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Earth, Wind & Fire

During the 1970s, a new brand of pop music was born – one that was steeped in African and African-American styles – particularly jazz and R&B but appealed to a broader cross-section of the listening public. As founder and leader of the band Earth, Wind & Fire, Maurice White not only embraced but also helped bring about this evolution of pop, which bridged the gap that has often separated the musical tastes of black and white America. It certainly was successful, as EWF combined high-caliber musicianship, wide-ranging musical genre eclecticism, and ’70s multicultural spiritualism. “I wanted to do something that hadn’t been done before,” Maurice explains. “Although we were basically jazz musicians, we played soul, funk, gospel, blues, jazz, rock and dance music…which somehow ended up becoming pop. We were coming out of a decade of experimentation, mind expansion and cosmic awareness. I wanted our music to convey messages of universal love and harmony without force-feeding listeners’ spiritual content.”Maurice was born December 19, 1941, in Memphis, TN. He was immersed in a rich musical culture that spanned the boundaries between jazz, gospel, R&B, blues and early rock. All of these styles played a role in the development of Maurice’s musical identity. At age six, he began singing in his church’s gospel choir but soon his interest turned to percussion. He began working gigs as a drummer while still in high school. His first professional performance was with Booker T. Jones, who eventually achieved stardom as Booker T and the MGs.After graduating high school, Maurice moved to the Windy City to continue his musical education at the prestigious Chicago Conservatory Of Music. He continued picking up drumming jobs on the side, which eventually lead to a steady spot as a studio percussionist with the legendary Chicago label, Chess Records. At Chess, Maurice had the privilege of playing with such greats as Etta James, Fontella Bass, Billy Stewart, Willie Dixon, Sonny Stitt and Ramsey Lewis, whose trio he joined in 1967. He spent nearly three years as part of the Ramsey Lewis Trio. “Ramsey helped shape my musical vision beyond just the music,” Maurice explains. “I learned about performance and staging.” Maurice also learned about the African thumb piano, or Kalimba, an instrument whose sound would become central to much of his work over the years.

In 1969, Maurice left the Ramsey Lewis Trio and joined two friends in Chicago, Wade Flemons and Don Whitehead, as a songwriting team composing songs and commercials in the Chicago area. The three friends got a recording contract with Capitol and called themselves the “Salty Peppers,” and had a marginal hit in the Mid-western area called “La La Time.” That band featured Maurice on vocals, percussion and Kalimba along with keyboardists/vocalists Wade Flemons and Don Whitehead.

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Devotion degli Earth, Wind & Fire in concerto

Read "Devotion degli Earth, Wind & Fire in concerto" reviewed by Maurizio Zerbo


Il video incluso in calce a questo articolo restituisce tutto il fascino, la verve ritmica e la magia ammaliante di un concerto strepitoso degli E.W.F., fin qui mai documentato nella loro discografia ufficiale. Eppure questa versione di “Devotion" sovrasta per ispirazione e tensione emotiva le altre due edizioni ufficiali, incluse rispettivamente nell'album in studio Open Your Eyes e nel celeberrimo Gratitude, uno dei migliori album live del soul statunitense. Oltre a incantare per squisita musicalità e relax esecutivo, ...

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Recording

Earth, Wind & Fire Releasing New Studio Album "Now, Then & Forever" on September 10

Earth, Wind & Fire Releasing New Studio Album "Now, Then & Forever" on September 10

Source: Sony Music Entertainment/Legacy

Legacy Recordings is proud to announce the release of Now, Then & Forever by the legendary group Earth, Wind & Fire. This marks the group’s first new studio album in eight years. Now, Then & Forever, will be available everywhere on Tuesday, September 10. Earth, Wind & Fire’s first album of new studio material since 2005, Now, Then & Forever is also their first album for Legacy which isn't a compilation or a live collection. For a limited time, fans ...

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Recording

Bassist/vocalist Anthony Caceres Inspired By Earth, Wind & Fire

Source: Lauren Rogers

Q: When did it start for you, the decision to become a vocalist? A: I decided to pursue singing seriously back in 2006 while I was on tour with the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Up to that point I was primarily a sideman performing on electric bass and upright bass with many different groups. Q: Was jazz always your primary music of choice? A: Growing up as a child, jazz wasn't always my music of choice even though it was in ...

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Performance / Tour

Chicago, Earth, Wind & Fire Team up for New Music

Chicago, Earth, Wind & Fire Team up for New Music

Source: All About Jazz

After several years of touring together and a new joint charity single, Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire are contemplating a full-scale collaborative album project.

“Both bands kind of separately and together said, 'Wouldn't it be great to do an album together, so that's something that's just kind of flying around," Chicago's Robert Lamm tells Billboard.com. “I think the guys that write (songs) are thinking that could possibly be the next project."

Lamm predicts that a Chicago-EWF album “would sound ...

David B Harris
trombone
T.S.B.G.
band / ensemble / orchestra
SoulCal
band / ensemble / orchestra
Kbreaz1
keyboards
Drew Schultz
producer

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Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

The Columbia Masters

Undivided Vision Records
2011

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Open Our Eyes /...

Undivided Vision Records
2009

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Live In Japan (DVD +...

Undivided Vision Records
2008

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Best Of Earth, Wind &...

Undivided Vision Records
2007

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Head To The Sky +...

Undivided Vision Records
2004

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All In The Way

Undivided Vision Records
2003

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