Meinl Percussion artists Justin Poree and Jiro Yamaguchi and their band Ozomatli are slated to be a part of an upcoming TED Talk. TED is a small nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. Since then its scope has become ever broader. Along with the annual TED Conference in Long Beach, California, and the TEDGlobal conference in Oxford UK, TED includes the award-winning TEDTalks video site, the Open Translation Program, the new TEDx community program, this year’s TEDIndia Conference and the annual TED Prize. The annual conferences in Long Beach and Oxford bring together the world’s most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes). On TED.com,  the best talks and performances from TED and partners are available to the world, for free. More than 450 TEDTalks are now available, with more added each week. All of the talks feature closed captions in English, and many feature subtitles in various languages. Ozomatli will be a part of the TedTalk The Edge of What We Know on November 16, 2010 at the California Academy of Sciences.

The idea behind this TedTalk is this:  From where we stand as humans, at the scale that we are, we push the edges of our knowledge from the inside out. The very small (the nano, the microbial, ants) and the unimaginably large (supernovae, black holes). We push our senses (what we see, how we percieve) and how that impacts what we know about ourselves (What is consciousness? What is death?). We also stand in certain place in history- a certain era, with its institutions and standards or normalcy, with our own lenses on the past and why things are the way they are in the present. But that is all subject to ongoing reimagining- and there are people pushing the edges of our institutions whether that is politics or financial or journalism or art. So, who’s pushing the edge now? What ideas are really “out there” that may change our world? Ozomatli’s Talk is entitled At the Edge of Urban Identity.
The motto of multi-racial Los Angeles band Ozomatli used to be “We take you around the world by taking you around L.A.” In a session hosted and narrated by scholar and author Josh Kun, the band will mix story and sound to explore the challenges and promises of musical identities in a global age defined by extremes of scarcity and abundance, from the streets of L.A. to the orphanages of Nepal and Burma to the levees of New Orleans. How can music preserve traditions while inventing new ones, healing wounds while imagining new spaces of hope? From backyard Mexican rancheras to Arabic funk, from flamenco dance hall tocumbias for the dead, this will be a sonic trip to the global edges of contemporary urban identity.

Meinl Percussion artist Larry Salzman has some KILLER new videos online where he gives some great demonstrations on looping percussion patterns. Check them out!

It's been awhile...but Meinl Percussion artist Bill Summers and The Headhunters are back in action. The storied jazz/funk/fusion band, the Headhunters, are currently finalizing tracks for Platinum, a CD set for release early next year on the Owl Studios label. The disc will feature guest appearances by several intriguing names, including Snoop Dogg, George Clinton, Killah Priest, and Del the Funky Homosapien. In the meantime, the legendary band will embark on a U.S. tour in November. (See dates, venues and cities below.)

Of the new album and the new year, not-overly modest Headhunters percussionist Bill Summers says: “2011 will mark the beginning of a new movement in music and jazz — the true fusion of hip hop, jazz, rap, salsa, rock, New Orleans, African rhythm and its classical forms. The Headhunters are steeped in the funk and jazz traditions. The groove is undeniable and the layers of rhythm, melody and spoken word in this release will raise the bar and set a benchmark for the world to follow. The truth of the matter is, we respect all forms of music and see a place in this unusual musical tapestry for every form of modern and ancient music forms. The project is entitled Platinum. For some this is an award presented to those who achieve a feat of reaching one million units sold and certified. For us, Platinum is a self-proclamation of achievement for creating a project deserving of recognition, and will be heard and appreciated by the millions of listeners worldwide.”

The Headhunters were founded in 1973 and served as the supporting band for Herbie Hancock’s 12th studio album, Head Hunters, which became one of the best-selling jazz records ever. The Headhunters went on to record a handful of additional albums with Hancock, and they’ve also released a couple of winning platters on their own.

Here’s the November tour itinerary. (The shows, by the way, will include performances of tracks from the upcoming album.)

November 3, Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn, New York

November 4, Club Metronome, Burlington, Vermont

November 5, Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton, Massachusetts

November 6, Northstar Bar, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

November 7, Rose Live Music, Brooklyn, New York

November 9, Castaways, Ithaca, New York

November 10, Asylum, Portland, Maine

November 11, Church, Boston, Massachusetts,

November 19, Sun Music Hall, Floyd, Virginia

November 21, The Grey Eagle, Asheville, North Carolina