1 Kool & the Gang Fall Tour

• Website
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 09/10/2009

Kool & the Gang take it to the stage this fall as they continue their 2009 tour. Mr. Bell and company still receive a lot of well deserved press. Scan through the Kool & the Gang history at their official website. There are several very good early Kool & the Gang albums (pre 1979 Ladies Night). I recommend their jazzy 1969 debut release, Kool & the Gang, and 1972's underrated funk frolic: Music Is the Message. Kool & the Gang are excellent live, so check them out when they come to your town. Friday, September 18, 2009 Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts Cerritos, CA Friday, September 25, Tropicana, Atlantic City, NJ Saturday, September 26, Tropicana, Atlantic City, NJ Sunday, September 27, Hollywood Bowl - Disco Fever 3, Los Angeles, CA October Friday, October 2, Gretna Heritage Festival, Gretna, LA Saturday, October 3, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Biloxi, MS Monday, October 12, Epcot Center, Lake Buena Vista, FL Tuesday, October 13, Epcot Center, Lake Buena Vista, FL Saturday, October 17, US Airways Center Phoenix, AZ Thursday, October 29, Steel Arena Kosice, Slovak Republic November Thursday, November 12, El San Juan Hotel & Casino, San Juan, Puerto Rico Previous Post | Next Post

0 La Toya Jackson Ties New Song to MJ Charity

• News
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 09/08/2009

Downloads of La Toya Jackson's new song, "Home" will benefit her late brother Michael's favorite charity, Aids Project LA (APLA). "Home" is also the first video La Toya has done in the past 20 years. An official La Toya release says that Michael personally supported and donated to APLA, and it was a charity that he strongly believed in. In the spirit of carrying on Michael's legacy, La Toya and JaTail Records/Bungalo/Universal have teamed up to assist APLA. 2022 Update: The song download link is sunset and removed. Previous Post | Next Post

0 B.T. Express Beat Non-Stop Groove

• Audio
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 09/03/2009

Brooklyn, New York's B.T. Express are remembered for their 1974 classic soul hits "Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)" and "Express." They chugged along the funky 'dance-music' track conducting 8 energetic albums including Non-Stop, their 2nd release, shown here. Listen to 30 seconds of the underground favorite, "Peace Pipe," the first track on Non-Stop. Your browser does not support the audio element. Previous Post | Next Post  

0 Blue Magic - Major Harris - Margie Joseph Live

• Audio
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 09/01/2009

Here's Blue Magic, Major Harris, and Margie Joseph on stage at the Latin Casino dinner theatre in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Bill Thompson, an entertainment writer for The Philadelphia Inquirer in a 1975 article described their appearance: "there was an Atlantic Records Company musical extravaganza and recording session Monday night that would make Caesars Palace in Las Vegas seem like a coffee shop." Thompson added "the show began with the orchestra playing the sound track of the movie Jaws, along with a film introduction of the recording stars, and it ended almost two hours later with a standing ovation." The Latin Casino is long gone. Subaru of America headquarters now occupies the Cherry Hill, New Jersey space. However, the double album recording of this event, released in 1976, lives on with many outstanding tracks. Major Harris, of "Love Won't Let Me Wait" and the Delfonics fame, sings solo, and in tandem with either Blue Magic or Margie Joseph. The performers sing their own songs, along with covers from Barry White, and versions of Gamble and Huff Philadelphia International hits including "I Love Music" and "Bad Luck." Blue Magic, Major Harris, and Margie Joseph Live is an enjoyable mix of classic soul memories. In 2007, Major Harris released his version of "My Cherie Amour," the Stevie Wonder hit. Your browser does not support the audio element. Listen to 50 seconds of Major singing "My Cherie Amour." Previous Post | Next Post  

0 Anita Baker Sings in Key DC Appearance

• News
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 08/27/2009

It's always a treat to catch Detroit, Michigan native Anita Baker under the bright spotlight. The Grammy Award winning lady of "Rapture," "Sweet love," "Giving You the Best that I Got," and other memorable hits is scheduled to appear in Washington, DC at Constitution Hall on Friday, September 18, 2009. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Earth Wind & Fire 2009 Tour Update

• News
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 08/25/2009

The Earth, Wind & Fire 2009 summer tour is winding down... Tuesday, August 25, 2009 Atlanta, GA, Chastain Park Amphitheater (with Chicago) Wednesday, August 26, Cincinnati, OH, Riverbend Music Center (with Chicago) Friday, August 28, Holmdel, NJ, PNC Bank Arts Center (with Chicago) Saturday, August 29, The Reach Music Festival - Simsbury, CT, The Performing Arts Center At Simsbury Meadows Sunday, August 30, Wantagh, NY, Nikon at Jones Beach Theater (with Chicago) Wednesday, September 2, The Great Allentown Fair - Allentown, PA, Grandstand Stage (with Chicago) Thursday, October 8, Jacksonville, FL, Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena You can grab 3 previously unreleased MP3's by joining Earth, Wind & Fire and Chicago in their fight against hunger and poverty by making a $3 or more donation to WHY Fight Hunger. 2022 Update: This promotion is still active but may end at any time. I happily made a donation. One of the 3 never released songs you'll be able to download is a nice update of "Wishing You Were Here," a great Earth, Wind & Fire - Chicago collaboration. This Chicago original gets a nice, jazzy update with EWF's Philip Bailey singing lead. It's quite different from the hit version that teamed Chicago together with the Beach Boys. The 2 additional songs you can download feature one from Chicago, and another from Earth, Wind & Fire with Chicago. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Mary J. Blige Joins the LeBron James Team

• News
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 08/20/2009

More Than A Game is a new documentary film about basketball prodigy LeBron James and four of his teammates. The movie takes us court side through the high school experiences of Mr. James as he paves the way to the NBA. Dru Joyce, Romeo Travis, Sian Cotton, and Willie McGee appear as themselves in the cast. Harvey Mason Jr. gets credit for creating some original music for the score. Other music compiled for this flick includes "Stronger," a new ballad from Mary J. Blige that has just been released. More music from More Than A Game will be released in September, 2009. The movie will hit selected theaters in October. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Michael Jackson Movie Set for October 2009 Debut

• News
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 08/18/2009

Sony Pictures Entertainment & Sony Music Entertainment will release Michael Jackson's This Is It in theaters around the world on Friday, October 30th, 2009. You'll see the king of pop's final rehearsals along with special behind-the-scenes footage. This Is It is being produced with the full support of the estate of Michael Jackson. M-J had been preparing for a new concert series at the O2 Arena in London prior to his untimely death. The film will provide a unique career retrospective and feature interviews with some of Jackson's friends, associates, and creative collaborators. Proceeds from This Is It will benefit the Michael Jackson Family Trust, the entity that Jackson specified in his will to receive all of his assets. The majority of the film's footage was shot in June, 2009 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, and at the Forum in Inglewood, California. More information about This Is It will be available at michaeljackson.com as the release date approaches. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Woodstock Is Still Wonderful at 40

• Flashback
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 08/13/2009

Woodstock, the 1969 arts and music festival, is an important iconic cultural event because of the changing artistic and social norms the concert both magnified and challenged. August 15 - 18, 40 years ago this weekend, the harmonic happening happened. The historic gathering of close to 500,000 people in Woodstock, New York was not the first flower-power super show. Woodstock occurred 2 years after 1967's Monterey Pop, a legendary California gathering of contemporary music elite. We remember Woodstock Music and Art Fair for creating the formula for Live Earth, Live Aid, Farm Aid, and the subsequent gigantic song filled mega affairs yet to come. Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong in the planning, execution, and organization of Woodstock. Just out of high school during the summer of 69', I wrote the organizers for ticket information and received disappointing news from them in a letter laced with typographical mistakes. In retrospect, with no tickets and no way to get there, it was a smart move for me not to attempt to go (from New York City) despite being just 80 miles away from the town of Woodstock. Hundreds of thousands attended, including the gleeful gate crashers who soaked in the spirit of free admission, free music, and frequent rain during the weekend. Woodstock, Monterey Pop, and many of the other Wal-Mart sized festivals have always been criticized for sparse representation of R&B and soul performers. Monterey Pop had Booker T & The MG's, Otis Redding, and Hugh Masekela. Woodstock had Sly & The Family Stone, Richie Havens, and Santana. Both featured Jimi Hendrix. Missing from these grand spectacles, real blues legends like B.B. King. Despite the booking lapses, it was still much easier to create a somewhat diverse concert bill in 1969 than what might be expected today. Woodstock had among others? Folk: Joan Baez, Arlo Guthrie, Melanie, Tim Hardin Rock: Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Ten Years After Soft Rock: Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young Blues Rock: Canned Heat, Butterfield Blues Band Pop: Sha-Na-Na, John Sebastian Woodstock is given a pass for the technical quality of the concert recording. Admittedly, this was a tough job. According to the official documentation on the original vinyl 3 album set, 64 reels of 8 track tape were used to capture three and 1/2 days of music. Each day consisted of 18 continuous hours of performances. The final mixes are rough by today's standards. What stands out is the energy and passion of the performers as they were motivated to jam thanks to the responsive, enthusiastic crowd. In 1994 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Woodstock, a 4 CD collection was finally released with cleaner mixes. Melanie, Tim Hardin, and a few other performers who appeared in 1969 (but were not on the original record) got added to the updated release. Still, we remember this 60's defining event not so much for the music, but for it's social significance. Listen for our 40th anniversary Woodstock tribute on Powerhouse Radio on Friday, August 14, 2009, during the 11 am eastern hour. Previous Post | Next Post

3 Tru Is True To New Classic Soul

• Review
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 08/11/2009

The headline on the flip side of their new 2009 With Tru Love CD says, "Keeping The Music Alive." After a quick listen to this 10 track collection, it's clear that Tru, a vocal ensemble in the best tradition of the Stylistics, Ray, Goodman, & Brown, and Blue Magic, keep the harmonic essence of classic soul alive today. The ballad "If I Told You" stands out as one of the strongest original songs. Tru tackles just a couple of covers: the Impressions "Keep On Pushin'," and Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes' "If You Don't Know Me By Now." Other original gems include "You're All I Want You To Be," "With This Ring," and "Can I." According to their official biography, Tru has opened concerts for Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Little Anthony & The Imperials, and others. They also have made quite a name for themselves on the Atlantic City casino circuit. Tru is: 1) James "Jimi" Williams, 2) Primo Wansley, and 3) LaVon "Donnie" Tatem. These guys have all been singing since they were very young. Tru's album was recorded at Polygon Studios in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. With True Love appears on Sounds of Philly Records, Brigantine, NJ. Your browser does not support the audio element. Listen to 39 seconds of "If I Told You" by Tru. Previous Post | Next Post