New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Owl Studios) - Jazz/funk/fusion legends THE HEADHUNTERS have announced a U.S. tour for November, with stops in NY, VT, MA, PA, ME, VA and NC. The seminal band is currently finalizing tracks for a compelling new CD, 'Platinum', which will be released early next year by Owl Studios, featuring guest appearances by Snoop Dogg,
George Clinton, Killah Priest, Del the Funky Homosapien and others.
Legendary Headhunters percussionist Bill Summers unabashedly previews the album in his own words: '2011 will mark the beginning of a new movement in music and jazz. The true fusion of Hip Hop, Jazz, Rap, Salsa, Rock, New Orleans, African rhythm and its classical forms. The Headhunters are steeped in the funk and jazz traditions. The groove is undeniable and the layers of rhythm, melody and spoken word in this release will raise the bar and set a benchmark for the world to follow. The truth of the matter is, we respect all forms of music and see a place in this unusual musical tapestry for every form of modern and ancient music forms. The project is entitled 'Platinum'. For some this is an award presented to those who achieve a feat of reaching one million units sold and certified. For us, Platinum is a self-proclamation of achievement for creating a project deserving of recognition and will be heard and appreciated by the millions of listeners world wide.'
The Headhunters will kick-off a U.S. tour next month (final band line-up for the November tour will be announced soon). Confirmed dates are as follows:
Nov 3rd Brooklyn Bowl - Brooklyn NY
Nov 4th Club Metronome - Burlington, VT
Nov 5th Iron Horse Music Hall - Northampton, MA
Nov 6th Northstar Bar - Philadelphia, PA
Nov 7th Rose Live Music - Brooklyn, NY - Drum Clinic
Nov 9th Castaways - Ithaca, NY
Nov 10th Asylum - Portland, ME
Nov 11th Church - Boston, MA
Nov 19th Sun Music Hall - Floyd, VA
Nov 21st The Grey Eagle - Asheville, NC
Owl Studios is an award-winning, independent record label, with an artist roster that includes a Grammy-nominated artist, two Independent Music Award winners, an American Pianists Association Jazz Fellowship recipient, and a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Performer Award recipient. In the short time since its inception, Owl Studios has become a well-respected, artist-friendly record label in the genres of Jazz, R&B, Neo Soul, Jazz Fusion and Jam Band. Learn more about Owl Studios, here: https://www.owlstudios.com/
Artists appearing on The Headhunters' 'Platinum' Album include:
Bill Summers - percussion
Mike Clark - drums
Rob Dixon - tenor sax
Derrick Gardner - trumpet
Donald Harrison - alto sax
Richie Goods - bass
Kyle Roussel - keys
Patrice Rushen - keys
Bennie Maupin - tenor sax and bass clarinet
Guest Artists on the album (subject to change) include:
Killah Priest
Del the Funky Homosapien
Jaecyn Bayne
Kentyah Fraser
Snoop Dogg
George Clinton
More About THE HEADHUNTERS:
Founded in 1973, they recorded their eponymous debut Head Hunters with Herbie Hancock. The Headhunters, legendary jazz-funk fusion band, immortalized as a result of their long recording and touring stint with jazz giant Herbie Hancock. Hancock's 'Headhunters' album was the first to be recorded with the group and has been heralded as the first platinum Jazz/Fusion project in history. Thrust, Flood, Manchild and other historic recordings followed. The band went on to produce more seminal records on their own, including Survival of the Fittest, which featured the funk anthem "God Make Me Funky," one of the most sampled jazz/fusion songs in modern music history. The Headhunters' music is a complex but harmonious blend of many styles and genres, spanning the globe, from Africa to Broadway. The group is acclaimed for its musical pioneering and innovative concepts.
More about BILL SUMMERS: To say that Bill is a percussionist is like saying a Steinway is a piano: the noun conveys none of the history and quality of the owner of the title. Born in Detroit Michigan, a veteran of Herbie Hancock's Headhunters, knows literally hundreds of African, Cuban & Latin percussion rhythms from decades of study. Bill steers the helm of the Summers Multi-Ethnic Institute of the Arts, and is a musician of the highest order, playing anything from traditional African instruments to pop bottles.
More about MIKE CLARK: Originally from Oakland, California, Mike is credited with pioneering a particular style of East Bay funk drumming along with Dave Garibaldi of Tower of Power fame. Called "the most sampled drummer in hip hop" Mike's beats have been used on tracks by musicians as diverse as NWA, Grandmaster Flash, Britney Spears, Prince and many others. His diverse genre-defying talent continues to astound audiences and influence successive generations of drummers since his explosive arrival on the music scene with Herbie Hancock and the Headhunters. It is widely accepted that Clark is one of the few, in the category of Elvin Jones and Tony Williams, to have changed the fundamental language of the drums. Clark's Owl Studios debut, 'Carnival of Soul', has earned universally rave reviews.
