Destiny Muhammad Harpist from Da’ Hood recently performed at the World Stage(LeimertPark) Los Angeles.

Master jazz harpist,Destiny Muhammad, featuring saxophonist, Dr. Teodross Avery, drummer Leon Joyce Jr. and bassist Chico Lopez were bringing the house down on a recent Friday night show at the renown music gallery, the WORLD STAGE. Originally from Los Angeles/Compton area as a child, Destiny attended school but could’t find her footing with any instruments . She chose to just find comfort in singing any tune she put her mind to.

This brilliant musician began her long journey to where she is now, as a hair stylist/barber. After moving to the San Francisco Bay area of Oakland, she studied doggedly and hungered for musical knowledge.

Now, closing in on 30 years of age ,she finally obtained her first Harp. She sought out great teachers and finally settled on the Harp as her instrument of choice. Obviously, they tried to deter her by telling her what she would face trying to establish footing as a professional harpist. This writer heard her say, “she saw the Marx brother, Harpo Marx playing a Harp on the Lucille Ball show. She said, “Now, Thats for me”. No hesitation, and not listening to “Doubting Thomases” She purged ahead. At one point, she was even getting a few gigs at a famous local coffee house in Oakland , owned by Dwayne Wiggins of Tony ,Tone, Toni ,hip hop group. It was there , where she met another young musician she knew from growing up, sax man, Teodross Avery, also a product of Bay area music scene and schools.

Traveling to Los Angeles, this time as a performing artist in the Angel City Jazz Festival, a multi-venue series scattered around Los Angeles. Dr. Avery now living in Los Angeles, it was an easy choice to have him join her that evening as special guest. One of the stand out tunes the group featured was Stevie Wonder’s composition, If It’s Magic..a clean ,uncluttered acoustical journey of Harp, Saxophone, and Voice by the angelic musical vocabulary of Destiny..ON POINT! Avery’s tenor voice was sublime to say the least against Muhammad’s whirling, arpeggios and harmonic interludes.

The best part about traveling to another city to perform is to have all your familiar personnel along for the trip too. such was the case with long time bandmates, Leon Joyce Jr. on Drums, and bassist Chico Lopez both of who apply the proper brush strokes to Destiny’s canvas while soloing or comping behind them and their moments in the spotlight. One can easily see that this band is both humbled and sublime as a “Unit”. the audience was quite stunned at first,as in disbelief of the music that were pouring out these master musicians..ON POINT! Their abilities shined through each and every song. What an astral-like travel log this artist takes you on during an evening’s concert.

Again this writer was quite impressed with her growth over the years I saw her, while living in the San Francisco Bay area from 2002-2009. There are no boundaries around the articulation of phrasing-vocalizations harkening to the early vocal works of Minnie Ripperton,mixed with the tenacity of jazz musician Dorothy Ashby, a pioneer in Jazz as Harpist with a swinging sound. Destiny is well grounded in swing and the spiritual connectivity of Alice Coltrane..

Destiny Muhammad even “walked on Water” as was the tune with same title.

I suggest you Don’t walk , but Run! Run to next concert or, live event. to Follow Destiny, go to her facebook page or, website, http://www.destinymuhammad.net

Content article by Robert J. Carmack,MFA. founder and editor of Hipster Sanctuary.com.. since 1998 contact writer at @blues2jazzguy twitter,or pocketjazz@musician.org

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