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{{short description| |
{{short description|American jazz drummer and washboard player}} |
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{{Multiple issues| |
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{{External links|date=May 2023}} |
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{{More footnotes|date=May 2023}} |
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{{Tone|date=May 2023}} |
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{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians --> |
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians --> |
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| name = Newman Taylor Baker |
| name = Newman Taylor Baker |
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| birth_name = |
| birth_name = |
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| alias = |
| alias = |
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| birth_date = |
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|February 4, 1943}} |
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| birth_place = [[Petersburg, Virginia]], United States |
| birth_place = [[Petersburg, Virginia]], United States |
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| death_date = |
| death_date = |
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| death_place = |
| death_place = |
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| instrument = [[Washboard (musical instrument)|Washboard]], [[Drum set]], [[Percussion]], [[Voice]] |
| instrument = [[Washboard (musical instrument)|Washboard]], [[Drum set]], [[Percussion]], [[Voice]] |
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| genre = [[African American music]], [[Jazz]], |
| genre = [[African American music]], [[Jazz]], Black [[string band]], [[Free improvisation]], [[Bluegrass music|Blue grass]] |
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| occupation = [[Washboardist]], [[Drummer]], [[Teaching artist]], [[Vocalist]], [[Composer]] |
| occupation = [[Washboardist]], [[Drummer]], [[Teaching artist]], [[Vocalist]], [[Composer]] |
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| years_active = |
| years_active = 1960s–present |
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| label = |
| label = |
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| associated_acts = |
| associated_acts = |
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}} |
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'''Newman Taylor Baker'''<ref name="Encyclopedia of Jazz Musicians">{{cite |
'''Newman Taylor Baker'''<ref name="Encyclopedia of Jazz Musicians">{{cite encyclopedia|last=Porter|first=Lewis|title=Baker, Newman (Taylor)|url=http://www.jazz.com/encyclopedia/baker-newman-taylor|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Jazz Musicians|publisher=jazz.com|accessdate=3 July 2013}}</ref> (born February 4, 1943) is a [[jazz]] [[drummer]] and a [[Washboard (musical instrument)|washboard]] player. |
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==Early life== |
==Early life== |
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Newman Taylor Baker's paternal grandfather, [[Thomas Nelson Baker Sr.]], |
Newman Taylor Baker's paternal grandfather, [[Thomas Nelson Baker Sr.]],<ref name="Berkshire Eagle">{{cite web|last=Andrew|first=Amelinck|title=The Reverend Doctor Thomas Nelson Baker a trailblazer for black rights|url=http://www.berkshireeagle.com/ci_22509151/reverend-doctor-thomas-nelson-baker-trailblazer-black-rights|work=The Berkshire Eagle|publisher=Media News Group|accessdate=3 July 2013}}</ref> was the only former slave to receive a PhD from [[Yale University]] (1906). His father (chemistry) and siblings graduated from [[Oberlin College and Conservatory]]. Edith Baker (voice and piano), Ruth B. Baker (voice and piano), and Harry B. Baker (piano and organ), his aunts and uncle, were graduates of [[Oberlin Conservatory of Music]]. His maternal grandfather, Reverend Newman D. Taylor, known as the "Roland Hayes" of Mississippi, gave vocal recitals throughout the state and his uncle, Newman C. Taylor, accompanied him on piano. His aunt, India Taylor Johnson (a classmate of Dr. [[Billy Taylor]] at [[Virginia State University]]), was a vocal music and piano teacher in the [[Norfolk, VA]] public school system. |
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His parents were Ruth Taylor Baker, born [[Yazoo City, Mississippi]], and Dr. T. Nelson Baker, Jr, born [[Pittsfield, Massachusetts]]. Newman's mother was an |
His parents were Ruth Taylor Baker, born [[Yazoo City, Mississippi]], and Dr. T. Nelson Baker, Jr, born [[Pittsfield, Massachusetts]]. Newman's mother was an associate professor of English, and his father was head of the chemistry department. He sang bass in the a cappella choir and played oboe in the concert band and the symphony orchestra. His parents played four-hand transcriptions of [[Brahms]] and [[Beethoven]] symphonies at home. They lived on the campus in faculty housing. Newman's brother, Dr. T. Nelson Baker, III, was Newman's source for recordings of [[Max Roach]] and [[Clifford Brown]], [[Horace Silver]], [[Miles Davis]], [[Cannonball Adderley]], [[Ella Fitzgerald]], [[Art Blakey]], and many others. |
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Newman Taylor Baker received his first drum the Christmas before he turned three; soon he was playing at home with jazz and classical recordings. Growing up on the campus of Virginia State University, he attended performances of leading international artists and orchestras, and was mentored by members of the music faculty: He began formal study of drums at five years as a member of the children's band for the campus elementary school and played in the university concert band from fourth-seventh grade. He was the youngest member of both bands. |
Newman Taylor Baker received his first drum the Christmas before he turned three; soon he was playing at home with jazz and classical recordings. Growing up on the campus of [[Virginia State University]], he attended performances of leading international artists and orchestras, and was mentored by members of the music faculty: He began formal study of drums at five years as a member of the children's band for the campus elementary school and played in the university concert band from fourth-seventh grade. He was the youngest member of both bands. |
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As a child, and later as a college student, |
As a child, and later as a college student, Baker studied with [[Virginia State University]] music faculty including Dr. F. Nathaniel Gatlin, [[Undine Smith Moore|Dr. Undine S. Moore]], and Dr. Thomas C. Bridge. Baker is a graduate of [[Kent School]] in 1961 and earned a Bachelor of Science with a major in education from Virginia State University. He went on to study with Fred Begun, solo timpanist National Symphony Orchestra Washington, D.C., and Harold Jones, School of Music East Carolina University at [[Greenville, North Carolina]], where he completed a Master of Music in Education. Settling in New York City, he studied with Saul Goodman, solo timpanist New York Philharmonic Repertoire Institute, and [[Billy Hart]].<ref name="Encyclopedia of Jazz Musicians" /> |
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==Career== |
==Career== |
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===WashboardXT=== |
===WashboardXT=== |
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In 2010, |
In 2010, Baker met the washboard working with the Ebony Hillbillies and it changed his life, resulting in Washboard XT and his current pursuit of washboard music for the 21st century. He defines Washboard XT as the combination of the musical and artistic knowledge, skills and creativity accumulated over his 50-year career and the washboard, an instrument embedded with the 19th-century history and culture of his U.S. African heritage. Personally significant for him because his paternal grandfather, [[Thomas Nelson Baker Sr.|Rev. Dr. T. Nelson Baker]] (1860–1941), the first U.S. African to receive a Ph.D. in philosophy (Yale University, 1903), lived during the heyday of the washboard, a 19th-century tool of drudgery turned into a musical instrument of pleasure and relief. |
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Baker extends the washboard language by using expended shotgun shells (a tradition of Southeastern U.S.) on four fingers of each hand, customizing the physical instrument and adding microphones, effects pedals, and amplifiers. This produces a unique sound with more presence, variety, and responsiveness than the traditional thimbles, spoons, or knife handles. Approaching the washboard as a hand drum, touch is central to Newman's performance. He creates a great variety in texture, color, and articulation through the angle of the shells where they make contact, the weight of the arm when contact is made and the number of fingers is used. He found that his sound on the washboard blends with numerous combinations of instruments, and is applicable to a variety of musical genres and styles including but not limited to Jazz (swing, bebop, post-bop, hard bop, avant-garde, free jazz, fusion), Blues (acoustic and electric), World (Brazilian, Colombian, Cuban, Jamaican), Roots, Classical (string orchestra, brass ensembles, woodwind ensembles), Electronic, New Music and Modern Dance. |
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WashboardXT was featured in [https://abc7ny.com/5908156/ ABC7 NY WABC- |
WashboardXT was featured in [https://abc7ny.com/5908156/ ABC7 NY WABC-TV's 2020 Black History Month]; played with [https://folkartmuseum.org/programs/free-music-fridays/?ID=23804 Vienna Carroll at the American Folk Art Museum]; awarded a [https://www.nyfa.org/Content/Show/Past-Fellows 2019 NYFA/NYSCA Music/Sound Fellowship]; performed with Matthew Shipp in [https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AnPp5keQSrb0L%5Fc&cid=61D046A5D1C3A40B&id=61D046A5D1C3A40B%2119455&parId=61D046A5D1C3A40B%2119454&o=OneUp Patricia Nicholson's 70th Birthday Celebration] presented by Arts for Art, Inc.; performed for the [https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/2019/07/02/newman-taylor-baker-performs-shore-kids-explores-northampton-roots/1571070001/ ESVA Boys and Girls Club in Exmore, VA] (2019); participated in "[https://www.nypl.org/events/programs/2019/05/28/dreams-begin-responsibilities-frank-london-and-friends In Dreams Begin Responsibilities: Frank London and Friends" at the New York Public Library] (2019), and received a [https://www.newmusicusa.org/profile/newman-washboard-xt-baker/ NewMusic USA Project Grant] for "[https://roulette.org/event/vincent-chancey-and-newman-baker-2-4-three/ 2/4/THREE]," a performance collaboration with Vincent Chancey which premiered at Roulette Intermedium in Brooklyn (2018). With the Ebony Hillbillies<ref name="Ebony Hillbillies">{{cite web|title=The Ebony Hillbillies|url=http://www.kennedy-center.org/explorer/artists/?entity_id=75297&source_type=B|work=The Kennedy Center|publisher=Kennedy Center|accessdate=3 July 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130617215244/http://www.kennedy-center.org/explorer/artists/?entity_id=75297&source_type=B|archivedate=17 June 2013}}</ref> WashboardXT has appeared at the [[Spoleto Festival]] in [[Charleston, South Carolina]]; [[Hardly Strictly Bluegrass]] in [[San Francisco, California]]; Port Townsend Blues Camp and Festival in [[Port Townsend, Washington]], three cities in Bulgaria under the auspices of the U.S. Embassy and collaborated with the Irish traditional band [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RA7zkOS79v4 Téada] on a series of U.S. concerts. Newman has also played washboard with percussionist [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lk06ATUsAMg Warren Smith] at the Stone; at the Williamsburgh Music Center with [[Steve Berrios]], Gerry Eastman, [[Joe Ford (jazz musician)|Joe Ford]] and Carlton Holmes, and at the 2013 [http://washboardmusicfestival.com/about/ Washboard Music Festival] in [[Logan, Ohio]]. |
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===Singin' Drums=== |
===Singin' Drums=== |
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His solo drumset project, Singin' Drums, premiered at the Williamsburgh Music Center in 1995 and grew with projects ''Virginia Peanuts Meets Buffalo Chips'' with saxophonist [[Joe Ford (musician)|Joe Ford]] (The Internet Cafe 1996) and ''Sound of the Drum/Language of the Heart'' with dancer/choreographer Mickey Davidson (The Internet Cafe/JVC Jazz Festival 1997). In 1997, he collaborated with [[Horacee Arnold]] in ''Dialogue for 2001: A Duet for Drumset,<ref name="Whitney Museum of American Art">{{cite book|last=Adam D. Weinberg|first=Shamim M. Momim|title=Whitney Museum of American Art at Altria: 25 Years|year=2008|publisher=Whitney Museum of Art|location=New York|isbn=9780300139334}}</ref>'' as part of Many Festival, Performance on 42nd, Whitney Museum of American Art. See Discography below for two recordings of Singin' Drums on Innova label. In 1999, Singin' Drums was presented live-in-concert on ''Jazz Corner'', the BETA Award-winning New York cable TV jazz show. As artistic director for ''A Celebration of the Drum Set: Give The Drummer Some'', on the opening night of the Warwick Summer Arts Festival 2001 [[Warwick, NY]], he performed Singin' Drums, and presented guest artists [[Steve Berrios]] and [[Susie Ibarra]] in solo and trio settings. In 2012, Baker collaborated with his niece, mezzo-soprano [http://www.andreabaker.org/ Andrea Baker], along with pianist Richard Lewis, on ''Singin' Drums: Voice and Drum'' which premiered at the [[Edinburgh Fringe Festival]]<ref name=BroadwayBaby>{{cite web|last=Michael|first=Wilkinson|title=Singin' Sensation|url=http://www.broadwaybaby.com/listing.php?id=16823|work=BroadwayBaby.com|publisher=Web Editors Ltd|accessdate=3 July 2013}}</ref> in Scotland. |
His solo drumset project, Singin' Drums, premiered at the Williamsburgh Music Center in 1995 and grew with projects ''Virginia Peanuts Meets Buffalo Chips'' with saxophonist [[Joe Ford (jazz musician)|Joe Ford]] (The Internet Cafe 1996) and ''Sound of the Drum/Language of the Heart'' with dancer/choreographer Mickey Davidson (The Internet Cafe/JVC Jazz Festival 1997). In 1997, he collaborated with [[Horacee Arnold]] in ''Dialogue for 2001: A Duet for Drumset,<ref name="Whitney Museum of American Art">{{cite book|last=Adam D. Weinberg|first=Shamim M. Momim|title=Whitney Museum of American Art at Altria: 25 Years|year=2008|publisher=Whitney Museum of Art|location=New York|isbn=9780300139334}}</ref>'' as part of Many Festival, Performance on 42nd, Whitney Museum of American Art. See Discography below for two recordings of Singin' Drums on Innova label. In 1999, Singin' Drums was presented live-in-concert on ''Jazz Corner'', the BETA Award-winning New York cable TV jazz show. As artistic director for ''A Celebration of the Drum Set: Give The Drummer Some'', on the opening night of the Warwick Summer Arts Festival 2001 [[Warwick, NY]], he performed Singin' Drums, and presented guest artists [[Steve Berrios]] and [[Susie Ibarra]] in solo and trio settings. In 2012, Baker collaborated with his niece, mezzo-soprano [http://www.andreabaker.org/ Andrea Baker], along with pianist Richard Lewis, on ''Singin' Drums: Voice and Drum'' which premiered at the [[Edinburgh Fringe Festival]]<ref name=BroadwayBaby>{{cite web|last=Michael|first=Wilkinson|title=Singin' Sensation|url=http://www.broadwaybaby.com/listing.php?id=16823|work=BroadwayBaby.com|publisher=Web Editors Ltd|accessdate=3 July 2013}}</ref> in Scotland. |
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===Touring=== |
===Touring=== |
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Baker has performed internationally with [[Joe Henderson]], [[McCoy Tyner]], [[Kenny Barron]], [[Henry Grimes]], [[John Hicks]], [[Kevin Eubanks]], [[Ahmad Jamal]], Yvette Glover, [[Tom Harrell]], [[James Moody (saxophonist)|James Moody]], [[Lou Donaldson]], [[Gloria Lynne]], [[Frank Morgan]], [[Cecil Bridgewater]], [[Benny Powell]], [[Stanley Cowell]], John Blake, [[Jymie Merritt]], [[Frode Gjerstad]], [[Marilyn Crispell]], [[Bobby Bradford]], [[Leroy Jenkins (jazz musician)|Leroy Jenkins]], [[Myra Melford]], Eileen Fulton, [[Billy Harper]] Quintet, [[Henry Threadgill]] Sextett, [[Billy Bang]] Quintet, Francesca Tanksley Trio, [[Reggie Workman]]'s Topshelf, [[Sam Rivers (jazz musician)|Sam Rivers]] Quartet, [[Charlie Rouse]]'s Cinnamon Flower, [[Diedre Murray]] and [[Fred Hopkins]], Gerry Eastman Quartet, [[Jeanne Lee]] Quartet, [[Craig Harris]] and Tailgator's Tales, [[Bern Nix]], Bobby Zankel, [[Abdullah Ibrahim]] and Ekaya, Ebony Hillbillies, and the [[Monnette Sudler]] Quartet. He has participated in [[USIA]] tours to Turkey, Poland, Romania, Portugal, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, Peru, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia.<ref name="Encyclopedia of Jazz Musicians" /> |
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===Music Theater=== |
===Music Theater=== |
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*''Coincidents'' (music by Leroy Jenkins, libretto by Mary Griffin), 2006, 2005 |
*''Coincidents'' (music by Leroy Jenkins, libretto by Mary Griffin), 2006, 2005 |
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*''Three Willies''<ref name="Three Willies">{{cite web|last=Moore|first=Carman|title=Leroy Jenkins (1932–2007) – An Appreciation|url=http://www.newmusicbox.org/articles/Leroy-Jenkins-19322007-An-Appreciation/|work=New Music Box|publisher=New Music USA|accessdate=3 July 2013}}</ref> (music by Leroy Jenkins, libretto by Homer Jackson), 2001 |
*''Three Willies''<ref name="Three Willies">{{cite web|last=Moore|first=Carman|title=Leroy Jenkins (1932–2007) – An Appreciation|url=http://www.newmusicbox.org/articles/Leroy-Jenkins-19322007-An-Appreciation/|work=New Music Box|date=5 March 2007 |publisher=New Music USA|accessdate=3 July 2013}}</ref> (music by Leroy Jenkins, libretto by Homer Jackson), 2001 |
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*''Running Man'', Obie Award (music by Diedre Murray with text by [[Cornelius Eady]]), 1999 |
*''Running Man'', Obie Award (music by Diedre Murray with text by [[Cornelius Eady]]), 1999 |
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*''Walcott Songs'' (music by Henry Threadgill, with poetry by Derek Walcott), 1998 |
*''Walcott Songs'' (music by Henry Threadgill, with poetry by Derek Walcott), 1998 |
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===Funding=== |
===Funding=== |
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Baker was awarded a [[New Music USA]] 2018 Project Grant, two [[New York Foundation for the Arts]] Fellowships <ref name="2013 NYFA Fellow">{{cite web|title=2013 NYFA Artists: Newman Taylor Baker|url=http://www.nyfa.org/nyfa_artists_detail.asp?pid=467|work=NYFA Interactive|publisher=Carnegie Mellon|accessdate=3 July 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130417142624/http://www.nyfa.org/nyfa_artists_detail.asp?pid=467|archivedate=17 April 2013}}</ref> |
Baker was awarded a [[New Music USA]] 2018 Project Grant, two [[New York Foundation for the Arts]] Fellowships <ref name="2013 NYFA Fellow">{{cite web|title=2013 NYFA Artists: Newman Taylor Baker|url=http://www.nyfa.org/nyfa_artists_detail.asp?pid=467|work=NYFA Interactive|publisher=Carnegie Mellon|accessdate=3 July 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130417142624/http://www.nyfa.org/nyfa_artists_detail.asp?pid=467|archivedate=17 April 2013}}</ref><ref name="2019 NYFA Fellow">{{cite web|title= 2019 NYFA Artists: Newman Taylor Baker|url=https://www.nyfa.org/Content/Show/Past-Fellows}}</ref> and grants from [[Meet The Composer]] and the [[National Endowment for the Arts]]. |
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==Discography== |
==Discography== |
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===As soloist=== |
===As soloist=== |
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*''Drum Suite Life'' (Innova, 2013)<ref name=Gapplegate>{{cite web|last=Edwards|first=Grego Applegate|title=Solo Drums From Newman Taylor Baker: "Drum Suite Life"|url=http://gapplegatemusicreview.blogspot.com/2011/01/solo-drums-from-newman-taylor-baker.html|work=gapplegate music review|publisher=blogspot.com|accessdate=3 July 2013}}</ref> |
*''Drum Suite Life'' (Innova, 2013)<ref name=Gapplegate>{{cite web|last=Edwards|first=Grego Applegate|title=Solo Drums From Newman Taylor Baker: "Drum Suite Life"|url=http://gapplegatemusicreview.blogspot.com/2011/01/solo-drums-from-newman-taylor-baker.html|work=gapplegate music review|date=14 January 2011 |publisher=blogspot.com|accessdate=3 July 2013}}</ref> |
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*''The NYFA Collection'' (Innova, 2011) |
*''The NYFA Collection'' (Innova, 2011) |
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===As ensemble member === |
===As ensemble member === |
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'''With [https://viennacarroll.com/about/ Vienna Carroll]''' |
'''With [https://viennacarroll.com/about/ Vienna Carroll]''' |
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*''[https://viennacarroll.com/new-music/ Harlem Field Recordings] |
*''Harlem Field Recordings''[https://viennacarroll.com/new-music/ Harlem Field Recordings] (Independent, 2020) |
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'''With [[Matthew Shipp]]''' |
'''With [[Matthew Shipp]]''' |
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*''[https://matthewshipp.bandcamp.com/track/the-unidentifiable/ The Unidentifiable]" (ESP-Disk', 2020) |
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*''[[Signature]]'' (ESP-Disk', 2019) |
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*''[https://matthewshipp.bandcamp.com/album/signature/ Signature]'' (ESP-Disk', 2019) |
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*''[[Piano Song]]'' (Thirsty Ear Records, 2017) |
*''[[Piano Song]]'' (Thirsty Ear Records, 2017) |
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*''[[The Conduct of Jazz]]'' (Thirsty Ear Records, 2015) |
*''[[The Conduct of Jazz]]'' (Thirsty Ear Records, 2015) |
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'''With [http://culture.pl/en/artist/sylwester-ostrowski Sylwester Ostrowski and SO Jazz]''' |
'''With [http://culture.pl/en/artist/sylwester-ostrowski Sylwester Ostrowski and SO Jazz]''' |
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*''Kansas City Here I Come,'' [http://deborah.jazzvox.com/?album=kansas-city-here-i-come/ Deborah Brown Quartet featuring Sylwester Ostrowski with the NFM Leopoldinum and Kevin Mahogany], (Agora S.A., 2016) |
*''Kansas City Here I Come,'' [http://deborah.jazzvox.com/?album=kansas-city-here-i-come/ Deborah Brown Quartet featuring Sylwester Ostrowski with the NFM Leopoldinum and Kevin Mahogany], (Agora S.A., 2016) |
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*''Just Music,'' [https://www.facebook.com/Just-Music-Makoto-Kuriya-Sylwester-Ostrowski-Quintet-167810910078663/ Makoto Kuriya and Sylwester Ostrowski Quintet] |
*''Just Music,'' [https://www.facebook.com/Just-Music-Makoto-Kuriya-Sylwester-Ostrowski-Quintet-167810910078663/ Makoto Kuriya and Sylwester Ostrowski Quintet] (P-Vine Records, 2014) |
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*''Don't Explain'' (Jazzmania Nordea, 2013) |
*''Don't Explain'' (Jazzmania Nordea, 2013) |
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*''When The Groove Is Low'' (SO Jazz Records, 2011) |
*''When The Groove Is Low'' (SO Jazz Records, 2011) |
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'''With [ |
'''With [[Jemeel Moondoc]]''' |
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*''[[The Zookeeper's House]]'' (Relative Pitch Records, 2014) |
*''[[The Zookeeper's House]]'' ([[Relative Pitch Records]], 2014) |
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*''[[The Astral Revelations]]'' (RogueArt, 2018) |
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'''With [[Ted Daniel]]''' |
'''With [[Ted Daniel]]''' |
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*''[https://www.dustygroove.com/item/839298/Ted-Daniel:Zulu%27s-Ball-Ted-Daniel-Plays-The-Music-Of-King-Oliver/ Zulu's Ball – Ted Daniel Plays The Music Of King Oliver]'' (Altura, 2017) |
*''[https://www.dustygroove.com/item/839298/Ted-Daniel:Zulu%27s-Ball-Ted-Daniel-Plays-The-Music-Of-King-Oliver/ Zulu's Ball – Ted Daniel Plays The Music Of King Oliver]'' (Altura, 2017) |
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'''With |
'''With [[The Ebony Hillbillies]]''' |
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*''Barefoot and Flyings'' (2011) |
*''Barefoot and Flyings'' (2011) |
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'''With [[Billy Bang]]''' |
'''With [[Billy Bang]]''' |
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*''Da Bang'' (Tum Records, 2013) |
*''[[Da Bang!]]'' (Tum Records, 2013) |
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*''Prayer for Peace'' (Tum Records, |
*''[[Prayer for Peace (Billy Bang album)|Prayer for Peace]]'' (Tum Records, 2010) |
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'''With [[David Schnitter]]''' |
'''With [[David Schnitter]]''' |
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*''The Spirit of Things'' (CIMP, 2008) |
*''The Spirit of Things'' (CIMP, 2008) |
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*''Live at Edgefest, Ann Arbor, MI'' (HenryGrimes.com, 2006) |
*''Live at Edgefest, Ann Arbor, MI'' (HenryGrimes.com, 2006) |
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*''Sublime Communication'' (HenryGrimes.com, 2005) |
*''Sublime Communication'' (HenryGrimes.com, 2005) |
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'''With [ |
'''With [[Bobby Few]] & [[Avram Fefer]] 4tet''' |
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*''Sanctuary'' (CIMP, 2006) |
*''Sanctuary'' (CIMP, 2006) |
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'''With [[Judi Silvano]]''' |
'''With [[Judi Silvano]]''' |
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*''Human Flowers'' (CIMP, 1996) |
*''Human Flowers'' (CIMP, 1996) |
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'''With [[Diedre Murray]] and [[Fred Hopkins]]''' |
'''With [[Diedre Murray]] and [[Fred Hopkins]]''' |
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*''Stringology'' (Black Saint, 1994) |
*''[[Stringology (album)|Stringology]]'' (Black Saint, 1994) |
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*''Prophecy'' (About Time, 1991) |
*''[[Prophecy (Fred Hopkins and Diedre Murray album)|Prophecy]]'' (About Time, 1991) |
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'''With the [[Bern Nix]] Trio''' |
'''With the [[Bern Nix]] Trio''' |
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*''Alarms and Excursions'' (New World Records, 1993) |
*''Alarms and Excursions'' (New World Records, 1993) |
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==Media== |
==Media== |
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*''[https://vimeo.com/659085070/ One in 7]'' (Healing Voice-Personal Stories, 2021) |
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*''Meet 'Washboard XT' musician plays washboard in honor of enslaved grandfather'' (ABC7NY WABC-TV, 2020)<ref name="ABC7NY WABC-TV Arts & Entertainment">{{cite web|url=https://abc7ny.com/5908156/|title=Meet 'Washboard XT' musician plays washboard in honor of enslaved grandfather|last=Hershkowitz|first=Tobey|date=|website=|publisher=ABC7NY WABC-TV|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=February 2020|accessdate=18 March 2020}}</ref> |
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*'' |
*''Meet 'Washboard XT' musician plays washboard in honor of enslaved grandfather'' (ABC7NY WABC-TV, 2020)<ref name="ABC7NY WABC-TV Arts & Entertainment">{{cite web|url=https://abc7ny.com/5908156/|title=Meet 'Washboard XT' musician plays washboard in honor of enslaved grandfather|last=Hershkowitz|first=Toby|date=February 6, 2020|website=|publisher=ABC7NY WABC-TV|access-date=18 March 2020}}</ref> |
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*'' |
*''Interview with Tomasz Dec, host of Kind of Jazz'' (Akademinicke Radio Pormorze, Szczecin, Poland, 2015)<ref name="Akademinicke Radio Pormorze">{{cite web|url=http://arp.zut.edu.pl|title=Kind of Jazz|last=Dec|first=Tomasz|date=June 2015|website=|publisher=Akademinicke Radio Pormorze|accessdate=5 November 2015}}</ref> |
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*'' |
*''Avodah Dance Ensemble with Newman Taylor Baker, Resident Musician'' (Avodah Dance, 2014)<ref name="Avodah Dance Ensemble">{{cite web|url=https://vimeo.com/110836811|title=Avodah Dance Ensemble|date=3 November 2014|website=|publisher=Avodah Dance Ensemble|accessdate=3 November 2014}}</ref> |
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*''Lawrence D. Butch Morris: Black February'' (Vipal Monga, 2012)<ref name="Black February">{{cite web|last=Monga|first=Vipal|title=Black February|url=http://blackfeb.com/|publisher=Vipal Monga|accessdate=4 July 2013}}</ref> |
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*''Billy Bang: Long Over Due'' (Oscar Sanders/Malcolm Entertainment, 2012)<ref name="Billy Bang">{{cite web|last=Oscar|first=Sanders|title=Billy Bang: Long Over Due|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWDhEdW7jRI|work=Long Over Due|publisher=Malcolm Entertainment|accessdate=4 July 2013}}</ref> |
*''Billy Bang: Long Over Due'' (Oscar Sanders/Malcolm Entertainment, 2012)<ref name="Billy Bang">{{cite web|last=Oscar|first=Sanders|title=Billy Bang: Long Over Due|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWDhEdW7jRI|work=Long Over Due|publisher=Malcolm Entertainment|accessdate=4 July 2013}}</ref> |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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*[http://newmantaylorbaker.com/ Website: Newman Taylor Baker] |
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*[http://ntbsingindrums.blogspot.com/ Blog: NTB/Singin' Drums] |
*[http://ntbsingindrums.blogspot.com/ Blog: NTB/Singin' Drums] |
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*[https://www.facebook.com/ntbsd1 Facebook: Newman Taylor Baker] |
*[https://www.facebook.com/ntbsd1 Facebook: Newman Taylor Baker] |
Revision as of 15:11, 25 April 2024
Newman Taylor Baker | |
---|---|
Born | Petersburg, Virginia, United States | February 4, 1943
Genres | African American music, Jazz, Black string band, Free improvisation, Blue grass |
Occupation(s) | Washboardist, Drummer, Teaching artist, Vocalist, Composer |
Instrument(s) | Washboard, Drum set, Percussion, Voice |
Years active | 1960s–present |
Newman Taylor Baker[1] (born February 4, 1943) is a jazz drummer and a washboard player.
Early life
Newman Taylor Baker's paternal grandfather, Thomas Nelson Baker Sr.,[2] was the only former slave to receive a PhD from Yale University (1906). His father (chemistry) and siblings graduated from Oberlin College and Conservatory. Edith Baker (voice and piano), Ruth B. Baker (voice and piano), and Harry B. Baker (piano and organ), his aunts and uncle, were graduates of Oberlin Conservatory of Music. His maternal grandfather, Reverend Newman D. Taylor, known as the "Roland Hayes" of Mississippi, gave vocal recitals throughout the state and his uncle, Newman C. Taylor, accompanied him on piano. His aunt, India Taylor Johnson (a classmate of Dr. Billy Taylor at Virginia State University), was a vocal music and piano teacher in the Norfolk, VA public school system.
His parents were Ruth Taylor Baker, born Yazoo City, Mississippi, and Dr. T. Nelson Baker, Jr, born Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Newman's mother was an associate professor of English, and his father was head of the chemistry department. He sang bass in the a cappella choir and played oboe in the concert band and the symphony orchestra. His parents played four-hand transcriptions of Brahms and Beethoven symphonies at home. They lived on the campus in faculty housing. Newman's brother, Dr. T. Nelson Baker, III, was Newman's source for recordings of Max Roach and Clifford Brown, Horace Silver, Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderley, Ella Fitzgerald, Art Blakey, and many others.
Newman Taylor Baker received his first drum the Christmas before he turned three; soon he was playing at home with jazz and classical recordings. Growing up on the campus of Virginia State University, he attended performances of leading international artists and orchestras, and was mentored by members of the music faculty: He began formal study of drums at five years as a member of the children's band for the campus elementary school and played in the university concert band from fourth-seventh grade. He was the youngest member of both bands.
As a child, and later as a college student, Baker studied with Virginia State University music faculty including Dr. F. Nathaniel Gatlin, Dr. Undine S. Moore, and Dr. Thomas C. Bridge. Baker is a graduate of Kent School in 1961 and earned a Bachelor of Science with a major in education from Virginia State University. He went on to study with Fred Begun, solo timpanist National Symphony Orchestra Washington, D.C., and Harold Jones, School of Music East Carolina University at Greenville, North Carolina, where he completed a Master of Music in Education. Settling in New York City, he studied with Saul Goodman, solo timpanist New York Philharmonic Repertoire Institute, and Billy Hart.[1]
Career
WashboardXT
In 2010, Baker met the washboard working with the Ebony Hillbillies and it changed his life, resulting in Washboard XT and his current pursuit of washboard music for the 21st century. He defines Washboard XT as the combination of the musical and artistic knowledge, skills and creativity accumulated over his 50-year career and the washboard, an instrument embedded with the 19th-century history and culture of his U.S. African heritage. Personally significant for him because his paternal grandfather, Rev. Dr. T. Nelson Baker (1860–1941), the first U.S. African to receive a Ph.D. in philosophy (Yale University, 1903), lived during the heyday of the washboard, a 19th-century tool of drudgery turned into a musical instrument of pleasure and relief.
Baker extends the washboard language by using expended shotgun shells (a tradition of Southeastern U.S.) on four fingers of each hand, customizing the physical instrument and adding microphones, effects pedals, and amplifiers. This produces a unique sound with more presence, variety, and responsiveness than the traditional thimbles, spoons, or knife handles. Approaching the washboard as a hand drum, touch is central to Newman's performance. He creates a great variety in texture, color, and articulation through the angle of the shells where they make contact, the weight of the arm when contact is made and the number of fingers is used. He found that his sound on the washboard blends with numerous combinations of instruments, and is applicable to a variety of musical genres and styles including but not limited to Jazz (swing, bebop, post-bop, hard bop, avant-garde, free jazz, fusion), Blues (acoustic and electric), World (Brazilian, Colombian, Cuban, Jamaican), Roots, Classical (string orchestra, brass ensembles, woodwind ensembles), Electronic, New Music and Modern Dance.
WashboardXT was featured in ABC7 NY WABC-TV's 2020 Black History Month; played with Vienna Carroll at the American Folk Art Museum; awarded a 2019 NYFA/NYSCA Music/Sound Fellowship; performed with Matthew Shipp in Patricia Nicholson's 70th Birthday Celebration presented by Arts for Art, Inc.; performed for the ESVA Boys and Girls Club in Exmore, VA (2019); participated in "In Dreams Begin Responsibilities: Frank London and Friends" at the New York Public Library (2019), and received a NewMusic USA Project Grant for "2/4/THREE," a performance collaboration with Vincent Chancey which premiered at Roulette Intermedium in Brooklyn (2018). With the Ebony Hillbillies[3] WashboardXT has appeared at the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina; Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in San Francisco, California; Port Townsend Blues Camp and Festival in Port Townsend, Washington, three cities in Bulgaria under the auspices of the U.S. Embassy and collaborated with the Irish traditional band Téada on a series of U.S. concerts. Newman has also played washboard with percussionist Warren Smith at the Stone; at the Williamsburgh Music Center with Steve Berrios, Gerry Eastman, Joe Ford and Carlton Holmes, and at the 2013 Washboard Music Festival in Logan, Ohio.
Singin' Drums
His solo drumset project, Singin' Drums, premiered at the Williamsburgh Music Center in 1995 and grew with projects Virginia Peanuts Meets Buffalo Chips with saxophonist Joe Ford (The Internet Cafe 1996) and Sound of the Drum/Language of the Heart with dancer/choreographer Mickey Davidson (The Internet Cafe/JVC Jazz Festival 1997). In 1997, he collaborated with Horacee Arnold in Dialogue for 2001: A Duet for Drumset,[4] as part of Many Festival, Performance on 42nd, Whitney Museum of American Art. See Discography below for two recordings of Singin' Drums on Innova label. In 1999, Singin' Drums was presented live-in-concert on Jazz Corner, the BETA Award-winning New York cable TV jazz show. As artistic director for A Celebration of the Drum Set: Give The Drummer Some, on the opening night of the Warwick Summer Arts Festival 2001 Warwick, NY, he performed Singin' Drums, and presented guest artists Steve Berrios and Susie Ibarra in solo and trio settings. In 2012, Baker collaborated with his niece, mezzo-soprano Andrea Baker, along with pianist Richard Lewis, on Singin' Drums: Voice and Drum which premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival[5] in Scotland.
Touring
Baker has performed internationally with Joe Henderson, McCoy Tyner, Kenny Barron, Henry Grimes, John Hicks, Kevin Eubanks, Ahmad Jamal, Yvette Glover, Tom Harrell, James Moody, Lou Donaldson, Gloria Lynne, Frank Morgan, Cecil Bridgewater, Benny Powell, Stanley Cowell, John Blake, Jymie Merritt, Frode Gjerstad, Marilyn Crispell, Bobby Bradford, Leroy Jenkins, Myra Melford, Eileen Fulton, Billy Harper Quintet, Henry Threadgill Sextett, Billy Bang Quintet, Francesca Tanksley Trio, Reggie Workman's Topshelf, Sam Rivers Quartet, Charlie Rouse's Cinnamon Flower, Diedre Murray and Fred Hopkins, Gerry Eastman Quartet, Jeanne Lee Quartet, Craig Harris and Tailgator's Tales, Bern Nix, Bobby Zankel, Abdullah Ibrahim and Ekaya, Ebony Hillbillies, and the Monnette Sudler Quartet. He has participated in USIA tours to Turkey, Poland, Romania, Portugal, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, Peru, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia.[1]
Music Theater
- Coincidents (music by Leroy Jenkins, libretto by Mary Griffin), 2006, 2005
- Three Willies[6] (music by Leroy Jenkins, libretto by Homer Jackson), 2001
- Running Man, Obie Award (music by Diedre Murray with text by Cornelius Eady), 1999
- Walcott Songs (music by Henry Threadgill, with poetry by Derek Walcott), 1998
- You Don't Miss the Water (music by Diedre Murray, words by Cornelius Eady), 1997
- Mu Lan Pi (music and text by Diedre Murray), 1996
- Unending Pain (music and text by Diedre Murray), 1996
- A Sense of Breath (music by Jeanne Lee, choreography by Mickey Davidson, text by Ntozake Shange), 1991
- National Broadway tours: Jelly's Last Jam, Your Arms Too Short to Box with God, Don't Play Us Cheap, Jesus Christ Superstar, Oliver!, Ann Corio's This Was Burlesque
Teaching artist
Baker offers clinics and master classes in collaboration with saxophonist Sylwester Ostrowski to music conservatories throughout Poland.[7] With Mickey D and Friends and the Avodah Dance Company, Baker brings dance/music residencies and workshops to schools, communities, and correctional facilities throughout the U.S. He has also led masterclasses through such organizations as Jazzmobile, Young Audiences, and Arts Horizons, and served as faculty at Rutgers University-Newark, Widener College, Livingstone College and Shaw University. Baker also teaches privately.[1]
Funding
Baker was awarded a New Music USA 2018 Project Grant, two New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowships [8][9] and grants from Meet The Composer and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Discography
As soloist
- Drum Suite Life (Innova, 2013)[10]
- The NYFA Collection (Innova, 2011)
As ensemble member
With Vienna Carroll
- Harlem Field RecordingsHarlem Field Recordings (Independent, 2020)
With Matthew Shipp
- The Unidentifiable" (ESP-Disk', 2020)
- Signature (ESP-Disk', 2019)
- Piano Song (Thirsty Ear Records, 2017)
- The Conduct of Jazz (Thirsty Ear Records, 2015)
With Sylwester Ostrowski and SO Jazz
- Kansas City Here I Come, Deborah Brown Quartet featuring Sylwester Ostrowski with the NFM Leopoldinum and Kevin Mahogany, (Agora S.A., 2016)
- Just Music, Makoto Kuriya and Sylwester Ostrowski Quintet (P-Vine Records, 2014)
- Don't Explain (Jazzmania Nordea, 2013)
- When The Groove Is Low (SO Jazz Records, 2011)
With Jemeel Moondoc
- The Zookeeper's House (Relative Pitch Records, 2014)
- The Astral Revelations (RogueArt, 2018)
With Ted Daniel
- Zulu's Ball – Ted Daniel Plays The Music Of King Oliver (Altura, 2017)
- Barefoot and Flyings (2011)
With Billy Bang
- Da Bang! (Tum Records, 2013)
- Prayer for Peace (Tum Records, 2010)
With David Schnitter
- The Spirit of Things (CIMP, 2008)
With Henry Grimes
- Live at Edgefest, Ann Arbor, MI (HenryGrimes.com, 2006)
- Sublime Communication (HenryGrimes.com, 2005)
With Bobby Few & Avram Fefer 4tet
- Sanctuary (CIMP, 2006)
With Judi Silvano
- Let Yourself Go (Zoho, 2004)
With Patrick Brennan
- The Drum Is Honor Enough (CIMP, 2004)
- Rapt Circle (CIMP, 2004)
With Carl Grubbs
- Stepping Around the Giant (CIMP, 2002)
With Francesca Tanksley
- Journey (DreamCaller, 2002)
With the Billy Harper Quintet
- Destiny Is Yours (Steeplecase, 1990)
- Live on Tour in the Far East (Steeplecase, 1991)
- Live on Tour in the Far East Vol. 2 (Steeplecase, 1991)
- Live on Tour in the Far East Vol. 3 (Steeplecase, 1991)
- Somalia (Evidence, 1995)
- If Our Hearts Could Only See (DIW, 1997)
- Soul of an Angel (Metropolitan, 2000)
With Yuka Aikawa
- All Beings in the Whole Universal (Kings Records, 1999)
With the Bobby Zankel Trio
- Human Flowers (CIMP, 1996)
With Diedre Murray and Fred Hopkins
- Stringology (Black Saint, 1994)
- Prophecy (About Time, 1991)
With the Bern Nix Trio
- Alarms and Excursions (New World Records, 1993)
With Jeanne Lee
- Natural Affinities (Owl Records, 1992)
With Gerry Eastman
- Songbook (WMC Records, 1995)
- Native Son (WMC Records, 1992)
- My Real Self (WMC Records, 1986)
With the Henry Threadgill Sextett
- Rag, Bush and All (RCA/Novus, 1989)
With Haze Greenfield
- All About You (Black Hawk Records, 1987)
With Monnette Sudler
- Live in Europe (Steeplecase, 1979)
- Brighter Days (Steeplecase, 1978)
- Time for a Change (Inner City Records/Steeplecase, 1977)
With Cullen Knight
- Looking Up (Tree Top Records, 1978)
Media
- One in 7 (Healing Voice-Personal Stories, 2021)
- Meet 'Washboard XT' musician plays washboard in honor of enslaved grandfather (ABC7NY WABC-TV, 2020)[11]
- Interview with Tomasz Dec, host of Kind of Jazz (Akademinicke Radio Pormorze, Szczecin, Poland, 2015)[12]
- Avodah Dance Ensemble with Newman Taylor Baker, Resident Musician (Avodah Dance, 2014)[13]
- Lawrence D. Butch Morris: Black February (Vipal Monga, 2012)[14]
- Billy Bang: Long Over Due (Oscar Sanders/Malcolm Entertainment, 2012)[15]
References
- ^ a b c d Porter, Lewis. "Baker, Newman (Taylor)". Encyclopedia of Jazz Musicians. jazz.com. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
- ^ Andrew, Amelinck. "The Reverend Doctor Thomas Nelson Baker a trailblazer for black rights". The Berkshire Eagle. Media News Group. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
- ^ "The Ebony Hillbillies". The Kennedy Center. Kennedy Center. Archived from the original on 17 June 2013. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
- ^ Adam D. Weinberg, Shamim M. Momim (2008). Whitney Museum of American Art at Altria: 25 Years. New York: Whitney Museum of Art. ISBN 9780300139334.
- ^ Michael, Wilkinson. "Singin' Sensation". BroadwayBaby.com. Web Editors Ltd. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
- ^ Moore, Carman (5 March 2007). "Leroy Jenkins (1932–2007) – An Appreciation". New Music Box. New Music USA. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
- ^ Whitmore, Warren (March 5, 2013). "SZCZECIN STUDENT ANGELIKA ANOZIE TO SING FOR POLISH PRESIDENT ON 3 MAY". Szczecin News. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
- ^ "2013 NYFA Artists: Newman Taylor Baker". NYFA Interactive. Carnegie Mellon. Archived from the original on 17 April 2013. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
- ^ "2019 NYFA Artists: Newman Taylor Baker".
- ^ Edwards, Grego Applegate (14 January 2011). "Solo Drums From Newman Taylor Baker: "Drum Suite Life"". gapplegate music review. blogspot.com. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
- ^ Hershkowitz, Toby (February 6, 2020). "Meet 'Washboard XT' musician plays washboard in honor of enslaved grandfather". ABC7NY WABC-TV. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
- ^ Dec, Tomasz (June 2015). "Kind of Jazz". Akademinicke Radio Pormorze. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
- ^ "Avodah Dance Ensemble". Avodah Dance Ensemble. 3 November 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
- ^ Monga, Vipal. "Black February". Vipal Monga. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
- ^ Oscar, Sanders. "Billy Bang: Long Over Due". Long Over Due. Malcolm Entertainment. Retrieved 4 July 2013.