the upcoming screening of the film at Third Baptist Church on Dr. Martin Luther King's Birthday this Friday, January 15th. They've also unearthed some new, never seen before footage for this documentary. "Soundtrack for a Revolution" tells the story of the American civil rights movement through its powerful music -the freedom songs protesters sang on picket lines, in mass meetings, in paddy wagons, and in jail cells as they fought for justice and equality. Directors Sturman and two-time Oscar winner Bill Guttentag (co-directors of 1997's "Nanking"), pair provocative vintage footage with emotional inte...

In July of 2005, I wrote about Neeta Ragoowansi, a fabulous singer, musician, and a former entertainment attorney for the Kennedy Center. Neeta continues to use her powers for good, working as the Membership Director of SoundExchange, a nonprofit agency based in Washington, D.C. and authorized by the U.S. Copyright Office to collect royalties from digital broadcasters and pay them directly to performing artists. Founded in 2000 and initially part of the Recording Industry Association of America, SoundExchange made its first payments in 2001 and, after a slow beginning, has begun to double its annual collections. Recently, SoundExchange had come under fire for not doing enough to find those musicians, and see to it they get what they derserve. Those detractors couldn't be more wrong, as the Bakersfield Californian's Robert Price found out. Sound Exchange continues to find artists and their families, and for those that can't be found, their royalties reside in...

Founded in 1994, the Lords of Outland is a rotating collective of ensemble members under the direction of saxophonist and producer Rent Romus. Throughout the Lords' fifteen year history in the spirit of free form experimentation its core roster has changed numerous times featuring guests like John Tchicai, James Zitro, Kash Killion, and many others. The group currently features CJ Borosque on no-input pedals and trumpet, Philip Everett on drums, percussion and electronics, Ray Schaeffer on electric basses, lead by Romus on alto, soprano, C-melody saxophones, voice, and electronics. To commemorate their longevity comes "The Lord of the Outland XV". Contained in "XV" are live public recordings covering a wide range of original jazz and improvisations, many of which have never been released from 1994-2008, and on disc two, a new full length project recorded in 2009. Other performing artists who have participated in the Lords of Outland include Jason Ol...

Singer, songwriter, producer and survivor, Kathryn Keats returns to Mill Valley's Throckmorton Theater on December 17th, bringing another stellar ensemble of musicians and razor-sharp, impeccably crafted, soulful compositions, filled with entertaining and unpredictable moments and joy for every age. Keats is a fascinating and incredible entertainer that is reclaiming her career after 20 years in the witness protection program. She is currently developing a Broadway musical loosely based upon her book “After the Silence”. Her heroic journey from captivity to freedom has inspired audiences in Europe and the United States. Keats is often a guest artist at community outreach events that raise awareness about domestic violence. Joining Keats for this latest show are Michael Manring on bass, Jeff Oster on flugelhorn & trumpet, Celso Alberti on drums, Joe Venegoni on percussion and Kelly Park on piano & vibes. Keats has been involved in music since the age of five, w...

A well-respected drummer who has appeared in many types of settings in many genres, Steve Gadd's impressive technique and flexibility have been influential during the past 20 years. He started playing drums at the age of three, sat in with Dizzy Gillespie when he was 11, and after extensive study and a stint in the Army, Gadd became an important studio drummer beginning in 1972. Among his more significant jazz associations have been with Chick Corea (starting in 1975), Bob James, Al DiMeola, Tom Scott, Grover Washington Jr., David Sanborn, the group Stuff, the Manhattan Jazz Quintet, and his own impressive band (the Gadd Gang) which recorded for Columbia in 1986 and 1988. Next week, Gadd brings an all star line-up to Yoshi's in San Francisco with keyboardist Joey DeFrancesco, saxophonist Ronnie Cuber and guitarist Paul Bollenback. Gadd is one of the most sought-after studio musicians in the world. Regarded as the most influential drummer in contemporary music, Gadd...

This weekend, world reknown bassist Stanley Clarke brings his latest incarnation with long-time bandmate, drummer Lenny White and pianist Hiromi Uehara to Yoshi's on Fillmore for promises to be an amazing show. In a career that spans nearly four decades and includes gigs with Return to Forever, Rite of Strings and a variety of other solo and collaborative projects along the way, Clarke – one of the most prominent voices in electric jazz and fusion – had seemingly covered every possible corner of the jazz landscape. But there was one avenue he had yet to explore. “I had never done an acoustic bass record, ever,” he says. “There’s a long list of people on whose records I’ve played acoustic bass – Art Blakey, Dexter Gordon, Stan Getz, Joe Henderson and many others – but I’d never done an acoustic jazz trio record of my own. So I wanted to record one that would just feature the piano and the acoustic bass in a way that you could really hear the bass.” This long-overdue dr...