Its that time of year, a cooler feel in the air and a groovy vibe in my car as I am heading to Snowmass Village Colorado to shoot the 3 day Aspen Jazz Festival. Every year is better than the last and this year is no exception, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Franti, Steely Dan, Zac Brown, Thievery Corp, Girl Talk, Fitz and the Tantrums, oh my… and so many more. Check back frequently for photos and reviews.

Some of the scheduled acts include;

09.02.11 Aspen Jazz Festival09.02.11 Thievery Corp.09.02.11 Girl Talk09.03.11 Ryan Bingham09.03.11 Rodrigo y Gabriela09.03.11 Steely Dan09.04.11 Fitz and The Tantrums09.04.11 Michael Franti09.04.11 Jac Brown

Check back soon for photos and reviews of this years show.

Much love.

LCC

Michael Franti & Spearhead put on an incredible performance at the Snow Park Outdoor Amphitheater at Deer Valley Resort on July 27, 2010 for a joyous crowd of over 5,000 adoring fans. Michael started off the show by bring on one of his mentors, the infamous Jimmy Cliff who opened for Michael, later he brought various fans on stage some for to play air guitar, and one fan was allowed  to propose to his future wife, Near the end of the show Michael invited children on stage to sing along. At one point Michael jumped off the stage and made a large loop out through the crowd, even though at this point rain was coming down in a steady drizzle. The soaked crowd did not seem to care that it was raining, just to much joy in the crowd to letter a little rain get them down. A majority of these photos were taken by my 16 year old daughter, Alexia who held her ground at the front of the crowd whereas I gave way to more eager fans!

Michael Franti (born April 21, 1966) is an American poet, musician, and composer. He is the creator and lead vocalist of Michael Franti & Spearhead, a band that blends hip hop with a variety of other styles including funk, reggae, jazz, folk, and rock. He is also an outspoken supporter for a wide spectrum of peace and social justice issues.

Biography

Personal life

Michael Franti was born in Oakland, California to an Irish-German-French mother and an African-American and Native American father. However, his mother made an adoption plan for him because she was afraid her family would not accept him. He was adopted by Carole Wisti and Charles Franti, a Finnish American couple in Oakland, who had three biological children and one other adopted African American son.^[2] Charles Franti was a professor in the department of epidemiology and preventive medicine of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and died in 2003.

Michael’s four siblings are named Rebecca, Sara, Dan, and Matthew.^[3] Michael attended Davis Senior High School and graduated from the University of San Francisco. He has two sons: Ade with his wife Tara Franti-Rye, and Cappy from a previous relationship. At the fourth annual Mountain Jam Festival, he brought Cappy on stage to sing a song.

In 2000, Franti decided not to wear any shoes, initially for three days. Since then, Franti has been walking through life barefoot except for occasionally wearing flip-flopsas required to board an airplane or to be served in a restaurant.^[5] Franti simply prefers not to wear shoes.

Beatnigs (1986–1990)

Franti began his music career in 1986 as part of the industrial punk band The Beatnigs. While attending the University of San Francisco and living above KUSF he developed a fascination with music and decided to start a band. The Beatnigs included dancer and percussionist Rono Tse;^[7] the band released a self-titled LP and an EP Television on Alternative Tentacles records. The records received some critical acclaim but little fame beyond the San Francisco Bay Area.

Disposable Heroes (1991–1993)

His next project, The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, found Franti continuing his collaboration with Tse, and working with jazz guitarist Charlie Hunter, and electronic musicians Mark Pistel (Consolidated) andJack Dangers (Meat Beat Manifesto). The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy wrote politically-charged lyrics that railed against the injustices of the world, set to a fusion of industrial music and hip hop. Their first album, Hypocrisy is the Greatest Luxury (on Island Records),^[7] won plaudits for its social commentary, and they were chosen by U2 to open for their Zoo TV Tour.

Franti and the Disposable Heroes put together another record of music accompanying novelist William Burroughs‘ readings for an album entitled Spare Ass Annie and Other Tales. This album diverged greatly from the style of the band’s previous work, as they were largely providing musical background and accompaniment to Burroughs’ spoken readings from several of his books.

Michael Franti & Spearhead (1994–present)

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In 1994, Franti formed a new band called Spearhead with a few studio musicians, including mainstay Carl Young, and announced the dissolution of Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy. Their first release, Home, in September 1994, was a departure from the politically charged rap of the Disposable Heroes and drew more from funk and soul music. The song “Positive”, also from the album Home, appeared on the “Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool” project album.

Their follow up album Chocolate Supa Highway was released in March 1997, with several changes in band members between releases. This album featured a return to hip hop elements and a pronounced reggae influence and included guest appearances by notables like Stephen Marley and Joan Osborne.

After releasing the two albums, the band split with Capitol Records (reportedly prompted by the label’s repeated urging to perform with other artists like Will Smith).^{[citation needed]} The band instead decided to create its own record label, Boo Boo Wax. Since Capitol Records owned the rights to the name “Spearhead”, subsequent albums were all released as “Michael Franti & Spearhead.”

In 1999, Franti began a deeper exploration of his music and politics. He returned the following year as an organizer and cultural worker tied to several intensifying political movements of the time, voicing his observations through his music. His song “Sometimes” was included on the soundtrack to the 1999 film, Mystery Men, as well as the soundtrack to the 2006 film, Last Holiday.

Michael Franti & Spearhead released Stay Human in 2000 under their own label Boo Boo Wax in alignment with indie music label Six Degrees Records. The album’s central theme was the unjust nature of thedeath penalty and other major themes included mass media monopolization, the prison-industrial complex and corporate globalization.

In an interview, Franti talked about the message of Stay Human: “Half the record is songs about what’s happening in the world right now, and the other half is about how we cope with it as people who are concerned about what’s going on”, he said. “This specter of war, intimidation, this nation vs. the rest of the world, it wears us out. Half the record is a healthy dose of venting anger about that, and the other half is about how do we hold on to our spirituality, our community and our connectedness to each other.”^[7] Franti left Six Degrees due to the labels’ inability to properly promote the project, for poor record sales and frequent disagreements with the labels’ founder Pat Berry.

Everyone Deserves Music was released in 2003. Franti composed many of the songs from his guitar and, like fellow 21st century cultural globalists Manu Chao and Ozomatli, continues to synthesize his eclectic influences. In a departure from the industrial sounds of the Beatnigs and Disposable Heroes, and the minimalism of early Spearhead, Franti’s affirming lyrics are now set to swelling rock chords, while keeping a world-wise groove nodding towards reggae, dancehall, bossa nova, Afrobeat, and funk. Anthems like the title track “Everyone Deserves Music”, “Yes I Will” and “Bomb The World” are constructed with a nod to the 1980s rock of The Clash and U2, as well as to classic soul from Stax and Motown. The song “We Don’t Stop” (featuring Gift of Gab from Blackalicious and Spearhead’s rapper/beatbox technician Radioactive) bridges the two sounds in a “Magnificent Seven” style mash-up. And on “Love Why Did You Go Away” and “What I Be”, Franti reveals an alluring, sensual singing voice. “Pray For Grace” and “Bomb The World (Armageddon Version)” pair Franti with the reggae/funk giants Sly and Robbie (Grace Jones, Rolling Stones, Black Uhuru, No Doubt).

Also in 2003, Franti released a mostly acoustic album, Songs from the Front Porch containing rearranged versions of older songs from Chocolate Supa Highway, Stay Human and Everyone Deserves Music as well as a couple of new tracks.

On July 25, 2006, Michael Franti & Spearhead released Yell Fire!, inspired by Franti’s trip to Israel, Baghdad, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. In an effort to share his experiences from his trip and to explore the human cost of war, Franti produced a movie entitled I Know I’m Not Alone, using the songs from his album Yell Fire! as a soundtrack. “One Step Closer To You” from Yell Fire! features Pink on backing vocals.

Michael Franti and Spearhead have taken a highly unconventional route to notoriety for an act with hip hop roots. Largely ignored by the traditional mainstream TV and radio channels of promotion, Franti and Spearhead have gained a passionate worldwide audience through extensive touring and appearances in alternative media likeMother Jones Magazine and Democracy Now.

Franti continues to hit the festival circuit worldwide, in addition to producing the annual Power to the Peaceful festival each year since 1998, with attendance around 50,000 in 2008.^[8] The festival originated as a way of supporting American journalist and prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal, who is sometimes perceived as a political prisoner.^[9]Michael Franti continues to gain influence in both popular music and social movements largely through extensive touring and word of mouth fan support. Lyrics from his song “Bomb The World”, written in the dark aftermath of September 11 such as “You can bomb the world to pieces, but you can’t bomb it into peace” have found their way onto protest signs and t-shirts all over the world from Los Angeles to Berlin, San Francisco to CNN, at demonstrations for peace large and small.

The song “Light Up Ya Lighter” by Michael Franti & Spearhead was included on the soundtrack to Body of War, an award-winning documentary about Tomas Young, a paralyzed Iraq War veteran.

The group’s newest album All Rebel Rockers was released on September 9, 2008, which was largely recorded in Jamaica at the Anchor studio in St Andrew. The band worked with ubiquitous rhythm team Sly and Robbie and featured multi-talented vocalist Cherine Anderson on the set which entered the Billboard 200 pop chart in September at number 38. Michael Franti was recently featured on Aux.tv‘s show Volume where he spoke about U.S. politics and his efforts to make the world a better place.

Franti played three different events to commemorate President Barack Obama‘s inauguration: The Green Ball, The Peace Ball and the Rock the Vote Party.

Franti announced^[11] in November 2009 that he would be joining musician John Mayer on the Battle Studies Tour in spring 2010.

As part of the band’s commitment to environmentalism, Michael Franti and Spearhead avoid the use of water bottles on national tours and run their tour bus on biodiesel.

Franti announced the release of “The Sound of Sunshine” on his official website in July 2010. The original release date was August 2010 but was later pushed back until September. It will feature 12 tracks including two versions of the title track, the new hit single, “Shake It,” and staples of his recent live performances including “Hey Hey Hey,” “Anytime You Need Me,” “The Thing That Helps Me Get Through,” and the anthemic arena-rock ballad “I’ll Be Waiting.” The album originally was set to be released on August 24, but has currently been pushed back to September 21 ^[12] to give the album “more runway.”

Politics

Franti is also an advocate for peace in the Middle East. His film I Know I’m Not Alone features footage of Iraq, the Palestinian territories, and Israel. Franti decided to embark on this three week journey with friends to view the cost of war in the Middle East first-hand. Franti states, “This film came out of my frustration with watching the nightly news and hearing generals, politicians, and pundits explaining the political and economic cost of the war in the Middle East, without ever mentioning the human cost. I wanted to hear about the war by the people affected by it most: doctors, nurses, poets, artists, soldiers, and my personal favorite, musicians.”^[14] In 2006, he was invited by Australian MP Jenny Macklin to show the film at Australia’s Parliament House, Canberra.

Franti is a vegan.

Discography

Solo

• 2000: Live at the Baobab
• 2003: Songs from the Front Porch

Spearhead

• 1994: Home
• 1997: Chocolate Supa Highway
• 2001: Stay Human
• 2003: Everyone Deserves Music
• 2006: Yell Fire! #125 US^[17]
• 2008: All Rebel Rockers #39 US^[17]
• 2010: The Sound of Sunshine

Singles

• 1994: “Of course you can” UK #74
• 1995: “Hole in the bucket” UK #55
• 1995: “People in tha middle” UK #49
• 1995: “Positive”
• 1997: “U can’t sing R song”
• 1997: “Why Oh Why” UK #45
• 1997: “Rebel Music (3 O’Clock Roadblock)” (feat. Stephen Marley) (promo-only)
• 1997: “Keep Me Lifted”
• 2001: “Rock the Nation”
• 2001: “Sometimes”
• 2002: “Soulshine” (Australia-only EP)
• 2003: “Bomb the World”
• 2003: “Everyone Deserves Music”
• 2009: “Obama Song” (feat. SoliLaquists of Sound, Cherine Anderson & Anthony B) (Digital Only)
• 2009: “Say Hey (I Love You)” #18 US^[18]

Alexia Ila Cooper – COncert Photographer

Franti in the crowd in the rain

Fan Hands

Fan Jam (Air Guitar)

In case you came to this site looking for some killer photos of the Legendary Jimmy Cliff and the one and only Michael Franti, be patient I have so many great shots to choose from I am overwhelmed, you see after I was bullied out of my prime spot on the front row, center (yes there was no photo pit) I handed off my camera to my amazing daughter, Alexia and she continued shooting and got some killer shots.

Here are a couple to keep you coming back.

View Full Album

I will have a complete set of shots up soon. In the mean time check out my Flickr set for the first couple hundred shots here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gonzoshots/sets/72157624482196369/ and here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gonzoshots/sets/72157624606889794/

Cherine Anderson

Cherine Anderson – First Jamaican Female Singer On The Billboard Rock Charts? Maybe but one things for sure she was the first Jamaican woman to walk out on the stage of the 2009 Aspen Jazz Festival in Snowmass Colorado and whip the crowd into a frenzy into less than 30 seconds!

Cherine Anderson may be the first Jamaican female artiste in recent times to hit not one, but five Billboard charts simultaneously, but she may also be the first Jamaican female singer to register a song on the Billboard Rock Charts.

The reggae song bird is featured with Michael Franti & Spearhead on the Sly & Robbie produced smash hit “Say Hey (I Love You)”. The song peaked at #1 on Billboard Heatseekers charts 6 weeks ago, and has been steadily climbing other charts. Currently “Say Hey (I Love You)” is #21 on the Billboard Hot 100, #48 on the Billboard Rock chart, #14 on the Digital Songs chart, #22 on the Pop Songs chart and #43 on The Radio Songs chart.

According to Anderson “I am extremely happy, and it’s an honor to be among so many talented artists who I listen to on commercial radio in the US.” She continued, “I am so grateful to turn on the radio and to be able to hear Michael and myself being played right after bands like Coldplay, Madonna, Beyonce and Britney Spears.“

After a recent concert in San Francisco, Anderson was reportedly asked about being the first Jamaican female singer on the rock chart and she said, “Wow, I didn’t even know that, but I am so grateful for the way everything has progressed, all the tours and now having “Say Hey” playing in other non-reggae, urban markets. It’s truly a blessing.“

Cherine Anderson rocking with Michael Franti on their North American Tour

Michael Franti

Pure passion and musical magic were dished up in huge helpings Friday night at Snowmass Village Festival for the kick off of the three day Aspen Jazz Festival in Colorado. With a full moon rising over the mountain peaks and the threat of rain passed the crowd of over 6,000 Franti fans settled into a set of music than can only be described as pure bliss.

“Music is the thread that’s gone through my life and given it so much meaning”
Michael Franti is a very big man who has always dared to say very big things through his joyous and passionate music during an unusually diverse and highly impressive career.

Yet for all the wide-ranging, yet consistent excellence of his body of work, what’s most impressive about Michael Franti as a recording artist and live performer is his ability to inspire. Ultimately, the heartfelt music that Franti makes and his dedication to greater understanding on a global level, are not two aspects of his life, but very much one and the same.

The Bay Area born Franti has been bringing our world exceptionally powerful, deeply felt music under a variety of names and in a wide range of genres for twenty years. From the intense punk rock of the Beatnigs, to the deeply political rap he made with the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy to his joyful and meaningful modern soul music with Spearhead, and now as Michael Franti & Spearhead, this still young man has released an impressive series of recordings that have vividly reflected his status as a musical citizen of this world.

Consider Franti’s most recent musical masterpiece, All Rebel Rockers, an album featuring the legendary production team of Sly & Robbie that reinforces his place as a global force and a true musician of his time. Its first single, “Say Hey (I Love You)” is fast becoming one of the biggest of Franti’s career. It’s one of the most added records at multiple radio formats; Top 40, Hot AC and Alternative and its music video has already exceeded 1 million views on YouTube. As for the CD, All Rebel Rockers marked Franti’s highest Billboard Top 200 Album Chart debut ever.

Through his entire musical career to date, Franti has continued to slowly, but surely build an extremely dedicated global grass roots following. He’s done it with a new spin on an old fashioned way. He’s earned his fans, one winning concert at a time. Ultimately what unites Franti’s remarkable and impressive career is, ironically, the man’s ongoing search for harmony.

“As a musician and a man, I more than anything else want to be a unifier,” Franti explains. “I want to bring people together through music and its unique power. And I hope that somehow that sense of unity extends beyond the music.”

In every way, Franti has become a modern day troubadour spreading the word with equal passion, whether he’s playing to a packed theater somewhere in America, Australia or Europe, or simply giving an impromptu performance in some war-torn corner of the world.

“I wear the troubadour badge with great pride,” Franti explains. “I love playing music in the street more than anywhere else. It’s still a lot of fun to get on a big stage, but the rest of the time, when you just play for people anywhere you can, it’s like playing a pick up basketball game and I love that too. I love the intimacy of it, playing without all the bells and whistles.”

To see Michael Franti play for people anywhere in the world is to realize that music is the driving force in his creative world. “Above almost any thing else on earth, I love songs,” he explains. “I love songwriting myself, but in listening to the songs of others, I’ve learned that a great song is an incredibly powerful thing. I really believe that music can bring people together because I’ve seen it. To me, music is much more than the way I happen to make my living. It’s the thread that’s gone through my life and given it so much meaning.

That same thread has been woven into the lives of so many Franti fans all around the world. He credits the strong grass roots support that has allowed him to endure. “We have very deep roots and we all hold onto one another,” Franti says. “That’s how we’ve been able to grow; that’s been the key to our sustainability. We’ve put out records that are more rock-oriented reggae and have explored a lot of musical territory and still have an audience that’s willing to come with us. To make music for people like that isn’t just a pleasure, it’s a privilege.

As a teenager, Franti’s life was profoundly changed by the music and the message of Bob Marley and the Wailers. “I first heard him when I was 15,” Franti remembers. “He was calling for world unity (“One Love”) and his music opened up my world. In fact, I was in Canada with my family for a year, and somehow I got tickets to see Bob Marley live and I was so excited. I still have the scrapbook from when I was a kid and there’s that front page of the music section talking about his death. What a loss for the world.”

Through Franti’s appreciation of Bob Marley, he got turned on to bands that had a reggae influence like the Police and, especially, the Clash.” “I got really into the Clash,“ Franti recalls. “They did that impossible thing that a lot of artists strive for; they made it socially engaging music and put it right alongside more personal songs and still made you dance. Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye all did that. Then there was Sly and the Family Stone, a multiethnic band making socially aware music that made people happy. For me, that’s is about as good as it gets.”

And when the rain falls down You know the flower’s gonna bloom And when the hard times come You know the teacher’s in the room And when the sun comes up You know I’ll be there for you.
–“Have A Little Faith” by Michael Franti

Franti’s own performances today are marked by a genuine openheartedness, a commitment to communication and a greater sense of community. “The people who come to see us seem to love the experience of the party as well as the message and the music,” he says. “Increasingly over my life, I have less interest in being part of the fighting between parties. I’m interested in bringing people together on the left and the right, to face the issues of the day.

The problems from global warming to the economy that we face today are so clearly universal that we need to address them together.”
Indeed, Franti, the African-American son adopted and raised by Finnish American couple, has continued on many fronts to reach across all groups in a variety of ways, whether its with his annual Power To The Peaceful Festival or his award-winning documentary I Know I’m Not Alone, which featured Franti in Iraq, within the Palestinian territories and in Israel.

As a socially conscious singer-songwriter, Franti has grown up in public as his message has evolved from one of youthful anger to a more mature determination to find common ground. “When I first started out, I think that my politics could be boiled down to ..Fuck The System’ or ..Fuck the Man,’” Franti says. “When you’re coming of age, you’re desperate to change the world, but you have no idea how to actually do it. It takes time to discover that just complaining about the world is not enough. You have to do some affirmative.”

One war zone experience informs Franti’s sense of musical mission. As he remembers, “I was playing on the streets of Bagdad, and I introduced a song called ..Bomb The World’ that says ’You can bomb the world into pieces/but you can’t bomb it into peace.’ I would translate that. And people there told me, ..Oh well that’s an interesting song, but we’re living here where our world is being blown up, so sing us something that can make us dance and laugh and clap. That’s what they want to do.”

The truth is that we need everybody. We need the ideas of the grass roots. We need the resources of the corporate world. We need the cooperation of the government. And we need the intelligence of everyday people with their street wisdom.
“We need everybody, Franti explains. “So that’s who I play music for – everybody.”

Amazon.com
There aren’t many hip-hop artists out there today who give a damn about putting positive messages in their music, but Michael Franti is one of them. Ever since his days with seminal group Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, Franti has infused his sounds with insightful and thought-provoking lyricism, and this latest Spearhead joint is no exception. Stay Human tackles, among other things, the subject of capital punishment. Through a make-believe community radio station, Franti tells the tale of Sister Fatima, a healer and activist who is being put to death for a crime that her community believes she didn’t commit.

The “live” broadcasts act as elaborate skits between Franti’s insouciant, soul-rap hybrids and help to expose the arrogant nature of America’s judicial system and the brutal finality of the death sentence. Musically, Franti has created a richer, more string-laden backdrop for his tracks, creating some of his best idiosyncratic, feel-good vibes to date.

But while the funkadelic edge of “Rock the Nation” and laid-back ballad style of “Do Ya Love” are worthy in their own right, Franti’s real genius lies in his ability to weave opinions into compelling narratives so that we don’t feel we’re being battered over the head with someone else’s ideas. Emotive, soulful, and opinionated, Spearhead are almost single-handedly keeping alive a tradition epitomized by Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye, and Bill Withers. Don’t sleep. –Paul Sullivan

Michael Franti & Spearhead: General Info

Band Members
MICHAEL FRANTI – voice
CARL YOUNG – bass
DAVE SHUL – guitar
MANAS ITIENE – drums
RALIEGH NEAL – keys
CHERINE ANDERSON – special guest

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