Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
by Mary Lowers
What better armament for a band of peaceful warriors than music? Music, whose power to "sooth the savage beast" is legendary, whose grace, truth and beauty have inspired everything from patriotism to passion, is the weapon taken up by The Peaceful Warriors, a Crestone based band moving into the national music scene.
Band founder, guitarist, lead vocalist and "Head of Musical Affairs", Mikee T, described his band to me as a synthesis of his musical career thus far. "This is my thing that I'm cultivating into a group thing. The Peaceful Warriors represent a way of living that involves liberation from the negative passions of life, diligence with practice, and acting in harmony with all sentient beings. The idea is to make music that everyone can appreciate. It's geared toward dancing, singing, improvisation, and empowerment through music."
This band is professional and musically demanding.
The Peaceful Warriors will release their first CD, Primero, at a CD Release Party at the Silver Crest Palace on Friday, April 29. The album is a ten year saga of songs about relationships, from first love through true love and everything in between. All the tunes on Primero are written by Mikee T, although he encourages the band to bring their original songs into the creative process. A truly local creative compilation, the recording was done at The Peaceful Warriors' drummer, Ethan Blumenhein's Crestone studio. Every aspect of Primero was crafted "in house, in Crestone", except CD duplication. Brief biographies of band members will help you appreciate how this particular mesh of talents Mikee T has brought together produce a compelling, thought provoking, musical experience it's hard to sit still for. The Peaceful Warriors are:
Mikee T is the founder of the Peaceful Warriors. Mikee is a guitarist and vocalist who has toured extensively in the U.S. Aside from performing solo for many years, his resume of musical genres includes: Cuban, Brazilian, West African, Rock and Jazz. He was on tour for four years with The Motet. He has played jam music in Boulder and had a popular funk band in NYC during his college years. A life-long musician, Mikee is an alumni of the William Patterson College of Music. He has shared the stage with many acclaimed musicians, including Charlie Hunter, the String Cheese Incident, Maceo Parker, Tony Furtado, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, G-Love, and Merle Saunders.
Percussionist, Ethan Blumenhein brings what Mikee T calls a "natural feel to the rhythmic foundation of the band." A sometime Crestonian, Ethan performed on the L.A. scene, most recently with a group called the Circle who recently recorded tracks for an upcoming movie. He has also recently opened Dojo Studio in his home, where most of Primero was recorded. If you are interested in learning more about Dojo Studio, contact Ethan at 256-4944.
Pete Williams, known to many as a local contractor, is a "rock solid bassist" who plays with the Warriors in Colorado. Versed in bluegrass, jazz, blues and rock-and-roll, Pete told me he loves playing with The Peaceful Warriors, "because they are all professionals and it's a pleasure to be involved in a band where people are professional."
Chris Kroger, popular local musician who plays with Shoestring, has a Lake Charles, Louisiana background and plays often with the Warriors.
Garrett Sayers plays bass with the band when not on tour with the Motet. A graduate of the New England Conservatory and Boston's Miracle Orchestra, Garrett's an extremely talented bassist.
Brian Juan is the keyboard player you will hear on Primero. He lives in Berthoud, Colorado.
Steve Vidaic, the band's touring keyboardist and life-long friend of Mikee T, divides his time between Citizen Cope (Santana's Shaman recording alumni), Zilla (a String Cheese Incident side project), and the Peaceful Warriors.
These warriors do indeed make a wild, unique and joyful sound. Mikee describes his song writing as synergistic, "It just happens...some of it from personal experience, but mostly I am divinely inspired." As I sat back listening to a few cuts from Primero, it was indeed "happening". Train to Do is a cut with a blues style whine and rhythm, that carries the listener like a train, into the emotional energy and body shaking underbelly of music. As MikeeT says, their music "expands essence and experience." Mikee T who has recently begun to explore Buddhist practice, sees a similarity between being a musician and having a Buddhist practice; "You work so hard on one thing." This is a key to this band, they work hard on their inspired musical bliss.
Despite their dedication to musical discipline,The Peaceful Warriors love preforming live. The band's first gig in Crestone was a Crestone Volunteer Fire Department benefit in May 2004. The band who performs original tunes and covers at their live venues, try to read the mood of the audience. Mikee T told me "we tailor make our gig according to how we are interacting with the audience." While visiting with Mikee T and bassist Pete Williams about the Warriors' live performances, Pete shared what he loves about live gigs, "people start out stiff, not knowing each other; hopefully by the end of the night, there's rump shaking going on, they are talking about how much fun they had together."
I encourage you to come out for The Peaceful Warriors' CD release party at the Silver Crest Palace on Friday, April 29, for an entertaining Crestone musical experience. Because the 29th is Arbor Day, the Peaceful Warriors will gift the first twenty patrons in the door with a free tree! Find out more about this unique band and hear some of their music at their web site www.thepeacefulwarriors.com. For booking, contact info@thepeacefulwarriors.com or call (719) 256-5444. - The Crestone Eagle
Discography
Just Released 'Primero'
Regular Rotation on KRZA Alamosa and KCRS Crestone.
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
'The Peaceful Warriors' represent a way of living that involves liberation from the negative passions of life, diligence with practice, and acting in harmony with all sentient beings. Although the name is not related to Dan Millman's books, the group honors Dan's message.
Mikee T Founder, guitarist & lead vocalist for the band, has toured the United States extensively. For four years he performed Cuban, Brazilian, West African, Rock, and Jazz genres of music with a group called The Motet. Before that it was jam music in Boulder, Colorado, and before that it was Funk and Americana in NYC. An alumni of the William Paterson College of Music, Mikee T is a very well versed and seasoned musician that will keep your thirst for entertainment quenched. Mikee T started playing guitar after 9 years of drums, because he heard Jimi Hendrix Voodoo Chile on the Radio at age 13. From there he dove in to influences like Stevie Ray Vaughn, Buddy Guy, BB King, Albert Collins, George Benson, Wes Montgomery, Bonnie Raitt, Paul Pena, Bill Withers, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, Dr. John, The Meters, Little Feat, Allman Brothers, Blues Brothers, Phish, Parliament, Grant Green, James Brown, Herbie Hancock and most recently Brazilian modern dance music like Arakatuba and Juca Chaves.
Andrew Clapp grew up around the the delicate sound of classical music. he
bought his first drumset at the age of thirteen. He has since toured almost
all of the lower fourty-eight states in bars, theaters, and at festivals.
His favorite musical experiences include sharing a small stage with his
father, violinist Stephen Clapp, Dean of the Julliard School. Andy lives
in Denver.
Dave Solzberg has been playing music for over 20 years. Originally from New York, Dave came to the Colorado mountains in ’93 in search of a new scene. Here he earned his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Music Performance from The University of Denver at The Lamont School of Music. Dave, however, is not only a “schooled” musician. With extensive live, studio, and touring experience in all styles of music, Dave is a “real world” musician. Being a doubler (both upright and electric basses), Dave has worked with some of the best in the business. He has shared the stage and/or worked with members of Leftover Salmon, Yonder Mountain String Band, Joan Osbourne, MOE., The Derek Trucks Band, Keller Williams, The Tony Furtado Band, The Motet, Robert Bradley’s Blackwater Surprise, Swingset, Blackdog, Runaway Truck Ramp, Liquid Soul, Everything, Vinyl, Breakfast for Supper, Fireweed, Butterhead, Melissa Reaves, Legba, The Peneplain Jazz Project, Tony Levin, Duke Robbilard, Koko Robocheaux, Sugar in the Raw, New Nations Gospel Choir Praise Team, Cecil “P-Nut” Daniels, Shanti Groove, The Funky Babylonians, Soul Reclusion, Payne & Trouble, Full Belly, Nederland Acid Jazz, 2nd Sound, The Peneplain Jazz Project, Ross Martin, The E-Tones, Armando Zuppa’s Kitchen, Heavy G. and The Boogaloo Communicators, The United Dope Front, The Chronophonic, Beto Hale, The Boulevards, The Psycodelic Zombies, On Air, Paul Potyen (jazz legend), Kizumba, The Ethereal Plane,…and the list goes on
He records frequently for Cuzone Records, and is called upon for sessions at HOG Studios, Schoolhouse Productions, and Immersive Studios. Dave also has many radio and television jingles to his name. He has been a private bass instructor/music educator for over ten years.
Erin Niré- A love for music was born in 1985 when this six-year-old budding artist picked out “The Girl From Ipanema” on her grandmother’s Wurlitzer spinet. Today, after over twenty years of classical and jazz instruction and performance, Erin feels blessed to bring her keyboard and vocal skills to The Peaceful Warriors.
Inspired by the voices of jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald and blues/rock great Bonnie Raitt, Erin began an active performance career as a young teenager playing piano, singing, and acting in Upstate New York jazz venues, hotels, and amateur theatre productions. She received her B.A. at Wellesley College where she studied voice with Marion Dry, professional opera singer and renowned contralto. In Boston Erin collaborated with bassist Dave Traver of the Blue Man Group in a unique vocal concert with arrangements of Bach and Japanese R&B for electric bass and voice.
Since moving to Boulder, Colorado in the Fall of 2003, Erin has recorded extensively and performed as vocalist and keyboardist with The Lilacs and The Ripple. Currently Erin is recording her first classical solo piano album at Immersive Studios in Boulder, CO. She is also composing her first album, Fushigi, a haunting collection of mellow rhapsodies and contemplative musical meditations for piano and voice.
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