Robert Glasper, Questlove, Joe Lovano Participate in Night of Improvised Round Robin Duets
The annual Red Bull Music Academy has grown into a hotly anticipated event of seminars, classes and performances, and being held in New York City for the first time has driven the quality and demand up to new heights. In one of the most anticipated events of the month long festival, A Night of Improvised Round Robin Duets at Brooklyn Masonic Temple was a magnet of multiple genres and sensibilities, making for an once-in-a-lifetime musical potluck that nourished music lovers of all types. Here’s a recap of every duet:
FlyLo + Thundercat Take Over the World?
In the past week or so there has been a lot of information leaking from the Brainfeeder camp concerning Thundercat and Flying Lotus. Here are a few of the most exciting tidbits of information.
Thundercat Drops “Heartbreaks + Setbacks” from Forthcoming Apocalypse
We heard Thundercat was finishing up his followup to The Golden Age of Apocalypse and now we’ve got the proof with the first single off of the new record entitled Apocalypse (out July 9th 2013 on Brainfeeder). Executive produced by his brother-in-music Flying Lotus, the first track, “Heartbreaks + Setbacks.”
Garden Variety Diaspora Reversal: Weeksville Garden Party Day Two, featuring Georgia Anne Muldrow
Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights are communities brimming with conflicting Black cultures. Nestled near the border of these two neighborhoods is the Weeksville Heritage Center – landmarked houses of the first free Black residents of Brooklyn, NY. The Weeksville Houses are a metaphorical conduit between clashing cultures; a preserved illustration of a time when all Black inhabitants came together as one in the twilight of institutionalized slavery. To commemorate New York State’s Emancipation Day of July 5th 1827 (38 years before the Civil War ended), the center annually curates The Weeksville Garden Party, a weekly gathering every July to partake in organic food, a blossoming garden and performances that, as the event’s coordinators stated, include “artists that embody the same irreverent spirit of the founders.”
Thomas Pridgen: Maintaining Sole Creative Custody
Thomas Pridgen is about as outspoken as they come when it gets down to creativity. He is allowing no barrier to hold him back on his journey to find and nurture an identity and seemingly this has worked out very well for him. The Oakland native has pursued stints with the Mars Volta, Berklee College of Music, and many other gigs before settling into it with his own band, The Memorials. Two records in and they have created some buzz worthy music for our eager ears. Read his story below and take a listen to some of the tracks.
Ticket Giveaway: The Return of Thundercat
Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner will be making his second solo appearance in NYC on Wednesday 2/1/12 at SOB’s. The innovative technician of all things bass will be continuing his tour of the world with a special, one-night-only event opened by Deathrow Tull and continuing with a very special showcase of Thundercat’s talents featuring music from The Golden Age of Apocalypse and other favorites. Check out our ticket giveaway below!
Thundercat. Tonight. Thank God.
Tonight we are helping host Thundercat, who will be playing songs from his recent Brainfeeder released record entitled The Golden Age of the Apocalypse at Le Poisson Rouge around 10:30pm. You do not want to miss this!
The Revivalist | The Friday Round Up
Hello All! It’s time for the Revivivalist Friday Round Up! Check out all of our dope features of the past week! Enjoy your weekend! Jorge Ben Samba Esquema Novo (Album Review) When you hear Jorge Ben, there is a common understanding that transcends linguistic barriers. This, I believe, is the mark of timeless music. The Reimagining [...]
11/8: The New York Debut of THUNDERCAT
On Tuesday, Nov. 8th 2011, Revive da Live will be presenting The New York Debut of THUNDERCAT performing songs off his latest release, The Golden Age of Apocalypse at Le Poisson Rouge. This is a show that is NOT to be missed. Tickets on sale now! and see you at the show ~
The Revivalist | Friday Round Up!
This week we were lucky enough to chat with the living legend George Duke, dive into the story of 4hero, and review some great albums from Thundercat and The Meters. Here’s your Friday Round Up!
Thundercat The Golden Age of Apocalypse
You may not have met Stephen Bruner, but you have heard Thundercat. Bruner hangs his hat on the hook as a solo artist with his first major release for unabashedly far-out fresh factory, Brainfeeder – the label that came right on time, courtesy of Flying Lotus. Appropriately lauded but oft preceded by his lineage, FlyLo has quickly become too big for the six degrees of Coltrane people have enjoyed pinning him beneath. As that trend loses steam, his label, thankfully, has not. A bench already teeming with high scorers, Thundercat emerges to raise the stakes with The Golden Age of The Apocalypse, his debut release of refried fusion — equal parts rock, jazz, astral planes, and pimp shit.
The Revivalist | Friday Round Up!
We are wrapping up the dog days of summer with a week of heavy-hitters including interviews with Robert Glasper, Thundercat, Betty Padgett and so much more. Enjoy the weekend!
The Golden Age of Thundercat
Stephen Bruner is Thundercat and Thundercat is the dominant bassist rising within the ranks of R&B, hip-hop, jazz, electronic, and beyond. The mystique behind the man named for his favorite cartoon seemingly hides an introspective, ambitious, and fearless young artist whose solo debut album is finally emerging in front of the vast catalog of experience he has amassed in collaboration with the likes of Erykah Badu, Shafiq Husayn, Stanley Clarke, and Flying Lotus, his closest partner and head of the Brainfeeder movement. The Golden Age of Apocalypse represents something fully in the image of Thundercat with the help from some friends and as such has been heavily anticipated by his community of supporters.
Thundercat’s The Golden Ago Of Apocalypse (STREAM)
Thundercat’s debut solo album The Golden Ago Of Apocalypse is streaming now on Brainfeeder’s site. Check it out here as well! The album will be available for purchase and download August 30th.
Taylor McFerrin: Solo Processing
As lifelong musician and producer Taylor McFerrin prepared for his upcoming gig opening for the Miguel Atwood-Ferguson Ensemble on July 9th in Harlem, The Revivalist caught up with him for a quick schooling on how he processes music, samples himself, some insight into the Brainfeeder community, a look into his upcoming album, and even a sample set. Check out the interview and some photos from Taylor’s shoot with Rehes Creative.
Brainfeeder To Hit New York, Los Angeles & San Francisco
LA-based label Brainfeeder brings some our favorites from their roster to New York, Los Angeles & San Francisco at the end of the month. The lineup includes Flying Lotus, Thundercat, Austin Peralta, Teebs and Strange Loop. We are crossing our fingers that Flying Lotus and and Thundercat will give us a sneak preview of Thundercat’s solo album The Golden Age of Apocalypse, which is produced entirely by FlyLo and out on August 30th.
Evolution of the Instrument: Bass
That’s why we have launched the Evolution of the Instrument Series, to trace the lineage of legendary musicians who defined what it means to play an instrument. The first installment traces the history of the bass as it began to break into the jazz realm through to the present. There are so many innovators of the bass, add your influences into the comments.
