Jimmy Pitts
As a vocalist and composer, LA native Christina Wheeler is an explorer. Her instruments – electric autoharp, Q-Chord, theremin, and four-octave electric mbira to name a few – are rivaled only by the eclecticism of her output.
From electronica to jazz to pure improvisation, Wheeler is deft at deconstructing sound and form, only to build them back up into aching appeals of spirit. Educated at such esteemed institutions as Harvard, Radcliffe College, and the Manhattan School of Music, Wheeler brings her studies to the stage, resulting in a heady tight rope that walks the line between cacophony and bliss.
Comparisons to Alice Coltrane abound, and fittingly Wheeler has shared the stage with Coltrane’s son, Ravi Coltrane. Wheeler has played with many amazing genre-bending artists including the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Talking Heads’ David Byrne, and Velvet Underground’s John Cale.
Wheeler’s latest, sprawling piece, “A Coda to the Totality of Blackness Trilogy” gives us a glimpse inside the psyche of this musical explorer. Cramming all the life and musical experience she can into 8 minutes, Wheeler’s voice often reaches the frenzied meter of musical theatre as the soundscape ebbs and flows. “How can we access a place and time/so far from our perception’s grasp,” she asks in unison with her mbira, answering moments later with, “the question remains/what can be done/and how do we get to where we want to be?”
Never one to languish, Wheeler has two more works slated for release: Songs of S + D, a solo instrumental work, and Tres Es un Número Mágico: Kaleidoscopic Triptychs. If that weren’t enough, she has begun work composing with a new musical instrument – Benjamin Franklin’s 1761 invention, the glass armonica.
We recently put Christina under The Probe and here is what she had to say:
1) If a roach crashed your rehearsal space, would you run or would you kill it?
Sadly, the roach would be a goner. And so would I, if I saw one in the rehearsal space.
2) Does anyone in the band like to play practical jokes? If so, what’s one of the all-time best ones?
I’m a band of one and such a sensitive soul, that I don’t play practical jokes on folks: I’m a lover not a teaser!
3) What’s the last gift you received?
The last amazing present was one that I got was one that I actually gave my mom: I took her a trip to the Grand Canyon for her birthday!
4) If you could pick one thing about yourself that you’d like your fans to know, what would it be?
I’m a passionate artist that shares extraordinary, transformational experiences: come join the adventure with me!
5) What music are you listening to lately?
I’ve been listening to Tyshawn & King (Tyshawn Sorey and King Britt), J’Lin, L’Rain, Duendita, and Maurice Fulton’s weekly DJ streams.
For more information visit:
Website: https://www.christinawheeler.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristinaWheelerMusic
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/christina-wheeler
Bandcamp: https://christinawheeler.bandcamp.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thechristinawheeler/
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