Portable Universe
Are you tired of flipping to MTV, VH-1, BET, or any of the other music stations and seeing the same tired stuff over and over again ? Then point your clicker toPORTABLE UNIVERSE
on Long Beach Community Television, FRIDAYS at 8:30 p.m.
Channel 65 / 69 / 95
Your host David Witham will escort you through many worlds of performance and performers
Here's a sampling of what you'll encounter....
Other episodes have included improvisation by Alex Cline/Jeff Gauthier/G.E. Stinson, The Neon Hunter Collective, Purple Gums, Chucho Valdes, Many Axes, further adventures of the Indoor Funk Ensemble, and who knows what else may happen in the coming months......
STAY TUNED AND FIND OUT !!
There's a Portable Universe inside your dome, always take it with you when you leave home!
- Ralph Glenmore - Visions of a Traveler
Ralph Glenmore is a dancer who has appeared on Broadway in everything from "A Chorus Line" to "Lion King". He's also a great visual artist, and takes us on a tour of the world with his exhibition of paintings - "Visions of a Traveler" at the Museum of African American Art in Los Angeles. - Neon Hunt #10 - San Francisco Neon
A drunken ramble through the Castro, Mission District, North Beach, and other locales in the city by the bay, with music by dave baby 9000. Learn more about the hunters at www.neonhunter.com - Richard Stekol - solo
Richard treats us to an in studio performance of a few of his songs, including "Stuck in Pain" and "America Walking By" plus one by Ron Sexsmith. Visit his website at www.richardstekol.com - Purple Gums - Improvisation as a Subversive Act
William Roper, Bobby Bradford, and Francis Wong visit the Universe with their special brand of music. This from their website: Purple Gums is a brass ensemble (tenor sax, cornet and tuba) whose role is to carry on the tradition of making music in the moment. Charts don't exist. Rehearsals have never occurred. Ideas are generated and developed on the bandstand. Music making for this group is a high risk venture. The music created from the pooled experience of the band's members is a tasty gumbo of jazz, free improv, ragtime and classical. This leads to flights of whimsy and excursions into the unexpected. What you see is not always what you get. While you may think for a moment that you are listening to a traditional New Orleans brass band, what you are caressed with may be something all together different.
- The Music of Many Axes
Brad Dutz, Susan Rawcliffe, and Scott Wilkinson, create music on interesting combinations of unusual instruments. - Best of the Universe - The Art of the Photo Essay
Neon Hunter and Frigidaire join DW for a tribute to the no-budget journalistic alternative, the glue that's held many an episode of the Universe together - the photo essay. Among the pieces featured are the 2000 Democratic Convention in downtown Los Angeles, and the Cambodian and Greek festivals in Long Beach. - Candice Gawne -Seeing in the Dark
From the 2005 exhibition opening at El Camino College, a mid-career survey of the San Pedro based artist. Visit her website at www.luminousartworks.com - Grossman / Vlatkovich / Garcia - Call and Response
Dottie reads her poetry (and a couple of Henny Youngman's, too), then Michael, and Chris perform in response to it. - The Music of Polychrome
An in-studio performance by the L.A. based group. w/Bob Leatherbarrow- vibes, John Chiodini-Guitar, Sam Riney-Woodwinds, Paul Morin-Bass, Kendall Kay- Drums. - Luis Conte and Friends - Rumbon
From 1987, this video is a nice Pan-American drum jam session featuring Luis (Cuba), Alex Acuna (Peru), Richie"Gajate"Garcia(Puerto Rico), Walfredo de los Reyes (Cuba/Las Vegas), Orestes Villato (Cuba/San Francisco), and Steve Forman (USA) at the conclusion of the sessions for Luis' first solo record "La Cocina Caliente".
See what Luis is up to these days @ www.luisconte.com
- Cultural Grab Bag - Spring '08
In celebration of Spring, Neon Hunter visits the set and gives us a tour of some gardens from his neighborhood in Long Beach, then shows us how to re-pot a plant. Plus, Frigidaire busts in with another photo essay, this one of street art in Long Beach. - A tribute to Dan Morris
Portable Universe pays homage to Renaissance man Dan Morris, who left us far too soon at the age of 37. Featured are some of his musical appearances on the show, as well as a collection of his visual artworks. - Chucho Valdes Piano Clinic
From November 1995, his fist visit to the States, this video captures the Cuban piano giant (both literally and figuratively) giving a demonstration at the Kasimoff Bluthner store in Los Angeles of how he's adapted some of the bata drum rhythms from his home island to the piano. Then he finishes off with a solo tour-de-force that clearly demonstrates his mastery of the instrument. - Episode 100 Part 1
The wait is over!! Portable Universe celebrates it's 100th show in fine style with the email giveaway winner and a Poetry/Art/Music mashup by Adwin, Norton Wisdom, Richard Stekol, Matt Reid Cohn, and David Witham. Plus, Richard Stekol comes out of the coma he's been in since being hit by a truck outside the Portable Universe Studio in 1999. - Episode 100 Part 2
Part 2 of the 100th episode celebration continues with the return of dave baby 9000, who has been on tour in outer space since Episode 50. He tells us tales of his interstellar travels, and reveals ties to the Supreme Court of the United States. Also featured is a look at the recently unsealed Jergens Tunnel in Long Beach, an Art Deco masterpiece closed to the public since the 1960's, clips from previous shows, and a special award presentation. - Julie Christensen and Stone Cupid Part 1
A nice live set from Julie and her band, featuring a mix of originals, cool covers, jazz tunes, and the Great American Songbook. Learn more about Julie at www.stonecupid.com - Julie Christensen and Stone Cupid Part 2
A nice live set from Julie and her band, featuring a mix of originals, cool covers, jazz tunes, and the Great American Songbook. Learn more about Julie at www.stonecupid.com - A tribute to MONA
Episode 99 features a tribute to the Museum of Neon Art in Los Angeles. Please support the museum in it's quest to find a new space by going to www.neonmona.org and making a donation today! - Flavors of Long Beach '07 with Neon Hunter and Frigidaire
Episode 98 features Long Beach's own 2nd Saturday Art Walk, an art work by Matt Reid Cohn called "On the Road to Peace", and a look into the world of the Brazilian martial art of Capoiera. Plus the Portable Universe email giveaway winner! - DW & Frig host the Best of Cryptonight 2003-05
Featuring the Mentones, the Scot Ray Quintet, Circle of Willis, and the Scott Amendola Band from the late lamented concert series at Club Tropical 2003-05. Co-hosted by Frigidaire.
- The Extraordinary Artwork of Candice Gawne
In this documentary, artist extrordinaire Candice Gawne explains some of her work during a tour of her studio at The Loft in San Pedro. Visit her website @ www.luminousartworks.com - Music on Found Objects by the Obliteration Percussion Quartet
Playing many instruments that look as if they may have come from a yard sale or a wrecking yard, the Obliterators are almost as much fun to watch as they are to hear. Featuring Brad Dutz, Joe Berardi, David Shafer, and Dan Morris - Jennifer Bowens of the Jazz Poetry Collective makes her point perfectly clear
DW joins poet Jennifer Bowens and saxophonist Bobby Bryant for some blues. Then the rest of the Collective arrives for "The Rhythm". Featuring Nate Morgan - Piano, Al B.Threats - Bass, Marc'us Miller- Drums, and Leon Mobley - Djembe. - The Crescent City Gone Wild @ Mardi Gras 2001
A Dave's-Eye-View of the Crescent City in a peak of frenzy during his trip there with the Missiles of October in 2001. Featuring the Missiles, Percy Sledge singing his hit "When a Man Loves a Woman", Rockin' Dopsie, Jr., and the colorful sights and sounds of Mardi Gras 2001.
- Norton Wisdom & Nels Cline mix up the visual and sonic
Two masters of their creative mediums, Nels and Norton have an amazing rapport together on Episode 11.
- Michael O' Neill and friends get down to business
Guitarist O'Neill and los hombres Andrew Ford (bass), Michael White (drums), and D.W. play selections from his CD "Never too Late".
Visit Mike at his website
- The Indoor Funk Ensemble in the middle of a Timeswitch
The Indoor Funk Ensemble pays homage to that quaint phenomenon known as Y2K. - Low Riders!
From Episode 5, the first Photo Essay on Portable Universe - of the 1999 Cinco de Mayo car rally in Long Beach. And Frigidaire offers up an explanation of how it came to be. - Frigidaire makes a point using subtle visual aids
Indoor Funk Ensemble MC and man about town tells his story like no one else can.....from Episode 5. - Mike Miller and DW work out on Episode # 1
The point where it all began, the very first episode of Portable Universe from 1999 features guitarist Mike Miller and DW. Plus a visit from Neon Hunter, who crawled out of his loft by the ocean just to show us Neon Hunt #1. - Build something, cook something, and have a little taste with Greg Eicher
A Classie Episode of the Universe features Renaissance man Greg Eicher accomplishing an extrordinary amount of tasks in a mere 28 minutes! - Neon Hunt #11 - "In Search of the Magic Lamp"
Neon Hunt 11 traverses California's fabled Route 66, and a few other SoCal locations in something of a vision quest for the Magic Lamp. Learn more about Neon Hunting at www.neonhunter.com - Poul Pedersen and the Missiles of October go Back to the Basics
Poul Pedersen and the Missiles of October from Episode 2. Check 'em out @ www.missilesofoctober.com.
- The Tom Warrington Trio featuring Larry Koonse and Joe La Barbera
Tom, Larry Koonse, and Joe La Barbera play a sprightly Latin version of "You Don't Know What Love Is". Find out more about them at www.jazzcompass.com. - Phil Upchurch plays and speaks
The master guitarist takes a rare turn on classical guitar, and shares some stories about his career in music.
Learn more about Phil @ www.philupchurch.com
- Portable Universe REALITY TV - Melvin and the Flying Boat
Our take on reality television came in 1991 -years before mainstream media ever caught on. Check out bass great Melvin Davis in a death-defying feat of bravery just hours before our concert in Jakarta, Indonesia. - Adwin Brown - Ice Cream
Adwin with a poem about what can happen when life comes at you too fast, and you're not prepared to deal with it.
Visit HisSpace
- Richard Stekol - Comedy, or Reality?
Our man Richard in a Andy Kaufman-esque performance -a tour de force apperance on episode 8 of the Universe. Was he kidding, or not? Watch and make the call yourself...
Visit Richard on the web @