Johnny Vidacovich via giant steps through a matrix based in the phenomenon placing most of the 7.8 billion of us within 6 or fewer degrees — steps — of each other...
- Steps from Johnny Vidacovich:
I'LL TAKE YOU THERE! ▶
'mātriks / "source" / from "mater", Latin for "mother". We're real mothers for ya!
I'LL TAKE YOU THERE! ▶
- Steps forward by: The Matrix
Who I Am & Where I Live
- Name: Johnny Vidacovich
- City: New Orleans, Louisiana
- Country: United States
My Life & Work
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Bio:
Since starting to play the drums at the age of ten, performing has been the passion of Johnny Vidacovich. From French Quarter clubs to the big stages, he has shared his talents with greats like New Orleans' "Tan Canary" Johnny Adams, Professor Longhair, and Mose Allison, and as a member of Astral Project. The seminal New Orleans contemporary jazz group, Astral Project has been taking its audiences to higher planes of reality for several decades. The loose affiliation finds its members doing their own thing and returning to renew their musical acquaintanceship with each other. Each player is a master in his own right: Steve Mazakowski on the guitar willed to him by the late, great Danny Barker; James Singleton, at one with his bass; Tony Dagradi, the essence of cool on the saxophone; wild man David Torkanowsky on the piano; and Vidacovich on the drums.
Astral Project started out in the '70s, jamming at the venerable Absinthe House on Bourbon Street, with Bobby McFerrin often sitting in. Gigs at Snug Harbor and the New Orleans Jazz Fest won them a devoted local following, which has expanded to international acclaim. The musicians have continued to hone their skills individually and collectively in live gigs and recording sessions.
The group's first CD, Dreams of Love (now out of print) was released in 1987, and things have been on the upswing ever since. The ensemble's live CD, Astral Project, introduced the artists to audiences in far flung places like New York, L.A., and Europe, and established their reputation as pushers of the envelope in the jazz idiom.
Meanwhile, Vidacovich continued to gig and record with other musicians until he became the most sought after drummer in the city of New Orleans. He also paid his dues in New York, where he received rave reviews. Vidacovich has been recognized by everything from the Big Easy Entertainment Awards to accolades in Offbeat and Downbeat and the New York Times, to an appearance on the NPR show of fellow New Orleanian Branford Marsalis, Jazz Profiles.
It is in improvisation that his abilities show to greatest advantage. Always sensitive to the shifting sands of jazz, the drum maestro may mix it up with reggae, bebop, street beat, and blues rhythms in the course of one tune, as he follows the lead of one of his collaborators. The lightning speed with which he morphs from one style to another as the occasion requires can be heard on CDs such as Astral Project's Voodoo Bop and Elevado; his own Mystery Street, and Banks Street; and We Came To Play with George Porter Jr.
He is also a highly regarded teacher and educator whose past students include Stanton Moore and Brian Blade. He has been a longtime faculty member at Loyola University and the University of New Orleans. Johnny and his wife Deborah maintain the Tipitina’s Sunday music workshops where younger students can come play with the pros on Sundays at Tip’s.
Johnny played the first and every New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (which just celebrated its 44th anniversary) and has become a fixture on the New Orleans music scene. He has 4 records under his own name and an instructional book and DVD focusing on his approach to New Orleans drumming. He continues to maintain an active playing, touring and teaching schedule, both in New Orleans and all over the world via Skype.
My Media & Markets
- ▶ Twitter: jvidacovich
- ▶ Instagram: johnnyvidacovich
- ▶ Website: http://johnnyvdrum.weebly.com
- ▶ YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/Vidacovich01
- ▶ YouTube Music: http://music.youtube.com/channel/UC3-UmRmtxlcuXr7RSV95FbQ
- ▶ Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/album/5tIzmAv5RFrr13HmspV7Dz
- ▶ Spotify 2: http://open.spotify.com/album/7LuwHupufdOeuF46yJ2QGh
- ▶ Spotify 3: http://open.spotify.com/album/2JJahr9eXJSPXbgr6U9SgN
More
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Quotes, Notes & Etc.
DISCOGRAPHY
Year Album Artist
2015 Music Is Love Papa Mali
2013 Advice from a Father to a Son Scott Ramminger
2012 In New Orleans Willy DeVille
2011 A Nod to Bob, Vol. 2: Nod to Bob: An Artists' Tribute to Bob Dylan on His 70th Birthday
2010 The Rounder Records Story
2009 Dirty Power Shane Theriot
2009 Essential Recordings: The Great Johnny Adams Jazz Album Johnny Adams
2008 Cure All Robert Walter
2008 Red House 25: A Silver Anniversary Retrospective
2007 City of Dreams: A Collection of New Orleans Music
2007 Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino
2007 Umbrella Man Scott Albert Johnson
2006 More or Less Jazz Two
2006 The Great Johnny Adams R&B Album Johnny Adams
2005 A Celebration of New Orleans Music to Benefit the Musicares Hurricane Relief
2005 Super Heavy Organ Robert Walter Cymbals,
2005 The Great Johnny Adams Blues Album Johnny Adams
2005 Voice of the Wetlands Tab Benoit
2004 Alan Lomax's Southern Journey Remixed Tangle Eye
2004 Byrd Lives Professor Longhair
2004 Funk: The Language of New Orleans, Vol. 8
2004 Strut Michael Kaeshammer
2004 The Essential Collection Bill Morrissey
2003 Box of the Blues Rounder Records
2003 Grease Factor Shane Theriot
2003 Louisianthology Tom McDermott
2003 Mardi Gras: Language of New Orleans, Vol. 7
2003 Scrapomatic Scrapomatic
2003 Trip to New Orleans Vahag Petian
2003 We Came to Play Vidacovich Porter Yamagishi
2003 With Fessor's Funky New Orleanians Thais Clark
2002 Piano Face John Autin
2002 Vidacovich Johnny Vidacovich
2001 No Strings Attached Michael Kaeshammer
2000 For Joe Steve Masakowski
2000 There Is Always One More Time Johnny Adams
1999 Dear Jo Phil Parnell
1999 Living Room Anders Osborne
1999 The Orleans Records Story Orleans Record Story
1999 Tryin' to Make a Little Love Michelle Willson
1999 Voodoo Bop Astral Project
1998 Blues: The Language of New Orleans, Vol. 3
1998 Dedicated to You Clarence Johnson III
1998 Elevado Astral Project
1998 Jazz: Language of New Orleans, Vol. 2
1998 Jazznocracy Al Belletto
1998 Modern New Orleans Jazz Masters
1997 Astral Project Astral Project
1997 Banks Street Johnny Vidacovich
1997 Game of Chance Rick Margitza
1997 Jazz Profile Mose Allison
1997 Music, Vol. 1: Language of New Orleans
1997 Mystery Street Johnny Vidacovich
1997 We Got It Goin' On Mambo Brothers
1996 All of Me Harry Connick, Sr.
1996 Bill Deraime Bill Deraime
1996 Blue Orleans Tim Laughlin
1996 Loyalties Chuck Bergeron
1996 Stargeezer "Spider" John Koerner
1996 World Christmas [Capitol]
1996 Worth the Price Lenny McDaniel
1996 You'll Never Get to Heaven Bill Morrissey
1995 But... Beautiful Lillian Boutté
1995 Live at the Columns Tony Dagradi
1995 Night Owl Mambo Brothers
1995 The Pfister Sisters The Pfister Sisters
1995 Time for Love Phillip Manuel
1994 Allison Wonderland: Anthology Mose Allison
1994 Liquid Fire: The Best of John Scofield John Scofield
1994 Tribute to Edith Piaf [Amherst]
1993 Fess: The Professor Longhair Anthology Professor Longhair
1993 Good Morning Heartache Johnny Adams
1993 What It Was Steve Masakowski
1992 Pictures And Paintings Charlie Rich
1992 Remember Me Roland Stone
1992 Testimony John Mooney
1991 Johnny Adams Sings Doc Pomus: The Real Me Johnny Adams
1990 Charles Neville & Diversity Charles Neville
1990 Gramavision 10th Anniversary Sampler Drums
1990 My Backyard Mose Allison
1990 The Creole Christmas
1990 Victory Mixture Willy DeVille
1989 Walking on a Tightrope: The Songs of Percy Mayfield Johnny Adams
1988 Blues Bred in the Bone Ray Anderson
1988 Dreams of Love Tony Dagradi
1988 Flat Out John Scofield
1988 Steppin' Out David Torkanowsky
1987 Louisiana Scrapbook Various Artists
1986 Graciously Alvin "Red" Tyler
1986 Heritage Alvin "Red" Tyler
1985 Looking Back Zachary Richard
1985 Lost in the Stars: The Music of Kurt Weill
1985 Out of the Blue [Rykodisc]
1983 Lunar Eclipse Tony Dagradi
1982 Classified James Booker
1980 Crawfish Fiesta Professor Longhair
1977 Angelle Angelle Trosclair
1976 The Complete Remastered Recordings on Dischi Della Quercia Giorgio Gaslini
My Instruction
- Instruction: http://johnnyvdrum.weebly.com/book-drum-lessons.html
The world's artistry via giant steps through a matrix based in the phenomenon placing most of the 7.8 billion of us within 6 or fewer degrees — steps — of each other ...
... a project conceived and built in the fertile, fecund and atavistic ground zero of Bahia, Brazil initially for the discoverability of this singular region's dispossessed genius.
All explained in the window immediately below. Followed — beneath this window — by scores of magnificent artists, each leading to myriads more artists/categories. Inside this window also may be found our Brazilian record store radio, named by British journal The Guardian as one of 10 of the Best Radio Stations Around the World!
IF YOU CAN'T STAND THE HEAT
Brazil is not a European nation. It's not a North American nation. It's not an East Asian nation. It straddles -- jungle and desert and dense urban centers -- both the equator and the Tropic of Capricorn. It absorbed over ten times the number of African slaves taken to the United States of America, and much of its aboriginal population was absorbed into the general population-at-large. Its people have lived under oligarchy, plutocracy, dictatorships and massive corruption, with elements of these still strongly entrenched today.
But!
Brazil has buzz...not the shallow buzz of a fashionable moment...but the deep buzz of a population which in spite of -- or perhaps because of -- the tough slog through life they've been allotted by humanity's dregs-in-fine-linen, have chosen not to simply pull themselves along but to lift their voices in song and their bodies in dance...to eat well and converse well and much and to wring the joy out of the day-to-day happenings and small pleasures of life which are so often set aside or ignored in the European, North American, and East Asian nations.
For this Brazil has a genius perhaps unparalleled in all other countries and societies, a genius which thrives alongside peeling paint and holes in the streets and roads, under bad organization by the powers-that-be, both civil and governmental, under a constant rain of societal indignities...
Which is all to say that if you don't know Brazil and you're expecting any semblance of order, progress and light, you will certainly find the light! And the buzz of a people who for generations have responded to privation at many different levels by somehow rising above it all.
Raimundo Sodré, in a conversation ranging through New Orleans and Harlem and the South Side of Chicago ... and Appalachia and Irish villages and Russian shtetls and the unofficial symbol of Brazil's Bahian-born national music (the pandeiro) almost certainly having arrived in Brazil in the hands of Sephardic Jews (including conversos) fleeing the Inquisition, once remarked: "Where there's misery, there's music!"
A pandeirista on the roof. And it's not just music. And it's not just Brazil.
