N-Side and the tribe profile picture

N-Side and the tribe

About Me

Every once in a while an artist comes along with a message so deep and profound that it touches you not only on a melodic level, but in a way that makes you reassess what your priorities are. In an age where so many artists sacrifice their message in favour of financial gain, we need someone to stand up and speak from the heart and that artist is the jazz-poet N-Side. As he so succinctly puts it, "We need more talking with and less talking at." quote from an interview by Marc Kets, www.Basic-Soul.co.ukWho is this N-Side? I never heard of him? Where did he come from?He is Norman Woods aka N-Side. N-Side is a performing jazz/poet, screenwriter and music publisher from the S.F. Bay area. A native of Berkeley, California, he has always had an aspiration to be an artist of some description and has always supported the arts in some way emotionally, financially and resourcefully.Some say he has seen it all. From Jimi Hendrix plays Berkeley to the Silicon Valley explosion. In his own word he would say," seen a lot, heard a lot, done a lot, had fun a lot and everything in between! You can believe that! From Vietnam anti-war protest to rainy days of homelessness, trust him when he says he has a story to tell and has always found a way to smile through "Hard Times on Planet Earth" one of his early recorded, but never released or promoted CD recordings on Shalamar Records.When asked why? N-Side says with a smile, listen to the track "The tribe" where he says: "do you think we can do this?" Well, the answer is yes. And you can hear this on his latest CD: Three voices from the N-Side, where he delivers a more diversified poetry and jazz sound.His poetic style is supported by (3) different types of jazz style, from 3 different CD's. LIVE,(from the CD: LIVE @ the Vallejo Jazz Festival, with his group "the tribe") Outside jazz (from his tribute to William "Smiley" Winter CD: JAZZ OPERA feat. William "Smiley" Winters(drums), Barbara Donald(trumpet) and Sonny Simmons(sax). And from his CD: A softer View from the N-Side) with what he calls that mellow, smooth classic stuff.So welcome to the N-Side


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Member Since: 26/07/2006
Band Website: www.cdbaby.com/cd/nside4
Band Members:

Influences: Who and what influences me, are the actions of people that care about the well being of others and do something about it on a soulful level, not determined by dollars, donations and fancy talk. Anybody can say something clever and catchy, but not everyone can move a soul. People who bring hope to the hopeless are my heroes. What is said with their music and without, the actions of people like Donald Byrd, jazz trumpet player, Red Garland, piano-player, Ray Brown, bass, William "Smiley" Winters, drummer and Roland Kirk "walking with the spirits". The power and inspirational words of Kamau Da'ood, Gil-Scott Heron, Sekou Sundiata, Milton Nascimento, Nina Simone.My non-musical influences are people like:Nelson Mandela, a man of conviction, perseverance, vision and principle. When he talks about being accountable, that is important. The world can learn something from that! His level of perseverance was very important. Especially, as a visionary. With it, he was able to sustain a vision of the great things to come. I could only imagine, that the goal would have been too hard to attain, if he didn't have hope and a clear vision of the commitment required from the beginning to the end. I believe that Nelson Mandela most definately displayed these qualities in character.Pema Chodron, a Buddhist nun, is someone who has taught me so much, with statements like: "This very moment is the perfect teacher" or "relax as it is".The Dali Lama when he says, "Breath in for peace in you and breath out to send peace to others" (or something to that effect) How hard can that be to do? He walks his talk in faith.
Sounds Like: Red Garland, Donald Byrd, Gil Scott-Heron and my favorite poet and inspiration, Kamau Da'aood.It would probably be a good idea to read the interview by Marc Kets, I did with www.basic-soul.co.uk under the features section, select N-Side, from the right side of the screen.It will tell you much more about what I sound like in a literally sense, based on what I say about me. Musically, it will tell you about the influential impact, artist I love to listen to have had on me. I felt very comfortable when what I was able to share.The tribe (that's who we are!)
If not now, when?
To know (that's just where it starts)
A journey from the N-Side: Movie trailer

Record Label: Shalamar Records
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

A journey from the N-Side: an unscripted profile of a jazz/poet (movie t...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP4h6zB2CbQ
Posted by on Mon, 23 Feb 2009 22:44:00 GMT