Categories
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0 Alicia Keys Unites with Yamaha for Piano Bliss
- News
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 01/27/2009
Alicia Keys and the world's largest musical instrument manufacturer, Yamaha, have announced a new partnership to distribute piano-inspired sounds and future products. Here is a photo of Keys playing Yamaha's new AvantGrand hybrid piano. "I wanted to create a sound that is just magnificent and that would inspire me to play," says Alicia. "It was an idea that was born during the creation of my last album As I Am, which was recorded at my own studio, The Oven Studios, in New York City." Keys has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide since the release of her first studio album Songs in A Minor in 2001. Want to take command of the keyboard like Alicia? You too can learn how to play the piano and many other musical instruments by visiting Jermaine Griggs' excellent Hear and Play website. Previous Post | Next Post
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0 Lisa Lopes Leaves Left Eye-Legacy
- News
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 01/22/2009
The official Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes website has announced the pending Tuesday, January 27, 2009 release of Eye-Legacy. Lisa, a former member of TLC, was killed in an automobile accident (April 25, 2002) at the age of 30 in Roma, Honduras, a popular Caribbean vacation retreat. TLC has sold over 45 million records, with "Waterfalls" leading the pack as one of their biggest hits in 1994. Mass Appeal Entertainment is collaborating with the Lopes family to present this new "Left Eye" collection. "Eye-Legacy offers a fresh twist on the only collection of unreleased songs created and performed by Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes," according to Mass Appeal Entertainment. The record company states that "the album is a tribute to "Left Eye" as an artist, the music she left behind, and the life she led as a creative and spiritual rapper, singer, songwriter, friend, daughter, and sister." Previous Post | Next Post
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1 Lionel Richie Pitches New Melodies for 2009
- News
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 01/19/2009
Lionel Richie is gearing up for a new studio album release scheduled for Tuesday, February 17th, 2009. From the sample tracks I've heard, the new CD Just Go, is a logical extension of the direction Lionel charted with the various "young gun" collaborators on his last album Coming Home, released in September, 2006. On Just Go, Ne-Yo, Akon, and a few others co-write and produce along with Mr. Richie to freshen-up Lionel's new millennium croon. Your browser does not support the audio element. Listen to 90 seconds of "Just Go," by Lionel Richie, and cast your vote! Previous Post | Next Post
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0 Stevie Wonder, Mary J. Blige, and Beyonce' to Jam for Barack
- News
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 01/15/2009
The Presidential Inaugural Committee (pic2009.org) has confirmed the talent line-up scheduled to perform on Sunday afternoon, January 18, 2009, 2:30 pm Eastern at the "We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial." The event is free and open to the public, and may be worth the trip to Washington, DC. Here are the confirmed performers: Beyonce' Mary J. Blige Stevie Wonder John Legend Usher Herbie Hancock will.i.am Shakira Bono Bruce Springsteen Sheryl Crow James Taylor John Mellencamp Josh Groban Garth Brooks Renee Fleming Heather Headley Jennifer Nettles Queen Latifah, Jamie Foxx, Denzel Washington, and Martin Luther King III will read historical passages after each musical set as the stage is changed for the next performer. More talent will be announced as they are confirmed. HBO will broadcast the event live with a replay scheduled for later in the evening. Previous Post | Next Post
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0 Chess Soul Drives Cadillac Records to the Bank
- Review
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 01/08/2009
Chicago is one of the great American cities famous for creating musical history. The 'Windy City' has nurtured great artists, great music, and great radio. Curtis Mayfield, the Chi-Lites, Walter Jackson, the Lost Generation, and Ramsey Lewis are just a few of the 2nd generation Chi-Town classic soul sensations. One of the best first generation compilations featuring a treasure trove of Chicago goodies is the double CD Chess Soul: A Decade of Chicago's Finest. 2008's Cadillac Records movie featuring Beyonce' as Etta James is a semi-fictional account of the story of Chicago's Chess Records, and it's founder, Leonard Chess. After the blues era peaked, Chess, notable for recording the blues masters, turned his attention to the emerging R&B scene. Chess Soul: A Decade of Chicago's Finest, showcases recordings made between 1961 - 1971. What makes the Chess soul sound so distinctive is the close lineage the music has to the blues. Many of the 45 songs featured in this collection were regional rather than national or international hits. All the more reason to take a closer look at the tone and texture that makes these songs stand out. It doesn't get any better than the vintage classic soul sound of Gene Chandler, Fontella Bass, Etta James, and Billy Stewart. Chess Soul: A Decade of Chicago's Finest was first issued in 1997, to mark the 50th anniversary of the record label. There's an authentic raw edge to most of these songs. Singing with emotion is the audience pleasing formula used by these artists. You won't find as much of the slick uptown production style that marked the later sophisticated soul of Motown, Stax, Atlantic, and Philadelphia International Records. Regardless, Chess Soul: A Decade of Chicago's Finest is an excellent anthology revealing why the Windy City is so important in the history of R&B. Take a look through the track list. These songs will bring back great memories. CD 1 "Mama Didn't Lie" - Jan Bradley "Strange Feeling" - Billy Stewart "I've Been So Lonely" - Cookie & The Cupcakes "Soulful Dress" - Sugar Pie DeSanto "Love Ain't Nothin' (But A Monkey On Your Back) - Johnny Nash "Who's That Guy?" - The Kolettes "Ain't Love Good, Ain't Love Proud" - Tony Clarke "I Had A Talk with My Man" - Mitty Collier "I Can't Help Myself" - The Gems "Don't Mess Up A Good Thing" - Fontella Bass & Bobby McClure "Voice Your Choice" - The Radiants "Selfish One" - Jackie Ross "The Entertainer" - Tony Clarke "I Do Love You" - Billy Stewart "Love Is A Five Letter Word" - James Phelps "The Soul of A Man" - Fontella Bass "Temptation Bout To Get Me" - The Knight Brothers "Do I Make Myself Clear?" - Etta James & Sugar Pie DeSanto "Take Me For A Little While" - Jackie Ross "What About Me?" - The Valentinos "I'm Satisfied" - Mitty Collier "Searching For My Love" - Bobby Moore & The Rhythm Aces "Only Time Will Tell" - Etta James CD 2 "Rescue Me" - Fontella Bass "I'm Not Ashamed" - Bobby McClure "Stay By My Side" - Jo Ann Garrett "Have Pity On Me" - Billy Young "Wade In The Water" - Ramsey Lewis "I Fooled You This Time" - Gene Chandler "Don't Pass Me By" - Big Maybelle "Lonely Girl" - Andrea Davis "To Be A Lover" - Gene Chandler "Don't Knock Love" - Barbara Carr "I Believe She Will" - Eddie & Ernie "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" - Marlena Shaw "A Love Reputation" - Denise LaSalle "Dirty Man" - Laura Lee "I Can't Make It Without You" - Fred Hughes "Hold On" - The Radiants "Good To Me" - Irma Thomas "You Left The Water Running" - Maurice & Mac "Oh What A Day" - The Dells "Baby, I Love You" - Little Milton "Losers Weepers" - Etta James "Give Your Baby A Standing Ovation" - The Dells Chess Soul: A Decade of Chicago's Finest Previous Post | Next Post
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0 India.Arie Drops Love Testimonial Kiss
- News
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 01/06/2009
India.Arie has a new album on the way, Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics, scheduled for release on Tuesday, February 10, 2009. She's nominated for a new Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a duo or group with vocals for "Words" by Anthony David (featuring India.Arie). The 51st Annual Grammy Awards will be presented on "Grammy Sunday," February 8, 2009, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California (broadcast live on CBS from 8 - 11:30 p.m Eastern). Previous Post | Next Post
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- Flashback
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 01/01/2009
Here are original Isley guys Rudolph, O'Kelly, and Ronald on the cover of their 1969 T Neck album, The Brothers: Isley. "I Turned You On" and "The Blacker The Berrie" are 2 uptempo hits from this release. On the back cover of this vinyl LP, liner note writer Richard Robinson describes the entrepreneurial spirit of the business oriented Isley Brothers who created their own record label (T Neck), management firm, and television production company. O'Kelly Isley, who died in 1986, explains in the liner notes that "we do all types of music but until we owned our own record company we had to stay in the particular bag that was selling at the time. Now we can do whatever we want, be it gospel, country and western, or rock." The rest as they say is history, as the Isley Brothers successfully morphed through 6 decades of music generating hit after hit. In the late 1980's, Chris Jasper, a former member of the expanded Isley Brothers, also went on to form his own independent record label, Gold City Records. Gold City has recently featured the latest contemporary gospel recorded by Chris Jasper. Previous Post | Next Post
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0 Femi Courts Success with Sweet Water Soul part 2
- Review
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 12/30/2008
As mentioned last time, singer Femi hails from the Bay Area of San Francisco - Oakland. She's worked with Ledisi, Black Eyed Peas, and other artists. Her 6 song EP Sweet Water Soul offers a smooth blend of musical influences. Femi's delicate voice is supported by capable arrangements touching Afro-Latin/Caribbean, salsa, rock, and R&B. This is not a hook laden collection of songs, as the tunes venture into their own style and space. Sweet Water Soul avoids the cookie-cutter approach to neo-soul, but attempts instead to discover new territory on it's maiden voyage. Femi succeeds in creating a soulful 'singer - songwriter' statement which should be a good starting point from which to build even more inventive melodies. In addition to several other players, Femi is featured on Fender Rhodes, piano, acoustic guitar, synth bass, synth organ, synth strings, cajon, percussion, kalimba, bell tree, rainstick, drum programming, and sequencing. My favorite tracks are the airy "Pages," the rhythmic "If I Knew," and her funky production of "Crush." Sweet Water Soul: "Sweet Water (Rezo)" "Imported" "Crush" "If I Knew" "I Want You" "Pages" Your browser does not support the audio element. Listen to 30 seconds of the melodic "Pages." Previous Post | Next Post
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0 Femi Courts Success with Sweet Water Soul
- Review
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 12/26/2008
From the Oakland, California music scene comes Femi, who will remind you of Patrice Rushen, Minnie Riperton, and Sade. Femi's new 6 track EP Sweet Water Soul offers a refreshing spin on vintage R&B that many of her more popular contemporaries have all but passed on. Next week, we'll update you on the emerging Femi, a lady who brings much more to the table than just a fresh new face. Previous Post | Next Post
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0 Aretha Recites The Night Before Christmas
- Christmas
- by Kingsley H. Smith
- 12/23/2008
When Aretha Franklin gives you a reading of "The Night Before Christmas," it's not just the same old passage. We've added some of our own elements, including Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker" from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Your browser does not support the audio element. Listen to a quick two minute tale featuring The Queen of Soul, from her 2008 holiday CD, This Christmas Aretha. Previous Post | Next Post