Member Since: 11/12/2007
Band Website: thecongosquareproject.com
Band Members:Executive Producer: MONA AMER - Photos by Syndey Byrd, Fabian Jolivet & Eugenia Morrison ---- Please, LISTEN to the SIX sample tracks provided:
1) FOR THE PRICE OF A BEAD: Airto Moreira - 2) SHUBAUM (The Soul of India): Tanmoy Bose & Idranil Sen - 3) IF NEW ORLEAN'S BEAT: Gord Downie's Beat Poetry - 4) AMELIA'S SONG: Jimmy Cobb, Warren Bernhardt, Ira Coleman - 5) TIP ON: Levon Helm, Hubert Sumlin, Steve Jordan, Danny Kortchmar, Larry Campbell (produced by Jordan)- 6) WE NEED HELP: The Congo Square Drummers led by Luther Gray & Fabian Jolivet (drums) ------ All part of the many sessions recorded during the past two & half years in LA, BOSTON, NEW ORLEANS, NYC, WOODSTOCK, BATH, CALCUTTA, PARIS, BERLIN, BUENOS AIRES, MONTEVIDEO, BARCELONA at Mad Dog, The Compound, Real World, The Music Shed, Skyline, Planet to Planet, Levon Helm's Studios, Estudios 3:2, etc... With engineers Danny Kalb, Chris Finney, Anthony Arvizu, Eric Corne, Niko Bolas, Silvio Massimo, Tchad Blake, Ron Allaire, Steve Geutling, Justin Guip, Kirk Yano, Iggy Elisavetsky, etc... Participants already include: The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, The New Birth Brass Band, Ayo Adeyemi (Bebe Olatunji), Clem Burke (Blondie), Airto Moreira (Juan Carlos Jobim), Louie Bellson (Duke Ellington), Gord Downie (The Tragically Hip), Earl Palmer (Little Richard), 'Smokey' Johnson (Fats Domino), Steve Jordan (Keith Richards), Levon Helm (The Band), Hubert Sumlin (Howlin Wolf), John Boudreaux (Dr. John), Danny 'Kootch' Kortchmar (Carole King), Larry Campbell (Bob Dylan), The Reverend Lois Dejean's Gospel Choir (Mahalia Jackson), Jimmy Cobb (Miles Davis), Javon Jackson (Art Blakey), Dr. Lonnie Smith (Little Johnny Taylor), Warren Bernhardt (Bill Evans), Ira Coleman (Tony Williams), John Densmore (The Doors), Terri Lynne Carrington (Herbie Hancock), Chuck E Weiss (Lightin' Hopkins), Don Heffington (Lucinda Williams), Doane Perry (Jethro Tull), Souhail Kaspar (Sting), Andrew Newmark (John Lennon), Tanmoy Bose (Ravi Shankar), Idranil Sen (Bengali Star), Clive Bunker (Jethro Tull), Phil Bloch (Terry Evans), Barry Altschul (Chick Corea), Nathan Chasing Horse (North Lakota Nation), Johnny Vidacovich (Mose Allison), Ndugu Chancler (Stevie Wonder), Clayton Cameron (Sammy Davis Jnr.), Thomas Bloch (Scala de Milan), Richie Hayward (Little Feat), Keith Carlock (Steely Dan), Richie Morales (Gato Barbieri), Pernell Saturnino (Dee Dee Bridgewater), Issam Houshan (Sting), Professor Joseph Mitchell Jnr. (LA Philharmonic), Joseph 'Uganda' Roberts (Professor Longhair), Uncle Lionel Batiste (Treme Brass Band), Jerry Jumonville (Dr. John), Benny Jones Snr. (Treme Brass Band), Stanton Moore (Galactic), Sam Carr (Sonny Boy Williamson), Phil Fixico (Seminole Maroon Nation), Herlin Riley (Wynton Marsalis), Freddy Staelhe (Dr. John), 'Bunchy' Johnson (Dave Bartholomew), Francisco Mora Catlett (Sun Ra), Marshall Allen (Sun Ra), Clyde Stubblefield (James Brown), Jabo Starks (James Brown), Pete Lockett (Peter Gabriel), Bill Bruford (Yes), Michael Shrieve (Santana), Jim Keltner (Ry Cooder), Simon Kirke (Free), Peter Erskine (Weather Report), James Gadson (Aretha Franklin), Michael Tempo (Bo Diddley), Stephen Hodges (Tom Waits), Cougar Estrada (Los Lobos), DJ Bonebrake ( X ), Jake Saslow, Hayes Greenfield, Ed Schuler, Josiah 'Cie' Frazier, Frank Oxley Jnr., Willie Cole, Willy Munoz, Hugo 'Foca' Machado, Silvio Massimo, Ruben Estrada, Chester Withmore, The Young Guardians of the Flame (Mardi Grass Indians), Mar-Keith Tero, Queen Cherice Harrison-Nelson, Hani Nasser, Luther Gray & Bamboula 2000, Teresa Williams, Johnatan Mover, Floyd Lee, Joel Polluck, Washboard Chaz, George Edwards, John Richardson, Greg Skaff, Mike Watt (Iggy & The Stooges), Pete Mazich (The Minutemen), Walter Valencia & Neil Benitez, etc...
Influences: Mother Africa, ALL OF THE NEW ORLEANS MUSICIANS, The Reverend Martin Luther King Jnr., Robert Johnson, King Oliver, Clara Ward, Louis Armstrong, Mahalia Jackson, Chick Webb, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Professor Longhair, Fats Domino, Dave Bartholomew, Alan Toussaint, James Booker, Dr. John, Solomon Burke. Alan Lomax, Cosmo Matassa, John Hammond Snr, Owen Bradley, Joe Meek, George Martin, Ameth Ertegun, Sam Phillips... Motown, Stax, Abbey Road, The Apollo, Atlantic, The Fillmore, Chess, Real World Records, Muscle Shoals, World Circuit Music, United & Western. Louie Jordan's 'Timpani Five', Ray Charles, Bill Haley's 'Comets', Ike Turner, Nat King Cole, The Sexteto Habanero, Gene Vincent's 'Blue Caps', Arsenio Rodriguez, Muddy Waters', Celia Cruz, Willie Dixon, Tito Rodriguez, Fred Bellow, Willie 'Big Eyes Smith', Mongo Santamaria, Little Richard's 'Upsetters', Frank Sinatra's 'Rat Pack', James Brown's 'Funky Brothers'... Paul & Ringo, The Rolling Stones' rhythm miracle: Bill Wyman & Charlie Watts (they opened my generations ears to so much great music). 'The Wrecking Crew', The Hollywood Fats Band, ALL of those that can REALLY groove, even Mr. Robert Crumb! - All the Big Easy Bass Drum leaders & trapsmiths. Percussion legends Jordan Noble (Civil War), Robert 'Son Fewclothes' Lewis, Tony Sharbaro, Christopher Columbus, Red 'Happy' Bolton, Baby Dodds, Big Sid Catlett, Cuba Austin, Zutty Singleton, Jim Chapin, Tubby Hall, Paul Barbarin, Idris Muhammad, Jospeh 'Uganda' Roberts, Joseph 'Cie' Frazier, 'Papa' Jo Jones, James Gadson, Vernell Fournier, Smokey Johnson, Mickey Conway, 'Philly' Jo Jones, Ray Bauduc, Albert 'June' Gardner, Batata & Su Rumba Palenquera, Lionel Hampton, Gene Krupa, Dave Tough, Buddy Rich, Art Blakey, Max Roach, Buddy Harman, WS Holland, Carlton Barrett, Elvin Jones, Dickie Harrell, James Black, JM Van Eaton, Cozy Cole, Connie Kay, Panama Francis, Ed Blackwell, Frank Malabe, Buddy Harman, Sly Dunbar, Tommy Chase, Sonny Payne, Ed Tighpen, Sonny Greer, Shadow Wilson, Kenny Clarke, Billy Higgins, Santa Davis, Charles 'Honeyboy' Otis, Earl Palmer, Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith, John Boudreaux, Babe Olatunji, Chano Pozo, Freddie Gruber, Clyde Stubblefield, Jabo Starks, 'Pistol' Allen, Rashied Ali, Willy Bobo, Al Jackson Jnr, Jim Gordon, Tito Puente, Bernard Purdie, Charlie Persip, Harold Jones, Sunny Murray, Grady Tate, John Densmore, Pomo, Stan Levey, Lady Tambourine, Zigaboo Modeliste, Javier Martinez, Airto Moreira, Ginger Baker, Howie Wyeth, Clifford Jarvis, John Bonham, Javier Martinez, Shelley Manne, Charlie Persip, Barry Altschul, DJ Fontana, Lenny White, Alla Raka, Rodolfo Garcia, Phil Seaman, Gerry Allison, Dallas Taylor, Domingo Cura, Michael Shrieve, Simon Kirke, Billy Ficca, Moe Tucker, Charlie Charles, David Ruffy, Topper Headon, Budgie, Andrew Newmark, Richard 'Pistol' Allen, Benny Benjamin, Edi Clavo, Douglas Clifford, Zakir Hussain, Ray Cooper, Mitch Mitchell, Ed Shaughenessy, Ian Paice, Sonny Payne, Jim Capaldi, Clive Bunker, Nestor Astarita, Paul Humpreys, Joe Dukes, Mickey Roker, Jim Keltner, Keith Moon, etc... All the african and middle eastern warriors, gipsies & flamenco musicians, the ska & reggae drummers (can't fail). Those fantastic latin percussionists... Kodo drummers... country, western-swing, rockabilly & jump blues heroes. Sammy Davis Jnr, Stevie Wonder, Mickey Rooney, Jackie Gleason, Johnny Carson, 'cause they always promoted drumming at it's best. The tap dancers, washboard, spoons & street bucket players out there, all of them too - The people, known & un-known that paved the way for the rhythms that we SHOULD all be groovin' to today, lets honor them in the future!
A BIG thank you to Bethany Bultman (NOMC); The Music Shed Studios crew, Stanton Moore & Ben Jaffe at Preservation Hall; Dusty Wakeman & crew at Mad Dog Studios; Peter Himberger at Impact Artists; Eleanor Household & Owen Leech at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios; Javier Ballesteros (Te Suena Africa?) for the inspiration... My old buddy Clem Burke. Louise King (Rhythm Magazine) and Pete Lockett in the UK. Anthony Rosas for the logo design... Masters Airto Moreira, Jimmy Cobb, Louie Bellson, Clayton Cameron, Joe Morello... Thank you SOUL BROTHER N1: Steve Jordan, for putting together/producing the final "EAST COAST GANG" NYC Skyline Studios Super-session, what a great person he is... Also, the legendary Artie Smith for the equipment catering provided that day (free), what a noble gesture! Thee truly-truly GREAT Earl Palmer (thank you for your music guidance and support ). Engineer Justin Guip, Geanine Kane + EVERYBODY at Levon Helm's Studio & sweet-sweet Marti at "The Wild Rose Inn" Bed & Breakfast, Woodstock. All at Jonathan Mover's Skyline Studios + Kirk Yano at Planet 2 Planet Studios. Ellen Christine & Eleana Cobb in NYC. My old & new friends Rodrigo de La Vega, Mikey Meyers, John Boudreaux, Joe Mitchell Jnr., Gene Trautman, Phil Bloch & Doane Perry. Top NOLA supporters George Katsiris Premier Cru Music & Management ), Francisco Mora Catlett, La Mora & the fantastic "Palenque" troupe (don't miss this superb afro-cuban musical play), Martin Hanlin, Levon Helm, Pete Lockett, Richie Hayward & Andrew Newmark: Thanks for helping me make this huge project an almost completed reality. NOTE: Without ALL of these people and their unconditional support this would have never gotten this far --- Hold on cat, we are not done just yet!!!
Sounds Like: The history of music
Record Label: CONTACT Mr. Perna: [email protected]
Type of Label: None