There are moments in an artist’s career that are life changing. If you read nothing else… know that while on the Capital Jazz Cruise I had quite a few of those moments. 

How can I best describe the cruise?  … it’s like the first day of classes on a …. um….Performing Arts-Traveling-Vacation-College-Boat?!   

Imagine if you will…. Attendees, armed with schedules in hand, trying to navigate their way around a 1000 ft. floating luxury campus to classes before they fill……  The comforts of well-known courses and professors, as well as the joys of being exposed to new subject matter that reaches deep and leaves one talking…CD’s in lieu of textbooks, trips to the cafeteria, and of course, the obligatory parties to get loose and better acquainted. Oh and throw in some sunshine and exotic locations for good measure.

What makes this analogy particularly apropos for me was feeling the nervous energy of being a freshman while at the same time the regard of being a starting player.

OK so hopefully I have painted the backdrop well enough for you.  The details would turn this into a thesis; so instead allow me to run my highlighter through the Cliff Notes:

First Night: On stage with Patti Austin, Rachelle Farrell, Chante Moore, Eric Roberson, Cheryl “Pepsi” Riley, Kindred, Vinx….. with George Duke on Keys – A freestyle not for the faint of heart and your boy actually closed it out…….. (talk about peer pressure lol)!

My Set:  Performing “Sail Thru” on a “Big Ass Boat” just about summarizes the grand nature of this experience.  Looking into the front row and seeing so many of my soul contemporaries was such an honor and at the same time a humbling experience.  Everyone in attendance received a “Love Revolution” button and, with fists raised, I knew we had started a Revolution across land, and now, sea.  

Conversations:  Sometimes I get a bit discouraged with the music scene… not the making of it, but the business of it.  I realize the radio doesn’t reflect my craft or my taste, and wonder if people still buy music etc…. But these conversations were like a shot of adrenalin. It reminded me that there are people who LOVE music and really appreciate what we do.  I am so grateful because it has really energized me for the Journey ahead.

Community:  This was one area I hadn’t prepared myself for.  The level of comradery among the artists was really amazing – with every one balancing their schedules so they could support and enjoy each other’s sets.  I had an opportunity to develop my relationships with so many as well as ask questions and see how similar our roads are.

You have to understand…. I am a FAN, so to have personal conversations as well as stand on the stage with these Musical Innovators was an arrival moment.  I really feel like a contributing member in this soul music tapestry. 

(Kid Capri, Darien, Doug E. Fresh)

Whether it was, late night lessons in life from Patti Austin, cutting up with Aja(Kindred), Jennea and Ursula Rucker @ 5am, lunch with Carol Riddick before interviewing her and  Deborah Bond for Frances Jaye and the Neo Soul Cafe, freestyling with Conya Doss, impromptu building with Sinbad, trading licks with Angela Johnson…. it goes on.

These are some of those “moments”:

(Special thanks to Eric Roberson for his sage advice).

Indie Artist Panel: My “Storytellers” moment. Where “These Walls  Could Talk” about the album and the process to a receptive audience.

Piano Bar: Freestyling with one of my favorite singer/songwriter/pianists Frank McComb. One evening in particular I combined vocalizing and a calisthenics workout…… (sorry you had to be there). Shout to D-Mo for the Soul Tom-Fool-Er-EEE.

This was also the birthplace of Eric Roberson as “The Robe”.

Teamwork: If you have been following me, you know of the 2 guys that wear many hats -my manager Miles Anthony and myself.  It is a lot of work and it was definitely cool to be able to kick it and have a moment to enjoy the fruits of a lot of labor.

House Call: Spending a few hours in my home away from home in Jamaica: Check out that view.

70′s night: Watching the ship transform into a period piece for one of my favorite eras in music as well as being able to personify my Love Revolution alter ego Cool Calvin Clay.

(Angela “Davis” Johnson, Cool Calvin Clay, Marilyn from MD)

I get’s deep: You know it’s serious when Scuba Diving in Grand Turk is not even one of your greatest highlights….. but the site of huge sea turtles still bears mention.

(trying to keep the hair in check, I may be the first scuba diver to don a doo-rag).

In closing (and because I love beating a good analogy to death)……by weeks end I recognized fellow class/shipmates, made new friends and colleagues, knew my way around campus, signed a few yearbooks and learned priceless lessons that I am sure will help me in the advanced classes.

Class dismissed.  (Jazz Hands Ya’ll!)

———————

Special thanks: to Aileen the “graphics queen” and Kevin Cross for helping me get the buttons and shirts done.  Stacey Jordan for helping to style a brother. Taty “sorry I forgot” Mott for ….. too much to mention, and a great show.

The amazing band for inspiring me…… with my own music! DeAndre Shafer (keys, MD), Dennis Turner (bass), Bisquit Bynam (drums), Robbie McDonald (guitar), Aaron Harding(keys), Alyson Carney & Kenny Wesley (vocals).

Big thanks to the staff that made a boat feel like a home. Such a family vibe from lovers of music.  They also made sure that us freshmen got some serious burn. Tynisha, Selina, Dwayne, Darrell, Mitra, Shani, Ray, Lori, Chellee, MJ, Big Dave, and to Cliff for the opportunity.

I want to thank the passengers for supporting music, being open and adventurous enough to try some new flavors, and heading to their respective homes and sharing.

Side note: Must have been a rockin’ good time b/c I didn’t get my lands legs back for nearly a week!

When an artist works on an album (or any large body of work for that matter), what is released to the public is usually only the tip of the iceberg.   For instance Beyonce reportedly recorded 72 songs for her latest album “4,” only to wind up with 12 on the finished project.  Motown has literally THOUSANDS of unreleased songs in their vaults from many iconic artists.

There are many reasons these works never see the light of day:  sometimes visions aren’t fully realized, budget restrictions, missed deadlines, they might not fit into a particular body of work…… and sometimes they just deserve to stay well below the surface never to be seen or heard again.   

Independent artists are no different.  While working on my new project, “Notes From the Journey,”  I am whittling down a huge body of work hoping to get just the right balance for the album.

Soooo….  the other day I received a google alert from a producer named Wango that I hadn’t spoken to in a few years.   It led me to go back through my older recordings and I came across a song aptly titled “Hard To Put Words To It.”  I remember trying to get this done for “If These Walls Could Talk,” but never getting it “quite” right.    At the time, Wango offered to remix a track for me, so I figured I would give him this song instead.  He did a great job literally re-imagining the song, but it still ended up on the cutting room floor.  I know he put a lot of work into it, and I felt rather than dragging “his” work into the abyss with me, I would share it with you all:

Unreleased Hard 2 Put Words 2 It (Wango Remix) by thisisdarien

So begins my new series called Lost & Sound.  In it, I will try and release my strangle hold on a few unfinished works and, in doing so, hopefully give you a bit more insight into the process.  Bear with me though, as an artist it goes against my nature to share anything that I haven’t lost at least 3 weeks sleep over  and half a head of hair.

As a bonus please check out another overseas collaboration with German Producer Steven Töteberg (expect to hear more from us in the future).  Steven’s Remix of “My Door” previously only available on the “This Is Darien” App.

My Door Remix (Steven Töteberg) by thisisdarien

Until next time…. I will be whittling away.  :)

 

It should come as no surprise that I –and probably everyone else on the planet– am a huge fan of Stevie Wonder.  I came across some rare “Stevie footage” recently (see below) and was amazed at the talent and passion this man has possesed for his ENTIRE career.  But then it hit me….. Today…..What network would air this? What label would sign this? What station would play this?

 

Do you think in our day and age, a boy named  Steveland Hardaway Morris (born Judkins), would ever be more than a momentary YouTube sensation?  Would he be forced to search for success by singing popular cover songs on American Idol, the Voice or (insert your show of choice), all the while suppressing his mastery of the written word?   How would he fare in the world of social media, dealing with twitter and Facebook updates?  Would he have to release free mixtapes containing songs like “Ribbon in the Sky,” “As,” and “Overjoyed” all in the hopes of getting discovered?  Furthermore, would we dismantle a standing work like “Songs in the Key of Life” for our iPod playlists–never to digest it as the artist intended?

Would our collective ADHD even allow his name to stay on our tongues for more than a month?

I would like to think that some things are just undeniable, but I see amazing talent flying under the radar everyday so………… I’ll just leave it for you to contemplate.

I, for one, am just happy that the “Machine” that would put artists like Al Green, Donny Hathaway, Roberta Flack, James Brown (to name just a few) out to pasture once they were no longer “Marketable,” was not fully operational at the time.  Still, I am deeply concerned for the future icons that are so needed for the generations to come.

For now, If you see a Wonder in the making spread the word ……..and enjoy some videos from a National Treasure.

 Would he ever be allowed to become the Wonder that is Stevie Wonder?

What Else?

What’s good people?  I hope you are enjoying the summer!  We have been doing our best to balance out work and play, so I thought I would drop a summer update!

First and foremost. I would like to sincerely thank everyone that helped us in our Honda Civic “Vehicle for Change” Campaign for Cancer.  It was really a huge undertaking and it was very refreshing to see people not only support but get involved and ask us how they could be a “vehicle for change.”    It is unfortunate that we could not bring home the win, BUT we have now laid a foundation with many organizations so the “Love Revolution” can continue to move forward.  Case in point….. on August 20th in Atlanta, we are doing our first BENEFIT CONCERT FOR HODGKIN’S LYMPHOMA.  I know several people that have this disease and it really is wonderful to be performing for such a great cause.

If you listen to Urban Radio, you may have heard our radio ad.  Yes!!! We made our way onto commercial radio!!  OK, ok, admittedly, it isn’t a full song, BUT it is me talking to you over a music bed of my song, “Love Revolution.”  Breaking into commercial radio is not easy so we are moving one step at a time….. but THIS is a BIG STEP.  :)  Big shout out to Budweiser who has continued to offer us opportunities even after the contest’s conclusion.

Darien Dean Budweiser National Radio Ad by thisisdarien

Speaking of opportunities….  I would like to urge all my talented friends to enter the 2011 Budweiser Opening Acts Competition.  Often times what is stopping us from releasing our art is not the talent, but the lack of funding.  This is a chance to get some great exposure and possibly finance your next project… (or pay off your last one)

One of my favorite websites -SoulBounce- did a write up on the competition.  Click the link for details as well as a video (you might even recognize a face or two).

LINK

Hmmmm……  What Else

Connecticut has been showing us A LOT of love.  ”Composure” was added to 94.3 WYBC-FM New Haven, 89.3 WQTQ-FM Hartford And we recently did an acoustic set and interview for “Our Lives with Gwen Edwards” on News12 TV in  Norwalk.

Speaking of “Composure,” we will soon have some visuals!  We shot our FIRST MUSIC VIDEO.  It is in the cutting room right now, and I am excited.  (BTW: The shot at the top is a still from the video)

…… On the ongoing tip.  The new album is shaping up quite nicely…. still in the development stages but I like what I hear…. and I hope you will too.

Oh….. Wait!!

How could I forget!!!   We will be doing the 2011 Capital Jazz Cruise in October.  This is such a blessing!!!  I will be amongst a star-studded line up!!  I am just as excited to be an attendant as I am to be a performer.  :)  I hope to see you there.

OK I am off to enjoy more of the summer….  Winter was ROUGH!!!    :)

Stay Blessed

D

I have been very fortunate to have the support of so many behind my musical endeavors.  I always say you are all the steam that powers the dream.

I have also been blessed to have the outlets to speak about the “Love Revolution” and the positive change we can make with messages and music…. and now I am blessed with an opportunity, that I can extend to you, in which to turn words and seeds into deeds.

I have entered into the Honda Sounds of Civic competition.  The grand prize is a 2012 Honda Civic.  Our intention, should we win, is to donate the car to Cancer research and survivors.

I lost my father to cancer and it has had a lasting effect on my life.   So many people close to me have also felt the effects of this disease, and I continue to hear more stories daily since beginning this undertaking.

Please vote and spread the word to make this gift a reality.  

It’s very easy to vote and you only have to do it once by clicking “I LIKE THE SOUND OF THIS” found HERE:

Then spread the word to someone you know. (direct link below)

http://apps.facebook.com/soundsofcivic//index/submissiondetail/submission_id/303

But know that you can also give directly to the many organizations fighting this disease.

The true Love Revolution will begin as we each give back.

Thank you. Be blessed

This is only the beginning of many things that we have planned for the future, so If you wish to assist or have any information that could help please contact us at

thisisdarien@gmail.com

INTRODUCING!! THIS IS DARIEN Official App for iPhone/iPad and iPod touch featuring exclusive content: Music from Reel People, Soulpersona, Mike Patto, Steven Toeteberg, Fijai Cairo and much more. Keep up to date on all news/shows and new content…. all for the very reasonable price of FREE!! Download today at the App Store.

Search for This Is Darien in the App store or click this link.

I am so overwhelmed by the responses we have received from the BET 106 & Park Music Matters performance. This has been a milestone for so many reasons.  – In my first televised appearance we were able to bring the full band, keep our integrity, deliver our message and gain a ton of new friends in the process…… but it is the feedback that really sparked this blog.

Here in the US, we live in a land of segregation — economic, political, racial….. and even musical……DIVIDES. Imagine a musical apartheid where genres are separated by age/gender/class… you name it. –Where radio/tv stations are akin to restrooms and art is not allowed to “share facilities” -BUT isn’t harmony (which is intrinsic in music) the EXACT OPPOSITE?!  Music is too powerful to be constrained by number crunching, or the opinions of a select few that may lack imagination and/or courage. There are no fail-safe formulas…. people like what they like…. but if you offer them no options how can you truly know what THAT is? Give someone the choice between Pepsi and Coke and your research may tell you that an overwhelming majority prefer Coke…….. BUT offer them 7up, Mountain Dew etc…..  and you may be shocked at the results….. (unless you only WANT to sell Pepsi but that’s another blog entirely).

So please listen to my DEMO — as in my demographic —Radio, Labels, Corporations— because I am having conversations with the same people your spreadsheets tell you don’t want to hear anything positive.  I am sharing the joys of music with people — in, out, and around the age range of your projections.  Focus on the comments that lay outside of your focus groups and know, that they know, your boundaries are meaningless and will be crossed as we bring the underground – OVERGROUND —-OVERSTAND?

To all my new friends thank you for your messages.  This blog is to let you know you have inspired and recharged me as I move forward in the new year. You have also provided evidence to what we already suspected, which is that our “service providers” underestimate us all.

I would like to truly thank BET and 106 & Park for the opportunity, as well as commend the Music Matters campaign for not only exposing me to so many new people but expanding the program to include live music that is so desperately needed because Music Does Matter.  I hope that they open the stage to even more of my Soul Family, and cause a real Love Revolution……

“Revolution means we turn it around” — Darien

Can’t happen without these folks….. “The Crew that Makes it DO!!! All Stars!!!

Left to Right: David Ginyard (Bass), Les Cleveland (Drums), Tiffany ”T’zelle” Wilson (Vocals), Darien Dean (Vocals), Ricardo Ramos (Guitar),  Corey Bernhard (Keys)   Not seen here but felt for certain: Miles Anthony (Manager),  Mark Rivers (Vocals), Darius Booker (Vocals).

What more can I say……

This year has been a roller coaster ride for me, with some astronomical highs, a few really low lows and little “coasting” to be honest…… BUT I had great company along for the ride.  You were there – throwing your hands up for the thrills and offering comfort around the bends.

I know there are a million+ things you could be doing with your time, so I appreciate the investment you make in what I do.

It’s funny, I have been “working” on music for a while, but it’s really only now that I feel like I am embarking on a “career” in it.  When I landed in Japan (a dream in itself) and they asked me the purpose of my visit, being able to respond “work” and “singer”  was one of the most liberating moments of my life.  I actually had to keep my excitement in check – less border patrol think I was about some nefarious business.  :)

We are all just trying to figure out this life and navigate through it.  Even in the light of some relative success, one can easily become discouraged and fearful of being off course.  When I have stumbled upon these thoughts……. without fail……. I have received an affirmation from one you that I am on the right track.  Know that you are a blessing to me.

In the new year I want to encourage YOU to fight YOUR fears.  There are no guarantees, other than if you don’t try you will not succeed, but if you do, you will be rewarded with GROWTH.  Pretty good odds if you ask me!!

You are the steam that powers the dream.

Here’s to the New Year & New Beginnings!

Much Love

D

One day E’vier and I were sitting around listening to jazz records…. we were looking for samples…… At the top of one track, a voice came on and said:

“Look! Up in the sky!  It’s a bird!  It’s a plane!  No, it’s SUPERSELF!!”

E’vier quickly replied, “THAT’S ME!”  - I said, “What do you mean?”  - He said, ”I am gonna start calling myself SUPASELF!“

Little did I know that he WAS ALREADY and WOULD CONTINUE to be JUST THAT.  You see…. E’vier had the biggest heart and personality of anyone I have ever known, in fact, it must have been quite a bit of work to contain it within his slim frame.  He did everything in a grand way.  He didn’t even walk so much as glide forward on his feet.   If you could exponentially multiply your greatest attributes, you would be larger than life — a SUPER form of SELF — or just E’vier.

People pass away and stories of grandeur come about…. but everyone who knew him knows that I don’t need to embellish to tell his story.

One time he came to visit.  I was “entertaining a guest”  so he didn’t come in but spoke a few words to me through the door….. when he left, my guest said “How big is that guy?!!!  He sounds like he is 7 feet tall 350 pounds!!” — A giant among men with a voice to match.

I met E’vier when we were just kids CRAZY about dancing….. He loved art PERIOD…  music, dancing, singing, rhyming, reading, writing, drawing, so this was an easy match.  We used to dance together on my broken down porch and in his living room…. shoot, who am I kidding, in everyone’s living room.   As proud members of Wisdom Stylerz (dubbed so by Drew a.k.a. Cheetah Speed) we were always practicing.  Wisdom Stylerz is a huge dance crew composed of  friends sharing in the culture.  We were like a clan of Shaolin Monks, each member having a special skill…… great times.  —-But that is another story.

Later our love for music brought us together as MC’s with my fellow brother Uche in the COLAB.  I think this is when he gained his hunger to express himself with his thoughts and ABSOLUTELY UNFORGETTABLE BARITONE VOICE.

It’s crazy when you lose someone and examine how much of yourself…….. is really due to their contribution. He single handedly made some of the greatest impacts in my life.  He changed my diet, introduced me to oils (my scent), fashion, music, locks–you name it– all while becoming a BROTHER to this only child.  The first time I ever “built” with a human being was with E’vier.  He awakened the conscious artist within me.  I knew the power of music, but he made me realize the power of thought combined with it.  E’vier was well read/versed in damn near every subject: religion, music, politics, and all with a global awareness and concern.

Confidence?  He embodied swag before it was coined or even popular.  Ever the Leo… from mane to roar to kingship.

An eternal optimist…. he appreciated everything so much.  This journey is not all glamorous and, like a protective parent, sometimes I keep people shielded from it, but to him…….  I would complain…….. and he would make me feel TERRIBLE!!!  …….. As he showed me how much I had to be thankful for in the very thing I was complaining about.  He was like a turbo-boost-nitro-powered-jet-pack of positive energy.  It didn’t matter what you did… you could manufacture plastic spoons for a living and he would make you feel like you were the ambassador of a large country called –YOU!  (btw: nothing wrong with plastic spoons…. I use ‘em)

They say there are 6 degrees of separation, but sitting around a room of grieving friends and family, we all realized there was really only 1 degree between us all…. and it was E’vier.  He was comfortable in any setting from his family, to the children he taught at his job, to his suburban friends, to people that some would probably see as a little sketchy, and that was the beauty of it all.  That is why he touched sooooooo many people….. literally from all walks of life.

I could go on….  I knew him the majority of my physical and the entirety of my conscious life….. in fact I WILL go on as he continues to influence my words and actions and HE WILL GO ON.  I WILL NEVER FORGET YOU MAN!!!!!  I LOVE YOU!!!!! You have planted so many seeds…. there will be an endless harvest.  When I evolve I want to be a SUPASELF just like you.  If you didn’t know it, I looked up to you while you were here and I look up to you now.  As the stories pour in I realize that I may have to reconsider what I value to be SUCCESS in this life.

Cousin Kwab said we are all upset because we are selfish and want him to be here for us and I think that is true.  I am angry that YOU ALL didn’t get a chance to meet him.  You would of loved him.

The only solace I have is in knowing that when I get to Heaven he will be there to introduce me to EVERYONE that I need to know….  because that’s E’vier.

R.I.P. LION

Some energy is too great to be contained… whether it be in a physical shell, or on a tiny planet, in a vast universe.  Always — Your Brother