Barbara’s POLYRHYTHMIC NATURE MOVES HER to CONNECT WITH creative and musical people in a variety of ways. BELOW ARE PROJECTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY UNDER WAY.
KEEPER OF THE BEAT DOCUMENTARY
Keeper of the Beat: A Woman’s Journey Into the Heart of Drumming, is an hour-long documentary in which Barbara, Borden, an acclaimed drummer, composer and teacher tells her story in eloquent words and toe-tapping music. It showcases the unfolding of Barbara’s identity as she grows from a little girl in love with drumming to a world-class percussionist broadcasting love and joy while practicing drumbeat diplomacy. Filmed on four continents, the film is produced and directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, David L. Brown. more info…
ALIVE! – THE ALL-WOMEN JAZZ QUINTET (1977-1987) was celebrated by the press and public as “inspirational, “life changing,” and “amazing.” The band, which originated in the SF Bay Area, held a unique and formative role in both women’s music and the jazz scene, historically dominated by male instrumentalists.
With the help of the late, great Helen Keane (music manager for jazz notables including Bill Evans, Joanne Brackeen, and Paquito De Rivera), Alive! with its infectious rhythms, stunning vocals, innovative arrangements, intelligent and heartfelt original compositions, forged a road into the international jazz community playing in jazz festivals and clubs all across the United States and Canada.
Alive! has four recordings to its credit: Alive!, Call It Jazz, City Life, and a compilation album, Always Alive! The original members of the band include Barbara Borden on drum set and percussion, Carolyn Brandy on congas and percussion, Susanne DiVincenzo on acoustic bass and cello, and Rhiannon on vocals and percussion. Sadly, Janet Small, the original pianist for Alive! passed away in 2010. She is forever treasured by all of us.
Over the years, Alive! has reunited to perform in concert and for special events. In the summer of 2015, Alive! was invited to perform at the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival so decided to make it a reunion concert series by adding The Freight & Salvage in Berkeley, CA and Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz, CA. Tammy Hall, a favorite musician amongst San Francisco Bay Area and European audiences alike, joined them on piano. The concert series was so successful in every way that they decided to go forward as a band once again. more info…