Wanda's Picks

Damu Sudi Alii began his musical career playing trombone in junior high school, then switched to piano in the United States Air Force.  He went on the road in 1969 with a group called "The Mint Juleps" led by trumpeter, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist Clarence Pinckney. The group toured the midwest, southwest, and northwest United States.  Damu later joined a group in Los Angeles called the "Geechie" Smith Allstars" and played the B-3 organ in this group from 1975-1977.  After moving to Oakland around 1979, Damu played in several groups including eight years, 2001 to 2009 with William "Doc" Webster's group, "Jazz Nostalgia" at Les Joulins Jazz Bistro in San Francisco.  He was a sideman for many years with "Hanif and the Sound Voyagers." He also had his own group "First Edition," and occasionally performed with the "Carl Garrett Quartet".  From 1982 -1984, and again briefly in 2008 and 2010, Damu was pianist for the "Stones of Fire," a reggae gospel choir of Wo'Se Community Church in East Oakland. He was a