PLUNKY & ONENESS

What a week of music and travel!  Sunday I drove 75 miles from Richmond to Hampton, VA to see Brides of Funkenstein featuring Dawn Silva.  While that was a little bit of a distance for me, my colleague, Sheidia, came all the way from Paris, France to catch the show.

Sheidia, my French publicist, had been trying set up a meeting between me and French hip-hop artist, Akhenaton of the IAM Band, in the hopes that we could explore prospects for collaborating on some music projects.   When she found out that Akhenaton was doing a show in Montreal, Sheidia set up a meeting for me and my son, Fire, with Akhenaton and his manager at 1:30 on the afternoon of his Thursday night show....

Sheidia, my publicist in France, contacted me to say she was coming to Hampton, Virginia to see Brides of Funkenstein, one of the two female groups that were a part of George Clinton’s  Parliament-Funkadelic mega-entourage in the 1970’s and 80’s.   Sheidia was coming from Paris because she wanted to meet with original Brides member, Dawn Silva, to discuss working with her on promotions and gigs in France.  

Somehow, Sheidia knew about this gig and I didn’t. 

If Sheidia was coming all the way from Paris then certainly I could go the last 75 miles from my home in Richmond to catch the show, especially since Sheidia indicated that there was the possibility for me to do some collaborating or gigging in the near future.

My Capital Jazz Super Cruise III Day 1. 8:00 PM Saturday evening, October 10, 2009 aboard the Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas for the Capital Jazz Super Cruise in my state room. I have just returned to my room to rest a bit after seeing Jonathan Butler’s solo guitar performance where he was joined by trumpeter Rick Braun for singular duo concert in the atrium of the grand ocean liner with the sunlight filtering from above and the Chesapeake Bay streaming pass the glass walls. People were hanging over the railings five floors up, lounging about, taking pictures and taking it all in. I felt blessed and happy to be there to witness the scene. I realized I am finally underway and this is what it will be all about: participating in a wonderful relaxing happening, filled with music, scenic views and camaraderie. The audience already...

J. Plunky Branch offers music for old fans and new with an impressive 5-disc compilation, Plunky & Oneness 2012 Collectors’ Box Set, a retrospective of the best of his last 20 years’ 12 CD albums. Long known for his versatility, saxophonist-producer Plunky has exceeded the bounds of eclecticism in this extensive library of songs organized into genre-specific CD’s: Urban Groove, Cool Jazz, Love Songs, P Phunk and Afro World, packaged into a box set. This is a collection of songs by one of the most prolific and enduring groups of the last 40 years. The band originated in the early 1970’s as Plunky & Oneness of Juju, an avant Afro-jazz ensemble, and they developed by constantly exploring a wide range additional genres of Black music including R&B, funk, smooth jazz, reggae, hip-hop and neo-soul. Plunky and the group has continued to record and tour extensively and recently had...

December 1, 2008 – On the flight from Newark to Paris… I am not sure that I want to keep a journal on this trip. I am not sure I want to spend the time and the energy or share the introspection. My thoughts these past few weeks have been so personal that I am not sure if anyone else should be privy to them. I have been concentrating on promotion of my career, marketing my wares and pursuing personal and spiritual development so much that it seems I am self-absorbed. Maybe only others who are on a similar artistic journey or those in my personal musiclan would be interested in a blog about my experiences on this tour. I have been working on a theory of musiclans – music clans – groups of people responding to and influenced by the same music. Those of us who...

New Urban jazz artist Plunky follows up his nationally acclaimed hit “Drop” with Drive It, a new 14-song CD album of pipin' hot dance music, funk, jazz and Go-Go. The hour-long disc revs it up, puts it in gear and stomps on the gas. Destination...the dance floor of the hottest spots in the city for the real grown and sexy. The CD takes off with the up tempo title song “Drive It,” a hypnotic instrumental groove with classic hit potential amongst urban radio and club audiences alike. Next, Plunky brings back a 80's inspired Euro-retro-dance sound with “Gotta Keep Moving,” followed by the horn driven party starter “Every Way But Loose,” a remake of his 1982 release, which charted in both the US and London. Plunky also pays homage to the Mid-Atlantic Go-Go sound with a medley of DC flavored songs like “Life – You’re Full Of...

PLUNKY’S “DROP” REACHES MILLIONS VIA MICHAEL BAISDEN’S SYNDICATED URBAN TALK AND MUSIC RADIO SHOW Veteran saxophonist, J. Plunky Branch, known to thousands of progressive jazz fans simply as “Plunky” is a prolific, versatile, and eternally youthful composer and performer who has been making audiences groove since the early 1970’s from his hometown of Richmond, VA to London and Paris. Plunky is making millions of new fans everyday via the airplay his song “Drop” is receiving on Michael Baisden’s nationally syndicated urban talk and music radio show. “Drop,” the ultra-funky instrumental opening track on Plunky’s Cold Heat CD, is turning up the heat across the country. The song was produced by Danja Mowf, whose credits include Aaliyah and Missy Elliot. Incredibly, “Drop” is based on a sample taken from Plunky’s own “African Rhythms,” a tune that shot him to soul-jazz stardom in Europe over 30 years...

Plunky Newsletter “Drop” to Receive National Distribution Liaison Distribution, home of R&B, jazz, gospel, and Washington, DC Go-Go groups, including Chuck Brown, recently reached out to us in response to strong demand and continuing airplay of “Drop” in the Washington/Baltimore, Virginia and Atlanta markets. Our discussions have led to a national distribution agreement with Liaison assuring that the growing demand for our Cold Heat CD can be met through all types of retail outlets. Our agreement with Liaison Distribution will also make available our N.A.M.E. Brand Records back catalogue of 20 albums by Plunky & Oneness including early classics by Oneness of Juju. We are pleased to be associated with this renowned music distributor. Liaison Distribution can be contacted at 9435 Washington Blvd., Suite M, Laurel, MD 20723, 1-800-841-6201. * * * Plunky & Oneness will be appearing at the Capital Jazz Festival at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in...

Hello Friends and Associates: In this issue: · Plunky & Oneness On the Airwaves · Oneness Gigs and Appearances · Plunky Lectures and Screenings · Sales and Projects · My View from the Stage Plunky & Oneness On the Airwaves A video clip from our Plunky & Oneness of Juju – Live In Paris DVD is being featured on “Straight Ahead,” the jazz show on US cable television station BET J, based in Washington, DC. At the same time, WHUR-FM and other DC area radio stations have been airing our ultra-funky song “Drop” from our recently released Cold Heat CD. It is always gratifying when our jazz and funk is broadcast to the masses, but it is even more rewarding when our fans and friends call and email, sharing their excitement about hearing and seeing us on radio and TV. Funk you very much! Oneness Gigs and Appearances After many requests from loyal locals (and following in the steps...

Cold Heat, the new CD album by J. Plunky Branch, is a 14-song collection of soul, R&B and jazz percolating over hip-hop beats. On Cold Heat Plunky plays with fire and keeps it cool making it icy hot and phunky. J. Plunky Branch is a world-class saxophonist, songwriter, and producer who for over 35 years has been making some of the most avant-garde Afro-jazz funk on the planet. His recordings are collections of the widest range of progressive Black music, like John Coltrane jamming with George Clinton and P-Funk. On Cold Heat, his 21st album, Plunky is still blowing his horn and he is now also singing his songs about life, love and the pursuit of the groove. With lyrics that teach, soar and inspire, Plunky’s songs on Cold Heat elevate, caress, and inform slamming hip-hop rhythm tracks produced by Setworkrz, the Virginia-based production duo with the Dirty South...

PLUNKY & ONENESS OF JUJU – LIVE IN PARIS DVD Saxophonist J. Plunky Branch his legendary group Oneness of Juju perform their innovative blend of jazz, R&B, hip-hop, funk and traditional African music in this concert recorded live at Paris’s New Morning jazz club. A bonus documentary reveals Plunky’s lifelong commitment to social justice by chronicling his involvement with the 1960’s civil rights and anti-war movements. Reviews: - Plunky and Oneness of Juju offer an extra funky live set in this release of a concert originally captured live in November of 2004. A twenty-two song set list including "Space Jungle Luv", "Be About the Future", "Got to Move Something", "World Wide Party", and "Every Way but Loose", ensures that the funk keeps coming as the party gets started, and an additional interview with Plunky himself, as well as a documentary on the man, offers a little something extra for the die-hard fan....

Plunky & Oneness of Juju Tour de France March 2006 In November2004 our group, Plunky & Oneness of Juju, played in Paris for the first time. Now, 18 months later a DVD called “Live In Pairs” is being released and we are going on a mini- tour of France to promote it and to push for more touring in the coming months. Sunday, March 19, 2006; on the plane at the Richmond Airport. We are finally on the plane, finally ready for take off, finally on our way to Paris! If we can judge by the dues paying, the number of delays and planning re-adjustments that we have had to endure to get to this point, and if you truly get what you pay for, then this tour should be nothing short of “da bomb!” Just today for example, my luggage was overweight and even after trying to re-pack...

Journey to Produce Music in Cuba By J. Plunky Branch I decided to take the opportunity to travel to Cuba to conduct research in my professional field, Africa and African-American Music History. I spent several weeks making contacts, gathering information and developing plans to go the island and document the music there as it exists today and as it relates to the history of Black music in the Americas. I would take my digital recording studio equipment, video camera, other gadgets and my son, Jamiah along with me for an 11-day excursion, research, production and performing junket that would be both memorable and rewarding. Here is my journal kept on my laptop during the trip. I share the information and observations with you in the hopes that you will benefit from my experiences, be piqued by my insights and enjoy the adventure… Tuesday, 4/10/01- 3:10am: On the train...

Plunky & Oneness – Impressive In Their Paris Debut Paris – Even before the concert began there was electricity in the air. Monday, November 29, 2004 will long be remembered by members of Plunky & Oneness (of Juju) and their French fans as the date of the band’s triumphant debut in Paris. The venue for the band’s first Parisian concert was the New Morning, a place that has a history of presenting great jazz artists from Ella Fitzgerald and Dee Bridgewater to Chick Corea, Maceo Parker, Pharaoh Sanders, Archie Shepp and too many others to name them all. And according to the promoters, the Monday night concert by Plunky & Oneness (of Juju) was up to the club’s high standards. There was a rush to get choice seats and stage-edge positions when the first 100 hundred patrons who had lined up outside were allowed inside the club 90 minutes...