EDITOR’S NOTE: SINCE THIS POSTED, HAVE SAD NEWS: ROBERT WILSON DIED ON AUG. 15, 2010. MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO HIS FAMILY, FRIENDS AND MANY FANS. READ STORY HERE: http://www.tulsaworld.com/scene/article.aspx?subjectid=269&articleid=20100816_269_A12_CUTLIN206688&rss_lnk=4
Robert Wilson of the legendary GAP Band will headline the Timeless Music Festival, an exciting new Jazz, Jokes and Funk Jam event, at 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 28, 2010, at the Rose Bowl Event Center,
The lineup also includes the popular comedian Melanie Comarcho, best known for her performances on HBO’s Shaquille O’Neal All–Star Comedy Jam, the Katt Williams Tour and the Martin Lawrence 1st Amendment Tour; and Hidden Beach recording artist, saxophonist Mike Phillips, who has toured with Stevie Wonder and Prince and dedicates his just released third album M.P.3. to the late great Wayman Tisdale, the Tulsa native NBA All–Star and popular contemporary jazz bassist who helped Phillips sign his original deal with Hidden Beach.
The festival, the kickoff date of the Timeless Music U.S. tour that continues in late September, begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20, VIP (including reserved table seating) $30.
While the GAP Band featuring Robert and his brothers Charlie and Ronnie Wilson were named after Greenwood, Archer and Pine Streets in Tulsa, the group broke through to its biggest success after they moved to Los Angeles and hooked up with producer Lonnie Simmons. 1979’s “Shake” was the first of several high–energy, synth- and bass–heavy party anthems, followed by “Burn Rubber (Why You Wanna Hurt Me Bad)” and the oft–sampled “You Dropped a Bomb on Me.” Today the Gap Band still brings the party to packed houses worldwide, and the group was recently honored with this year’s BMI Icon Award for their “enduring influence on generations of music makers.” At the root of the group’s influential style lies Robert’s vivacious bass work, which anchors the band’s groove and provides the foundation for his Charlie’s synth- bass parts.
Camarcho’s TV appearances include “The Brian McKnight Show” on CW, “The Sarah Silverman Project” on Comedy Central, “Comics Unleashed” on CW, “One Mic Stand” on BET, “The New Def Comedy Jam” on HBO, “The Jamie Foxx Show” (Warner Bros.), “The Chris Rock Show” (HBO) and “The Tom Joyner Show” on ABC.
A native of Mount Vernon, N.Y., Phillips made his NYC debut at Wilson’s Nightclub in 1993, which led to a series of session and sideman jobs in jazz, R&B and rap. Eventually, he attracted the attention of Hidden Beach, which signed him and put him on the road in 2001 opening for Jill Scott. His debut album You Have Reached Mike Phillips, was released in 2002, followed by Uncommon Denominator in 2005.
For more information and VIP tickets, call (918) 295–0066.