The Re-Incarnation of Jim Morrison?

In recent weeks, Outlaw Dervish has played some really inspiring shows - inspiring for the delivery and reception of the music and also, inter-dependently - the involvement of the Promoters and the Audience, as well as the other Artists at our shows.

In March, I was truly proud and gracious to share the bill with some of my favorite musicians and djs - Dragonfly, J. Boogie's Dubtronic Science and Janaka Selekta at the Groove Garden's 9th Anniversary Party. Outlaw D got chilly with it in the plush pillow-zone of Planet Fairfax and so many friends came from near and far to support us and dwell beneath the parachute canopies for an eve of blissed out Chillaxin'. We rolled through a set of Downtempo and Dub tunes and the folks lapped it up. Two weeks later we brought our show to Sear Phi in SF and really enjoyed the space there, as well as being able to dial in a formidable live recording on the good old Zoom Hand-held. These folks are creating something very cool and very special... can't wait to see it continue to take shape.

At Sera Phi , I met a man (R) who , it became clear, held the opinion that I might be the re-incarnated form of Jim Morrison. He and I were talking on the street, and in addition to his campaigning with me during the show for some concept photos (where are they!?), he beguiled me with his feeling that I reminded him of Morrison - and insisted that the band are going to be world famous as of this date next year! Everyone ready for that?! People do often comment that they perceive shades of the Doors in our music, and this seems to be a way for folks to digest what I do with the Spoken Word element. What's an urban mystic to do? Admittedly, it's also a bit un-nerving to talk with someone who feels adamantly that I am not only myself, but also the essence and personality of a dead Rock Star! This man's appreciation is and was inspiring and encouraging, all told.

At the same time that it can be quite flattering to receive a comment like this, it is also difficult to know where it is coming from. I am very much of the mind that we are all creators and that the future of Live Performance will be shaped by this understanding. I was seeking to impart this notion to my new biggest fan, and we apparently had a bit of a language barrier. Also, let's face it, how could I not fall prey to wanting to soak up the adoration that comes with being compared to Jim Morrison... after all, I have made many deals over time with my ego - not the least of which being that it gets it's opportunity to shine, as long as it allows me to take care of business, as it were, as regards allowing the more universal aspects of my character to also have their expression. Part of how this got started was the notion that going out and playing shows is like a hedonistic and luxuriant breeze for us musician-types... as R said, "Just show up , plug in some chords and play!" I wish that was all that it entailed, sometimes! In fact, and it is ultimately my pleasure to do so, I spend ~40-50 hours a week on average promoting my music and setting up shows, managing the band, etc... Thanks be to Heaven that I am able to do so!

Whether I remind people of Jim Morrison or not, there's bit more to making the music viable than plugging in some chords and playing folks... just trust me on that!

On that note: upon review by the full band, we'll be looking at offering some free downloads soon, from shows and perhaps also from 'the vaults'...
remixes are on the table for review from the Outlaw Dervish album itself.

Still Breakin on Through to the Other Side, wearing my Cobra Skin neck-tie! OD

Stephen Kent and KPFA Radio, Music of the World, SOMA FM Groove Salad...

There are very few musicians I have followed for several years, and even fewer whose releases I have collected as expansively as I have Stephen Kent's. Stephen is based here in my neck of the woods and does a weekly radio program on KPFA FM, "Music of the World". His Live presence is consistently gratifying and entertaining, whether he plays with a group or does solo material and I would say I have heard him play out something like ~ 7 times over the past eight years. His recordings are diverse and also range from solo didjeridu to group projects and all that I have heard are high quality productions. Kent is definitely one of my heroes for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that he truly holds himself in a delightful and down to earth way, despite his 'certifiable' mastery of the didjeridu.

When I started recording in earnest myself, and came out with the Outlaw Dervish disc, which was so deeply influenced by another of my musical heroes and the Co-Producer/Engineer, Ben Leinbach, I began approaching Stephen for some airply on KPFA. Getting radio play is no small trick for a new independent muso, and having launched into seeking this in various places for my music over the past two years, I can honerstly say that it requires diligence and verve.

So it was with great joy in my heart and big gratitude for my own creative journey as well as Ben's contributions to the Outlaw D disc that Stephen graced us with a rotation on Christmas Day 2008. Not only did he play "We Need Each Other", he also shared with me via e-mail that he has been listening to the album a lot at home and that he was surprised that he liked it! I asked him about that and he said that it takes a lot for him to get 'wowed' by didjeridu music - which makes total sense as he can truly rip with a depth and sweetness on this instrument (and many others!), as anybody who has listened to him play will attest. It has felt amazing to make this music, as it has to receive the praise and delight of some of my musical heroes. I do make the music for myself, in a very real sense, but to see and feel the ripples go out and carry others on them, well... that's also a great feeling, and that probably goes wothout saying.

Stephen has said he will play more of the tracks on the radio, so , I am looking forward to that with excitement and wonder and say a great big THANK YOU to Stephen for an awesome X-Mas gift in 2008...

As far as I can tell , per my tracking of the Outlaw Dervish tentacular reach, we are currently also enjoying rotation on the all Didjeridu station - DidgHeadRadio, out of the UK as well as on Groove Salad, SOMA FM - who have been consistently spinning "Shaken" for the last several months - two more awesome gifts by stations and creators whom I have come to regard highly on the basis of their mannerisms in dealing with me, as well as their commitment to great music.

In 2009 the aim is for some video activity with a soon to be released film for the ~ 5 minute tune, "We Need Each Other" which was shot and Produced by Daniel Watts, and for the Live Show to come fully into realization... Both are fully under way at the moment.

Looking forward to joining you 'in the mix'... Outlaw Dervish

Phat Tuesday Report

My long-destined collab with Mista Killa Watts at Senor Bello's Compound in SF finally came to fruition last week. Despite San Francisco's distance from New Orleans and the potential gap in understanding and celebrating Mardi Gras... 'twas a Phat Tuesday...

Outlaw Dervish sounded great (as widely confirmed by Senor bello and others!)

... we especially blew the lid off of Tuesday night with "We Need Each Other" which lofted powerfully out of our second set. Killa dropped Dabloons from the ship's upper deck as a band of East Bay Super Women arrived and got the dancing started proper. Miss Mardi Storm, Laurie Mimosa, Amy Seidman and others held down the Captain's quarters , taking to the main deck for time to time to assure the passengers of our course and the weather held forth, right up until the moment somebody could be heard to shout, "Land Ho" from the leeward bough.

The band swayed in and out of written material and improvised sounds and made love to the airwaves and trusting Tuesday night party-goers in the newly opened 'warehouse-a-torium'. During the set, Daniel filmed the band and we will be looking that over real soon to see what actually happened, according to the camera... and will be adding the footage to the potential screening material for our up-coming Film and Music Series which we are planning as a new Under-Ground Indie Monthly.

This was Travis Porter de Leon's final show, on an official level anyways, with O.D. and the Samurais of Sound. He is moving on to his own projects , including Band of Mystics. Jason Parmar, of multitudinous acclaimed projects, including, most recently Eliyahu & Qadim , Liquid Gardens and Tina Malia, will be joining our Live line-up beginning with March 7th's Groove Garden show in Fairfax. We are excited about the shift in gears and also had an ace time acknowledging 'Drummer Travis' and his contribution and we are clear that we will want to collaborate somehow in the future. In fact, we closed Senor Bello's after Justine Till arrived and we sat talking and sharing until 4am - past Daniel Killa Watts bed-time to be sure, and slowly wandered out into the early morning, one more great night under our belts and looking forward to the next voyage... deep in the kind of closeness that comes from making music together, sharing what we love and loving what we share

See You Soon, O.D and the Samurais of Sound!!!