Sri Chinmoy, John Coltrane, Ravi Shankar, Swami Vivekananda, Sri Ramakrishna, Ornette Coleman, Joe Allard, Kadri Golpanath, Hariprasad Chaurasia, John McLaughlin, and many more throughout the spiritual/musical universe.
Premik, a multi-instrumentalist, plays flute, saxophone, lap steel guitar, wind synthesizer and, as well, is a composer, arranger and producer. His recent schedule had him playing Sting’s Rainforest Concert at Carnegie Hall on May 8th, 2008 and in London, at the Royal Albert Hall with Boris Grebenshikov, on May 19th, 2008. He also heads two new East-West fusion bands, Bangalore Breakdown and Gandharva Quartet. As a regular guest in concert with NYC based singer-songwriter Kristin Hoffmann, playing to packed audiences on the East Coast, they have toured nationwide opening for Jakob Dylan’s band The Wallflowers and others.
Premik has worked with everyone from Carlos Santana, Whitney Houston, Herbie Hancock, John McLaughlin, Ravi Shankar, Narada Michael Walden, and Lonnie Liston-Smith and currently Kristin Hoffmann just to name a few. He is equally at home in pop, jazz, folk, R&B, new age and experimental styles.
Early Background: Premik, (pronounced pray-meek) was born Russell Wayne Tubbs in Croton-on-Hudson, New York. His dad, Harold Tubbs (‘Harry” Tubbs), was a Big Band arranger and trumpet/flugelhorn player. He made sure that his son obtained an early and thorough background in the different musical idioms by starting him on piano and theory lessons by age six as well as taking him to various jazz and classical concerts.
Most Influential Teachers: Joe Allard, Ornette Coleman, Sri Chinmoy
1974: Premik joined with John McLaughlin in the making of the album Visions of the Emerald Beyond, Mahavishnu Orchestra. This involved tours of Europe and the U.S. The U.S. tour proved a remarkable pairing up of both Mahavishnu and the Jeff Beck Group where he worked alongside Jean-Luc Ponty, bassist Ralph Armstrong and Narada Michael Walden on drums.
1975, 1978, 1980: Premik was invited by Carlos Santana to play the Planetary Celebration held at Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, NY which included such artists as Santana, James Taylor, Pete Seeger and John McLaughlin. Carlos had finished his first solo album for Columbia, entitled Oneness: Silver Dreams, Golden Reality, and Premik joined him on a six-week European tour as part of an opening act for the Santana Band called Devadip Oneness.
In a follow-up album created, Herbie Hancock was invited as co-arranger and co-musical director. Premik was now working in collaboration with Wayne Shorter, Tony Williams, Ron Carter and, of course, Herbie and Carlos along with various Santana band members. This landmark album was called The Swing of Delight. As well as performing throughout the album, Premik aided in the arrangement of several of the tunes.
1983-1985: Premik played with Lonnie Liston-Smith, jazz keyboardist with the highly successful album Dreams of Tomorrow. Premik was chosen as Smith's saxophonist/flutist for the next two years of touring and recording, playing at venues throughout the U.S., Great Britain, and the Montreaux Jazz Festival. During this time, Premik recorded on two of Lonnie's albums: Silhouettes and Rejuvenation with the great bassist Cecil McBee.
1994: joined composer Carman Moore's Skymusic Ensemble, performing Moore’s epic work Mass for the 21st Century that summer as part of Lincoln Center’s Out-Of-Doors concert series. He has remained a member of this ensemble to date.
1995: Premik performed with India’s great violinist, Dr L. Subramanium at the opening of his new work Global Symphony. Premik has also been featured on soprano sax, flute and wind synthesizer in Subramanium’s Global Fusion tours throughout India and the U.S.
Extended List-Recording Credits: With Carlos Santana "The Swing of Delight" (Also co-writer and co-arranger along with Herbie Hancock), With ,Whitney Houston "How Will I Know" (1 single from the album, "Whitney Houston") Also, "Love is A Contact Sport" from the album 'Whitney," With Regina Belle Baby, "Come to Me," from the album "Stay with Me," With Clarence Clemons & Jackson Browne. "You're a Friend of Mine" from the album "Hero," With John McLaughlin, "Visions of the Emerald Beyond", With Narada Micheal Walden "The Garden of Love-Light" and "I Cry, I Smile," With Lonnie Liston Smith "Rejuvenation" and "Silhouettes," With Jermaine Stewart "We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off (To Have a Good Time)" and "Don't Ever Leave Me", both from the album "Frantic Romantic," With Yoko Ogimone "The Verge of Love," With Kristin Hoffman "Real".
Extended List - Artists whom Premik has worked with: Carlos Santana, Whitney Houston, Herbie Hancock, John McLaughlin, Stanley Clarke, George Duke, Regina Belle, Narada Michael Walden, Clifford Carter, Jermaine Stewart, Carl Lewis, Jeff Beck, Brenda Russell, Clarence Clemons & other members of the E Street Band, Jackson Browne, Pete Seeger, Harry Chapin, Don Maclean, Lonnie Liston-Smith, Tony Williams, Ron Carter, Cecil McBee, Wayne Shorter, Harvey Mason, T.M. Stevens, Jean-Luc Ponty, Jaco Pastorius, L. Subramanium, L. Shankar, Trilok Gurtu, Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Colin Walcott (& members of the group OREGON), Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band, Mike Love of the Beach Boys, Carman Moore & Skymusic Ensemble, Andy Narell, Clara Ponty, Vasant Rai, Scarlet Rivera, Larry Coryell, Ornette Coleman, Kristin Hoffmann.
Hey Premik, I know I have been in another realm but I have never forgotten you....thank you for being one of my inspirations and only good thoughts from me to you.... I am writing you with a broken wrist at the moment but hopefully the cast will be off shortly..... Take care and thank you for your artistry in making this world a little bit more beautiful.... ~Joyce
I'll Look Up Your Friend's Restaurant. Sounds Delightful. I Love La Jolla. Don't Get Down There Enough. My Tickets Arrived For The Concert! Talk More Next Week. Namaste
Hey Premik!! Hope you're having a great week! And.......can't wait to hear your tracks for TNK! (waiting with baited breath). Hope you can get to it really ssssooooooon! :) ssssssssssssspaceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Dear Premik; It was so good to see you playing with Kristin on Cafe Vivaldi. Both of you so gifted! Let's get together soon to follow up on new possibilities. Rafael
Hi Premik :) Here's a little youtube from the student recital :) Sorry for the quality.. I had to put several short cell phone vids together so it's choppy.. Hope you are having a great evening :) Love Debs x
