August 11th. This Is This begins Production.
“It’s a Great Day in LA” – This Is This goes into production on August 11th as Ndugu goes before the camera, followed by legendary reed man, Bennie Maupin, sharing his unique perspectives on August 14th.
Ndugu Chancler is a jazz funk drummer, percussionist, studio musician, composer and producer.
Chancler was born in Shreveport, Louisiana and began playing drums when he was thirteen years old. While in high school, Chancler played with Willie Bobo and the Harold Johnson Sextet. Chancler graduated from California State University, Dominguez Hills with a degree in music education. By then he had already performed with the Gerald Wilson Big Band, Herbie Hancock, and recorded with Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, and Bobby Hutcherson, among many others. Ndugu also played with Weather Report on the album Tale Spinnin’
Bennie Maupin is a Detroit Michigan jazz multireedist. He performs on various saxophones, flute and bass clarinet.
He is probably best known for his participation in Herbie Hancock’s Mwandishi sextet and Headhunters band, and for performing on Miles Davis’s seminal fusion record, Bitches Brew. Maupin has collaborated with Horace Silver, Roy Haynes, Woody Shaw, Lee Morgan and many others. He has also performed on several Meat Beat Manifesto albums. He is noted for having a harmonically-advanced, “out” improvisation style, while having a different sense of melodic direction than other “out” jazz musicians such as Eric Dolphy.
