BABATUNDE LEA Curriculum Vitae
Websites:
LONGTERM POSITIONS
Professional Performing Artist
Program/Artistic Director, Educultural Foundation. The Educultural Foundation is a California 501(c)3 educational non-profit organization, dedicated to facilitating critical thinking about social and cultural issues through music, the visual and performing arts, narrative and dialogue. Educultural programs and workshops are designed to help students, community members, and educators develop critical awareness about the influences on their lives, and empower them to social justice activism, to reach their educational and socio-economic goals.
Leader and Co-Producer, Operation Jazz Band, Healdsburg, Jazz Festival.
Artist in Residence, Start Something, York, PA.
Member of PennPat (Pennsylvania Performing Artists on Tour).
Advisory Board Member, Oakland Public Conservatory, Oakland, CA.
Visiting Drum Instructor, Oakland Public Conservatory, Oakland, CA.
MUSIC TEACHING EXPERIENCE – HIGHER EDUCATION
2009 –2011: Adjunct Instructor, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA (Music 102, Polyrythms as a Metaphor for Culture)
2011 (Feb): Presentation, Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC), Gettysburg, PA (drumming presentation for Black History Month)
2009 (May): Drumming instructor, Santa Rosa Junior College, Santa Rosa, CA (Clinics in Drumming & Ensemble Playing)
2008 (May): Drumming instructor, Santa Rosa Junior College, Santa Rosa, CA (Clinics in Drumming & Ensemble Playing)
1998-2008: Visiting Presenter, Multicultural Education Courses, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA.
1998-2003: Instructor, California State University, Monterey Bay, CA (Course in Drumming)
1995-1998: Visiting Educultural Presenter, Multicultural Education Courses, University of California Berkeley Extension.
MUSIC TEACHING EXPERIENCE – K-12 EDUCATION
2009 –2011 Residency, Fairfield Elementary School
Residency, Lincoln Elementary School
Residency, Arentsville Elementary School
Residency, Biglerville Elementary School
Residency, Bendersville Elemtary School 2000-2009:
2000-Ongoing: Leader, drum instructor & co-founder, Operation Jazz, Healdsburg, CA. Introduction to the jazz band,: the role of each instrument, the creators and innovators of the music, and the historical significance of jazz in the life of the communities from which it emanated.
2008-2009: Drum instructor, Ifield Community College, Thomas Bennett Community College, & Holy Trinity Church of England Secondary School, Crawley. East Sussex, England.
2008: Percussion teacher, “Five Minutes to Chops,’ Educultural Center, Leucate, Languedoc, France.
2008: Drum instructor, After School Program, Vallejo City Unified School District, Vallejo, CA.
2007-2008: Drum instructor, Middle & High School, Oakland School of the Arts, Oakland, CA.
2006-2007: Drum teacher, OPC, Oakland Public Conservatory, Oakland, CA.
2006: Drum instructor, Ifield Community College, Crawley. East Sussex, England
2006: Drum instructor, After School Program, Vacaville City Unified School District, Vacaville, CA.
2001-2005:- Drum instructor, Admiral Farragut Elementary School, Vallejo City Unified School District, Vallejo, CA.
1998-2008: Jazz drumming instructor, Jazz clinics, Healdsburg High Schools, Healdsburg, CA.
1996, 1997 & 1999: Drum Instructor, Napa Valley College Upward Bound Program, Napa, CA.
1974-1977: Drum Instructor, Memorial House Community Center, Englewood, NJ.
1971-1972: Music instructor, Grades K-1, Buena Vista Elementary School, San Francisco, CA.
EDUCATION
1980-1981 Music Theory, Jim Grantham, San Francisco
1967 Credits in Psychology, University of California Extension, San Francisco
1966 Graduate, Dwight Morrow High School, Englewood, New Jersey
RESEARCH INTEREST
Documenting drumming throughout the African Diaspora and the manifestation of these forms in African American music
The effect of drumming on the academic development of elementary school children
“Educulturalism”—Researching and facilitating critical thinking about social, cultural and historical issues through music and dialogue.
DISCOGRAPHY
2009: Umbo Weti, Motema Music
A Living Tribute to Leon Thomas. Recorded live at Yoshi's featuring Earnie Watts, Patrice Rushen, Gary Brown and vocalist Dwight Trible.
2005: Suite Unseen: Summoner of the Ghost, Motema Music
“...there is a convergence of past and present, swing and funk, change and melody. All music should aspire to this level of passion.” - Mark Saleski, blogcritics.org
2003: Soul Pools, Motema Music
"...harks back to the sixties Impulse sound, where heroes like Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders made some of the most soulful, searching music ever." -The Beat
2003: Level of Intent (Re-Release), Motema Music
"Level Of Intent was indeed Babatunde Lea's coming out party and the audaciously radical prophecy that his masterpiece, Soul Pools, has now, oh so brilliantly, fulfilled." - Tom Terrell, Music Dish
2000: March of the Jazz Guerillas, Ubiquity Jazz Records
"...The velvety smoothness and palpable energy if the session command repeated listenings..." - Jazz Times
1995: Level of Intent, Diaspora Records
The first release of this recording
1979: Levels of Consciousness, Theresa Records
“Levels of Consciousness offers a glimpse into Babatunde's multi-directional music, embracing Latin, soul, funk, R&B spiced up with a few hot jazz licks.” - Ron Allen (Jazz Arts Foundation's Jam Session)
PRODUCTION
2010: Gone, David Bass,
Forthcoming: Native Soil, Bujo Kevin Jones,
2009: Umbo Weti, Babatunde Lea, Forthcoming August 2009
2005: Suite Unseen: Summoner of the Ghost, Babatunde Lea
2003: Autumn’s Witch, Walter Savage
2005: Tenth World, Bujo Kevin Jones
2001: Outlyer, Richard Howell
2000: March of the Jazz Guerillas, Babatunde Lea
SIDEMAN RECORDINGS
Forthcoming: Surrender, David Bass.
Forthcoming: Native Soil, Bujo Kevin Jones.
2005: Tenth World, Bujo Kevin Jones.
2003: Autumn’s Witch, Walter Savage.
2001: Outlyer, Richard Howell
1988: Signature, Richie Cole, “Signature.” Milestone Records.
1986: Voyage, Stan Getz, Black Hawk Records.
1986: No Guru, No Method, No Teacher, Van Morrison, Polygram Records.
1985: Just Feelin, McCoy Tyner, Palo Alto Jazz Records.
1983: Yakety Madness, Richie Cole, Palo Alto Jazz Records.
1983: Dafos, Mickey Hart, Airto, Flora Purim, Reference Recordings.
1982: Pantera, Jose Flores, Roco Productions.
1981: Rejoice, Pharoah Sanders, Theresa Records.
1980: Journey To The One, Pharoah Sanders, Theresa Records.
1979: One for Bird, Bishop Norman Williams, Theresa Records.
1978: The X-Factor, Michael White, Elektra Records.
1977: The Genie, Bobby Lyle, Capitol Records.
1976: Runnin’ to Your Love, Eddie Henderson, Capitol Records.
1976: Space Jungle Luv, JUJU, Black Fire.
1975: African Rhythms, JUJU, Black Fire.
1974: Nia, JUJU, Strata-East Records.
1972: A Message From Mozambique, JUJU, Strata-East Records.
1970: Let The Sunshine In, Sons & Daughters of Lite, Ubiquity Records.
TOURING ENGAGEMENTS 2000-2010
Watts Tower Jazz Festival, L.A., CA
Watts Tower Day of the Drum, L.A. CA
Play Boy Jazz Festival, L.A. CA
Heritage Music Festival, Gettysburg, PA
Cape May Music Festival, Cape May, NJ
Anna’s Jazz Island, Berkeley
Atlanta Jazz Festival
Bumbershoot Music Festival, Seattle
DownTown Jazz Festival, Waterville, Maine
Duc Du Lombard, Paris
Espace Malroux, Tour, France
Ferris University, Big Rapids, MI
Fillmore St Jazz Festival, SF, CA
Guinness Jazz Festival, Cork, Ireland
Healdsburg Jazz Festival, Healdsburg, CA
Heritage Festival, CSU, Monterey Bay
Jazz & Soul Festival, Oakland
Jazz At Pearl’s
Jazz City, Edmonton Alberta
Jazz Bakery, L.A.
Jazz Standard, NYC
Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Santa Cruz
Lincoln Center, Out of Doors
Louisville Jazz Festival, Kentucky
Monterey Jazz Festival
Music Network Tour, Ireland
Operation Jazz Band
Pacific North West Tour, with Bishop Norman Wlliams
Pizza Express, London
Rassela’s Jazz Club, San Francisco
San Diego University
San Jose Jazz Festival
Stanford Jazz Festival
Yoshi’s Nitespot, Oakland
PUBLICATIONS
Lea, B. (2008). Polyrhythms as a metaphor for culture. In V. Lea, & Sims, E. J. (Eds.) (2008). Undoing whiteness in the classroom: Critical educultural teaching approaches for social justice activism. New York: Peter Lang.