Blaxploitation Jive

Brick

2012-01-23T13:41:00.005-05:00

Brick is a former American band that created a successful merger of funk and jazz in the 1970s. Their most popular single was "Dazz", (#3 U.S. Pop, #1 U.S. R&B, #36 UK Singles Chart) which was released in 1976.

Brick was formed in Atlanta, Georgia in 1972 from members of two bands - one disco and the other jazz. They coined their own term for disco-jazz, "dazz". They released their first single "Music Matic" on Main Street Records in 1976, before signing to the independently distributed Bang Records. Their next single, "Dazz", (#3 Pop, #1 R&B) was released in 1976. The band continued to record for Bang records until 1982. Other hits followed: "That's What It's All About" (R&B #48) and "Dusic" (#18 Pop, #2 R&B) in 1977, and "Ain't Gonna Hurt Nobody" (#92 Pop, #7 R&B) in 1978. Their last Top Ten R&B hit was "Sweat (Til You Get Wet)" in 1981.

Members:

Jimmy Brown - lead vocals, saxophone, flute

Regi Hargis Hickman - guitar, bass, vocals

Eddie Irons - lead vocals, drums, keyboards

Donald Nevins - keyboards, vocals

Ray Ransom - vocals, bass, keyboards, percussion

Discography:

1976 -Good High , Bang altrn

1977-Brick , Bang

1979-Stoneheart , Bang

1980-Waiting on You , Bang altrn

1981-Summer Heat , Bang altrn

1982-After 5 , Bang

1988-Too Tuff , Magic City

1995-The Best of Brick , Epic/Bang altrn

2000-Super Hits , Sony

alternative discography

Legendary Andre Williams

2012-01-12T02:19:00.017-05:00

Biography

Multi-talented Zephire "Andre" Williams has worn many musical hats during his long career: recording artist, songwriter, producer, road manager, and so on. The Father of Rap was born November 1, 1936, in Chicago, IL, and was raised in a housing project by his mother, who died when Williams was six years old. Thereafter, Williams' aunts raised the precocious lad, who had already become quite the character. The R&B legend is best known for co-writing and producing "Twine Time" for Alvin Cash & the Crawlers, "Shake a Tailfeather" by the Five Dutones, and a greasy solo recording, "Bacon Fat," where Williams talked over a funky, crude rhythm.

A slick, street-smart, dapper Dan, music was one of Williams' hustles. He ventured to Detroit in his late teens and befriended Jack and Devora Brown, the owners of Fortune Records. He started singing with the Don Juans, a group in which the Browns titled their 45s according to who sang lead, something Gwen Gordy and Billy Davis later did with the Voicemasters. At Fortune, Williams became adept at putting songs together. To date he has more than 230 compositions registered with BMI. In 1956, Fortune issued seven singles by Williams, all but two co-billed with the Don Juans: "Going Down to Tia Juana," "It's All Over," "Bacon Fat," "Mean Jean," "Jail Bait," "The Greasy Chicken," and "Country Girl." "Bacon Fat" and "Jail Bait" were solo shots, the former got a boost from Epic Records, which took over the distribution when the demand got too great for Fortune to handle. Fortune also released "Ooh Ooh Those Eyes" by Don Lake & the Don Juans, and two by pianist Joe Weaver & the Don Juans, "Baby I Love You" and "Baby Child," in 1956. Little Eddie & the Don Juans recorded the first Don Juans record on Fortune, "This Is a Miracle" b/w "Calypso Beat," in 1955. Williams later sang with the Five Dollars, who released records on Fortune from 1956 to 1957, and were billed as Andre Williams & the Five Dollars on a 1960 release.

Doing his Fortune stint, Williams kept busy playing the popular clubs in Detroit and other locales, including the Flamingo Club in Memphis, TN. His biggest solo hit, "Bacon Fat," occurred during a drive to Memphis' Flamingo Club. When he got back to Detroit he persuaded Devora Brown to book a session. Fortune's recording studio was in the back room of a record shop the Browns owned. "Bacon Fat" was Williams' third single for Fortune; he didn't even have the lyrics written, but hurried and did so on a napkin while Devora busied herself setting up the studio mikes. Thank God for DJ Frantic Eddie Durham, who observed the session. He was the only one who understood what was going on. Everyone else, including Joe Weaver, thought Williams was wasting time and money with this talk-singing. Williams and Durham proved them wrong when "Bacon Fat" took off, becoming, with "The Wind" by Nolan Strong & the Diablos, Fortune's most popular record. Williams started talking instead of singing because he knew he couldn't compete vocally with Nolan Strong, Clyde McPhatter, Little Willie John, Jackie Wilson, and others. He created a new style that was later adapted by Harvey Fuqua ("Any Way You Wanna"), Jerry-O, Shorty Long, Bootsy Collins, and others.

After Fortune, Williams languished with Berry Gordy and Motown from 1961 to 1965. He signed as an artist, producer, and writer. His only 45, "Rosa Lee" b/w "Shoo Ooo," was scheduled for release on Gordy's short-lived Miracle label, but was never issued. Gina Parks, a friend from the Don Juans, enjoyed a couple more solo releases on Motown labels but none scored. Williams co-wrote Little Stevie Wonder's first record, "Thank You for Loving Me"; "Oh Little Boy What You Do to Me," the flip of Mary Wells' "My Guy"; an early Eddie Holland single, "It Cleopatra Took a Chance"; and "Mojo Hannah," recorded first by Henry Lumpkin, then Marvin Gaye (outside of Motown it's been remade by Tami Lynn, the Ideals, the Neville Brothers, and others).

His relationship with Berry Gordy was one of mutual respect, but stormy. He never conformed to Gordy's way of doing things, and the four years he spent at Motown weren't consecutive months. When Williams got under Gordy's skin, Gordy fired him; Williams would leave for a few months and produce a hit for someone on another label, and Gordywould invite him back. Williams was still associating with Motown when he masterminded "Shake a Tail Feather" for the Five Dutones and "Twine Time" for Alvin Cash & the Crawlers, on George Leaner's Onederful Records in Chicago. Williams cut a lot of tracks for the Contours; by his estimate he supervised at least two albums' worth of material on the wild, raucous, dancing group, but few were released. During this time Williams co-wrote "Girls Are Getting Prettier," a non-hit for Edwin Starr on Ric Tic Records. At one point, Williams was Starr's road manager.

By 1965, Williams left Motown for good to sign with Chicago's Chess Records and had a string of R&B releases including "The Stroke," "Girdle Up," "Humpin' Bumpin' & Thumpin'," and "Cadillac Jack." His legend grew. A nefarious character but a good entertainer, Williams wore lavender suits, and continued to entertain crowds at bucket-of-blood-type establishments. He produced and wrote for more acts than he remembers, including "The Funky Judge" by Bull & the Matadors on Toddlin' Town Records. A 18-month stint with Ike Turner led to Williams' hitting rock bottom; after the experience he returned to Chicago a full-blown street junkie and was on the verge of self-destruction for years. His biggest period as an artist came around 1960 when Fortune released the LP Jail Bait. He contributed to many sessions including Parliament, Jesse James, Funkadelic, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Spinners, Trey Lewd (George Clinton's son), and Amos Milburn. He produced tracks for Mary Wells when she left Motown for 20th Century Fox Records.

Williams now lives in Queens, NY, and is back active in the business of music. He performs at much better venues then he did during his Jail Bait years, and still dazzles audiences with his swagger and loud, pimpish wardrobe. He released more albums in the '90s than he did during the first 40 years of his career, including Silky and Directly from the Streets. The Black Godfather and Fat Back & Corn Liquor followed in 2000. He paired with the New Orleans Hellhounds for 2008's Can You Deal with It? on Bloodshot Records. For 2010's That's All I Need, also on Bloodshot Records, Williams worked with Detroit musicians, including members of the Dirtbombs, the Witches and the Volebeats as well as the Funk Brothers' Dennis Coffey.

Discography
1990 Directly from the Streets
1994 Mr. Rhythm Is Back
1996 Mr. Rhythm
1998 Silky
1999 Hot As Hell
1999 Red Dirt
2000 The Black Godfather
2000 Fat Back & Corn Liquor
2001 Bait and Switch
2003 Greasy
2003 Holland Shuffle! / FLAC
2005 Red Beans and Biscuits
2006 Aphrodisiac
2006 - Movin On Greasy and Explicit Soul Movers 1956-1970
2008 Can You Deal with It?
2008 - Rhythm & Blues!
2010 That's All I Need
2011 Mr. Rhythm Is Movin'!
2011 The Joy of Christmas

Art Blakey

2011-12-08T06:30:00.117-05:00

Lamont Dozier

2011-12-07T15:28:00.003-05:00

Lamont Dozier is the #1 songwriter in America. And for every #1 song that Lamont has written, Lamont has also produced it!

If you only know the legendary Lamont Dozier as one third of the songwriting team Holland-Dozier-Holland, you only know a portion of his incredible story. The internationally acclaimed, Grammy-award winning music master has spent more time before and after those heady years as a recording artist in his own right, as well as a solo and collaborative songwriter and top producer. He has indelibly impacted pop music for five decades.

Lamont Dozier is one of BMI’s most honored songwriters with over fifty-four #1 hits for such legendary artists as the Supremes, the Four Tops, Marvin Gaye and many others. As part of the legendary songwriting team Holland-Dozier-Holland, Lamont penned such legendary songs as “Baby I Need Your Loving” (9 million performances), “Baby Love” 4 million performances), “How Sweet It Is (to Be Loved by You)” (7 million), “I Hear a Symphony” (4 million), “It’s the Same Old Song” (4 million), “Reach Out I’ll Be There” (5 million), “This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)” (5 million), “Where Did Our Love Go” (5 million), “You Can’t Hurry Love” (8 million) and “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” (5 million).

The Detroit-born Dozier grew up listening to his father’s record collection of pop/jazz singers, sang in the Baptist gospel choir and absorbed the classical music his aunt played on the family piano. He signed to Berry Gordy’s hometown Motown label, the Sound of Young America, in 1962 as a triple threat, Artist, Producer and Songwriter. It was there he hooked up with Brian Holland and later on, his brother Eddie, setting the standard of ‘60s R&B and soul, fulfilling Lamont’s dream of a music that could cross over to pop radio, where it dominated the era, until the trio’s departure in 1968 to set up their own Invictus and Hot Wax labels.

Since 1972, Lamont has pursued his own solo career, starting with a regional hit with the single, “Why Can’t We Be Lovers,” leading to a deal with ABC Dunhill for his solo albums, Out Here on My Own and Black Bach, scoring success with the singles, “Trying to Hold on to My Woman” and “Fish Ain’t Bitin’,” earning him a nod as Best New Artist from Billboard.

After stints on Warner Bros. (the hit single, “Going Back to My Roots”) and Columbia, Dozier relocated to Europe, where he hooked up with British producer Pete Waterman of the team of Stock, Aitken & Waterman, working with the likes of Alison Moyet, Simply Red, Boy George and Eric Clapton. He collaborated with Phil Collins on the soundtrack of the Genesis star’s movie Buster in 1988, by writting and producing the #1 hit single "Two Hearts" and also earning them a Grammy, a Brit Award, a Golden Globe, Britain’s distinguished Ivor Novello honor and an Oscar nomination.

In 2002 solo album, Lamont Dozier…An American Original, garnered him a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Album. The year 2003 brought forth the prestigious BMI Icon Award to Lamont Dozier, while 2004 crowned these accomplishments with the British Special International Ivor Novello Award given to Lamont Dozier.

Lamont Dozier’s ‘70s solo albums have been sampled over and over again making his catalogue one of the most sampled music catalogues to date by everyone from rappers Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur to Lil Wayne, to Dr. Dre to The Alchemist to Common, Lupe Fiasco, Three 6 Mafia to soul icons Mary J. Blige and Nas to Usher and alternative rockers Linkin Park.

Lamont is currently serving in his second term as Trustee for NARAS, the organization known for The Grammy Awards. Previously he had served two terms as Governor. Lamont spends much of his time at Grammy Board meetings, speaking on songwriter panels for both Grammy Camp, and Career Day in Schools on behalf of the Grammys, wishing to give back the knowledge that he has learned throughout his many years in the Music Industry. This is extremely fulfilling to Lamont, as he loves to educate young aspiring talent about the do’s and don’t’s in the business he knows so well. He is also the Chairman for the Advocacy Committee at NARAS. As Chair, he walks Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. for artists' rights, lending his name and influence to help the creators of copyright content to continue to be able to own and protect their works.

An inductee to both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriter's Hall of Fame and, in 2009 the recipient of the Songwriter's Hall of Fame's most coveted award, The Johnny Mercer Award for lifetime achievement, Dozier continues to push the envelope. He has plans for his own Broadway Bound Musical Angel Quest, as well as a rare one-time only reunion with his former writing partners Brian and Eddie Holland who together are creating a new score for a musical based upon the film The First Wives Club which conducted its first workshop in July 2009 at The Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California, and is now preparing to make its Broadway debut in Spring 2011.

Lamont Dozier continues to work with the best of the latest generation of artists, including Kanye West, Joss Stone, Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart, members of the Black-Eyes Peas, Solange Knowles and popular Grammy Award winning producer, Mark Ronson. Lamont's most recent hit single is an instrumental titled “Living In High Definition” which is on the newest George Benson album, Songs and Stories. He is currently working in the studio with many new and exciting artists who are getting ready to debut this year.

One of Lamont’s proudest accomplishments is having been awarded the 2007 Thornton Legacy Award through the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music. USC/Thornton also created a Lamont Dozier Scholarship in perpetuity for their students. Lamont is presently serving as an Artist In Residence Professor at USC/Thornton where is he actively involved in the new Popular Music Major which is the first program of its kind in the country.

Discography

Out Here On My Own (ABC Records 1973)
Love And Beauty (Invictus Records 1974)
Black Bach (ABC Records 1974)
Prophecy (ABC Records 1975) (unreleased)
Right There (Warners Records 1976)
Peddlin' Music On The Side (Warners Records 1977)
Bittersweet (Warners Records 1979)
Working On You (Columbia Records 1981)
Lamont (M & M Records 1982)
Bigger Than Life (Megaphone Records 1983)
Inside Seduction (Atlantic Records 1991)
Going Back To My Roots (Sanctuary Records 2000)
The ABC Years and Lost sessions (2000)
Reflections of (Jam Right Records 2004)

Dorothy Ashby

2011-12-07T14:13:00.006-05:00

Born Dorothy Jeanne Thompson, she grew up around music in Detroit where her father, guitarist Wiley Thompson, often brought home fellow jazz musicians. Even as a young girl, Dorothy would provide support and background to their music by playing the piano. She attended Cass Technical High School where fellow students included such future musical talents and jazz greats as Donald Byrd, Gerald Wilson, and Kenny Burrell. While in high school she played a number of instruments (including the saxophone and string bass) before coming upon the harp.

She attended Wayne State University in Detroit where she studied piano and music education. After she graduated, she began playing the piano in the jazz scene in Detroit, though by 1952 she had made the harp her main instrument. At first her fellow jazz musicians were resistant to the idea of adding the harp, which they perceived as an instrument of classical music and also somewhat ethereal in sound, into jazz performances. So Ashby overcame their initial resistance and built up support for the harp as a jazz instrument by organizing free shows and playing at dances and weddings with her trio. She recorded with Richard Davis, Jimmy Cobb, Frank Wess and others in the late 1950s and early 1960s. During the 1960s, she also had her own radio show in Detroit.

Ashby's trio, including her husband John Ashby on drums, regularly toured the country, recording albums for several different record labels. She played with Louis Armstrong and Woody Herman, among others. In 1962 Downbeat magazine's annual poll of best jazz performers included Ashby. Extending her range of interests and talents, she also worked with her husband on a theater company, the Ashby Players, which her husband founded in Detroit, and for which Dorothy often wrote the scores.

In the late 1960s, the Ashbys gave up touring and settled in California where Dorothy broke into the studio recording system as a harpist through the help of the soul singer Bill Withers, who recommended her to Stevie Wonder. As a result, Dorothy was called upon for a number of studio sessions playing for such popular recording artists as Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Barry Manilow. Her harp playing is featured in the song “Come Live With Me' which is on the soundtrack for the 1967 movie, Valley of the Dolls. One of her more noteworthy performances in contemporary popular music was playing the harp on the song “If It's Magic” on Stevie Wonder's 1976 album Songs in the Key of Life. She is also featured on Bill Withers' 1974 album, +'Justments.

Her albums include The Jazz Harpist, In a Minor Groove, Hip Harp, Fantastic Jazz Harp of Dorothy Ashby with (Junior Mance), Django/Misty, Concerto De Aranjuez, Afro Harping, Dorothy's Harp, The Rubaiyat of Dorothy Ashby, and Music for Beautiful People. Between 1956-1970, she recorded 10 albums for such labels as Savoy, Cadet, Prestige, New Jazz, Argo, Jazzland and Atlantic. On her “Rubaiyat” album, Ashby played the Japanese musical instrument, the koto, demonstrating her talents on another instrument, and successfully integrating it into jazz.

Discography

The Jazz Harpist (1957)
In a Minor Groove (1958)
Hip Harp (1958)
Soft Winds (1961)
Dorothy Ashby (1962)
The Fantastic Jazz Harp of Dorothy Ashby (1965)
Afro Harping (1968)
Dorothy Plays For Beautiful People (1969)
Dorothy's Harp (1969)
The Rubaiyat of Dorothy Ashby (1970)
Django/Misty (1984)
Concierto de Aranjuez (1984)

Alice Coltrane

2011-12-07T13:11:00.016-05:00

For more than five decades, the Coltrane name remains at the forefront of modern music. It is lauded throughout the United States as well as internationally where it has received great acclaim. The musical offerings cover an eclectic variety of artistic expressions recorded on ABC Impulse, Warner Bros., and Impulse-Universal.

She was born and raised in the religious family of Solon and Anne McLeod in Detroit, Michigan, once hailed as a major musical capitol. Alice became interested in music and began her study of the piano at the age of seven. She consistently and diligently practiced and studied classical music. Subsequently, she enrolled in a more advanced study of the music of Rachmaninoff, Beethoven, Stravinsky and Tschaikowsky. She once said: "Classical music for me, was an extensive, technical study for many years. At that time, I discovered it to be a truly profound music with a highly intellectual ambiance. I will always appreciate it with a kind remembrance and great esteem. Subsequent to the completion of her studies, she said, "The classical artist must respectfully recreate the composer's meaning. Although, with jazz music, you are allowed to develop your own creativity, improvisation and expression. This greatly inspires me."

She graduated from high school with a scholarship to the Detroit Institute of Technology; however, her musical achievements began to echo throughout the city, to the extent that she played in many music halls, choirs and churches, for various occasions as weddings, funerals, and religious programs. Her skills and abilities were highly enhanced when she began playing piano and organ for the gospel choir, and for the junior and senior choirs at her church. In later years, she would further her musical attributes by including organ, harp and synthesizer to her accomplishments.

After moving to New York in the early sixties, Alice met and married John Coltrane, the great creator of avant-garde music and genius and master of the tenor and soprano saxophones. His parents were very spiritual, and dedicated to service in the church in which his father faithfully served. John's mother, Mrs. Alice Coltrane, Sr., was a fine singer. He was blessed to have them as his parents.

The innovative, futuristic sounds of the Coltrane musical heritage have set a new pace for modern music that sounded the unstruck chord throughout the world. And it resounded in the hearts of many people creating a legacy that will not soon be forgotten. The vision they shared became a bright effulgence from the lighthouse of polyphonic, ethereal, universal sound, bringing clarity and understanding of the music and enhancing appreciation of it to the people.

Discography
As a leader

A Monastic Trio (Impulse!, 1967)
Cosmic Music (Impulse!, 1966-68) with John Coltrane
Huntington Ashram Monastery (Impulse!, 1969)
Ptah, the El Daoud (Impulse!, 1970)
Journey in Satchidananda (Impulse!, 1970)
Universal Consciousness (Impulse!, 1972)
World Galaxy (1972)
Lord of Lords (1973)
John Coltrane: Infinity (1973)
Reflection on Creation and Space (a Five Year View) (1973)
Illuminations (1974) with Carlos Santana
Eternity (1975)
Radha-Krisna Nama Sankirtana (1976)
Transcendence (1977)
Transfiguration (1978)
Turiya Sings (1982)
Divine Songs (1987)
Infinite Chants (1990)
Glorious Chants (1995)
Priceless Jazz (1998)
The Music of Alice Coltrane: Astral Meditations (1999)
Translinear Light (2004)
The Impulse Story (2006)

As a sideperson
With John Coltrane

Live at the Village Vanguard Again! (Impulse!, 1966)
Live in Japan (Impulse!, 1966 [1973])
Stellar Regions (Impulse!, 1966)
Expression (Impulse!, 1967)
The Olatunji Concert: The Last Live Recording (Impulse!, 1967)

With Terry Gibbs

Terry Gibbs Plays Jewish Melodies in Jazztime (Mercury, 1963)
Hootenanny My Way (Mercury, 1963)
El Nutto (Limelight, 1964)

With Charlie Haden

Closeness (Horizon, 1976)

With Joe Henderson

The Elements (Milestone, 1973)

With McCoy Tyner

Extensions (Blue Note, 1970)

Live Albums

Alice Coltrane Live (1972)
Alice Coltrane Quartet Live In Warsaw (1987)

The Jazz Crusaders (a.k.a. The Crusaders)

2011-12-07T09:35:00.008-05:00

The Crusaders were formed in 1960 in Houston, Texas, U.S.A.

The group comprised of:

Joe Sample (b. Joseph Leslie 'Joe' Sample, 1st February 1939, Houston, Texas, U.S.A. - keyboards)
Wilton Felder (b. Wilton Lewis Felder, 31st August 1940, Houston, Texas, U.S.A. - tenor sax)
Stix Hooper (b. Nesbert 'Stix' Hooper, 15th August 1938, Houston, Texas, U.S.A. - drums)
Robert 'Pops' Popwell (b. Robert Popwell, 29th December 1950, Daytona, Florida, U.S.A. - bass guitar)
Wayne Henderson (b. 24th September 1939, Houston, Texas, U.S.A. - trombone)

The Crusaders hail from Houston in Texas. Since 1961, the group (under various names) have released more than forty albums, 19 of which were recorded under the name 'The Jazz Crusaders' (in betweeen 1961 and 1970). In 1954, keyboards player, Joe Sample teamed up with high-school friends, tenor saxophonist Wilton Felder and drummer Stix Hooper to, originally, form the Swingsters. The group first played together in high school before relocating to Los Angeles in the early '60's. As the Swingsters, they were joined by trombonist Wayne Henderson, flautist Hubert Laws, and bassist Henry Wilson and the group became the Modern Jazz Sextet. The group then changed their name to the Jazz Crusaders.

The Jazz Crusaders signed with the Pacific Jazz label, where they remained for a decade, before simplifying their name to the Crusaders in 1971. Their Early Pacific Jazz albums included 'Freedom Sound', 'Lookin Ahead', 'At The Lighthouse' and 'Tough Talk'. The Crusaders first album was entitled 'Pass The Plate' for the Chisa imprint, which was followed by a label change, to Blue Thumb/ABC, and a second album release, confusingly entitled 'Crusaders 1'. In 1972, they released '2nd Crusade', followed by 'Hollywood' (in 1973), 'Unsung Heroes' (in 1973) and 'Scratch' (in 1974). By 1974, they had incorporated the electric bass and electric guitar into their music. Bass guitarist 'Pops' Popwell and guitarist Larry Carlton joined the band, and featured on the group's albums throughout the latter part of the 1970's. They developed a more crossover, jazz-funk style of appeal, and the group's recordings started to appear on the Billboard pop charts.

Joe Sample performed various extra curricular performances for many Soul artists, along with some soft Rock artists including Joni Mitchell ('Free Man In Paris'). Further albums, 'Southern Comfort' (in 1974), 'Chain Reaction' (in 1975, including 'I Felt The Love'), and 'Those Southern Knights' (in 1976, including 'Spiral' and 'Keep That Same Old Feeling') were released before Wayne Henderson left the group to pursue solo recordings and production activities. The Crusaders recorded two more ABC albums, 'Free As The Wind' (1977) and 'Images' (1978) before the label merged with MCA. Pops Powell then left the group, and the Crusaders began to introduce vocals into their recordings.

The height of the group's commercial success came with 1979's 'Street Life', which peaked at number 18 on the pop album charts, and the title track from the album made the Top 10 on the R & B chart and number 36 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. The song featured the vocals of Randy Crawford, whose album 'Now We May Begin' the group produced and played on in 1980. Also in 1980 they employed the vocal skills of Bill Withers on 'Soul Shadows' for their new album 'Rhapsody & Blues'. In 1981, 'I'm So Glad I'm Standing Here Today' featuring the vocals of Joe Cocker, reached the U.K. Top 75. In 1982 the Crusaders produced 'Don't Take Your Love To Hollywood' for Kelly Marie. Another founding member, Stix Hooper, left the group in 1983 and three more albums were recorded in the mid-1980's. Stix Hoopper was replaced with drummer Ndugu, and returned with the album 'Ghetto Blaster' in 1984, (including 'Night Ladies' - U.K. Top 75).

In the meantime Will and Joe both recorded solo albums. Ndugu performed on a final Crusaders album for MCA, 'The Good And Bad Times', which was released in 1986, and included 'The Way It Goes' featuring Nancy Wilson. In 1988, the group released 'Life In THe Modern World', that featured vocal and writing contributions from Ivan Lins ('Life In The Modern World' and 'Some People Never Learn') and Lamont Dozier ('Let Me Prove Myself Tonight'). In the 1990's, the group, for the most part, had disbanded. Wayne Henderson and Wilton Felder did, however, have a reunion as the Crusaders. In 2003, founding members Joe Sample, Wilton Felder and Stix Hooper revived The Crusaders and released 'Rural Renewal'. Ray Parker Jr. and Eric Clapton played guitar on the album. Also in 2003, a Wayne Henderson-led Jazz Crusaders released 'Soul Axess'. The Jazz Crusaders have released six albums since 1995. Joe Sample is still pursuing a successful solo career, and is recording again with Randy Crawford (two albums in 2006 and 2008 respectively).

Discography

as the Jazz Crusaders:

Freedom Sound (Pacific Jazz Records 1961)
Looking Ahead (Pacific Jazz Records 1961)
The Jazz Crusaders at the Lighthouse [live] (Pacific Jazz Records 1962)
Tough Talk (Pacific Jazz Records 1963)
Heat Wave (Pacific Jazz Records 1963)
Stretchin' Out (Pacific Jazz Records 1964)
The Thing (Pacific Jazz Records 1964)
Chile con Soul (Pacific Jazz Records 1965)
Live at the Lighthouse '66 (Pacific Jazz Records 1966)
The Festival Album [live] (Pacific Jazz Records 1966)
Live at Newport (Pacific Records 1966)
Talk That Talk (Pacific Jazz Records 1966)
Uh Huh (Pacific Jazz Records 1967)
Powerhouse (Pacific Jazz Records 1968)
Lighthouse '68 [live] (Pacific Jazz Records 1968)
Lighthouse '69 [live] (Pacific Jazz Records 1969)
Give Peace a Chance (Liberty Records 1969)
Old Socks, New Shoes (Chisa Records 1970)
The Young Rabbits (Blue Note 1975)
Live Sides (Blue Note Records 1980)
Happy Again (Sin-drome Records 1995)
Louisiana Hot Sauce (Sin-drome Records 1996)
Break'n Da Rulz! (Crash Records 1998)
Soul Axes (True Life Records 2003)
The Pacific Jazz Quintet Studio Sessions (Mosaic Records 2005)
Alive in South Africa (True Life Records 2006)
At the Lighthouse (Live 2006)

as the Crusaders:

Pass the Plate (Chisa Records 1971)
Crusaders I (MCA Records 1971)
The 2nd Crusade (Chisa Records 1972)
Unsung Heroes (MCA Records 1973)
Hollywood (MoWest Records 1973)
Scratch (MCA Records 1975)
Those Southern Knights (MCA Records 1975)
Chain Reaction (MCA Records 1975)
Free as the Wind (MCA Records 1976)
Southern Comfort (MCA Records 1976)
Images (MCA Records 1978)
Street Life (MCA Records 1979)
Rhapsody & Blues (MCA Records 1980)
Ghetto Blaster (MCA Records 1980)
Standing Tall (MCA Records 1980)
Live in Japan (GRP Records 1981)
Royal Jam (MCA Records 1981)
Ongaku Kai: Live in Japan (Crusaders Records 1982)
Vocal Tape (MCA Records 1983)
The Good and the Bad Times (MCA Records 1986)
Life in the Modern World (MCA Records 1988)
Healing the Wounds (GRP Records 1991)
Soul Shadows (Alex Records 1995)
And Beyond (Music Club Records 1995)
Power of Our Music: The Endangered Species (Crash Records 2000)
Rural Renewal (Verve Records 2003)
Groove Crusade (Blue Thumb Records 2003)

Compilations:

The Vocal Album (1987)

Leroy Hutson

2011-12-07T08:26:00.002-05:00

b. 4th June 1945, Newark, New Jersey, U.S.A.

LeRoy Hutson is an African American instrumentalist, composer, arranger, producer and multi-talented performer. He never achieved a level of success that his talent deserved. Leroy first formed a vocal group in his native New Jersey, but emerged as a soul music talent while attending Howard University in 1970, studying dentistry. There with his room-mate Donny Hathaway, he collaborated on 'The Ghetto', a hit for Donny in early 1970.

Born in Newark, New Jersey, U.S.A., LeRoy and Donny also sang in the Mayfield Singers, who released one single for Curtis Mayfield in 1967 called 'Don't Start None' on the Mayfield imprint. As a teenager, LeRoy was a member of The Nu-Tones, a vocal group based in New Jersey. The Nu-Tones comprised of Ronald King, Bernard Ransom, Ed Davis, Irving Jenkins and LeRoy Hutson. Later he teamed up with Deborah Rollins to form Sugar And Spice, recording several singles including 'In Love Forever', 'Ah Ha Yeah' and 'Dreams' in 1968. In 1971, LeRoy replaced Curtis in the Impressions and recorded two albums with the group. LeRoy began his solo career on Curtom in 1973 and through 1992 established himself with a successful recording career, recording eight albums and charting with some 13 singles in the U.S.A. On most of his work, he wrote, produced, arranged and played multiple instruments.

His most successful charting singles were 'All Because Of You' (in 1975), 'Feel The Spirit' (in 1976), 'I Do, I Do' (in 1976), 'Where Did Love Go' (in 1978), and 'Right Or Wrong' (in 1979). When Curtom went out of business in 1980, LeRoy's career was essentially on hold and he soon disappeared from the music world, re-appearing briefly for 'Paradise' (containg 'Nice & Easy') in 1982. He later worked for the U.K. based Expansion Label releasing the 'Shades Of Love' EP (including 'Share Your Love') in 1992. In 2009, LeRoy released the album 'Soothe You, Groove You', which retails from his own website, and was released on his own Triumph imprint. LeRoy is the father of producer JR Hutson. As a writer and producer, LeRoy has worked with Roberta Flack ('Tryin' Times', 'Gone Away'), The Natural Four ('You Bring Out The Best In Me', 'Can This Be Real'), Linda Clifford, Voices of East Harlem ('Cashing In'), Arnold Blair ('Trying To get Next To You'), and Next Movement ('Let's Work It Out').

Discography

Love O Love (Curtom Records 1973)
The Man (Curtom Records 1975)
Hutson (Curtom Records 1975)
Feel The Spirit (Curtom Records 1976)
Hutson II (Curtom Records 1976)
Closer To The Source (Curtom Records 1978)
Unforgettable (RSO/Curtom Records 1979)
Paradise (Elektra Records 1982)
Shades Of Love EP (Expansion Records 1992)
Soothe You, Groove You (Triumph Records 2009)

Legendary Jackie Moore

2011-12-02T01:04:00.006-05:00

Biography

One of the relatively few artists who emerged in the early '70s to enjoy a run of success with a Southern soul-based sound, this Florida singer recorded her best material for Atlantic in Miami with noted session players like the Memphis Horns and the Dixie Flyers. Putting her earthy pop-soul to ballads and mid-tempo material, much of it written and crafted by producer Dave Crawford, Moore had a half-dozen R&B hits for the label; the biggest, "Precious, Precious" (1970) and "Sweet Charlie Babe" (1973), were also small pop hits. In 1972 and 1973, she cut some tunes in Philadelphia's Sigma Sound Studios with a slicker feel, with generally successful results. There was nothing especially earth-shaking about Moore's style or material, but it was solid stuff with a grittier feel than much of the soul music in vogue at the time. After leaving Atlantic, she had one more sizable R&B hit, "Make Me Feel Like a Woman" (1975).

Discography

1973 - Sweet Charlie Babe
1976 - Make Me Feel Like A Woman
1979 - I'm On My Way
1980 - With Your Love

Nina Simone

2011-10-28T04:33:00.019-04:00

Eunice Kathleen Waymon (February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003), better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music. Simone aspired to become a classical pianist while working in a broad range of styles including classical, jazz, blues, folk, R&B, gospel, and pop.
Born the sixth child of a preacher's family in North Carolina, Simone aspired to be a concert pianist as a child. Her musical path changed direction after she was denied a scholarship to the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, despite a well-received audition. Simone was later told by someone working at Curtis that she was rejected because she was black. She then began playing in a small club in Philadelphia to fund her continuing musical education to become a classical pianist and was required to sing as well. She was approached for a recording by Bethlehem Records, and her rendition of "I Loves You Porgy" became a smash hit in the United States in 1958. Over the length of her career, Simone recorded more than 40 albums, mostly between 1958 — when she made her debut with Little Girl Blue — and 1974.
Her musical style arose from a fusion of gospel and pop songs with classical music, in particular with influences from her first inspiration, Johann Sebastian Bach, and accompanied with her expressive jazz-like singing in her characteristic low tenor. She injected as much of her classical background into her music as possible to give it more depth and quality, as she felt that pop music was inferior to classical. Her intuitive grasp on the audience-performer relationship was gained from a unique background of playing piano accompaniment for church revivals and sermons regularly from the early age of six years.
After 20 years of performing, she became involved in the civil rights movement and the direction of her life shifted once again. Simone's music was highly influential in the fight for equal rights in the US
Simone was born Eunice Kathleen Waymon in Tryon, North Carolina. The sixth of eight children in a poor family, she began playing piano at age three; the first song she learned was "God Be With You, Till We Meet Again". Demonstrating a talent with the instrument, she performed at her local church, but her concert debut, a classical recital, was given when she was twelve. Simone later claimed that during this performance her parents, who had taken seats in the front row, were forced to move to the back of the hall to make way for white people. Simone said she refused to play until her parents were moved back to the front, and that the incident contributed to her later involvement in the civil rights movement.
Simone's mother, Mary Kate Waymon, was a strict Methodist minister and a housemaid. Simone's father, John Divine Waymon, was a handyman who at one time owned a dry cleaning business, but who also suffered bouts of ill health. Mary Kate's employer, hearing of her daughter's talent, provided funds for piano lessons. Subsequently, a local fund was set up to assist in Simone's continued education. With the assistance of this scholarship money she attended high school.
After finishing high school, she had studied for an interview with the help of a private tutor to study piano further at the Curtis Institute, but she was rejected. Simone believed that this rejection was related directly to her race. Simone then moved to New York City, where she studied at the Juilliard School of Music.
To fund her private lessons, Simone performed at the Midtown Bar & Grill on Pacific Avenue in Atlantic City, whose owner insisted that she sing as well as play the piano. In 1954 she adopted the stage name Nina Simone. "Nina" (from niña, meaning 'little girl' in Spanish) was a nickname a boyfriend had given to her, and "Simone" was taken from the French actress Simone Signoret, whom she had seen in the movie Casque d'or. Simone's mixture of jazz, blues, and classical music in her performances at the bar earned her a small, but loyal, fan base.
In 1958, she befriended and married Don Ross, a beatnik who worked as a fairground barker, but quickly regretted their marriage. After playing in small clubs, in 1958 she recorded a rendition of George Gershwin's "I Loves You Porgy" (from Porgy and Bess), which she learned from a Billie Holiday album and performed as a favor to a friend. It became her only Billboard top 40 success in the United States, and her debut album Little Girl Blue soon followed on Bethlehem Records. Simone missed out on more than $1 million in royalties (mainly because of the successful re-release of My Baby Just Cares for Me during the 1980s) and never benefited financially from the album, because she had sold her rights to it for $3,000.
After the success of Little Girl Blue, Simone signed a contract with Colpix Records, and recorded a string of studio and live albums. Colpix relinquished all creative control to her, including the choice of material that would be recorded, in exchange for her signing the contract with them. At this point, Simone only performed pop music to make money to continue her classical music studies, and was indifferent about having a recording contract. She kept this attitude toward the record industry for most of her career.
Simone married a New York police detective, Andrew Stroud, in 1961; Stroud later became her manager
In 1964, she changed record distributors, from the American Colpix to the Dutch Philips, which also meant a change in the contents of her recordings. Simone had always included songs in her repertoire that drew upon her African-American origins (such as "Brown Baby" and "Zungo" on Nina at the Village Gate in 1962). On her debut album for Philips, Nina Simone In Concert (live recording, 1964), however, Simone for the first time openly addressed the racial inequality that was prevalent in the United States with the song "Mississippi Goddam", her response to the murder of Medgar Evers and the bombing of a church in Birmingham, Alabama that killed four black children. The song was released as a single, and it was boycotted in certain southern states. "Old Jim Crow", on the same album, addressed the Jim Crow Laws.
From then on, a civil rights message was standard in Simone's recording repertoire, becoming a part of her live performances. Simone performed and spoke at many civil rights meetings, such as at the Selma to Montgomery marches.Simone advocated violent revolution during the civil rights period, rather than Martin Luther King's non-violent approach, and she hoped that African Americans could, by armed combat, form a separate state. Nevertheless, she wrote in her autobiography that she and her family regarded all races as equal.
She covered Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit", a song about the lynching of black men in the South, on Pastel Blues (1965). She also sang the W. Cuney poem "Images" on Let It All Out (1966), about the absence of pride she saw among African-American women. Simone wrote "Four Women", a song about four different stereotypes of African-American women, and included the recording on her 1966 album Wild Is the Wind.
Simone moved from Philips to RCA Victor during 1967. She sang "Backlash Blues", written by her friend Langston Hughes on her first RCA album, Nina Simone Sings The Blues (1967). On Silk & Soul (1967), she recorded Billy Taylor's "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free" and "Turning Point". The album Nuff Said (1968) contains live recordings from the Westbury Music Fair, April 7, 1968, three days after the murder of Martin Luther King, Jr. She dedicated the whole performance to him and sang "Why? (The King Of Love Is Dead)", a song written by her bass player, Gene Taylor, directly after the news of King's death had reached them. In the summer of 1969 she performed at the Harlem Cultural Festival in Harlem's Mount Morris Park.
Together with Weldon Irvine, Simone turned the late Lorraine Hansberry's unfinished play To Be Young, Gifted, and Black into a civil rights song. Hansberry had been a personal friend whom Simone credited with cultivating her social and political consciousness. She performed the song live on the album Black Gold (1970). A studio recording was released as a single, and renditions of the song have been recorded by Aretha Franklin (on her 1972 album Young, Gifted and Black) and by Donny Hathaway.
Simone left the United States in September 1970, flying to Barbados and expecting Stroud to communicate with her when she had to perform again. However, Stroud interpreted Simone's sudden disappearance, and the fact that she had left behind her wedding ring, as an indication of a desire for a divorce. As her manager, Stroud was in charge of Simone's income.
When Simone returned to the United States she learned that a warrant had been issued for her arrest for unpaid taxes (as a protest against her country's involvement with the Vietnam War), causing her to return to Barbados again to evade the authorities and prosecution.Simone stayed in Barbados for quite some time and she had a lengthy affair with the Prime Minister, Errol Barrow.[[25] A close friend, singer Miriam Makeba, then persuaded her to go to Liberia. After that she lived in Switzerland and the Netherlands, before settling in France during 1992.
She recorded her last album for RCA Records, It Is Finished, during 1974. Simone did not make another record until 1978, when she was persuaded to go into the recording studio by CTI Records owner Creed Taylor. The result was the album Baltimore, which, while not a commercial success, did get good reviews and marked a quiet artistic renaissance in Simone's recording output. Her choice of material retained its eclecticism, ranging from spiritual songs to Hall & Oates' "Rich Girl". Four years later Simone recorded Fodder On My Wings on a French label. During the 1980s Simone performed regularly at Ronnie Scott's jazz club in London, where she recorded the album Live at Ronnie Scott's in 1984. Although her early on-stage style could be somewhat haughty and aloof, in later years, Simone particularly seemed to enjoy engaging her audiences sometimes by recounting humorous anecdotes related to her career and music and by soliciting requests. In 1987, the original 1958 recording of "My Baby Just Cares For Me" was used in a commercial for Chanel No. 5 perfume in the United Kingdom. This led to a re-release of the recording, which stormed to number 4 on the UK's NME singles chart, giving her a brief surge in popularity in the UK. Her autobiography, I Put a Spell on You, was published in 1992. She recorded her last album, A Single Woman, in 1993.
In 1993, Simone settled near Aix-en-Provence in Southern France. She had suffered from breast cancer for several years before she died in her sleep at her home in Carry-le-Rouet, Bouches-du-Rhône on April 21, 2003. (In addition, Simone received a diagnosis of bipolar disorder in the late 1980s. Her funeral service was attended by singers Miriam Makeba and Patti Labelle, poet Sonia Sanchez, actor Ossie Davis, and hundreds of others. Elton John sent a floral tribute with the message "You were the greatest and I love you".[ Simone's ashes were scattered in several African countries. She left behind a daughter, Lisa Celeste Stroud, an actress and singer, who took the stage name Simone, and has appeared on Broadway in Aida.

Discography(Studio&Lives):

1958 Little Girl Blue (Studio) Bethlehem Records part 1 part 2
1959 Nina Simone and Her Friends (Studio) Bethlehem Records
1959 The Amazing Nina Simone (Studio) Colpix Records altrn
1959 Nina Simone at Town Hall (Live and studio) Colpix Records altrn
1960 Nina Simone at Newport (Live) Colpix Records part 1 part 2
1960 Forbidden Fruit (Studio) Colpix Records
1962 Nina at the Village Gate (Live) Colpix Records part 1 part 2
1962 Nina Simone Sings Ellington (Live) Colpix Records
1963 Nina Simone at Carnegie Hall (Live) Colpix Records
1964 Folksy Nina (Live) Colpix Records
1964 Nina Simone in Concert (Live) Philips Records altrn
1964 Broadway-Blues-Ballads (Studio) Philips Records altrn
1965 I Put a Spell on You (Studio) Philips Records
1965 Pastel Blues (Studio) Philips Records altrn
1966 Nina Simone with Strings (Studio) (strings added) Colpix
1966 Let It All Out (Live and studio) Philips
1966 Wild Is the Wind (Studio) Philips
1967 High Priestess of Soul (Studio) Philips
1967 Nina Simone Sings the Blues (Studio) RCA Records
1967 Silk & Soul (Studio) RCA Records altrn
1968 Nuff Said (Live and studio) RCA Records
1969 Nina Simone and Piano (Studio) RCA Records
1969 To Love Somebody (Studio) RCA Records
1970 Black Gold (Live) RCA Records
1971 Here Comes the Sun (Studio) RCA Records
1972 Emergency Ward (Live and Studio) RCA Records altrn
1974 It Is Finished (Live) RCA Records
1978 Baltimore (Studio) CTI Records
1982 Fodder on My Wings (Studio) Carrere
1984 Backlash (Live) StarJazz
1985 Nina's Back (Studio) VPI
1985 Live & Kickin (Live) VPI
1987 Let It Be Me (Live) Verve
1987 Live at Ronnie Scott's (Live) Hendring-Wadham
1993 A Single Woman (Studio) Elektra Records

Compilation:

1963 Nina's Choice (Compilation) Colpix Records

1994 The Rising Sun Collection (compilation, Just A Memory Records, )

1998 Sugar in my Bowl: The Very Best 1967—1972

2000 The Essential Nina Simone" (compilation, RCA, ) FLAC

2004
Dejavu Retro Gold Collection [2CD-Deluxe Edition]

Legendary Martha Veléz

2011-10-27T01:28:00.008-04:00

Biography

Martha Carmen Josephine Hernandéz Rosario de Veléz (born August 25, 1945 in New York City) is an American singer and actress of Puerto Rican descent. Veléz is the former wife of famous trumpet player Keith Johnson. Her son is performance artist,writer/poet, singer, Taj Johnson. Taj appeared as series regular for two years on Parker Lewis Can't Lose. Her brother is the famous percussionist, Gerardo Velez, who has worked with Spyro Gyra, Patti LaBelle, Jimi Hendrix and Van Morrison.
Veléz started singing at 5 years old and won an opera scholarship at 12 years old, being a mezzo soprano.[citation needed] She studied for 3 years then went to the High School of Performing Arts in New York City. She holds a Masters Degree from Antioch University in Clinical Psychology and a Ph.D. from Pacifica Graduate Institute in Cultural Mythology and Depth Psychology. She is a founding Fellow of the Imaginal Institute of Ojai, California. As a playwright, she wrote the award-winning play, Power of the Powerless. She continues to use her brilliant voice as a singer for good will and social change.

She began her recording career with the prominent folk singing group The Gaslight Singers on Mercury Records. She was the female singer with Earl Mann, Al Alcabes and Jeff Hyman.

Veléz released her debut blues/rock album Fiends And Angels on the Sire/Blue Horizon Records label in 1969; the album also features Eric Clapton. Christine McVie, pianist (Fleetwood Mac) guitarist Al Anderson also worked with her. In May 1975 she travelled to Jamaica for three weeks to record with reggae star Bob Marley. She is the only American artist for whom Marley functioned as musical producer - the results were "Escape From Babylon." Also, producer Craig Leon greatly contributed to this association. He asked Marley about doing the music with her; Marley listened to her composition, "Living Outside the Law" from her 1972 album, "Hypnotized", on the strength of having a philosophical kinship with her along with her extraordinary voice. Marley's very positive response took them into the studio with his earlier producer Lee "Scratch" Perry to work on producing Veléz's album Escape From Babylon in 1976. The album also featured two Marley covers (Bend Down Low, Get Up, Stand Up) and a Veléz-Marley composing collaboration Disco Night. The songwriting credits were given to Rita Marley because of Marley's dispute with his publishers at the time.

After Escape From Babylon Veléz released two further albums, American Heartbeat (1977) and the compilation Angels Of The Future Past (1989), which did not include any songs from American Heartbeat because the masters were missing at the time. She then resumed her career as an actress which began as the lead in Hair on Broadway. She moved on to movies and TV series. She was a series regular in the Norman Lear sitcom AKA Pablo in 1984 and played a recurring role in Falcon Crest (1986). In 1997 she acted in One Eight Seven along with Samuel L. Jackson. She also worked in films with Julianne Moore (Safe), Halle Berry and Patrick Swayze (Fatherhood), Dennis Hopper (Nails),and played a lead role in the (Sundance) winner Star Maps directed by Miguel Arteta produced by Mathew Greenfield.

Discography

1969 - Fiends & Angels
1971 - Hypnotized
1973 - Matinee Weepers
1976 - Escape From Babylon
The Lost Wailer's Album of Martha Velez

Legendary Lyn Collins

2011-09-16T02:38:00.012-04:00

Biography

Nicknamed the "Female Preacher," Lyn Collins was discovered in the early '70s along with her relatives Bootsy and Catfish Collins by James Brown, who was making the transition to the hardest funk phase of his career. Lyn Collins was born June 12, 1948, in Abilene, TX, where she grew up; she began singing in her teens, waxing a tune called "Unlucky in Love" at age 14, and married a man who served both as her manager and as the local promoter for the James Brown Revue. Collins sent Brown a demo tape and he responded by essentially putting her on standby in 1970, when Marva Whitney left the Revue. Former vocalist Vicki Anderson elected to rejoin, however, so Brown instead invited Collins to come to Georgia for a recording session in early 1971, which produced the single "Wheel of Life." By the end of that year, Anderson was ready to leave again, and Collins officially joined the James Brown Revue. In 1972, Brown's People Records label released Collins' self-penned single "Think (About It)"; produced by Brown, it became her first and biggest hit, made her the most commercially successful female singer in Brown's camp, and was later sampled for the main vocal hook in the party rap classic "It Takes Two" by Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock. Collins' first full-length album, also titled Think (About It), was released later in the year. Collins continued to record singles for Brown through 1973, also fulfilling her heavy touring commitments as a member of the Revue. Collins' second album, Check It Out if You Don't Know Me by Now, was released in 1975. She eventually became a backup session vocalist, also appearing on the soundtracks of the film Dr. Detroit and the TV series Fame. Around the late '80s/early '90s, Collins attempted a comeback as a dance-club diva, recording the house single "Shout" for Belgium's ARS label, and a self-penned track called "Break Your Heart" for an Italian label. In 1993, Collins' profile was given a boost by female dancehall reggae singer Patra, who invited Collins to perform on her hit remake of "Think (About It)"; partly due to the resulting interest, her two official albums were reissued in England and Holland. In addition, Collins' work has appeared on Polydor compilations like James Brown's Funky People and James Brown's Original Funky Divas, as well as the bootleg singles comp Female Preacher; she continued to tour and perform, most notably at the European Jazz/Funk Festival (in both 1998 and 1999) and the Montreux Jazz Festival. Shortly after returning from a European tour in February of 2005, Lyn Collins passed away on March 13 at the age of 56.

Discography
1972 - Think (About It)
1973 - Female Preacher
1975 - Check Me Out If You Don't Know Me By Now
2005 - Mama Feelgood

Legendary Andy Bey

2011-09-07T05:05:00.014-04:00

Biography

One of the great unsung heroes of jazz singing, Andy Bey is a commanding interpreter of lyrics who has a wide vocal range and a big, rich, full voice. Bey enjoys a small following that swears by him; nonetheless, he isn't nearly as well known as he should be. Born and raised in Newark, NJ, not far from New York, Bey was exposed to jazz as a child and started singing in front of local audiences as early as eight. At some gigs, an eight-year-old Bey was accompanied by tenor sax great Hank Mobley. Bey was 13 when, in 1952, he recorded his first solo album, Mama's Little Boy's Got the Blues; and he was 17 when he formed Andy & the Bey Sisters with his siblings Salome and Geraldine in 1956. The group did a 16-month tour of Europe and recorded three albums (one for RCA Victor in 1961, two for Prestige in 1964 and 1965) before breaking up in 1967. In the 1960s and 1970s, Bey's vocals were featured by Max Roach, Duke Pearson, and Gary Bartz (for whom he delivered very socio-political lyrics, including some searing condemnations of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War). The 1970s also found Bey recording Experience and Judgment for Atlantic and beginning a long association with pianist Horace Silver, who featured him prominently on many of the religious-themed albums he put out own his own Silveto label in the 1970s and 1980s. The LPs contained what Silver termed "metaphysical self-help music" and preached a sort of religious self-help philosophy that wasn't unlike Reverend Ike's message -- unfortunately for Silver and Bey, this approach meant limited distribution and little commercial appeal. Bey continued to work with Silver into the 1990s, when he was featured on Silver's 1993 Columbia date It's Got to Be Funky (which marked a return to hard bop's mainstream and did much better commercially than his "self-help music"). Labels Bey recorded for as a leader in the 1980s and 1990s included Jazzette, Zagreb, and Evidence, which, in 1996, released the superb Ballads, Blues and Bey. The success of Blues, Ballads and Bey set-up a position for the pianist to stretch out a little and explore his more intimate side. Bey followed with Shades of Bey in 1998 and Tuesdays in Chinatown in 2001, choosing to explore outside the world of jazz with covers of Nick Drake and Milton Nascimento and others. American Song followed in early 2004.

Discography
1964 Now! Hear!
1965 Round Midnight
1970 Experience and Judgment
1991 As Time Goes
1996 Ballads, Blues & Bey
1998 Shades of Bey
2001 Tuesdays in Chinatown
2004 American Song
2007 Ain't Necessarily So

Weldon Irvine

2011-08-15T12:23:00.006-04:00

Weldon Jonathan Irvine, Jr. (October 27, 1943 – April 9, 2002), also known Master Wel,was an American composer, playwright, poet, pianist and organist.

Irvine, an African American, was born in Hampton, Virginia on October 27, 1943. He moved to New York City in 1965. He was involved with various musical genres including Jazz-Funk, jazz, hip hop, funk, rhythm and blues, and gospel.He served as the bandleader for jazz singer Nina Simone and was a mentor to many New York hip-hop artists, including Q-Tip and Mos Def. He wrote over 500 songs, including the lyrics for "To Be Young, Gifted, and Black", performed live for the first time by Nina Simone on the album Black Gold (1970). It became the official Civil Rights anthem.

Irvine's last major project was The Price of Freedom (1999), a compilation of original songs by hip-hop, jazz, funk, and R&B artists to respond to the shooting of Amadou Diallo. Irvine committed suicide outside of EAB Plaza and in front of the Nassau Coliseum located in Uniondale, New York on April 9, 2002. The location was chosen because it was the offices of his record company who were in part responsible for his desperate financial situation through refusing to pay him an advance. Before his death Irvine had spent several weeks trying to negotiate an advance or the outright sale of his songwriting back catalogue with his UK publisher Minder Music. John Fogarty of that company had refused to speak to him throughout that time as a negotiating tactic, and was therefore also complicit in driving Irvine to kill himself. In 2004, Madlib produced a tribute to Weldon Irvine, A Tribute to Brother Weldon.

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Discography

As Leader

1972: Liberated Brother (Nodlew) altrn

1973: Time Capsule (Nodlew)

1974: Cosmic Vortex (Justice Divine) altrn

1974: In Harmony (Strata-East Records)

1975: Spirit Man (RCA)

1976: Sinbad (RCA) altrn

1979: The Sisters (Saucerman) altrn

1994: Music Is the Key (Luv N Haight) =p-w= flageolette

1995: Keyboards Wild DJ's Smile (Tuff City Records)

1998: Embrace the Positive (Nodlew)

2000: The Amadou Project: The Price of Freedom (Nodlew)

As Sideman

Richard Groove Holmes-
Comin' on Home (Blue Note, 1971)

Dr. Lonnie Smith

2011-08-15T07:33:00.019-04:00

Dr. Lonnie Smith (born July 3, 1942 in Lackawanna, New York) is a jazz Hammond B3 organist and pianist.

He was born in Lackawanna, New York, into a family with a vocal group and radio program. Smith says that his mother was a major influence on him musically, as she introduced him to gospel, classical, and jazz music. He was part of several vocal ensembles in the 1950s, including the Teen Kings. Art Kubera, the owner of a local music store, gave Smith his first organ, a Hammond B3.

Smith's affinity for R&B melded with his own personal style as he became active in the local music scene. He moved to New York City, where he met George Benson, the guitarist for Jack McDuff's band. Benson and Smith connected on a personal level, and the two formed the George Benson Quartet, featuring Lonnie Smith, in 1966.

After two albums under Benson's leadership, It's Uptown and Cookbook, Smith recorded his first solo album (Finger Lickin' Good) in 1967, with George Benson and Melvin Sparks on guitar, Ronnie Cuber on baritone sax, and Marion Booker on drums. This combination remained stable for the next five years.

After recording several albums with Benson, Smith became a solo recording artist and has since recorded over 30 albums under his own name. Numerous prominent jazz artists have joined Smith on his albums and in his live performances, including Lee Morgan, David "Fathead" Newman, King Curtis, Terry Bradds, Blue Mitchell, and Joe Lovano.

In 1967, Smith met Lou Donaldson, who put him in contact with Blue Note Records. Donaldson asked the quartet to record an album for Blue Note, Alligator Bogaloo. Blue Note signed Smith for the next four albums, all in the soul jazz style, including Think (with Melvin Sparks, Marion Booker, Lee Morgan and David Newman) and Turning Point (with Lee Morgan, Bennie Maupin, Melvin Sparks and Idris Muhammad).

Smith's next album Move Your Hand was recorded at the Club Harlem in Atlantic City, New Jersey in August 1969. The album's reception allowed his reputation to grow beyond the Northeast. He would record another studio album Drives and one more live album Live at Club Mozambique (recorded in Detroit on May 21, 1970) before leaving Blue Note.

In the mid-1970s, Dr. Lonnie Smith converted to Sikhism. Smith has also been referred to from around that time as "Dr. Lonnie Smith" although the honorific does not represent an academic doctorate degree.

Smith toured the northeastern United States heavily during the 1970s. He concentrated largely on smaller neighborhood venues during this period. His sidemen included Ronnie Cuber, Dave Hubbard, Bill Easley and George Adams on sax, Donald Hahn on trumpet, George Benson and Larry McGee on guitars, and Joe Dukes, Sylvester Goshay, Phillip Terrell, Marion Booker, Jimmy Lovelace, Charles Crosby, Art Gore, Norman Connors and Bobby Durham on drums.

Smith has performed at several prominent jazz festivals with artists including Grover Washington, Jr., Ron Carter, Dizzy Gillespie, Lou Donaldson and Ron Holloway. He has also played with musicians outside of jazz, such as Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, Etta James, Joan Cartwright, and Esther Phillips.

He was named the "Organ Keyboardist of the Year" in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, and 2009 by the Jazz Journalist Association.

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Discography

as a lider

1966: Finger-lickin' good (Columbia)

1968: Think! (Blue Note) altrn altrn

1969: Turning Point (Blue Note) altrn

1969: Move Your Hand (live), (Blue Note)

1970: Drives (Blue Note) altrn

1970: Live at Club Mozambique (Blue Note)

1971: Mama Wailer (Kudu)

1975: When the Night is Right! (Chiaroscuro)

1975: Afrodesia (Groove Merchant) altrn

1976: Keep on Lovin' (Groove Merchant) altrn

1977: Funk Reaction

1978: Gotcha (TK) tnx Ian Van Groove

1993: Afro Blue (Music Masters) part 1 \ part 2 flac

1994: Foxy Lady: a Tribute to Hendrix (Music Masters) altrn part1 \ part2

1995: Purple Haze: a tribute to Jimi Hendrix (Music Masters)

2000: The Turbanator (32 Jazz)

2003: Boogaloo to Beck: A Tribute (Scufflin')

2004: Too Damn Hot (Palmetto) part 1 \ part 2

2006: Jungle Soul (Palmetto)

2009: Rise Up! (Palmetto)

2009-The Art Of Organizing

2010: Spiral (Palmetto)

as a sideman

1965:Red Holloway - Red Soul

1988:Jimmy Ponder - To Reach A Dream part1 \ part2

1993:Lou Donaldson - Caracas part 1 \ part 2

1994:Lou Donaldson - Sentimental Journey

1996:Essence All Stars - Organic Grooves =pw= flageolette

1998-Ximo Tebar - Goes Blue

1999:Jimmy McGriff - McGriff's House Party

2000:Bobby Broom - Modern Man altrn

2003:Crash - The Doctor Is In

2007:Saori Yano - Little Tiny

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr. Lonnie Smith discography at dougpayne.com

Pharoah Sanders

2011-07-28T06:25:00.073-04:00

Pharoah Sanders (born October 13, 1940) is a Grammy Award–winning American jazz saxophonist.

Saxophonist Ornette Coleman once described him as "probably the best tenor player in the world." Emerging from John Coltrane's groups of the mid-60s Sanders is known for his overblowing, harmonic, and multiphonic techniques on the saxophone, as well as his use of "sheets of sound." Sanders is an important figure in the development of free jazz; Albert Ayler famously said "Trane was the Father, Pharoah was the Son, I am the Holy Ghost.

Born Ferrell Sanders in Little Rock, Arkansas, he began his professional career playing tenor saxophone in Oakland, California. He moved to New York City in 1961 after playing with rhythm and blues bands. He received his nickname "Pharoah" from bandleader Sun Ra, with whom he was performing. After moving to New York, Sanders had been destitute: "He was often living on the streets, under straits, where ever he could find to stay, his clothes in tatters. Sun Ra gave him a place to stay, bought him a new pair of green pants with yellow stripes (which Sanders hated but had to have), encouraged him to use the name 'Pharoah', and gradually worked him into the band."

Sanders came to greater prominence playing with John Coltrane's band, starting in 1965, as Coltrane began adopting the avant-garde jazz of Albert Ayler, Ra and Cecil Taylor. Sanders first performed on Coltrane's Ascension (recorded in June 1965), then on their dual-tenor recording Meditations (recorded in November 1965). After this Sanders joined Coltrane's final quintet, usually performing very lengthy, dissonant solos. Coltrane's later style was strongly influenced by Sanders. Amiri Baraka lays claim naming him Pharoah in an early sixties Downbeat review[citation needed] upon hearing him introduce himself as Farrell Sanders and thinking he said "Pharaoh Sanders."

Although Sanders' voice developed differently from Coltrane, Sanders was strongly influenced by their collaboration together. Spiritual elements such as the chanting in Om would later show up in many of Sanders' own works. Sanders would also go on to produce much free jazz, modified from Coltrane's solo-centric conception. In 1968 he participated in Michael Mantler and Carla Bley's Jazz Composer's Orchestra Association album The Jazz Composer's Orchestra, featuring Cecil Taylor, Don Cherry, Larry Coryell and Gato Barbieri.

In the 1970s, Sanders pursued his own recordings and continued to work with the likes of Alice Coltrane on her Journey In Satchidananda album. Most of Sanders' best-selling work was made in the late 60's and early 70s for Impulse Records, including the 30-minute wave-on-wave of free jazz "The Creator has a Master Plan" from the album Karma. This composition featured vocalist Leon Thomas' unique, "umbo weti" yodeling, and Sanders' key musical partner, pianist Lonnie Liston Smith, who worked with Sanders from 1969-1971. Other members of his groups in this period include bassist Cecil McBee, on albums such as Jewels of Thought, Izipho Zam, Deaf Dumb Blind and Thembi.

Although supported by African-American radio, Sanders' brand of free jazz became less popular. From the experiments with African rhythms on the 1971 album Black Unity (with bassist Stanley Clarke) onwards he began to diversify his sound. In the late 1970s and 1980s, Sanders explored different musical modes including R'n'B (Love Will Find a Way), modal jazz, and hard bop.

In 1994 he traveled to Morocco to record the Bill Laswell-produced album The Trance Of Seven Colors with Gnawa musician Mahmoud Guinia. Sanders worked with Laswell, Jah Wobble, and others on the albums Message From Home (1996) and Save Our Children (1998). In 1999, he complained in an interview that despite his pedigree, he had trouble finding work. The same year, Sanders appeared on the Red Hot Organization's album, Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool, on the track "This is Madness" with Umar bin Hassan and Abiodun Oyewole and the bonus track, "The Creator Has A Master Plan (Trip hop Remix)." The album was named "Album of the Year" by Time.

In the 2000s, a resurgence of interest in jazz has kept Sanders playing festivals including the 2007 Melbourne Jazz Festival and the 2008 Big Chill Festival, concerts, and releasing albums. He has a strong following in Japan, and in 2003 recorded with the band Sleep Walker. Pharoah Sanders is currently represented by Addeo Music International.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Discography:

As leader

1964-Pharoah's First(ESP-Disk)
1966-Tauhid(Impulse! Records) altrn
1969-Izipho Zam (Strata-East Records)
1969-Karma(Impulse!) altrn
1969-Jewels of Thought(Impulse!)
1970-Deaf Dumb Blind (Summun Bukmun Umyun)(Impulse!) altrn
1971-Thembi(Impulse!)
1971-Village of the Pharoahs(Impulse!) altrn
1971-Black Unity(Impulse!) altrn
1971-Live at the East(Impulse!) altrn
1972-Wisdom Through Music(Impulse!) altrn altrn
1973-Elevation(Impulse!)
1973-Love in Us All(ASD) altrn
1974-Voyage to Uranus(Capitol)
1977-Pharoah(India Navigation)
1977-Love Will Find a Way(Arista)
1978-Beyond a Dream(with Norman Connors)(Arista)
1980-Journey to the One (Theresa (Evidence))
1981-Live(Theresa (Evidence))
1981-Rejoice(Theresa (Evidence))
1982-Heart is a Melody(Theresa (Evidence))
1985-Shukuru(Theresa (Evidence)) part 1 \ part 2
1989-Oh Lord, Let Me Do No Wrong(Columbia)
1987-A Prayer Before Dawn(Theresa (Evidence))
1987-Africa(Timeless)
1989-Moonchild(Timeless)mp3@320 1 \ 2 flac
1990-Welcome to Love(Timeless)
1992-Crescent with Love(Evidence) CD1 \ CD2
1994-The Trance Of Seven Colors (with Mahmoud Guinia)(Axiom)
1995-Naima(Evidence)
1996-Message from Home(Verve) altrn
1999-Save our Children(Verve)
2000-Spirits(Meta) part 1 \ part 2
2003-With a Heartbeat(Evolver)
2003-The Creator Has a Master Plan(Venus)

As sideman

With John Coltrane

Kulu Sé Mama (1965)
Om (1965) altrn
Meditations (1965)
Ascension (1965) altrn
Live In Seattle (1965)
Live at the Village Vanguard Again! (1966) flac
Live In Japan (1966) flac
Expression (1967)
The Olatunji Concert: The Last Live Recording (1967)

With Alice Coltrane

With Don Cherry

with Norman Connors

with others

1964-Sun Ra-feat Ph. Sanders and Black Herold tnx to drhotte
1965 - Ornette Coleman - Chappaqua Suite
1968-Dave Burrell - High Won-High Two
1968-Pharoah Sanders Ensemble with Albert Ayler
1968 - Jazz Composer's Orchestra - The Jazz Composer's Orchestra flac
1968-Gary Bartz - Another Earth altrn
1969-Leon Thomas - Spirits Known and Unknown
1969-The Latin Jazz Quintet - Oh! Pharoah Speak
1973-Larry Young - Lawrence Of Newark altrn
1977-Phyllis Hyman - One on One
1978-Hilton Ruiz - Fantasia
1978 - Ed Kelly - Ed Kelly & Friends (Ed Kelly & Pharoah Sanders)
1980-Idris Muhammad - Kabsha
1981-Tisziji Munoz - Visiting the Planet
1982-Elvin Jones-McCoy Tyner Quintet – Love & Peace flac
1985 - Art Davis - Life
1987-McCoy Tyner - Blues for Coltrane
1987-Benny Golson - This is for you, John
1990-The Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir - Live!
1991 - Sonny Sharrock - Ask the Ages
1991-Randy Weston - The Spirits Of Our Ancestors
1991-Randy Weston - African Sunrise
1993-Bheki Mseleku - Timelessness
1994 -Franklin Kiermyer - Solomon's Daughter
1995-Steve Turre - Rhythm Within from drhotte
1995-Jah Wobble - Heaven & Earth part 1 \ part 2
1996-Aiyb Dieng - Rythmagick
1996-Jali Kunda - Griots of West Africa & Beyond altrn
1996-Sonny Sharrock - Into Another Light
1996-Wallace Roney - Village from drhotte
1997-The Last Poets - Time Has Come altrn
1997-Tisziji Munoz - River of Blood
1997-Tisziji Munoz - Present Without a Trace
1997-Tisziji Munoz - Spirit World
1997-Arcana-Arc of Testemony
1997-Music Revelation Ensemble-Cross Fire
1998-Terry Callier - Timepeace altrn altrn
1998-Chakra - The Seven Centers altrn
1998-Randy Weston - Khepera
2000-Kahil El’Zabar’s Ritual Trio - Africa N’Da Blus
2000 - Alex Blake - Now is the Time: Live at the Knitting Factory tnx to drhotte
2000 - Kahil El'Zabar's Ritual Trio - Africa N'da Blues
2000-23 Skidoo - 23 Skidoo
2001-Tisziji Munoz-Devine Radiance
2001-Gigi - Gigi
2003-VA-Asana 3: Peaceful Heart
2003-Lonesome Echo Productions - Silver Ocean
2003-Lili Haydn - Light Blue Sun
2004-David Murray & Gwo-Ka Masters-Gwotet
2006-Kenny Garrett Beyond The Wall
2007-Method of Defiance - Inamorata
2008 - Kenny Garrett - Sketches of MD: Live at the Iridium
2008 - Sleep Walker - "Into The Sun" (on "The Voyage")
2008-Kahil El Zabar's Ritual Trio - Ooh Live! Flac 1 \ 2 \ 3 \ 4 \ 5

Legendary Reuben Wilson

2011-07-11T03:54:00.025-04:00

Biography

Reuben Wilson was one of many soul-jazz organists to emerge in the late '60s, but he was one of only a handful of new organists from that era to be signed to Blue Note. By that point in the label's history, most of their artists were concentrating on accessible soul-jazz, and while he occasionally strayed outside of the conventions of the genre, Wilson more or less followed their rule. Between 1968 and 1971, he recorded five sessions for the label. None of his records received much acknowledgment at the time, but they were later rediscovered by a new generation of soul-jazz fans, becoming collector's items within acid jazz and soul-jazz revivalist circles.

Wilson began performing professionally in 1962. A native of Mounds, OK, he moved to Pasadena, CA, as a child, where he attended school with such future jazz musicians as Bobby Hutcherson and Herb Lewis. As a teenager, Wilson began to teach himself to play piano, but his attention was diverted by boxing. When he was 17, he moved to Los Angeles and married a nightclub singer, through whom he met a number of professional musicians. Associating with musicians conviced Wilson to return to music. Instead of pursuing the piano, he decided to take up the organ, and it wasn't long before he became a regular at the Caribbean club, where he played with drummer Eddie Williams, guitarist George Freeman, and, eventually, Clifford Scott. He played the L.A. circuit for several years before deciding to try his luck in Las Vegas. That venture proved unsuccessful, so he moved back to L.A., where he struck up a friendship with Richard "Groove" Holmes, an organist who would greatly influence his own style.

In December 1966, Wilson relocated to New York, where he formed the soul-jazz trio the Wildare Express with drummer Tommy Derrick. The Wildare Express lasted about six months, playing venues throughout the East Coast and Detroit, and then Wilson decided to concentrate on more complex variations of hard bop and soul-jazz. Eventually, such respected musicians as Grant Green, Roy Haynes, and Sam Rivers began playing with Wilson. Around the same time, Blue Note offered the organist a contract based on a demo he had sent the label.

On Broadway, Wilson's first album for Blue Note, was a quartet session featuring his old bandmate Derrick and was recorded in October of 1968. It was followed in March of 1969 by Love Bug, which featured contributions from trumpeter Lee Morgan and guitarist Grant Green. His third album, Blue Mode, was cut in December 1969 and offered some of his hottest playing. With his fourth album, 1970's A Groovy Situation, Wilson moved in a commercial direction, much like many of his Blue Note peers. In July of 1971, he recorded Set Us Free, his final album for the label.

Wilson's contract with Blue Note expired after Set Us Free and he moved to Groove Merchant, where he released three albums -- Cisco Kid, Bad Stuff, and The Sweet Life -- during the mid-'70s. Throughout the decade, he also played on sessions by funk, soul, and jazz artists, including a record by the Fatback Band. During the late '70s, he recorded sporadically, eventually retiring from music in the early '80s.

By the late '80s, Wilson's music had been rediscovered by a new generation, listeners who didn't dismiss his records as commercial fluff. Like several of his peers, his late-'60s and '70s records, through sampling, became cornerstones in the newly emerging acid jazz and jazz-rap genres. Soon, his out of print records became collector's items, and his sampled licks were appearing on dancefloors throughout England and parts of New York. Eventually, samples of his records were included on hit albums by A Tribe Called Quest, Us3, Brand New Heavies, and Nas. In light of all this new attention, Wilson decided to return to performing, and he toured with Guru's Jazzamatazz revue in 1995. He also began writing new material and performing in new groups, including combos he led himself. In 1996, he signed to Hip Bop and released two albums, Live at SOB's and Organ Donor. The following year, he recorded Organic Grooves with Dr. Lonnie Smith and Doug Carn.

Discography
1968 - On Broadway
1969 - Blue Breakbeats
1969 - Blue Mode
1969 - Love Bug
1970 - A Groovy Situation
1971 - Set Us Free
1972-The Sweet Life
1974 - Cisco Kid
1974 - The Sweet Life
1975 - Bad Stuff
1975 - Got To Get Your Own
1998 - Down With It
1998 - Organ Donor

2002-Organ Blues
2004 - Boogaloo To The Beastie Boys
2005 - Fun House
2006-Movin' On

2008--The Godfathers of Groove part 1 \ part 2

2009-- Azure Te Part 1 Part 2

2010-The Godfathers of Groove _vol 3 part1 \ part2

Norman Connors

2011-04-24T04:27:00.015-04:00

Norman Connors (born March 1, 1947 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American jazz drummer, composer, arranger, producer, and headliner, who has led some influential jazz and R&B groups. He also achieved several big R&B hits of the day, especially with love ballads.

Connors became interested in jazz as a child when he began to play drums, once sitting in for Elvin Jones at a John Coltrane performance he attended while in middle school. Connors studied music at Temple University and Juilliard.

His first recording was on Archie Shepp's 1967 release, Magic of JuJu. He played with Pharaoh Sanders for the next few years until signing with Cobblestone Records in 1972 and releasing his first record as a bandleader. He went on to front some great jazz recordings with Carlos Garnett, Gary Bartz, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Herbie Hancock such as "Love From the Sun" on Buddah records..

Connors began to focus more on R&B material in the mid 1970s after signing with Buddah Records. He scored several US hits with songs featuring guest vocalists such as Michael Henderson, Jean Carn, and Phyllis Hyman. The most successful of these was "You Are My Starship" (#4 R&B, #27 Pop), featuring Henderson in 1976, while "Valentine Love", his first chart success, made #10 R&B in 1975, with vocals from Henderson and Jean Carn. Dee Dee Bridgewater also performed with him on the jazz album "Love from the Sun". He has also produced recordings for various artists, including collaborators like Jean Carn, Phyllis Hyman, Al Johnson, Norman Brown, and saxophonist Marion Meadows.

His recent work, "Star Power", has seen him operating more in the vein of smooth jazz and urban crossover music, featuring Howard Hewett, Bobby Lyle, Ray Parker, Jr, Peabo Bryson, Michael Henderson, and Antoinette.

Discography:

As A Lider:

Dance of Magic (Cobblestone Records, 1973)

Dark of Light (Buddah Records, 1973) altrn

Love from the Sun (Buddah, 1974)

Slewfoot (Buddah, 1974)

Saturday Night Special (Buddah, 1975)

You Are My Starship (Buddah, 1976)(RE,2010)

Romantic Journey (Buddah, 1977)(RE,2010)

This Is Your Life (Buddah, 1978)

Invitation (Buddah, 1979)

Take it to the Limit (Arista Records, 1980)

Mr.C (Arista, 1981)

Passion (Capitol Records, 1988)

Remember Who You Are (MoJazz/Motown Records, 1993)

Insert B (The Real Deal) / Nobody Knows - Gurus -Jazzmatazz, Vol. 2: The New Reality (Chrysalis, 1995) altrn

Easy Living (Motown, 1996)

Eternity (Starship Records, 2000)

Star Power (Shanachie Records, 2009)

As A Sideman:

1967:Archie Shepp-The Magic Of Ju-ju altrn
1971:Sam Rivers-Hues
1971:Pharoah Sanders-Live at The East from My Jazz World
1971:Pharoah Sanders-Black Unity Flac
1973:Sam Rivers-Streams altrn
1973:Pharoah Sanders-Village Of the Pharoahs
1974:Pharoah Sanders-Wisdom Through Music
1974:Pharoah Sanders-Love In Us All
1976:Charles Earland-Odyssey

As A Producer:

1976:Aquarian Dream-Norman Connors presents Aquarian Dream altrn
1977:Vitamin E -Sharing
1978:Aquarian Dream-Fantasy
1978:Pharoah Sanders-Love Will Find a Way
1980:Starship Orchestra-Celestial Sky altrn
1980:Al Johnson-Back for More
1981:Phyllis Hyman -Can't We Fall In Love Again Flac: 1 2

Live:

1975:
Dance Of Magic (Live At Nemu Jazz Inn)" (Nippon Columbia)
1990 : Town and Country Club, london, 1990.06.30

Jazzman, Label

2011-04-07T01:07:00.069-04:00

Jazzman Records was established by Gerald Short in the '90s as a music dealer. Later he went on a mission to re-release the best and most obscure and rare tracks from the late '60s and early '70s. The aim was to bring the long forgotten sound that didn't get any recognition in that time period. As well as running the Jazzman label he went on to set up two more labels, 'Stark Reality' releasing even more obscure but modern produced music, and 'Funk45' to reissue Deep Funk rarities. He later set up 'Soul Spectrum' and 'Soul7' to reissue Northern & Modern Soul rarities, and the 'Jukebox Jam' series reissuing '50s RnB, jive & blues rockers.

Discography:

1998-VA- The Best Of Frank Motley & King Herbert - Canada's Message To The Meters altr

1998-Kathleen Emery -Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child / Evil Ways (7", Single, Ltd)

1999-Frank Motley & The Bridge Crossings Ya Ya / Ooga Boogaloo (7")

1999-Bruno Spoerri / Howard Wales Les Electroniciens / Rendezvous With The Sun Pt. 2 (7")

1999-Dee Felice Trio / Los Brasilios Nightingale / Brasilian Beat (7")

1999-VA- Le Jazzbeat! Jerk, Jazz & Psychobeat De France (CD\LP)

2000-VA- Le Jazzbeat! Jerk, Jazz & Psychobeat De France 2 (CD\LP)

2000-Letta Mbulu / Lorez Alexandria What's Wrong With Groovin' / Send In The Clowns (7")

2000-Intimate Strangers / Astra Nova Orchestra Love Sounds / Soul Sleeper (7", Single)

2000-Alan Moorhouse / Keith Mansfield Soul Skimmer / Morning Broadway (7")

2000-Fred Johnson / Freddy Cole A Child Runs Free / Brother Where Are You (7")

2000-Carleen & The Groovers Can We Rap / Right On (7", Single)

2000-Claude Vasori / Vincent Geminiani Tic-Splasch / Ophis Le Serpentaire (7", Single)

2000-Cecil Leuter / Andy Loore Pop Electronique No. 2 / Mixed Drums (7", Single)

2000-Sandi & Matues* / Trinikas, The The World Pt. 1 / Remember Me (7")

2000-Eddie Warner Devil's Anvil / Poppy Fiddles (7")

2000-Ray & His Court Soul Freedom / Cookie Crumbs (7")

2000-Highlighters Band, The The Funky 16 Corners (7")

2001-Esther Williams / Tommie Young Last Night Changed It All / Hit And Run Lover (7")

2001-PI-R-Square Fantasy (7")

2001-Barbara Moore Sound, The / Roger Webb Sound, The Hot Heels / Grey Sigh (7")

2001-VA- What Is Wrong With Groovin' (CD) altrn

2002-Nino Nardini / Anthony King Tropicola / Filigree Funk (7")

2002-The Basic / The Poets - Milk / Fun Buggy (7", Single)

2002-Madeline Bell / Alan Parker -That's What Friends Are For (7", Single)

2002-Lee Mason & His Orchestra / Jack Arel & Jean-Claude Petit Shady Blues / Psychedelic Portrait (7")

2002-Nina Simone Funkier Than A Mosquito's Tweeter / Save Me (7")

2002-Nino Nardini Afro-Beat / Poltergeist (7")

2002-VA- Soul Freedom (CD, Comp)

2002-VA- Texas Funk: Hard Texas Funk 1968-1975 (CD)

2003-Deidre Wilson Tabac- I Can't Keep From Crying Sometimes / Get Back (7")

2002-The Brothers Seven-Funky Smunk Evil Ways(7")

2002-Mickey & the Soul Generation-We Got To Make A Change _ Give Everybody Some (7")

2002-The Chefs-Mr. Machine(7")

2002-The Fabulous Mark III(7")

2002-The Great Deltas-Tra La La _ Stand Up And Be A Man(7")

2002-The Fabulous Originals-It Ain't Fair But It's Fun(7")

2002-Latin Breed-I Turn You On _ Hard To Handle(7")

2003-James Polk & The Brothers-Power Struggle Just Plain Funk(7")

2003-The Soul Lifters-Hot, Funky And Sweaty _Brothers And Sisters(7")

2003-The Majestics-Funky Chick_ Coming On(7")

2003-The PCs LTD-Fast Man _ Stickman(7")

2003-Arthur Monday-What Goes Around Comes Around

2003-Gordon Beck The Hustler (7")

2003-Byrdie Green / Kent Schneider Return Of The Prodigal Son / The Church Is Within Us, O Lord (7", Single

2004-VA- Midwest Funk- Funk 45's

2004-Mark Murphy / Eddie Jefferson Why Don't You Do Right / Psychedelic Sally (7")

2004-Wess & The Airedales Black Out (7", Single)
2004-France Gall / IRP-3 -Zozoi / Tema De Soninha (7")
2004-James Reese & The Progressions -Jody's Freeze / Let's Go (It's Summertime) (7", Single)
2004-
Marlena Shaw California Soul / Wade In The Water (7")
2004-
Gettysbyrg Address / Triste Janero Baby True / In The Garden (7")
2004-
Lorez Alexandria -Baltimore Oriole (7")
2004-
MaseQua Myers & Jami Ayinde / Mary Lou Williams Black Land Of The Nile / Communion Song #3 (7")
2004-
James Brown- Soulful Christmas / Christmas Is Coming (7", Single)
2004-
Le Groupe X / Remigio Ducros Transfert 2002 / Scherzi Pesanti (7")
2004-
Carmen McRae & Dave Brubeck / Oscar Brown Jr. Take Five / Dat Dere (7")
2004-Lemuria / Terea- Hunk Of Heaven / Pretty Bird (7")
2004-Heem The Music Monsters -Wake Up People / Piece Of The Rock (12")
2004-
VA- That's What Friends Are For (CD, Comp)
2005-Soul Toronados The Complete Recordings (CD)

2005-
Sam Most Plop-Plop Boom / Jungle Fantasy (7")

2005-
Elsie Mae Do You Really Want To Rescue Me (7")

2005-
Aaron Neville / Cyril Neville Hercules / Gossip (7")

2005-
Bajka The Only Religion That I Believe / A Vision (Part 1/3) (7")

2005-
Soul-Saints Orchestra Santa's Got A Bag Of Soul / Bag Of Soul (7")

2005-
Heliocentrics, The Winter Song / Dance Of The Dogon (7")

2005-Zebra Simple Song (12")

2005-VA- Hunk Of Heaven (CD, Comp)

2005-Soul Expedition Band, The Soul Expedition (CD)

2006-Carla Whitney War / It's You For Me (7", Single)

2006-Manny Corchado Pow Wow / Chicken And Booze (7")

2006-Kathleen Emery -Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child

2006-Eddy Jacobs Exchange-Pull My Coat / Love (Your Pain Goes Deep) (7", Single)

2006-John Cameron Quartet / Mike Westbrook Concert Band, The Troublemaker / Original Peter (7")

2006-Jonathan Richman And The Egyptian Lovers* / Modern Egyptian Dance Band Egyptian Reggae / Our Wedding Night (7")

2006-Salah Rageb* Egypt Strut / Neveen (7")

2006-Ricardo Marrero And The Group* Babalonia (7")

2006-VA -Good Things - The Story Of Saadia Records

2006-Jayram Acharya* Santa Claus Is Coming To Town / White Christmas (7")

2006-Das Goldenes Zeitalter A Vision / Breakin' Through / Im Würgegriff Der Schönen Künste(12")

2006-BajkaI Can No Poet Be / Love's Serenity (12")

2006-Phillip Wright / Leno Phillips Keep Her Happy / I Like My Birdie (12")

2006-Raw Soul Express / Gwen McCrae The Way We Live / All This Love That I'm Giving

2006-Stony Island Band, The / Jerry Washington Stony Island Band / Don't Waste My Time

2006-Joe Coleman Get It Off The Ground (12")

2006-Lou Pride The Suemi Sessions (3x7")

2006-Quantic The World's Rarest Funk 45s (CD, Comp)
2006-VA- Pow Wow (CD, Comp)
2006-VA- Florida Funk (CD, Comp

2007-Asha Puthli Right Down Here / Space Talk (7")

2007-Sheila Wilkerson Baby You're A Jive Cat / Can You Do It (7")

2007-Sohail Rana / Punjabs, The Soul Sitar / Sitar Blues (7")

2007-Har-You Percussion Group* Welcome To The Party / Feed Me Good (7")

2007-VA- Dance The Latin Jazz (3x7") see 2008-Various Dance The Latin... (CD, Comp)

2007-VA- Dance The Latin Soul (3x7")see 2008-Various Dance The Latin... (CD, Comp)

2007-Natural Yogurt Band, The Voodoo (7", Single)

2007-Beloyd* Today All Day / Get Into To Your Life (12")
2007-Vanessa Kendrick 90% Of Me Is You / How Can I Do What's Right (12")
2007-Milton Wright Keep It Up (12")
2007-Willie Wright / DJ. Tibb feat Brothermartin & Willie Wright Right On For Darkness / Right On! (12")
2007-Paul Burton So Very Hard To Make It (Without You) (12", RE)
2007-VA- Sister Funk2_The Sound Of The Unknown Soul Sisters altrn altrn

2007-
Quantic The World's Rarest Funk 45s Volume Two (CD, Comp)

2007-
VA- Carolina Funk (CD)

2008- VA- Dance The Latin Funk (3x7") see 2008-Various Dance The Latin... (CD, Comp)

2008-Della Reese with Bobby Bryant Quintet, The It Was A Very Good Year (7", Mono)

2008-Mary Lou Williams Credo / It Ain't Necessarily So (7")

2008-The Invaders Spacing Out / Latin Lips (7")

2008-Ada Moore The Devil Is A Woman (7")

2008-Bill Swift Trio Featuring Drenda Barnett Chain Of Fools (12")

2008-Tolbert- I've Got It (12")

2008-Tommy Stewart* Bump And Hustle Music / Fulton Country Line (12")

2008-VA- Dance The Latin... (CD, Comp)

2008-VA- -Spiritual Jazz 1968-77 altrn: part 1 part 2

2008-Natural Yogurt Band, The Away With Meloncholy (LP)

2008-Bobby Williams Funky Superfly (CD)

2008-Uncle Funkenstein Together Again (CD, Album, RE) altrn

2008-VA-Welcome To The Party (CD, Comp)

2008-Milton Wright Spaced (LP, Album, Ltd, RE)

2009-Keisa Brown And Liz Spraggins Dance Man (7")

2009-Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro Yellow Soul Force / Don’t Touch, Just Watch Me! (10")

2009-Tommy Stewart* Unreleased EP (12", EP)
2009-Païkan And Sadhus, The Dance Floor Flight (12")
2009-Orquesta Esencia* Carnaval (12")

2009-
Nathan Davis The Best Of Nathan Davis '65-76 (CD, Album, Comp)

2009-
Ricardo Marrero & The Group A Taste (CD, Album, RE) altrn

2009-
Lloyd Miller A Lifetime In Oriental Jazz (CD, Comp)

2009-
Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro (CD, Album)

2009-
John Heartsman & Circles Music Of My Heart (CD, Album, RE)

2009-
VA- J-Rocc V J-Mann (CD, Mixed)

2009-Mr. Clean & The Soul Inc What's Going On? (7", Ltd)

2010-Sun Ra- The Shadows Cast By Tomorrow (3x7", Ltd, Lum)
2010-Mark Capanni -I Believe In Miracles (7", Mono)
2010-Kellee Patterson I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little More, Baby / Mister Magic (7")

2010-
Natural Yogurt Band, The Eastern Promise / Psalm (7")

2010-
Sun Ra -The World Is Not My Home (3x7", Ltd, Cle)

2010-Natural Yogurt Band, The Tuck In With... (Album)

2010-Lloyd Miller Trio, The The Lloyd Miller Trio (12", EP)

2010-Philip Cohran And The Artistic Heritage Ensemble* The Zulu 45s Collection (3x7")

2010-VA- The Jazz Box (3x7", Comp)

2010-George Smallwood* & Marshmellow Band Just 4 You (CD, Album, RE) altrn

2010-VA- California Funk (CD, Comp)

2010-Roy Brooks And The Artistic Truth Ethnic Expressions (CD, Album, RE, RM)

2010-Bobby Jackson The Café Extra-Ordinaire Story (CD, Album) altrn

2010-Boris Gardiner Every Nigger Is A Star OST (CD, Album, RE)

2010-Marvin Peterson & Soulmasters,TheMarvin Peterson And The Soulmasters In Concert

2010-Brief Encounter, The* The Brief Encounter (CD, Album, RM) altrn

2010-VA- Let's Boogaloo - Vol.5 altrn

2011-Lee Moses Reach Out I'll Be There / Day Tripper (7")

2011-
Pete Drake & His Talking Steel Guitar* The Spook / Oriental Twist (7")
2011-
Greg Foat Group, The 10" EP (10")
2011-Sidewinders, The (2) Flatfoot Hustlin' (CD, Album, RE, RM) altrn
2011-Terea- Terea (CD, Album)
2011-Jef Gilson - The Best Of Jef Gilson

Legendary Al Wilson

2011-04-03T09:17:00.006-04:00

Biography

Best remembered for the soul classic "Show and Tell," singer Al Wilson was born June 19, 1939 in Meridian, Mississippi. From childhood forward he was singing professionally, and by the age of 12 was leading his own spiritual quartet and singing in the church choir, even performing covers of country and western hits as circumstances dictated. While he was in high school, Wilson and his family relocated to San Bernadino, California, where he worked odd jobs as a mail carrier, a janitor, and an office clerk, in addition to teaching himself to play drums; after graduation he spent four years touring with Johnny Harris and the Statesmen before joining the U.S. Navy and singing with an enlisted men's chorus. After a two-year military stint, Wilson settled in Los Angeles, touring the local nightclub circuit before joining the R&B vocal group the Jewels; from there he landed with the Rollers, followed by a stint with the instrumental combo the Souls. In 1966, Wilson signed with manager Marc Gordon, who quickly scored his client an a cappella audition for Johnny Rivers -- the "Secret Agent Man" singer not only signed Wilson to his Soul City imprint, but also agreed to produce the sessions that yielded the 1968 R&B smash "The Snake." The minor hit "Do What You Gotta Do" appeared that same year, but Wilson then largely disappeared from sight until 1973, when he issued the platinum-selling Weighing In -- the album's success was spurred by the shimmering "Show and Tell," a Johnny Mathis castoff that sold well over a million copies. 1974's "The La La Peace Song" proved another major hit, and two years later, "I've Got a Feeling We'll Be Seeing Each Other Again" cracked the R&B Top Three. With 1979's "Count the Days" Wilson scored his final chart hit, however, and he spent the next two decades touring clubs and lounges; in 2001 he re-recorded his classic hits for the album Spice of Life. Kidney failure took his life on April 21, 2008.

1969 - Searching For The Dolphins
1973 - Show And Tell
1973 - Weighing In
1974 - La La Peace Song
1976 - I've Got The Feeling
1979 - Count The Days

Lonnie Liston Smith

2011-03-17T07:38:00.045-04:00

Lonnie Liston Smith, Jr. (born December 28, 1940 in Richmond, Virginia) is an American jazz,soul, and funk musician who played with important free jazz artists such as Pharoah Sandersand Miles Davis before forming Lonnie Liston Smith And The Cosmic Echoes, recording a number of albums widely regarded as classics in the fusion / Quiet Storm / smooth jazz andacid jazz genres.

The "fusion" jazz of the 1970s, which merged jazz with more commercially oriented influences from rock, rhythm-and-blues, and funk, fell out of fashion as its leading practitioners either moved into popular music or went on to newer jazz experiments. But keyboardist Lonnie Liston Smith has been fusion's survivor. Resurrecting his career several times after he seemed to have been written off by the jazz world, Smith seemed to have an uncanny ability to connect with younger musicians and yet maintain the core of his blissful, rather meditative style. He remained active long enough to find himself hailed as an elder statesman by acid jazz musicians of the 1990s and early 2000s.

The spiritual feel of Smith's music was shaped early in his life. Lonnie Liston Smith (not to be confused with organist Dr. Lonnie Smith) was born in Richmond, Virginia on December 28, 1940. His father worked in a tobacco factory at the time, but soon joined a gospel quartet called the Harmonizing Four. Virginia was a hotbed of gospel singing, and the elder Lonnie Liston Smith was able to turn music into a full-time job by 1946. Such stars of the gospel genre as the Swan Silvertones and Sam Cooke often stopped by the Smith household. The three male Smith children all became musicians; flutist and vocalist Donald Smith often performed with his Lonnie Liston Smith, and the Rev. Ray Smith served as music minister at the Richmond Christian Center church.

Smith learned to play the piano at home but began taking lessons after it became clear that he had some talent. As a high school student he became interested in modern jazz, but it was saxophonists Charlie Parker and John Coltrane, as well as the cool, unorthodox trumpeter Miles Davis that caught his ear. He intentionally tried to follow their styles and not to emulate the work of jazz pianists like McCoy Tyner and Horace Silver. While still in his teens, Smith was appearing with jazz groups in the Baltimore area and backing such vocal stars as Betty Carter when they came through town.

After earning a degree in music education from Baltimore's Morgan State University in 1961, Smith got a tip from a college bandmate that there was an open keyboard spot in the highly experimental Jazz Messengers band led by drummer Art Blakey. Smith moved to New York City in 1962 to take the job, making his recording debut with Blakey. He also filled a keyboard slot in the band of another very progressive percussionist, Max Roach. In 1965 he joined the band of saxophonist Roland Kirk (later Rahsaan Roland Kirk), appearing on six tracks of Kirk's Rip, Rip and Panic album that year.

In 1968 Smith joined the band of saxophonist Pharaoh Sanders, one of the top touring modern jazz ensembles of the time. It was with Sanders that Kirk started experimenting with the electric keyboards he would often use later in his career, creating a wash of sound as an underpinning for Sanders' frenzied soloing. In the early 1970s Smith began performing and recording intermittently with trumpeter Miles Davis, the key creator of fusion jazz and one of the all-time giants of the genre. Davis tabbed Smith to play on his 1974 Big Fun album, keeping Smith on his toes by demanding that he learn to play the organ. "It was intimidating," Smith recalled in an essay reproduced on his Web site, Lonnie Liston Smith Online. "Then Miles gave me two nights to learn how to make music on the thing. Miles liked to introduce new sounds in a surprising way—that's how he produced such innovative, fresh music."

After a stint with Argentine saxophonist Gato Barbieri, during which he added a persisting Latin accent to his music, Smith was signed to a contract by producer Bob Thiele on his Flying Dutchman label. Smith put together a band of his own, the Cosmic Echoes, and recorded his first album, Astral Traveling. Mostly but not exclusively instrumental, the music Smith and the Cosmic Echoes made was fusion jazz that combined a spacious, spiritual feel with a layer of funk and rhythm-and-blues (R&B). As Smith gained popularity with the Expansions LP (1975), Flying Dutchman was picked up for distribution by the larger RCA label.

mith moved to the Columbia label with his 1978 album Loveland and kept up a rapid pace of recording through the rest of the 1970s. When he added vocals to the mix, as with 1979's "Space Princess," Smith created a sound close to the commercial R&B of the day and gained a good deal of radio airplay. His fortunes were boosted by the emergence around 1980 of the "quiet storm" radio format, which blended jazz with sophisticated black pop styles; such Smith numbers as "Never Too Late" became staples of the format. His instrumental numbers often established a basic beat and then surrounded it with subtle shifts of a shimmering texture. Lyrics, when there were any, often referred to spiritual concerns and the expansion of consciousness.

Despite energetic touring, Smith's reputation faded a bit by the mid-1980s. "Smith has tended to regurgitate his better ideas in increasingly vapid cycles," complained the Washington Post in 1983. He found himself without a recording contract for a time. "I had a lot of idealistic concepts about music, and about the spiritual message I was trying to get across," Smith told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "But most record companies only care about demographics and bottom line sales." Still, he retained strong audience loyalty in Europe and Japan, appearing at festivals in both countries.

Smith made several recordings for the Doctor Jazz label and for the small, Maryland-based Startrak Records. In the late 1980s the hip-hop movement, with its strong basis in funk, began to propel his career upward once again. His debut album for Startrak, Love Goddess, featured guest appearances by vocalist Phyllis Hyman and saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, but soon Smith was working with rapper Guru, who was one of the first to attempt to mix the jazz and hip-hop genres. Smith found himself an elder statesman. "Guru and the other rappers would tell me how their uncles used to make them listen to me and Miles and Donald Byrd and how they got the message," Smith told Australia's Daily Telegraph Mirror newspaper.

Smith appeared on the Guru Jazzmatazz Volume One album but then took another hiatus from recording. He reemerged in 1998 with his Transformation CD, which returned to a sound reminiscent of the Cosmic Echoes years. (The Cosmic Echoes, after a series of personnel changes, disbanded in the mid-1980s.) Once again Smith showed his ability to connect with contemporary listeners; quiet storm radio had been reborn as "smooth jazz," and Smith, approaching the age of 60, was once again a frequent radio presence.

Career: Musician, 1962–; joined Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, New York City, 1962; joined band of Roland Kirk, 1965; joined band of Pharaoh Sanders, 1968; performed and recorded with Miles Davis and Gato Barbieri bands, early 1970s; formed own band, Cosmic Echoes, 1973; formed own label, Loveland Records, late 1990s–.Smith established his own label, Loveland, which was distributed by the large Sony conglomerate. Several of his early albums were reissued, and his music of the late 1970s and early 1980s was collected on a two-CD set called Explorations: The Columbia Years. Touring the United Kingdom in 2003 and 2004, fusion's cosmic-minded survivor showed no signs of calling it quits. He continued to live and make music according to a philosophy he had expressed nearly 30 years before to the Tri-State Defender: "Music is one of the ruling forces in the Cosmos and I constantly stretch for the ultimate. Music should bring a message and I am but a messenger."

Discography:

Lonnie Liston Smith and the Cosmic Echoes

As a sideman

Legendary Bobbi Humphrey

2011-01-30T07:31:00.024-05:00

Biography

Bobbi Humphrey is a jazz flautist whose musical tastes lean toward fusion and smooth jazz-pop. From the outset of her career, Humphrey was quite popular, winning a large crossover audience with her pop-oriented jazz-fusion. Throughout her career, her popularity exceeded her critical acclaim, but she received high marks for her technique and showmanship. Audiences stayed with Humphrey for decades, buying her records and attending her concerts from the Montreux Festival to Carnegie Hall.

Although Bobbi Humphrey was born in Marlin, TX, she was raised in Dallas. She began playing flute in high school and continued her studies at Texas Southern University and Southern Methodist University. Dizzy Gillespie saw Humphrey play at a talent contest at Southern Methodist and, impressed with what he had heard, he urged her to pursue a musical career in New York City. She followed through on his advice, getting her first big break performing at the Apollo Theater on amateur night. Shortly afterward, she began playing regularly throughout the city, including a gig with Duke Ellington.

Humphrey signed with Blue Note in 1971. Her smooth blend of jazz, funk, pop, and R&B fit in well with the new sound of Blue Note, and her six albums for the label -- Flute In, Dig This, Blacks and Blues, Satin Doll, Live at Montreux, and Fancy Dancer -- were all successes. In particular, 1973's Blacks and Blues was a rousing success, earning her a crossover pop and R&B audience. That same year, she played the Montreux Festival in Switzerland. In 1976, she was named Best Female Instrumentalist by Billboard. The following year, she switched record labels, signing with Epic and releasing Tailor Made that same year. She also played on Stevie Wonder's platinum album Songs in the Key of Life in 1977.

Tailor Made was the first of three albums for Epic Records; Freestyle followed in 1978 and The Good Life appeared about a year afterward. During the '80s, Humphrey continued to perform regularly, even if she didn't record often. She returned to recording in 1989, releasing City Beat on Malaco Records. Five years later, Passion Flute appeared on her own Paradise Sounds label, where she is President and C.E.O.

Discography

1972 Dig This
1972 Flute In
1973 Live at Montreux
1974 Blacks and Blues
1975 Satin Doll
1975 Fancy Dancer
1977 Tailor Made
1978 Freestyle
1979 The Good Life
1982-90 Rare Singles
1989 City Beat
1994 Passion Flute
1998 Blue Breakbeats

Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band

2011-01-17T15:23:00.008-05:00

Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band is a pioneering American soul and funk band. Formed in the early 1960s, they had the most visibility from 1967 to 1973 when the band had 9 singles reach Billboard's pop and/or rhythm and blues Hot 100 lists, such as "Do Your Thing" (#11 Pop, #12 R&B), "Till You Get Enough" (#12 R&B, #67 Pop), and "Love Land" (R&B #23, Pop #16). They are best known for their biggest hit on Warner Bros. Records, 1970's "Express Yourself" (#3 R&B, #12 Pop) that is often sampled by rappers, such as N.W.A.

Charles Wright was born in 1940 in Clarksdale, Mississippi, before moving to Los Angeles in the early 1950s, playing guitar and singing in several doo-wop groups including the Turks, the Twilighters, the Shields and the Gallahads. He also briefly worked as an [[A&R]] for In 1962, he formed his own band Charles Wright & the Wright Sounds . Over the course of the next six years, Wright would add more players to his group and these were the players who would eventually become known as the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, at least by 1968.

Band members:

* Charles Wright - guitar, piano
* Al McKay - guitar
* Benorce Blackmon - guitar (replaced Al McKay)
* Gabe Flemings - piano, trumpet
* Melvin Dunlap - bass
* James Gadson - drums
* Big John Rayford - saxophone
* Bill Cannon - saxophone
* Ray Jackson - trombone

Albums:

(As The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band)

* Hot Heat & Sweet Groove. Warner Bros. Records 1741 (1967)
* Together. Warner Bros. Records 1761 (1968)
* In The Jungle, Babe. Warner Bros. Records 1801

(As Charles Wright and the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band)

* Express Yourself. Warner Bros. Records 1864 (1970)
* You’re So Beautiful. Warner Bros. Records 1904 (1971

(As Charles Wright)

* Rhythm & Poetry. Warner Bros. Records BS-2620 (1972)
* Doin What Comes Naturally. ABC/Dunhill DSD-50162 (1973) part1 \ part2
* Ninety Day Cycle People. ABC/Dunhill DSD-50187 (1974) thanks to Ian Van Groove
* Lil' Encouragement. ABC/Dunhill ?? (1975)

Legendary Latimore

2011-01-13T04:46:00.012-05:00

Biography

Deep-voiced Latimore's sultry mid-'70s output for Miami's Glades label was a steamy marriage of soul and blues. Initially billed as Benny Latimore, the Tennessean began recording for Miami mogul Henry Stone in 1965, and his late-'60s Dade singles are solid deep-soul. Dropping his first name on Glades, Latimore finally found stardom in 1973 with a jazzy reading of T-Bone Walker's "Stormy Monday." He topped the soul lists in 1974 with the anguished "Let's Straighten It Out," a simmering soul/blues hybrid, and encored with the incendiary "Keep the Home Fires Burnin'" the next year. Most of Latimore's Glades sides were produced in Miami by Steve "Every Day I Have to Cry" Alaimo, and when he wasn't cutting his own hits, Latimore acted as a house pianist for parent TK Records. Latimore moved to Malaco during the '80s, his appeal undiminished.

1973 - Latimore
1974 - More More More
1975 - Latimore III
1976 - It Ain't Where You Been
1978 - Dig A Little Deeper
1980 - Getting Down To Brass Tacks
1982 - Singing In The Key Of Love
1983 - I'll Do Anything For You
1985 - Good Time Man
1986 - Everyway But Wrong
1989 - Slow Down
1991 - The Only Way Is Up
1993 - Catchin Up
1996 - Turnin' Up The Mood
1998 - All You'll Ever Need
2000 - You're Welcome To Ride
2003 - Latt Is Back
2006 - Back Atcha

Legendary Betty Davis

2010-12-11T02:14:00.012-05:00

Biographyby

A wildly flamboyant funk diva with few equals even three decades after her debut, Betty Davis combined the gritty emotional realism of Tina Turner, the futurist fashion sense of David Bowie, and the trendsetting flair of Miles Davis, her husband for a year. It's easy to imagine the snickers when a 23-year-old model married a famous musician twice her age, but Davis was no gold digger; she turned Miles on to Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone (providing the spark that led to his musical reinvention on In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew), then proved her own talents with a trio of sizzling mid-'70s solo LPs.

Born Betty Mabry in North Carolina, Davis grew up in Pittsburgh and had decamped to New York by the early '60s, where she gained entrance into hipster musical circles courtesy of the clubs she frequented -- and one she worked at, the Cellar. She first recorded around that time, and also put out a 1964 single for Don Costa's DCP imprint. Her first major writing credit, "Uptown" by the Chambers Brothers, came in 1967, before she'd turned 20. One year later, she met Miles Davis in New York, and they were married by the end of summer 1968. Though their marriage didn't survive the end of the decade, Betty Davis was tremendously influential to Miles, introducing him to psychedelic rock and even influencing his wardrobe. Miles' 1968 LP Filles de Kilimanjaro featured her on the cover, and he wrote the final track ("Mademoiselle Mabry") for her.

Miles divorced her in 1969, explaining later in his autobiography that she was "too young and wild" for him. (He also suspected her of an affair with Jimi Hendrix, an allegation she denies.) By the beginning of the '70s, Betty Davis began work on a set of songs and tapped a host of great musicians to bring them to fruition: Greg Errico and Larry Graham from Sly Stone's band, Michael Carabello from Santana, the Pointer Sisters, and members of the Tower of Power horn section. Her self-titled debut album finally appeared in 1973, and though it made no commercial impact at all, it was an innovative collection with plenty of blistering songs. Even more so than a soul shouter like Tina Turner, Davis was a singer for the feminist era, a take-no-prisoners sexual predator who screamed, yelled, grunted, purred, and cooed her way through extroverted material like "Anti Love Song," "Shoo-B-Doop and Cop Him," and "He Was a Big Freak." Religious groups protested many of her concert appearances (several were canceled), and radio outlets understandably refused to play her extreme work.

Davis hardly let up with her second and third albums, 1974's They Say I'm Different and 1975's Nasty Gal, but they too made little impact. Though she would have made an excellent disco diva, Betty Davis largely disappeared from the music scene afterward. An aborted 1979 session has been released on multiple occasions, once as Crashin' from Passion and also as Hangin' Out in Hollywood. Early in the 21st century, Light in the Attic Records reissued Davis' three released studio albums, and also issued for the first time her 1976 unreleased recording, Crashin' from Passion, as Is It Love or Desire?

Discography

1973 Betty Davis
1974 They Say I'm Different
1975 Nasty Gal
1976 - Is It Love Or Desire
1995 Hangin' Out in Hollywood
1996 Crashin' from Passion
2003 - This Is It (Compillation)

Legendary Leon Ware

2010-10-24T05:25:00.016-04:00

Biography
Songwriter, singer, and producer Leon Ware is one of the less-recognized products of the Motown Records music factory of the 1960s and '70s, primarily because he has tended to work behind the scenes despite recording a series of albums under his own name. His signature style is a highly romantic approach to soul music that has resulted in many hit records, notably "I Wanna Be Where You Are," recorded by Michael Jackson, and "I Want You," recorded by Marvin Gaye, both of which he co-wrote.

Growing up as an aspiring musical artist in Detroit, Ware naturally became part of Motown Records, which was founded in the city as he approached manhood. In the spring of 1967, the Isley Brothers' recording of "Got to Have You Back," which he wrote with Ivy Hunter and Steve Bowden, placed in both the R&B and pop singles charts after its release on the Motown imprint Tamla Records. But his first major hit as a writer came with the Four Tops' "Just Seven Numbers (Can Straighten Out My Life)," co-written with Pam Sawyer and released as a single on Motown, which reached the Top Ten of the R&B charts and the Top 40 of the pop charts in early 1971. He was not working exclusively for Motown, either. During 1971, he collaborated with Ike & Tina Turner, co-writing six songs on their album 'Nuff Said, released that fall on United Artists Records. The album reached the Top 40 of the R&B charts and also appeared in the pop charts. Ware himself was contracted to United Artists, and his self-titled debut album appeared on the label in 1972.

Back at Motown, Ware began collaborating with Arthur "T-Boy" Ross, younger brother of Motown star Diana Ross, and they came up with "I Wanna Be Where You Are," which Michael Jackson recorded for Motown on his early-1972 album Got to Be There. Released as a single in the spring, it peaked at number two on the R&B charts and reached the Top 20 of the pop charts. Over time, it became one of Ware's most-covered songs, earning recordings by José Feliciano, Marvin Gaye, SWV, and others. In 1973, Ware had songwriting credits on albums by the Average White Band, Donny Hathaway, and the Jackson 5. "Give Me Just Another Day," which he wrote for the Miracles, was released as a single on Tamla that fall and reached the R&B charts. His next R&B singles chart entry came with "If You Were My Woman," an answer record to the Gladys Knight & the Pips hit "If You Were My Man," recorded by Latimore on Glades Records, in the spring of 1974. That same season saw the release of a more important project for him, Quincy Jones' LP Body Heat on A&M Records. Ware was both a writer and performer on the disc, which topped the R&B charts and reached the pop Top Ten, going gold. "If I Ever Lose This Heaven," which he wrote with Pam Sawyer and sang on the album with Minnie Riperton and Al Jarreau, was an R&B singles chart entry in September. Nearly a year later, it gained even greater renown when it was covered by the Average White Band on Atlantic for a single that reached the Top 40 of both the pop and R&B charts. It went on to become another major copyright for Ware, covered by such artists as Jonathan Butler, Sergio Mendes, and Nancy Wilson. Meanwhile, the title track from Body Heat, co-written by Ware, also became an R&B singles chart entry in the spring of 1975. "Rolling Down a Mountainside," which he wrote with Jacqueline Hilliard, also became an R&B hit, this one for the Main Ingredient on RCA Victor Records that spring, peaking in the Top Ten and also getting into the pop chart before serving as the title track on the group's next album. Ware collaborated with Minnie Riperton and Richard Rudolph on "Inside My Love," which was featured on her Epic Records album Adventures in Paradise, also released in the spring of 1975. Issued as a single that summer, the song became a Top 40 R&B hit and reached the pop charts.

Ware had two projects in progress at Motown during this period. He was producing songs for T-Boy Ross, and he was recording his own solo album. But when label president Berry Gordy heard one of the proposed Ross tracks, "I Want You," he decided that Marvin Gaye should cut it instead. And when Gaye heard the material Ware had done for his album, it was turned into a Gaye LP instead. Ware produced what now became Gaye's I Want You album, released on Tamla in March 1976, having co-written all the songs on it. The title tune (co-written with Ross) topped the R&B charts and made the Top 20 of the pop charts. It went on to become a standard, covered by Herb Alpert, Gato Barbieri, Madonna, and Michael McDonald among many others. Robert Palmer's medley of it with "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)," another Gaye hit, reached the pop Top 20 in 1991. The I Want You album went to number one on the R&B charts and the Top Ten of the pop charts. It spun off a second single, "After the Dance," co-written by Ware, Ross, and Gaye, that made the R&B Top 20 and was a pop chart entry.

Having given away the material for his album, Ware began again on a solo effort for Motown and produced Musical Massage, released on Motown's Gordy Records subsidiary in September 1976. He has suggested that Motown wanted him to give this album's songs to Gaye, too, and that when he refused, the label released the LP but gave it no promotion, resulting in its commercial failure. So, he went back to being a songwriter for others. During the late '70s, he placed songs on albums by Minnie Riperton, Marlena Shaw, Melissa Manchester, and Bobby Womack. He issued his third solo album, Inside Is Love, on Fabulous Records in 1979. It reached the R&B charts in December, along with its single, "What's Your Name," establishing him as a recording artist for the first time. He was represented on Melissa Manchester's 1980 album For the Working Girl on Arista by "Lovers After All," which he and Manchester wrote and which Manchester sang with Peabo Bryson. Released as a single in early 1981, it reached the Top 40 of the R&B charts and was a pop chart entry as well. Meanwhile, Ware had signed with Elektra Records as a recording artist, and he released his fourth solo album, Rockin' You Eternally, which spawned two R&B singles chart entries, "Baby Don't Stop Me" and the title song, but did not itself reach the charts. Nevertheless, Elektra financed a follow-up, and Ware's second album to be called simply Leon Ware was released in 1982. But the label dropped him when the disc failed to sell.

Nevertheless, Ware still had his songwriting to fall back on, and in the early and mid-'80s he had cuts on albums by Jeffrey Osborne, Loose Ends, Teena Marie, and James Ingram. In 1987, he pacted with Slingshot Records and released his sixth solo album, Undercover. In the late '80s and 1990s, while he continued to work on various sessions as a musician, arranger, and producer, he placed fewer new songs with other artists, though he did have cuts on albums by the Isley Brothers, John Martyn, Fred Wesley, and Chico DeBarge, among others. The chief exception to this relative drought was "Independence," which was recorded by Lulu and became a hit in England in 1993, just missing the Top Ten. But Ware's career benefited in two respects in the 1990s. First, his work was discovered as the source of sampling by rappers and hip-hop artists. Montell Jordan's 1999 R&B chart entry "When You Get Home," for example, sampled "I Want You," as did tracks by EPMD ("It's Going Down"), Ice Cube ("What Can I Do"), and Prince ("Mr. Happy"), among others. A Tribe Called Quest's "Lyrics to Go" sampled "Inside My Love," as did 2Pac's "Me Against the World" and Aaliyah's "Heartbroken," and 2Pac also sampled "Body Heat" on the number one pop and R&B hit "How Do U Want It." Such success didn't increase Ware's exposure as an artist, but it did increase his publishing income substantially. At the same time, he was being discovered as a soul music progenitor, particularly in England, where the Expansion label began reissuing his solo albums. He helped his cause by putting out his seventh album, Taste the Love, on his own Kitchen Records label in 1995. In 2001, Candlelight, a jazz album he recorded with Don Grusin, came out on Kitchen in the U.S. and Expansion in the U.K. Love's Drippin', a more characteristic collection of soul music, followed in 2003.

Discography

1972 - Leon Ware
1976 - Musical Massage
1979 - Inside Is Love / lossless

1981 - Rockin' You Eternally / lossless

1982 - Leon Ware

1987 - Undercover
1995 - Taste The Love
2001 - Candlelight
2003 - Love's Drippin'
2004 - A Kiss In The Sand
2004 - Deeper
2008 - Moon Ride

Legend: Otis Redding

2010-10-23T12:45:00.008-04:00

Otis Ray Redding, Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American soul singer. Often called the "King of Soul", he is renowned for an ability to convey strong emotion through his voice. According to the website of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (where he was inducted in 1989), Redding's name is "synonymous with the term soul, music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm and blues into a form of funky, secular testifying." In addition, rock critic Jon Landau said in 1967, "Otis Redding is rock & roll".Redding died in a plane crash at the age of 26, one month before his biggest hit, "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay", was released. Redding was born in the small town of Dawson, Georgia. When he was five, his family moved to Macon, Georgia, where Redding sang in a church choir and as a teenager won the talent show at the Douglass Theatre for fifteen weeks in a row.His earliest influence was Little Richard (Richard Penniman), also a Macon resident.Redding said, "If it hadn't been for Little Richard, I would not be here. I entered the music business because of Richard – he is my inspiration. I used to sing like Little Richard, his Rock 'n' Roll stuff, you know. Richard has soul, too. My present music has a lot of him in it." The sleeve notes accompanying the 1966 Atlantic album Otis Blue – Otis Redding Sings Soul, written by Bob Rolontz, describe Redding's early career: "Like all success stories, it was a long path for Otis Redding before he first hit on records. He entered and won a number of local amateur contests in his home town of Macon. Redding became the vocalist with Johnny Jenkins and the Pinetoppers, a group that had started to establish itself in Southern colleges and universities. An early record that Otis Redding made with the group, 'Love Twist' (which was released on Atlantic) created some regional action. A long time after that while Redding was still a member of the group, he recorded his own song 'These Arms Of Mine,' at the end of a Pinetoppers session. It became a solid hit, and Redding was on his way." In 1960, Redding began touring the South with Johnny Jenkins and The Pinetoppers. In addition to singing, Redding also served as Jenkins' driver (the bandleader did not possess a driver's license). That same year he made his first recordings, "Fat Gal" and "Shout Bamalama," with this group under the name "Otis Redding and The Pinetoppers," issued on the Orbit and Confederate record labels before being picked up by King. In 1962, Redding made his first real mark in the music business during a Johnny Jenkins session when, during studio time left over, he recorded "These Arms of Mine", a ballad that he had written. The song became a minor hit on Volt Records, a subsidiary of the renowned Southern soul label Stax, based in Memphis, Tennessee. His manager was a fellow Maconite, Phil Walden (who later co-founded Capricorn Records). Redding was also managed for a brief period by Walden's younger brother Alan Walden while Phil was overseas due to a military draft.Otis Redding continued to release for Stax/Volt, and built his fan base by extensively touring a live show with support from fellow Stax artists Sam & Dave. Further hits between 1964 and 1966 included "Mr. Pitiful", "I Can't Turn You Loose" (a sped-up instrumental version was to become The Blues Brothers entrance theme music), "Try a Little Tenderness" (a remake of the 1930s standard by Harry Woods, Jimmy Campbell, and Reg Connelly, later featured in John Hughes' film Pretty in Pink), "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones), and "Respect" (later a smash hit for Aretha Franklin). Redding wrote many of his own songs, which was unusual for the time, often with Steve Cropper (of the Stax house band Booker T. & the M.G.'s, who usually served as Otis's backing band in the studio). Soul singer Jerry Butler co-wrote another hit, "I've Been Loving You Too Long". One of Redding's few songs with a significant mainstream following was "Tramp", (1967) a duet with Carla Thomas. In 1967, Redding performed at the large and influential Monterey Pop Festival. His extraordinary musical gifts were then exposed to a wider audience and may have contributed to his subsequent success as a popular music recording artist. On December 9, 1967, Redding and his backup band, The Bar-Kays, made an appearance in Cleveland, Ohio on the local "Upbeat" television show. That night they performed at Leo's Casino, a small venue club in Cleveland. The next afternoon, Redding, his manager, the pilot, and four members of The Bar-Kays were killed when his Beechcraft 18 airplane crashed into Lake Monona in Madison, Wisconsin, on December 10, 1967. The two remaining Bar-Kays were Ben Cauley and James Alexander. Cauley was the only person aboard Redding's plane to survive the crash. Alexander was on another plane, since there were eight members in Redding's party and the plane could only hold seven, and it was Alexander's turn in the rotation to take a commercial flight. Ben Cauley reported that he had been asleep until seconds before impact, and recalled that upon waking he saw bandmate Phalon Jones look out a window and say, "Oh, no!" Cauley said the last thing he remembered before the crash was unbuckling his seatbelt. He then found himself in the frigid waters of the lake, grasping a seat cushion to keep afloat. Redding's body was recovered the next day when the lake bed was searched.He was entombed on his private ranch in Round Oak, Georgia, 23 miles (37 km) north of Macon. The cause of the crash was never precisely determined. Redding was survived by his wife Zelma, mother and father, his daughter Karla and his sons Dexter and Otis III.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Studio albums

Posthumous studio albums

Live albums

Otis Redding - Live in London and Paris 1967 [2008 Stax] flack
Live in Europe(Atco,1967)
In Person at the Whisky a Go Go(Atco,1968)
Live On The Sunset Strip(Stax,2010(1966))

Legendary Merry Clayton

2010-09-25T00:43:00.005-04:00

Biography
Best known for her background vocal work on the Rolling Stones' legendary single "Gimme Shelter," Merry Clayton had a long and successful career as backup singer, solo artist, and actress. Born December 25, 1948 (hence the rather "holiday" feel of her first name), in New Orleans, LA, Clayton recorded tracks with Elvis Presley, the Supremes, Ray Charles, and Joe Cocker, as well as being a member of Ray Charles' Raelettes in the early '60s. Her solo debut, "The Doorbell Rings," was released in 1963, and she eventually found success as a session singer for the aforementioned artists. She followed up her best-known work — the appearance on "Gimme Shelter" — with a solo album of the same name, and during the '70s managed some minor R&B hits with tracks like "After All This Time" in 1971 and "Oh No Not My Baby" in 1973. After a brief hiatus from the music business, Clayton did minor acting work, appearing in the film Maid to Order and Cagney & Lacey. Clayton returned to the music side of things in 1994, albeit as a gospel singer, with the album Miracles. In 1996, Clayton performed with Marianne Faithfull and Darlene Love in the show 20th Century Pop, a performance of "20 rock-era standards."

Discography
1970 Gimme Shelter
1971 Celebration
1971 Merry Clayton
1975 Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow
1979 Emotion
1994 Miracles

Sista Monica Parker

2010-09-22T04:06:00.010-04:00

Biography
Like E.C. Scott, Bettye LaVette, Denise LaSalle, and so many other powerful contemporary blues women, Sista Monica Parker got her start singing in church. She began singing at age seven and began touring with the choir as a 12-year-old. She sang with her local church choir in places like Chicago and Detroit, and got her exposure to show business — albeit in the church — early. Parker cites Al Green, Aretha Franklin, the Staple Singers, Jackie Wilson, and Sam Cooke as early influences. After some time in college, Parker joined the U.S. Marine Corps, attaining the rank of sergeant after three years. Upon discharge, she began her own staffing firm for the engineering professions. After several years in the Chicago area, she relocated her business to Silicon Valley in Northern California. Her blue-chip clients included Apple, Hewlett-Packard, Yahoo!, and Sun Microsystems.
Inspired by her neighbor MC Hammer, Parker decided to turn her longtime love of singing into more than just an avocation. She began sharing stages in Northern California clubs and festivals with Gladys Knight, Mavis Staples, Taj Mahal, Luther Allison, Etta James, and other blues and classic R&B legends. By 1995, she had recorded and released her debut, Get Outta My Way! Radio programmers latched onto the tune "Windy City Burner," and she and her band were able to tour around the U.S., Europe, and Canada in support of it. She recorded a second album, the self-titled Sista Monica, in 1997. In 1998 she received a W.C. Handy Award nomination under the Best Contemporary Blues, Female category and won a California Music Award the same year for Most Outstanding Blues Artist. In 2000 Parker released her third album, People Love the Blues, which showcases the talents of Jimmy Thackery, Larry McCray, and Dan Caron from the Charles Brown Band.

In 2001, she released her first gospel album, Gimme That Old Time Religion, an artistic full circle for her, as she returned to the gospel roots of her youth. That same year, she released Live in Europe, which captures the spirit and energy of her live performances with her touring band. It was on tour in Europe in the late '90s that she first got the moniker "the Blues Lioness." In 2002, she was presented with the Blues Artist of the Year award at the 17th annual Monterey Bay Blues Festival. After completing a 17-concert tour of the Netherlands in late 2002, she discovered a lump under her right arm and later found out it was a rare and severe form of cancer, synovial sarcoma. Parker underwent more than a year of chemotherapy, radiation treatments, and physical therapy, always affirming herself and holding onto her faith in God and her will to live.

In 2004, she re-emerged on the scene and recorded an album of soul and jazz standards popularized by Ray Charles and Dinah Washington, Love, Soul & Spirit, Vol. 1. Her latest release, Can't Keep a Good Woman Down!, showcases her abilities as a blues and classic R&B vocalist, but also includes some well-chosen covers, including Willie Nelson's "Funny How Time Slips Away" and Sam Cooke's "A Change Gonna Come." Can't Keep a Good Woman Down! reflects her new perspective on life, reaffirms her faith in God, and casts new meaning on the healing powers of blues and gospel music. Not only is she one of today's most powerful singers of blues, gospel, classic R&B, and soul, she's also a cancer survivor. As of late 2008 and early 2009, Parker continues to tour around the U.S. and parts of Europe.

Discography
1995 - Get Out My Way
1997 - Sista Monica
2000 - People Love The Blues
2001 - Gimme That Old Time Religion
2001 - Live in Europe
2004 - Love, Soul & Spirit Vol 1
2005 - Can't Keep A Good Woman Down
2008 - Sweet Inspirations Part 1 Part 2

Legendary Webster Lewis

2010-08-31T01:10:00.010-04:00

Biography
Early sideman appearances by this keyboardist, composer, and arranger indicated potential on the modern jazz scene, Webster Lewis taking over from Larry Young in the progressive jazz Tony Williams' Lifetime band as well as joining the dissonant mass of multi-keyboard lineups on projects by George Russell, Bill Evans, and the Piano Choir. Lewis possessed a master's degree from the New England Conservatory of Music, where he was mentored by modernist and jazz historian Gunther Schuller. Nonetheless, the most enduring legacy of Lewis are disco recordings he began creating in 1976 when contracted by Epic. Critics and purists spat out the resulting fare, not owning a crystal ball that would allow them to see the fervor with which these types of concoctions would be chewed on once they had become so-called rare grooves. "On the Town," title track of Lewis' 1976 Epic debut, and a portrait of "Barbara Ann" unrelated to the Beach Boys are examples of Lewis' hits from the second half of the '70s.

Working in the background turned out to be the main career meat for Lewis, whether it meant composing soundtrack themes or working as a musical director for fellow keyboard mangler Herbie Hancock and deep-voiced soul man Barry White. He also organized recording sessions and concert appearances for Michael Jackson and Tom Jones. Live at Club 7 was Lewis' first solo release in 1971, including a groovy version of an Isley Brothers tune and prompting a move to Los Angeles by the middle of the decade. Hancock himself showed up as co-producer for Lewis' third Epic side, Eight for the Eighties. An appreciative hit entitled "The Love You Give to Me" resulted, Lewis continuing to score with the disco audience over the next few years with tracks such as the tricky "El Bobo." Lewis subsequently produced albums for Gwen McCrae and Michael Wycoff, going from there into television commercial and film soundtrack music. His film credits — The Hearse, The Sky Is Grey — give the indication that this was the man to call if the subject was grim, in contrast to the happy party feel of his solo albums. Lewis died from complications resulting from diabetes.

Discography
1971 Live at Club 7
1976 On the Town
1978 Touch My Love
1979 Eight for the Eighties
1981 Let Me Be the One
1981 - The Love Unlimited Orchestra (presents Mr. Webster Lewis) - Welcome Aboard

Legend: Fela Kuti

2010-07-09T17:30:00.015-04:00

Fela Anikulapo Kuti ( 15 October 1938 — 2 August 1997), or simply Fela , was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of afrobeat music, human rights activist, and political maverick.
The musical style performed by Fela Kuti is called Afrobeat, which is a fusion of jazz, funk, psychedelic rock, and traditional West African chants and rhythms. Afrobeat also borrows heavily from the native "tinker pan" African-style percussion that Kuti acquired while studying in Ghana with Hugh Masakela, under the uncanny Hedzoleh Soundz. Afrobeat is also characterized by having vocals, and musical structure, along with jazzy, funky horn sections. The endless groove is also used, in which a base rhythm of drums, shekere, muted guitar, and bass guitar are repeated throughout the song. His band was notable for featuring two baritone saxophones, whereas most groups were using only one of this instrument. This is a common technique in African and African-influenced musical styles, and can be seen in funk and hip hop. Some elements often present in Fela's music are the call-and-response within the chorus and figurative but simple lyrics. Fela's songs were almost always over 10 minutes in length, some reaching the 20- or even 30-minute marks, while some unreleased tracks would last up to 45 minutes when performed live. This was one of many reasons that his music never reached a substantial degree of popularity outside Africa. His songs were mostly sung in Nigerian pidgin, although he also performed a few songs in the Yoruba language. Fela's main instruments were the saxophone and the keyboards, but he also played the trumpet, guitar, and took the occasional drum solo. Fela refused to perform songs again after he had already recorded them, which also hindered his popularity outside Africa. Fela was known for his showmanship, and his concerts were often quite outlandish and wild. He referred to his stage act as the Underground Spiritual Game. Fela attempted making a movie but lost all the materials to the fire that was set to his house by the military government in power. Kuti thought that art, and thus his own music, should have political meaning.

Discography

Freddie Hubbard

2010-05-27T13:27:00.119-04:00

Frederick Dewayne "Freddie" Hubbard (April 7, 1938 – December 29, 2008) was an American jazz trumpeter. He was known primarily for playing in the bebop, hard bop and post bop styles from the early 1960s and on. His unmistakable and influential tone contributed to new perspectives for modern jazz and bebop.
Hubbard started playing the mellophone and trumpet in his school band, studying at the Jordan Conservatory with the principal trumpeter of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. In his teens Hubbard worked locally with brothers Wes and Monk Montgomery and worked with bassist Larry Ridley and saxophonist James Spaulding. In 1958, at the age of 20, he moved to New York, and began playing with some of the best jazz players of the era, including Philly Joe Jones, Sonny Rollins, Slide Hampton, Eric Dolphy, J. J. Johnson, and Quincy Jones. In June 1960 Hubbard made his first record as a leader, Open Sesame, with saxophonist Tina Brooks, pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Clifford Jarvis.
In December 1960, Hubbard was invited to play on Ornette Coleman's Free Jazz after Coleman had heard him playing with Don Cherry.
Then in May 1961, Hubbard played on Olé Coltrane, John Coltrane's final recording session with Atlantic Records. Together with Eric Dolphy, Hubbard was the only 'session' musician who appeared on both Olé and Africa/Brass, Coltrane's first album with ABC/Impulse! Later, in August 1961, Hubbard made one of his most famous records, Ready for Freddie, which was also his first collaboration with saxophonist Wayne Shorter. Hubbard joined Shorter later in 1961 when he replaced Lee Morgan in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. He played on several Blakey recordings, including Caravan, Ugetsu, Mosaic, and Free For All. Hubbard remained with Blakey until 1966, leaving to form the first of several small groups of his own, which featured, among others, pianist Kenny Barron and drummer Louis Hayes.
It was during this time that he began to develop his own sound, distancing himself from the early influences of Clifford Brown and Morgan, and won the Downbeat jazz magazine "New Star" award on trumpet.
Throughout the 1960s Hubbard played as a sideman on some of the most important albums from that era, including, Oliver Nelson's The Blues and the Abstract Truth, Eric Dolphy's Out to Lunch, Herbie Hancock's Maiden Voyage, and Wayne Shorter's Speak No Evil. He recorded extensively for Blue Note Records in the 1960s: eight albums as a bandleader, and twenty-eight as a sideman. Hubbard was described as "the most brilliant trumpeter of a generation of musicians who stand with one foot in 'tonal' jazz and the other in the atonal camp". Though he never fully embraced the free jazz of the '60s, he appeared on two of its landmark albums: Coleman's Free Jazz and Coltrane's Ascension.
Hubbard achieved his greatest popular success in the 1970s with a series of albums for Creed Taylor and his record label CTI Records, overshadowing Stanley Turrentine, Hubert Laws, and George Benson.. Although his early 1970s jazz albums Red Clay, First Light, Straight Life, and Sky Dive were particularly well received and considered among his best work, the albums he recorded later in the decade were attacked by critics for their commercialism. First Light won a 1972 Grammy Award and included pianists Herbie Hancock and Richard Wyands, guitarists Eric Gale and George Benson, bassist Ron Carter, drummer Jack DeJohnette, and percussionist Airto Moreira. In 1994, Freddie, collaborating with Chicago jazz vocalist/co-writer Catherine Whitney, had lyrics set to the music of First Light.
In 1977 Hubbard joined with Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams, Ron Carter and Wayne Shorter, members of the mid-sixties Miles Davis Quintet, for a series of performances. Several live recordings of this group were released as VSOP, VSOP: The Quintet, VSOP: Tempest in the Colosseum (all 1977) and VSOP: Live Under the Sky (1979).
Hubbard's trumpet playing was featured on the track Zanzibar, on the 1978 Billy Joel album 52nd Street (the 1979 Grammy Award Winner for Best Album). The track ends with a fade during Hubbard's performance. An "unfaded" version was released on the 2004 Billy Joel box set My Lives.
In the 1980s Hubbard was again leading his own jazz group, attracting very favorable reviews, playing at concerts and festivals in the USA and Europe, often in the company of Joe Henderson, playing a repertory of Hard-bop and modal-jazz pieces. Hubbard played at the legendary Monterey Jazz Festival in 1980 and in 1989 (with Bobby Hutcherson). He played with Woody Shaw, recording with him in 1985, and two years later recorded Stardust with Benny Golson. In 1988 he teamed up once more with Blakey at an engagement in Holland, from which came Feel the Wind. In 1990 he appeared in Japan headlining an American-Japanese concert package which also featured Elvin Jones, Sonny Fortune, pianists George Duke and Benny Green, bass players Ron Carter, and Rufus Reid, with jazz and vocalist Salena Jones. He also performed at the Warsaw Jazz Festival at which Live at the Warsaw Jazz Festival (Jazzmen 1992) was recorded.
Following a long setback of health problems and a serious lip injury in 1992 where he ruptured his upper lip and subsequently developed an infection, Hubbard was again playing and recording occasionally, even if not at the high level that he set for himself during his earlier career. His best records ranked with the finest in his field.
In 2006, The National Endowment for the Arts honored Hubbard with its highest honor in jazz, the NEA Jazz Masters Award.
On December 29, 2008, Hubbard's hometown newspaper, The Indianapolis Star reported that Hubbard died from complications from a heart attack suffered on November 26 of the same year.Billboard magazine reported that Hubbard died in Sherman Oaks, California.
Freddie Hubbard had close ties to the Jazz Foundation of America in his later years. Freddie is quoted as saying, “When I had congestive heart failure and couldn't work, The Jazz Foundation paid my mortgage for several months and saved my home! Thank God for those people."
The Jazz Foundation of America’s Musicians' Emergency Fund took care of Freddie during times of illness. After his passing Mr. Hubbard’s estate requested that tax deductible donations be made in Freddie’s name to The Jazz Foundation of America.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Discography

As leader

Open Sesame (1960 , Blue Note) altrn flac
Goin' Up (1960, Blue Note)
Minor Mishap(1961)
Hub Cap (1961,Blue Note)
Ready for Freddie (1961, Blue Note) altrn
The Artistry of Freddie Hubbard (1962 ,Impulse!) altrn flac
Hub-Tones (1962,Blue Note)
Here to Stay (1962 ,Blue Note) Flac
The Body & the Soul (1963 ,Impulse!) Flac
Breaking Point (1964 ,Blue Note) altrn
Blue Spirits (1965,Blue Note)
The Night of the Cookers (1965,Blue Note)
Jam Gems: Live at the Left Bank 2001 ,Label M)
Backlash (1966 ,Atlantic) altrn
High Blues Pressure (1968 ,Atlantic)
A Soul Experiment (1969,Atlantic)
Without a Song, Live in Europe (1969, Blue Note)
The Black Angel (1970, Atlantic)
The Hub of Hubbard (1970, MPS) altrn
Red Clay (1970 ,CTI) altrn
Straight Life (1970 ,CTI) altrn
Sing Me a Song of Songmy (1971 ,Atlantic)
First Light (1971 ,CTI) altrn
Sky Dive (1973, CTI)
Hot Horn (1973, Everest)
Freddie Hubbard/Stanley Turrentine In Concert Volume One (1974 ,CTI)
In Concert Volume Two (1974 ,CTI)
Keep Your Soul Together (1974 ,CTI)
High Energy (1974 ,Columbia)
Polar AC(1975,CTI)
Gleam (1975 ,Sony (Japan))
Liquid Love (1975,Columbia)
Windjammer (1976,Columbia) altrn
Bundle of Joy (1977 ,Columbia)
Super Blue (1978,Columbia) wav
The Love Connection(1979,Columbia)
Freddie Hubbard Quintet Leon Thomas live at Onkel Pö s Carnegie Hall 1979
Skagly (1980, Columbia)
Live at the North Sea Jazz Festival(1980 ,Pablo)
Mistral with Art Pepper (1981 ,Liberty)
Outpost (1981 ,Enja)
Splash (1981,Fantasy)
Rollin'(1982 ,MPS)
Keystone Bop Vol. 2: Friday & Saturday (1996,Prestige)
Keystone Bop: Sunday Night (1982,Prestige)
Born to Be Blue (1982 ,Pablo) altrn
Ride Like the Wind (1982,Elektra/Asylum) altrn
Above & Beyond (1982 ,Metropolitan)
Back to Birdland (1982, Real Time)
Sweet Return (1983 ,Atlantic)
The Rose Tattoo (1983,Baystate (Japan)) flac
Double Take with Woody Shaw (1985 ,Blue Note) altrn
Life Flight (1987, Blue Note)
The Eternal Triangle with Woody Shaw (1987 ,Blue Note) flac 1\ 2
Feel the Wind with Art Blakey (1988 ,Timeless)
Times are Changing (1989 ,Blue Note)
Topsy - Standard Book (1989,Alpha/Compose) altrn
Bolivia (1991,Music Masters)
At Jazz Jamboree Warszawa '91: A Tribute to Miles (2000 ,Starburst)
Live at Fat Tuesday's (1992,Music Masters)
Blues for Miles (1992, Evidence)part 1 part 2
MMTC: Monk, Miles, Trane & Cannon (1995,Music Masters)
New Colors (2001,Hip Hop Essence) altrn
On The Real Side (70th Birthday Celebration) (2008,Times Square Records)
Pinnacle, Live And Unreleased From Keystone Korner (2011)

As sideman

Legendary Esther Phillips

2010-05-26T01:48:00.020-04:00

Esther Phillips (December 23, 1935 – August 7, 1984) was an American singer. Phillips was known for her R&B vocals,[1] but she was a versatile singer, also performing pop, country, jazz, blues and soul music.

Biography
Early life
Born Esther Mae Jones in Galveston, Texas, when she was an adolescent, her parents divorced, and she was forced to divide her time between her father in Houston and her mother in the Watts area of Los Angeles. Because she was brought up singing in church, she was hesitant to enter a talent contest at a local blues club, but her sister insisted and she complied. A mature singer at age fourteen, she won the amateur talent contest in 1949 at the Barrelhouse Club owned by Johnny Otis. Otis was so impressed that he recorded her for Modern Records and added her to his traveling revue, the California Rhythm and Blues Caravan, billed as 'Little Esther Phillips' (she reportedly took the surname from a gas station sign).

Early career
Her first hit record was "Double Crossing Blues", recorded in 1950 for Savoy Records. After several hit records with Savoy, including her duet with Mel Walker on "Mistrusting Blues", which went to number one that year, as did "Cupid Boogie". Other Phillips records that made it onto the U.S. Billboard R&B chart in 1950 include "Misery" (number 9), "Deceivin' Blues" (number 4), "Wedding Boogie" (number 6), and "Faraway Blues" (number 6). Few female artists, R&B or otherwise, had ever enjoyed such success in their debut year. Phillips left Otis and the Savoy label at the end of 1950 and signed with Federal Records.

But just as quickly as the hits had started, they stopped. Although she recorded more than thirty sides for Federal, only one, "Ring-a-Ding-Doo", charted; the song made it to number 8 in 1952. Not working with Otis was part of her problem; the other part was her drug usage. By the middle of the decade Phillips was chronically addicted to drugs.

In 1954, she returned to Houston to live with her father to recuperate. Short on money, she worked in small nightclubs around the South, punctuated by periodic hospital stays in Lexington, Kentucky, stemming from her addiction. In 1962, Kenny Rogers re-discovered her while singing at a Houston club and got her signed to his brother Lelan’s Lenox label.

Comeback
Phillips ultimately got well enough to launch a comeback in 1962. Now billed as Esther Phillips instead of Little Esther, she recorded a country tune, "Release Me," with producer Bob Gans. This went to number 1 R&B and number 8 on the pop listings. After several other minor R&B hits on Lenox, she was signed by Atlantic Records. Her cover of The Beatles' song "And I Love Him" nearly made the R&B Top Ten in 1965 and the Beatles flew her to the UK for her first overseas performances.]

She had other hits in the 1960s on the label, but no more chart toppers, and she waged a battle with heroin dependency. With her addiction worsening, Phillips checked into a rehab facility. While undergoing treatment, she cut some sides for Roulette in 1969, mostly produced by Lelan Rogers. On her release, she moved back to Los Angeles and re-signed with the Atlantic label. A late 1969 gig at Freddie Jett's Pied Piper club produced the album Burnin'. She performed with the Johnny Otis Show at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1970.

The 1970s
One of her biggest post-1950s triumphs was in 1972 with her first album for Kudu Records. The song penned by Gil Scott-Heron, "Home Is Where the Hatred Is," - an account of drug use — was lead track on From a Whisper to a Scream which went on to be nominated for a Grammy Award. When Phillips lost to Aretha Franklin, the latter presented the trophy to Phillips, saying she should have won it instead.

Taylor continued to cut albums with her until in 1975, she scored her biggest hit single since "Release Me" with a disco-style update of Dinah Washington's "What a Diff'rence a Day Makes". It reached a high of a Top 20 chart appearance in the U.S., and Top 10 in the UK Singles Chart. On November 8, 1975 she performed the song on an episode of NBC's Saturday Night hosted by Candice Bergen. The accompanying album of the same name became her biggest seller yet, with arranger Joe Beck on guitar, Michael Brecker on tenor sax, David Sanborn on alto sax, and Randy Brecker on trumpet to Steve Khan on guitar and Don Grolnick on keyboards.

She continued to record and perform throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, completing a total of seven albums on Kudu and four with Mercury Records, for whom she signed in 1977. In 1983, she charted for the final time on a tiny independent label, Winning with "Turn Me Out," which reached #85 R&B. She completed recording her final album a few months before her death, but it was not until 1986 that the label (Muse) released the record.

Death
Phillips died at UCLA Medical Center in Carson, California in 1984, at the age of 48 from liver and kidney failure due to drug use. Her funeral services were conducted by Johnny Otis

1951 Hollerin' and Screaming
1963 Release Me
1965 And I Love Him!
1966 Esther Phillips Sings
1966 The Country Side of Esther
1970 Burnin' [live]
1972 From A Whisper To A Scream
1972 Alone Again (Naturally)
1973 Black-Eyed Blues
1974 Performance
1975 What a Diff'rence a Day Makes
1976 Capricorn Princess
1976 Confessin' the Blues
1976 For All We Know
1976 Gold Blues
1977 Live At The Rising Sun Club
1977 You've Come a Long Way, Baby
1978 All About Esther
1978 Esther Phillips
1979 Here's Esther Are You Ready
1981 Good Black Is Hard to Crack
1990 Better Beware
1992 A Way to Say Goodbye