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Springtime Greetings from our director Kristi Lee… Happy Year of the Pig! The generous boar has appeared with a wealth of new opportunities. This is a great year for completing what one has begun, as the boar is the last in the cast of Chinese astrology characters. Also, this year, 2007, is a # number nine 9, last in the decimal system. Best wishes for us all going for a ten! My contribution will be Sound Collective’s upcoming DVD release of “Dorje Kador”, “Fire Angel” in Tibetan. Guiding us through light, burning our excesses away, these angels of consciousness await our creative action. Good luck to all of us in giving birth to a better world through art. In other new developments, Sound Collective Studios has truly become a “special purpose domicile” with new indoor and outdoor areas to stage concerts and capture performances for commercial projects. First up to be captured is an “in-house” project of Kristi Lee’s bass work “The Eight”, as in “The Eight Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism.” xox
2006 Dog gone! The vigilant dog year oversaw the creation of “Dorje Kador” my DVD project. The video scope of our DVD expanded to include regional video of our western states of California, Oregon, and Idaho. Sacramento’s famed wild turkeys caught in flight, shimmering rivers of Yolo county, the majestic Silver Falls of Oregon, the beauty of Idaho’s Lake Coeur d’ Alene and its wildlife inhabitants, are among the scenes set to a rich tapestry of “post-modern” classical music. Kristi Lee’s nature video, coupled with her original arrangement of assorted percussion, includes the Tibetan singing bowls. This is a feast for both ears and eyes. This is a live version of a free-form composition in the incidental style. By embracing the mundane, seeing our world in its natural simplicity, we can add a sparkling quality to our nature deprived culture. It’s the next best thing to being there in person. 2005 March 8 and 15: Yolanda Rosales, fine jeweler and scuptor, is our guest with a special hour interview about her new work, sculptures "Raven" and "A World of Peace." Hosted by producer Kristi Lee, the artist's inner journey is revealed in the context of native American mythology about Raven. February 8, 15, 22, and 29: Among the highlights of the year was the creation of a beautiful piece of video art based on Markus Burger's work "Ultreya." Musician and artist Darin Wood, of Savage and Wood's, "Screaming Catfish Productions," combined photography of the pilgrimage with Burger's beautiful solo piano work. Recorded in Sacramento, within Elmhurst neighborhood's Coloma Community Center, we viewers are taken on a journey of healing and self-discovery through picture and music. 2004 *November 5: Yolanda Rosales with "Raven" *July 7: Hula dancers of the Brick Oven Pizza *June 26: Marco Franciosa *Upcoming: new videos in production, compilation show. February 28: Christine Hooten January 6: T’Dresha featuring composer and singer T.D. Trice accompanied by vocalist Dre’ bring their original modern vocal stylings to our show. Featured instrumental backgrounds are original, prerecorded by Trice. 2003 December 2 and 16: Don and Mike perform their set of original arrangements of classic instrumental standards. Don Price, on guitar and Mike Turgeon, upright bass are local music educators. Catch Don with Kristi Lee on “The 8”. November 4 and 18: Markus Burger performs his solo set from his newly released album "Ultreya", translated as " . . . keep on going!" This unique segment was filmed at the historic Coloma Auditorium in Elmhurst neighborhood on April 22, 2003. Please welcome our new video editors, Darin Wood and Christy Savage of Screaming Catfish Productions on titling and graphic design. October 7 and September 16: Mimosa, the highly charged vocal ensemble lead by arranger Rick Lipp, features their own classic stylizations of jazz standards. A visual delight, neopolitan colors of the female cast of vocalists shine. Blending in an auditory honey into Lipp’s harmonies, they are grand throughout. The rhythm section offers up tasty chops, drummer Ron Jones with acoustic bassist Steve Hanson join forces with Rick Lipp on keys and vocals. Vocalists Marie Bedard, Kim Branson, and Laurie Amick perform with Mimosa regionally in Sutter County. August 5: Kristi Lee with Brian Dempsey jam with Markus Burger to warm up the set on Burger’s “Ultreya” album release showcase. June 3 and 17: Selections from the Kristi Lee Sound Collective's "The Eight" air on channel 17. "Sound Collective" unites with Kristi Lee on bass, guitarist Don Price with Brian Dempsey on keyboard in a glorious jam session. The two fusion instrumental pieces "Golden Fish" and "Victory Banner" played are part of Kristi Lee's song cycle called "The Eight", compositions based on the meanings of the Eight Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism. Check out the graphic video artistry of Annette Daniel during Kristi Lee's spoken word introduction to the "Victory Banner". The alternating solo leads of Lee and Price at the culmination of the jam are quite extraordinary. The Victory Banner symbolizes the victory of the activities of one's own and others' body, speech and mind over obstacles and negativities. It also stands for the complete victory of the Buddhist doctrine over all harmful and pernicious forces. Many thanks to my band and to everyone at Access Sacramento for their support in producing this special feature. May 6 and May 20: Jet Brown and the Wrong Spots perform their original "junque rock" on the "Capital Talent Showcase." Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Jet Brown is joined by groovin' bassist Sean McMillin and drummer Kevin Coughlin. The second segment features interviews of Jet Brown and Sean McMillin by host Kristi Lee. April 1: Elena Powell takes a turn as a soloist on "Capital Talent Showcase". Featuring original songs and instrumentals, Powell dazzles with electric violin, vocal, and guitar. Sound Collective marks our first year anniversary sponsoring "Talent Showcase" with this unique segment of classical folk fusion. March 18: Michael Pulley, acclaimed poet, brings his work to "Capital Talent Showcase". Pulley is an educator and avid participant in the music of spoken words. Hosted by Kristi Lee. March 4: Lee Amir brings her original singing, songwriting and guitar work to our show. A seasoned Sacramento performer, Amir shares her soon to be released songs from her first album. February 4, January 21, January 7: Acclaimed soloist Erika Luckett appears in a marvelous production of "Capital Talent Showcase." Luckett is an award-winning songwriter, singer, and phenomenal guitarist. 2002 November 18: Kristi Martel and Littlebird bring their original songs to "Talent Showcase". Hosted by Kristi Lee, this segment showcases this performing duo's beautifully arranged vocals, accompanying themselves on keyboard and guitar. October 21: "Talent Showcase" tapes a segment with Stephanie Haffner. Her original folk pop songwriting, vocals, and guitar accompaniment warm the stage with fun and insight into life's pathways. Interviewed by Kristi Lee, Haffner shares tales of her dual career as a musician and rural legal aid attorney. September 29: A multi band musical tribute to musician Omar Shariff is filmed at Jazzmen's Art of Pasta in Old Sacramento. Produced and hosted by Steve Hoffman, this segment of the "American Road Show" is recorded by audio engineer Kristin Lee Specht for Access Sacramento. September 16: The musical duo "Duval Speck" is filmed for "Talent Showcase". This segment features original songwriting, vocals, guitar, and keyboards by Linda Duval with songwriter/vocalist Cathy Speck on percussion. They are producers of the popular "Women's Nite" series showcasing female musicians. August 19: Musical theater graces the stage with the eight piece band dRAW pINKY. Their blend of "pulp friction" songwriting, rock and roll characterizations, and stunning costuming are unique in the pop music scene. Some of their songs feature lyrics by the acclaimed poet Viola Weinberg. August 2: Leo Silva's Touch Sound Services produces the audio at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in downtown Sacramento for the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's annual event. The Latin bands "Malo" and "Tierra" are the featured acts. Kristin Lee Specht and Ann Vaca assist Leo Silva with set-up as stage hands for this noteable event. July 16: Singer Carol J Toca and his jazz band comprised of musicians Jimmy Malone (keyboards), Grant Reeves (saxophones) , and Carlos Verrett (drumset) broadcast their set of jazz standards on Sacramento public access television's "Capital Talent Showcase". July 2: Markus Burger, Wendell Yuponce, and Jerry Pineda are featured as a jazz trio on grand piano, drumset, and upright bass on public access TV's "Capital Talent Showcase", executive producer Kristin Lee Specht. June 18: Tune into avantegard jazz with musicians Kristi Lee on singing bowls and assorted percussion, Markus Burger on grand piano, Grammy and Emmy award winner Wendell Yuponce on drums, with Jerry Pineda on upright bass. We performed a 27 minute improvisation with four movements phased by the healing sounds of the ocean drum, gongs, Himalayan singing bowls, and Tibetan bell. May 11: Kristi Lee offers a lecture about the musical healing work of the Tibetan singing bowls at the FemmeFete event at California State University Sacramento. This event was part of a fundraising weekend to benefit RAWA, a relief organization for women educators in Afghanistan. May 7: Kristi Lee and Markus Burger perform a 20-minute musical meditation suite for singing bowls and keyboard. This unique segment of Access Sacramento's "Capital Talent Showcase" airs on cable channel 73. April 15: "Sweetie Pie" a Vietnamese rock band, bandleader Perry Long Pham, is filmed at Access Sacramento for the "Capital Talent Showcase". Kristi Lee helps singer Diana Trang develop her hosting skills. Diana interviews Perry and opens the show. The band is furnished with an audio demo that yields an engagement at the Pan Asian Rim Festival May 20th. February 25: Elena Powell and her trio bring their folk stylings to Access Sacramento's "Capital Talent Showcase". Elena is a singer/songwriter who is prodigious on violin as well as hollow- body guitar. Her band includes bass, percussion and drums with Morgan Patton and Jeff Tuttle. To be aired in April on cable channels 73/74. February 24: Kristi Lee with Markus Burger at Westminster Prebyterian Church. Newly composed songs of singing bowls, assorted percussion and grand piano will be offered at the morning service. February 13: Kristi Lee and Markus Burger spontaneously compose "spiritual standards" using the grand piano with assorted percussion at SCC's advanced recording sessions workshop. The students are intrigued by this introduction to new sound sources and methods to capture this avante gard jazz music. February 5: Dave Nachmanoff appears on Access Sacramento's "Capital Talent Showcase" hosted by Kristin Lee Specht. Our studio taping features the award- winning Dave equipped with new and old songs. He shares anecdotes about songwriting projects and recent performances. The show will air in March on Sacramento cable channels 73/74. January 24: Live jazz CD recorded and produced by Kristi Lee Productions; this features Markus Burger's quartet of award- winning colleagues, along with special ensemble student performers at SCC's Little Theater. A fabulous performance which includes the world premiere of Markus' jazz song "Madness".
2001 November 29: The Kristi Lee Sound Collective and Sequoia Audio Engineering provide sound reinforcement and produce audio recordings in conjunction with Access Sacramento's "Capital Talent Showcase". Performed at Cafe Paris, this segment featured emerging talent in the Sacramento area. The executive producer is Barny Schur; the program airs on public access cable TV channels 73/74. November 18 & 19: Al Stewart concert at Grace Cathedral, San Francisco is produced by David Silva's Sequoia Audio Engineering with Kristi Lee as assistant audio engineer. October 28: Joanne McDade performs "French Art Song", a faculty recital held at Sacramento City College's Little Theater. David Silva and Kristi Lee make audio recordings using the Blumlein technique. October 27: Kristi Lee Productions records Latif Bolat, Turkish folk music, at Sacramento City College using the coincident pair miking technique. September 20: Kristi Lee presents a half hour talk at Markus Burger's Business of Music Class at Sacramento City College. The topic of this educational outreach of the Kristi Lee Sound Collective included technical and business insights into the successful realization of a commercial self- produced CD. September 11: "Song for America" is composed by Kristi Lee as part of her repertoire of music for healing and spiritual insight. July 14: The Kristi Lee Trio brings their instrumental jazz to Luna's Cafe, located at 1414 16th St. Sacramento. Featuring Kristi Lee, electric bass, Charles Ross, saxophones, and Gene Whitmore, drumset. The show starts at 9 pm. Gina Livingston and superPlumb complete the bill with original songwriting and blues. July 13: Kristi Lee brings her trio of jazz musicians to the volunteer appreciation day of the Sacramento Emergency Housing Center hosted at KVIE. Gina Livingston opens the show. June 17: Rick Lipp, keyboards and vocalist joins the Sound Collective for the Passport Weekend at the Black Sheep Winery in Murphys. Jerome Gallup, songwriter with two gold records for songs recorded by the Jefferson Starship opens the show with his well crafted original vocal and guitar arrangements. A newly composed instrumental by Kristi Lee entitled "Compassion" was unveiled to close the performance. June 16: The Gaden Shartse monks blessed the home of Kristi Lee with their wisdom chanting. Kristi Lee played portions of the "Symphony of the Seasons" and presented a gift of the CD to the abbott. May: Donation of five audio cassettes of the "Symphony of the Seasons" presented to the prison project sponsored by Carol's Books. May 16: Darrell Steinberg, elected representative for the California State Assembly receives a gift of music, CD of the "Symphony of the Seasons". February 28: The Kristi Lee Jazz Ensemble brought their original instrumental jams and classy jazz standards to Luna's Cafe, located at 16th and O St. in Sacramento. Featured performers included John Burton, drums; Don Price, guitar; Craig Lehman, keyboards; Gwendel Rodriguez, vocals; and Kristi Lee on bass and vibes. February 24: Cultural exchange with the Consul General of China and Alexander Tao, martial arts master from China. Each received a gift of the "Symphony of the Seasons" at the fundraiser for Serve Our Seniors at the Towe Auto Museum. February 20: New composition alert: The entire song cycle entitled "The Eight Auspicious Symbols" was unveiled for the first time during the live performance at Luna's. The final symbol "The Lotus Flower" was finalized during the band's rehearsal on February 20. Its metaphysical meaning is: "The lotus flower symbolises the complete purification of the defilements of the body, speech and mind, and the full blossoming of wholesome deeds in blissful liberation." January: New composition completed for the 8 Auspicious Symbols song cycle. So far "Golden Fish" (aka "Don't Ask/ Don't Tell"), "Vase of Treasure", "Victory Banner", "Precious Umbrella", "Auspicious Painting" (aka "Gush and Bore"), and "The Wheel" have been completed. The" Lotus Flower" and "Right Coiled White Conch" remain to be composed. Sound Collective web site launched. Stay tuned for more information regarding the meanings behind the themes of the 8 Auspicious symbols and further details of our history and mission. One of the 8 Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism is "The Wheel", a golden wheel that symbolizes the mutual dependence of religious doctrine and secular affairs. Similarly, it represents the union of path and method, the inseparability of emptiness and dependent arising at the time of path, and finally, at the time of enlightenment, the complete union of wisdom and great compassion. Kristi Lee meditates on the symbolic themes and composes bass grooves in the jazz/rock fusion style. The band creates glistening solos, the "fresh bread" of improvised music. Email us if you would like to find out more about our mission of music for healing. Stay tuned! Namaste'.
2000 November: the Kristi Lee Jazz Ensemble plays Jazzman's Art of Pasta in Old Sacramento on November 12th. Featured musicians were Kristi Lee, vibes and bass, Don Price, guitar, Craig Lehman, keyboards, and Gwendel Rodriguez, vocals. We played an eclectic mix of jazz standards and newly composed instrumental jams composed by Kristi Lee on bass. The jams were inspired by the themes of the 8 Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism. October 17: Copyright granted for the "Symphony of the Seasons". March: We began final production of the CD jacket. The first run was completed in October and copyright forms were filed in November.
1999 October: Post production of the "Symphony of the Seasons" finalized. January: "Symphony of the Seasons" composition and recording complete. 1998 January: Composition and recording of the "Symphony of the Seasons" begins with "Winter's Song". |
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