Showing posts with label Kevin Robinson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kevin Robinson. Show all posts

Day 17 – Coltrane’s “Equinox”



December 26, 2014

Kevin Robinson of KERQ performed at Baltimore's Lexington Market.
(This is part of a 365 project during my 70th year where I write and illustrate a blog on each day's gift.)

KERQ, always a treat to hear, performed at the Lexington Market. The group’s name stands for Kevin E. Robinson Quartet or Quintet, whichever it happens to be. I first met Kevin at the Baltimore Museum of Art where I was mesmerized by an original piece he created in response to Matisse’s Blue Nude painting at the museum. Since then he and his wife, Regina, have been friends with my husband David and me.

Whether Kevin performs Santana’s Black Magic Woman, Prince’s Purple Rain or Miles Davis’s Footprints, the music is always about more than playing the notes and keeping the rhythm—it goes beyond. And it is this spirit that reaches out to the listener and tugs at the soul.

Today, one of the early pieces KERQ played at Lexington Market was Coltrane’s Equinox. Although we are not at the fall or spring equinox, the music resonated with me. Yesterday I wrote about the role of balance in the Tree of Life, about how the hidden roots are as important as what is above ground. Kevin’s music is about the roots of emotion beneath each piece he plays.

The equinox is all about balance; it occurs when day and night are equally balanced.  It represents transition, the crux of a passage. I am going through a passage this year from my 60’s to my 70’s. It is an important time that requires a mind open to evolving. To be fully alive, one cannot merely just be. We must evolve.

Today as I listened to the spirit of Equinox, I felt that all those who heard were in the process of evolving.

Today’s gift was Kevin Robinson's Equinox.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> DAY 18 Shadow Rules
You can read my other posts on this project here:

KERQ and Kevin Robinson

Life isn't always linear. Of course we have to put one step in front of the other on a timeline as we make a living and cope with everyday realities. But the memorable times are those that transport us within the layers of life's fabric. This is what Kevin Robinson's music does to me.

It transports me to layers that invite emotional connections. I can forget about the academic realm that has pulled so much of my attention over the years. Instead, I can let go, forget the thinking...and feel.

And it is good, for life is all about the spirit. You will definitely find spirit listening to Kevin.

Here's a sample of Kevin Robinson and KERQ at SOWEBO a couple weeks ago in Baltimore. My little pocket Sony hardly does it justice but you'll get the idea. 



Hearing Kevin in person is much better than this sample. You've got to hear his group in person. In fact, there are lots of opportunities to hear Kevin with KERQ, LA and the Unusual Suspects or filling in with another group. Check out the calendar below:

October 10
Private wedding

Saturday
October 9
Noon-2pm
Lexington Market
400 W. Lexington Street
Baltimore, MD 21201

Phone: 410-685-6169


Saturday
September 25
Lexington Market
Noon
400 W. Lexington Street
Baltimore, MD 21201

Phone: 410-685-6169
http://www.lexingtonmarket.com/


Saturday
September 18
Kerq
Sowebo Recovery Expo
12 noon-5 pm
Poppleton & Hollins Sts. 
Baltimore



Thursday
September 2nd/9th/16th/23rd
7:30-10:30 pm
Black Fox Lounge

1723 Connecticut Ave.
Wash. D.C. 20009
202.483.1723
http://www.blackfoxlounge.com


Saturday 
September 11
2pm-2:50pm
Greenbelt Blues Festival
Roosevelt Center


Friday
August 27
Bobby's Jazz Club
1140 South Paca St.
Baltimore, MD  21230


Thursday
August 26
Black Fox Lounge
KERQ
7:30-10:30 p.m.

1723 Connecticut Ave.
Wash. D.C. 20009
202.483.1723
http://www.blackfoxlounge.com



Saturday
August 21
Private wedding
Gettysburg Pavillion
 

Saturday
August 21
LA & the Usual Suspects
Noon-2pm
Lexington Market
400 W. Lexington Street
Baltimore, MD 21201

Phone
: 410-685-6169

Thursday
August 19
Black Fox Lounge
KERQ
1723 Connecticut Ave.
Wash. D.C. 20009
202.483.1723
http://www.blackfoxlounge.com













Saturday
July 31
KERQ
8 PM-11
New Deal Cafe
113 Centerway
Roosevelt Center
Greenbelt , MD 20770
(301) 474-5642


Saturday
August 14
Adams County Winery
Concert in the Gardens
Wedding

Saturday
August 21
 Noon-2pm
Lexington Market
400 W. Lexington Street
Baltimore, MD 21201

Phone
: 410-685-6169
http://www.lexingtonmarket.com/


Thursday
September 2nd/9th/16th/23rd
7:30-10:30 pm
Black Fox Lounge
Wash,DC 20009


Friday 
September 10
Kerq
9:30-12am
Bobby's Jazz Club
1140 S. Paca St
Balto 21230

Saturday
September11
Kerq
2pm-2:50pm
Greenbelt Blues Festval
Roosevelt Center
113 Centerway
20770

Saturday 
Sept 11
9pm-1am
w/Whiskerfish
Belisimo's 
Rte 140 
Finksburg,Md

Friday
September 17
Kerq
Bobby's Jazz Club
9:30pm-12am
1140 S. Paca St.
21230

Saturday
September 18
Kerq
Sowebo Recovery Expo
12 noon-5 pm
Poppleton & Hollins Sts. 
Baltimore 

Saturday
September 18
Private Party

Friday
September 24
Kerq
9:30-12am
Bobby's Jazz Club
1140 S. Paca St

Saturday
September 25
LA&US
Lexington Market
Noon
400 W. Lexington Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
Phone: 410-685-6169

Saturday 
September 25
Private Party
Randallstown Md
21133

Thursday
September 30th
7:30-10:30pm
Black Fox Lounge
Wash, DC

Saturday
October 9
Noon-2pm
Lexington Market
400 W. Lexington Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
Phone: 410-685-6169

October 10
Private wedding



For a special treat,  click here to watch a slide show and listen to Kevin's original Shalom.

Baltimore Arts and Entertainment

Thanksgiving, literature and music. What a busy week! There is always a smorgasbord of arts and entertainment events in the Baltimore region. Catch a glimpse of what we chose to experience...it was all excellent. (Sorry...the sound on my snapshooter doesn't do justice to the music.)

Wednesday night in Baltimore I read some poetry but the main event was Rafael Alvarez reading from his new book, The Wire: Truth Be Told:



Before the Alvarez reading, we attended a special event at the gallery of mural artist, Michael Owen in Baltimore.

Friday night was jazz with Kevin Robinson at Bobby's Jazz Club in Baltimore.


Saturday night was a house concert at Georgie Jessup's house. Among other numbers, Georgie sang Paradise.



Other singer/songwriters included Teporah...



...and Kate Maguire and Claudia Sansoucie.

Shalom

Kevin Robinson plays his original piece "Shalom" in the background of a series of images I made of him:

Kevin Robinson

Bobby's Jazz Club in Baltimore, Maryland, November 20, 2009

Kevin and his crew captured the crowd at Bobby's Friday night. The sound on my little pocket camera doesn't do the performance justice. Just gotta hear him in person!

Freedom, Football, Photography and Music

Today is March 16. On this day in 1827, the first newspaper owned and edited by and for African-Americans, Freedom's Journal, was published in New York City. It appeared the same year slavery was abolished in New York state. On this day in 1972, librarian Zoia Horn went to jail, protesting that libraries should not become places for spying and infiltration. And on this day in 2003 a 23-year-old American college student, Rachel Corrie was killed in Gaza as she protested Israeli action there. She was run over by a bulldozer while trying to stop Israeli troops from demolishing a Palestinian home. She was the first nonviolent western protester to die in the occupied territories. See here for more information.

In case you were wondering what we did this weekend...

Friday night, we saw a screening of the documentary movie, Darius Goes West. Darius Weems has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and travels across the country with eleven friends on a mission. Watch this video. It explains everything. We met Darius at The Windup Space where the movie was shown. The movie is uplifting and creates awareness of Duchenne multiple sclerosis. It's one I highly recommend especially for students.




Saturday morning, I photographed the Baltimore Burn women's football team during their practice. Women between the ages of 19 and 49, from diverse backgrounds, turned out for a grueling practice on Saturday morning. I'm not all that interested in football but had a great time shooting the pictures. They are a diversified, talented, friendly...and tough group of women.

Saturday afternoon was the opening of Connie Imboden's photography exhibit. If you are unfamiliar with her work, you should check out her Web site. Her photos, some taken in a swimming pool, others taken with mirrors, are dark literally and figuratively and reach out to those hidden corners within us. You cannot remain unmoved by her images. The image here is from the cover of her new book, Reflections, 25 Years of Photography. In his essay in the book, Julian Cox describes Imboden's work as "passionate, haunting, beautiful and terrifying."

Saturday night we had tickets for the late performance of O'Malley's March, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley's band. The occasion was the release of their new CD. I'd never heard the group before but I'd seen O'Malley in an impromptu Blues Traveler performance at Art Scape. I enjoyed this Saturday night performance. This performance was high energy celtic music played with the pureness of musicians who love what they're doing. Their enthusiasm generates a joy in the audience that creates a hangover of the best kind.

Finally, we were able to catch the last set of Kevin Robinson's group, LA&the Unusual Suspects, at the Fireside Inn in Glen Burnie. The talented group plays a mix of motown rock and soul. They inspire listeners to move and move some more. Friday night was no exception.

I first heard Kevin at the Baltimore Museum of Art at a special event where artists were invited to respond to paintings in the museum's collection. Kevin played an original composition inspired by Matisse's Blue Nude. The depth and texture of his music and performance drew me in.

Next weekend? 333 Coffee House and Iranian New Year celebration.