The wildly creative keyboardist who turns classical music on its ear plays Grand Rapids’ Midtown on Thursday. Learn more about this Michigan phenom and watch videos at Local Spins.
‘Relevant to Culture and the Times We Live In’: BLKBOK plays Grand Rapids this week. (Courtesy Photo)
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Considering his novel, genre-melding approach and impressive musical background, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that BLKBOK views his career and music “as one big experiment.”
Raised in a family with robust musical resumes, trained for a dozen years in classical piano and later touring with the likes of Rihanna, Justin Timberlake and John Mayer, the Detroit musician born Charles Wilson III now carves out a stunning neo-classical, hip hop-inspired mélange he describes as “a truly personalized emotional journey.”
“BLKBOK is the result of all of my music experiences, a need to tell stories that are relevant to culture and the times we live in, and my obsession with taking the stage and allowing an audience to have an experience,” he said, “allowing their minds to travel, to have a moment to disconnect and create an imaginative narrative of their own.”
‘The Music Speaks for Itself’: BLKBOK (Courtesy Photo)
It’s music and a stage performance that also turn classical music on its ear.
“I can say that my following is extremely diverse and that’s exactly what I love about being a performer in this way, that I can touch the hearts and minds of just about anyone willing to listen,” said BLKBOK, who brings his dynamic stage show to Midtown in Grand Rapids at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Tickets are $20 and available online at themidtowngr.com.
“I do admit that there has been some blowback from the traditional classical music establishment, especially when I make statements like, ‘Classical music needs an overhaul’ or that classical music culture has had an air of elitism and composer worship. These are pretty strong statements, but they’re based in truth. My vision is to make classical music accessible to all, and introduce a new generation of classical music listeners to the genre.”
VIDEO: BLKBOK, “Cookie Waltz”
With classical piano training that began at age 4 and continued with “the whole nine yards” of recitals and competitions into his teens, Wilson eventually became captivated by Detroit’s jazz and blues community as well as studio engineering and production. That led to stints with several national touring acts.
As BLKBOK, he’s distilled classical influences such as Don Shirley, Joseph Bologne, Debussy, Chopin and Tschaikovksy and hip-hop inspirations Busta Rhymes, Young Jeezy, Mos Def and Kendrick Lamar to unfurl music as “a rapper, except I spit lyrics and tell my stories through my hands, with these notes.”
“Black Book DLUX”: The album
“For the most part, the audience has been really warm. It’s my belief that the music speaks for itself,” offered Wilson, who’s released two mixtapes and the album, “Black Book,” with another mixtape on the way.
“Fans who have never been to my shows can expect a few things. My performances are all about storytelling, educating, allowing the listener to hear music that speaks to our current societal issues through the eyes of a black man, but mostly to make space for every individual to have a truly personalized emotional journey. And we laugh and have fun.”
In many ways, Wilson couldn’t escape music as a child: His grandfather, Robert “Honeymoon” Garner, was an acclaimed Memphis keyboardist, one of his uncles played saxophone while another was a tap dancer with Gregory Hines, and his mother played the flute.
“I only studied music privately from age 4 to 16. I didn’t study composition or piano in college so everything that you’ll hear is purely what’s in my heart to write,” he said. “I honestly look at my career and music as one big experiment.”
VIDEO: BLKBOK, Live at Rockwood Music Hall
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