Billie Davies: Whadeva (Live at Dangerous Art Studios February 13, 2020) album review @ All About Jazz

Billie Davies: Whadeva (Live at Dangerous Art Studios February 13, 2020) album review @ All About Jazz: Billie Davies: Whadeva (Live at Dangerous Art Studios February 13, 2020) album review by Geno Thackara, published on August 15, 2020. Find thousands jazz reviews at All About Jazz!

"When you think of the music of New Orleans, chances are you're not imagining anything like Whadeva—semi-avant-garde improvisation with light electronics is hardly the first association that comes to anyone's mind. Nonetheless the Big Easy's personality is still clear through this freewheeling EP, which was knocked out in a Ninth Ward studio in one free-spirited day. The trio of players are all based in the city, if not lifelong natives, and they like to channel its spirit of celebration and spontaneity alongside any other parts of their respective backgrounds. This session got a little extra dash of seize-the-day spirit from being made at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, just when everyone was aware something was going on but not yet realizing how big it would be."

Whadeva (Live at Dangerous Art Studios, New Orleans, LA, 2/13/2020)

Happy to announce the official release today, 07/24/2020, of "Whadeva" by Damani Butler, Maude Caillat and Billie Davies.

Available on BandCamp: https://billiedavies.bandcamp.com/album/whadeva

Available at Billie Davies Music: https://billie42.wixsite.com/billiedavies

View and listen on YouTube!

JazzWorldQuest - Jazz News With A Global Perspective: USA: Maude Caillat, Damani Butler, Billie Davis(US...

JazzWorldQuest - Jazz News With A Global Perspective: USA: Maude Caillat, Damani Butler, Billie Davis(US...: "Whadeva" It had not reached New Orleans yet, or so they thought. They had been prepping these recordings since late December, ear...

"Whadeva", an album with Damani Butler, Maude Caillat, Billie Davies and produced by Billie & Mike Davies, release date set for July 24, 2020.

"Whadeva"

It had not reached New Orleans yet, or so they thought.

They had been prepping these recordings since late December, early January. Damani Butler contacted Billie Davies and Maude Caillat asking them whether they would be interested in doing a project with him. He also mentioned he had contacted female artists for this project. Both Billie Davies, an american drummer from California, and Maude Caillat, a sax player from Switzerland, were currently working and residing in New Orleans. Damani had rented a house in the Lower Ninth Ward, which became Dangerous Art Studios, and was busy transforming it into the whole house and whatever sounds in it, showed in it and whomever entered it, being part of a work of art he was creating.

The project would be experimental, completely improvisational audio art. Intuitive, instinctive in nature Damani would be doing his electronic loops, beats and waves while Caillat and Davies played whatever they played. Billie decided to use her electronic drumset and Maude would bring her sax and flute to the project. Mike Davies would be recording the project, and be responsible for mixing and mastering the music that was recorded live on 02/13/2020 for a later unedited release of what was played that evening.

This was definitely so very much a Billie Davies project, always wanting to create, no preconceived ideas for the music, no notes written, no words written, no concept conceived but what you’re surrounded by, play what you feel at this moment, express your feelings as the now keeps moving forward in the now, whatever happens, a direct connection from the brain to the sound, whatever comes up, whatever makes you move in whatever direction.

Damani Butler was in his room, surrounded by a hundred pieces of all kinds of audio equipment, from keyboards to synthesizers, to percussion, to whatever. Maude Caillat was in her room, with her woodwinds and a microphone to record it surrounded by several pieces of Damani’s electronic art. Billie Davies was in her room, her electronic drums that can produce what she calls whatever a drum or percussion sound with sometimes even an organ or bass or guitar sound, and a light show for the mood. All the rooms throughout the house had serious wattage stereo speakers so everyone would hear what everyone else played and wherever the people that attended the recording were they could hear all of it come through speakers. Several people showed up, gathering in the kitchen where there was wine, beer, whiskey and coffee and whatever they brought.

All the music for "Whadeva" was recorded during the Coronavirus outbreak with a final recording date of February 13. It had not reached New Orleans yet, or so we thought, with mardi-gras slowly but surely going into full swing. All we knew was what we heard and read and saw, which then made me think... and we all got sick with some type of flu. A month later we were all on lockdown and now it is time to let go, to let this music go.

The project will be having different iterations, the first iteration, this current release of 6 parts being the album “ Whadeva ” and 1 single release called “ The Ninja ” has been produced by Mike Davies and Billie Davies.

A Damani Butler project. Recorded at Dangerous Art Studios on 02/13/2020 in New Orleans. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Mike Davies at Cobra Basement. Produced by Mike and Billie Davies at Cobra Basement. Copyright 2020, Dangerous Art Studios, Cobra Basement, Damani Butler, Maude Caillat, Billie Davies, Mike Davies.
The Musicians

Damani Butler Electronics, loops, beats, waves.

Damani is an experimental, multi/mixed media artist, lyricist and music producer from Oakland, California now living in New Orleans, Louisiana, specializing in interactive audio, visual and physical object art with a focus on up-cycled electronics and unique furniture. He has spent the last 25 + years informally training and educating himself in all areas of creative and technical interest, developing and evolving his skill-set by way of volunteering for skilled professionals in exchange for knowledge and guidance, watching instructional videos, attending workshops and training programs, reading and studying books, manuals, instructions and other literature on all subjects relative, watching and asking questions as well as good, old fashioned DIY practice, trial and error. He has independently completed a library of works in the fields of art, experimental music and lyricism often combining the three as he feels.

His accomplishments include audio productions in the genres of underground hip hop, experimental electronic music, audio art, sound experimentation projects and even coining and naming his own genre, "Crack Rock". Short and medium length video productions in the categories of music video, installation and project documentation/presentation, video art and he’s presently working on a documentary called "Adventures in Art and Music"

Maude Caillat Woodwinds, alto sax, flute

Maude Caillat grew up in Switzerland where her dad taught her to read music and play wood flute transmitting his passion for music to her when she was 5 years old. At 18, the call for different sonorities and rhythms became so strong that she decided to take a backpack and her saxophone in the direction of Senegal. After 6 years living in Dakar she developed a special sensibility and true love for traditional Senegalese and Mandingo music playing with pretty much everybody in town. In 2010 Maude was part of the band who won the RFI award for the best emerging African band. After a 3 month tour around Africa, Maude, her backpack and her saxophone ended up in Paris. While playing and recording there with several African musicians based in France, it's with Tarace Boulba, a gigantic funk and Gogo brass band touring all around Europe and the USA, that Maude discovered the music and the culture from New Orleans. After 6 years in France, once again the call of the “riddim” became too strong and she decided to take a plane to Louisiana. In New Orleans, Maude formed 2 bands, The Afrodiziac's Jazz (Ethiopian Jazz ) and SingleMaltPlease (hip hop jazz). She had the chance to collaborate with a lot of extremely talented local musicians and even played 2 times at the Jazz Fest with Seguenon Kone, a master percussionist and choreographer from the Ivory Coast. Through the years she discovered a huge interest in playing free jazz, experimental and improvisational music, an interest which grew more and more and brought her to meet Billie Davies who's the perfect "partner in crime" with her magic influences and rhythms to make it sound whatever... Whadeva ...

Billie Davies Electronic drums

Billie Davies is an American, self-taught, natural, drummer and composer best known for her free, instinctively avant-garde compositions since the mid nineties, and her improvisational drumming techniques she has performed in Europe and in the US. All of her music is improvisational ... a conversation between musicians and musical instruments, a joint emotional expression inspired by a certain feeling, thought or perspective that is being communicated to an audience, a listener, a community.

Billie Davies was born in Brugge, Belgium. She played and performed all over Europe until immigrating to the United States at 32 and becoming a US citizen while living in California. While living and playing in the South of France, in Perpignan, Montpellier, Toulouse and Biarritz, in the early 1980's, Billie received a talent grant from Max Roach to study at Berklee College of Music. While living in Hollywood on the infamous Hollywood Boulevard in 2013, Billie Davies received the "Jazz Artist of the Year" Award by the 23rd Annual Los Angeles Music Awards. In March of 2014, after 25 years in California where she released 2 albums, in 2012 “ all about Love. ” and in 2013 “ 12 VOLT ”, she moved to New Orleans where she has graced stages ever since and in 2015 she released “ Hand In Hand In The Hand Of The Moon ”, after a while she formed a solid foundation line-up with Evan Oberla and Oliver Watkinson and released 2 albums with them, in 2016 “ On Hollywood Boulevard ” and in 2018 “ Perspectives II ”. She received more attention due to a player feature in Downbeat Magazine May 2016 edition, "BILLIE DAVIES '20 Years Stronger'". " On Hollywood Boulevard ", the album she released on 12/10/2016, became a January 2017 Editor's Pick on DownBeat.com. December 2017 Billie Davies was nominated for "Best Contemporary Jazz Artist" in New Orleans by 2017 Best Of The Beat Awards. December 2019 Billie Davies was nominated "Best Drummer" in New Orleans by 2019 Best Of The Beat Awards.

Damani Butler, Maude Caillat, Billie Davies

By Billie Davies PR

06/17/2020

#dangerousartstudios #cobrabasement #damanibutler #maudecaillat #billiedavies #mikedavies #neworleans #newmusic #newmusicalert #whadeva

WHADEVA (Damani Butler, Maude Caillat, Billie Davies) coming soon to your ears

WHADEVA ... coming very soon.

Recorded Feb 13 2020. New Orleans. Ai Corona!

A Dangerous Art Studios - Damani Butler - Cobra Basement project.

Damani Butler - electronics/loops/waves/beats 

Maude Caillat - woodwinds 

Billie Davies - electronic drums 

Mike Davies - audio 

All the music you will hear under "Whadeva" was recorded during the Coronavirus outbreak with a final recording date of February 13. It had not reached New Orleans yet, or so we thought, with mardi-gras slowly but surely going into full swing. 

All we knew was what we heard and read and saw, which then made me think... and we all got sick with some type of flu. 

Aye - Ai - Oy vey - Oei !!!*☆Corona☆*!!!

A month later we were all on lockdown and now it is time to let go, to let this music go.

#dangerousartstudios #cobrabasement #billiedavies #damanibutler #maudecaillat #mikedavies #neworleans #corona #newmusic #newmusicalert

BillieDavies.com, a new face, a new interface.

The new official website for Billie Davies has been completed.
It has a new face and a new interface that is more mobile friendly ... Her bio has been updated to current and it has a nice gallery that shows photos, full length videos of performances and random photos of Billie Davies and her line-ups... 
You can now also get downloads of her albums direct from the artist and you can listen to her music right there.
We will soon be adding previews of new material for a new project by Damani Butler that is in the works. It has Billie Davies on electronic drums, Maude Caillat on tenor sax and Damani Butler on electronics and digital sounds and it may have other guest artists. It looks like it will be performed a first time on Feb. 13, 2020, by invite only.
As we have opted for a Wix free site there are two ways to get there:
http://www.billiedavies.com or https://billie42.wixsite.com/billiedavies

billie davies official site

Billie Davies Nominated "Best Drummer" By Best Of The Beat 2019 Awards

Billie Davies has been nominated "Best Drummer" for the Best Of The Beat Awards 2019.

The OffBeat Music and Cultural Arts Foundation’s Best of the Beat Nominations are in.
We solicited nominations from musicians and many others in the music community. We then gave the results to our writers and editors and with input from both, determined the nominations in each category. Click here to vote!
The public starts voting on December 26 at OffBeat.com and voting ends on January 15. Winners will be announced at the Best of the Beat, which will be held at the New Orleans Jazz Market on Thursday January 30.

This is the second time that Billie has been nominated for her exceptional talent since she has moved to New Orleans. The 2017 Best Of The Beat awards nominated her for Best Contemporary Jazz Artist.
Billie would like to express her sincere thanks for the recognition.


HER MUSIC IS IT'S OWN ORIGINAL BEAST
Billie Davies is an American jazz drummer and composer best known for her free and avant-garde jazz compositions since the mid-1990s, and her improvisational drumming techniques. The music of BILLIE DAVIES line-ups moves beyond Jazz with it's own unique and truly improvisational style
"...reminding us sometimes of many different things but in the end, it is its own original beast, as powerful as anything more well-known musicians have created.. Jerome Wilson, All About Jazz".


On her latest album:
PERSPECTIVES II
BILLIE DAVIES TRIO REVIEWED IN JAZZ VIEWS
“Given the melting pot that New Orleans continues to be for jazz, it is not surprising that Davies has based herself here, nor that the musicians she gathers around her are not easy to pigeon-hole into one style of jazz (or even one style of music in any wider sense). This is another very successful experiment by Davies in mining the creative depths of improvised music making, producing a sound that cannot be simply labelled as jazz (even if it fully has the swing of jazz in all of the pieces brought by Davies and Watkinson in their dynamic partnership) and which really does respond to the cosmic dimensions of its inspiration.” - Chris Baber, Jazz Views (May, 2019)