Muruga Booker
Muruga Booker | |
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Verve Forecast | |
Website | Musart (on Bandcamp) |
Steven Bookvich known as Muruga Booker (born December 27, 1942) is an American drummer, composer, inventor, artist, recording artist, and an
Biography
Booker was born in Detroit, Michigan, on December 27, 1942, at
Musical career
1950s
Booker first played the accordion before taking up drums as a preteen. He studied drums under Misha Bichkoff, a Russian music teacher.[1]
1960s
He first professionally played drums in 1961 with "The Low Rocks" in Detroit as Steve Booker.[4] Under that name he also achieved local recognition playing in 1962 with the "Thunder Rocks"[5] and both bands released singles on the Sabre Records label, which they also created.[4]
Booker became known for his long, driving drum solos. He shared the bill at venues like Detroit's Eastown Theatre and Grande Ballroom with Ted Nugent, Traffic, Jack Bruce, Mose Allison, Sam Lay, Jimmy Reed and many others.[6] He often performed as Steve Booker's New Volume.[6]
In 1964 he began playing with folk-rock singers
In 1964 and 1965, Booker played and recorded with the psychedelic folk rock band The Spike Drivers,[8] and they recorded several songs including Can't Stand The Pain[9] and I'm So Glad.[10]
In 1965 he was asked by Richard Williams[11] to become a member of The Casuals to back up Brenda Lee, and he toured with them for several months all over the USA.
Starting in 1966 he began playing with John Lee Hooker at many Detroit area venues, and they were often booked as Hooker and Booker.[12]
In 1968 he joined the Paul Winter and The Winter Consort, and performed on their album Something in the Wind.[13]
In 1969, at the first
1970s
In January 1970, Booker played several songs with John Lee Hooker on a TV show called Detroit Tube Works,[12] which was syndicated and aired on TV stations all over the United States.[19]
In the early 1970s Booker often played with Ted Nugent, who referred to him in an interview as "dangerous and incredible" on drums.[20] A song that was the result of a jam session with Nugent ended up becoming "Stranglehold", which was based around a drum beat and song of Booker's.[21]
In November 1971, he recorded with
In 1971, Muruga met
In 1973, Muruga joined the
In 1973 and 1974, he recorded with Weather Report[26] on their albums Sweetnighter and Mysterious Traveller.[15]
1980s
In the late 1970s and early 1980s Booker lived in New York City and played with David Peel on several projects including "King of Punk" and "Death to Disco". While recording "Junk Rock" with David Peel, Muruga recorded for the first time with the Nada Drum that he invented (it was referred to as an "Electric Talking Drum" on this song).
In 1980 he moved back to Detroit, where he connected with
In mid-1985 he moved to Oakland, California, and formed the band Muruga UFM, which included Big Brother and the Holding Company guitarist James Gurley.[29]
In 1989, he recorded with Prem Das on the drum meditation album Journey of the Drums,[30] as well as two other trance drumming recordings, that he released on his Musart record label.
1990s
In 1990 he met Merl Saunders and they formed Merl Saunders and the Rainforest Band and recorded with Jerry Garcia, on the album Blues From the Rainforest.[31] They toured to support the album with Steve Kimock on guitar, and John Popper on harmonica, and recorded Fiesta Amazonica,[32] a 2 CD live recording called Save the Planet So We'll Have Someplace to Boogie[33] as well as a live DVD of Blues From The Rainforest.[34]
2000s
In 2000, after moving back to Michigan a couple years prior, Booker formed the band Muruga and The Global Village Ceremonial Band,
In 2003 he began playing and recording with jazz saxophonist Mark Hershberger, and Richard Smith (bass guitar) as the Global Jazz Trio[26][36] and as a five piece group called The Global Jazz Project.[37] Muruga no longer performs with The Global Jazz Trio or Global Jazz Project, but continues to record with Hershberger as a duo, or on various projects.[38]
In 2004, Muruga formed the band Free Funk, featuring P-Funk All-Star rapper Louie "Babblin'" Kabbabie[39] and George Clinton's son Tracey Lewis[40] (aka Trey Lewd).[35]
In October 2009, Muruga recorded what would become James Gurley's final recording projects, at his studio in Ann Arbor, Michigan. One of the recordings that resulted was called Big Huge, and was released on limited-edition vinyl by Qbico,[41] in addition to another album with his band Free Funk, called Selfadelic Funk.[42] Big Huge was remixed and remastered in 2016, with more songs included, and released as a digital download on Bandcamp.[43]
2010s
In 2010, Muruga Booker and The Rain Forest Band (featuring
In 2013 he formed Muruga & the Cosmic Hoedown Band (Later renamed to Muruga Cosmic Boogie), with Muruga (drums, guitar, and vocals), Shakti Booker (vocals & drums), Parliament Funkadelic member Tony "Strat" Thomas[45] (guitar), Patrick Sarniak (guitar), Benjamin Piner (bass), Douglas Weaver (bass), and Ralph Koziarski (woodwinds, brass & percussion).[46]
In 2012 & 2014 Muruga won a Detroit Music Award for "Outstanding World Music Instrumentalist". In 2014 he won the Detroit Music Award for "Outstanding World Music Recording" for "Joty Drums" by Muruga Booker, Pandit Samar Saha, & John Churchville.[47] Booker has been the recipient of a total of six Detroit Music Awards.[47]
In 2017, in honor of John Lee Hooker's 100th birthday anniversary celebration, he formed Booker Blues All-Stars and recorded a CD with the band called Booker Plays Hooker.[48] The band consists of Muruga (drums), Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Billy Davis[49] (guitar & vocals), Tony "Strat" Thomas[45] (guitar), John Sauter[50] (bass guitar) (who also played with Hooker & Booker), Misty Love[51] (former backup singer for Kid Rock), and special guest Peter "Madcat" Ruth.[48]
Recording history highlights
Through the 1960s, as Steve Booker, he recorded with
In mid-1985 his band Muruga UFM recorded Terroristic Activities 1990 and Rock the Planet 1993. In 1990 he, his wife Shakti, and Prem Das recorded the long-selling Journey of the Drums, a pioneering drum album. That same year, Booker joined
Discography
- 1961 – Low Rocks – Blueberry Jam / Midnight Tears[57] (single)
- 1964 – Jim and Jean – Changes[52]
- 1965 – The Spike Drivers – I'm So Glad and Can't Stand The Pain (singles)[58]
- 1968 – Jim and Jean – People World
- 1968 – Paul Winter Consort – Something in the Wind[54]
- 1971 – Allen Ginsberg and Bob Dylan sessions[22][23]
- 1972 – Ursa Major – Ursa Major (Dick Wagner)[59]
- 1972 – Darius Brubeck – Chaplin's Back[25]
- 1973 – Weather Report – Sweetnighter
- 1973 – Al Kooper – Naked Songs
- 1974 – Weather Report – Mysterious Traveller
- 1978 – David Peel & Death – King of Punk[60]
- 1978 – Mitch Ryder – How I Spent My Vacation[61]
- 1981 – Funkadelic – The Electric Spanking of War Babies
- 1982 – George Clinton – Computer Games
- 1982 – Godmoma – Here(with Bootsy Collins)
- 1983 – P-Funk All Stars – Urban Dance Floor Guerillas[62]
- 1984 – Muruga & The Soda Jerks – Boogy With You (single)
- 1985 – George Clinton – Some of My Best Jokes Are Friends
- 1989 – Prem Das, Muruga, and Shakti – Journey of the Drums
- 1990 – Merl Saunders and The Rainforest Band – Blues From the Rainforest[63] (with Jerry Garcia)
- 1990 – Muruga – Muruga
- 1992 – Muruga U.F.M. (Unified Field Marshals) – Rock The Planet
- 1993 – Muruga & The Soda Jerks – George Clinton's Family Series: Testing Positive 4 The Funk
- 1993 – George Clinton – Hey Man... Smell My Finger
- 1994 – Sikiru Adepoju, Muruga, Babatunde Olatunji – Cosmic Rhythm Vibrations[64]
- 1994 – Allen Ginsberg – Holy Soul Jelly Roll: Poems & Songs (with Bob Dylan)[23]
- 1995 – P-Funk All Stars – Dope Dogs
- 1995 – Parliament, Funkadelic, P-Funk All Stars Presents With Primal Scream – Police Doggy
- 1995 – P-Funk All Stars – Hydraulic Funk
- 1995 – David Peel & the Lower East Side – Up Against the Wall[65]
- 1998 – Merl Saunders & the Rainforest Band – Fiesta Amazonica[66]
- 1998 – Merl Saunders With His Funky Friends – 'Live!'
- 2003 – Buzzy Linhart – Presents the Big Few[67]
- 2005 – Babatunde Olatunji – Circle of Drums
- 2005 – Global Jazz Trio – Live in Detroit: Global Jazz Trio at Baker's Keyboard Lounge[68]
- 2009 – Global Jazz Project – Out Of This World: Live At The 30th Annual Detroit International Jazz[69]
- 2009 – Peter Walker – Long Lost Tapes 1970[70]
- 2010 – James Gurley & Muruga Booker – Big Huge[41]
- 2011 – David Leikam & Muruga Booker – After the Ice Cream (with John Churchville)
- 2012 – Muruga Booker, Pandit Samir Saha,[71] John Churchville[72] – Joty Drums[73]
- 2013 – Muruga & The Cosmic Hoedown Band – Changing The Sound of Your Room
- 2013 – Woodstock 40 Years On: Back to Yasgur's Farm[74] (with Tim Hardin)
- 2014 – David Leikam & Muruga Booker – Lunar Frequencies / Solar Rhythms
- 2016 – Muruga & The Worms – Muruga & The Worms (with James Gurley)
- 2016 – Wormhole Cafe (feat. P-Funk All-Stars & more) – At The Wormhole Cafe
- 2016 – Muruga Cosmic Boogie – Harmonious World
- 2017 – Muruga Booker – Bio-Harmonic Rhythms
- 2017 – Booker Blues All Stars – Booker Plays Hooker
- 2017 – Muruga & The Global Village Ceremonial Band – Muruga & The Global Village Ceremonial Band[75] (remastered)
- 2018 – Muruga Booker – Within The Within
- 2020 – Muruga Booker – Boom Zoom
- 2021 – Booker & Bridges DaLight – World Jamdemic
- 2021 – Muruga Cosmic Boogie – All Night Long
Filmography
- 1970 – John Lee Hooker at Detroit Tube Works (televised)[12]
- 1990 – Merl Saunders – Blues From The Rainforest: A Musical SuiteMobile Fidelity Sound Labs
- 2000 – Merl Saunders – Blues From The Rainforest: A Musical Suite[34]
- 2005 – One: The Movie, Circle of Bliss Productions
- 2012 – Groovemonster,[77] Quantum Media Arts
- 2014 – Border City Music Project documentary[78]
- 2022 – Sitting Bull Standing Tall, Media Stream LLC
Other achievements
- In 1984 Booker invented and patented the nada drum,[79] a variation on the talking drum, which was sold through Latin Percussion.[80]
- He is a recipient of the 1991 Hiroshima Voices for Peace award.[35]
- He was ordained as a priest in the Orthodox Church, and operates his own autonomous church, St. Gregory Palamas Orthodox Church, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
- He built and operates his own recording studio, Sage Ct. Studios,[81][non-primary source needed] and founded his own record label, Musart, which he currently distributes through Bandcamp.[2]
- He has won several Detroit Music Awards in various categories including "Outstanding World Music Instrumentalist".[82]
- He won 2 "Best of Washtenaw County" Reader's Choice Awards.[83]
References
- ^ a b c d e The Return of Muruga Booker: Interview & Photos by P.T. Quinn, Recording Engineers' Quarterly (2000)
- ^ a b Muruga Booker and Musart on Bandcamp
- ^ St. Gregory Palamas Celtic Orthodox Church of Ann Arbor Facebook page
- ^ a b "The Birth of the Detroit Sound: 1940–1964" by Marilyn Bond & S. R. Boland, Arcadia Publishing (2002) pg. 93.
- ^ Gold Thunder: A Legendary Adventures of a Motown Bassman by Tony Newton and Ted Lucas (2012)
- ^ a b Muruga Booker at theconcertdatabase.com
- ^ Jim & Jean Discography at Discogs
- ^ "The Spike-Drivers – Folkrocking Psychedelia from the Motor City in The Record Fiend, September 2, 2010". Archived from the original on November 14, 2013. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
- ^ The Spike Drivers – Can't Stand The Pain (1965) on youtube
- ^ The Spike Drivers – I'm So Glad (1965) on youtube
- ^ Richard Williams of 1956 group called "The Casuals" at garyedwardsmusic.blogspot.com
- ^ a b c John Lee Hooker Detroit Tube Works 1970 on youtube
- ^ Paul Winter and The Winter Consort – Something In The Wind at Discogs
- ^ Richard Bock Woodstock Cellist at Woodstock Whisperer blog, November 3, 2017
- ^ a b c d Weather Report The Annotated Discography: Sweet Nighter by Curt Bianchi
- ^ Woodstock Revisited: 50 Far Out, Groovy, Peace-Loving, Flashback-Inducing Stories From Those Who Were There by Susan Reynolds, Adams Media (2009) Pg. 110
- ^ Woodstock: Interview with Muruga Booker by William C. Leikam, originally printed in Relix (US) and Zabriski Point (Russia)
- ^ a b Rama Rama/Endless Path at Bandcamp
- ^ DETROIT TUBEWORKS Great Pre-Cable Music TV by Sam Leighty (June 2014) on Perfect Sound Forever at furious.com
- ^ Ted Nugent talks about Steve "Muruga" Booker on drums – 1971 on Detroit Tube Works TV show
- ^ MURUGA profile on youtube
- ^ a b c Allen Ginsberg – First Blues at allmusic
- ^ a b c Allen Ginsberg – Holy Soul Jelly Roll: Poems & Songs at allmusic
- ^ a b The Darius Brubeck Ensemble – Intro By Dave Brubeck
- ^ a b c Darius Brubeck – Chaplin's Back at Discogs
- ^ a b c d Global Jazz Trio: New Release Jazz News 2006 (Nestor Publishers)
- ^ Maruga & The Soda Jerks – Superstar Madness on Testing-Positive-4-The-Funk compilation
- ^ a b Muruga Booker P-Funk Family on George Clinton official website
- ^ Muruga UFM – Funky Jacket at Bandcamp
- ^ Journey of the Drums on Discogs
- ^ Merl Saunders – Blues From The Rainforest: A Musical Suite at Discogs
- ^ Merl Saunders – Fiesta Amazonica at Discogs
- ^ Merl Saunders and The Rainforest Band – Save the Planet So We'll Have Someplace to Boogie at allmusic
- ^ a b Merl Saunders – Blues From The Rainforest DVD at discogs
- ^ Ann Arbor News, September 15, 2008
- ^ Williams, H. Allen. Review of the CD Live in Detroit, Global Jazz Trio at Bakers Keyboard Lounge by H. Allen Williams in Jazz Review, Mar. 11, 2006 Archived July 24, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Global Jazz Project songs on allmusic
- ^ Muruga Booker and Musart Media on Bandcamp
- ^ Louie Kabbabie discography at Discogs
- ^ Trey Lewd Discography at Discogs
- ^ a b James Gurley & Muruga Booker – It's Big Huge at Disocgs
- ^ Free Funk – Selfadelic Funk on Bandcamp
- ^ James Gurley & Muruga Booker – Big Huge at Bandcamp
- ^ Detroit International Jazz Festival: Navigating a stellar lineup on mlive.com
- ^ a b Tony Thomas discography on Discogs
- ^ Muruga & the Cosmic Hoedown Band in SonicBids.com
- ^ a b "Detroit Music Awards website: 2012 Winners". Archived from the original on September 29, 2011. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
- ^ a b Booker Blues All-Stars – Booker Plays Hooker on Bandcamp
- ^ Billy Davis on musicwikidetroit.org
- ^ John Sauter discography on Discogs
- ^ Misty Love on Discogs
- ^ allmusic
- ^ Jim and Jean – People World at allmusic
- ^ a b Paul Winter Consort – Something in the Wind at allmusic
- ^ Swami Satchidananda – The Woodstock Years at shakticom
- ^ Gunter Hampel Galaxie Band – Angel at allmusic
- ^ Low Rocks – Blueberry Jam / Midnight Tears Get Hip Archive Series re-release at Discogs
- ^ Spike Drivers – Folkrocking Psychedelic Innovation From The Motor City In The Mid 60s at allmusic
- ^ Ursa Major at Discogs
- ^ David Peel & Death – King of Punk at allmusic
- ^ Mitch Ryder – How I Spent My Vacation at allmusic
- ^ P-Funk All Stars – Urban Dance Floor Guerillasat allmusic
- ^ Merl Saunders and The Rainforest Band – Blues From the Rainforest at allmusic
- amazon.com
- ^ David Peel & the Lower East Side – Up Against the Wall at allmusic
- ^ Merl Saunders & the Rainforest Band – Fiesta Amazonica on allmusic
- ^ Buzzy Linhart – Presents the Big Few at allmusic
- ^ Global Jazz Trio – Live in Detroit: Global Jazz Trio at Baker's Keyboard Lounge at allmusic
- ^ Global Jazz Project – Out Of This World: Live At The 30th Annual Detroit International Jazz at allmusic
- ^ Peter Walker – Long Lost Tapes 1970 at Discogs
- ^ samarsaha.com
- ^ johnchurchville.com
- ^ Joty Drums on Bandcamp
- ^ Woodstock 40 Years On: Back to Yasgur's Farm at allmusic
- ^ Muruga & The Global Village Ceremonial Band – Muruga & The Global Village Ceremonial Band on Bandcamp
- Amazon.com,
- ^ Groovemonster Movie Trailer on YouTube
- ^ Documentary Film – Border City Music Project on YouTube
- ^ Nada Drum Patent
- ^ Nada Drum by Latin Percussion at LAPR
- ^ Sage Ct. Studio Facebook Page
- ^ Eminem, Four Tops among Detroit Music Award winners 2014 Detroit Music Award Winners in The Oakland Press
- ^ "Best of Washtenaw" Current Magazine