RAS MEL GLOVER'S BIO
Melvin Glover Jr was born in Richmond,Va. He comes from a culturally rich family. His father was a high school teacher and local sports legend, his mother who embraced her Indian culture was an educator at the middle school grade level. Ras Mel started playing guitar when he was 12 and has been playing ever since. Growing up in Richmond Virginia, he was exposed to many diverse musical genres such as Latin, Funk, Disco, Rock, Classical, Jazz, Jazz Fusion, and World Beat Styles.
Ras Mel has gained musical experience playing diverse styles with local bands throughout Richmond, Hampton and Washington,DC region. He performed at Hampton University within a Jazz Sextet with the founder of the New York Bass Violin Choir, with bassist Bill Lee and Conswayla Moorehead on piano (Spike Lee's aunt and the son of Bill Lee). Ras Mel musical education span has gone from taking private guitar lessons with master guitarist Jerry Fields to becoming an student at Berklee College Of Music in Boston. While attending Hampton University, Ras Mel had the privileged honor to jam with the great Sonny Stitt in the state of New Jersey. Years later he would also jam reggae style with guitar great Carlos Santana on the Santana/Wailers 2003 USA tour. Ras Mel has also studied guitar with Mark Whitfield, Jimmy Bruno, Russell Malone, Barry Harris, George Coleman, Joe Doiorio as well as continued studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, Hampton University. and the famous Berklee College of Music. A well studied musician Ras Mel is a fluent reader, writer, performer and interpreter of many of the disciplines of music notation.
He was a member of the Richmond,Va based reggae band the Awareness Art Ensemble where he played guitar as well as sang lead and backing vocals. Ras Mel also has done world tours and recordings with Bob Marley's Wailers. Within those many world tours, Ras Mel got to open up for Fish, Maxi Priest, George Clinton's P-Funk All Stars, Dexter Gorden, Carlos Santana, Steel Pulse, ASWAD, Jimmy Cliff, B.B.King, and many, many more giants of the music industry.
Ras Mel's Discography includes recordings with Plunky and the Oneness of JuJu, The Awareness Art Ensemble, Ras Mel and the RMA band, Eddy Grant and Bob Marley's Wailers. He also has recorded on various records for local acts in the Richmond,Va area.
As a guitarist Ras Mel has performed extensively with, The Oneness of Juju and Plunky and Oneness under the tutor ledge of saxophone virtuoso James Plunky Branch. Ras Mel was a founding member of the Awareness Art Ensemble; one of the hardest working and highly acclaimed American reggae road bands on the east coast, the Razor Posse which was formed by his fellow Awareness Art Ensemble band member and current Wailer trap drummer Drummer Zeb. Ras Mel was the founder, leader and front man of his own Ras Mel & the R.M.A.Band. He has performed with Ever-G,
Elan,Yvad,Jackie McLean, Bill Lee, Donald "Duck" Edwards, Bonnie Raitt, Robert Cray,Paul Reid Smith, Mark Whitfield, Jerome "Bigfoot" Braley of Funkadelic fame, Roland Guering, Weldon Ervin, Vin Gorden, Anastis"Nasty" Hacket,Tuff Lion, Trapper John,Keith Porter /Itals, Selwyn Brown, Barron Tymas, Clarence Seay, James King, Pattie Labelle, Jah Bigs, Mojonia, Walter Bell, Gold, Sonny Stitt, Rafeal Solano, Alfredo Mojica, Willie Stewart, Andrew Tosh, Michel "Ibo" Cooper, Sonny Bradshaw & The Jamacian Jazz Alstars, Junior Marvin, Errol Chinna Smith, Gary Nesta Pine, Al Anderson,Christian Cowlin, Yammie Bolla, Eddy Grant and his Front Line Orchestra, Carlos Santana, Aston Family Man Barrett, Chico Chin, Nambo Robinson, Andrew, Keith Sterling and the Wailers, ITALS/Keith Porter and Culture with Kenyatta Hill.
RECORDED CD'S:
Awareness Art Ensemble-COMING HOME
Oneness of JUJU- AFRICAN RHYTHMS -1970-82-STRUT records
AUSTIN CITY LIMITS 2004- W/the WAILERS-CD-DVD
HBO/DIRECT TV ARGENTINA 2004 -W/the WAILERS-Pay per view
CARSON DAILY SHOW 2004 NBC-W/the WAILERS.........
ITALS http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=itals+richmond+folk+fest&search_type=&aq=f
CULTURE with KENYATTA HILL http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbJ4Fs2FecI&feature=related
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