Bands

Bodó Band Tour – Introduction

February 2, 2011 – Eight years on, and this experience is still one of my fondest musical adventures. After taking down the original trip journal at MINDSPEAK.COM when my web site was redesigned, I really wanted to bring back the highlights of this journey. There’s also a possibility of a reunion of sorts later in 2011, so if/when that happens, it would be good for visitors to my site to know how it all started.

This trip has been an endless source of inspiration. While I have performed with many other people since then, I can’t say that anything has approached the energy and excitement generated by this trio. My life was made so much richer (culturally if not monetarily) as a result of this experience.

What follows is a pictorial journal with samples of the 600 images that I took on the trip, converted to Flickr from the previous HTML journal. Photo comments are on the way, and will be necessary to really appreciate some of the more bizarre selections.

Tour photos (multiple pages)

Next Page ›

Photoshoot with Marlin Wagner:

Negodniki

Negodniki – Michael Hickey (guitar), Mehmet Safa Saracoglu (percussion), John Huckans (piano) & Jeremy dePrisco (bass). Below, the Negodniki quartet plays an impromptu version of Greensleeves into You Hold the Key, an Michael Hickey tune in which, after the “head” is finished, the soloist calls out the key for the band to play (which changes at the soloist’s whim). (Video by Audra dePrisco at the Treefest 2010 performance at Caldwell Consistory in Bloomsburg, PA)

Milt Jackson’s classic blues Bag’s Groove, also from the Bloomsburg Treefest on 27 November 2010.

Anthony Avenue Ensemble

Anthony Avenue Ensemble is a live performance project with Michael Hickey (guitar/bass/vocals), Mehmet Safa Saracoglu (percussion) and Dave Eisenhower (drums). I play bass, guitar and vocals and both Mike and I contribute original and cover songs in the blues/jazz style. Some rock too. Still under development, really just for fun or as we find venues suitable. Here’s something from 2009:

Moonlight Masala

Performing at Phillips Emporium - Photo by Audra dePrisco

Moonlight Masala – was an offshoot of the Bloomsburg to Bangladesh duo, with the addition of humorist and multi-instrumentalist Tom Dennehy (from Danville). I first met Tom in the early 90s while attending BU part-time, playing with the orchestra and working the open mic scene. Over the years we’ve become good friends, and it is always a pleasure to perform with and learn from Tom.

Highlights of our set included humor, Hindustani instrumentals (drawing from Tom’s time in India learning khyal singing), off-the-wall covers and originals, raag and taal explorations, tarana and folk songs collected from Tom’s many travels abroad (India, Morocco, Japan, Spain). At times I played flute, bass, guitar and percussion while Tom played tamboura, guitar, harmonium, Saxophone & Uke.

Moonlight Masala performed in the Bloomsburg/Danville area through 2003-2004 whenever Tom was available, and also added flutist Maiko Ferro from Berwick for a couple shows. The trio recorded for Homegrown Music in 2004 to support the Bloomsburg to Bangladesh album project between Jeremy and Bulu.

Those who know him understand that Tom doesn’t stay in one place for very long, so this was lots of fun, but short-lived. A sudden flash of something special that will never be the same again. Great while it lasted!

Other photos:

Performing at Magnolia 2004 - Photo by Audra dePrisco

Performing at Sakuntala 2004 - Photo by Audra dePrisco

Sakuntala 2003 - Photo by Audra dePrisco

Tabla man at WVIA - Photo by Jeremy dePrisco

Bloomsburg to Bangladesh (the band)

Bulu & Jeremy - Photo by Marlin Wagner

Bloomsburg to Bangladesh was a two-person East/West fusion collaboration with tabla player Ahm Mostafizur (Bulu) Rahman, originally from Bangladesh. Bulu has been playing tabla for 20 years and has recorded with his brother, Atique Babu. After receiving his degree in Botany from Dhaka University, he came to the US to complete an MBA at Bloomsburg University. I met Bulu in 2003 during the early days of the Bengal Association of Bloomsburg Area, and later we became good friends and began performing together.

We performed Blues, Roots, original ballads, character songs and covers throughout the Bloomsburg, Danville and Harrisburg areas and released one album (also called Bloomsburg to Bangladesh) between 2004-2005. Bulu later moved to New York to start his family and accept a job in the financial industry. To this day this remains one of the most enriching and rewarding experiences of my musical journey.

Video for Teasing the Toad (2003)

Other photos: