Fuasi

I have been performing professionally since 1972 where I studied with the late great African-American pianist Horace Tapscott in Los Angeles, California. This led to a lifetime relationship with Tapscott's Pan-African People's Arkestra, during which time I served as assistant conductor as well as arranger, composer, copier and player of saxophone, clarinet and flute.I have performed from coast to coast in the U.S. and in the last 16 years in Europe, both leading my own ensemble as well as sharing the stage with such greats as Walter Bishop Jr., Jimmy Garrison, Charles Owens, Jeff Littleton, Rudy Stevenson, Ed Blackwell, Arthur Blythe, Queen Negus H. Somayah Moore-Kambui and the Black Belt Symphony, Arto Tuncboyaciyan, Danny Harper, Joe Jennings, Joe Bowie, Hal Singer, Sugar Blue, Sha'Ifa, Nedra Wheeler, Abdu Salim, Dick de Graaf, Abraham Burton, Omar Sosa and Winard Harper to name only a few. My professional credits also include three films.My theater credits include the writing of original scores for three plays as well as performing roles in these plays. I am performing original compositions from all the members of my ensemble as well as playing various musical pieces from established composers and performers from around the world.In 2006 I created a new group called "The Horace Tapscott Memorial Ensemble" . We are performing compositions and arrangments from my late teacher and mentor, Mr. Horace Tapscott. (www.posi-tone.com/tapscott/). He was a musician, community activist and a folk hero in Los Angeles who dedicated his life to creating, archiving, performing, preserving and dissemnating the music of the African-American musical community of Los Angeles California so that the generations afterwards would know and benefit from the contributions that we have made as the artistic members of this community. Horace was the founder of the Union of God's Musicians and Artist Ascension (U.G.M.A.A.) and the Pan African Peoples Arkestra (P.A.P.A.) founded in 1962 which I have been a member of since 1973. Many famous and well known international musicians have been (and still) been involved with him and his organization which included the Azar Lawrence, David Murray, Pharoah Sanders, Butch Morris and Arthur Blythe. There are 3 books published about Horace and his contributions; “Central Avenue Sounds”, “Songs of the Unsung” and “The Dark Tree”.My discography includes:SPV Records - Big Light "Give It A Break" (Remix), 1993 W.E.A. Records - "At Last I Am Free" Maxi single with Sharifa and WordSong, 1995 Downbeat Records - " Sharifa's Favorite Things" LP with Sharifa and WordSong, 1995 Amber Records - Cool Struttin' Vol.2 Chinyare "Realize" 1995 WDR Records - Live at the 1995 Berlin Jazz Festival "Sharifa and WordSong" SingSing Records - H-BLOCKX "Step Back" (Remix), 1996 Groove Time Records - Eb Davis "I'm A Fool For The Lady's" 1997 Lifelight Records - Fuasi & Ensemble "Live", 1997 RSI Records - Tony Hurdle's " Guardians of the Groove Live at the Yorchschlösschen", 1998 RSI Records - Tony Hurdle's Guardians of the Groove "Make, Make The Money", 1998 Lifelight Records - Fuasi & Ensemble "Fuasimodo Rings A Bell", 1998 Traumton Records - Jassa Mariano "Caegada Global", 1998 Inferno Music Records - Mesut Ali and Oriental Connection "Tülay", 1998 Ingo Musica - "Fuasi & Ensemble en El Central", 2001 Zapp Records - The Lionel Haas Quintet "Take The Jam- Track", 2004 Lifelight Records - "Fuasi's Afro-Cubano Latin Jazz Connection", Live in Qusimodo, 2006 LIfelight Records - "The Abakuá", 2008