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Rhythm and Invention
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2006
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Munyungo Jackson JAZZ PERCUSSIONIST
Joseph Mitchell PASADENA SYMPHONY PERCUSSIONIST
Paul Lines MODERATOR
at CalTech's Ramo Auditorium
332 South Michigan Ave.,
South of Del Mar Blvd., Pasadena
ARTIST BIOS
Munyungo Jackson
JAZZ PERCUSSIONIST
 From drums, bells, chimes, whistles, blocks,and sticks
to drum machines, sequencers and samplers, seasoned percussionist
Darryl Munyungo Jackson possesses an ever-increasing collection of
instruments with which to execute his craft. That is one of the
reasons this warm and unassuming West Coast artist can be found in
virtually any musical setting—whether it's funk, pop, jazz, Latin,
reggae, or traditional dance music of such countries as Nigeria,
Senegal, Ghana, Haiti, Brazil and Cuba.
Despite his youthful appearance, Munyungo is no newcomer: in his over
thirty years of playing, he has developed an awesome versatility and
became a well-respected and much-requested session, concert and tour
player. He has performed with Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder, Sting, Kenny
Loggins, Dianne Reeves, the Zawinul Syndicate, George Howard, Ronnie
Laws, The Temptations, Four Tops, The Supremes and dozens of others,
including numerous ethnic music and dance troupes.
Munyungo was born in Los Angeles, California, into creative
surroundings: his parents, Arthur Jackson Jr. and Genie Jackson, both
maintained various involvements in music, dance and writing, and
Munyungo is the nephew of the legendary jazz, pop and blues singer and
pianist Nellie Lutcher.
During this period, Munyungo's father was program director of a jazz
radio station; the benefit to Munyungo, of course, was the constant
exposure so much music. He happily surrounded himself with the albums
of the many Latin artists of the day such as Mongo Santamaria, Willie
Bobo, and Tito Puente, and practiced by playing his timbales along
with these albums. Soon, his system of observation-plus-practice
proved to be an effective method of self training, and it wasn't long
before he, too, formed a Latin jazz band with his classmates.
Munyungo's passion for the timbales was only the beginning. From that
point, he made the natural progression to congas, bongos, bells,
triangles, bell trees and beyond. Subsequently, he met and worked with
traditional drummers from Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, China
and Japan, resulting in a collection of over four hundred percussion
instruments and drums from all over the world—all of which he plays
proficiently.
That name? On several occasions, he performed with some players from
Africa and the Caribbean, who would shout "Munyungo!" (which is a Zulu
word meaning "door") to cheer him on as he played—and it wasn't long
before the word attached to him as a nickname. Now, for him, the name
means "Gateway to Heaven."
Munyungo is deeply committed to understanding—and keeping alive—the
tradition surrounding the instruments he plays. "It's hard to study
drums without studying the cultures from which they come," he points
out. This respectfulness seasons his playing with hearty passion and
enjoyment. In addition to his concert, tour and recording work,
Munyungo is currently on the staff of the Watts Towers Art Center in
Los Angeles, which brings together master drummers from all over the
world to present their expertise.
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Joseph Mitchell
PASADENA SYMPHONY PERCUSSIONIST
 Surviving in the free lance environment of a large city is a tough
act. One performer who has withstood its rigors is Los Angeles
percussionist Joseph Mitchell, III. Reared in Southern California,
Joseph Mitchell has worked in studios and concert halls throughout the
Los Angeles area and is an active educator at several institutions.
Mr. Mitchell was educated at California State University, Northridge
where he studied with Karen Ervin and Joel Leach. Upon graduation, he
served in the United States Army with the Signal Corps Army Band at
Ft. Gordon, Georgia. From 1984-88 he studied at the University of
California, Los Angeles with Mitchell Peters where he received the
Master of Fine Arts degree. Currently he teaches music at Los Angeles
City College and has been on the faculties of California State
University, Dominguez Hills, California Polytechnic University,
Pomona, El Camino College, California State University, Los Angeles,
and Santa Monica College.
Joe Mitchell has performed with many orchestras including the Los
Angeles Philharmonic, Pasadena Symphony, Long Beach Symphony, Los
Angeles Opera, Santa Barbara Symphony, and the Glendale Symphony. He
has also worked with Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Lou Rawls,
Marilyn McCoo, Richard Smallwood, and blues man Mighty Mo' Rodgers. He
can be heard on Mikki Howard's release Femme Fatal and as featured
percussionist with the duo Judicanti Responsura on Juneteenth. Also
included in the discography of Mr. Mitchell are recordings of Bernard
Herrmann's film music and Night of the Mayas by Mexican composer
Silvestre Revueltas with the Los Angeles Philharmonic on Sony
Classical, as well as Glenn Horiuchi's Elegy for Sarajevo, on the
Asian Improv label. He worked on the soundtrack to the motion picture
Cora Unashamed, performing the music of Patrice Rushen.
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David-Johnson
Percussionist
Paul Lines MODERATOR
Founder of the Pasadena Jazz Institute.
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