Showing posts with label Musicians. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Musicians. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 14, 2018

BILLIE DAVIES "PERSPECTIVES II" at the ART KLUB Theater in New Orleans


BILLIE DAVIES


"PERSPECTIVES II PHOTOS"


BILLIE DAVIES trio: Billie Davies - drums | Evan Oberla - piano/keys/trombone | Oliver Watkinson - bass
Featuring: Ari Kohn - reeds | Iris P - vocals | Allie Porter - vocals
Dance by: Artivism Dance Theatre - dance improvisation featuring Elle Ciccarone Jones and Briana Alston.
Venue: Art Klub - Theater, 1941 Arts Street, New Orleans LA 70117




In anticipation of the upcoming video/audio release of "Perspectives II" here are some screenshots / photos of the Live video/audio recording session ...











"PERSPECTIVES II" continues an all spontaneous, instinctive, intuitive improvisation inspired by 7 perspectives, words and 7 chakra musical keys, expressed by a quartet of piano / keys, baritone sax / flute, bass and drums, vocals / spoken word by 2 female vocalists and 2 female dancers.










Perspectives that affect all human beings, regardless of race, nationality, culture, gender, creed, religion, politics, social status and personhood.








Abstract Expressionist Improvisations

Neither confused by the light

Nor blinded by dogma, color or political correctness

Music by the BILLIE DAVIES trio

Thinking of Marie Laveau (Billie Davies trio)


On Hollywood Boulevard 1 (Davies, Oberla, Watkinson) - BILLIE DAVIES - A Nu Experience - On Hollywood Boulevard


Palm Trees (Billie Davies) - BILLIE DAVIES - A Nu Experience - On Hollywood Boulevard -







Press

"Billie Davies ... plays her own music. Freedom and expression. These are the things that matter most to Billie Davies, who has used the drums for more than 40 years now. For Davies, seeking freedom is a purpose, a way of life. It stems from her days among bohemian communities in southern France, living in a DIY RV and playing music in the streets, where she shaped her chops early on, playing by herself or along manouche and blues musicians." — Noe Cugny, OffBeat, Jul 2, 2018


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Saturday, March 14, 2015

To Jazz or not to Jazz, there is no question. (Louis Armstrong)

BILLIE DAVIES

New Orleans, LA
Jazz / Avant Jazz / Avant Garde
PLAY SONGS »SHARE SONGS »VISIT PROFILE »


"To Jazz or not to Jazz, there is no question." (Louis Armstrong)

Billie Davies at Music At The Mint
It has been a while and a lot has happened... :) Never a dull moment with Billie Davies :)

A New Line-up for the BILLIE DAVIES Ensemble debuted for the performance at Music At The Mint on March 6th where we had a great turn out for a Friday afternoon.
The BILLIE DAVIES Ensemble at Music At The Mint

L to R: Branden Lewis on trumpet, Evan Oberla on trombone, Alex Blaine on sax, Ed Strohsahl on bass, Billie Davies on drums.
Audio and Video of this performance will be available soon.

The first 8 songs on Billie Davies' playlist at http://www.billiedavies.com/ or on ReverbNation are by the new BILLIE DAVIES Ensemble and are part of the performance set list for current performances (including the performance at Music At The Mint).
The BILLIE DAVIES Ensemble is very busy in the studio now working on the new album "Hand In Hand In The Hand Of The Moon" (Release date to be determined).

The Performance at the Blue Nile Balcony Room for the OPEN EARS music series on Tues May 19th will be introducing the new album "Hand In Hand In The Hand Of The Moon" to the general public.


BILLIE DAVIES Ensemble new line-up.


Billie Davies decided to change the line-up for the ensemble after the performance at The Louisiana Music Factory:
BILLIE DAVIES Ensemble at The Louisiana Music Factory
Click on the photo to hear and see a live video on YouTube of performing "12 Volt".
Get the "12 VOLT" CD at Louisiana Music Factory.

 The Performance at the Red Bastille Lounge gave us a nice video and a unique perspective:
BILLIE DAVIES Ensemble at the Red Bastille Lounge
The performance line-up was Billie Davies on drums, Daniel Coffeng on guitar and Stoo Odom on bass (substituting for Jonathan Solomon).
Video should very soon be available for your viewing pleasure on YouTube.

See Ya Later Gator :-D !!!

MUSIC STORES

 ITUNES       AMAZON MP3       CD BABY       GOOGLE PLAY     


PRESS

"Billie Davies: 12 Volt (2013) By C. MICHAEL BAILEY, Published: November 22, 2013 Billie Davies: 12 Volt Drummer Billie Davies' previous recording, All About Love (Self Produced, 2012) was novel and compelling, a trombone trio with the drummer lead. Davies assembled original and standard works, achieving both educational and artistic endpoints. The present recording, 12 Volt, retains the trio format, substituting the guitar for the trombone and pushes the trio envelope out with a moody collection of eight originals, when considered together comprise an avant-garde suite possibly conceived by Grant Green and John Coltrane. This music is most comparable to Jimmy Giuffre's 1960s trios exploring free jazz using three independent instruments probing jazz's three-dimensional space. Davies directs a very similar interrogation of spatial sound dependence and independent of time."  C. Michael Bailey, All About Jazz

"BILLIE DAVIES - 12 VOLT : HIGH VOLTAGE avant-garde JAZZ by Jan Hocek December 5, 2013 She was born in Bruges, Belgium, eccentric , avant-garde jazz drummer - self-taught, relentless and explosive style of playing, jazz innovator, living in Los Angeles since 2009 only, she is this year's winner of the prestigious LA Music Awards in the category "Jazz Artist of the Year 2013" - BILLIE DAVIES! This award helped her to the greatest degree with her last (the fourth one) album "12 VOLT", which was released on their own label Cobra Basement. Original article language: Czech. For English:http://www.billiedavies.com/Press_12VOLT"  Jan Hocek, JazzPort

"She was born in Bruges, Belgium, eccentric , avant-garde jazz drummer - self-taught, relentless and explosive style of playing, jazz innovator, living in Los Angeles since 2009 only, she is this year's winner of the prestigious LA Music Awards in the category "Jazz Artist of the Year 2013" - BILLIE DAVIES! This award helped her to the greatest degree with her last (the fourth one) album "12 VOLT", which was released on their own label Cobra Basement. Billie Davies came to the United States when she was 32. Before that, from the age of 19, she was playing avant-garde jazz and free improvisation throughout Europe, especially France, Spain and the Mediterranean. She learned from recordings that included drummers such as Al Foster, Billy Higgins, Billy Cobham, Peter Erskine, Billy Hart and Jack DeJohnette. In doing so she got herself sucked into the various ethnic influences, particularly Roma music. Original language: Czech - English version:http://www.billiedavies.com/Press_12VOLT.html"  Jan Hocek, his VOICE


UPCOMING SHOWS

Blue NileNew Orleans, LATue May 19 201510:00 PM
> SEE MORE / DETAILS


LINKS

 FACEBOOK       YOUTUBE       FACEBOOK       REVERBNATION       ARTIST WEBSITE     

Friday, December 26, 2014

Happy New Year 2015

Wishing you a very, very Happy New Year 2015
full of Love, Peace and Happiness.
''Doubt that the stars are fire, Doubt that the sun does move, But never doubt I Love You ...''
Love always,
Billie Davies
~ A Jazz Musician ~

New Orleans, LA
Tel: (+1) 310.467.2061
Email: Billie@BillieDavies.com
on the Web:
Website: http://www.BillieDavies.com
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billie_Davies
Press Kit: http://www.reverbnation.com/rpk/billiedavies
Blog: http://BillieDavies.blogspot.com
Like her Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/BillieDaviesJazz
Fan her on AllAboutJazz: http://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/musician.php?id=43171
Follow her on Twitter: @BillieDavies
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UTN15vKwac&feature=share&list=UU8A-rTV0D0DeDFpqQczycew
Buy Billie Davies Music:
at CDBaby: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/billiedavies - http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/thebilliedaviestrio
on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/billie-davies/id532658143
at Reverbnation: http://www.Reverbnation.com/BillieDavies

Friday, November 22, 2013

Dr. Will Smith's Playlist: Review (Avant Garde): “12 Volt” - Billie Davies

Dr. Will Smith's Playlist: Review (Avant Garde): “12 Volt” - Billie Davies:

Review (Avant Garde): “12 Volt” - Billie Davies

Billie Davies has an interesting story.  Her travels have led her to many places.  She began her journey in Belgium and grew up singing, writing, and eventually playing drums at the age of 14.  After several awards for her artistic creations, she became a DJ at 23 and played in clubs in Germany and Belgium.  It was at this time she was offered a grant to study at Berklee College of Music under Max Roach after he heard her audition tape.  He felt that she “could learn more fundamental drumming techniques” but he heard “the natural drummer” in her. 
She declined the move to the US at that time but became a professional drummer at 25 citing Al Foster, Billy Higgins, Billy Cobham, Jack De Johnette, Ed Thigpen, and Peter Erskine as her biggest influences.
After moving to the US at 32 she settled in Los Angeles, California and became a US Citizen.  She recorded with several artists and began to compose music for her own release.  Her latest project “12 Volt” was recorded in April 2013 and released in October.  It features Daniel Coffeng on Guitar and Adam Levy on Bass.
The pieces on the album are inspired by her life in the wine regions of France where she lived amongst gypsies.  The title comes from the 12 volt battery that ran everything electric in the RV where she stayed with local blues jazz guitarist Claude Mazet.  She remembers her life among the gypsies and her life in the south of Europe fondly and It is that bohemian life, that close to nature life... so close that all the music…everything else you do or think becomes….a reflection of it.”
The first selection on the album is reminiscent of Miles Davis’ electric period of the 70s.  There are several themes that are stated initially, these are followed by the improvisation section which brings in ideas from the themes that were presented. The piece ends on the same thematic material that it began with.  There are some nice dynamic changes in the music and Ms. Davies creates some pleasant colors with her cymbal work.  Daniel Coffeng has ample chops to play a variety of styles and his technique ties the variety of ideas together. 



Her style is definitely of the avant garde school of jazz which seeks to go beyond the boundaries of the standard elements of music.  We are taught that the elements of music: rhythm, harmony, melody and form, are the key foundational elements of music.   Well what happens if you remove these elements can you still call it music? Is it possible to remove them completely?  This is the debate that has been going on in the jazz community since Ornette Coleman released Free Jazz in 1960.  
Ms. Davies is adding her take on that conversation and she brings an interesting offering to the table with her composition “12 Volt.”   Give it a listen and let us know what you think.

You can listen to her work here:

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Call out to EXPERIENCED, CREATIVE, IMPROVISATIONAL Free Improvisation Cats

Billie Davies Trio is calling out to EXPERIENCED, CREATIVE, FREE IMPROVISATIONAL Jazz Cats in New Orleans


All of Billie Davies music is improvisational... a conversation between musicians and musical instruments, a joint emotional expression inspired by a certain common feeling, thought or perspective that is being communicated to an audience, a listener, a community.
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LOOKING FOR EXPERIENCED, IMPROVISATIONAL CATS

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Whether you consider yourself advanced or expert... you need to love and have a yearning for interacting and growing with the same musicians continuously for an indefinite amount of time of playing, recording, gigging ...




INFLUENCES
All of her music is improvisational... a conversation between musicians and musical instruments, a joint emotional expression inspired by a certain common feeling, thought or perspective that is being communicated to an audience, a listener, a community.
Most of her influences stem from Classical, Gypsy, Manouche, Blues, Jazz, Free Jazz, Avant-jazz, Avant-garde, Soul and Funk.
Major influences: Jack De Johnette, Billy Higgins, Billy Hart, Al Foster, Ed Thigpen, Billy Cobham... Ornette Coleman, Miles Davis, Keith Jarrett, Rahsaan Roland Kirk.
Important influences: Max Roach, Elvin Jones, Tony Williams... Music produced under The ECM label in the 70's/80's with artists such as Dollar Brand,Abdulah Ibrahim, Jan Garbarek, John Abercrombie, Terje Rypdal, Charles Lloyd became an important influence and her inspirations have been influenced by Carla Bley, Nina Simone, Edith Piaf, Billie Holiday, Chopin, Ravel, Serge Vandercam, Matisse, Manitas de Plata, Irene Papas, Vangelis, Paco De Lucia, John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, Trilok Gurtu, Klaus Schulze, Peter Gabriel, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Charles Aznavour, Jacques Brel, Mozart, Bach, Liszt, Mendelssohn, Mussorgsky, Christian Dotremont, the CoBrA movement, Bram Bogart, Hugo Claus, Gaudi, Braque, Van Gogh, Picasso, Dali, Miro, Hieronymus Bosch, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, and so many more... and ~~~ Universal Energy ~~~.

“LOUD AND CLEAR
What Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry, Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins accomplished in “The Shape of Jazz to Come” was not in vain, I heard it!!!... What Charles Mingus, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Sun Ra and Cecil Taylor left us was not in vain, I heard it!!!...

LOUD AND CLEAR

It was their roots, It is my roots, answering, calling, and continuing the Mission of the evolution of Fine ART in JAZZ, in MUSIC, of liberating the notes to be free and the sounds to be re-invented, re-explored, so that others will hear and see and feel the ROOTS.
So that others may IDENTIFY with it. As I Do.
So that this extremely FREE, Heart Beating, Soul Searching, Mind Bending form of FINE ART through the medium of MUSIC... be still here
after I am gone...
UNCONSTRAINED by color, race, gender, dogma, politics, fashion and trends and money.

LOUD AND CLEAR” (Billie Davies)

Free jazz is an approach to jazz that developed in the 1960s when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventions, such as regular tempos, tones, and chord changes. Musicians during this period believed that the bebop, hard bop, and modal jazz that had been played before them was too limiting. They became preoccupied with creating something new. Free jazz has often been combined with or substituted for the term "avant-garde jazz". Europeans tend to favor the term "free improvisation". Others have used "modern jazz", "creative music", and "art music".

The ambiguity of free jazz presents problems of definition. Although it is usually played by small groups or individuals, free jazz big bands have existed. Although musicians and critics claim it is innovative and forward looking, it draws on early styles of jazz and has been described as an attempt to return to primitive, often religious, roots. Although jazz is an American invention, free jazz musicians drew heavily from world music and ethnic music traditions from around the world. Sometimes they played foreign instruments, unusual instruments, or invented their own. They emphasized emotional intensity and sound for its own sake. (Wikipedia)

Avant-garde jazz (also known as avant-jazz) is a style of music and improvisation that combines avant-garde art music and composition with jazz. Avant-jazz often sounds very similar to free jazz, but differs in that, despite its distinct departure from traditional harmony, it has a predetermined structure over which improvisation may take place. This structure may be composed note for note in advance, partially or even completely. The origins of avant-garde jazz are in the innovations of the immediate stylistic successors of Charlie Parker. Musicians such as Charles Mingus, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane introduced modal improvisation and experimented with atonality and dissonance. Sun Ra, Cecil Taylor, and Ornette Coleman became controversial jazz innovators. (Wikipedia)