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AL.'S PEACE IS A CONTINUING DREAM I HAVE. THIS IS A ON-GOING PROJECT THAT HAS EVOLVED FROM JUST ABOUT EVERY MUSICAL FORM ON THE FACE OF THIS EARTH. THIS PEACE IS THE OFF-SPRING OF "COLORBLIND", A 'PROGRESSIVE REGGAE' BAND FROM THE 90'S. ALONG WITH MY RIGHT HAND MAN AND MY PICK FOR U.S. PRESIDENT, ERIC ENDO, AL.'S PEACE HAS BECOME A VOICE IN THESE TIMES WHEN MANY VOICES ARE BEING CONFUSED OR HAVE NO POSITIVE VOCAL DIRECTION. TOO MANY PEOPLE ARE NOT SAYING WHAT SHOULD BE SAID. MANY ARE SUGER COATING LYRICS TO MAKE NICE. MANY ARE SAYING NEGATIVE THINGS ABOUT EACH OTHER. THE NAME CALLING, THE DISRESPECTING OF EACH OTHER; GODDAMIT! WHERE IS THE LOVE?...After years of soul searching to find his place in this lifetime, Al. discovered the art of music and the peaceful healing powers from it. He could hear all the right messages in his heart but it took a long time for it to capture his soul. Once it did, he found his religion, Music…his saving grace. If it weren’t for the music, he wouldn’t be here for this bio to be written about him. Slowly but surely, Al. became a drummer and in ’85 after only 3 months of playing drums, he had his first gig with the Laguna Beach based rock band, the Wood Bros. After a year or so Al. was feeling the need for growth and he joined the New York Jazz Connection, as a percussionist. Here is where Walter Lakota and JL Higgins, Jr. over standing the difference of listening to music and hearing the music introduced Al. to some of the finer points of music. Once again, Al. needed more and the world of reggae came into his life. The International Reggae All-Stars took a liking to this human sponge that would hang around them. With members such as Rock Deadrick (who originally showed Al. the nuances of playing percussion), George “Fully†Fullwood, Ronnie McQueen, Larry Fulcher, Tony Chin and various reggae artist from around the world would come sit in and Al. was fortunate enough to be a part of it all. This is where Al. started to really blossom as a percussionist. By the beginning of the ‘90’s Al. joined The 714 Band, another Laguna area Reggae band. After a couple of years with the band Al. was beginning to make waves in the area as a pretty respectable percussionist and singer. But, living in Orange County was becoming culturally stifling and Los Angeles was calling. No disrespect to Orange County, it just didn’t have the cultural diversity Al. needed. When The 714 Band decided to go their separate ways Al. started playing and sitting in all over Orange County and L.A with bands like the Gnarly Bras, Common Sense, Ras Bunny & The 7 Seals and the Dubtet. Then Dave Wakeling (from General Public) discovered Al. while he was playing with Dubtet, which became Wakeling’s band. Next for Dubtet was Michael Rose, from Black Uhuru, the first reggae artist to receive a Grammy award. It was during this time that Al. became the lead singer of Colorblind by default when the leader became sick and had to stop singing. Colorblind, a reggae-jam-boogie band that had such good musicians as Eric Endo (Eek-a Mouse, Badbrains, Joe Higgs), Doug Sanborn (the Untouchables, the Dubtet), Rudy Richardson (Bonedaddys), Ray “Big-Blunt†Myrey (Ras Michael and the Sons of Negus) became a platform that launched Al. onto bigger things. Al. sang on the National Geographic’s 30-year anniversary special, his first major vocal recording gig. Being at the right place at the right time Al. landed on MTV’s Motel California as a guest of Bill Bellamy. Then came the Mardi Gras Tour with The Bonedaddys with Al. subbing for Mike Tiempo on percussion. After that Al. joined Liberation, another funk-reggae band playing percussion and singing. As Al. vocals became better so did the demand for his services and along came Native Sun, which Al. also did the cover art for the cd, “Butterflies, Gypsies, Kings and Clowns†More and more Al. was being seen all over the city sitting in with various artist & bands. Again being in the right place Al. met Wozani and again some beautiful music came together and again a good thing went haywire. Wozani’s first cd “A Call For The People To Come†which was co-produced by Ozomatli touched this nation while touring with Ozo. All this music has carried him along a road, the Funk/Rock, the Jazz, the Reggae, the Funky/Folk, the South African and Salsa; all have had a major influence on him. And that is where he is today. The music of the world is in his sound. As Miles Davis would say, “there are no rules in music.†And Al. feels that freedom to express it. Al. put together a fabulous group of musicians to form his own brand of peace. Eric Endo on guitar; Tadashi Namba on kybrd; Vivi Rama on bass; Doug Sanborn on drums & Danny Moynahan on sax formed AL.’S PEACE, a project that is constantly changing, not the music but the different musicians that have pass through have all left their imprint on Al.’s music. Now Al. is at a place where all he wants to do is play good music and continue to do his part to make this life a better place for all of us to live in while he enjoys the Peace of it all. The dream of going to Africa was fulfilled and had the opportunity to spend two and a half months in Nigeria. To say the least, it was mind-altering, heart breaking and just flat tattooed his life. That experience has deepened Al.’s belief in singing what comes from his heart and soul, together. And from that, Al. has been helped in many, many ways by people like Kevin T. Williams, Karl Liker, and Nini Monroe, Katie Cole, Jason “Thumpa†Moore and without doubt Eric Endo and Mark Tyson to have his very first CD, “My Reality†to be finished by the summer of 2008. This has been a long beautiful and sometimes trying adventure of life within music for Al. But it is the love, the peace, the joy, the life and faith that keep him going. My Peace 2 U
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