Vinx De'Jon Parrette (born 15 December 1957), known professionally as Vinx, is a percussionist, singer, songwriter, and former athlete.

Musical career

Vinx performed for the first time at

Montreux Jazz Festival The Montreux Jazz Festival (formerly Festival de Jazz Montreux and Festival International de Jazz Montreux) is a music festival in Switzerland, held annually in early July in Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline. It is the second-largest annu ...

on July 9, 1978, after legendary musician

Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal ( ; ; ) is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was commissioned in 1631 by the fifth Mughal Empire, Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his belo ...

invited him to perform with him at Casino Montreux. Vinx was a member of the Austin, Texas funk & soul band Extreme Heat. The next time Vinx performed at Montreux Jazz Festival would be July 20, 1990, when he performed nine of his own songs: The songs were taken from Vinx's first album, '' Rooms in My Fatha's House'' which was released through Sting's record labe
Pangaea Records
and featured guest vocals and bass by Sting.

Branford Marsalis Branford Marsalis (born August 26, 1960) is an American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. While primarily known for his work in jazz as the leader of the Branford Marsalis Quartet, he also performs frequently as a soloist with classical ens ...

Sheryl Crow Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She is noted for her Optimism, optimistic and Idealism, idealistic subject matter, and incorporation of genres including Rock music, rock, Po ...

, and

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz musician, bandleader, and composer. He started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. Hancock soon joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he helped to redefine the role of ...

were also among the album's guest musicians. The actor

Roscoe Lee Browne Roscoe Lee Browne (May 2, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was an American actor and theatre director, director. He resisted playing Stereotypes of African Americans, stereotypically black roles, instead performing in several productions with New York Ci ...

appears on "While the City Sleeps". Vinx's regular band, made up of percussionists and a vocalist, was dubbed the Barkin' Feet. The following day, July 21, Vinx performed a second show at Montreux 1990 alongside

Sting Stimulator of interferon genes (STING), also known as transmembrane protein 173 (TMEM173) and MPYS/MITA/ERIS is a regulator protein that in humans is encoded by the STING1 gene. STING plays an important role in innate immunity. STING induces typ ...

. Almost a year later, on July 2, 1991 Vinx returned to Montreux Jazz Festival with Sting, as part of Sting's Soul Cages tour, performing backing vocals on 17 songs, before moving front of stage to perform vocals and percussion on four of his own songs in support of '' Rooms in My Fatha's House'' : "My Funny Valentine" (written by

Richard Rogers Richard George Rogers, Baron Rogers of Riverside (23 July 1933 – 18 December 2021) was a British-Italian architect noted for his modernist and constructivist designs in high-tech architecture. He was the founder at Rogers Stirk Harbour + ...

Lorenz Hart Lorenz Milton Hart (May 2, 1895 – November 22, 1943) was an American lyricist and half of the Broadway songwriting team Rodgers and Hart. Some of his more famous lyrics include "Blue Moon"; " The Lady Is a Tramp"; "Manhattan"; " Bewitched, Bo ...

), "Temporary Love", "One Pearl", and "Don't Got To Be That Way". "Temporary Love" and "Don't Got To Be That Way." Vinx's second album, ''I Love My Job'' was released on CD and cassette across Europe and the US in 1992. In 1992, Vinx's third Album, ''The Storyteller'', was also released through Pangaea Records and featured his drum band, The Barking Feet, plus guest artists;

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...

Cassandra Wilson Cassandra Wilson (born December 4, 1955) is an American jazz singer, songwriter, and producer from Jackson, Mississippi. She is one of the most successful female jazz singers and has been described by critic Gary Giddins as "a singer blessed wit ...

Omar Umar ibn al-Khattab (; ), also spelled Omar, was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr () and is regarded as a senior companion and father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muh ...

, Ndugu Chancler, Billy Kent, Django Porter, Peter Usi Wegner, Mitchell Long,

Luis Conte Luis Conte (born 16 November 1954) is a Cuban percussionist best known for his performances in the bands of artists including James Taylor, Madonna, Pat Metheny Group, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Phil Collins, Rod Stewart and Shakira. He began ...

, George Howard,

Harvey Mason Harvey William Mason (born February 22, 1947) is an American jazz drummer, record producer, and member of the band Fourplay. He was the original drummer for Herbie Hancock's band The Headhunters. Life and career Mason was born and grew ...

, Greg Poree, Karen Briggs, Angel Figueroa,

Bill Summers Bill Summers may refer to: * Bill Summers (car builder) (1935–2011), American car builder and longtime speed record holder *Bill Summers (musician) (born 1948), American jazz percussionist *Bill Summers (umpire) William Reed Summers (November 1 ...

, Basil Fung, Fade and Beulah. On October 18 1996, Vinx opened for

Carlos Santana Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán (; born July 20, 1947) is an American guitarist, best known as a founding member of the Rock music, rock band Santana (band), Santana. Born and raised in Mexico where he developed his musical background, he r ...

at The Beacon Theater in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. On January 12, 1997, Vinx performed in

Foxborough, MASSACHUSETTS Foxborough is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Located in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, it is about southwest of Boston. The population was 18,618 at the 2020 census. "Foxborough" is the official spelling of th ...

, in 20-degree weather, during halftime of the

AFC Championship The AFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the American Football Conference (AFC) and one of the two semifinal playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the wo ...

Game between the

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...

vs The New England Patriots.

Al Pereira Alfred Pereira (August 8, 1906 to January 15, 1990) was an American professional wrestler, known as Al "Power House" Pereira. He held the European Heavyweight Championship twice. Early life Pereira was born in Half Moon Bay, California, the so ...

photographed Vinx in winter gloves trying to keep warm. On July 15, 1997, Vinx again performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival, this time as part of his band

Jungle Funk Jungle Funk is a drum and bass group formed by Vinx De'Jon Parrette, Will Calhoun and Doug Wimbish. Beginning in 1996, they performed over one hundred and fifty shows throughout Europe and Australia. The trio performed a complex hybrid of R&B, ...

, formed with

Living Colour Living Colour is an American rock music, rock band from New York City, formed in 1984. The band consists of guitarist Vernon Reid, lead vocalist Corey Glover, drummer Will Calhoun and bassist Doug Wimbish who replaced Muzz Skillings in 1992. T ...

band members

Doug Wimbish Douglas Arthur Wimbish (born September 22, 1956) is an American bassist, primarily known for being a member of rock band Living Colour and funk/dub/hip hop collective Tackhead, and as a session musician with artists such as Sugarhill Gang, G ...

and

Will Calhoun William Calhoun (born July 22, 1964) is an American drummer who is a member of the rock band Living Colour. Career Calhoun was born in the Bronx, New York. He moved to Boston to attend the Berklee College of Music, where he graduated with a mu ...

. Jungle Funk performed to an audience of 4000 at Auditorium Stravinski. Jungle Funk toured for many months, with dates including Drum Fest - Oopole, Poland in October 2013 and the Millennium Stage at The Kennedy Center, on January 14, 2015 In 2004, Vinx wrote and recorded ''Digga Tunnah Dance'' with

Lebo M Lebohang Morake (born 11 July 1964), known as Lebo M, is a South African producer and composer, known for his songwriting and vocal work on the soundtracks to films such as ''The Lion King, The Power of One'' and ''Outbreak'' and numerous sta ...

for

The Lion King 1½ ''The Lion King 1½'' (known internationally as ''The Lion King 3: Hakuna Matata'') is a 2004 American animated direct-to-video musical comedy film directed by Bradley Raymond, produced by Disneytoon Studios and released on February 10, 2004. T ...

film and soundtrack. The album was released by

Walt Disney Records Walt Disney Records is an American record label owned by the Disney Music Group. The label releases soundtrack albums from the Walt Disney Company's Walt Disney Studios (division), motion picture studios, television shows, Disney Experiences, them ...

in 2004. Vinx founded a critically acclaimed songwriting/creativity workshop series called Songwriter Soul Kitchen. In February 2024, Vinx took his International Serenade Festival to

Accra, Ghana Accra (; or ''Gaga''; ; Ewe: Gɛ; ) is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , had a population ...

, performing with backing from the Ghana Jazz Collective at +233 Jazz Bar & Grill. Other artists to perform at the Festival included Loretta E, Purple Haze, DeGate Zion and Shelley Nicole.

Athletics career

Vinx was a top American college triple jump athlete, representing Kansas State. In 1980 he held the US indoor collegiate record at 17.03 meters. This was a long enough jump to qualify him for the 1980 US Summer Olympic team in Moscow, but US President Carter boycotted the Olympics when the Soviet Union failed to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan. Vinx's Olympic dreams were shattered, alongside the whole of the US Summer Olympic team.

Discography

As leader

* '' Rooms in My Fatha's House'' (PANGAEA/I.R.S., 1991) * ''I Love My Job'' (PANGAEA/I.R.S., 1991) * ''The Storyteller'' (PANGAEA/I.R.S., 1992)

As sideman

, ''

The Soul Cages ''The Soul Cages'' is the third full-length studio album by English musician Sting. Released on 21 January 1991, it became Sting's second No. 1 album in the United Kingdom. It spawned four singles: " All This Time", " Mad About You", "The S ...

'' (A&M, 1990) *

, ''

Blue Light 'til Dawn ''Blue Light 'til Dawn'' is a studio album by American jazz singer Cassandra Wilson. Her first album on the Blue Note label, it was released in 1993. It contains Wilson's interpretations of songs by various blues and rock artists, as well as thre ...

'' (Blue Note 1993) *

, ''

Conversation Peace ''Conversation Peace'' is the twenty-second album released by American musician Stevie Wonder, on the Motown label in 1995. The album was Wonder's first full-length non-soundtrack studio album since 1987's '' Characters''. This album yielded th ...

'' (Motown, 1995) *

Crystal Waters Crystal Waters (born November 19, 1961) is an American house music, house and dance music singer and songwriter, best known for her 1990s dance hits "Gypsy Woman (Crystal Waters song), Gypsy Woman", "100% Pure Love", and 2007's "Destination Cal ...

, ''

'' (Mercury, 1997) As writer * Tom Jones - "Touch My Heart" * Will Downing - "Don't Talk To Me like That" *

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Parrette, Vinx De'Jon 1957 births Living people American percussionists

Musical career

Athletics career

Discography

As leader

As sideman

See also

References

External links