Oluyemi Thomas and Pushing Air at The Luggage Store October 5, 2006

Come hear...

creative musician
Oluyemi Thomas

and

Pushing Air
live looping vocals

Thursday
October 5th
8pm

at
The Luggage Store
1007 Market Street
at 6th Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 255-5971

$6-10 sliding scale
All ages welcome

Oluyemi Thomas was born in Detroit, Michigan. He studied at Washtenaw College in Ann Arbor, Michigan where he received an Associate of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. While attending Washtenaw College, he also studied music and the spiritual and physical nature of sound & silence. Great love and respect for the Arts is regarded as a gem to his parents who passed this on to him and his sisters and brothers. In his childhood years his mother & father often listened to the masters Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Dinah Washington and Billie Holiday. As a creative musician, performer, recording artist teacher and engineer, Mr. Thomas seeks to express his abiding love for the hidden power of Art. Oluyemi’s primary focus is to touch the inner core of individuals, be it in a forum, radio, television, recording or on the bandstand. For two decades he & his lovely wife poet Ijeoma have been members of the music and poetry unit Positive Knowledge. (Bass Clarinet/Saxophone) He may be heard on Music & Arts, Ear Light Records, Eremite, Rastascan & BMG labels. His travels to Africa, the Middle East & Europe are elements he brings to the mix. Oluyemi’s experience in sharing musical language utterance include the great Cecil Taylor, Wadada Leo Smith, Alan Silva, William Parker, Wilber Morris, John Tchicai, Roscoe Mitchell and wonderful conversations with Anthony Braxton and Charles Gayle. Mr. Oluyemi believes “The musician’s art is among those arts worthy of the highest praise”… and “Music should lead to spirituality”…

Pushing Air is a San Francisco-based, solo acapella, live-looping project blending high-diva vocals, jazz-based improvisation, beatboxing and extended vocal technique. Conservatory-trained and bebop-schooled vocalist Diana Thompson writes and performs all parts, from vocalizing drums and bass to singing lead vocals and harmonies. Borrowing techniques from scat singing and extended vocal technique, Diana uses non-English words and syllables to focus keenly on entrancing groove-making. For more on Pushing Air, go to http://www.pushingair.com

Official Website: http://www.luggagestoregallery.org