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Event
E. Doctor Smith & Edo Castro
"An evening of music inspired by Eno"
Electronic percussionist E. Doctor Smith performs with bass virtuoso Edo Castro and special guests on Saturday, August 6th @ the Royce Gallery, utilizing the generative music and video software of Brian Eno.
Having played for 20 years in jazz, fusion, pop and folk bands as a serious student of drums, Smith has worked with the likes of Brian Eno, Madonna, Warren Zevon, Mickey Hart, Jimmy Cliff, and John Mayall and many, many others. He is also the inventor of the musical instrument, the Drummstick. Smith developed a love of digital drumming that compelled him to design and build an instrument that would give him maximum flexibility as a writer, drummer, and performer. The Drummstick, a percussion controller with 16 finger-pads mounted on a 2 x 6 piece of wood, is worn like a guitar and used exclusively to achieve Smith's primary musical goal in life "to make spirits dance". Following the success of his creation, Smith soon found himself performing with members of groups like Gong, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, and many others. In 2007, the Zendrum company built a new, custom model for him, both wireless and extremely versatile.
Spawned by the extraordinary Northern California bassist Michael Manring, the "Bass Solo Night" concert series has quickly become a stomping ground for some of the San Francisco Bay area's best musicians. It's a movable feast of talented bassists and features a rotating pool of extremely creative and innovative players. E. Doctor Smith, (the inventor of the MIDI percussion instrument, the Drummstick), had been asked to perform at one of those shows alongside the bassist and fellow Flecktone fan, Ariane Cap. Ironically, it was during this show at Oakland's Rooz Cafe that led to his first encounter with the bassist Edo Castro. Like Manring before him, Castro was another master of the "E-Bow". His 7 string bass playing was simply gorgeous and his ability to build loops and solo live was equally astounding. Needless to say, Smith was surprised when Castro graciously asked him join him for a "gratuitous funk" tune. The result was a truly magical experience and a unique new musical friendship was born.
Edo Castro was initially a self-taught bassist, but later attended the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago. " My Teachers were not only schooling me, they'd recommend me for gigs," Castro marveled. During his stay in Chicago he played with some of the finest young bloods of the music scene at that time, Jim Trumpeter, Fareed Haque, Mark Walker and Hassan Khan. Of course there were the jazz icons, Miles Davis Guitarist Pete Cosey and drummer Roy Haynes that Edo was fortunate enough to play with. Castro recalls," After playing a set with Roy Haynes, there was a bunch of us standing around talking to him and out of the blue Roy handed me his card and said, 'Man when you're ready, come to New York and give me a call. That was the greatest stamp of approval in front of all my peers.' I've yet to get to New York and collect on that call."
The pairing of Smith/Castro has often been compared to the ambient works of Brian Eno and Kit Watkins, and the acid-jazz of the Benevento/Russo Duo; intensely powerful, yet poignant music.
-Rent Romus
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LocationRoyce Gallery
2901 Mariposa
San Francisco, CA 94110
United States
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