0 Puzzling Christmas Songs are no Mystery

• Songs
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 12/19/2006

About this time, you should be vibrating with the rhythms of Christmas song melodies, dancing in your head. Can you recite the lyrics in your sleep? You can? Ok. Then you'll have no problem acing this Christmas song puzzle (link removed). If you can solve it in less than 90 seconds, you are a Christmas song sing-a-long expert. 2021 Update: The puzzle was done in Adobe Flash and is no longer supported. Check out Stories Behind the Best Loved Christmas Songs in Powerhouse Radio's music book review section. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Alicia Keys, Usher, & Mary J. Blige Wallpaper Windows

• Website
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 12/13/2006

2021 Update: No more wallpaper, icons, or banners but the Alicia, Usher, and Mary J. websites are their social media anchors. Looking for some delightful pictures to spruce up your computer desktop as the stress starts to pile up before the holidays? While your friends or office mates get off on their animated dancing Santas, pump some soul into your PC with some fresh visuals that say, "I am a fan." Alicia Keys, Usher, and Mary J. Blige are all offering some nice wallpaper, icons, or banners you can download in a jiffy. Once on the linked pages above... Right click on the image and select "save picture as..." to your "My Pictures" folder. Click the start button, and select "My Pictures." Highlight the picture you want. Finally, choose "set as desktop background" under the left menu "picture tasks." Want to change the image? Right click on your desktop, select properties, then select the "desktop tab." Mary J. is hot as she heads to the Grammy Awards. Congratulations to Alicia Keys for a major upgrade to her website. Previous Post | Next Post

1 Hair Raising Melba Moore is still Here

• Biography
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 12/12/2006

Melba Moore's memorable R&B and pop hits include "This Is It," "You Stepped Into My Life," "Falling," "I am His Lady," and the Grammy nominated "Lean On Me." Her 1990 recording of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" was instrumental in getting the song entered into the U-S Congressional Record as the official African American National Anthem. Melba Moore began her career in the ground breaking Broadway musical "Hair," where she originated the role of Dionne. During her 18 months in the show, she eventually replaced Dianne Keaton. Right after "Hair" came the role of Lutiebelle Gussiemae Jenkins in the long running musical, "Purlie," which won Melba the Tony Award for Best Supporting Actress in a musical. In 1996 Melba took over the role of "Fantine" in the Broadway musical "Les Miserables." She was in the 2003 movie, "The Fighting Temptations," along with Beyonce', and Cuba Gooding Jr. Melba, who's survived her share of pain, has come back from the depths of despair, and overcome the hard times. Recently, she's recorded some soul stirring gospel, including 2004's "Nobody but Jesus" album, and her latest, "I'm Still Here." You can pick up on more of the Melba Moore experience which is waiting for you right now. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Prince Heads to Super Bowl 41

• News
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 12/11/2006

Can Prince out "jumpin' jack" flash both Janet Jackson and the Rolling Stones at Super Bowl XLI? He gets his chance Sunday, February 4, 2007, as the Halftime Show headliner during the football classic. The Super Bowl is always the USA's highest rated television show each year, with a worldwide audience of over 1 billion. Prince should score a touchdown with this gig. In recent years, both Jackson and the Rolling Stones have had their brushes with Super Bowl controversy. Ms. Jackson, for her infamous wardrobe malfunction, and the Stones for some racy lyrics that had to be bleeped out of their performance earlier this year. Given the independent spirit of Prince and the authenticity of his music, he too may bring some mischievous controversy to the party. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Mary J. Blige Leads the 49th Annual Grammy Award Nominee Pack

• News
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 12/08/2006

The 49th Annual Grammy Awards will be held on Sunday, February 11, 2007, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Mary J. Blige leads the pack with 8 Grammy Award nominations. Here are all of the R&B nominees, courtesy of Grammy.com.   Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only. "Ring The Alarm" Beyonce' Track from: B'Day Sony Urban Music/Columbia "Be Without You" Mary J. Blige Track from: The Breakthrough Geffen Records "Don't Forget About Us" Mariah Carey Track from: The Emancipation Of Mimi (Ultra Platinum Edition) Island Records "Day Dreaming" Natalie Cole Track from: Leavin' Verve Records "I Am Not My Hair" India.Arie Track from: Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship Motown Records Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for a solo vocal performance. Singles or Tracks only. "Heaven" John Legend Track from: Once Again Columbia/Good/Sony Urban Music "So Sick" Ne-Yo Track from: In My Own Words Def Jam Recordings "Black Sweat" Prince Track from: 3121 Universal Records "I Call It Love" Lionel Richie Track from: Coming Home Island Def Jam Recordings "Got You Home" Luther Vandross Track from: The Ultimate Luther Vandross J Records/Epic/Legacy Recordings Best R&B Performance By A Duo or Group With Vocals for duo, group or collaborative performances, with vocals. Singles or Tracks only. "Breezin'" George Benson & Al Jarreau Track from: Givin' It Up Concord Records/Monster Music "Love Changes" Jamie Foxx Featuring Mary J. Blige Track from: Unpredictable J Records "Everyday (Family Reunion)" Chaka Khan, Gerald Levert, Yolanda Adams & Carl Thomas Track from: Madea's Family Reunion - Music From The Motion Picture Motown Records "Family Affair" Sly & The Family Stone, John Legend, Joss Stone With Van Hunt Track from: Different Strokes By Different Folks Epic/Legacy Recordings "Beautiful, Loved And Blessed" Prince & T'mar Track from: 3121 Universal Records Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for solo, duo, group or collaborative performances, with vocals. Singles or Tracks only. "Christmas Time Is Here" Anita Baker Track from: Christmas Fantasy Blue Note Records "God Bless The Child" George Benson & Al Jarreau Featuring Jill Scott Track from: Givin' It Up Concord Records/Monster Music "I Found My Everything" Mary J. Blige Featuring Raphael Saadiq Track from: The Breakthrough Geffen Records "You Are So Beautiful" Sam Moore Featuring Billy Preston, Zucchero, Eric Clapton & Robert Randolph Track from: Overnight Sensational Rhino Entertainment "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" The Temptations Track from: Reflections New Door Records Best R&B Song (A Songwriter(s) Award. (Artist names appear in parenthesis.) Singles or Tracks only.) "Be Without You" Johnta Austin, Mary J. Blige, Bryan-Michael Cox & Jason Perry, songwriters (Mary J. Blige) Track from: The Breakthrough Geffen Records "Black Sweat" Prince, songwriter (Prince) Track from: 3121 Universal Records "Deja Vu" Shawn Carter, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, Beyonce' Knowles, Makeba, Keli Nicole Price & Delisha Thomas, songwriters (Beyonce' Featuring Jay-Z) Track from: B'Day Sony Urban Music/Columbia "Don't Forget About Us" Johnta Austin, Mariah Carey, Bryan-Michael Cox & Jermaine Dupri, songwriters (Mariah Carey) Track from: The Emancipation Of Mimi (Ultra Platinum Edition) Island Records "I Am Not My Hair" Drew Ramsey, Shannon Sanders & India Arie Simpson, songwriters (India.Arie) Track from: Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship Motown Records Best R&B Album for albums containing 51% or more playing time of vocal tracks. The Breakthrough Mary J. Blige Geffen Records Unpredictable Jamie Foxx J Records Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship India.Arie Motown Records 3121 Prince Universal Republic Coming Home Lionel Richie Island Def Jam Recordings Best Contemporary R&B Album for albums containing 51% or more playing time of vocal tracks. B'Day Beyonce' Sony Urban Music/Columbia Chris Brown Chris Brown Jive Records/Zomba Label Group 20 Y.O. Janet Jackson Virgin Records Kelis Was Here Kelis Jive Records/Zomba Label Group/Dope Entertainment In My Own Words Ne-Yo Def Jam Recordings Previous Post | Next Post

0 James Brown Grabs more Godfather of Soul Gigs

• News
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 12/07/2006

2021 Update: 18 days after this was originally posted, James Brown passed away on Christmas Day, 2006. ----- At 73, the ageless James Brown is still the hardest working man in show business. Soul Brother number one's incredible story has been recently profiled on the excellent PBS James Brown American Masters Documentary. He is one of the few performers who has had a broad cultural influence beyond the musical stage. As a soulful voice of black pride and an entrepreneurial example of community commerce, James Brown became an iconic symbol in the 1960's and 70's. The drive to succeed and to be the best is what's kept him going through the years, despite some highly publicized ups and downs. Performing keeps "Mr. Dynamite" on his toes. Here are 9 James Brown tour dates coming your way soon... December 27, 2006 - The Palace Theater, Waterbury, CT, 8:45pm December 28, - Bergen Performing Arts Center, Englewood, NJ, 8:45pm December 30, - Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ, 8:45pm December 31, - B.B. King Blues Club, New York, NY, 8:00pm & 10:30pm January 3, 2007 - Metropolis, Montreal, Canada, 9:15pm January 4, - National Arts Centre Southam Hall, Ottawa, Canada, 8:15pm January 9, - Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, 8:15pm January 14, - CN Centre, Prince George, BC, Canada February 2, - Bimbo's 365 Club, San Francisco, CA J-B continues to perform over 100 live dates each year. For more 2007 USA shows, Canadian dates, and European tour dates in France, Switzerland, and Monaco, see the official James Brown tour schedule. (2021 Update: link removed) Previous Post | Next Post

0 Instrumental Mags Help Happy Players Score all Year Long

• Musical Instruments
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 12/06/2006

2021 Update: only 2 of these magazines survived. Sad, too bad so the other 3 links have been removed. The original post is below. --------------- Ever since humans invented devices for performing music with their hands, one thing has remained constant. People who play instruments are highly respected, especially the gifted players. However, not everyone wants to be a professional. Sometimes just picking up an instrument for the fun of it is enough to relieve stress, and make you feel happy. Here are five resources for amateurs or professionals loaded with terrific tips, tricks, and techniques. These are great gifts for beginners or music maestros. All are published monthly. Each one specializes in a specific instrument. For acoustic guitar pickers playing jazz, folk, and rock. For Piano, synthesizer, and keyboard based digital recording systems and the players that use them. For electric and acoustic bass players.   4) For the technology about making and recording music by the electronic musician. 5) For guitar players searching to strike a chord of stylistic diversity. Acoustic Guitar, Keyboard, Bass Player, Electronic Musician, and Guitar Player are all great starting points for capturing instrumental magic. 2021 Update: Maybe a brick and mortar library has some old back issues. Previous Post | Next Post

0 Making Instant Online Connections for Melodic Holiday Gifts

• Website
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 12/05/2006

2021 update: Luckily, CD Universe survives. See below. The original text of this blog post follows: With three weeks until Christmas, time is running out to select those musical stocking stuffers. Skip the malls and the "big box" stores. Here are three online music sites with a catalog of tunes guaranteed to please any musical scrooge. 1) Half.com (link removed) - Acquired by eBay within the past few years, Half.com is a treasure for hard to find music, lots of it no longer available either from record company catalogs, or by digital download. Many of the Half.com CD's are used and are available for just pennies on the dollar. A high percentage are brand new and are still in the original shrink wrap. Select the music link on the Half.com home page, and search away. Read the ratings of the sellers to evaluate their reputation within the community. Allow at least two weeks for snail mail delivery. You'll receive most orders in three - four business days, but remember, most Half.com sellers are not retailers. 2) CD Universe A specialist for both music CD's and DVD's (VideoUniverse.com), CD Universe has a very deep catalog and is an excellent resource. Anyone can post a review of a CD. You'll find the reviews honest and helpful in cutting through the promotional hype. 3) iTunes Last, but not least, the new leader in the digital download universe was created by Apple to drive the iPod revolution. You don't need an iPod to take advantage of iTunes. Download their free software for Mac or PC, install it, then go to town. Download tracks, or complete albums. Burn your own CD's from your purchases using the iTunes software to create unique collections (in the ultra popular MP3 file format). iTunes is incredibly easy to use. Like other Apple products, it's very intuitive to figure out. Call it elegantly simple. That's one reason why iTunes has delivered over 1 billion downloads. These three popular websites rescue you from the "brick and mortar store marathon" by making instant online connections for melodic holiday gifts. Previous Post | Next Post

0 5 Classic R&B CD Gift Picks for 2006

• Review
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 11/30/2006

Here are my 5 new classic R&B CD gift picks for the holiday season. These albums were all released within the past 12 to 14 months. I've ranked them in order. Even though the music is mostly new, the classic soul lover on your gift list will enjoy these... Luther Vandross - The Ultimate Luther Vandross Natalie Cole - Leavin' Jeffrey Osborne -From The Soul Earth, Wind & Fire - Illumination Lionel Richie - Comin' Home I've previously reviewed the Vandross, Cole, and Richie releases. Click on the links to read the reviews. All of the tracks are familiar songs on Jeffrey Osborne's From The Soul. He's had his share of solo hits in addition to memorable chart toppers with L.T.D. On From The Soul, he makes the most of his powerful mellow voice by interpreting ten classic hits made famous by other artists. Jeffrey does a great job too! Close The Door Until You Come Back To Me Yes I'm Ready For What It's Worth People Get Ready First Time Ever I Saw Your Face Knocks Me Off My Feet Every Little Bit Hurts All At Once Hey Girl Finally, Earth, Wind & Fire's Illumination is a very good combination of new and old styles fused together. Brian McKnight, Floetry, Kenny G, Kelly Rowland, and others join the party along with Maurice White, Verdine White, Ralph Johnson, and Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind & Fire. Illumination is well balanced between the vintage sound you expect from the group, and a fresh contemporary edge that the younger participants add. This is the best Earth, Wind & Fire album in years, so treat yourself, or that special classic soul lover on your gift list, to a top notch mix from the provocative "elements of the universe." Previous Post | Next Post

0 2006 Colors of Christmas Tour Blends Four Soulful Voices

• Christmas
• by Kingsley H. Smith
• 11/29/2006

Deniece Williams, James Ingram, Peabo Bryson, and Stephanie Mills headline the 2006 "Colors of Christmas Tour" appearing December 7th - December 20th across the USA. For over fourteen years, the tour has featured major artists performing together in a concert of traditional Christmas music. The charismatic vocalists also slip in some of their greatest hits into the show. Deniece, James, Peabo, and Stephanie will sing accompanied by a full orchestra and gospel choir. Here are some selected dates for the current tour: Thursday, December 7, 8pm, Plaza Theatre Performing Arts Center, El Paso, Texas Saturday, December 9, 8pm, Hippodrome Theatre, Baltimore, Maryland Friday, December 15, 8pm Cerritos Center, Cerritos, California Saturday, December 16, 8pm Cerritos Center, Cerritos, CA Sunday, December 17, 3pm Cerritos Center, Cerritos, CA Monday, December 18, 8pm, Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco, CA Tuesday, December 19, 8pm, Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco, CA Wednesday, December 20, 8pm, Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco, CA Friday, December 22, 8pm, Max M. Fisher Music Center, Detroit, Michigan Flashback: ten years ago today on November 29, 1996, Roberta Flack, James Ingram, Aaron Neville, and Peabo Bryson were featured in an early Colors of Christmas Tour in Clearwater, Florida. Previous Post | Next Post