News

Ian Joins Young Audiences of Northern California
as a Teaching Artist

Ian has recently joined the teaching artist roster at Young Audiences of Northern California. Ian is pictured here sharing his passion for the kalimba with students at Willowside Middle School in West Santa Rosa.

Ian’s program is titled Drums And Percussion Across the Globe and is available in residencies and workshops that are designed to open up a whole new world of sonic experiences for students from K-12. Ian shares his vast knowledge and expertise on a wide range of drums, melodic percussion and shakers from Africa, the Middle East, South America and Europe. Instruments include the African talking drum, Kalimbas (East African thumb pianos), Cajon (Peruvian box drum), Hang (Swiss melodic percussion instrument), the Balafon (West African marimba) and Doumbek (pan-Arabic goblet drum).

In a residency format, Ian expands the program to include instruction in selected indigenous rhythms from around the globe and, if possible, directs the students to learn and perform these rhythms in a culminating performance at the conclusion of the program. This process encourages students to gain confidence in their innate rhythmic ability, while engaging in joyful collaboration with their peers. 

For a workshop format, Ian demonstrates and provides historical and social context for each instrument and, when appropriate, invites students up to try them out. If the school has audio/visual capabilities at the site, Ian likes to share a few relevant brief video clips of the instruments played in their indigenous environments. If the school has drums and assorted percussion instruments available, Ian engages the students in a session of rhythmic discovery, using call-and-response and synchronous playing.

You can visit Ian’s web page at Young Audiences here.

“Africa” and “John Coltrane” Recorded

On August 5th, I had the pleasure of recording two tunes for my new project, "The Last Trane to Africa," at 25th Street Recording in Oakland, CA. We completed basic tracks and a few horn section overdubs. The pieces are "Africa" by John Coltrane and "John Coltrane" by Bill Lee. Vocal and percussion overdubs will take place on August 27th and then it's on to the mixing process.

It's challenging to convey the experience of a recording session and/or live performance to those who weren't present. In either case, it's so much more than the "chops" of the players; it's the spirit of collaboration and the commitment to doing what it takes to bring a collective vision to fruition. I am deeply grateful to acknowledge the abundance of both assets in our session.

My musical collaborators (as they were on my last recording "Quinta Essentia") were Richard Howell and Sheldon Brown on saxophones, Frank Martin on piano and Fred Randolph on bass. Richard will also be featured on vocals on "John Coltrane."

I would also like to acknowledge the sonic wizardry of recording engineer Gabriel Shepard, whose steady hand and demeanor are just what we need when playing such explosive and adventurous music.

And ... once again ... I would like to thank Jim Bennett for providing the spark that catapulted this whole concept into being.

The following images from my friend and photographer David De Hart will give you a taste of the proceedings.

I can't wait for the next session.

Photos by David De Hart

“The Last Trane to Africa” Recording Project is Underway

Photo by David De Hart

To quote the beloved fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, “The game is afoot.” The recording project titled “The Last Trane to Africa” is underway! This project is an Afrocentric homage to John Coltrane’s music.

Our premiere concert of this music took place in September on Trane’s birthday at the Oaktown Jazz Workshops in Oakland, CA. From that performance, I selected our live version of John Coltrane's “Tunji” for inclusion on the new recording. This performance features Avotcja reciting a poem she created for this piece, Richard Howell on tenor saxophone, Frank Martin on piano, Gary Brown on double bass, David Frazier on assorted shakers and bells, and me on udu (Nigerian clay pot).

On January 20, 2024, we reprised this performance at the 142 Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley, CA. From this performance, I will include Mongo Santamaria’s “Afro Blue” for this recording. This performance features Richard Howell on soprano saxophone, Frank Martin on piano, Gary Brown on double bass, David Frazier on the tambora and me on djembes, floor tom, cymbals and ankle bells.

My long-time production partner, Warren Kahn (from the Banquet Studios) and I have mixed “Tunji” and “Afro Blue” and you can listen to the results here.

On Monday, August 5th, I’ll be headed into 25th Street Recording in Oakland, CA, to record John Coltrane’s composition “Africa,” and the piece “John Coltrane” (composed by Bill Lee). Joining me on the date will be saxophonist/vocalist Richard Howell, saxophonist Sheldon Brown, double bassist Fred Randolph and pianist Frank Martin.

The Last Trane to Africa
September 23, 2003 at the Oaktown Jazz Workshops

Last night's performance of John Coltrane's music on his birthday at the Oaktown Jazz Workshops will be etched in my heart and soul forever. The confluence of ecstatic music and an audience that was totally present and energized will be treasured.

My collaborators – Frank Martin, Richard Howell, David Frazier, Gary Brown and special guest Avotcja, took the music (and poetry) to the "stellar regions," and it was an honor to create in concert with their collective brilliance and sense of adventure.

Another very special and rare occurrence was that many of the Bay Area's griots of the airwaves were in the house – Art Sato, Greg Bridges, Afrikahn Jamal Dayvs, and of course, Avotcja and Jim Bennett. These folks help keep creative, improvised music alive and thriving in our collective consciousness.

Many thanks to Jim Bennett for inviting us to play this special event and for all of his Herculean efforts to make this show a success. Thanks to Ravi Abcarian and the Oaktown Jazz Workshops for hosting the show and making us feel welcome. Also, a shout-out to Jazz in the Neighborhood for their support of this event.

And finally, all of us in the band want to thank everyone who came out and contributed so much to the feeling of community and uplift that permeated the space. It was pure magic.

Ian Presented the BAJABA Lifetime Achievement Award

During Ian’s recent The Last Trane to Africa concert at Oaktown Jazz Workshops, he was presented the BAJABA (Bay Area Jazz & Blues Artist) Lifetime Achievement Award from Afrikahn Jamal Dayvs and Greg Bridges of the JazzLine Institute.

“Quinta Essentia” Released November 15, 2022

On November 15, Quinta Essentia was officially released to all popular streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon, Pandora, Deezer and many more. To access all of these options from one page, click here. You can also click here to listen to the complete album and to read the digital booklet and “one sheet”.

Quinta Essentia is in the early stages of radio and press promotion and, to date, is airing on radio stations in South America, Canada, Australia and many in the U.S. Numerous European stations are expected to come on board shortly.

“Quinta Essentia” Mixes Finished!!!

Click here to listen to the completed mixes. The next step is determining how this project will be released. Stay tuned.

Final Track Recorded on 5/31/2022

The final track of Ian’s upcoming CD, "Quinta Essentia," was recorded today at 25th Street Recording in Oakland. The composition is titled "Svoboda," which translates to Freedom in Ukrainian. Joining Ian as a co-composer and performer was stellar cellist Moses Sedler. Ian played the kalimba (African thumb piano), which was tuned to a Ukrainian Dorian mode. Numerous meters in this piece, including a section in cycles of 15/4. The unflappable recording engineer Gabriel Shepard assisted the process in expert fashion.

Three New Pieces Recorded on 2/19/2022

On February 19, 2022, Ian and his collaborators once again descended on 25th Street Recording in Oakland, CA to record fresh arrangements of three new pieces – “The Gathering” (Randy Weston), “Sun Song (Leon Thomas) and “United” (Wayne Shorter). Musicians joining Ian (djembes/floor tom/hand drum, udu) included Sheldon Brown on tenor/soprano saxophones, Richard Howell on tenor/soprano saxophones, vocals, Fred Randolph on double bass and Frank Martin on piano. It was a thrilling and exhausting session and everyone definitely brought their “A-game.” Once again, Gabriel Shepard delivered his expert recording engineering and navigated seamlessly through a host of complexities.

On 3/8/2022, Ian will be moving over to Laughing Tiger Studios in San Rafael, CA to add a number of cymbal and shaker overdubs, as well as an African talking drum feature on “United.” Vocalist Yassir Chadly will also deliver a vocal overdub in Arabic to “The Gathering.”

Thanks to Luke Alessandroni for the images.

“Quinta Essentia” Project Ascends with Two New Pieces

On Saturday, July 31, Ian and his stellar cast of collaborators assembled at 25th Street Recording in Oakland, CA to record two more pieces for Ian’s Quinta Essentia recording project. This session and the subsequent remote mixing of these pieces at the Banquet Studios (Medford, OR) with Warren Kahn was supported by a grant from InterMusic SF.

One piece was Ian’s arrangement of an Ed Blackwell composition titled “Togo,” which was originally recorded by the band Old and New Dreams in 1979. Musicians joining Ian (djembes/floor tom/ankle bells/splash cymbal) included Sheldon Brown on tenor saxophone, Richard Howell on soprano saxophone, Fred Randolph on double bass and Henry Hung on trumpet.

The second piece, an original composition of Ian’s, is titled “Reflections by the Bay (Window)”. This composition is a tribute to Ian’s long-time musical collaborator bassist/flutist Bill Douglass and pays homage to the Sausalito-based Jazz by the Bay (Window) series, which host Joe Paulino and Bill Douglass launched 27 years ago and in which Ian has participated the last 24 years (except for 2020 due to the pandemic). Sheldon Brown, Henry Hung and Fred Randolph joined Ian on this one.

These and previous tunes from this project are available for your listening pleasure here.

Thanks to Ken Homer for the images.

New Recording Project – “Quinta Essentia”

Invitation to Participate

Link to Donations Page at Intermusic SF

The new project is entitled Quinta Essentia, which is Latin for the Fifth Essence or Quintessence. Quinta Essentia evokes the presence of an element that transcends the four common physical elements of earth, water, air and fire and exists in its purest form – aether.  

Here is a link to a sampler video that contains excerpts of live performances of pieces that will be featured on this new project.

Quinta Essentia presents a panoramic musical view, featuring a number of original compositions in a variety of configurations – solo, duet, trio, quartet, quintet and sextet. These pieces are rooted in the traditions of West Africa, Nubia (along the Nile River) and Ukraine, as well as the innovators who’ve stretched the parameters of what we call Jazz.  

The remaining pieces offer fresh interpretations of compositions that have brightened my world, such as “Sun Song,” which opens this video, by the late pioneering vocalist, Leon Thomas. We’ll also re-imagine pieces by legendary masters such as Randy Weston, Wayne Shorter and Ed Blackwell.

Fundraising Goals / Strategy 

To bring this vision to fruition, I’ll need to raise in excess of $16,000 (including fiscal sponsor fees), which does not include the $3,000 that I would pay for a dedicated radio promotion campaign. I can forgo that expense, because I’ve successfully executed these campaigns myself for two of my releases, including the last one for “Outside the Box.” In addition, I’ll also conduct a press campaign to ensure that I can attract reviewers to “weigh in” on the release. 

As part of my fundraising strategy, I’ve just finalized a Fiscal Sponsorship arrangement with InterMusic SF, who is currently collecting contributions targeted to this project. InterMusic SF is a wonderful organization that supports Bay Area professional musicians working in the small ensemble format with their live performance, composition and recording projects. They’ve been very supportive of my grant proposals in the past, providing funds for my Woody Shaw, Wayne Shorter, Randy Weston and Pharoah Sanders tribute concerts. A couple of pieces from the Wayne Shorter tribute are featured on the “Outside the Box” recording.

If you are interested in participating, please click here to make your donation. Thank you for your support! 

Ian Dogole Presents Benefit Concert for Bread & Roses at the Throckmorton Theatre.

A portion of the proceeds went to programs supporting programs for at-risk children.

On July 13th, 2019, Ian Dogole, recording artist, bandleader, percussionist and long-time Bread & Roses volunteer, presented a special concert to help Bread & Roses Presents expand its programs for disadvantaged children from high-risk neighborhoods, many of whom are homeless or from immigrant families or single-parent households.

Attendees were treated to a musical program that featured the ancestral sound journeys of indigenous pan-American flutes, Vietnamese jaw harp and didgeridu of René Jenkins with African drums and melodic percussion of Ian Dogole … to the soaring, stellar voice of Deborah Winters … to the spell-binding voice and uplifting saxophones of Richard Howell … to an original composition by Ian Dogole on East-African kalimba that celebrated orca whales … to fresh interpretations of compositions by Thelonious Monk, Wayne Shorter, Randy Weston and Leon Thomas, featuring luminous Bay Area improvisers Frank Martin on piano, Fred Randolph on double bass and Eric Golub on viola.

 It was a magical evening in support of a truly heroic organization – Bread & Roses Presents.

Ian Dogole Receives Grant from InterMusic SF for Musical Tribute to Pharoah Sanders.

Ian Dogole received a grant award from InterMusic SF (formerly San Francisco Freinds of Chamber Music) for "Karma – A Musical Tribute to Pharoah Sanders." This project's mission was to share the uplifting and vibrant music from saxophonist Pharoah Sanders’ Impulse! period (1966-1973) and Theresa Records period (early ‘80s).

The tribute concert took place on Saturday evening, September 22nd at the 142 Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley, CA.

The performance featured pieces from a number of Sanders’ epic recordings from Impulse!, including “The Creator Has a Master Plan” (Karma), “Thembi” (Thembi) , “Astral Traveling” (Thembi) and “The Healing Song” (Live at the East). and from Theresa Records, including “Sun Song” (Shukuru), “Farah” (Rejoice) and “You’ve Got to Have Freedom” (Journey to the One).

This was Dogole’s fourth grant award from SFFCM, with previous projects including “Beyond All Limits,” which honored the musical legacy of trumpeter/composer Woody Shaw (2009), “Shorter Moments,” which paid tribute to saxophonist/composer Wayne Shorter (2011) and “Afro-Weston,” which honored the Afro-centric compositions of the late pianist/composer Randy Weston.  

Here is a link to the event - https://throckmortontheatre.org/…/karma-a-musical-tribute-…/

   Musicians:

• Ian Dogole – udu, djembe/floor tom, talking drum, kalimba, balafon, misc. percussion, vocals

• Richard Howell – tenor / soprano saxophone, lead vocals

• Frank Martin – piano

• Sheldon Brown - alto / soprano saxophones, bass clarinet, flute

  Fred Randolph – double bass

• Deszon Claiborne – drum set, percussion

• Avotcja – poetry, misc. percussion

Ian Dogole’s “Afro-Weston” Project Earns 2015 San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music Musical Grant Program Award

Multipercussionist/bandleader/recording artist Ian Dogole was awarded a 2015 San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music (SFFCM) grant for his project entitled “Afro-Weston,” a musical tribute concert that featured new arrangements of pianist/composer Randy Weston's Afro-infused compositions, with a focus on pieces that blend Gnawa instruments and musical approaches into a Jazz-oriented context. The concert took place at the 142 Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley, CA on March 19, 2016.

 The collaborators on this project were:

• Ian Dogole – dumbek (pan-Arabic goblet drum), African talking drum, kalimba (East African thumb piano), cajon (Afro-Peruvian box drum), hang (Swiss steel pan-inspired, melodic percussion instrument), floor tom, cymbals and shakers

• Yassir Chadly – gimbri (Moroccan 3-string bass lute), oud, qarqabas (Moroccan hand cymbals) and vocals

• Dan Feiszli – double bass

• Frank Martin – piano

• Paul McCandless – woodwinds

• Dave Tidball – woodwinds

The Weston compositions that were performed came from three transcendent recordings that document the power and spirit of his blending of indigenous music from other cultures into a Jazz-centric ensemble and approach – “The Spirits of Our Ancestor” (1991), “Saga” (1995) and “Khepera” (1998). Weston pieces included “Blue Moses,” “The Healers” and “The Gathering.” 

“For over 50 years, Randy Weston has most eloquently and elegantly fused the indigenous music traditions of the African sub-continent into his voluminous output of Jazz compositions,” said Dogole. “His seven-year residency in Morocco and frequent use of Gnawa musicians from Morocco in his performances and recordings speak to his deep affection for this music from the Sahara and its role in his music. The fact that he is so under-acknowledged for his prodigious contributions to the music over such a long period of time is a driving force in my desire to share his musical legacy with as many listeners as possible. I am so grateful to SFFCM for providing me with a platform to honor Randy Weston’s cross-cultural approach to adventurous improvisational music.”