Damien Masterson

Damien Masterson Music Update 10/2011 - Back to Africa!

admin — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 09:04:37 +0000

It’s all a blur…I keep meaning to write… Lots of gigs, lots of cool things.. Then it’s already happened. Sometimes I post on Facebook,
if you’re not already following my cult of personality, look for me there……………… %^)

——————————-
BACK 2 Africa!!!

I’ve recently been notified that a grant written on my behalf to return to West Africa has been funded… ! I’ll be traveling to Guinea Bissau for a few months to teach, perform, produce, and help spread the “Guinea Bissau Sound”.. It’s a beautiful project - to use music as a means for stability, awareness and potential economic development. They describe it better:

http://www.cobianacommunications.org/

I’ll be leaving soon, in a month or two. For this event, I will be doing some charity effort, seeking donations - Not looking for money this time, but hoping to raise the following:

Musical instruments, audio & studio gear, computers and peripherals, used ipods and cell phones, and any shoes or clothing that people would like to donate.

We’re looking at shipping a container over there, so there should be sufficient space to make it worthwhile. I will write again soon, focusing more specifically on the project. In the meantime, check out their website and see what it’s all about…

————————————————————————-
GIGS!!!!!

Here are some performances coming up:

TODAY – Saturday, Oct. 15

An (early) evening of music @ Arizmendi

Saturday, 4 – 7 p.m.
Arizmendi Bakery
1002 Fourth St.
San Rafael, CA 94901
Phone: 415.456.4093
http://fourthstreet.arizmendi.coop/content/flavor-without-regret

Damien Masterson – Harmonica, saxophone
Rick Pollack – Guitar
Jon Randall – Bass
Otto Huber – Drums
———————————
Then, on Tuesday, October 25th: DON’T MISS!!!

An Evening of Brazilian Jazz with Alex Calataytud & Sarah Cabral
Yoshi’s Lounge
1330 Fillmore at Eddy on the ground floor of the Fillmore Heritage Center.
$10
Featuring:
Ricardo Peixoto - Guitar
Celso Alberti - Drums
Paul Eastburn - Bass
Bob Crawford – Keyboards
Damien Masterson – Harmonica & Saxophone
—————————–
October 21st – 23rd:

Gem Faire Sacramento:

The DZM one man band experience is back!
Scottish Rite Center
6151 H St.

October 28 – 30:

Gem Faire Santa Rosa:

Sonoma County Fairgrounds/Grace Pavilion
1350 Bennett Valley Rd

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! Call my cell if you can’t find me (# below)

———————————
Saturday, October 29th, once again @ Arizmendi:
Arizmendi Bakery 4 – 7 p.m.
1002 Fourth St.
San Rafael, CA 94901
Phone: 415.456.4093

Featuring: Damien Masterson – Harmonica, saxophone
Q Morrow, Guitar
Surya Patri – Drums
Plus special guest tba
——————————————————
Preview of NOVEMBER:

I’ll be performing alto saxophone in a debut for composer & arranger Ken Malucelli:

A new piece being premiered in San Francisco on Sat. Nov. 5, in a concert featuring new works by members of NACUSA-sf: www.nacusasf.org

Ken says:

“The Yarn of the ‘Nancy Bell’” is of one of W.S. Gilbert’s 86 Bab Ballads, 4 of which I’ve recently completed for Brian Rosen, excellent singer-actor-composer, who also plays lead in “Oh Mr. Sousa.!”
The song, set for character singer and chamber orchestra, is as wacky as the poem is grisly.
Everyone’s been having a grand time rehearsing it.
Come join in the fun as well as enjoy the works of the 8 other composers on the bill.
The 65-minute concert starts at 8pm.
The Community Music Center is at 544 Capp, nr. 20th.
Tickets at the door: $17, general, $12 Students & Seniors.

———————————

November 6th: Damien’s Bday house concert bash @ AVANOVA 2 - 4pm
http://avonovamusic.com/damien-masterson/

Then immediately after, skip over to the Jazzschool:
All-Star Brazilian Jazz concert & Jam ($10)
http://jazzschool.inhousetickets.com/events/163406/All-Star-Brazilian-Jazz-concert—Jam

Stay tuned:

Nov. 12th @ Albatross w/ Larry Stefl
Nov. 13th @ Avanova w/ Larry Stefl

———————————————————————————-
Many of you inquired about private lessons on the harmonica and saxophone..
The answer is yes, and I’m actually an amazing teacher, with a wide palette of experience and education, reasonably priced and very generous.
So stop being lazy and call me for a lesson, from instrumental to theory to world music. I can help!
———————————————————————————-
The West Coast Harmonica Summit DVD has been released:

http://www.jazzharmonicasummit.com/
http://www.amazon.com/West-Coast-Jazz-Harmonica-Summit/dp/B003UL1BPY

It was an amazing night of harmonica, and now you can witness it even if you weren’t there! Buy your copy today!
———————————————————————————-
Latest CD is out and about!

“All over the map”, as well all of my other recordings, is available online at CD Baby and iTunes. Hard copies available at CD Baby… BUY IT NOW!!!

http://cdbaby.com/all/damienzm
———————————————————————————-

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

Home Sweet Home - 12/10

admin — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 21:39:37 +0000

Home sweet home…

My dear friends, family and fans, (not necessarily in that order!)

I’m back in the U.S.A., in the San Francisco Bay Area, in the comfort of my own home, after living and working in West Africa for one year. It was quite an experience, but I am happy to be home for the unforeseeable future. I left many good friends and colleagues in Dakar, Senegal, as well as Abidjan, Ivory Coast. They all want me to return someday, we’ll see what happens…

The studio was a success while it lasted, but I had no one capable of managing it after my departure, so that chapter has come to an end as well. I learned a lot about running and managing a music studio… What I learned the most is that I don’t want to do it! In any case, the year that Studio Maslaa was in existence, (thanks to the support of many of you!) benefited many people, artists and otherwise, and fulfilled its purpose of doing more good than harm… I can’t say that my personal projects progressed as much as I would have liked them to, but that’s the way it goes..
I will at some point in the near future brave the potential copyright and legal issues, and make rough mixes available of certain projects done at the studio.

In the meantime, here again is the Flickr link for the pictures documenting the existence of what was a longtime dream of mine:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/damienmasterson/sets/72157625021656009/

Back here at home, I’m still trying to process the whole experience, recover from jet lag and reverse culture shock, and deal with the fallout of abandoning everyone for a year. It’s not easy!
I’d like nothing more than to hear from everybody, catch up, hang out and start gigging/playing music again. Drop me a note and let me know you survived 2010!!!

Thanks again for being my friend, and happy holidays

DZM

———————————————————————————-

The West Coast Harmonica Summit DVD has been released:

http://www.jazzharmonicasummit.com/
http://www.amazon.com/West-Coast-Jazz-Harmonica-Summit/dp/B003UL1BPY

It was an amazing night of harmonica, and now you can witness it even if you weren’t there! Buy your copy today!

———————————————————————————-
New CD is out and about!

“All over the map”, as well all of my other recordings, is available online at CD Baby and iTunes. Hard copies available at CD Baby… BUY IT NOW!!!

http://cdbaby.com/all/damienzm

———————————————————————————-

Skype Username: damienzm (San Francisco)
Find me on Facebook as Damien Masterson

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

News from Dakar, coming home to visit - 8/10

admin — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 08:53:50 +0000

Update!

Hey guys… Ramadan is here, and I’ll be coming back to the US for a few weeks, starting August 16th. Please let me know about any potential gigs, jam session, parties, etc., as I’ve got a lot of catching up to do! I’ll be in the Bay Area until the 12th of September…

News from Dakar -
Gigs have been plentiful, for a couple of weeks straight I was playing 8 times a week. I’m probably going to have to start a local list for events in Dakar, so please respond if you want to be on that one.

My sax and harmonica are featured on Coumba Gawlo’s latest CD: “Ma Djinn”, on the tracks “Rever” and “Soungene Xamone”. For more info on this Senegalese icon, google her name, or brush up on your french: http://www.sudonline.sn/spip.php?article2871

Studio Maslaa is up and running in it’s new location in Ouagou Niayes, Grand Dakar. We had some problems with the neighbors at the last place, and instead of being a pain, I decided to move. It was a smart choice, the new location is perfect! Some people have requested audio clips of some of the production, but the problem with that is the songs are not technically mine to post, and people tend to be pretty protective of their intellectual property here. I’ll keep working on it, though..

In the meantime, borrowing a camera for new photos has also been a challenge, but I’ve got a few lines out!

As of this month, the studio is solvent. We had Aby Ndour, Youssou’s little sister, rehearsing here, and Myriam of “Alif”, the first Senegalese female rappers:
(http://www.au-senegal.com/Alif-un-collectif-de-trois.html) producing an Mbalax version of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It”… You’ll have to hear it to believe it.
Contrary to popular belief, at least my belief, the studio can work though Ramadan, as the Koran states that everyone must continue working through the holy month. The musicians decided that meant them as well. Let’s just say that the Muslims here are a bit more relaxed than their wahabi counterparts…

Thanks again to all of those who contributed and donated for the studio.. It worked! More will be revealed soon…

Once again, if you are planning on coming to Dakar in the next 6 months, please let me know. You have a place to crash…. %^)

Re: Donations for Studio Maslaa - Still looking for:

- Decent quality headphones & Microphones
- Keyboards (Yamaha DX 7’s are used a lot here) & Keyboard flight cases
- Guitar & Bass strings (6 string bass)
- Amplifiers
———————————————————————————-
On Other fronts:
—————————————————-
The West Coast Harmonica Summit DVD has been released:

http://www.jazzharmonicasummit.com/
http://www.amazon.com/West-Coast-Jazz-Harmonica-Summit/dp/B003UL1BPY

It was an amazing night of harmonica, and now you can witness it even if you weren’t there! Buy your copy today!

—————————————————-
Foliba Trio CD released

As some of you may remember, I was in Ivory Coast for the month of January, producing a 3 song demo for a group in Abidjan. As it turns out, the 3 songs have been released on their latest CD, and they are the best on the entire album. Check out “Foliba”, “Djuigui” and “Bara”…

http://www.foliba.com/index_flash.php/
http://www.myspace.com/foliba
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foliba_trio

———————————————————————————-
New CD is out and about!

“All over the map”, as well all of my other recordings, is available online at CD Baby and iTunes. Hard copies available at CD Baby…

———————————————————————————-

I’m also fully equipped to do remote sessions and overdubs, with hi speed internet and a premium Rapidshare account. Send some work my way!

Thanks everyone… Wish me luck!

Jerejef! from Studio Maslaa - 4/10

admin — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 08:52:16 +0000

Cyberbegging a SUCCESS!

It looks like my dad was right. I actually did much better at just asking people for money than I have for CD sales, in years! That could lead one to draw many conclusions about my CD’s or the music business… Ack! I digress… THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH for helping! It brought me to tears. It’s incredibly validating to have so much support. Because the response was better than expected, I actually had the chance to help a friend here who’s been helping me a lot:

A few months back, local musician Siré Silva had his keyboard and flight case stolen. The keyboard of choice here, Yamaha DX7, can cost up to $800US, especially the DFII model.
If a musician doesn’t have a keyboard, he has to rent one for around 5,000 cfa, about $10US. As most gigs pay between that and 15,000 cfa, they have to calculate transportation and other hidden costs to evaluate whether it’s worth it to even take the gig.

I first met Siré last year on a gig, and reconnected with him and his family this time around. He’s a real special guy who’s been incredibly helpful, and asks for nothing. Considering how hard that is to find here, or how hard it can be to even get your change returned… When you look at the pictures, and see the guys working, all of them are Siré and his brothers.

So after my appeal for keyboards, I had a generous friend of the family donate 2 Yamahas, with cases, and money to pay for their transport.

It felt really good to be able to give Siré the DXII, with case. Of course, now he’s working again, so work has slowed here a bit, but that’s ok. Check the new pix out to see a surprised Senegalese musician get an early birthday present:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/damienmasterson/sets/72157623875258202

Also included, pix of Wendy’s visit (yes, I’m still married… Keep praying!) and of some of my gigs here in Dakar.

Your donations helped pay for a new air conditioner, soundproofing material, instrument repair, excess baggage, chairs, etc… THANK YOU!

If you still want to donate, or you had committed to and forgot, it’s not too late. Here’s a direct link to the Paypal donate page:

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=EMJKBW5D2LHG6

Or email me for account info…

Once again, if you are planning on coming to Dakar in the next 6 months, please let me know. You have a place to crash…. %^)

Still looking for:

- Decent quality headphones & Microphones
- Keyboards (Yamaha DX 7’s are used a lot here) & Keyboard flight cases
- Guitar & Bass strings
———————————————————————————-
Maslaa now on Facebook! Search: Support Studio Maslaa group

———————————————————————————-
We’ve done a couple of projects here already for Youssou N’Dours’ campaign against Malaria, out of Touba. Email me for mp3’s if you’d like to hear them!
I’ll try posting them soon somewhere….
———————————————————————————-
New CD is out and about!

“All over the map”, as well all of my other recordings, is available online at CD Baby and iTunes. Hard copies available at CD Baby…

———————————————————————————-

I’m also fully equipped to do remote sessions and overdubs, with hi speed internet and a premium Rapidshare account. Send some work my way!

Thanks everyone… Wish me luck!

Live from DAKAR - 3/10

admin — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 08:51:16 +0000

Not too far from Timbuktu…

Folks, the last year has been a whirlwind of activity, much of it centered around the African continent. Since my last update, I have returned to West Africa, spending a couple of weeks in Dakar, then a month in Abidjan, and now I’m back in the D-a-k-a-r. For those of you that have called my cell phone and gotten my voice recording, I say that I am out of the country “indefinitely”…

My goal here in Dakar is to set up a small rehearsal/recording studio that I can use to produce a couple of albums, and to rent out at affordable rates to others. My work producing a demo in Ivory Coast was successful, but my heart is in Mbalax, Senegalese Pop Music. It’s been a dream of mine for some years now to produce and record African music, and especially to produce an “Hommage a Youssou N’dour & Le Etoile de Dakar”… The stars seemed lined up, I had the gear and some money saved up, and here I am, trying to stick it out until Ramadan… Inchallah!

After being back in Senegal for a while, things have been slow….. Well, if the economy is in the crapper in the US, why did I expect it to be any different here? After all, the poorest countries are usually the first to get smacked by global downturns… In the meantime, I’ve rented a nice apartment with a large room that is being soundproofed and converted into a music space. Nothing grand, just the basics. I also have a room that I am furnishing, to rent out to fellow tubaabs. Here’s a link for photos of the studio and room:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/damienmasterson/sets/72157623589566412

Cyberbegging
After calling a couple of friends to borrow money, and discovering that they are all in bad shape as well, I asked my dad what I should do. He replied, “don’t ask people for loans, they don’t know if they are ever going to see it again! Just ask them to give you money if they can.” Easier said than done! So what I’ve decided to do is make an appeal to everyone I know – at least everyone with an email account – to help out. I’m not asking for much. If a few friends could contribute $10 or $20, that will go a long way to buy some furniture, and a used air conditioner. Wendy will be coming here a week from now, and the excess baggage fees are going to be a few hundred dollars, money I just don’t have at the moment. I am learning to live on a few dollars a day, and leaning heavily on my local friends and Senegalese family.

This is not the first time that you have been asked, by email, from AFRICA, to deposit money into someone’s account. If you are broke and unemployed, please don’t do it. But if you think Damien dragging 300 lbs in recording gear and musical instruments halfway across the planet to make music is kind of cool, please lend a helping hand. Even a few dollars will help make some Ataaya, Senegalese tea… (see photos)

My Paypal email: dzm@damienmasterson.com Paypal: https://www.paypal.com
(For those of you unfamiliar with Paypal, it’s one of the easier ways to send money and pay for purchases online. You’ll have to sign up for an account to use it.)

Wells Fargo (Wachovia branches work as well): contact me for account #
Citibank: contact me for account #
Western Union & Moneygram: Pay to Damien Zachary Masterson in Dakar, then send me the reference number

The best deal seems to be bank accounts, I can withdraw the money directly from ATM’s here, and pay a $5 flat fee. They give the highest exchange rate.

I know competition is rough, earthquakes and wars and all, but please help if you can.

Send a happy little message… Please forward this to anyone you think might be interested.

If you are planning on coming to Dakar in the next 6 months, please let me know. You have a place to crash. At the moment, there are no chairs, but we are working on that…. %^)

As I said, Wendy is coming in a week, so if you have any music gear that you could part with, donations would be helpful, especially:

- Decent quality headphones & Microphones
- Keyboards (Yamaha DX 7’s are used a lot here) & Keyboard flight cases
- Guitar & Bass strings

This won’t benefit the music much, but you’ll make some Senegalese people very happy:

- Used iPods, cell phones, cameras, laptop computers
- Someone has requested a video camera… I suspect they think I’m rich, but you never know if someone has an older one kicking around.

———————————————————————————-
New CD is out and about!

For those of you uncomfortable with my get-rich-quick-scheme, you can always support the cause by purchasing the latest masterpiece, “All Over The Map”…

The opening title, Astoria”, is featured in this youtube video, a sneak preview of the full DVD of the “West Coast Harmonica Summit” filmed last August:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4XGBXLjGMA

“All over the map”, as well all of my other recordings, is available online at CD Baby and iTunes. Hard copies available at CD Baby…

———————————————————————————-

I’m also fully equipped to do remote sessions and overdubs, with hi speed internet and a premium Rapidshare account. Send some work my way!

Thanks everyone… Wish me luck!

Back from Côte d’Ivoire… Still recovering! 12/09

admin — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 08:50:21 +0000

Back from Côte d’Ivoire… Still recovering!

I understand I just sent out an email update a few weeks ago talking about my trip to South Africa… Right after I sent that update out, I got a call to travel to Ivory Coast and check out a new group a friend is managing. It was a blast! I ended up playing music, producing the group, working on new arrangements, and building a 16 track project studio that they will use to record themselves.
It seems, as this is my 3rd trip in 2009 to Africa, that my years of hard work are starting to pay off. To top it all off, I’ll be returning to Senegal and Mali in 2 weeks for a month and a half. Let’s hope I’m still married when I return. Actually, let’s pray…

Here’s a link for photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/damienmasterson/sets/72157622911312966/

It’s been a distinct pleasure traveling there, meeting really cool people and working with “Farafina Jigui”… Keep yours ears out for them in the future!

———————————————————————————-

New CD released!

“All over the map” is online now. Someone emailed me after the last update, pointing out that artist information would be helpful. I have since posted it on CD Baby, and you can read the song/artist info here (it’s long, but what the hay):

Astoria   5:46
(Dedicated to Kitty Paino)
Atrás a Bola Sete   6:29
Guilty   5:55
New Frontier   6:27
Safadinho   4:49
Kinky Reggae   6:17
Send One Your Love   5:23
Shuǐ Xiù, Wǒ Qīn Àide (水秀, 我亲爱的)   5:33
Serpentine Fire   6:34
(Bonus Track) Sua Musica    5:17

Musician info:

Astoria:
Damien Masterson: Chromatic & Bass Harmonicas, Saxophones
Jon Evans: Bass
Julie Wolf: Piano
Peter Sprague: Guitar
Allison Miller: Drums
Michaelle Goerlitz: Percussion

Atrás a Bola Sete:
Damien Masterson: Chromatic & Bass Harmonicas, Saxophones
Jon Evans: Bass
Julie Wolf: Hammond B3 Organ
Matthew Heulitt: Guitar
Allison Miller: Drums
Michael Spiro: Percussion

Guilty 5:55
Damien Masterson: Chromatic & Bass Harmonicas, Saxophones
Jon Evans: Bass
Julie Wolf: Piano
Allison Miller: Drums
Michaelle Goerlitz, Ami Molinelli, Alex Calatayud, Jon Evans: Percussion
Paulo Sergio Santos: Clarinets

New Frontier:
Damien Masterson: Chromatic Harmonica
Jon Evans: Bass
Julie Wolf: Fender Rhodes
Allison Miller: Drums
Michael Spiro, Ami Molinelli: Percussion

Safadinho:
Damien Masterson: Chromatic Harmonica
Jon Evans: Bass
Julie Wolf: Hammond B3 Organ
Matthew Heulitt: Guitar
Allison Miller: Drums
Ami Molinelli, Alex Calatayud, Jon Evans: Percussion

Kinky Reggae:
Damien Masterson: Bass, Chromatic Harmonicas, Saxophones
Jon Evans: Bass
Julie Wolf: Fender Rhodes
Matthew Heulitt: Guitar
Allison Miller: Drums

Send One Your Love:
Damien Masterson: Chromatic Harmonicas, Saxophones
Jon Evans: Bass
Julie Wolf: Fender Rhodes
Peter Sprague: Guitar
Allison Miller: Drums
Ami Molinelli, Alex Calatayud, Jon Evans: Percussion

Shuǐ Xiù, Wǒ Qīn Àide (水秀, 我亲爱的):
Damien Masterson: Harmonica, Saxophone
Jon Evans: Bass
Julie Wolf: Piano
Allison Miller: Drums
Rick Heizman: Burmese Harp, Kayageum,
Michaelle Goerlitz: Percussion

Serpentine Fire:
Damien Masterson: Chromatic Harmonica, Saxophones
Jon Evans: Bass
Julie Wolf: Fender Rhodes
Allison Miller: Drums
Michaelle Goerlitz: Percussion

Sua Musica 5:17
Zachary Ross: Vocals
Zoe Ellis: Backing Vocals
Damien Masterson: Harmonica, Backing Vocals
Jon Evans: Bass
Casey Filsom: Piano
John Haines: Drums
Steve Kirk: Guitar, backing vocals
Ami Molinelli, Alex Calatayud: Percussion

You can also find this info at CD Baby, under “All Over The Map”, then “Album Notes”, then click “read more”…
Available online at CD Baby and iTunes. Hard copies available at CD Baby in about a week or two…

Back from South Africa! 10/09

admin — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 08:49:20 +0000

Back from South Africa!

I had a great time, and recorded in 2 locations, Cape Town and Durban. Stay tuned for more reports on the release in progress, “Africambio”. This will be the third CD in the “Intercambio” series, with recordings from Senegal, Mali, South Africa and the USA.

South Africa is a beautiful place, and once they get the violence thing under control, more foreigners will find it just as lovely as any of the other well known destinations. If you’re a soccer fan, the world cup will be there next year! Things are gearing up, but it’s difficult to imagine how tourists are going to get to their locations, the transport system is in complete disarray. Let’s all pray they figure it out, because I want to return, visit my friends and make more music! If you aren’t familiar with Mbaqanga, Maskanda or other South African styles, I highly recommend some study on the internet! Email me with any questions or direction.

Here’s a link for photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/damienmasterson/sets/72157622569273355/

———————————————————————————-

New CD released!

“All over the map” is online now. I have not pressed any copies yet, and do not have a CD release party planned. I will have a hundred or two run off soon, so if you want to purchase a physical copy, let me know. I honestly believe this is my best recording to date. Sonically, musically, creatively.. It really makes me proud, and I’d like to thank all of the musicians and others involved. If a recording ever deserved to be heard, it would be this one…. If you want to buy a copy of the CD, download it from C.D. Baby or iTunes. If you are not technologically capable of this, send me an email and I will create one for you and mail it to you.

I will update my website and MySpace… Someday soon.

Upcoming Gigs!
———————————————————————————-
This weekend:

Santa Rosa Gem Faire
Oct. 30th -Nov. 1st
Santa Rosa, CA
Sonoma County Fairgrounds/Grace Pavilion

1350 Bennett Valley Rd ( 95404 )

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! Call my cell if you can’t find me (# below)

———————————————————————————-
Saturday Nov. 7

Equilibria @ Anna’s Jazz Island 8pm
http://www.annasjazzisland.com/

Featuring:

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

Plus special guests

Brazilian Jazz and originals with some of the Bay Area’s hottest musicians!
Contact club for cover charge, etc…

———————————————————————————-
Sunday, November 8th 2:00 pm

The Damien Masterson Ensemble
http://www.princesf.com/damien/

LOV Concerts
MacGregor/Bridgepoint Aud.
35753 Cedar Blvd., Newark
http://www.lov.org/

Come hear classical and operatic music on the chromatic harmonica!
———————————————————————————-

I will be returning to Senegal and Mali in December.. If you have any leads for musicians, studios or good stories, please forward them!

————————————————————————————————-

Email update - 8/09

admin — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 08:46:28 +0000

The West Coast Jazz Harmonica Summit was a HIT!

We played to a sold out crowd and got it all on video.

Keep an eye out for the DVD, to be released in the near, not too distant future:

http://www.jazzharmonicasummit.com/

Upcoming Gigs!
———————————————————————————-
Equilbria

Friday, August 21

playing Brazilian jazz standards and originals

People in Plazas Concert Series
noon to one pm
425 Market Street plaza
Bw Fremont and 1st, SF

Dave Ridnell, guitar
Damien Masterson, chromatic harmonica and tenor sax
Scott Thompson, electric bass
Phil Thompson, drums

———————————————————————————-

Sunday, August 23rd, 8 pm: DO NOT MISS!

“Collectif Etoile”

Many of you have been aware of my African music obsession. Some of you even knew that some time ago, I started a rehearsal group of musicians who, like me, wanted a chance to play this stuff. Well, it’s been over a year of playing, transcribing, shedding and debating where the heck the downbeat is, but we’re going to debut the end result.
“Collectif”, because it is a collective, and education is the end goal. “Etoile”, from the teacher of all teachers, Youssou N’Dour & Le Super Etoile de Dakar. Come to Anna’s for this special maiden voyage, where you’ll hear Senegalese Mbalax, music from Cameroon, and repertoire from Composers such as Cheick Tidiane Seck, Etienne Mbappe, Martin Atangana and many others. It is really a groundbreaking event, one that we hope inspires more just like it. Please get the word out!
The day after this gig, we’re going to hit the studio and do our first demo. Come out and support the African music that just doesn’t get played enough around here!

Collectif Etoile is:
Ken Husbands & Q Morrow – guitars
Ben Flint - Keys
Damien Masterson – Saxophone & Harmonica
Danny Cao - Trumpet
Aaron Germain - bass
Otto Huber – drums
Idrissa Gueye – Sabar, percussion

Cover
2120 ALLSTON WAY BERKELEY CA 94704
(just east of Shattuck Avenue & downtown Berkeley BART)
TELEPHONE: (510) 841-JAZZ
www.AnnasJazzIsland.com
————————————————————————————————-
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!!!

Also, returning to Senegal and Mali, from 12/16/09 to the end of January ‘10. If you know anybody interested in funding a couple of music projects for these regions, please send them my way….

————————————————————————————————-

Not so regular email update - 6/09

admin — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:44:16 +0000

Hey all. This stuff is hard to be consistant with unless you do it for a living. Here’s the latest update, if you have any questions or issues, just email me. D

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!

———————————————————————————-
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
———————————————————————————-

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

———————————————————————————-
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…
————————————————————————————————-
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

————————————————————————————————-
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!!!

————————————————————————————————-

Regular Email Update 3/09

admin — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:48:39 +0000

Hey Everybody!

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/

———————————————————————————-

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
———————————————————————————-

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!
————————————————————————————————-

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!

————————————————————————————————-
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!

————————————————————————————————-