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Kashmere


ghost of miles

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I too saw them at Brownwood a few times. Definitely not a "pro" band by any realistic standard, but nevertheless an amazing outfit worthy of recognition. These cats came to play, and they brought their own light show and M.C. They were poised well beyond their years in terms of both musical ability and stage presence.

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I'm sure these guys were great....but, it seems to me we've really gotten into the extremely ecclectic funk mode when we're hyping the high school bands of yore.... Blame Dusty Groove...

Or blame NPR. To claim that they were the best funk group ever is pretty ridiculous. It's impressive that young kids sounded that good and they deserve props, but I agree... let's not go overboard!

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IIRC, both Melvin Sparks & Leon Spencer came up through the Kashmere program in the 1960s.

Also, it's my understanding that once the great Conrad Johnson retired (sometimes in the late 1970s, I beleive), that the program deteriorated rather rapidly, and the scholl now has just another "jazz band".

The story here is not that a (then) all black Texas high school produced the greatest funk band ever, or some such rot, it's that a (then) all black Texas high school band under the direction of a savvy director with direct roots to the music of his community produced generation after generation of inspired musicians and music. This should be a role model for music educators worldwide into perpetuity, and it should be something that all parents and educators consider when evaluating their local schools and curriculum.

After all, if the role of education and educators is to instill knowledge & confidence, inspire the imagination, fuel personal initiative, and create tangible skills that one can carry into adulthood, one need look no further than Conrad Johnson & Kashmere for a damn fine example of how to do it.

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