Brent Blount : iSOUND.COM™

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Members: Brent Blount [All insturments on Native American Music] Formed: 1991 Official Site: www.brentblount.com iSound Site: www.isound.com/brent_blount

Biography

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Friday, June 5th, 2009
Freedom, My Newest Album
Freedom is my newest Album. Freedom is the title song, clicking the banner plays the song. Brian Gorrell plays piano, Larry Moore plays bass, and Jeremy Thomas plays drums on the first two selections. They were recorded at the UCO Jazz Lab.

Next Generations is played on the Native American flute acapella.

Last of all, For Leonard Peltier is played solo on the saxophone and can be heard by clicking on the banner below, leading you to my website www.brentblount.com to hear it. At MySpace and Reverb Nation, it is a free download.

Freedom is about not being in the box that some want to keep you in, the box that is convenient for them. It’s the freedom to be you and forgive independently of the outside world. Those values provide the platform for Next Generations.

The next generations need courage to be who they are in the face of a dominant culture that mocks their culture. Even though such degradation will continue, they must carry it on regardless. For if they do not, one day their children’s children will be unable to mourn at the grave of all their ancestors. Such is the case with me. The five short songs of Next Generations were written on a mountain and are tied together with two musical phrases. Now for the last song, For Leonard Peltier.

Freedom is what I hope For Leonard Peltier. He refuses to stay in the box that some want to keep him in, the box that is convenient for them.

Upcoming Shows

Date	Location	Venue
Jun.20.2009	Red River, NM	Higher Ground Music Fest

Featured Video

Featured Album

	CoyotesNot Rated Released: 2008 Mp3 Price: $9.99

Biography

Straight Ahead Jazz with a touch of the blues, bebop, and the avant-garde...
&
Traditional Native American flute with modern influence

Brent Blount has been a foundational piece of the Oklahoma Jazz and Blues community for the last 22 years. Doug Hill of Pop Magazine describes the experience of his performance as “Falling into a slow grove, he found intonations that escalated from the icy depths into bright crisp sunshine. Staccato stutter-steps danced off into brass oblivion. Blount played entire long solos with eyes closed, opening at the conclusion as if waking from a sweet dream (2000).”

He began as a saxophone player at Bianca's, a local jazz and blues club, in 1986 in Oklahoma City at the tender age of 16. He fell in love with the Blues. At the age of 12 Jazz would invade his world with confusion at the induction of John Coltrane into his ear, love it or hate it, he was obsessed. By his nineteenth year on earth Ernie Watts would provide clarification and cement the relationship with jazz that would last a lifetime.

Brent is classically trained in the art of Saxophone and Clarinet performance and rounds off this talent with outstanding clarity in blues guitar and the Native American flute. He is truly a musician's musician. Ameritone records referred to him as an artist “who melds tradition and originality into his musical range from Bach to late John Coltrane (2004).”

Brent's eclectic talent is well represented in his vast experience. Brent was awarded outstanding soloist at the Wichita Jazz Festival in 1994 and 2001. He has performed with a variety of renowned artist's from the Scott Keeton Band and Danny White to Smilin Vic and the Temptations. He regularly performs at local venues such as Maker's Cigar Lounge and Bourbon Street Cafe. He has also been a staple at local events such as Chocolate Decadence, the Paseo Arts Festival, Oklahoma City Festival of Arts and Stillwater Blues Festival. A varied recording history is available on “Get Some Sauce on Your Monkey” by Big Daddy and The Sauce Monkeys in 1998; “A Suncrush for Sweethearts” by Eric Sarmienta in 1997; and “After All These Years” in which Blount produced in 1996.

Brent Blount: Tenor Sax, Clarinet, Blues and Jazz Guitar, and Native American Flute

1996: Composed, produced and recorded the acoustic jazz album, “After All These Years.”

2005: Composed, recorded and produced an original acoustic jazz album, “Breakfast at Jim's” Album has saxophone, clarinet, electric guitar, and a Native American cedar flute.

Performed “Breakfast at Jim's” live in 2005 at “Jazz in June” in Norman, Oklahoma; opening up before Cathy Cousins and Thelonious Monk Jr. See video here titled “Bad Pun, Live!”

Gear:

Yamaha Custom tenor saxophone with a David Guardala mouthpiece with a 2 ½ or 3 Vandoren V - 16 reed. However, that’s new. “Breakfast at Jim’s” was recorded using an Otto Link 7* with a number 3 Vandoren V - 16 reed.

Press Quotes:

Doug Hill of Pop Magazine describes the experience of his performance as “Falling into a slow grove, he found intonations that escalated from the icy depths into bright crisp sunshine. Staccato stutter-steps danced off into brass oblivion. Blount played entire long solos with eyes closed, opening at the conclusion as if waking from a sweet dream (2000).”

Ameritone records referred to him as an artist “who melds tradition and originality into his musical range from Bach to late John Coltrane (2004).”

Awards:

Outstanding soloist at the Wichita Jazz Festival in 1994 and 2001.

Home:

Oklahoma City, OK

Artist Forum


Discussion Topic	Creator
A very nice evening I was at Brent's performance last night at the Blue Moon, I thought it was exceptional. On top of being great artists, Brent and his band members were very friendly. Just spending the few hours with them I saw the deep desire they have for their music. A truly outstanding show. Thank you Brent, for a great evening.	TammyL

Replys	Listener
Thankyou very much Tammy. It was great to have you, your friend and such an attentive audience. That doesn't happen very often in my kind of music, and it's what we live for and why we do it. I play 20 shows where people don't really listen, so I can play one like we did the other evening. P.S. The sign for Presidential George Bush Boulevard is almost bigger than the road itself! Thankyou again.	musiclanguage

Blog

Friday, June 5th, 2009 Freedom, My Newest Album Freedom is my newest Album. Freedom is the title song, clicking the banner plays the song. Brian Gorrell plays piano, Larry Moore plays bass, and Jeremy Thomas plays drums on the first two selections. They were recorded at the UCO Jazz Lab. Next Generations is played on the Native American flute acapella. Last of all, For Leonard Peltier is played solo on the saxophone and can be heard by clicking on the banner below, leading you to my website www.brentblount.com to hear it. At MySpace and Reverb Nation, it is a free download. Freedom is about not being in the box that some want to keep you in, the box that is convenient for them. It’s the freedom to be you and forgive independently of the outside world. Those values provide the platform for Next Generations. The next generations need courage to be who they are in the face of a dominant culture that mocks their culture. Even though such degradation will continue, they must carry it on regardless. For if they do not, one day their children’s children will be unable to mourn at the grave of all their ancestors. Such is the case with me. The five short songs of Next Generations were written on a mountain and are tied together with two musical phrases. Now for the last song, For Leonard Peltier. Freedom is what I hope For Leonard Peltier. He refuses to stay in the box that some want to keep him in, the box that is convenient for them. Posted By Brent Blount @ 1:00 PM

Friday, June 5th, 2009 After All These Years, My First Jazz Album from ‘96 After All These Years features David Bowen on drums, James Fowler on bass, and Brian Gorrell on piano. It is available at www.brentblount.com Clicking the banner below takes you there. It was recorded in 1995- 1996 at West Second Recording Studios in Oklahoma. Furthermore, I had a record deal with it for 10 years. Everyone’s favorite song off of it seems to “Free;” so, you can hear it by clicking below. After All These Years is available at my website, www.brentblount.com By clicking the CD below, it takes you to the download album section. The rhythm section had just done a workshop (if that’s the right word, that was a long time ago) with Phil Woods at the University of Central Oklahoma before recording it. Suffice it to say, he's a huge hero of mine. Thanks for listening and reading, Brent www.brentblount.com Posted By Brent Blount @ 1:00 PM

Thursday, June 4th, 2009 3 hard copies of Breakfast At Jim’s left @ CD Baby http://cdbaby.com/cd/brentblount Posted By Brent Blount @ 9:18 PM

Wednesday, May 6th, 2009 A Little about Me and the Music What are my musical roots? They’re an odd mixture. I started playing saxophone at age eight when I lived for four years in Wichita Kansas, and the first song I learned was “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” The director said I jazzed it up too much and needed to slow down. The first song I learned on guitar was “Crazy Train” by Ozzy. Randy died a few months before I got my first guitar at Christmas at 12; and, he gave me the ideal role model by example. That was, a musician on the road dedicated to the music and not dedicated to the vices of the road. I started taking jazz lessons at 13 and my teacher, Paul Brewer, got me into Trane and Dexter. I got Dexter, but Trane eluded me until I heard Ernie Watts play in the soundtrack to “Fabulous Baker Boys” in the old Bianca’s jazz club. That movie and Ernie’s playing changed my life when I heard it in Bianca’s after having started playing in the blues jam sessions there at 16. The Bronston Blues Band used to hide me in the kitchen when they came around. I played in Terry McCann’s band years later for about 7 years. Before that, I was Doc Blue’s first guitarist and saxophonist. I have several “musical step fathers,” and I grew up with them helping me and giving me chances to play. More specifically, they are Danny White, Gene Bell, as well as Terry. So, to answer your first question of “What are me musical roots?” I have to say heroes and my musical family, of which the list could go on and on: Paul Brewer, Bruce Kitzel, Larry Hollis, Lee Rucker, Kent Kidwell, Brian Gorrell (my musical brother), and so on. Making the next show better is easy – practice more. What’s the highest honor a band can get? Seeing George Jones cry when Alan Jackson played “He Stopped Loving Her Today” at the last Kennedy Awards is the highest “award” you can get. Now, why do bands fizzle out? Seems to me that bands fizzle out when band members put their egos ahead of the music. It also could be personality conflicts, drug use, or they record while performing much less. It all seems to come down to money. On the other hand, it could just be that it’s time to move on. Too many instances come to mind and nobody knows all of it but them. My most embarrassing moment? It was more funny than embarrassing to me. I was playing the song I wrote, “Sunset Song,” on the state capital steps for the last S.P.I.R.I.T. rally last November in between speakers that morning. Well, it was very cold and extremely windy; so, only a few notes played on the Native American flute. For the next song I played, “Ghosts of Wounded Knee,” I called the singers over to be wind blocks. Fewer notes were prevented from sounding from the wind blowing so hard, but I’m glad I didn’t play “Four Winds.” What I would “change” is, just hoping the economy comes back. But, for bands to become more famous they have to do what I’m not willing to do: have a show that even a deaf person would love in the words of Derek Silver (I think he said that anyway). However, nobody should take my advice on becoming famous; I’m too into the concept of art for art’s sake and I don’t use words – I’m an instrumentalist. My music, I hope, helps to make the world a better place. I hope someone can come hear me and feel better when they go home. I like the idea Johnny Griffin has that I read once, “Shoot them bullets of love,” Or the sentiment expressed by Herbie Hancock, “Jazz is about transforming pain into joy.” Shostakovich said once about living under Stalin’s regime, that music is people’s last hope. Those are awful big shoes to try to fill, but how many times in people’s lives would the difference be made for the better if in a moment of vulnerability they listened to something that didn’t make them feel worse and maybe pushed them over the edge? If it can’t ever be about helping someone in those delicate moments, then what’s the point? Yes, I believe there’s an artistic responsibility to help the world by letting the music, a spiritual power, speak through you to others. I just hope mine does that. Now, music in 1,000 years? One can’t change the harmonic series that determines the pitches, but one can develop new styles, expand on old ones, and create new timbers (tonal qualities). Funny, an episode of “Star Trek” comes to mind when Wesley (I’m not a Trekie; I had to look his name up) played the cello. Interesting question, because if the intervals used became larger by a new scientific discovery, there’d have to be new instruments invented to accommodate them if listeners demanded virtuosity. On the other hand, the quarter tones in Eastern Indian music are being used less and less if my source is right. Point is, audiences would have to change drastically in their listening preferences to support music that uses larger or smaller distances between notes (intervals). Also, the entire social structure of the planet will likely have changed in a millennium. Our technology is light years ahead of our humanity and until that reaches an equilibrium and the energy crisis is solved, what I see now is far from that episode of Star Trek and much more like “Music illuminates a person and provides him with his last hope; even Stalin, a butcher, knew that," as Shostakovich said in the midst of living under Stalin’s regime. We seem to be at a crossroads, and I left my crystal ball at home. If someone comes to hear me play, they can expect to see me either with a group, or playing solo. Those specifications can be found out beforehand at www.brentblount.com I’ve had the privilege of quietly watching in the background Oklahomans walking on the canal and enjoying the company of those they care about. They have birthdays, celebrations, or they’re just out to enjoy themselves. I’ve seen couples falling in love and quiet people sitting at the bar. It’s the latter I sometimes ask myself, “how many times in people’s lives would the difference be made for the better if in a moment of vulnerability they listened to something that didn’t make them feel worse and maybe pushed them over the edge?” Whatever the case, I hope the music either adds joy or turns the pain into joy. If that happens in either instance just once; the purpose has been fulfilled. Posted By Brent Blount @ 11:17 PM