D Madness

D-Madness aka Dwayne Jackson has played in studios, bars and clubs since his teenage years. On stage, the normal D-Madness set up is bass or electric guitar, drums, his ASR-10 production keyboard and a vocal mic. He might also play a cheek solo, a nearby beer bottle, or double-time his bass drum with the sticks (even Living Colour drummer Will Calhoun was baffled). When Japan’s DJ Krush first saw him play, he asked him to play bass guitar and drums on his next record. When Krush saw him play again, he insisted that D-Madness be added to the next day’s show in the next town. When Erykah Badu saw him soundcheckin’ at her Black Forest Theater (near their native Oak Cliff, Texas), she pushed him later in the schedule so Prince could see him. When Bernie Worrell saw him play in Austin in 2005, he demanded that D-Madness be added to the bill as opening act for him at the next day’s show. In June 2006, D-Madness took pleasure in opening for Anthony Hamilton at Stubb’s in Austin.

A well-deserved honor came on February 14, 2008, when Mayor Will Wynn proclaimed “D-Madness Day” in Austin. In April 2008, the D-Madness Experiment (D’s star-studded reggae band) opened for The Wailers at LaZona Rosa in Austin. There is no question about the madness…get the picture? At home and in the studio, D-Madness writes and arranges dozens of songs every week. From soul to jazz to funk to reggae to hip-hop to whatever, he’s an expert. He sings love ballads, inspirational songs, reggae tunes and may even drop a flow. He plays the sickest bass lines, guitar riffs, synths or strings. D-Madness has a cellular musical memory, so when he hears a song even once, his understanding grows in dog years.

The D-Madness Project became his primary focus while in Austin, in which he invited long-time and newly-found musician friends to share the stage with him in presenting the grooviest improv that side of the Mississippi. At any given time, you could find Andrae Van Buren and Melvin Wilborn on alto, tenor and soprano saxes, Wallace Hammond on trombone, Rolf Ordahl on keys and organ, Andrew Moorehead on keys, Carter Arrington and Ryan “Rydawg” Johnson on guitars, and Ed Miles on drums. Dwayne is immune to arrogance and willingly loaned his drumming skills to Austin reggae band Tribal Nation, blues icon Matthew Robinson and the Central East Band, and multi-genre band Diasporic; his bass skills to neo-soul band NeckBone, New Orleans’ Cyril Neville and Tribe 13, the Brannen Temple Quartet, Tribal Nation and San Antonio’s Mojoe when they cruised through Austin for a gig; and his guitar skills to Austin reggae band Shantytown.

D-Madness has been summoned by Austin’s Mayor of Hip-Hop Bavu Blakes, MCs Mike and Ike, D.O.S. and Houston’s Devin the Dude to arrange tracks for live performances. D served as music director/bass guitarist for Bavu Blakes’ Extra Plairs (Brannen Temple-drums, Carter Arrington-guitar, John Deas-keys, Chris “Shorti Cee” Edwards, Yashi Vaughn, and Willette Wallace-vocals). This gifted group, led by Bavu and hand-picked by D, along with DJ Kurupt and Gary Clark, Jr., took the 2008 Austin City Limits Music Festival to the next level! Austin DJs Rapid Ric and Diamond Tip can also attest to the pure D-Madness when they’re ‘trading fours’ during gigs.