originally published: 04/12/2023
Prince Derek Doll & The Brigade
(NEWARK, NJ) -- Recording artist Prince Derek Doll and two-time Grammy Award winning saxophonist Mark Gross (with the Dave Holland Big Band) have assembled an all-star Jersey ensemble of musicians to audition for NPR's iconic Tiny Desk Contest 2023. Voting is scheduled to end on or about April 21, 2023.
NPR received over 6,000 entrants and less than 200 from the State of New Jersey and just a sprinkling of representing Newark, NJ’s rich history in Black music and culture. The winner will play a Tiny Desk concert at NPR in Washington, D.C., be interviewed on NPR's All Things Considered and go on tour with NPR Music. Prince Derek Doll & The Brigade band needs the community’s support in order to secure a spot on the Tiny Desk Concert series!
In need of rehearsal space, “The Brigade” tapped powerhouse real estate broker Melvin Sykes, of Downtown Realty Group, who opened the doors of his new office at 41 Halsey Street in the City of Newark’s Arts & Education District to the band. They rehearsed two Prince Derek Doll songs “Love Me” and “Mirror” but decided on “Mirror” for the submission.
Prince Derek Doll (ne' Alonzo S. Blalock) & The Brigade Band in rehearsals at Melvin Sykes' Downtown Realty Group office
“It was February 2020, and I was excited about what was going to be my 'best year ever' with plans to finally record and release my yet untitled debut album. Then, of course, the world stopped due to COVID,” explained Prince Derek Doll. “After odd-jobbing it, I divided my time quarantining with family in my native Shreveport, LA, and Newark, NJ when 'Mirror' was born. 'Mirror' is not only a song, it was my daily affirmation. In the midst of global despair, dancing in the mirror was my mantra.”
The NPR Tiny Desk Contest audition marks the first time any Prince Derek Doll music was performed with a predominantly Newark, NJ based live band.
Prince Derek Doll & The Brigade need the community’s support to put NPR’s Tiny Desk jury on notice - Newark, NJ’s got talent! How the community can help:
* Share the audition video from NPR’s site using this link
* Flood the hashtags #PrinceDerekDoll #Mirror #TinyDeskContest
* Ping @NPR and @NPRMusic on Facebook also @tinydesk on instagram when you post
The Tiny Desk Concert is a series of intimate video performances, recorded live at the desk of NPR’s Bob Boilen. The first Tiny Desk Concert came about in 2008 after Boilen and NPR Music editor Stephen Thompson left South by Southwest frustrated that they couldn't hear the music over the crowd noise. As of October 2021, the series included more than 800 concerts viewed a collective 2 billion times on YouTube.
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