The Kashmere Stage Band: a Forgotten Funk Legacy by Mark Flaum His Students Were Passionate About
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KTRU 91.7 FM THE THRESHER IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTENT OF THE RICE raDIO FOLIO. FALL 2009 The Kashmere Stage Band: A Forgotten Funk Legacy By Mark Flaum his students were passionate about. Rather locals who stumbled upon copies of their KSB is available once more, and the legacy Kashmere High School is a struggling than driving his students through big-band vinyl output. Several musicians who came of a Houston institution has returned to program in the northeast part of town, jazz or swing, he helped them arrange the of age in the band continued to make music, light. stained with an unhealthy dropout rate music of James Brown and other soul and including Bubbha Thomas (a musician- A sad postscript to the revival of the and recently threatened with closure. funk masters for large ensemble. Eventu- activist whose Summer Jazz workshop has Kashmere Stage Band—bandleader Con- Once upon a time, however, the school ally the students were composing their own trained young Houstonians for the past 30 rad O. Johnson passed away in February was host to a nearly forgotten legacy material, with Johnson helping write the years) and Melvin Sparks (a prolific solo 2008, after several hospitalizations and a of large ensemble soul-funk that ranks scores and bring the music to life. jazz guitarist), but the recordings of the mild heart attack. He had retired from among the high points of Houston music The first recordings of the Kashmere full band had become rare artifacts sought teaching back in 1978, and in fact the same history. Between 1967 and 1978 the band, Stage Band appeared in 1969 as the first by collectors and traded at high prices. weekend of his passing he had attended consisting entirely of enrolled students, release on the KRAM label, started by In 2000 the Soul Patrol label included the a fundraiser and tribute concert featuring released eight full-length LP records and Johnson specifically as an outlet for the track “Scorpio” from their fourth LP, 1972’s original KSB members performing works toured Japan, only to disappear into the recordings of his students’ band. The Zero Point, on a deep funk compilation. A from the heyday of the band. The Conrad obscurity of poor distribution and limited group remained extraordinarily prolific, year later, Stones Throw records put the O. Johnson School of Fine Arts, a musical documentation. Only recently has the producing an LP or more per year up until track “Kashmere” on the very influential magnet program at Kashmere High, aims music of the Kashmere Stage Band found 1975, including one LP dedicated to songs funk compilation “Funky 16 Corners.” Fol- to carry on the legacy of the Kashmere its way back into availability, largely thanks composed by Johnson and members of the lowing that release, Stones Throw general Stage Band despite the difficulties the to the efforts of hip-hop crate diggers and band and a live album documenting their manager Eothen Alapatt (also known as school itself is facing. beat collectors. tour of Japan. In 1972, they won the title Egon) traveled to Houston to find out more You can experience the legacy of the Conrad O. “Prof” Johnson, a jazz and “Best High School Stage Band in the Na- about the history of the band, as well as Kashmere Stage Band for yourself this up- R&B musician born in Victoria, Texas in tion,” and won 42 of 46 band competitions to get his hands on more KSB music. His coming Thursday, September 19 at down- 1915, decided in 1941 to dedicate himself to they entered over up to 1978. Beyond being journey was quite successful, leading to a town’s Discovery Green park, where the music education rather than performance. the best school band, the KSB was among double CD compilation presenting some Kashmere Reunion Stage Band, composed By 1969 he was director of the stage band the best large funk ensembles of their era of the hottest tracks off the LP releases of some of Johnson’s former students with at Kashmere Senior High School. Stage as well, comfortable with the influence of as well as unreleased material. This was guitarist Joe Carmouche, will honor the bands were found in most Texas high jazz, the slow fire of soul, and the high- perhaps the widest distribution the KSB bandleader with a tribute concert. schools of that era, but Johnson was a velocity groove of heavy funk. has ever seen, and was soon followed by somewhat unusual director—he had a And yet between 1978 and 2000, their several quasi-bootleg reissues of some healthy respect for the popular music that music was largely unheard, except by original albums on LP. The music of the Muzak John’s Joyful Noise By Matthew Brownlie and down the sidewalk behind him. As I approach the patio at Rudyard’s And John was dressed like a wizard. I see that John is already there, sitting a Cloak, big pointy hat with stars and cres- small distance from the other happy-hour cent moons, the whole bit. It was anarchic, patrons. The 50-year old man in a fishing innocent and fun. hat is abusing a small acoustic guitar, at- It is also a testimony to the friendliness tacking the fretboard with his ever-present of Houston’s semi-legendary noise scene handheld tape recorder. Before we begin that Muzak was invited to play with local our interview, he tells me that I’ll be playing heavy-hitters Rusted Shut, Ouroboros something on that guitar into that machine and Yellow #6 a mere two months after when we finish talking. Which I do, but discovering the genre. In 2000, following what I come up with isn’t nearly as wild or the end of a relationship, John decided un-self-conscious as what he’s doing now. that it was time to find out what was go- But that’s okay; he tells me some time later ing on in Houston’s small clubs. He saw that he thought it sounded great. local mainstays Richard Ramirez (aka Muzak John (or, just as often, John Black Leather Jesus) and Rotten Piece Muzak) is an anomaly inside an anomaly, at Sound Exchange, A Pink Cloud at the a somewhat playful presence in Houston’s Commerce Street Art Warehouse, and the often severe and serious noise/experimen- Legendary Pink Dots at Instant Karma. tal scene. But it’s a tribute to that scene’s (It might be worth noting that the mighty welcoming spirit that he’s also a mainstay, Sound Exchange is the only one of these James BRIcKeR/BReaKFasT oN ToUR performing pretty much wherever and three performance spaces still around). whenever he feels like since 2000. I first John had been a musician all his life, and saw him during one of his guerrilla perfor- in the 1980’s had fallen in love with college Ted Leo at Rice mances. He was on the ground outside a radio stations in Staten Island and New The 2009 Outdoor Show featured Ted Leo & The Pharmacists. club in the warehouse district, banging on Jersey. Noise music, however, was beyond a small Casio keyboard and shouting into even their far-reaching playlists. “It wasn’t a microphone run through a delay pedal. formal music, it wasn’t ‘song’ music,” he Domokos (then of A Pink Cloud and Rusted What is the Rice Radio Folio? Shut) kicked a big, clattery metal bowl up Continued on page 2 The Folio is first and foremost a programming and listening guide designed to help you keep up with what’s on air. For your pleasure, our DJs also generate a healthy serving of album reviews, playlists, band profiles, concert calendars, interviews, and news and information about KTRU and the Houston music scene. The Folio was a more regular feature from the 1980s through the early 1990s, when it educated and entertained readers on a weekly basis. The station’s boost to 50,000 watts and resultant lack of a reliable on-campus signal until the late 1990s contributed to its (partial) abandonment. Now the folio lives gain, in a longer, if less frequent form. If you are new to KTRU, the Folio is an excellent place to begin what will no doubt be a long and fruitful love affair. If you’re already hooked, the folio is just another way to get more of what you love. 1 INTERVIEWS AND ARTIST PrOFILES ARTIST PROFILES AND UPCOMING EVENTS RICE raDIO FOLIO FALL 2009 RICE raDIO FOLIO FALL 2009 Artist Profile: HIT THE GROUND RUNNING: FALL 2009 RECOMMENDED SHOWS Artist Profile:Kaushiki Chakraborty Houston’s scene runs the gamut from experimental to bubblegum pop, death metal to gamelan, so mark your calendars and check out KTRU’s upcoming By Varsha Vakil become the youngest-ever Ganda Bandh taken the world by storm. He states that it artist around the world. Her singing style shows page, and other sites that note upcoming shows in the area. Don’t forget Kaushiki Chakraborty is a name shishy, or disciple. Ganda Bandh is a cus- is not only her exceptional voice and sing- of traditional bahlawa patterns is the style to ask around or make a call to see if the show is sold out. Also, stay tuned to many aficionados of Indian music quickly tomary knot-tying ritual which fortifies ing style, but that beauty is in the intrinsic typical of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. John McEntire 91.7, and you just might pick up a few free tickets.