Kashmere Stage Band
Encyclopedia
Kashmere Stage Band was an elite performing unit of the student band at Kashmere High School
from the late 1960s until 1978.
in Houston, Texas
. Music teacher Conrad O. Johnson
attended an Otis Redding
concert in 1967 and was inspired to translate the style of the concert into a program he could sustain at the high school in order to create opportunities for his student musicians, and thus the Kashmere Stage Band was born. During its time, KSB won national championships in high school band competitions and gained a reputation as being unbeatable. Johnson served as band director, arranger, and principal composer for the band. KSB recorded eight albums during its life.
The teenagers in the Kashmere Stage Band produced a sound equal to that of the contemporary funk
bands the JB's and the Bar-Kays
. Although lost for decades, since 2003 the KSB recordings have been released, some for the first time, on both vinyl record and CD and have become prized by hip-hop artist
s and DJ's for their inimitable sound. A notable sampling occurs on the Handsome Boy Modeling School
album So... How's Your Girl?
; DJ Shadow
’s track “Holy Calamity (Bear Witness II)” samples “Kashmere” from the album Kashmere Stage Band Plays Originals. Notable KSB alumni include jazz drummer Bubbha Thomas. Stones Throw Records
imprint label Now-Again Records released a compilation of KSB material in 2006.
In February of 2008, thirty original members of the Kashmere Stage Band, all in their mid-50s, reunited for the first time in over three decades to pay tribute to their legendary leader, Conrad "Prof" Johnson, who was 92 at the time. The story of Prof, the exceptional music program he built, and the historic reunion of his former students was captured in a feature-length documentary film, Thunder Soul, narrated by Jamie Foxx
, released in theaters on September 23, 2011.
Kashmere High School
Kashmere High School is a secondary school in Houston, Texas that serves grades 9 through 12; it is a part of the Houston Independent School District.Kashmere contains the Conrad O. Johnson School of Fine Arts, a Houston ISD magnet school program....
from the late 1960s until 1978.
History
Kashmere High School is located in a predominantly black neighborhood known as Kashmere GardensKashmere Gardens, Houston
Kashmere Gardens is a historically African-American neighborhood in the northern 610 Loop area in Houston, Texas, United States. A group of single family houses, many of which have large lots, Kashmere Gardens is between an industrial area and a rail corridor....
in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. Music teacher Conrad O. Johnson
Conrad O. Johnson
Conrad O. Johnson was an American music educator, long associated with the city of Houston, who was inducted into the Texas Bandmasters Hall of Fame in 2000....
attended an Otis Redding
Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul and R&B...
concert in 1967 and was inspired to translate the style of the concert into a program he could sustain at the high school in order to create opportunities for his student musicians, and thus the Kashmere Stage Band was born. During its time, KSB won national championships in high school band competitions and gained a reputation as being unbeatable. Johnson served as band director, arranger, and principal composer for the band. KSB recorded eight albums during its life.
The teenagers in the Kashmere Stage Band produced a sound equal to that of the contemporary funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
bands the JB's and the Bar-Kays
Bar-Kays
The Bar-Kays are a popular soul, R&B, and funk group who began performing in 1966 and continue to perform today, although with only one original member. The group had dozens of charting singles from the 1960s to the 1980s, including "Soul Finger" The Bar-Kays are a popular soul, R&B, and funk group...
. Although lost for decades, since 2003 the KSB recordings have been released, some for the first time, on both vinyl record and CD and have become prized by hip-hop artist
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
s and DJ's for their inimitable sound. A notable sampling occurs on the Handsome Boy Modeling School
Handsome Boy Modeling School
Handsome Boy Modeling School was a collaborative project between renowned hip hop producers Dan the Automator and Prince Paul...
album So... How's Your Girl?
So... How's Your Girl?
So... How's Your Girl? is the debut album by Handsome Boy Modeling School, released on the label Tommy Boy Music. It makes liberal use of sound bites from the 1990 episode "The Prettiest Week of My Life" of the sitcom Get a Life, an episode in which the main character decides to attend the...
; DJ Shadow
DJ Shadow
Joshua Paul Davis better known as DJ Shadow is an American music producer, DJ and songwriter. He is considered a prominent figure in the development of instrumental hip hop and first gained notice with the release of his highly acclaimed debut album Endtroducing....., which was constructed...
’s track “Holy Calamity (Bear Witness II)” samples “Kashmere” from the album Kashmere Stage Band Plays Originals. Notable KSB alumni include jazz drummer Bubbha Thomas. Stones Throw Records
Stones Throw Records
Stones Throw Records is an independent hip hop record label based in Los Angeles, California. It was started in 1996 by DJ/Producer Peanut Butter Wolf in part to release the music he made with Charizma who was killed at the age of 20....
imprint label Now-Again Records released a compilation of KSB material in 2006.
In February of 2008, thirty original members of the Kashmere Stage Band, all in their mid-50s, reunited for the first time in over three decades to pay tribute to their legendary leader, Conrad "Prof" Johnson, who was 92 at the time. The story of Prof, the exceptional music program he built, and the historic reunion of his former students was captured in a feature-length documentary film, Thunder Soul, narrated by Jamie Foxx
Jamie Foxx
Eric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...
, released in theaters on September 23, 2011.
Discography
- Texas Thunder Soul 1968–1974
- 1972: Zero Point
- 1974: Out of Gas But Still Burning
External links
- David Brown of Austin's KUT interviews Conrad Johnson
- Conrad O. Johnson Hall of Fame profile
- Documentary on Kashmere Stage Band: http://www.thundersoulmovie.com
- Kashmere High School: http://hs.houstonisd.org/KashmereHS/
- Midheaven Mailorder has various re-issues and remixes: http://www.midheaven.com/artists/kashmere.stage.band.html
- Vynyl.com carries a re-issue of "Zero Point" http://www.vinyl.com/product_id/LPNSOU104
- Also see The Conrad O. Johnson Music& Fine Arts Foundation http://www.conradjohnsonmfa.org
- NPR's All Things Considered did a story about the band: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5599377
- Gray, Chris and John Nova Lomax. The Return of the Kashmere Stage band." Houston PressHouston PressThe Houston Press is an alternative weekly newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in Downtown Houston....
. February 5, 2008.