Bernie Worrell Orchestra To Play SXSW
The Bernie Worrell Orchestra is going to perform at the 2013 South-by-Southwest festival. Just four dates into their U.S. tour, the BWO will arrive in Austin, TX for three performances that will have funk fans drooling. On Thursday, March 14, the nine-piece ensemble will play an official SXSW showcase at the Flamingo Cantina at 515 E. 6th Street. The group will also perform Wednesday, March 13 at The Ginger Manand Saturday, March 16 at the Pop Montreal day party.
The Bernie Worrell Orchestra is the new solo vehicle for the psychedelic funk pioneer and music legend. The BWO has toured widely since June 2011 and will soon release their debut album, which drummer/bandleader Evan Taylor says is rooted in “late-1960s/early 1970s psychedelic rock and R&B… the foundation of funk.” In other words, the BWO is a continuation of Worrell’s work, and the shows will feature material from his nine solo albums – not to mention lots of new songs. Two new tracks, “Get Your Hands Off” and “BWO Is Landing,” are available for download at www.bernieworrellorchestra.com.
As a key member of the original Parliament/Funkadelic, Bernie Worrell designed the legendary group’s unmistakable spaced-out keyboard sound. That intergalactic, synth-drenched whomp propelled such original P-Funk classics as “Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker)” and most notably “Flash Light.” Worrell’s otherworldly funk, songwriting and production with the group earned him the nickname “The Wizard of WOO” – and a place, along with the rest of the original Parliament/Funkadelic, in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Worrell was also instrumental within Talking Heads, appearing on the landmark album Speaking in Tongues and in the Jonathan Demme concert film Stop Making Sense. In the 2004 documentaryStranger: Bernie Worrell on Earth, David Byrne credits Worrell and his musical contributions with injecting fun into Talking Heads’ music and performances. Worrell’s influence continues to permeate modern music with the likes of Dr. Dre and The Coup sampling his work. The Wizard of WOO also passes on his vast musical expertise via master classes at www.worldoforiginality.com.
But these are merely Worrell’s two most recognizable credits in his six-decade career. With a bottomless well of inspiration, Worrell remains active as a studio musician and collaborator in several side bands, including Method of Defiance(with Bill Laswell), Mos Def’s Black Jack Johnson, Leo Nocentelli and Marc Ribot. Worrell was also a part of Colonel Claypool’s Bucket of Bernie Brains, a supergroup featuring Les Claypool and Brain from Primus and enigmatic guitarist Buckethead.
The Bernie Worrell Orchestra is Bernie Worrell (keyboards), Andrew Kimball (guitar), Kyle Cadena (guitar), Scott Hogan (bass), Glen Fittin (percussion), Evan Taylor (drums/bandleader), Shlomi Cohen (alto sax), Ofer Assaf (tenor sax), Justin Mullens (trumpet). For more information, visit www.bernieworrellorchestra.com.
THE BERNIE WORRELL ORCHESTRA – SPRING 2013 TOUR DATES
February 14 Maxwell’s – Hoboken, NJ
February 15 Millennium Music Conference – Harrisburg, PA
February 16 World Café Live – Wilmington, DE
March 11 Cosmic Charlie’s – Lexington, KY
March 13 The Ginger Man @ SXSW – Austin, TX
March 14 Flamingo Cantina @ SXSW – Austin, TX
March 15 Last Concert Café – Houston, TX
March 16 Pop Montreal Day Party @ SXSW – Austin, TX
March 17 Revolution Music Room – Little Rock, AR
April 04 Buck’s T4 – Gallatin Gateway, MT
April 06 Sun Valley Resort – Sun Valley, ID
April 08 Qxiotes – Denver, CO
April 09 Zoo Bar – Lincoln, NE
April 10 Skyway Theatre, Studio B – Minneapolis, MN
April 11 21st Saloon – Omaha, NE
April 12 27 Live – Evanston, IL
April 13 Rock Island Brewing Co. – Rock Island, IL
April 14 Woodlands Tavern – Columbia, OH
April 17 Beachland Ballroom – Cleveland, OH
April 18 Founder’s Brewing Co. – Grand Rapids, MI
April 19 The Riverside Music Festival – Cambridge Springs, PA
April 20 River Street Jazz Café – Plains, PA
April 26 Dante’s Bar – Frostburg, MD
April 27 123 Pleasant Street – Morgantown, WVA
May 03 Indiana Theater – Indiana PA
May 04 Building 24 – Wyomissing, PA
May 17 The Mighty High Mountain Festival – Tuxedo Park, NY
May 25 Strange Creek Festival – Greenfield, MA
August 3 Backwoods Pond Fest – Peru, NY
September 14 5th Annual Local & Legend Music Festival – Budd Lake, NJ