0 True Soul Classics from Little Rock Arkansas

• Review
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 10/26/2011

In the history of classic soul, the grits n’ grooves city of Memphis in the southwest corner of Tennessee gets much well deserved credit for cultivating the music. Stax ruled the roost back in the day, with The Soul Children, Isaac Hayes, Booker T & the MG’s, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas, Otis Redding, and an iconic list of artists. Hundreds of miles to the west in the neighboring state of Arkansas, Lee Anthony was building a local presence by nurturing True Soul Records out of Little Rock in 1968.   Anthony, who graduated from college with an art history degree, gathered a stable of local Little Rock musicians, groups, and artists partly collaborated through the many relationships he built while in school. Anthony was the entrepreneur and somewhat self-taught recording engineer who put his record studio dream together. Early on he would record tracks in his Little Rock Studio, and travel to Memphis to press 45 RPM vinyl records he could sell. Anthony gleaned inspiration along with ideas during numerous trips to Memphis, hanging out with the Stax crowd, attending their events, and observing recording techniques in their studio. He reflects within the liner notes of the recently released True Soul CD/DVD’s that “I came back to Little Rock and tried to duplicate the instrumentation Stax had.” One thing about the 32 tracks featured across the two volumes of True Soul. The sound is raw, experimental, and adventurous. Some describe it as southern soul. These songs sound less like multi-tracked studio creations and more like live slices of real performances from some committed, enthusiastic entertainers. This multi record set is billed as Deep Sounds from the Left of Stax 60s & 70’s Soul and Funk from Arkansas’s Legendary Independent Label. You generally wouldn’t call the Stax sound layered and sophisticated in production technique, compared to say Motown, as Stax was closer to the root of basic blues. The True Soul Records sound even more straightforward than Stax, and are driven by basic uncomplicated instrumental tracks to support the vocals. Most of these songs were not national or even regional hits. Reviewing them today captures the essence of how local tastes in American music back in the day could make or break artists. Today, national and global breakouts are commonplace propelled by satellite networks, computers, YouTube, and iTunes. I was blown away by the 30 odd pages of photos and liner notes (included in each volume) detailing the interesting history of the True Soul label and it’s place in rhythm and blues history. I admit this is a story I was not familiar with. Your browser does not support the audio element. Listen to 90 seconds of “Psychedelic Hot Pants” by York Wilborn’s Psychedelic Six, and learn more about Deep Sounds from the Left of Stax 60s & 70’s Soul and Funk from Arkansas’s Legendary Independent Label True Soul Records. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Ohio Players Album Covers

• Video
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 09/28/2011

Pain, Pleasure, and Ecstasy. Album titles with cover art guaranteed to attract even more attention than the funky music inside of the exotic grooves. Take a Powerhouse Radio slide show trip with the "Fire" and "Skin Tight" Ohio Players from Dayton, Ohio. Both the album covers, and the players, have a special message for you. Watch and listen. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Irene Cara Presents Hot Caramel

• Review
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 08/31/2011

While it's been a long road since her hits "Fame" and "Flashdance," Irene Cara continues to make enjoyable music driven by her wonderful voice. Her 2011 release, Irene Cara Presents Hot Caramel, introduces 5 talented young ladies who excel in instrumental virtuosity. Irene sings lead, co-writes, and produces many of the tracks featuring Hot Caramel, however, the sweet ladies, including Audrey Martells, get their chance to shine in both lead and background vocals. Irene Cara Presents Hot Caramel is a double CD release. CD volume 1 has a distinctly different personality from CD volume 2. CD 1 has a clear rock edge, although hip hop elements keep the sound contemporary. The songs on CD 1 aren't especially memorable or distinctive enough to be placed in the unique category, but they are competent and well performed. "Life in the Fast Lane," a track popularized by the Eagles, is a strong cover, but doesn't really showcase the strength of this album, which is found on CD volume 2. The 2nd CD has much better tracks, with the emphasis on R&B, both traditional and contemporary. To really hear these ladies play, you have to check out "The Best," a mostly instrumental power track that echoes jazz, rock, and soul. What I like the most about Irene Cara Presents Hot Caramel is that it's different from today's predictable formulaic R&B releases. This release is a throwback to an era that specialized in great singing and solid musicianship. This double album would be better served if the promotional emphasis was directed to the stronger tracks on CD 2, including "Forgive Me," and "Soul Beat." Visit Irene Cara's site, and listen to 60 seconds of "Forgive Me" in a previous post. Previous Post | Next Post

0 TSOP Soul Radio Salutes Philadelphia

• Songs
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 07/31/2011

If your passion is nothing but wall-to-wall Gamble & Huff Philly style sounds, you may want to check out TSOP Soul Radio, an online repository of the best of Philadelphia International Records. You'll hear a steady diet of O'Jays, Teddy Pendegrass, MFSB, and more. An appealing element of listening to TSOP Soul Radio is the deep track selection, playing almost everything from the Philadelphia International Records catalogue. 2022 Update: TSOP Soul Radio is now sunset, but Gamble-Huff Music Lives on. Check them out. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Michael Jackson's Solo Timeline

• Video
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 06/24/2011

Here's a video flashback looking at the major albums released by Michael Jackson. June 25, 2011, is the 2nd anniversary of his death. The index of his picture book, Michael Jackson: The Man In The Mirror, 1958 - 2009, lists over 60 MJ solo singles released Between 1968 - 2003. His very first single was "Let Me Carry Your School Books" in 1968, followed by "Got To Be There" in 1971. Watch and listen to this 2 minute video tribute we enjoyed producing. Previous Post | Next Post

0 20 Years of Mary J. Blige

• Video
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 06/14/2011

Why watch the calendar until 2012! It's been almost 20 years we've enjoyed Mary J. Blige. Watch and listen to our special tribute. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Janet Jackson is all True for You

• Video
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 05/24/2011

Inadequate self-esteem resulting from unjustified anxiety. That's the big take-away from Janet Jackson's 2011 self-help - autobiography: True You. As Janet describes it, "fear and uncertainty lead to feeling bad about myself." Along with writer David Ritz, Janet informally details important life transitions that helped her bridge the growth gap between youth and maturity. You won't find a discography of her music in the appendix. You won't find a list of all of her awards. What True You successfully reveals is how the youngest of the famous Jackson siblings finally found independence from certain ingrained family values that ultimately allowed her to break free into a new image, body, career, and love comfort zone. True You is surprisingly different from the expected 'tell all' tone of other bios, written by music celebrities, who usually attract readers by sharing seedy tabloid tales. I like how Janet strategically incorporates some powerful fan letters into her own story to illuminate universal themes of struggle, hurt, pain, and loss. This book is dedicated to her late brother, Michael. Janet talks vibrantly about their special close relationship. Down to earth details document siblings who are not hung-up on their celebrity. Janet relates fond memories about her youngest years with 'Mike.' Michael would repeatedly drive the two to different Los Angeles fast food restaurants, buy lots of goodies, and then go to areas in the city populated by the homeless to distribute the food. Food fables dominate True You. Janet's battle of the bulge are well documented, including her 2008 drop from 180 to 120 pounds. A lifetime of eating and yo-yo dieting are the outcomes of Janet's sensitive personality as she would react to teasing, criticism, and professional demands by turning to food. I enjoyed the Afterword "It's Not a Diet," written by her nutritionist David Allen, who in analyzing their long-term interactions stresses that changes in lifestyle, balanced meals, and adequate sleep were crucial in order for Janet to reach her goals. "True You" closes with nearly 80 pages of recipes designed by Janet Jackson and cooked for her by Chef Andre. Some of the suggestions detail the preparation of "Veggie Baked Eggs," (kid friendly) "Baked Oven Fries," and "Honey Yogurt with Peaches and Toasted Almond Parfait." Janet ends her self help - autobiography story with these words of guidance: "Proper nutrition" "Restorative sleep" "Wholesome foods" "Self-care, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually." Bravo Janet. Sunshine with plenty of warmth beams through True You. Nasty! ----- 2022 Update! We wrote and published the original review you've just read on May 24, 2011. With the January, 2022 release of the Janet Jackson documentary on Lifetime and A&E television we produced the book review as a new video! Enjoy. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Grammy Boots Soul to the Curb

• Commentary
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 04/06/2011

In a move designed to downsize the density of awards, the Grammys are streamlining their portfolio of potential winners for 2012. Categories are being sliced, diced, and reduced to 78 from 109. Some separate male and female awards will be combined into new categories. The R&B area was hammered pretty hard. 8 awards have been cut to 4. A review of the awards category restructuring page at Grammy.org reveals that "Best R&B Performance" will take the place of these 4 eliminated classifications: Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (dropped) Best Male R&B Vocal Performance (dropped) Best R&B Performance By a Duo or Group with Vocals (dropped) Best Urban/Alternative Performance (dropped) As a result of discontinuing the "Best Female R&B vocal performance" and "Best Male R&B vocal performance," "The Best R&B Performance" now becomes highly competitive. Hip hop lost only one category dropping from 5 to 4. A date for the 54th Grammy Awards in 2012 has not been announced. Look for the show in February. Hopefully it will be shorter, and more entertaining. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Masters of Funk Tour 2011 Rolls on

• Interview
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 03/29/2011

Pictured, The Bar-Kays. The Masters of Funk 2011 World Tour rolls on. Below is the transcript of my interview with James "J.J." Underwood of JEA Right Now Records talking about the tour. You can also listen to the audio version with slide show in this video version: King: This is King from powerhouseradio.com and I am on the line with James JJ Underwood and JJ is the Office Manager for JEA Right Now Records. How you doing JJ? James JJ Underwood: I am doing fine, how about you there? King: I am hangin', I am hangin' in, feeling pretty good today. We want to talk to you a little bit about the Masters of Funk World Tour, which is featuring some of the great classic soul bands like the Bar-Kays, Con Funk Shun, Sugarfoot's, Ohio Players. I see you have a lot of different groups that are actually part of this tour but my understanding is not every group appears at every show. Can you tell us a little bit about that? James JJ Underwood: Yes, we mix it up a little for every different venue that we go to. The tours' actually been going on for two to three years now. but we mix it up and give each city a little different taste of each group; because there are like 20 Bands involved in the tour, out of those 20 Bands like 4, or 5 bands perform at each venue. So we kind of spice it up a little and give the people a little bit of everything as far as the funk and the soul goes. King: Now I see you guys are going to be in Detroit on April 2nd, 2011, so are you in the middle of the tour for the season. How many more dates do you have coming up in 2011? James JJ Underwood: We go to Detroit April 2nd, Chicago April 23rd, we do Memphis in May then we go to St. Louis in June. There is pretty much two dates a month, until the year is out for the Masters of Funk. People really want to see this, they missed all the soul and funk groups. then, the live music people, are still really interested in the live music so the tour is going really well. King: Is there any particular group among those that we have mentioned the Bar-Kays, Dazz Band, Sugarfoot's, Ohio Players, Brick, Klymaxx, Mary Jane Girls, any one of these group at every show, do you have like a foundation group, or is it subject to change every show? James JJ Underwood: It is subject to change every show it is usually, what the fans usually request. For Phoenix we had Cherelle, the Dazz Band, Con Funk Shun and it was sell out and that’s what people wanted to see in Phoenix. King: Where could people go to get the complete schedule of the Masters of Funk Tour? James JJ Underwood: You can go to www.bar-kays.net. There is a complete list of all the tour dates. www.bar-kays.net, a complete list of everything. King: I am King from powerhouseradio.com, we’re talking with JJ Underwood, he's with JEA Right Now Records. JJ you have mentioned that the tour is going through the end of the year, is that right into November and December? James JJ Underwood: Yeah, right until November and December. King: So tell me about this new Bar-Kays song, Return of the Mack, I was just listening to it its pretty good. How did they get involved in putting this one out there? James JJ Underwood: Mr. Larry Dodson, he likes to stay current with his music, and he is always coming up with something and he came up with this. I think it’s really a hit, it's real current it still has the funk to it and it really displays the creativeness the Bar-Kays, still have. King: And tell everybody who Larry Dodson is? James JJ Underwood: Larry Dodson is the lead singer of the Bar-Kays. King: Alright, say JJ I want to thank you very much for talking to us about the Masters of Funk Tour 2011, and you said the tour has been going for a couple of years. I hope in 2012 that you're back at it one more time. James JJ Underwood: Thanks for having me I appreciate it. The Masters of Funk World Tour - 2011 Saturday, April 2, 2011 in Detroit, Michigan featuring: The Dazz Band, The Bar-Kays, Zapp, Sugarfoot's Ohio Players Saturday, May 7 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin featuring: The Bar-Kays, Con Funk Shun, Sugarfoot's Ohio Players, Zapp, The Dazz Band Friday, June 3 in St. Louis, Missouri featuring: The Bar-Kays, Sugarfoot's Ohio Players, The Dazz Band Saturday, June 11 in Louisville, Kentucky, featuring: The Bar-Kays, Slave, The Dazz Band Saturday, July 16 in Nashville, Tennessee featuring: Slave, The Bar-Kays, The Dazz Band Saturday, August 20 in Kansas City, Missouri Featuring: The Bar-Kays, Slave, The Dazz Band Previous Post | Next Post

0 Raphael Saadiq is Stone Rollin' Soul

• Video
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 03/23/2011

Former Tony! Toni! Tone! talent Raphael Saadiq continues to take retro soul forward with Stone Rollin', a new album scheduled for release Tuesday, May 10, 2011. Saadiq is a contemporary evangelist for 70's soul style. He champions the cause with a track record of solid releases that stay true to his classic soul sensibility. Raphael, AKA Raphael Wiggins, hails from Oakland, California. He toured with Prince and Sheila E. briefly in the 1980's, before forming Tony! Toni! Tone! at the end of the decade. Stone Rollin' is Saadiq's 5th solo album. Put aside some time and watch Raphael Saadiq live in concert, performing at the 2011 SXSW (South by Southwest) festival. Recording courtesy of NPR at NPR.org. Previous Post | Next Post