Robert J. Carmack – KARL LEE the reporter from Ebony Magazine. Robert is a veteran of the theater, producer, writer, poet and musician. Mr. Carmack has over 5 decades in the entertainment field as musician, show producer, promoter or journalist in the genres of Jazz,classic soul, and pop.
Mr. Carmack has worked for, or, with such jazz luminaries as Freddie Hubbard, Doug Carn, Andy Bey, Sonny Fortune, Freddie Cole, Vanessa Rubin and McCoy Tyner. He founded and co-founded the Atlanta International Jazz Society, and SFBAAAM( San Francisco Bay Area African-American Musicians) a forum of musicians that created their own venues to play in the Bay area. Returning back to Los Angeles after 12 years , Mr. Carmack has organized a Charlie Parker 21 sax salute on Bird’s birthday nationwide salute east & west coast. a tribute to Blue note producer & composer Duke Pearson ,Bobby Hutcherson/Jackie McLean in Los Angeles. Last year He re-created his popular character from The Club Alabam in 2014,(ROBBY ROYALE) to a sell out audience of NAACP Award winning musical, North On South Central Avenue. Carmack grew up in Los Angeles, attended Centennial high school in Compton, Graduated B.A – Theater Arts /Communications at Cal State Dominguez Hills. returning later on in life to grab his MFA-Theater Directing/Production Columbia University,New York. Robert co-founded the awarding-winning Paul Robeson Players while still attending under-grad college classes. The drama group went on to represent the state of California at the FESTAC, World Arts Festival, Lagos, Nigeria.
I wrote “Interview” out of frustration with the film version that came out a few years ago. However, I looked at the presentation, not as a traditional play or musical , More of an avant-garde /experimental theater type with music, spoken word and dramatic dialog. No set changes, or curtains . its driven by the power of the actors on stage, Nina Simone’s great social protest songs and her important role in the civil rights era. The most unsung of all the characters who played a role during that period.
We begin the story in real-time August 11,1965 inside the lounge of a Pasadena Hotel…
Jana Wilson- NINA SIMONE, a Los Angeles native, began her thespian adventures on the runways of Los Angeles, donning designer couture fashions. She modeled through college and sporadically, thereafter. Music has always been in her soul, as both parents were talented musicians, in their own right. Her brother plays bass guitar. Her father played jazz piano and her mother continues singing jazz. It’s only likely that Jana would have a love for music, with such rich influences.
Jana began singing in her church choir, then, sitting in on secular band rehearsals, which led to one song, then years of performing three nights weekly, as the featured vocalist, in the 4 Star Award winning Supper Club,The Sky Room in Long Beach CA . Since then, she’s been professionally performing with various local jazz and R&B groups. Her performance interests led to the theater, where she was cast as Billie Holiday, and additional characters, in the award-winning musical stage play, “North On South Central Avenue.”
“Music, performance arts, television… there are so many interests, gifts and abilities to put to good use. The world is a big stage, and I hope to take a few bows, while I’m here!” – Jana
Pictured L-R: Bobby Pierce – piano, Sonny McBroom – saxophone From the collection of: Arnett Howard
Bobby Pierce, Music Director/Pianist – the former Columbus, Ohio born musician, now a Los Angeles resident is a musician’s musician. Known for his laid-back demeanor and style in personality. He elects to allow his fingers to do his speaking for him. He spent many years in Chicago and New York, working with virtually a Who’s Who in Jazz and Gospel.
Bobby has graced the stage with some of Jazz’s royal members such as Benny Carter, James Moody, Clark Terry, Frank Foster, Etta James, and Della Reese along with POP & Soul stars too. Four Tops, Walter Jackson, Dionne Warwick, Joe Williams and Esther Phillips just to name a few. While putting in work at Record labels, Muse and Cobblestone, He was able to garner a Five-star ranking on Downbeat magazine. Pierce is also listed in seven jazz history books including Leonard Feather’s Encyclopedia of jazz and Listen for Jazz by Anna Bishop.
Bobby is quite proud of his major work with the late Della Reese , where he co-wrote the musical, “The Message is In the Music.”
While the consummate classically trained , Jazz and gospel singer, arranger and composer, Bobby still finds time to go out on a few road gigs, and hitting a few local jazz gigs too. He spends most of his time working with choir groups and just being of community service whenever possible.
Derf Reklaw – Flute,Percussion, has a very positive reputation around the music industry and especially the Leimert Park Village. Derf has worked with this play’s author three times previously over last 4 years. “Derf is the type of musician you don’t have to say much, just let him do what he do” stated Robert J. Carmack Director/Producer. Now we know why Eddie Harris & Ramsey Lewis loved his playing on their group’s recordings and live.
Reklaw moved to LA from Chicago in 1979. He is an artist in residence at several educational institutions including UCLA, Santa Monica College, L.A. Conservatory and View Park Academy. His career has enabled him to play with artists like Herbie Hancock, Aretha Franklin, Eddie Harris, Minnie Ripperton, Ahmad Jamal, Sting and Lionel Hampton. Also featured guest spots with drummer Billy Higgins, poet Kamau Daaood and original member of the Pharoahs, Lui Lui Satterfield.
Certainly no stranger to creating eclectic ambiance, jazz bassist Juini Booth rolls into Los Angeles with all the excitement of the second coming!.. But realistically, He’s put together a great team of Brooklyn Club owners that loves’ Jazz served up New York style, with a stellar group of musicians, including a jazz poet.
It makes one wonder if he will come with a combination Sun Ra, or Chicago Art Ensemble. We’ve been told most of the material will be in the spirit of the Atlantis album by McCoy Tyner ,recorded LIVE in 1974 at the celebrated Keystone Korner. Adding some spoken word sprinkled in. ” We expect a very diverse audience with impeccable taste in Music, Art and Hipness” .
In Brooklyn , the Zebulon Cafe was quite popular among the young and the young at heart, chided Booth. Juini has shaped a very stellar career in music , sometimes dropping off the Jazz scene to tackle other musical genres. “This allows me to open up to all types of music, sounds and rhythms. His impeccable list of bandleaders and recording projects are a “Who’s Who” in Jazz. McCoy Tyner, Sun Ra, Pharoah Sanders and Freddie Hubbard to name a few. In addition to playing and recording projects, Juini’s been spending his available hours with a project he holds dear to him, the Wilbur Ware Institute. He teaches and inspires young musicians in New York.
Band personnel: Juini Booth leader/bass, Roy McCurdy drums, piano Benito Gonzalez, Azar Lawrence saxophones, guest jazz poet, Robert J. Carmack …
A moving and eclectic project involving Jazz legend Thelonious Monk’s most prized compositions performed by Los Angeles’s most talked about Jazz musicians,vocalists, poets and dancers. Follow this blog for all information forthcoming.
If you’re interested in participation as co-sponsor, artist or media email me. blues2jazz2003@yahoo.com attn: Robert J. Carmack
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Support the Live Jazz and Spoken Word show, Night of the Grassroots Hip-Nosis. an evening of music by Bobby Hutcherson and Jackie McLean with original poetry
Saturday, July 30th 8pm The World Stage Performance Gallery
4321 Degnan Blvd. Los Angeles,California 90008
tickets & info call 951-840-7120
Music by PLIGHT – Robert J. Carmack leader & host
Bobby West – piano/music director
Reggie Carson bass, Derf Reklaw percussion
Dale Fielder-tenor sax/baritone sax
Cornel Fauler- drummer
special guest: TU’NOOK award-winning writer & poet
L.A. Calif_ It was announced by leader/spokesman Robert J. Carmack, that a collaboration of musicians,vocalists,arrangers and poets have formed PLIGHT. Plight is a grassroots performance ensemble featuring iconic jazz compositions integrated with spoken word and “vocalese” arrangements. Seriously dedicated to preserving the legacy of improvised American classical music,better known as Jazz.
R J Carmack- Producer-Poet-musician-journalist
Robert J. Carmack ,musician,poet,producer and journalist first came up with the concept through a long time association with some of the core group members, when in August of 2015, he got together with master pianist, Bobby West, on a project paying homage to Blue Note Records jazz icon, Duke Pearson.
West was instrumental in taking the hand-selected compositions of Pearson, which gave plenty of challenges with spiritual,hard bop and swinging tunes integrating poetry by Carmack and other writers. Adding Northern California pianist/arranger , James Armstrong was a no brainer,according to Carmack.
“James and I often engaged in long conversations about music, the preservation of certain jazz compositions and key artists that we thought should be recognized, it was easy to connect the dots. We saw eye to eye on Duke Pearson and his “Unsung” career in music, That became the initial project that started the ball rolling” said Carmack.
San Jose based musician, educator,arranger James Armstrong
Taking a page from the classic Blue Note recordings vault under the creativity of Carmack,West and Armstrong in order to bring magic to the bandstand. “We are bringing back some of the key and core musicians we used last summer to form this new band which will be debuting in July 2016.”said Carmack, as he showed me some of the recently completed arrangements by James Armstrong. Robert selected what can be called stellar tunes written or recorded by iconic jazz artists, Jackie McLean and Bobby Hutcherson.
First of all, those two artists were a huge part of the 1960s/70s jazz scene with gigantic success throughout that era with remarkable recorded products to bolster their iconic stature, Carmack went on to say. “Part of this stellar core group is percussionist/woodwind specialist , Derf Reklaw. Derf brings a special set of experiences and skills that gives us an edge with all of these cuts.”
Bobby West, a formidable Jazz master pianist, born in Los Angeles, grew up in a city that had a plethora of jazz icons living there, and lots of venues at the time to ply your craft. After-all, with jazz legends like Gerald Wilson, Plas Johnson, Freddie Hubbard,Billy Higgins, Horace Tapscott,just to name a few.
Robert J. Carmack first met Bobby West while hanging out in the early 90s at Billy Higgins World Stage jam sessions. Bobby would often be among a group of top-shelf piano players active inside the Leimert Park Village Arts community, among them , Horace Tapscott, Nate Morgan,Harold Land jr. and Bobby Pierce. Carmack went on to say “Bobby West, in my opinion possessed all the ingredients and the passion of a contemporary version of Red Garland and Bobby Timmons. Plight is putting together an evening of a grassroots, acoustical Art presentation that’s rich in passion musicianship and spirituality engrained inside the music and poetry.(Follow hipstersanctuary.com for Plight’s debut info)
Bobby West @ North Sea Jazz Festival
Carmack will announce the rest of the band at a later date, due to some special circumstances regarding contracts. The instrumentation is piano,bass, drums, percussion/woodwinds, poet, vocalist and vibist. We’re very excited about the concept and looking forward to debuting at the famous WORLD STAGE in Leimert Park Saturday July 30,Los Angeles,California.
Mr. Carmack has worked for, or, with such jazz luminaries as Freddie Hubbard, Doug Carn, Andy Bey, Sonny Fortune, Freddie Cole, Vanessa Rubin and McCoy Tyner. He founded and co-founded the Atlanta International Jazz Society, and SFBAAAM( San Francisco Bay Area African-American Musicians) a forum of musicians that created their own venues to play in the Bay area. Returning back to Los Angeles after 12 years , Mr. Carmack has organized a Charlie Parker 21 sax salute on Bird’s birthday nationwide salute east & west coast. a tribute to Blue note producer & composer Duke Pearson ,Bobby Hutcherson/Jackie McLean in Los Angeles. Last year He re-created his popular character from The Club Alabam in 2014,(ROBBY ROYALE) to a sell out audience of NAACP Award winning musical, North On South Central Avenue. Carmack grew up in Los Angeles, attended Centennial high school in Compton, Graduated B.A – Theater Arts /Communications at Cal State Dominguez Hills. returning later on in life to grab his MFA-Theater Directing/Production Columbia University,New York. Robert co-founded the awarding-winning Paul Robeson Players while still attending under-grad college classes. The drama group went on to represent the state of California at the FESTAC, World Arts Festival, Lagos, Nigeria.
Jana Wilson- NINA SIMONE, a Los Angeles native, began her thespian adventures on the runways of Los Angeles, donning designer couture fashions. She modeled through college and sporadically, thereafter. Music has always been in her soul, as both parents were talented musicians, in their own right. Her brother plays bass guitar. Her father played jazz piano and her mother continues singing jazz. It’s only likely that Jana would have a love for music, with such rich influences.
Bob Lee Bassist, Music Producer,Composer, photographer, videos,etc.
