I was one of many forunate music lovers who viewed the documentary Stranger: Bernie Worrell on Earth Monday night and heard his interview Tuesday with KLBJ 93.7 FM.
I love Bernie Worrell's music from the P-Funk days (Parliament-Funkadelic and Talking Heads most of all, but I enjoyed hearing his compositions and live performances in the movie.
He's playing April 12th & 13th at Flamingo Cantina and April 14th at the Continental Club in Austin. Mr. Worrell will be present at Tuesday and Thursday screenings of the award-winning documentary Stranger at the Alamo Drafthouse (Downtown).
About the keyboard/clavinet genius of Bernie Worrell: It's cool to think he would've been featured on KMFA 89.5 (the local classical station) instead of KLBJ 93.7 , Jammin' 105.9 (booooooo!), BEAT 104.3... and probably the hip-hop station HOT 93.3 (sampling) if he hadn't sneaked out the house to hear a band he would later join. He learned piano before the age of 4, composed a symphony before he was 10 years old, and was going to be a student at the New England Conservatory of Music at age 16. But P-Funk happened instead. It blows my mind... But what really blows my mind is his playing - the bold invention and virtuosity of his music. By commercial standards he is a failure, but by the standards of brilliance and timelessness, he is a success. If most artists and fans have compared him to Beethoven or Jimi Hendrix, then who cares about money. I think feeling appreciated for your music here and now, and knowing you will have a legacy after you're no longer on earth is worth more than a billion dollars in the bank. I've been listening to a lot of P-Funk, Talking Heads, and Gov't. Mule. Maybe it's time I checked out Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains and Bernie Worrell & The Woo Warriors. I keep wondering why Bernie and avant-garde artists like Massive Attack, Moby, Tricky or Bjork (or even the more mainstream Beck) haven't collaborated. Now that would be like a musical acid trip.
OK... time is ticking. Time for a cup of chamomile, soft classical music - and a good book to drool over. Literally.
~ DIY-Danna
P.S. Read more about the keyboard legend's visit @ The Austin Chronicle.
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