Arts & Events

I've been talking about the street in the clubs," said jazz singer Kalil Wilson, "and if a conversation interrupts me on the street, I talk about the clubs! They complement each other--the street uses other colors on the palette you don't find in the clubs."

While mentioning his upcoming appearances in Berkeley and San Francisco, the brilliant El Cerrito vocalist told about something new in his diverse career that's crossed genres from composing and songwriting to studying ethnomusicology, singing opera and jazz to rhythm & blues and funk--and now busking, playing on "the street."

He's set himself up with a keyboard at downtown Berkeley BART, at Rockridge and on Fourth Street, sometimes alone, sometimes with members of his band Love or other musical friends and collaborators. And, pleasantly surpised by what he's found, enjoys it.

"Jazz musicians, like classical musicians, haven't always enjoyed listenership from modern sensibilities," Kalil noted. "And in the clubs, where I'll be concentrating on making amazing music with my friends, people talk about other things than the music." 

"But to my amazement and joy," he continued, "I found out the street is full of people who love music, more than in the clubs. And it can pay as much as in the clubs or more. There's more of a flow of people. Members of the community, especially parents with children and people over 60 who have fun, and the kids will dance and drop money in the basket. And there're young people who realize jazz is youthful, it has a cool demeanor. Playing on the street's not as pristine an audial environment; there's traffic noise. But sometimes it's quieter than in the clubs." 

Kalil was born in Oakland, where he grew up on 51st and Shattuck, a half mile or so from Berkeley. His father, Baba Ken Okulolo, leads popular local groups like the West African Highlife Band, Kotoja and the Nigerian Brothers. His mother Jackie is a classical flautist. Kalil's homelife was filled with music. He attended Albany High and the Young Musicians Program at UC Berkeley, then studied ethnomusicology at UCLA, where he decided to concentrate on singing jazz around the time he graduated. "I never really did jazz before. I studied world music and most of my performance credits were opera." 

With pianist Berkeley Everett, Kalil began recording, "and after recording three tracks, it became clear we wanted to do more." He met the great jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell, head of Jazz Studies at UCLA and a mentor to Berkeley Everett, who called him "a very special young talent with a unique sound that crosses through genres." The two began to "hang out tons," and Burrell invited Kalil to join him onstage at gigs. He's since performed with Omara Portuondo, Esmeralda Spaulding and Carlos Santana, among others.  

Kalil speaks with brilliance and passion about the resonances between what're usually seen as very distinct genres of music and singing, from opera and jazz to hip-hop and calypso, reflecting on his expertise as both performer and scholar: "Calypso's a Greek word; it's a little more carnivalesque, giddy--like Swing, or Louis Armstrong. There's Commedia Dell'Arte in it! Very ribald, full of social commentary ... Before 1950, even 1960, jazz and classical music weren't in a disconnect with people's minds. They had the same excitement, the same vocalism, whether it was with arias under an ornate curtain or sung in a dance hall with an electrified band." 

Now living in El Cerrito, Kalil performs frequently with vibist Yancey Taylor at Geoffrey's Inner Circle in downtown Oakland ( geoffreyslive.com ), Birdland Jazzizsta Social Club (formerly of Berkeley, now on MLK between 44th & 43rd in Oakland: birdlandjazz.org ), no-cover dates at Sliver, the pizzaria on Center Street between Shattuck & Oxford ( sliverpizzeria.com/music/ ), most Mondays, 6-9, with his band Love (Dan Marshak, piano; Chris Bastian, bass and Genius Wesley, drums--all East Bay natives) at Club Deluxe ( www.clubdeluxe.co/calendar/ ) in the Haight-Ashbury of San Francisco, and will be performing 7-10 p. m. tomorrow night (Saturday, July 16) with the Parker Grant Trio in the jazz series at the Burritt Room & Tavern of the Mystic Hotel, 417 Stockton, across from the Sutter-Stockton Garage, off Union Square ( www.mystichotel.com )--no cover at either venue ...  

--And will also perform at downtown Berkeley's California Jazz Conservatory (née The JazzSchool) at 4:30 this Sunday, the 17th, with Dan Marshak (of Love), piano; Cindy Browne, bass; Isaac Schwartz, drums ( https://cjc.edu/concerts/ ) Tickets: $12. ( www.kalilwilson.com --& videos on YouTube