After five years touring with Deep Banana Blackout, singer Jen Durkin has spent the past year or so working on numerous projects to expand her musical horizons.  In addition to her duties with The Conscious Underground, including an upcoming appearance at The Stone Pony on Friday, October 5th, the funky diva has performed with Bernie Worrell's Woo Warriors and the Bomb Squad.  Durkin's talent, penchant for musical exploration and amazing voice are difficult to describe, but that's exactly what the newsletter attempted to do in this special Q&A with Ms. Durkin.  Don't know her yet?  You will.  Read on.

The Stone Pony: The Conscious Underground only began performing live in February of this year. How has the band been progressing over the past several months and do you feel the band has been able to develop a distinct and cohesive sound in that short period of time?

Jen Durkin: Basically, the reason I started this project was to produce a CD and then tour. These first gigs have been great for us.  Not too much travel, more focus on developing the music and feeling the audience reaction.  We always freestyle improv at rehearsal so that vibe extends to the stage.  Everyone in this group is a highly sought after musician and scheduling gets tricky at times. My personal goal is to work with a few different projects so I am very understanding of any conflicts that may arise.  Considering all that I feel that we have made incredible progress in this short period and the cohesiveness is tapped into easily even though we may not rehearse every week.

The Stone Pony: You attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston. How do you think a formal musical education has helped you to develop your sound and do you feel that it's beneficial for anyone seeking a career in music to spend time at an institution such as Berklee?

JD: Yes, I would highly recommend Berklee.  My experiences there helped me understand the challenges we face as we try to make a business out of artistic expression.  Half the time I spent there was focused performance and the other half working on composing.  There were so many students and teachers that kicked my ass, by that I mean inspired me to work hard.

The Stone Pony: At Berklee, you participated in the Berklee Gospel Ensemble.  Did religious and spiritual music affect your approach to singing, and is there still an influence of the gospel sound in your performance?

JD: Gospel and blues are the at the core of funk and rock.  My approach when I was learning to sing was to imitate R&B legends that were raised with gospel music.  When I was at Berklee I was astonished that I got in to the Gospel Ensemble.  I was early to every rehearsal and that time was precious to me.  I taped every rehearsal and obsessed about having my parts down.  Singing harmonies with the incredible voices in that choir really developed my ear for blending and vocal projecting.  I still feel the spiritual passion of gospel in my performances today.  Music is a healer and when we gather for this experience it’s like church.

The Stone Pony: What musical challenges were you seeking, leaving your previous band, Deep Banana Blackout, late last year and eventually becoming a part of Conscious Underground? Are there new areas musically that you're hoping to explore that you haven't in the past?

JD: I enjoyed collaborating with DBB and after 5 years I had developed relationships with other musicians over the years that I never had time to work with.  I want to get as much experience writing and recording as I can.  Musically I would like to explore Latin jazz and afro Cuban rhythms, but as a student.  Then maybe I could fuse the funk and rock into it respectfully.

The Stone Pony: Are there any recording plans for Conscious Underground?  If so, what does the band hope to accomplish and when will fans be able to hear the results?

JD: Right now the plan is to do a live recording in October to be available by late Jan 2002.

The Stone Pony: Your two most notable collaborators in Conscious Underground are guitarist Harold "Fro" Davis and drummer Gary "G-Man" Sullivan. Who are some of the other musicians that will be performing with you at the Pony show?

JD: Pauley Ethnic (MC vocals and percussion) is an ultra-positive wordsmith.  He loves to lock in to the rhythms and opens up to sing just as well.  Joshua Werner on bass is an extremely gifted player who grooves like crazy.  We will have a special guest drummer, Adam Deitch, (Lettuce., AWB and The John Scofield band) joining us at the Stone Pony.  He is slammin’!!

The Stone Pony: How would you describe your sound to fans that might not be familiar with your music? What should fans expect if they are coming to see you perform at The Stone Pony on October 5th?

JD: It is Funk rock. Maximum R&B with ribbons of hip hop and Hendrix.

The Stone Pony: At least one reviewer has described you as "one of the finest vocalist of her generation".  How you do keep your voice in shape and what sort of practice schedule do you maintain?  Are there any routines that you go through before a show to prepare your voice for the performance? 

JD: Drinking at least a gallon of water per day and getting 8 hours of sleep is the key.  I quit smoking cigarettes and drinking booze seven years ago after listening to a recording of gig where I sounded weak and out of tune.  Now I never lose my voice and hardly ever get sick.  I don’t really sing scales or have a regular practice schedule.  I do warm up before shows and stretch my whole body out so I don’t pull muscles.

The Stone Pony: You mention Parliament Funkadelic as one of the groups you grew up listening to and inspiring you to pursue an education and career in music.  Several years later, you were able to perform on stage with George Clinton and the P-Funk All-Stars. You also were invited to perform with Bernie Worrell and The Woo Warriors, whom you describe as "the composer of the music that most inspired me to perform."  How has it been to perform with some of your musical heroes and does it make you feel that your career has been successful to be on the same stage working with those talented artists?

JD: It’s pretty unbelievable sometimes that I am in Bernie’s band.  After all the years of going to see P-funk and Bootsy’s Rubber Band to being in rehearsal and onstage with some of those same people is an indication to me that I am on the path but I still have a long way to go.  It is both satisfying and inspiring. 

The Stone Pony: Any final expectations or thoughts at you prepare for Conscious Undergrounds' first appearance at the legendary Stone Pony?

JD: I hope to ignite some passions, shake some asses and make a good splash.  After all the things people have been going through since the World Trade Center attack I really hope to be able to give some strong and positive vibrations to those who are trying so hard to find hope and meaning in their lives after such a devastating experience.

You've read about Jen Durkin, now come by and hear her perform with Conscious Underground at The Stone Pony on October 5th.  For additional information about her career, including photos and sound samples, go to her web site at www.cyberjendurkin.com.