THE POETIC NOTION CHORUS...led by founding director Rob Darnell
Sopranos: Lisa Roma, Stephanie Walker, Rhonda Patern;
Altos: Nikkie Schmiegelow, Leela Brown, Beverly Holmes;
Tenor/Baritone: Rob Darnell.
THE ELECTRIK GODDESS CLUB ORQUESTRA...
Piano: Rob Darnell...
Guitar: Lisa Roma...
Bass: Jessie Martin...
Drums: Mike Czekaj...
Percussion: Rhonda Patern, Steph Walker.
Influences
The Queens Boro Wide Chorus, The All-City Chorus, COLERIDGE TAYLOR PERKINSON, John Motley, The Barry Harris Jazz Ensemble Chorus,
THE FRIENDS OF DISTINCTION, The Fifth Dimension, New York Voices, Manhattan Transfer, The Gregg Smith Singers, Howard Hanson, Stephen Sondheim, Leonard Bernstein, Tom Jones, Harvey Schmidt, LAURA NYRO, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Joni Mitchell, Parliament FUNKADELIC Earth Wind & Fire, MANDRILL... Jimi Hendrix, Sly and the Family Stone, James Brown, BOOTSY'S Rubber Band, The Ohio Players, JUNIE, Maxayn, Mandre, Buddy Miles, Off Da Hook feat. E.J. SHARPE John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, George Duke, Stanley Clarke, Santana, Barabas, Chicago, Blood Sweat & Tears, Traffic , CPR (Crosby, Pevar & Raymond), CSNY (Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young), Pink Floyd, Yes, Emerson Lake & Palmer.... & FRANK ZAPPA !!!
Sounds Like
The Friends of Distinction merged with The Fifth Dimension
backed up by The Pat Metheny Group...something
like Gil Scott Heron meets Joni Mitchell and they hang out
together in Prospect Park...like P-Funk doing an acoustic set...
FUNK UPON A TIME...in ASTORIA, QUEENS a cosmic conciousness flowered itself, stretched out its arms, let out a cry and shone like a star, which the parents annointed one ROB DARNELL.
In African hut number 1306 in RAVENSWOOD TOWNSHIP, a small square brown thing with a speaker spewed out some FUNK N ROLL and a harmonic convergence took place right then and there with something he later found out was called MUSIC.
The young Darnellian warrior after discovering his own vocal pork chops was then tantalized by the doo-wopian harmonic mysticism of the street corner symphonies of musical conglomerates such as Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Dyke and the Blazers, Booker T. and the M.G.'s, The Fifth Dimension, The Friends of Distinction.
Enticed by the females of Ravenswood Township, Rob joined the
Queens BOROWIDE Chorus and wound up having a funky good time. He then joined the ALL CITY CHORUS and got mesmerized by the compositional genuise of COLERIDGE TAYLOR PERKINSON, and his cronie in musical crimes of the ultimate musical stratosphere, JOHN MOTLEY. At this time the shape of his musical mind was also being sculptured by the awesome compositions of Yip Harburg /Burton Lane Tom Jones/Harvey Schmidt composers of FINIAN'S RAINBOW and THE FANTASTICKS respectively...Rob was granted the Excellence in Voice award from the higher ups at LONG ISLAND CITY HIGH SCHOOL and sang "The Impossible Dream" at Graduation. Cool...
To BE Continued.......
..."It looks good and dirty, them shiny lights glow, a million night tramps tricks and tracks will come and go, you're starvin' today, but who cares anyway? Baby, it feels like I'm dyin' now... I swear there's somethin' better than gettin' off on sweet cocaine, it feels so good, it feels so good gettin' off the poverty train....mornin'...." ~ from song "Poverty Train" by Laura Nyro.
what's shakin rob? i heard a reference today to Linda R..and Emmylou Harris 2 gorgeous voices and I thought of you.. I miss my musical homework asisgnments that you give me-! hope all is well!
Must-make-happen! Funkstah! Can you believe me when I tell you how much I am missing you and all that good stuff? I'm coming back to you soon. An' seein' you soonah. xoxoxox
Thanks Rob...Appreciate your comments very much...Just trying to stick with what we know and doing our best to keep Funk & Soul & Rhythm & Grooves alive...
Oh please, honey- no worries! How long did it take me to get you those CDs? But, I'm excited to perform Walk It Out... sigh, no one plays like you, though. XO!
thanx for the whaz up! hope your groovin. check our upcoming dates. we'll be adding more real soon including a charity benefit and the annual 5th ave festival in park slope holla when you come by....
