The Sounds of VTech

This Friday, February 12th, 2010, VTech and Beat Junkie Sound presents NIGHTLIFE: “Songs in the Key of D - Act 2.” Resident DJs, the Beat Junkies: J.Rocc, Rhettmatic, Mr. Choc, and Curse, remember the passing of their dear friend and colleague James “J.Dilla” Yancey, alongside very special guests, Slum Village and more.

Be there as fans, friends, and more come to celebrate the life that was J.Dilla’s. The music, the memories, the joy and laughter will be present. Let’s commemorate the anniversary of his passing with positive energy, dancing and good times. Thank you J. Dilla.

21+ and over. Doors open at 10pm. $5 before 11pm and $10 after.

They’ll be accepting $5 donations for Maureen “Ma Dukes” Yancey. Early arrival is suggested.

The Echoplex

1154 Glendale Blvd. LA, CA 90026

Orchestra Rehearsal for the Great American Composers performance this Saturday

Last year when B+ (Mochilla) told me that a symphony orchestra from Cedar Falls, Iowa was planning on performing J.Dilla alongside Duke Ellington, William Grant Still, and George Gershwin to celebrate Black History Month and African-American achievement in orchestral music, I thought he was pulling my leg. But sure enough, as soon as I Googled “Cedar Falls Orchestra J.Dilla,” the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra popped up and put my disbelief to rest.

When you hear about these “creative blips” happening in the world, it makes me smile. It reminds me that people are listening, and those who can, try to the best of their ability to find a way to share. This is what this show represents to me, sharing something new that would have been overlooked by so many who have not been given a chance to judge for themselves. It’s an opportunity for the music lovers of Cedar Falls to understand and appreciate hip-hop in a whole new light, and who knows, J.Dilla might have a few more fans before the night is through.

But I still had to know more on why Dilla’s music was chosen to be performed together with such an iconic group of composers. I emailed the music director at Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony, Jason Weinberger to find out how he first came to discover the music of Dilla.

“I’ve been listening to Dilla since the beginning, before I even knew who he really was. I think I first became more directly aware of his story and persona through his work in the 90s with A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul and Pharcyde, and from there my interest just grew with each new project. If I had to pick my absolute favorite Dilla records I’d probably go with Donuts and Jaylib, though I could easily spend days on end listening to his beats from the Slum Village Fantastic albums and Common’s Like Water for Chocolate. J.Rocc’s Thank You Jay Dee mixes are always close at hand too.”

When did you first discovered Suite for Ma Dukes?

“I heard Suite for Ma Dukes when it first came out a year ago, and my first thought was that I needed to find a way to perform Miguel’s stunning reinventions of Dilla’s music. I’m always looking for ways to open up the traditional orchestra experience to new things anyway, so this seemed very natural. I looked around for Miguel on the web, found him on Facebook, and sent him a message to see if we could talk about getting these pieces in front of one of the orchestras with which I work. A few months later we met up in LA (where I’m from and where my family still lives) and connected over Dilla, Flying Lotus and Lutoslawski. The rest is history.”

And about this upcoming Saturday…

“I think one of the most special things about this weekend’s performance at the WCFSO - aside from experiencing the sheer beauty of Miguel’s orchestrations - will be the opportunity to appreciate Dilla’s achievements alongside those of other prominent African American composers who preceded him. To me it seems totally organic to hear Dilla alongside Duke Ellington and William Grant Still, and I think it’s a great way for audiences who may not be familiar with his work to get to know him.”

Progressive in his approach to music, Jason Weinberger and the WCFSO will bring Dilla to life on Saturday, February 6th in what will be an amazing evening. If you’re in the area or within driving distance, I encourage you to go. Experience Miguel Atwood-Ferguson’s beautiful crafted orchestrations and let the music pervade your senses. As much as Suite for Ma Dukes was a can’t miss for music lovers in Los Angeles, this event should be viewed the same way.

It’s music, it’s magic, and dare I say it, it will be timeless. Enjoy.

For tickets and information, click here: WCF Symphony

The Cali-bred b-boy is here, bringing us an exclusive single for the VTech fans. Many may know Oh No as the brother of hip-hop impresario Madlib, but he’s much more. Since the age of 11, On No has been making beats and making music, following in the footsteps of his father Otis Jackson and uncle Jon Faddis. In 2004, he debuted as a producer and MC and has created a style though, similar to his brother, it remains his own.

Here we present Oh No’s new single, “The Truth” with Phonte of Little Brother. And we’ll let the music speak for itself.

Right click to download:  The Truth by Ohno ft. Phonte

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Though the weather was wet and cold back in December 2009 in Washington DC, the crowds came early and patiently waited in long serpentine lines throughout the lobby of the National Geographic Grosvenor Auditorium for “Distant Relatives,” a special panel discussion. Some had come to hear Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, others for Nas, several came for Kool Herc and Rakim, and one person in particular came for Jeff Chang with book in hand hoping for an autograph. But no matter who they came for, the purpose of the evening was to learn about the roots of Hip-Hop and Reggae music, spanning the continent of Africa to the sound systems of Jamaica, and onto the streets of America.

This amazing panel which includes guests such as Stephen Marley, DJ Red Alert, Pat McKay, Waterflow, Big Youth, etc., was brought to the global stage by VTech  and was truly a melding of the minds.

They touched on the generational gap of learning and understanding music, the evolution of their industries, their personal experiences, beliefs, and interpretations of what music meant to them and expressed their joys and frustrations.

For those of you who weren’t there, this video gives a look at the magic behind the scenes as well as what happened on stage that night.  Listen, learn, and grow.

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The Sounds of VTech / Distant Relatives at National Geographic

It was show day at the Luckman Theatre and February 22nd, 2009 marked our second concert of the Timeless series, Suite for Ma Dukes. As the Orchestra assembled, Karriem Riggins and Steve “Thundercat” Bruner sat in the back chatting and sharing jazz stories. Karriem and Thundercat, both jazz veterans despite their youthfulness, were having a good time. Then in a flash Thundercat broke out his iPhone and asked Karriem about Tony Williams. Tony Williams had been a jazz prodigy who at 17 had played drums with the famous Miles Davis Quartet with Ron Carter, and Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock in the mid-sixties. In the seventies his band Lifetime were an amazing fusion combo making some just incredible records.

Thundercat played Williams’, “Proto-Cosmos,” and Karriem knew the song straight away. Immediately they began to play. B+ happened to be standing there with camera in hand, and was fortunate enough to capture this joyful moment. Here it is, free, happy, improvised and spectacular. Just what music is about.

Get ready for the 3 DVD Limited Edition Timeless Box Set coming 03-30-10..

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The Sounds of VTech / Proto Cosmos

The song that inspired the moment…

This is a can’t miss for music lovers and Dilla fans….

In what is sure to be one of the year’s most inspiring music/art happenings, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony (WCFSO) on February 6th, 2010 at the Great Hall in the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center at the University of Northern Iowa will celebrate Black History Month and African-American achievement in orchestral music. Featuring the work of William Grant Still, Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, and  J Dilla, the evening will combine the art of Cedar Valley artist Gary Kelley and the music of these legends in a unique multimedia presentation.

This event will stretch audience expectations of the typical orchestral concert by featuring arrangements of hip-hop artist J Dilla’s music. Grammy nominated record producer J Dilla (James Yancey) was one of the music industry’s most influential hip-hop artists. He emerged from the mid-1990’s underground hip-hop scene in Detroit and worked for big-name acts like De La Soul, Busta Rhymes and Common. His rise as a solo artist in the early 2000’s was cut short when he died in 2006, at age 32. The WCFSO will perform selections from Suite for Ma Dukes, arrangements of J Dilla’s music created by composer/arranger Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and featured last year in Los Angeles as part of the Mochilla/VTech Timeless Concert Series that paid tribute to J Dilla and his mother, Maureen “Ma Dukes” Yancey.

Program for the evening:

William Grant Still: Symphony no. 1, ‘Afro-American’

James Yancey (J Dilla), arr. Miguel Atwood Ferguson: selections from Suite for Ma Dukes

Edward ‘Duke’ Ellington: The Three Black Kings

George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue

Concert tickets start at $19 for adults and $9 for students.

For tickets, click here or call 319-273-4TIX or 1-877-549-SHOW or visit www.wcfsymphony.org.