|
|
Updated: 01/19/12
My Music Bio/Profile
Song Playing:
"I Love Holding Hands w/U Pt 1" © 2012
All Vocals & Musical Instruments Performed Solo
My "Old-School" R&B Jam From my Upcoming 2012 CD
D. DeWitt (aka) BlkIndianMale (dba) BlkIndiansMusic, LLC ®
Born, in Imperial Valley, CA. Raised, in The "Haight-Ashbury" District of San Francisco, CA.
My General Education:
Polytechnic H/S Grad - Fall '66 Class San Francisco, CA. Music Major since Jr. Hi.
My Musical Skills:
Actually, I'm formally taught via award winning school bands & orchestras from Jr. High to High School in the San Francisco-Oakland, Bay Area of Northern Calif. I was an exclusive 1st chair Flautist in Jr. High and High School. However, being young & silly, I was a "pain in the backside" to my music teacher, in Jr. High.... until I was asked to lead the Orchestra, as the Conductor, (to teach me a lesson) It all came together like a bunch of jig-saw puzzle pieces then, and it became an epiphany, and an adrenaline rush for me. My teacher was amazed, and he never got the batton back for that day! LOL! I then learned many other woodwind instruments over the summer vacation, as if I'd played them for years. Then I learned many others without any formal training. I already knew Music theory and read music as if it were the morning newspaper, so Tenor Sax was the 1st musical instrument I'd learned after the flute in High School. I'm not an "Alicia Keys" on piano, nor am I a "Jimmy Smith" on a B-3 Hammond organ. Nevertheless, being in the "Ms. Aretha Franklin" blood line, and also having personal "Sly Stone, Freddie Stone, Greg Errico, and Larry Graham" experience, I do think that I get my "musical point" across quite successfully. At 51y/o, I then developed a 5-Octave Vocal Range. I perform on Tenor Sax, Alto Sax, Concert-C Alto Flute & Piccolo, Trap Drums, Percussion, B-3 Hammond & other Electronic Keys. 4 mo. Self-taught Tenor-Sax prior to H/S graduation. During that time I was playing Tenor Sax with "The Gentlemen," and met the leading twins of "The Whispers," as they were just getting started in San Francisco, CA. My 1st "Music-Idol" at 4y/o, was Blues, Jazz, Organist, Jimmy Smith, on the Verve LP Label. 2nd was Jr. Walker & The Allstars. Influences were friends I played Tenor-Sax with, namely: Leon Patillo, Neil Stallings, Bill Baskin, Ross Mason, Sly & Freddie Stone and Greg Errico. It was about 9 yrs. later, after playing tenor sax for: Freddie & the Stone Souls and Leon & the VIP’s,” that I met Bro. Larry Graham, the Leader of "Graham Central Station," in Oakland, CA. via his cousins Ricky & Gloria Green, of South San Francisco, CA. This was after the untimely death of Larry's father. In the 70s I also had my own Night Club & Recording Funk Band named: "MacNasty," for about about 2 years. I’ve played on marquis with Ray Charles and also The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra and at Swag Hotel Events.
About 20 yrs. or so later, I was told by family, I was a 3rd Cousin to:
“The Queen of Soul,” Ms. ARETHA FRANKLIN.andMr. Eddie Harris (clickable text in the Sidebar also)
My Vocals:
My baritone vocals didn't develop until I'd already reached 50y/o, living in Sacramento, CA, but in the process, neither did I lose my, already acquired, soprano (falsetto) Vocals. Unlike (The Late) Mr. Barry White, who's vocal chords "dropped down" at an earlier age. Prior to that moment, I only sang soprano duets with Neil Stallings in The "V.I.P.s," and had negligible vocal skills beyond that before becoming leader of "MacNasty" where I also played a Hammond B-3 Organ in my 7-piece R&B band, performing mostly in the San Jose, CA. area.
My Musical Style:
"Old-School" R&B, Love Jams & Jazz.
My Tenor Sax Style reminds some of: (The Late) Jr. Walker.
My Baritone Vocals remind many of: (The Late) Barry White.
Some other Vocals remind folks of: Bro. Larry Graham.
My Falsetto Vocals remind others of:
Eddie Holman, Eddie Kendricks or Philip Bailey of EWF.
All Solo-Composed, Performed CD/Mp3s are created, performed & recorded exclusively by BlkIndianMale for BlkIndiansMusic, LLC ®
Donald DeWitt (L) performing on Tenor Sax @ 17y/o in San Francisco, CA w/Leon & The V.I.P's
All Music Tracks are Solo-Composed Solo-Performed & Solo-Recorded Copyright © 2007 - 2012
OLDER PHOTOS
(clickable text)
|
|
|
| |
|
