On Friday June 26th we partnered with long time VTech supporter Rap-Up magazine to throw their 4th anniversary party at The Sunset Towers hotel in West Hollywood. VIP guests included Ciara, LeToya Tuckett, Adrienne Bailon, Li’l Mama, Teairra Mari, Melody Thornton and Shanell were among those who attended. VIP’s went home with VTech IS9181 wifi internet radios, VTech 5145 cordless phones, G-Shock/Baby-G watches, SUPER Sunglasses, ck one fragrance, Griffin iPhone cases, Chaser vintage tees and Vans bags. Congrats to Devin and his crew for another solid year. Here are some pics from the event courtesy of Rap-Up:
We started the Karriem Riggins’ Virtuoso Experience Tour, brought to you by VTech, on the 22nd of June in Seattle at the Triple Door, down to Oakland at Yoshi’s on the 24th and 25th and tonight, we bring you the final show of the KRVE to DAKOTA JAZZin Minnesota with DJ Dummy.
Tonight is your last night to experience the Virtuoso Experience. Your last chance to be up front and center of Karriem’s musical talent. Come and see for yourself as the Karriem Riggins’ Quartet effortlessly move between genres, capturing the hearts and ears of music lovers all over. With Karriem on drums, Mulgrew Miller on piano and rhodes, Warren Wolf on vibes and Joe Sanders on bass, this band is a wealth of talent, bursting with energy and filled with music. Drawing from musical sources as diverse as Tony Williams, Cesar Camargo Mariano and Burt Bachrach, fans will be clamoring for more.
Understanding music through the kaleidoscopic lens of jazz is daunting. But it’s a challenge made for virtuoso drummer, multiinstrumentalist, rapper, and arranger Karriem Riggins.
Riggins allows jazz’s free-flowing aesthetic to guide his quest to study genres, explore amorphous coagulations of sound, and synthesize diverse sonic influences and life experiences. His muse opens an expansive universe of musical possibilities….Whether playing drums for powerhouses like Ray Brown and Herbie Hancock or producing and rhyming with Madlib, Riggins shows a rare adeptness at either transcending or crossing skillfully between musical traditions.
-San Francisco Bay Guardian
Pete Rock and Karriem Riggins at Yoshi's in Oakland
Karriem is in a beautiful enviable position: By day he can cook with the best of those in the jazz and he STILL maintains his respect from the veterans of that world (He is from the D like Elvin Jones). Then at night he cooks some treats up on his MPC3000 that I KNOW for a fact has a fellow former resident of the D smiling down and snapping his neck from the gates of heaven tapping the shoulders of Jimi & Donny & James & Minnie talking about “See that cat right there? That’s MY cat right there!!!!…..” (*yells to gabriel at the speaker controls) “TURN IT UP!” I can only DREAM to have this position.
The Triple Door in Seattle was the first stop for the Karriem Riggins’ Virtuoso Experience brought to you by VTech, and the crowd eagerly awaited his arrival. Karriem, not new to Seattle having traveled there several times with Diana Krall and Madlib, happily greeted the audience.
With Karriem on drums, Mulgrew Miller on piano and rhodes, Warren Wolf on vibes and Joe Sanders on bass, this band is a wealth of talent, bursting with energy and filled with music. Karriem’s endless rhythms encouraged big playing and was met by an intricate and soulful set of tunes. With music from sources as diverse as Tony Williams, Cesar Camargo Mariano and Burt Bachrach, all which received the virtuoso treatment, jazz fans will not be left wanting by this ambitious quartet.
The guest set with Dj Dummy paid tribute to J Dilla with a re-interpretation of some of his lesser known tunes.It was an emotional moment for Riggins who was very close to Dilla and even finished his last record the Shining when his untimely death prevented him from doing so himself.
The finale of the show was with the entire group doing a beautiful up-tempo rendition of Mulgrew Miller’s Eleventh Hour.Miller, the elder of the group, played incredibly throughout the evening. He brings a powerful and wise feeling to the energetic music.The satisfaction on the faces of the group having pulled off such a fantastic and deeply satisfying song was palpable.
The audience which included members of Maxwell’s band (Piano virtuoso Robert Glasper and drum magician Chris Dave) as well as many local hiphop literati was left filled with the spirtual sustenance which great African American music can bring.
Pete Rock (Wed/24) and DJ Dummy (Thurs/25); 8 and 10 p.m., $20
Yoshi’s
510 Embarcadero West, Oakland, CA (510) 238-9200
Understanding music through the kaleidoscopic lens of jazz is daunting. But it’s a challenge made for virtuoso drummer, multiinstrumentalist, rapper, and arranger Karriem Riggins.
Riggins allows jazz’s free-flowing aesthetic to guide his quest to study genres, explore amorphous coagulations of sound, and synthesize diverse sonic influences and life experiences. His muse opens an expansive universe of musical possibilities….Whether playing drums for powerhouses like Ray Brown and Herbie Hancock or producing and rhyming with Madlib, Riggins shows a rare adeptness at either transcending or crossing skillfully between musical traditions.
Last month, Echoplex played host as VTech and Beat Junkie Sound brought NIGHTLIFE back to L.A.
The evening brought the masses out to celebrate NIGHTLIFE with Pete Rock. For those who were there, here’s a quick look back at the night’s events. And for those who missed out, next time, don’t.
Check back with http://music.vtechphones.com as the summer progresses as we’ll have events, music exclusives, sweepstakes and more.
Another year and another great partnership with Playboy and VTech bringing great music to the Hollywood bowl at the 31st annual Playboy Jazz Festival.
From Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Jon Faddis Quartet, Patti Austin, King Sunny Ade, Wayne Shorter Quartet and more. We saw legends: Jimmy Cobb who performed with Miles Davis’ landmark album Kind of Blue to newcomer Esperanza Spalding and more.
On Saturday, The Neville Brothers closed out the first evening of the Jazz Fest with a great set. Here’s a peek.
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