articles
Art After Dark
from volume 01 issue 03 // Michael Rabinowitz
Art After Dark presents The d’Visitors
Words: Michael Rabinowitz
Photos: Michael Rabinowitz
When the going gets tough, the tough… throw a party?
The battles that The Tampa Museum of Art endured over the past 18 months is no secret. Riding a political roller coaster with the mayor at the controls, TMA has gained and lost a new building three times over. Being bashed in the press didn’t help, either. But, under the command of new director Ken Rollins, TMA has rebounded quite effectively with infusions of pop iconography exhibits (Keith Haring), family fare (Where the Wild Things Are), and contemporary works (underCURRENT/overVIEW 8). Now, in a revitalized “Art After Dark” series (now a monthly mainstay on every third Friday), TMA introduces dance music into its halls, much the same as it did on 6/16 when the Museum reverberated with an international sound that did not require passports. The d'Visitors are Tampa natives whose globalization of beats brought diversity and new life into TMA.
The d’Visitors have a flavor similar to Los Angeles’ cornbread and red bean funk quartet, Breakstra. They mix a James Brown groove with an island influence, fusing R&B bass lines seamlessly into calypso beats. This was evident in the first half of d’Visitors set, which ended with musical ideas that were decidedly more world beat, only to return with a second set of deep soul and funk.
Having been together 6 years, the d’Visitors started out wandering the cosmos as a space rock act before their musical Yoda arrived: former drummer Keith Hercules, 63, became the band’s mentor, possessing the history and experience to garner respect. This admiration stems from being a veteran professional musician for over 40 years, who performed in San Francisco through the summer of love at Haight-Ashbury in 1962 and even met Coltrane. Kenny Pulling (trumpet) and Brian Deeds (guitar/vibraphone) speak in reverential tones when referring to the influence Keith still has on the group. Keith's own son, Kenan, took over as drummer two years ago, having technical experience himself on the drumline for the Bethune Cookman College Wildcat Marching band. Keith taught Kenny and the boys the precept of professionalism, such as showing up to a gig on time and treating each show with seriousness. Keith molded the group into a tight ensemble and introduced the members to calypso, African, and Latin movements. Never does a rehearsal pass when the question "What would Keith do?" isn't asked.
Over the course of the night, the group performed in "pods". Kenny and Jasper Hazenberg blared away on horns while Bryan Wueller on guitar and Mugabe Tenn on bass supplied a steady backbone to the bridges. Then there was the soulful voice of Nikki Ferraro, who joined the line-up three years ago as the d’Visitors’ first vocalist, and she brought a strong balance to the group. Her high notes bled beautifully into Pullin’s trumpet on tracks like “We’ll Get By.” She even displayed her very own staccato-style rapping abilities on jazz influenced pieces like “One Day.”
Wueller, however, was the rudder that steered the genre course for the group. On guitar, he could lead out with funk or turn the focus toward swing, like on the Squirrel Nut Zipper-esque song, “Wasabi Roll.” But then, on his vibraphone, Wueller turned the groove into a samba. Adding his shekere, which is a beaded gourd, the band suddenly returns back toward reggae beats. DJ Blenda provided another layer, supplementing the sets with his turntable skills.
Finally, there was Hazenberg on sax, who scorched each song with his brass. A native of Holland who first came to Tampa in a sailboat moored off Davis Island, he joined the band on their first open mic night at Yeoman's. Often, after a gig, he had to take his dinghy back to the boat. (A great pick up line to be delivered to a girl if I ever heard one before.) His love for Charlie Parker and experience performing ska, explains his visible confidence—and showmanship—at the front of the group. Hazenberg is the perfect front man for the band, and the d’Visitors themselves were the perfect act to herald in TMA’s downtown resurgence.
So, taking a cue from Kelly, Ozone, and Turbo in Breakin 2: Electric Boogaloo, TMA defeated the political machine with their very own dance party. And, what better way to lead the Tampa dance revolution than with the d’Visitors.
Words: Michael Rabinowitz
Photos: Michael Rabinowitz
When the going gets tough, the tough… throw a party?
The battles that The Tampa Museum of Art endured over the past 18 months is no secret. Riding a political roller coaster with the mayor at the controls, TMA has gained and lost a new building three times over. Being bashed in the press didn’t help, either. But, under the command of new director Ken Rollins, TMA has rebounded quite effectively with infusions of pop iconography exhibits (Keith Haring), family fare (Where the Wild Things Are), and contemporary works (underCURRENT/overVIEW 8). Now, in a revitalized “Art After Dark” series (now a monthly mainstay on every third Friday), TMA introduces dance music into its halls, much the same as it did on 6/16 when the Museum reverberated with an international sound that did not require passports. The d'Visitors are Tampa natives whose globalization of beats brought diversity and new life into TMA.
The d’Visitors have a flavor similar to Los Angeles’ cornbread and red bean funk quartet, Breakstra. They mix a James Brown groove with an island influence, fusing R&B bass lines seamlessly into calypso beats. This was evident in the first half of d’Visitors set, which ended with musical ideas that were decidedly more world beat, only to return with a second set of deep soul and funk.
Having been together 6 years, the d’Visitors started out wandering the cosmos as a space rock act before their musical Yoda arrived: former drummer Keith Hercules, 63, became the band’s mentor, possessing the history and experience to garner respect. This admiration stems from being a veteran professional musician for over 40 years, who performed in San Francisco through the summer of love at Haight-Ashbury in 1962 and even met Coltrane. Kenny Pulling (trumpet) and Brian Deeds (guitar/vibraphone) speak in reverential tones when referring to the influence Keith still has on the group. Keith's own son, Kenan, took over as drummer two years ago, having technical experience himself on the drumline for the Bethune Cookman College Wildcat Marching band. Keith taught Kenny and the boys the precept of professionalism, such as showing up to a gig on time and treating each show with seriousness. Keith molded the group into a tight ensemble and introduced the members to calypso, African, and Latin movements. Never does a rehearsal pass when the question "What would Keith do?" isn't asked.
Over the course of the night, the group performed in "pods". Kenny and Jasper Hazenberg blared away on horns while Bryan Wueller on guitar and Mugabe Tenn on bass supplied a steady backbone to the bridges. Then there was the soulful voice of Nikki Ferraro, who joined the line-up three years ago as the d’Visitors’ first vocalist, and she brought a strong balance to the group. Her high notes bled beautifully into Pullin’s trumpet on tracks like “We’ll Get By.” She even displayed her very own staccato-style rapping abilities on jazz influenced pieces like “One Day.”
Wueller, however, was the rudder that steered the genre course for the group. On guitar, he could lead out with funk or turn the focus toward swing, like on the Squirrel Nut Zipper-esque song, “Wasabi Roll.” But then, on his vibraphone, Wueller turned the groove into a samba. Adding his shekere, which is a beaded gourd, the band suddenly returns back toward reggae beats. DJ Blenda provided another layer, supplementing the sets with his turntable skills.
Finally, there was Hazenberg on sax, who scorched each song with his brass. A native of Holland who first came to Tampa in a sailboat moored off Davis Island, he joined the band on their first open mic night at Yeoman's. Often, after a gig, he had to take his dinghy back to the boat. (A great pick up line to be delivered to a girl if I ever heard one before.) His love for Charlie Parker and experience performing ska, explains his visible confidence—and showmanship—at the front of the group. Hazenberg is the perfect front man for the band, and the d’Visitors themselves were the perfect act to herald in TMA’s downtown resurgence.
So, taking a cue from Kelly, Ozone, and Turbo in Breakin 2: Electric Boogaloo, TMA defeated the political machine with their very own dance party. And, what better way to lead the Tampa dance revolution than with the d’Visitors.
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