August 11, 2024 – Bedrule, Scotland
Bedrule Church of Scotland
Black Earth Shakuhachi School – Studio Recital – 4:00 pm by donation

EVENT LINK

My debut performance …. in Scotland!  After a 3-day intensive retreat upon the farth on a sheep farm in Scottish Borders, 6 bambooers will head into this historic village church and share some solo pieces – monastic Zen honkyoku, original compositions, improvisations – as well as convening the rare Taimu quartet, The Wood Prophets for a tune or two. Featuring Kevin Chen, John Garner, Alexander Merck, Mavrick Miller and Stanley Muth.

August 14, 2024 – Glasgow, Scotland
The Old Hairdresser’s – 6:30 pm
Solo Acoustic Wizards – Double Bill with John Garner (violin)

EVENT LINK

My second performance …. in Scotland!  With budding shakuhachi player and master-renegade violinist John Garner.

August 18, 2024 – Amsterdam
Splendor – 3:00 pm
Enter the Bamboo – Solo Shakuhachi Double Bill with Hélène Seiyu Codjo

EVENT LINK

My debut performance …. in Amsterdam!  Hélène is one of the few professional shakuhachi players in The Netherlands and we have struck up an acquaintance online since we both have classical woodwinding backgrounds and then each came to shakuhachi primarily for the nature affinity in addition to its, of course, ever-enchanting tone.  So we will get to play back-to-back and also together for a couple of duos.  This should be a rich offering, put it in your books.

Past Performances

2024

June 1, 2024 – Walden Peak Farm
Signal Mountain, TN

EVENT LINK

Solo Shakuhachi  – “Woodwind in the Woods”
Sharing the bill with Tonal Vision

May 1, 2024 at Glendale Community College at 7:30 om
Phoenix, AZ
MEGAFAUNA world premiere!

New composition for low clarinet choir and percussion
Plus Edmund Welles classics for expanded ensemble: “Va Larga” and “Moira the Warrior”

EVENT LINK

April 28, 2024 at 2:30 pm at Glendale Community College in Phoenix, AZ
Root & Riffcraft: Compositions of C. Boots for Solo and Duo woodwinds

EVENT LINK

Featuring myself plus students and faculty from Glendale playing a selection of my woodwind-centric catalog including: “Sojourn of the Face” for bass clarinet duo, one part of Dream of Wheat for flute (shakuhachi) and bass clarinet duo,  some chestnuts and a new premiere on solo shakuhachi and Taimu, and Isaac McIntosh Lee closing out the show with the wild ride of “Mycroft’s Demand” for solo alto saxophone.

April 13, 2024 at 11:00 am in Philadelphia, PA
Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival

EVENT LINK

My debut performance at this popular cultural event in Philly presented by the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia.

2023

October 22, 2023

BIGFOOT REVELATION Album Release Concert
Old First Church in San Francisco
Complete Concert Info here and Program here

August 20, 2023

Final Pittsburgh Concert, Zen Shakuhachi & Meditation
at Iron City Rinzai / Stillpoint Zen Center

May 28, 2023

Spirit PGH 8:30 pm
An action-packed night with Seal Party and Matthew Charles Heulitt — it’s like a rock-jazz-soul-nightclub show, and I am the opening opener — a role I have rarely done as a solo shakupenuer.
Facebook event HERE.

April 28, 2023

Meditation Shakuhachi Concert 7:00-8:30 pm
Sterling Yoga & Wellness Center in Pittsburgh
393 Vanadium Road Suite 201 & 202, Pittsburgh, PA 15243

April 12, 2023

Earlham College – Concert in Lingle Recital Hall
7:00pm – free admission
Presented by the Institute for Education on Japan
Playlist of full concert performance on YouTube HERE
Check out the program HERE

April 11, 2023

First Presbyterian Church of Yellow Springs – 5:30 pm
314 Xenia Avenue, Yellow Springs,OH 45387

March 19, 2023

Heinz Memorial Chapel
University of Pittsburgh, South Bellefield Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
Playlist of Concert Videos on YouTube HERE
Information HERE

March 4, 2023

Sterling Yoga & Wellness Center
393 Vanadium Road Suite 201 & 202, Pittsburgh, PA 15243

February 5, 2023

First Presbyterian Church of Edgewood in the Sanctuary
120 E. Swissvale Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15218
Playlist of Concert Videos on YouTube HERE

2022

November 5, 2022

August 12, 2022

7:30 – Elemental Breathing & Meditation Class
8:30 – Solo Bass Shakuhachi Concert: Zen Honkyoku, Coltrane and Original Compositions
https://www.ticketfairy.com/event/wfj8

June 30, 2022

Marin County Fair
11:30 am – Community Stage

Solo Concert by The Wood Prophet a.k.a. Cornelius Boots on bass (Taimu) shakuhachi and jinashi shakuhachi. Original bamboo gospel compositions plus some traditional Japanese and Zen repertoire and covers songs of Pink Floyd and Jimi Hendrix.

LINK TO THE EVENT WEBSITE

June 14, 2022

The Ghost & The Wood Prophet
A Charley Patton Celebration, Solo Taimu Show
and Wood Prophets Album Release Concert

June 14, 2022 at 7pm – free admission
Starr-Gennett Building – 101 S 1st St, Richmond, IN 47374

Also celebrating this historic date in Richmond at the Starr-Gennett Building where the legendary Charley Patton recorded for the first time in 1929, 14 songs that forever changed music in the 20th century and beyond.

In addition to the solo concert, there will also be a short Charley Patton presentation illuminating his musicianship, the massive ripples of his influence and the connection between his Mississippi blues and gospel, and the Nature Blues and rustic flute spirituals performed by Master Boots. You might be surprised at the overlap. The program includes Boots’ original compositions in his syncretic “bamboo gospel” style, a traditional Zen meditation piece from feudal Japan and solo arrangements of Pink Floyd and Jimi Hendrix — artists in the extended lineage of Patton.

This show is also an “album release concert” for Boots’ debut Taimu quartet album, Wood Prophecy, available on bandcamp in eight editions (including a “1929 Edition” influenced by obsessive study of Patton’s recordings!) being released one per month starting on June 14, 2022. Although he is performing solo, the style and sound you will hear live is at the core of his new quartet, The Wood Prophets. A live performance debut of this 5-movement woodwind animism saga has yet to be scheduled. To be continued.

2021

11/14/2021 live solo concert – livestream only
Wood God Blues at Old First Church in San Francisco.

Full concert description here.

Wood God Blues plus classic, sacred Coltrane: New solo Taimu compositions plus duets with Kevin Chen
https://www.oldfirstconcerts.org/

04/07/2021 online mini-concert:
20 Years of Shakuhachi!
plus a Guest, a Toast and Book Project Announcement

2020

Facebook Event Link HERE

May 5, 2020 – SideBar NOLA /Scatterjazz (via The Barn) – Livestream: watch the reply

April 12, 2020 – The Barn – Livestream: watch the replay

April 5, 2020 – The Barn – Livestream: watch the replay

2019

August 7, 2019 — Birthday Show!

Center for New Music SF, CA
7:30 pm

Tickets Reserve
Venue Website
Facebook Event

Boots’ Birthday Bash: 1st set solo, 2nd set collaborative episodes with guests on flutes and reeds.

“Celebrating 16 years in the Bay and 45 years on Earth, lifelong woodwind innovator Cornelius Boots invites you to his Birthday Bash at C4NM in SF on his actual birthday. There will be heavy Zen bamboo flutes (solo shakuhachi and Taimu/bass shakuhachi), a proto-Taimu ensemble premiere plus special guests joining in on Boots’ compositions PLUS doughnuts, dark tea and darker beer.”

July 20, 2019 – The Stone @ The New School Glass Box Theater
w/ Aaron Novik and Friends Ensemble

July 20, 2019 – Zen Center of Philadelphia 12:00-1:30
Shakuhachi and Honkokyu lecture/mediation/performance

July 19, 2019 – House Concert in Mt. Airy, Philadelphia

July 15, 2019 – Soapbox Gallery 636 Dean Street, Brooklyn, NY
Details here; Facebook Event Page

June 1-2, 2019 – Berkeley World Music Festival
Sunday June 2, 6:00-7:00pm Moe’s Books Festival website

May 18, 2019 – Seventh Avenue Performances, San Francisco
Sacred Root album release show, solo with special guests

Tickets: Reserve Facebook Event Page Venue Website

2018

November 2, 2018
Red Poppy Arthouse in San Francisco

September 21, 2018
Old First Church in San Francisco

Bamboo Rising Album Release Show!
Sunday – April 15, 2018 | 4PM San Francisco

Pacific Exchange (a concert from Thingamajigs)
Cornelius Boots (shakuhachi/Taimu), Sophia Shen (pipa), and Soo Yeon Lyuh (haegeum)
CB solo set, collective improvisation and moderated talk with artists to follow performance.
NOHspace (Theater of Yugen)
2840 Mariposa Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
Brown Paper Tickets Link
Facebook Event Link

San Geronimo Valley Community Center
Saturday, January 12, 2018 7:00 pm

This is a cool room: simple, but I suspect it will be perfect for what I am up to on the solo bamboo.
Event Calendar
6350 Sir Francis Drake Blvd. San Geronimo, CA 94963

2017

Spirit Rock Meditation Center
Monday, December 4, 2017 6:45 pm
Appearing once more in a “prelude” capacity for about 20 minutes leading up to the guest teacher of the evening, Mark Coleman.
Woodacre, CA 94973

Berkeley Rose Labyrinth
Saturday, December 2, 2017 7:00 pm
Sound Ceremony, Deep Listening Concert: solos and duos with Laura Inserra & Cornelius Boots
2138 Cedar Street, Berkeley
http://www.samavesha.org/productions/rose-labyrinth-series/

Sound and Savor with Chef Philip Gelb, Oakland, CA
October 14, 2017 7:00 pm
An amazing, limited seating dinner concert. It was 5 years since my last solo performance on this legendary series. Also, it happens to be pure vegan and very local. soundandsavor.com

Indiana University: World Music Lecture, Fine Arts Building
September 12, 2017 11:15-12:05 pm
Introduction to shakuhachi, Taimu, polystylistic woodwind adventures and meditation. Visiting Guest Lecture/Demo.

Summit Elementary School 4th Grade Class Presentation
September 11, 2017 9:10-9:55 am
Introduction to woodwind performance through shakuhachi and Taimu lecture and demonstration, including meditation.

The Abundance of Less: Book Event with author Andy Couturier
August 26, 2017 6:00-9:00pm
An incredible book about Japanese artists and free spirits, including a big bamboo brother Murata on the kyotaku. Thanks to Andy I visited Murata last year, see our little video together.
I will demonstrate some kyotaku-like bamboo playing with Taimu.
Event Link Information

Zen Shakuhachi: Music and Meditation with Cornelius Boots
Spirit Rock Meditation Center: Volunteer Appreciation Event
July 25, 2017 6:00-9:00pm
Performance, talk and meditation. In collaboration with Western Gate Tea Collective.
www.spiritrock.org

Garden of Memory Chapel of the Chimes Solstice Event
June 21, 2017 5:00-9:00
Many of the great Bay Area performers!
www.gardenofmemory.com

Berkeley World Music Festival
Sunday, June 11, 2017 2:30 – 3:30 pm
The Musical Offering 2430 Bancroft Way
berkeleyworldmusic.org

O’Hanlon Center for the Arts 14th Annual Wabi-Sabi Exhibition
Opening Reception
Tuesday, June 6, 2017 5:45-7:00pm
Mill Valley, CA
ohanloncenter.org/exhibits/upcoming

Holy Flute album release concert with Bazantar

May 13, 2017 6:30pm St. Alban’s Episcopal Church Albany, CA
HOLY FLUTE album release concert featuring Cornelius Boots and Mark Deutsch.
NEW MUSIC MYSTICS CONCERT SERIES. And celebrating the release of Holy Flute, my new album, and the completion of Mark’s epic box set the PICASSO TUNINGS. Bazantar music.

April 10, 2017 8pm Castro Theater, San Francisco
PARALLEL SPACES featuring the films of Jerome Hiler and music by Bonnie ‘ Prince’ Billy, the Bitchin Bajas and me (Cornelius Boots).

April 23, 2017 11-3pm Stinson Beach, Marin County
Create-with-Nature Earth Day Celebration
13th annual, FREE

2016

Japan “Bamboo Traveler” trip –October 2016, more photos and videos to come, meanwhile:

HOLY FLUTE album funding campaign…thank you and it’ll be ready in March!

Japan Autumn 2016

October 22nd, 2-4pm
Gallery Cocoro, 10 minutes taxi ride from Karasuyama train station

October 29th, 4-5:30pm
At “SEKICHOU AN”
Link to location in Tokyo, Japan: (Mejiro and Ikebukuro stations are both walking distance) http://www.seibu-la.co.jp/mejiro-garden/access/
PDF Flier for this Event

Sunday September 18, 2016
Solo House Concert in Redwood City, CA

September 3, 2016
Turquoise Yantra Grotto, San Francisco

August 19, 2016
Guest with Faun Fables at The Starry Plough in Berkeley, CA

August 14, 2016
STUDIO GRAND, Oakland, CA

June 2-6, 2016
Featured Artist at the International Shakuhachi Festival Prague

“bamboo, castles and alchemy”

Performances

June 2 – 7:30 PM Choshi in the Courtyard of HAMU, big group performance
June 2 – 8:00 PM Opening Concert, various soloists
June 5 – 2:00 PM Facing Modernity: 7-hole shakuhachi, okraulo, Taimu and improvisation
June 5 – 5:30 PM Czech Composers for Japanese Instruments
June 5 – 10:00 PM Jazz and Improvisation, various players
June 6 – 7:30 PM Large ensemble pieces for shakuhachi, big group

Lectures & Workshops

June 3 – 1:30 PM Mukyoku Workshop
June 4 – 11:00 AM “Hands-on course” for beginners
June 5 – 11:00 AM Shak Rock: Evil or Divine (Third of three lecturers)
June 6 – 5:30 PM Shakuhachi Shortbits “Deep Ro: The Texture of Suchness” (Second)

April 2016, Radio Appearance:

A radio interview on KWMR, West Marin Community Radio, the show is “Pieces of Peace” hosted by Susan Santiago. [the quality is lo-fi due to it being a compressed mp3, so, adjust your expectations accordingly~]

April 9, 2016 Sol Studios Fairfax, CA 6:30 tea, 7:30 music

$15-30 sliding scale 12 School St., #12E Fairfax Celebrate Buddha’s Birthday! a root-end bamboo flute solo concert with CORNELIUS BOOTS Zen shakuhachi flute master classical Buddhist nature hymns – sacred music – original compositions – progressive blues

March 1-2, 2016 S.A.N.D. Workshop special performances at Esalen

February 26, 2016 Guest appearance with Arrington de Dionyso in Oakland at the Salt Lick (pictured below)

2015

lennygonzalez.com

November 14, 2015

Solo Shakuhachi and Taimu Performance, Berkeley, CA Drawing on his 30-year musical career, woodwind master and breath wizard Cornelius Boots offers a Solo Concert featuring traditional Buddhist and nature songs as well as original composition and arrangements. Berkeley Rose Labyrinth 2138 Cedar Street Berkeley, CA 94709

November 6, 2015 The Dance Palace, Point Reyes, CA Milly Wandering plus special guest: Cornelius Boots part of the Locally Sourced Free Range Concert Series

October 22-25, 2015 Performances and presentation at the Science and Nonduality Conference in San Jose, CA “The Texture of Suchness: The Shakuhachi Flute of Zen Buddhism”

September 20, 2015 Art in Nature/The Nature of Art Festival 5th annual artist and performer gathering in Redwood Regional Park’s Stream Trail in Oakland, CA

June 5, 2015 Fat Flute First Fridays in Fairfax, Wu Wei Tea Temple Solo Taimu and jinashi shakuhachi performances, informal.

May 7, 2015 Bloomington High School North Bloomington, Indiana Solo shakuhachi and Taimu presentation/recital.

May 5, 2015 Sanshin Temple Zendo Bloomington, Indiana Solo shakuhachi and Taimu concert following the regular zazen period.

February 14, 2015 Cornelius Boots & Mark Deutsch: Solo Acoustic Wizards, “Heart & Blood.” Trinity Church, Berkeley, CA

2014

November 5, 2014 Cornelius Boots & Edmund Welles at University of Southern Oregon, “West Coast Bass Clarinet Takeover”

October 19, 2014 Shakuhachi Grandmaster Michael Chikuzen Gould with special guest Cornelius Shinzen Boots, Forte House in SF, 7pm

September 12, 2014 Edmund Welles at Center for New Music

September 3, 2014 University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) 1:00 Breath & Tone class 7:30 Solo Recital (shakuhachi, Taimu, bass clarinet)

September 6, 2014 University of Memphis Clarinet Day hosted by Dr. Robyn Jones 9:00 Breath & Tone class 10:00 Artist Recital featuring Andre Dyachenko, Cornelius Boots and Dr. Robyn Jones

August 9, 2014, Mountain Hermit’s Secret Wisdom – CD Release Concert

July 30, 2014, Pacifica Graduate Institute’s Myth Program

June 12, 2014, Auburn Artwalk, 7:00 performance

April 26, 2014, Earthday at Stinson Beach

2013

September 7, 2013 7:30 Doors, 8:00 Performance

Solo Shakuhachi and Taimu Performance, Berkeley, CA Drawing on his 30-year musical career, woodwind master and breath wizard Cornelius Boots offers a Solo Concert featuring traditional Buddhist and nature songs as well as original composition and arrangements.

Berkeley Rose Labyrinth Tickets 2138 Cedar Street Berkeley, CA 94709

July 24-28, 2013

Edmund Welles performs ClarinetFest 2013 in Assisi, Italy and the 1st prize Composition Competition piece [“Invisible Orthodoxy” by C. Boots] premiered.

July 13, 2013

FLOAT gallery opening party: wander and play with pre-recorded material

July 6, 2013 “Breathe from the Heels”

The Japanese shakuhachi flute reflects the raw sound of nature and conjures primordial dream states. Spiritually and physiologically, esoteric monks played them as breath awareness, energy cultivation and ego-crushing tools since circa 800 C.E. Drawing on his 30-year musical career, woodwind master and breath wizard Cornelius Boots offers a peek behind the curtain into these “mysterious” practices…(see flyer for more information)

May 11, 2013 7:30 pm Berkeley, CA Solo Creative World Music at the Berkeley Rose Labyrinth Samavesha and Hearken Music present solos, duos and trios on ancient and modern instruments of sacred and unheard sounds. (this event sold out in March: if you are committed to attending, be advised to reserve on Eventbrite here)

Cornelius Boots: shakuhachi and taimu shakuhachi Laura Inserra: Hang Mark Deutsch: Bazantar

April 19, 2013 7-9pm “The Chapel” at First Universalist Unitarian Church of San Francisco 1187 Franklin St. (at Geary)

Shakuhachi Grandmaster Michael Chikuzen Gould in Concert (with guest Cornelius Shinzen Boots) This is a benefit concert featuring my shakuhachi teacher of 12 years. The benefit is for a fellow student and member of the shakuhachi community who will need a new kidney very soon. I will be joining in on the performance at some point during this concert, the details of which have yet to be determined. Donations for the Event (“Zen Seats” meaning you are geographically distant and might not attend the actual concert) are made here. To attend the concert: show up at the Chapel on 4/19! We might set up an Eventbrite for actual seat reservations, but there isn’t one yet.

March 9, 2013 7:30 pm Berkeley, CA Solo Creative World Music at the Berkeley Rose Labyrinth Samavesha and Hearken Music present solos, duos and trios on ancient and modern instruments of sacred and unheard sounds. Cornelius Boots: shakuhachi and taimu shakuhachi Laura Inserra: Hang Mark Deutsch: Bazantar

March 2, 2013 8pm San Francisco Conservatory of Music 50 Oak St. SF, CA I am an alto saxophone ringer for the New Music Ensemble’s performance of Armando Luna’s multi-movement piece “Graffiti”. Besides some of his tempos being wildly optimistic, most of these mini-pieces are pretty great. Each one is a “graffiti” composed under the inspiration of some other composer, such as J.S. Bach, Dave Brubeck or Chick Corea.

February 22, 2013 Museum of Natural Mystery featuring Steven Odell art exhibit Paxton Gate 824 Valencia St. SF, CA 6-8pm I will play a short shakuhachi set around 7 that will feature brand new Renegade Nature Music arrangements including a solo shakuhachi arrangement of Lamb of God’s “Blacken the Cursed Sun,” a song by the band Earth, and one of my favorite songs of all time “Sycamore Trees” by David Lynch, Jimmy Scott and Angelo Badalamenti. This show features the artwork of Steven Odell who licensed his spectacular “Bird Zen” image to me for use as the cover image for my shakuhachi version of “Freebird.”

February 9, 2013 1-2pm Oakland Museum of California “In-theMix” wandering improvisational performer on clarinet, shakuhachi and taimu shakuhachi. This was my third and most rewarding installment of this gig since the Museum re-opened in 2010. Read a review of this event.

January 13, 2013 2-4pm Asian Art Museum in San Francisco

Performance on 2.9 Taimu shakuhachi of a transcription of Koku Nishimura’s rendition of “Ajikan” from the honkyoku classical Buddhist shakuhachi repertoire. Nishimura was the progenitor of the “kyotaku” a large-bore jinashi type of shakuhachi that is wuite similar to the Taimu. He was also the teacher of Kogen Murata, one of the Japanese “living off the land” artistic, free-thinking people featured in Andy Couturier’s “A Different Kind of Luxury”. This event was a talk and presentation by Andy about his book and the people in it. More details here on Andy’s site, and check back for a posting of my performance of “Ajikan” and photos from the event.

Thanksgiving 2012 Official website launch; Edmund Welles Christmas album release

September 23, 2012 Art in Nature/The Nature of Art Festival 3rd annual artist and performer gathering in Redwood Regional Park’s Stream Trail in Oakland, CA

September 22, 2012 Solo Shakuhachi, Taimu and bass clarinet Dinner Concert at Philip Gelb’s “In the Mood for Food” gourmet vegan dinner concert series