Hey Everybody!

Disclaimer:
GREETINGS to all the new people on the list!  If you forgot why you’re getting this, I play Chromatic Harmonica & Saxophones, and perform with Jazz, Funk, Ethnic, Blues, Rock, Classical and Hip Hop bands. I tour quite a bit with others, as well my own projects: Intercambio, Blue World Order, The DME, etc… Welcome! If you’re here and you don’t want to be, type “unsubscribe” and reply. If you’ve already done this and I dropped the ball, please be patient – ask again!

Upcoming Gigs!

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Saturday, June 27th, @ Bacar in S.F.

Performing with JoBoom!
Brazilian music at it’s best!

8pm – No Cover
Bacar Restaurant & Wine Salon
448 Brannan St San Francisco, CA 94107-1713
(415) 904-4100
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Friday July 17  12 noon to 1 pm:

Equilibria
People in Plazas concert
101 California Plaza - outside

Featuring:

Dave Ridnell - guitar
Damien Masterson - harmonica
Scott Thompson - bass
Phil Thompson - drums

Originals and Brazilian jazz standards

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West Coast Jazz Harmonica Summit

7:00 - 10:30pm, Monday, August 10, 2009
The Digital Media Factory,  2809 Mission Street, Santa Cruz, California

http://www.jazzharmonicasummit.com/

I will be featured in a 15 minute segment, and again with the San Francisco Harmonica Ensemble.
Check out the website! This is going to be really cool. If you can come to Santa Cruz and participate in the video shoot, you won’t be sorry! More on this soon…
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The Jazzschool presents:

Beginning Harmonica & Harmonica Ensemble Classes

New classes for the summer quarter start July 13th

The summer quarter is only 6 weeks, and is a great chance to get your feet wet!

If you haven’t checked out the Jazzschool yet, I highly recommend it. It’s an amazing place that needs to be supported by everyone:

http://www.jazzschool.com/

http://www.jazzschool.com/html/classes_harmonica.html

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Back to Africa!

I’ll be in CAPE TOWN, South Africa for the entire month of September, looking forward to studying, playing and recording. If you have any good contacts there, please forward them!!!

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Damien Masterson http://www.damienmasterson.com
or enter my name in any search engine
http://www.myspace.com/damienmastersonmusic
http://cdbaby.com/all/damienzm
415 305 7138 dzm@damienmasterson.com
Damien Endorses Hohner Harmonicas and Audix Microphones

Disclaimer:
GREETINGS to all the new people on the list!  If you forgot why you’re getting this, I play Chromatic Harmonica & Saxophones, and perform with Jazz, Funk, Ethnic, Blues, Rock, Classical and Hip Hop bands. I tour quite a bit with others, as well my own projects: Intercambio, Blue World Order, The DME, etc… Welcome! If you’re here and you don’t want to be, type “unsubscribe” and reply. If you’ve already done this and I dropped the ball, please be patient – ask again!

Upcoming Gigs!

Brazilian Music Party!
Friday March 13, 7:30-10:30pm at the Jazzschool

Featuring music by Bay Area luminaries including Marcos Silva, Mary Fettig, Scott Thompson, Phil Thompson, Damien Masterson, Annie Sajdera, Mike Golds, Dean Muench, Sherie Friedlander and more! Performance is followed by a jazztent-style jam session open to all.

Suggested admission is $12, with all proceeds going to cover Jazzschool overhead.
Tickets sold at the door.
2087 Addison Street, Berkeley.
For more information, call 510.845.5373
http://www.jazzschool.com/

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Rocking PLEASANTON at the Alameda Co. Fairgrounds:

Some of you may remember my gracious employers, Gem Faire Inc.,
Hiring me to rock out with my buddies Mack N. Tosh and Jay M. Yaybersold.
Bring your instrument down and take a chorus. I’m outside, so you don’t have to pay to get in,
but beware, parking there is around $8!
Carpool… Or park across the way and walk in…. A bit…

March 13, 14, 15
Pleasanton, CA
Alameda County Fairgrounds
4501 Pleasanton Ave. (94566)

Gem Faire Hours:
Fri. 12noon-7pm
Sat. 10am-6pm
Sun. 10am-5pm
General admission
$5 weekend pass
Children under 12 Free

I typically play from 12 noon to 4, with flexibility built in. Call my cell (415 305 7138)
If you plan on coming down!

http://gemfaire.com/locations/pleasanton_mar.html

C U Dere
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On Saturday March 21, I will be performing a House Concert! in Noe Valley in SF
W/ the duo Joboom (Q Morrow - guitar and Mark Fishman -percussion)
and special guest Emy Tseng on vocals.

We’ll be playing Bossa Nova with some samba and MPB mixed in.

The suggested donation is $10. Come hungry! Great Brazilian food and
drinks will be available at reasonable prices starting at 5:30.

Space is limited. To reserve seats email emy.tseng@gmail.com

Details:
Saturday, March 21
Music: 7-9pm
Food and Drink Served from 5:30 on

124 28th St. (between Dolores and Church), San Francisco
Walking distance to J Church Muni and 24th St BART.

Suggested donation $10

Food: Shrimp with Coconut Sauce, Vegetables with Coconut Sauce, Feijoada (Brazilian meat stew)
Drinks: Sangria, Beer, Juice and Water.

We hope to see you there!
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4th Quarterly Jam on March 25

Wow! We’re the top-billed performers for the 4th Quarterly Harmonica Jam at:

Armando’s
707 Marina
Vista, Martinez, CA.

The Jazzschool Harmonica Ensemble,
featuring Winslow Yerxa, Michael Peloquin, Steve Malerbi, and Damien Masterson, joined by students from the Jazzschool. We will perform earlier in the evening, around 8 p.m. At the latest…

Also, if you play harmonica, it is an open jam. Signups for the jam start at 6:30 p.m. and the music will begin at 7 and run till about 10 p.m. Danny will be giving a short seminar on harp sound and amplification and will provide a back line of boutique amps to augment the excellent house sound system.

Come on down and Jam!

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Skool of Harmonica – Harmonica Ensemble Performance – March 27th @ 7p.m.

The harmonica classes are going strong at the Jazzschool.

If you haven’t checked out the Jazzschool yet, I highly recommend it. It’s an amazing place that needs to be supported by everyone:

http://www.jazzschool.com/

http://www.jazzschool.com/html/classes_harmonica.html

We have a concert coming up, featuring Winslow Yerxa, Micheal Peloquin, Steve Malerbi and myself. Come hear the students and teachers perform the music of Duke Ellington, Stevie Wonder and an awesome arrangement of “Surrey with the Fringe on Top” by Winslow.

It’s Free!

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Damien Masterson http://www.damienmasterson.com
or enter my name in any search engine
http://www.myspace.com/damienmastersonmusic
http://cdbaby.com/all/damienzm
415 305 7138 dzm@damienmasterson.com
Damien Endorses Hohner Harmonicas and Audix Microphones

Back from Dakar!

For those of you who weren’t paying attention, I don’t blame you. There’s a lot of weird stuff happening out there. I just got back from Dakar, Senegal, where I spent a month. Originally, I was full of ambition to forge ahead with my plans of recording a project, but quickly surrendered to the reality offered me. I ended up playing constantly, rehearsing and gigging with some of my favorite artists, like Alioune Mbaye Nder, Sidy Samb, Assane Mboup and Mapenda Seck, controversial brother of Thione Seck. I even made money, getting decently paid for a couple of gigs. I toured to Kaolack and Mbour with Nder, and just like at home, I didn’t really see much of any of the places I traveled to while touring, except the nice scenery on the way. Mbalax is the most incredible music, and considering Senegal is one of the few places in the world where you can play it, I was in heaven.

Patricia Tang, who teaches at M.I.T. And wrote “Masters of the Sabar”, an excellent book on Senegalese music and culture, gave me a couple of referrals.
I hooked up with Ibou Mbaye, who was just what the doctor ordered. A working musician with a car! He plays keyboards, and is one of the most sought after “Marimba” keyboard players in Senegal. Because playing acoustic Balafon or “Marimba” instruments is impractical in today’s electronic reality, the Senegalese have developed a system of converting old Yamaha DX-7’s into modern day substitutes, programming a distinctive sound that they all use, all the way up to Youssou Ndours’ Etoile de Dakar band. It’s an amazing sound, and live, it vibrates throughout your whole body.

Wendy joined me after a couple of weeks, and although it was hard to adjust after playing all the time, I managed to go do some touristy stuff with her. She came with us to Mbour for the New Years’ gig with Nder, then after we saw Goree Island and a few other interesting tidbits.

Anyway, I could write a book. Dakar is beautiful and completely screwed, all at once. A shack next to a 3 story, luxurious looking building. A horse pulled cart, Borom Sarret, next to a new Mercedes SUV. Beautifully dressed women artfully dodging the raw sewage being splashed by taxis which navigate the cracks, potholes and sand that fills the streets. Another unexpected surprise was a contact that came from England, telling me about a harmonica school in Dakar. Harmonica players seem to permeate every corner of the world! We are a determined bunch! Jean Dagba runs a school out of his classroom in Grand Yoff, Dakar, and I was asked to distribute some funds to him and his students. Although I was poorly prepared, I still managed to leave a bunch of repair tools and supplies as well. There should be some Youtube footage shortly.

My Wolof isn’t much better, but I speak bad French much more fluently now…. I’ve posted some photos and stuff here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/damienmasterson/sets/72157612533351630

I can’t wait to go back!!!!!! I still think the Youssou Ndour tribute album would be a success, but I guess it’s not in the cards right now. As they say in Dakar: Inch’Allah!

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Another DME gig coming up…. You decide!

Dear Friends and Supporters:

As many of you know, I have the Damien Masterson Ensemble, which recently premiered its concert program all around the Bay Area to excellent advance press, reviews and endorsements.  For a quick overview: http://www.princesf.com/damien/

We’ve just been given an amazing opportunity to present the show, cabaret style, in a delightful, antique filled restaurant in downtown Redwood City: http://www.angelicasbistro.com/  To make the occasion more of an event, we want to use the occasion to celebrate the release of our debut CD!

Ken Malucelli, who wrote DME’s show and manages the group, recently attended an event there and was very impressed with the operation, which also has received excellent reviews.  There is virtually nothing comparable to this place in the Bay Area.  With seating for 100+ diners, an elevated stage, lights, sound system, etc., it’s a true dining-&-listening experience.

Events includes 3-course, prix-fixe meal ($30, not including beverages, tax and tip), plus show ($20 cover, given entirely to artist).

The genial owner, a solid supporter of the arts and local artists, offers the space rent-free to artists who can guarantee a minimum of 65 paying attendees, and this is where you come in:

As there are four of us involved in DME, each of us would be responsible for assuring at least 16 attendees, via advance deposit of just the $20 cover charge.  The restaurant tab would be presented to diners following meal service.

In order for us to secure our date, Saturday February 21, and for the restaurant to send out its own e-mails, press releases, plan the menu and list the show on its Web site, we need to indicate we could absolutely guarantee our 65 paids by collecting the $20 cover charge deposits in advance, by January 31.  You might also consider inviting your Bay Area based elder relatives, as this is a show they would thoroughly enjoy.

Dinner seatings begin at 6:00; show starts at approximately 7:30.

Please let me know, ASAP, if you can join in the fun.  We can promise you a great evening of food and entertainment.  The show is really something very special and we are very proud of it. Make your $20 deposit checks payable / mailed to: Prince/SF Productions, 1450 Southgate Ave. #206, Daly City, CA 94015-4021.  Contact:Ken@PrinceSF.com.

Thanks very much for your consideration and support.  I look forward to your responses!

P.S. If you would like to help us spread the word further about this event, please feel free to forward this e-mail to your own friends.

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Skool of Harmonica

The harmonica classes begin at the Jazzschool this Saturday, January 17th. So far it looks like we have enrollment for the beginning and ensemble classes to happen! Our ensemble class last semester was a lot of fun, and we had a cool concert at the end of the quarter, featuring each of the different students and teachers.

If you haven’t checked out the Jazzschool yet, I highly recommend it. It’s an amazing place that needs to be supported by everyone:

http://www.jazzschool.com/

http://www.jazzschool.com/html/classes_harmonica.html

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There’s so many other things to report, but I’m tired and have a lot to catch up on. The new C.D. Is coming along, and will be released sometime soon, Inch’Allah! O.k., I have to stop saying that! Anyhow, this will have to do for now…

Damien Masterson http://www.damienmasterson.com
or enter my name in any search engine
http://www.myspace.com/damienmastersonmusic
http://cdbaby.com/all/damienzm
415 305 7138 dzm@damienmasterson.com
Damien Endorses Hohner Harmonicas and Audix Microphones

Here’s the latest greatest:
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Once again, straight from the secret agent man:

Dear Friends:

On Friday December 12 at 7:00 pm, DME / the Damien Masterson Ensemble will again be appearing in concert, this time presented free to the public by the Sequoias of Portola Valley.  The recent premiere concerts were greeted by rave reviews from press and presenters (see quotes below).

If you missed last month’s performances, here’s a great opportunity to catch the group now and be part of the audience for the final live recording session for the planned new CD, which we hope to have available by Christmas.

The Sequoias is located at 501 Portola Road, Portola Valley, just a short drive off 280 west of Menlo Park: http://www.ncphs.org

Hope to see you there!
Ken Malucelli
http://www.princesf.com/damien (for sound clips, click “media”; for program, click “repertoire”)

“always interesting, and extraordinary when the layers of sound blended and wove together in triumph…‘Für Elise’ absolutely soared…‘Mon coeur s’ouvre à ta voix’ was crafted by angels.”   Jean Bartlett, Arts Critic, Pacitica Tribune

“delightful, entertaining and accessible…thoroughly enjoyed by the entire audience”  Carol Friedman, Exec. Dir., Dance Palace

“We all loved your arrangements…wonderful selections.  I think we must discuss having the group back for a return engagement!  Pacifica Performances

It’s the last DME concert of the year, come out if you can!
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The 5 year plan.. (Not Revolutionary China, just my latest recording…)

My new CD is mixed and mastered… All it needs is artwork and manufacture, and the world will have some more cool music!
I’m not sure what to call it… I thought of “New Growth”, but that sounds too much like a tumor. Well. Something to do with growing and being happy…
Tell me what you guys think!!! There’s lots of beautiful originals and interesting covers…It is my best yet.

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The Jazzschool Winter quarter starts the second week in January… My first harmonica classes should be on Saturday, January 17th. We’ve worked really hard to get these Classes where they are today, and the Jazzschool really is an anomaly in today’s economic environment, so please spread the word and support these special opportunities:

http://www.jazzschool.com/html/classes_harmonica.html

If you want to see how much fun it can be playing harmonica, or playing in a harmonica ensemble group, come see the Ensemble class concert
On Sunday, December 14th at 6:00 P.M… The concert will last a 1/2 an hour and feature students and teachers alike…Mike Peloquin, Winslow Yerxa and Steve Malerbi. It’s free, in the main hall of The Jazzschool.
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I’m leaving for Dakar, Senegal on Monday, December 15th. I’ll be there for a month, but will have my laptop and be checking email daily.
My goal is to study and play as much music as possible, and to support and record with local projects. I’ve been brushing up on my French and studying Wolof with the incredible Paap Sow, sama jangalekat… (my teacher! Jërejëf!!)

Also, I’ve been communicating with Jimi Mbaye, who is Youssou N’Dour’s guitarist. He owns a nice studio and we are negotiating rates.
My dream is to record an instrumental, jazz-tinged tribute to Youssou N’Dour. I need to raise funds to do this, so if any of you are interested in investing
or giving an interest free loan to support this endeavor, please contact me. I think more Americans need to hear Youssou’s real Senegalese music, and Jazz musicians in general could benefit immensely from opening their ears to understand and play this music. If you just pulled all of your money out of the market
and are hiding it under your mattress, this could be a safer bet! Harmonica and Senegalese grooves! High interest yields! And nobody gets hurt!

Also, if you have any friends, family or even helpful enemies in Senegal, let me know. I’ll tell them nice things you said about them…

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My new CD is mixed and mastered… All it needs is artwork and manufacture, and the world will have some more cool music!
I’m not sure what to call it… I thought of “New Growth”, but that sounds too much like a tumor. Well. Something to do with growing and being happy…
Tell me what you guys think!!!

D

Damien Masterson http://www.damienmasterson.com
or enter my name in any search engine
http://www.myspace.com/damienmastersonmusic
http://cdbaby.com/all/damienzm
415 305 7138 dzm@damienmasterson.com
Damien Endorses Hohner Harmonicas and Audix Microphones

O.K., this time directly from my agent, Ken Malucelli:
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Dear Friends and Fellow Musicians:

Now that my G&S and Sousa shows are getting established in the national fine arts market, I’m excited to tell you about my newest creation, DME / Damien Masterson Ensemble, a trio comprised of established Bay Area artists Damien Masterson, chromatic harmonica, Julio Reyes, guitar, and Allison Lovejoy, piano.

The show, entitled “The Beauty of the Classical Harmonica” (and already catching the attention of presenters beyond the Bay Area), is an around-the-world musical tour of beloved Classical, Operatic, American & South American melodies, peppered with humorous tales about the “harp,” and features works by Mozart, Schubert, Kachaturian, Albeniz, Wagner, Puccini, Bizet, Joplin, Gershwin and many others.

The Bay Area debut dates are:
Thu Nov 13, 8 pm, Freight and Salvage, 1111 Addison St., Berkeley, thefreight.org
Fri Nov 14, 8 pm, Dance Palace, 5th & B Sts., Pt. Reyes Stn., dancepalace.org
Sat Nov 15, 7:30 pm, Sanchez Concert Hall, 1220 Linda Mar Blvd, Pacifica, pacificaperformances.org
Fri Dec 12, 7:00 pm, Hanson Hall, Sequoias of Portola Valley, 501 Portola Valley Rd., P.Vly.

In addition, the group will be a featured guest on West Coast Live, Sat Nov 8, 10 am-Noon, KALW 91.7 FM, also streaming at kalw.org, and featured in several regional newspapers.

For a sneak preview, visit: princesf.com/damien

Hope you can come support this wonderful new addition to the fine arts market.

Ken Malucelli
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The Jazzschool Winter quarter starts on January 14th, 2009… The harmonica classes are going strong, so please keep watching the Jazzschool website for the new schedule:

http://www.jazzschool.com/html/classes.html
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Musique Africaine…..

I’ll be leaving for Senegal on December 15th… Wendy will join me after a couple of weeks. I’m not sure if I’ll make it to Mali as originally planned, money is tight and travel on the African continent can be very expensive or time consuming.. Or both. If anyone has any connections or good tips for Dakar, please do tell…

The Monday rehearsals at my house are going strong, last week we had a bday party for Idrissa Gueye and myself, with lots of delicious food and music.

The classes at the Jazzschool for African music didn’t do well, not enough interest, or maybe bad marketing on my part. I’ll keep plugging away.

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Thanks for reading all the way to this point!

Let’s hope the next 4 years are a little more musical than the last 8!!!!! OBAMA!!!!!!!

If I forgot anything, let me know….

D

Damien Masterson http://www.damienmasterson.com
or enter my name in any search engine
http://www.myspace.com/damienmastersonmusic
http://cdbaby.com/all/damienzm
415 305 7138 dzm@damienmasterson.com
Damien Endorses Hohner Harmonicas and Audix Microphones

I’ve had writer’s block lately. It’s not that I don’t have any faith in you guys, but if I don’t announce 1 gig, then not sending anything out for the second event is twice as easy. Kind of like cutting class.

Actually, some of the musicians I admire the most don’t do any of this stuff, and seem to be plenty busy… it makes me wonder if the promise of the internet and computers has only really just distracted us from what we really should be doing. Not an original thought, of course…technology is kind of terminal in that sense (no pun intended).. Once you get educated how to use something, and invest time in using it, it makes it all that much more impossible going back to the old way. Even your luddite technophobe friends start calling for help, and while you commend them on not giving in to cell phones and computers, you wonder why you never hear from them or see them anymore unless they have a problem with their microfiche. One positive thing I can say (Well, maybe positive) about porn, it appears it’s gotten over half the people using the internet where they are today.. that’s according to statistics, not personal experience….There are a good portion of people out there who I don’t feel too bad about: We find ways to waste our time sufficiently with or without computers!

As always, if you’re here and you don’t want to be, please respond with “remove” in the subject line. If you have already requested it and it hasn’t happen, your patience is appreciated while I figure out which of your 63 email addresses to remove.

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The Harmonica, Classically speaking…

I’ve played some good gigs here and there… The Damien Masterson Ensemble, featuring the harmonica on classical melodies and arrangements, had its debut in Palo Alto. We’ll be playing some concerts in coming months, including the Freight & Salvage in November. For more info:

http://www.princesf.com/damien

This stuff is hard work! It’s not as easy to play timeless melodies that everyone knows “on the fly”, as we do with jazz. I suppose that’s why a lot of Jazz sounds mediocre and uninspired nowadays. I’m sure I prayed for this at some point in the past… something like “Please help me be more disciplined” or “Do something to force me to practice harmonica 3 hours a day”… I can’t remember now….

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Skool is tres Kool!

As some of you know, I’ve been teaching at the Jazzschool for a while now. The harmonica program has grown, and now the school is offering Beginning, Intermediate/Advanced and Ensemble classes. It’s been a lot of hard work getting the word out, but hopefully things will take a life of their own.

Some of you are also aware of how fanatical I have been about African music in recent years, and that has manifested itself in my life in many different musical ways. Every Monday at my house, we’re having a Mbalax (Senegalese) rehearsal/practice session featuring Idrissa Gueye, master sabar drummer and percussionist extraordinaire. Usually afterwards we watch African movies and have dinner. Idrissa has cooked Maafe twice, the second time Wendy helped so she could learn. I’m still anxiously awaiting the Ceebu Jën, but Idrissa says that may be better at Lam Toro in Oakland. We’ll see… Wendy and I are also planning a trip to West Africa at the end of the year, primarily Dakar and Bamako. Festival in the Desert or BUST!

Well, another manifestation has been my facilitating two courses at the Jazzschool for African music studies. Of course, saying “African Music” is really such a generalization, it borderlines ignorance. There are several dozen different “countries”, home to thousands of ethnic groups and languages, and all of these groups have their characteristic spins on rhythm and time. I really do believe the untapped potential in music alone from the African continent is awe inspiring. Yet most of us remain ignorant of even 10 genres, let alone the other thousand.

2 classes have been created at the Jazzschool to try and tackle these countries and their music with the intention of probing a bit deeper. The first is a sampler course focusing on 3 areas: The Congo D.R. and Congolese music, which will feature Shimita, Samba Ngo and Jeff Simons. The second 3 classes will be on Senegal, taught by Ibrahim “Ibou” N’gom, Idrissa Gueye and Chris Miller, and the last 3, the music of Mali, by Yacine Kouyate. Together with an introductory course, there will be 10 classes. Also, Yacine will offer a 10 week course specifically on the music of Mali, with history, culture and language included.

I’ve worked really hard to build these courses up, and the Jazzschool has been very generous to include them in the Fall ‘08 catalog, starting September 22nd. Please tell your friends and come learn about some of the most beautiful music ever. Whatever your previous contact, either through personal interest or pop music crossovers like Paul Simon’s Graceland, these courses are certain to open up all kinds of doors!

For more info, got to the website - The Fall courses are not on the site yet, but you can download the catalog:

http://www.jazzschool.com/html/classes.html

Check pages 26 - 27 for info about the harmonica courses, and the African Music courses under “History”…

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My newest CD is mixed and ready to be mastered. That and a few other formalities, like artwork and reproduction, and it will be done.
I feel like it’s my best work yet. That said, I’ve run out of money and have about 8 boxes of my older CD’s in the garage, so I’m in no hurry.
If anyone would like to buy some advance copies to help pay for the completion, send me an email. 100 copies should take care of the initial pressing.
I think you guys are gonna like this one… Wendy says it’s her favorite!

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I’ll be in Santa Barbara the weekend of August 29 - 31st, playing music for Gem Faire all 3 days:

Santa Barbara, CA
Earl Warren Showgrounds
Exhibit Hall, 3400 Calle Real

Fri. 12noon-7pm
Sat. 10am-7pm
Sun. 10am-5pm

General admission
$5 weekend pass
Children under 12 Free

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That’s it for now… Saturday I’m headed of to the mountains for my first real vacation in a while… long overdue!

Thanks all so much…

Damien Masterson http://www.damienmasterson.com
or enter my name in any search engine
http://www.myspace.com/damienmastersonmusic
http://cdbaby.com/all/damienzm
415 305 7138 dzm@damienmasterson.com
Damien Endorses Hohner Harmonicas and Audix Microphones

It’s been a while since I’ve written… Once you don’t do it for a while, it seems like there has to be a pretty big event to justify it. Then pretty soon, nothing seems big enough! Music has come and gone, a million stories… But that was then.

On all of those notes, I’ve made some adjustments, hopefully long term. If you’ll remember, I was teaching at the Jazzschool, and getting some momentum with my students. Due to scheduling problems, I wasn’t able to continue there, and had to take a break. In all fairness, it wasn’t like I gave them many choices, and there are a lot of classes at The Jazzschool. So I’ve delegated some responsibilities and decided to take another stab at music full time. Or, shall we say, fuller time.
With this come a few tidbits of good news:

Starting April 12, 2008, I’ll be offering 3 courses at the Jazzschool, all on Saturday. I told them that teaching
was my priority, and that I was available anytime. So now I am able to offer beginning, Intermediate/Advanced classes,
and it is my pleasure to announce: Harmonica Ensemble!

The first two classes are pretty self explanatory. They are open to all ages. The ensemble is an attempt to teach and recreate the vintage sound of the classic harmonica ensembles with a contemporary twist. Using bass and chord harmonicas and a variety of chromatic, diatonic and whatever other harmonicas arise for the occasion, I will arrange specifically for the talent that signs up for the group. It’s an amazing opportunity for intermediate/Advanced players to
perform harmonica in an ensemble, and play together with other instruments. Reading is a plus, but a fully chromatic instrument or
instruments and a good ear is all that is required. Let’s make it happen!

http://www.jazzschool.com/

The online calendar is not up and running yet, but you can download the .pdf version and find more info on page 22.

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DME Ensemble!

I’m happy to announce an exclusive representation with Prince/SF Productions, a local agency, for the Damien Masterson Ensemble. This came out of conversations with a dear old friend, Ken Malucelli, about how I was working on some classical pieces on the harmonica. A light bulb appeared over his head: Ken’s specialty has been in the Fine Arts market, and he said “Why don’t we put together a Classical Harmonica Concert”?!?! And so we have!

This is a “lite” classical presentation, also featuring some Brazilian choros and other world music, along with classics that you’re very familiar with.

To see/read/hear more about the project, go here:

http://www.princesf.com/damien/

There’s already a couple of concerts booked for this summer and fall, so stay tuned…
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DRUM ROLL……paradiddle….SNAP!

THE GIG UPDATE!
—————–
Gem Faire, Inc., presents:

Mar. 14-16
San Francisco, CA
Fort Mason Center
Herbst Pavilion, Landmark Building A (In front)
San Francisco, CA 94123

Performance hours:

Typically 12 - 4 P.M. - just listen for sax & Harmonica, you’ll find me. Bring your ax down and sit in! IT’S FUN!
Most of these gigs are solo, so I take brakes when I want. If you’re planning on coming down, call my cell or email me before.
Gem Faire Charges a $5 entry fee, so if the music is inside, call me to get on “the list”…
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See you soon!

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Damien Masterson http://www.damienmasterson.com
or enter my name in any search engine
415 305 7138 dzm@damienmasterson.com
Damien Endorses Hohner Harmonicas and Audix Microphones