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In Africa, music is not an art form as much as it is a means of communication. A Negro has got no name. Quite often, the words of the song are meaningless. A Negro has got no name We are wearing the name of our master Angie Stone - " My People" Free Black History Month Download  Download your FREE copy of Angie Stone's "My People".(It's Soul-Patrol's Official Song of Black History Month!!!) This song is a duet featuring the legendary James Ingram, along with Angie that contains a beautiful Black History Month message that we should all pay attention to, especially this year. "My People" is one of the standout songs from Angie's 2007 Grammy Award Nominated album, "The Art of Love and War." of a couple of years ago It's a 192 bitrate DRM free mp3 file courtesy of Concord/Stax for you to enjoy. Download to your hard drive, unzip the file and listen on your computer, your iPod or burn to a CD. Just click here to download the song from the Soul-Patrol.com website: http://www.soul-patrol.com/download.htm Go ahead and download the song "My People", as a gift from Concord/Stax and feel free to share it with your friends & family, during Black History Month/2009. (stay tuned, we are gonna tell yall abput Angies new album in a few) The download will just take a few moments. It's high fidelity DRM free mp3 file (100 percent virus free, so it's safe to download) courtesy of Concord/Stax for you to enjoy. Download to your hard drive, unzip the file and listen on your computer, your iPod or burn to a CD. Just enter your email address and zip code in the form below and start your FREE download If you are an record label, artist or other entity that is interested in having Soul-Patrol.com assist you in distributing your work to our audience using this technology, contact us and lets make it happen... --Bob Davis 609-351-0154 earthjuice@prodigy.net |
After you listen to the great song, come on out to the KESWICK THEATERE in PHILLY and celebrate BLACK HISTORY MONTH with two of the BADDEST BLACK WOMEN on the music scene today.....ANGIE STONE & LEELA JAMES!!! Soul-Patrol.com will be in the house that night in FULL CELEBATION MODE. Come on by our booth and say hello...
Angie Stone & Leela James
Wed., Feb. 10, 2010, 8:00 PM
Ignite the night with a double-dose of R&B/soul divas, as Stone tours behind her hot new album, Unexpected. $49.50 & $39.50
George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic
Sat., Feb. 20, 2010 8:00 PM
“Give Up the Funk” with the legendary Rock & Roll Hall of Famers! $45, $37, $29
Get more info at the following link:
PHILLY: ANGIE STONE + LEELA JAMES (2/10) GEORGE CLINTON/PARLIMENT-FUNKADELIC (2/20) @ the Keswick Theatre
Statement from Marshall Thompson of the Chi-Lites on the passing of Robert "Squirrel" Lester
Marshall Thompson, leader of The Chi-Lites, mourns the loss of his partner, Robert "Squirrel" Lester. Squirrel was an original member of The Chi-Lites. They have been sharing the stage together for the past 50 years and were about to celebrate their 50th Anniversary. Today I am mourning the loss of my dear partner and friend, Robert "Squirrel" Lester. He and I have been performing together for the past 50 years and now I am facing the reality that my friend has left me behind. I pray for peace to his family, friends and to each of you. I also ask that you include me in your prayers as I attempt to accept his passing, knowing that after a short illness, he is no longer suffering and has made his final journey. He will remain in my heart and can never be replaced.
Funeral arrangements for Squirrel are the following:
His body will lie-in-state all day Wednesday, February 3, 2010 from 12:00 noon at the Harold Washington Cultural Center, 47th and King Drive, Chicago, IL.
Funeral Services will be held on Thursday, February 4, 2010. The service will be as follows: Family hour - 11:00 a.m., funeral at 12:00 noon at Third Baptist Church of Chicago 1551 West 95th Street (95th and Ashland) Chicago, Illinois 60643. Phone (773) 445-8500. Fax (773) 445-2957. Interment to follow immediately after services. Repast to follow in the church ballroom.
If you plan to attend either day, please advise as I am attempting to reserve seating for all artists/personalities and media staff. Flowers, cards and telegrams can be sent to Minor-Morris Funeral Home, 1018 West 79th Street, Joliet, IL 60433 - 815-723-1283.
Please keep his family members and The Chi-Lites in prayer. Squirrel is survived by his wife, Louise; 9 children, his mother and 3 sisters. .
--Marshall Thompson, leader of The Chi-Lites.
CHI-LITES LIVE: Are You My Woman, More Power To The People, Lonley Man, I Want To Pay You Back, Stoned Out Of My Mind, You Don't Know My Name, Letter To Myself, Oh Girl, Have You Seen Her, Low Key
LOW KEY: Low Key, Still In My Head, Hold On To Your Dreams, Sly, Slick and Wicked
--Bob Davis
609-351-0154
earthjuice@prodigy.net
R.I.P - "Teddy Bear" March 26, 1950-January 13, 2010
The official public viewing will be held Friday, Jan. 22 at 10 a.m. at Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church, 2800 West Cheltenham Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19150. The funeral will be held Saturday, Jan. 23 at 10 a.m., also at Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church. Internment will follow at West Laurel Hill Cemetery, Bala Cynwyd, PA. The family is asking that in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to The Joan & Teddy Pendergrass Memorial, P.O. Box 382, Gladwyne, PA 19035..
(bio from Wiki)
Theodore DeReese "Teddy" Pendergrass, Sr. (March 26, 1950 - January 13, 2010) was an American R&B/soul singer and songwriter. Also known by the nicknames Teddy P, TP, or Teddy Bear, Pendergrass first rose to fame as lead singer of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes in the 1970s before embarking on a successful solo career at the end of the decade.
Early life
Teddy Pendergrass was born to Ida Geraldine Epps and the late Jesse Pendergrass (murdered in 1962), who left when Pendergrass was young and was not a part of his life. He was a student at the old Thomas Edison High School for Boys in Philadelphia. However, he dropped out[3] in the 11th grade to go into the music business. According to author Robert Ewell Greene, Pendergrass was ordained a minister as a youngster. Later he was to become a drummer for a band, and later lead singer. The church was his initiation for talent and eventual success.
Career
Pendergrass's career began when he was a drummer for The Cadillacs, which soon merged with Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. Melvin invited Pendergrass to become the lead singer after he jumped from the rear of a stage and started singing his heart out. Months later the group signed with Gamble & Huff on the then CBS subsidiary Philadelphia International Records in 1972. The Blue Notes had hits such as "I Miss You," "Bad Luck," "Wake Up Everybody," the two million seller "If You Don't Know Me By Now" and many more. Following personality conflicts between Melvin and Pendergrass, Pendergrass launched a solo career and released hit singles like "The More I Get the More I Want," "Close the Door," "I Don't Love You Anymore," "Turn Off the Lights" and others. His first solo album was self titled Teddy Pendergrass (1977), followed by Life is a Song Worth Singing (1978), Live Coast to Coast and Teddy (1979), 1980's TP and the final Philadelphia International Records album It's Time for Love (1981). He also sang a duet with Whitney Houston on "Hold Me," from her self-titled debut album.
Accident
On March 18, 1982, in the Germantown section of Philadelphia on Lincoln Drive, Pendergrass was involved in an automobile accident when the brakes failed on his Rolls-Royce and he hit a tree. Pendergrass and his passenger, Tenika Watson, a transsexual nightclub performer with whom Pendergrass was casually acquainted, were trapped in the wreckage for 45 minutes. While Watson walked away from the accident with minor injuries, Pendergrass suffered a spinal cord injury leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.
In August 1982, PIR also released This One's for You, while Pendergrass was recovering from an automobile accident. In 1983, the album Heaven Only Knows was released. This was his last album containing his pre-accident recordings. Ten years after the accident, he recorded a version of "One Shining Moment," the theme for March Madness Basketball on CBS.
After completing physical therapy, he returned to the studio to record the album Love Language, featuring the 1984 ballad "Hold Me", a duet with a then-unknown Whitney Houston. He also returned to the public for a performance on July 13, 1985 at the historic Live Aid concert in Philadelphia, then continued to record throughout the 1980s and 90s.
Later career
In 1996, he starred alongside Stephanie Mills in the touring production of the gospel musical Your Arms Too Short to Box with God. In 1998, Pendergrass released his autobiography entitled, Truly Blessed. In 2006, Pendergrass announced his retirement from the music business. In 2007, he briefly returned to performing to participate in Teddy 25: A Celebration of Life, Hope & Possibilities, a 25th anniversary awards ceremony that marked Pendergrass' accident date, but also raised money for his charity, The Teddy Pendergrass Alliance, and honored those who helped Pendergrass since his accident.
Death
In 2009, Pendergrass entered Bryn Mawr Hospital for treatment from a rare illness related to his paralysis condition. He died there on January 13, 2010, at age 59.
Tidbits, Random Thoughts,Trivial Pursuits (30 second "brain dump")
1. Hopefully everyone here had a healthy & safe New Year. I am pretty optimistic/excited about the New Year and decade because I realize that it will be totally like any other time that I have yet to experience. This means that I (along with everyone else) will be forced to develop new paradigms & ways to think about things. This will result in all of us having to put our least used muscle (our brains) to work, else let other do our thinking for us.2. For the better part of two days the Soul-Patrol.com website was down. We had a few technical issues. My apologies to anyone who tried to use any of the website resources and were unable to at that time
3. Don't sleep on new music from SocialLybrium, Mighty Sam McClain, Jay Double You, Sharon Musgrave, Wendell B, KeKe Wyatt, Otis Clay, Kenny Vance, Ryan Shaw, Christian Scott, Jason Miles, Mr. Groove Band, Charles Wilson, Izzy & Chris, Cagle and Nash, John Damato, the Chantels, Boo Boo Davis, Mike Calhoun, Steve Arrington, Angie Stone, Billy Jones, N'Dambi, Soul Survivors, Carmen Rodgers, Nicki Richards, Karl Denson, The Revelations Featuring Tre Williams, Arika Kane, Melvin Gibbs, Donnie C, All 4 One, Charles Wright, Bill Curtis, Maya Azucena, Omar Wilson, Shae Fiol, Tinsley Ellis, Lee Fields, Doodlebug Feat DOR, Sonnyboy, Chairmen Of The Board, Monet & Homemade Jamz Blues Band (ALL NEW MUSIC CURRENTLY IN ROTATION ON RADIOIO.COM)
4. Congratulations to Calvin Richardson on a well earned Grammy Nomination
5. Despite that I really have no interest in the Grammys or any other "music industry" stuff. None of it is a part of the heats & minds of people who are actual music fans. There will however be quite a few "music business" trends that Soul-Patrol is quite interested in and will report on in detail
6. There will be some hardware/software developments that will be game changers for the music world in 2010
7. Be honest, doesn't the underwear bomber looks like his name could easily be "junebug" and live in the projects? Despite his physical appearance, "junebug" is serious as a heart attack and would have no problem killing everyone who is reading this
8. Some of you may have noticed I've been doing some experimentation with Facebook & Twitter, combining it with various radioio.com channels (50's & 60's Rock, NuSoul, Classic Rnb)and using it in a manner similar to what I did with Prodigy & AOL chat rooms back in the 90's. It's proven to be very effective in having some intense music conversations, resulting in gaining new high quality fans within specific musical genres represented by the various radioio.com stations that I manage. However it's also quite labor intensive & time consuming. Just goes to show that what was true about "social networking" in the past, remains true today and that is honesty & hard work in dealing with people does have a "payoff." And that "payoff" is quite similar to "funk being it's own reward."
9. As a native New Yorker, I have always thought that the way to fight terrorism is to find out who the members of Al Qaeda are, then have the CIA kidnap their family members, bring family members to the United States, and then torture the family members in public. I first documented this view on 9/12/2001 and today I still even more strongly that this is the only method that would be effective in fighting terrorism. We have got to stop sending troops to die in the Middle East to fight wars that we can't win. My feeling is that I don't want "junebug" (see above) or any of his friends to be anywhere near my family or yours and I suspect that the best way to prevent this is for the US government & it's leader to have the balls to take out "junebug's" family.
10. ROAD TRIPS THIS MONTH - I'll be in Baltimore 1/23 (http://www.soul-patrol.com/soul/elgins.htm for the Miracles, Ebony's & Motown Elgins show) and I'll be in Pittsburgh 1/16 - 1/17 participating in one of the most important music business (not music industry) events of the year (http://www.soul-patrol.com/eachoneteachone_2008.htm for the 2nd "Each One, Teach One" Music Seminar, where I will be delivering the Keynote Address and also Moderating the Hip Hop Panel). I know that quite a few of you will be at both events. Be sure to come up to me and say hello.
11. GOOD NEWS - The Black Rock Coalition benefit show (Funkraiser for P-Funk Graphic Artist, Pedro Bell) on Jan 2, 2010 in NYC was off tha hook. It was a one of a kind 1.5 hour demonstration of RAW STONE COLD FUNK, that I haven't seen since the 1970's. Thanks to all who attended and thanks to all who made an online donation.
12 BAD NEWS - I was ASHAMED at the number of Black folks who showed up (the crowd was 75 percent white), proving once again that SEGREGATION IS A SELF FULFILLING PROPHECY
13. GOOD NEWS - You can still donate online to assist Pedro Bell at the following link: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=10581525
14. My New Years Resolution: If you PROVE TO ME BEYOND A SHADOW OF A DOUBT THAT YOU HAVE NOTHING TO SAY by "Farmvilling me", "Mafia Warring me" or sending me "Virtual Gifts" I WILL DE-FRIEND YOU (adapted from Alex Bennett)
15. JOHN LEE HOOKER - is still who I wanna be like whenever I grow up.
(boom, boom, boom, boom)
--Bob Davis
--Bob Davis
609-351-0154
earthjuice@prodigy.net
Something about Willie (Willie Mitchell R.I.P)
This piece was submitted by our own "Enorman." IMHO it is the most heartfelt thing that I have seen written about Willie Mitchell since his passing a few days ago. SIDE NOTE: The last artist that Willie Mitchell produced was our own Toni Green, whom a few of you all may remember from the Soul-Patrol Digital/Virtual Album 1.0 (now out of print)Calling Willie Mitchell a producer without putting the word legendary in front of it is like calling Emeril Lagase a cook, like calling Muhammad Ali a fighter, Martin Luther King a preacher. All these men in whatever field they were in were all much more than that simple description. Willie Mitchell the Trumpet master, the man who is credited with Al Greens vocal style and development of Hi records into a soul music staple. Papa Willie Mitchell of "Soul Serenade" fame. Papa Willie Mitchell who is as identifiable in Memphis Tenn. as Beale Street. Musicians who have benefitted from the extraordinary ear of "Papa" have been Syl Johnson, Preston Shannon, Otis Clay, O.V Wright, and of course Willie Mitchell's other favorite instrument Al Green. At 80 years of age the owner and operator of another Memphis landmark the Royal Recording Studio is still a major influence of artist looking for a leg up in their careers. With several health issues over the years he continues to be influential in the careers of the up and coming and veterans of the music industry. ....
One of my favorite old sayings is "give flowers while they can enjoy them" and this is a case of a man making a huge mark in his chosen profession, a mark that has tattooed itself to many who have had the benefit of his counsel and guidance. To not honor this man for his life's work when he has earned the respect and reverence of those who have not only enjoyed his efforts as fans but have reaped the financial benefits of his sweat and genius. Now is the time to wine and dine him , and bestow upon him gifts of gold and silver whether that is a trophy, a plaque, a gold watch, a bust, or a caddilac of his choice it does not matter how you honor him, HONOR him for making the world better for us even if it was for the short time it took for a Al Green 45rpm to play. How many people in life are given the gift to make us happy for any period of time, and to do it over and over is quite an achievement.....
Al Green has praised Willie Mitchell and his discipline and commitment to musical excellence in several interviews over the years. Al Green himself has been given a flower or two over the years and even recently the Grammys asked him to perform with another Memphis superstar Justin Timberlake. The performance at the Bet Awards by Maxwell singing "simply beautiful", for this writer is a seminal moment in time that Rev Al greatly deserves. Not speaking for Al Green but it would be hard to understand if he too did not agree that the man who is responsible for his biggest and most legendary hits is not overlooked and underappreciated in today's musical landscape. Just the other day a Lady with a big voice and bigger talent named Toni Green was in studio recording when Papa Willie walked in and laid down a talk that from what I have been told let everyone in the room know that it was his intention to help lay down the best effort for this singer who he feels deserves the best . These are my words here, and she is long overdue in the area of respect for her talent and determination for hanging in there in a business that is sometime cruel and unforgiving. I think any artist would be and should consider their selves extremely blessed to have the stamp of approval from anyone with the resume of this man.....
I like to write about people in the music business because there are some of the best people I have ever met in my entire lifetime, in this business. Singers, songwriters, producers, promotions people (notice I did not say label owners. Lol) I have met some great people amongst them. I have never met Mr. Willie Mitchell and I never been to Memphis. As a youngster while growing up in Ohio I remember when in the mid and late 1960's and the 70's when there were few tall buildings and communications towers meaning no cell phones and internet and cable television and all the stuff that has made idiots of us all from time to time (darn video games). We could, at night tune in our radios and reach stations from as far northeast as New York City and I could hear Frankie Crocker. From the south I could hear stations in Nashville and Memphis and along with that sweet soul music I could swear some nights I could smell that barbeque too! At this time in my life I did not know about producers just singers and songs.....
So like many of you who really dig the music and go farther than just the cd player to appreciate it, like reading a book on the subject or talking to folks who know a little something about it and the people who live and breathe life into it. If you are one of those folks who know stuff like the same guys who gave you "Flashlight" gave you "I just wanna Testify and who figure the first mistake the new President made was choosing Beyonce over Etta James to sing "At Last" are the folks I write for, because you get it. You get that Willie Mitchell is one of the cats that built the Memphis Sound as we know and love it today. You get that Willie gave us the Al Green we know today and still love. You also get that Preachers Preach, Teachers Teach, and Producers Produce and some folks do all 3. So give Papa Willie Mitchell his bouquets, today. While you're at it make em ROSES! Yeah I said it!....
--Enorman
Revisionist History - Rod Stewart - Soulbook, (The Greatest Soul Singer of All Time)
(Soul)
WHO OWNS HISTORY?It is often said that one should never pick a fight with someone who "order's ink by the barrel." That is of course a reference to picking a fight with the press, because you simply can't win. They will overwhelm you with written documentation.
The same concept can also be applied to individuals who would like to adjust their historical legacy in whatever way that would make their legacy somehow different for people who don't have first hand knowledge, than what the reality of the memories of the people who did have first hand knowledge of what that individual's actual legacy was.
Individuals who control the written (including text, graphics, video, audio) documentation about their own historical legacy are in a position to frame that legacy in whatever manner they would like to. These individuals know that their written documentation will outlast the "opinions" of people who have firsthand knowledge of the truth. Thus they are in a position to create their own version of history with the full knowledge that 100 years after the fact, it will be their version of history that will be regarded as the factual truth as opposed to the "opinions" of other people, who are now dead.
THOSE WHO TAKE THE TIME TO DOCUMENT IT
I say all of this to let you know that is exactly what is occurring in the case of Rod Stewart and that it was predicted by Soul-Patrol many years ago, when we analyzed the 1 hour broadcast on VH-1 of "Rod Stewart: Behind the Music.".....(Commentary Continued Here)
NEW ADD'S - BLUES @ RadioIO.com (Contemporary & Classic)
CHECK IT OUT, LISTEN TO THE NEW MUSIC AND LET ME KNOW WHAT CHA THINK????Blues @ RadioIO.com (Contemporary & Classic)
http://www.radioio.com/genres/HipHop-Soul
I haven't done an update here in a while, so I figured that I needed to add some new music. I've actually been listening to more Blues lately than anything else and needless to say I actually have much more than these songs to add, so I'll probably be doing another update to the channel very soon. Check it out at the following url: http://www.radioio.com/genres/HipHop-Soul
(note, I'm sending you to the "splash page"
Billy Jones - Bluez Comes Callin
Billy Jones - Crystal
Billy Jones - Deal Wit Da Devil
Billy Jones - Marry My Mother In Law
Billy Jones - My Hometown
Billy Jones - Personal Manager (Live)
Billy Jones - Revolution Bluez
Calvin Richardson - That's The Way I Feel About Cha'
Izzy & Chris - Leavin' You Baby
Izzy & Chris - Preachin' the Blues
John DAmato - Got No Shame
John DAmato - Stormy Monday
Karl Denson - Where It Counts
Karl Denson - Shake It Out
Latimore - Around the World
Mr. Groove Band - Funky Mule
Mr Groove Band - Bold Soul Sister
Mr Groove Band - Rocket 88
Otis Clay - I Just Wanna Testify
Otis Clay - Love & Happiness
Otis Clay - Nickel and a Nail
Otis Clay - Respect Yourself
Ryan Shaw - Morning Noon & Night
The Homemade Jamz Blues Band - Alcoholic Woman
The Homemade Jamz Blues Band - Blues Concerto
The Homemade Jamz Blues Band - Grits Ain't Groceries
The Homemade Jamz Blues Band - I Got Blues for You
The Homemade Jamz Blues Band - In the Wind
The Homemade Jamz Blues Band - The World's Been Good to You
The Homemade Jamz Blues Band - Voodoo Woman
The Homemade Jamz Blues Band - Who Your Real Friends Are
The Homemade Jamz Blues Band -Boom Boom
The Revelations Featuring Tre Williams - How Do I Tell Him
Tinsley Ellis - Rockslide
Tinsley Ellis - Slip and Fall
Tinsley Ellis - Speak No Evil
Tinsley Ellis - Sunlight of Love
Check it out at the following url: http://www.radioio.com/genres/HipHop-Soul
--Bob Davis
609-351-0154
earthjuice@prodigy.net
PRESS RELEASE: Bob Davis Presents American Popular Music Evolution @ Keswick Theatre in Glenside, PA (12/1/2009)
PRESS RELEASE: Bob Davis Presents American Popular Music Evolution @ Keswick Theatre in Glenside, PA (12/1/2009) (http://www.keswicktheatre.com)
"A most unique, constructive and instructive approach to hold a class on American Popular Music, its history, its innovators and its social/political impact over the past 100 years…"
I want to let all of you know about this upcoming seminar/presentation that I will be giving in Philadelphia on 12/1/2009. If you are an educational institution in the area, I would strongly advise you to contact the Keswick for information on how your students can participate. If you are outside of the Philadelphia area or can't make the date, and are interested in this seminar contact me directly at 609-351-0854 for information on how to bring this educational program to your area. I have delivered this program to elementry schools thru universitys and to community organizations. This interactive session highlights the most influential artists, producers, record labels, entrepreneurs across American Popular Music Styles (Blues, Country, R&B, Rock, Jazz, and Hip Hop) and cross references the two way impact across American History. It combines historical data with analysis/commentary, and multimedia capabilities, this fast paced overview a leaves the student with a clear understanding of the tapestry of the American Music Art Form and it's intersection with American Cultural/Social/Political History.
The session is easily adapted/targeted for diverse audiences and has been presented to both small and large groups from the elementary school level to high schools, universities, community organization and seniors.
Brooklyn native Bob Davis, the creator/instructor of this class, holds degrees in Political Science and Economics from the University of Pittsburgh. After a successful career on Wall Street, he co-founded Soul-Patrol.com as a "hub" for gathering music and information. This site, one of the largest and oldest of it's type offers many different music industry types, across multiple genres including, performers, executives and owners, writers, producers, radio and club DJs, historians and of course music fans. Mr. Davis is also a Music Director at RadioIO.com on of the Internet's largest radio networks, where he is responsible for programming 8 different types of R&B, Rock, Hip Hop and Blues stations for a worldwide audience.Bob Davis has consulted with entities such as Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame, R&B Foundation, Future of Music Coalition, STAX Museum, Black Rock Coalition, Universal Music, Concord Music, Chiltin Circuit Magazine, Rhino Music, Philadelphia Black Heritage Festival, Purpose Records, Shanachie Records, Wake Forest University, and others. Bob consults with artists/labels and small businesses on Internet strategy and technology deployment. Soul-Patrol is also engaged in software development and innovative content distribution projects (ex: Soul-Patrol Virtual Album) focused on improving the deployment of music/culture on the internet.
With all of this information archived, Bob has "connected the dots" to establish not only a time line, but the connection between the various "styles" of music. The obvious and not so obvious interrelationships between Blues, Country, Rock n' Roll, Jazz, Blues, R&B. and Hip Hop, showing a virtual "tree" and the branches of that same "tree" and the interconnection of the styles that have been the uniqueness of American Music.
The student gets an elaborate account of the evolution of these musical styles and the corresponding impact of American history. The course will compel the participants to dig even deeper.
CONTACT: Bob Davis, 609-351-0154 earthjuice@prodigy.net
--Bob Davis
609-351-0154
earthjuice@prodigy.net
Free Song Download (Just In Time For the 2009 Holiday Season!!!)
The Elgins - "Because of You"
Download your FREE copy of The Elgins "Because of You" We are pleased to present a new song from one of our legendary Classic Soul artists the ELGINS!! You have all enjoyed songs their hit songs going all the way back to the 1960's. Now we invite you to enjoy a song that you have most likely never heard before called "Because of You" from their 2000 album release called "Feel Real". The Elgins, now an indy soul artist is making this song available to Soul-Patrol's audience as a free download as a holiday gift for all of you, for a limited period of time. (so if you dig SLOW JAMS grab this song now)
Just click here to download the song from the Soul-Patrol.com website: http://www.soul-patrol.com/download.htm
Go ahead and download the song "Because of You", as a gift from THE ELGINS & Soul-Patrol.com and feel free to share it with your friends & family, as we approach the 2009 holiday season.
The download will just take a few moments. It's high fidelity DRM free mp3 file (100 percent virus free, so it's safe to download) courtesy of THE ELGINS for you to enjoy. Download to your hard drive, unzip the file and listen on your computer, your iPod or burn to a CD.
Just enter your email address and zip code in the form below and start your FREE download
If your email program doesn't recognize the form, just click here to download the song from the Soul-Patrol.com website: http://www.soul-patrol.com/download.htm
If you are an record label, artist or other entity that is interested in having Soul-Patrol.com assist you in distributing your work to our audience using this technology, contact us and lets make it happen...
--Bob Davis
609-351-0154
earthjuice@prodigy.net
NEW ADD'S - Nu Soul @ RadioIO.com (Nu Soul @ RadioIO = Funk + Classic/Southern/Neo Soul + Jazz + Beach + Black Rock + Rap?)
CHECK IT OUT AND LET ME KNOW WHAT CHA THINK????NU SOUL @ RADIOIO.COM
http://www.radioio.com/genres/HipHop-Soul
As you can see there are new songs from some of our alltime favorites like All 4 One, Dramatics, Joe, Will Downing, Latimore, Prince, Smokey Robinson, Steve Arrington (of SLAVE), the Soul Survivors. And from artists like Laura Izibor, Ryan Shaw, N'Dambi, Maya Azucena, Chico Debarge, Omar Wilson and The Revelations Featuring Tre Williams.
Anyhow.....here is a listing of the latest updates to the rotation at the station....
Nu Soul @ RadioIO = Funk + Classic/Southern/Neo Soul + Jazz + Beach + Black Rock + Rap
http://www.radioio.com/genres/HipHop-Soul
All-4-One - I Luv That Girl
All-4-One - My Child
Angie Stone - I Aint Hearin U
Chico Debarge - Oh No
Dramatics- Bad Girl
Joe - Can't Get Over You
Latimore - Around the World
Laura Izibor - Dont Stay
Maya Azucena - Get It Together Recall Mix
N'Dambi - Free Fallin'
N'Dambi - The World Is a Beat
Omar Wilson - Get To Know You Better featuring Angie Stone
Prince - Better With Time
Ryan Shaw - Get Previous
Ryan Shaw - In Between
Ryan Shaw - It Gets Better
Ryan Shaw - Morning Noon & Night
Ryan Shaw - The Sweetest Thing
Ryan Shaw - We Don't Give Up Now
Smokey Robinson - Dont Know Why
Steve Arrington - Holla
Steve Arrington - I'm On Fire
Steve Arrington - Pure Thang
Steve Arrington - Soul Food
Steve Arrington - Sunrise
The Revelations Featuring Tre Williams - How Do I Tell Him
The Soul Survivors - Hitch Hike
The Soul Survivors - I Do
The Soul Survivors - What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)
Will Downing - Love Suggestions
------------------------------------
NU SOUL @ RADIOIO.COM
http://www.radioio.com/genres/HipHop-Soul
||NO OLDIES ||
||NONE WHATSOEVER ||
||GREAT BLACK MUSIC ||
||JAZZ, NEO SOUL ||
||CLASSIC SOUL,FUNK ||
||SOUTHERN SOUL,RAP ||
||BLACK ROCK ||
||ALL NEW MUSIC ||
||ALL THE TIME ||
NU SOUL @ RADIOIO.COM
http://www.radioio.com/genres/HipHop-Soul
**NOW AVAILABLE @ iTunes, Windows Media Player, Flycast & other online/mobile carriers
----------------------------------------
--Bob Davis
609-351-0154
earthjuice@prodigy.net
PRESS RELEASE: Latimore - All About the Rhythm and the Blues
“Latimore’s new album titled All About the Rhythm and the Blues is his best work in years,” says the legendary Henry Stone, who was involved from the first note recorded on this album. According to Stone, “Latimore has created a masterpiece.”Latimore’s always smooth, rich, full vocals and masterful keyboard performances, along with Stone’s unique approach of guidance and top recording industry pros, like George “Chocolate” Perry on bass, percussion, state of the art audio recording and mix engineering skills, as well as true grassroots Blues guitar man, Warren ”Roach” Thompson, perform the soulful Blues grooves with a style and drive that is unstoppable.
The melodies, the riffs and the rhythms, will reach deep down into that place that makes you close your eyes and bob your head. It is that, “Oooh! It sounds so good, I can feel it in my chest,” that puts that easy blues look on your face. You know the one! When you don’t care who is watching or what you’re doing, it just grabs ahold of you and makes you groove!
Please exercise caution when operating a car or heavy equipment. You want to keep your eyes open. And keep a look out for this amazing new album from Latimore, set for release on the LatStone Label, September 18, 2009. Get the CD direct from the www.HenryStoneMusic.com web store. And digital download the album from your favorite online provider. One listen and you will know that it is All About the Rhythm and the Blues.
--Bob Davis
609-351-0154
earthjuice@prodigy.net
PRESS RELEASE: Mighty Sam McClain & "Love Duets" on YouTube
This is a Press Release, however if you are a lover of good....I MEAN GREAT SINGING, then you owe it to yourselves to check out this material from our friend Mighty Sam McClain, teamed up with Iranian singer Mahsa Vahdat. Check out the links below and I guarantee that what you find when you get there will bring a smile to your face…--Bob DavisPlease visit these sites on YouTube to listen to Mighty Sam's newest project recorded at Cedar House Sound and Mastering in Sutton, NH.
This is Mighty Sam McClain as you have never heard him before. "Scent of Reunion -- Love Duets Across Civilizations" is now available in Europe at http://www.kkv.no and will be available in the US in January 2010. Downloads may be had soon at http://www.valleyentertainment.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HMA97Bnf6Q
and
http://www.nme.com/awards/video/id/lbvlx-5eLoc/search/vahdat
Here is a link to a thorough, in-depth and insightful interview / review of this outstanding CD:
http://thebluegrassspecial.com/archive/2009/october2009/bordercrossingoct09.php
Let us know what you think and remember that his newly released "Betcha Didn't Know" is available nation-wide and at http://www.mightysam.com
--Bob Davis
609-351-0154
earthjuice@prodigy.net
ALBUM REVIEW: Calvin Richardson - Facts of Life: The Soul of Bobby Womack
For anyone who is a fan of Bobby Womack and his stories, this is an album to have in the library. For anyone who is a fan of "pure soul", this is an album to have in your library. For anyone who says that Soul Music is dead, "YOU LIE"!!! And this album verifies. For anyone who doubts that today's artist couldn't "hang" back in the day, Check out "FACTS Of LIFE: The SOUL of BOBBY WOMACK by CALVIN RICHARDSON.Track List:
Across 110th Street
You're Welcome, Stop On By
Harry Hippie
Woman's Got To Have It
American Dream
Daylight
That's The Way I Feel About Cha'
Love Has Finally Come At Last
(featuring ANN NESBY)
I Can Understand It
I'm Through Trying To Prove My Love To You
He'll Be There When The Sun Goes Down
The thing that I liked about Bobby Womack's tunes/stories, was that I could "relate". Calvin Richardson in the way he delivers these gems "gets that" and "transmits that" in the way he presents this album that, to me, is a tribute to the legacy that is Bobby Womack. This is "Soul" as we knew it and Calvin in this project is taking if forward. No clunkers here, but what else would you expect from the line-up?.... Review Continues here....
--Earl Gregory
ALBUM REVIEW: Playing For Change - Songs From Around the World
I first became hip to this album back in January/09 when I got yet another one of those innocuous emails from someone imploring me to "click here" on a YouTube link. Here is the YouTube link that I wassent: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us-TVg40ExM and I would suggest that you may want to pay a visit there yourself. When you get there you will quicky discover that you (just like I was) are somewhat late to the party because somewhere over 10 million people will have watched the music video of the song "Stand By Me" being performed by an artist called "Playing For a Change", prior to your arrival at that YouTube page. There are also nearly 20,000 replies (including one from me) at that YouTube page as well. Those are some totally outrageous an ridiculous numbers for an artist that "nobody has ever heard of."
After watching the music video, I went to to their website at: http://www.playingforchange.com where I discovered the following statement of purpose;
"Playing for Change is a multimedia movement created to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music. The idea for this project arose from a common belief that music has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people. No matter whether people come from different geographic, political, economic, spiritual or ideological backgrounds, music has the universal power to transcend and unite us as one human race. And with this truth firmly fixed in our minds, we set out to share it with the world..."
Sounds like "creeping socialism" (or something???) Well perhaps that is what it is? However I really dig the idea of using music as a vehicle for change. "Playing for Change" is serious as a heart attack and it uses musicians from all over the world, performing some pretty basic and yet powerful songs that we all know from artists like Sam Cooke, Ben E King, Bob Marley and others in order to make a rather simple point...(continued here)
Album Reviews: Homemade Jamz Blues Band - (Pay Me No Mind & I Got Blues For You)
(NOTE: THIS ARTIST IS A GAME CHANGER FOR BLACK MUSIC)Here is the TWITTER REVIEW:
"Pay Me No Mind" & "I Got Blues For You" by the Homemade Jamz Blues Band are two excellent albums done by an amazing band. If you like Classic Soul, Classic Rock & Classic Blues, you will think that you have died and gone to heaven
Here is the TWITTER REPLY after being asked "Who in the hell are the Homemade Jamz Blues Band?" They are kinda like a genre busting combination of Elvis Presley, Jackson Five, Beatles and Wilson Pickett. Their sound is like STAX, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jimi Hendrix, Muddy Waters all rolled into one and they should be bigger than the Jonas Brothers & Miley Cyrus combined (but aren't)
(well that last reply was more than 140 characters, but you get the idea)
As some of you all may recall, I first encountered the Homemade Jamz Blues Band about two years ago on a lazy Sunday morning while watching the CBS Morning News. The Homemade Jamz Blues Band consists of 3 young siblings from Tupelo, MS. (hometown of Elvis) Ryan Perry, 17yrs. old, Kyle Perry, 15yrs old, and Taya Perry, 10yrs. old. Here are the internet links to both the video and the story that I saw at that time......(Review Continued here)
--Bob Davis
ALBUM REVIEW: Mighty Sam McClain - Betcha Didn't Know
I was introduced to Mighty Sam's music on Soul Patrol many years ago. I had the pleasure of meeting Mighty Sam and his wife a few years ago, along with a few of my SP friends from Chicago. (and he's a very nice person)He has a new CD out entitled "Betcha Didn't Know". 13 tracks that I'm sure you will enjoy.
What I like about Mighty Sam's music is that it's real, and he uses a real band. (no keyboards, drum machines, etc; REAL MUSICIANS and a kick ass horn section!) Plus, Mighty Sam sounds like he's having a great time in the studio.
From the opening track "I Can't Stop The Funk", is exactly what the title of the song says. A nice funky groove that will get you on your feet dancin'....(review continued here)
--Gary Tyson
Album Review: Teena Marie - "Congo Square"
Soul/Funk
I am totally fascinated by Teena Marie and after listening to her new album called "Congo Square" I am now convinced that after all is said & done, she will become recognized as not only one of the most popular artists of her generation, but also as one of the most innovative in an arena not previously known for it's innovation. Of course like most people I was introduced to her in the late 1970's via her association with Rick James. And of course I was a big fan along with everyone else of her recorded output in the 1980's. Lots of hit records in an updated funk style that owed as much to Minnie Riperton as much as it did to Rick James. It was funky, erotic and playful all at the same time, in a very entertaining manner. Most of all Teena injected her personality (even a litte bit of rap on "Square Biz") into her songs in a way that endeared her to her audience of funkateers, who by now were no longer teenagers, but were now in their late 20's/early 30's...(review continued here)
--Bob Davis
earthjuice@prodigy.net
ALBUM REVIEW: Donnie C - New Moment, New Choice (imagine if Ronnie Dyson were here?)
I wonder if anyone here can remember an artist named Ronnie Dyson? Ronnie Dyson was first introduced to the world as a part of the original cast of the Broadway musical "Hair." He would later go on to have a moderately successful career as an R&B/Pop singer in the 1970's. Ronnie Dyson's biggest hit song is one that you might know of, it's called "(If You Let Me Make Love To You Then) Why Can't I Touch You?" and it reached #8 on the Billboard Pop chart in 1970. If you can remember what the extremely talented Ronnie Dyson sounded like, I would like you to keep him in mind as you are reading this review of Donnie C's new album called "New Moment, New Choice." And if you never heard of Ronnie Dyson, then "you betta axe somebody, cuz he was badd.I first became aware of Ronnie Dyson before he was even on Broadway. Back in the 1960's all of the telethons were broadcast out of NYC and one of the best things about watching them was that they were showcases for local talent to appear on TV. I can remember Ronnie Dyson being on damn near every telethon every year, and being on multiple years.
In today's world of musical mediocrity there are no nationally televised telethons for extremely talented artists like Donnie C, to make an impact. To make matters even worse, he specifically refers to himself and his outstanding music by using the currently politically incorrect term "Neo Soul." Compounding this handicap is the fact that his name "Donnie" is not only the same as the (perhaps?) overhyped Atlanta based "Neo Soul" artist who simply refers to himself as "Donnie", but also the same as the "patron saint of neo soul", Donnie Hathaway....(continued here)
--Bob Davis
609-351-0154
earthjuice@prodigy.net
Concert Review : Desi @ Feinstein's in NYC - 8/28/2009 (The Music, The People and the One)
My thanks to our friend Rickey Vincent for allowing me to use the format of his book "Funk; The Music The People and One" for this report!!There really are 12 million stories in the naked city. This report is about several of them that I witnessed on Friday evening...
THE MUSIC
Desi...
Desi is what you might refer to as a "journeyman R&B artist." Originally from the Washington, DC area, Desi currently tours in cities around the country, mostly in the Southeast, but also in Texas & California. We have featured several of the songs from his album "Golden Lady" here on Soul-Patrol.com and on Radioio.com over the past few years. Desi is going to be making his NYC debut at Feinstein's and I am pumped, because although I am quite familiar with his music, I have never seen him perform live. He was backed by a slimed down version of the great DC area based Funk/Soul band called KRUSH (led by the legendary Al Johnson of the Unifics).
Here is the set as best I can recall....
- Don't You Know That
- Give Me Just a Little More Time
- Takin It as It Comes
- Golden Lady
- More Love
- Come Get To This
- I'll Be There/Never Can Say Goodbye
- Who's That Lady
I'm certain that I have left out a song or two......(review continued here)
--Bob Davis
Album Review: Me'Na - "Livin My Life"
(Black American Standard Music)Sometimes a thing can be sooo nice, that ya just gotta do it twice. (and this is one of those times) Me'Na on Soul-Patrol
A few of you all here have had the occasion to meet my wife ("Mrs. Earthjuice"). Now as you might imagine, "Mrs. Earthjuice" is a big music fan. However unlike me, she is much more like a typical "50 something" Black American female in the type of music that she seeks out.
For example, she is an avid listener to what is commonly known as terrestrial "Urban AC Radio and in the Philadelphia where we live, there are two such stations (WRNB & WDAS). If you get into the car with her, there is a 99 percent probability that she will be listening to either one of those two stations. Despite the fact that most every brand new album on God's green earth, is actually right under the roof of her own home, she typically discovers new music on one of those two radio stations.
She says of my musical tastes ..."you are always listening to people that I have never heard of"
(in other words, she is a tough sell on artists that she doesn't get bombarded with via terrestrial radio)
However at work she does listen to internet radio and (thank goodness) she listens to Radioio. However she listened to either the Classic RnB channel or to the RnB Mix channel.
This morning she called me from work and told me that for some reason she decided to tune in the Nu Soul @ RadioIO channel. Of course I was surprised since that station only plays NEW releases and no oldies whatsoever.
She told me that she had just heard a great song on there that was a re-make of the old Buddy Miles song called "Down By The River" and that it had been done by an artist called Me'Na, that she had never heard of.....(continued)
--Bob Davis
RIP Walter Cronkite...(Joe and Chico DeBarge Concert Review???)
Where else could you possibly read an article that combines an obituary to someone like Walter Cronkite with a concert review of two of the hippest/slickest performers on today's Black Music scene (and have it all make sense???)Who would ever have predicted back in 1969, that Walter Cronkite would have outlived Michael Jackson?
Last Saturday night when I came in from the Chico DeBarge & Joe show @ the Keswick in Philly (Chico Debarge was off the chain btw, serious hard core combo Marvin Gaye/D'Angelo ultra phunky neo soul action), I flipped on CNN. And it was wall to wall Walter Cronkite as I sat & watched, I thought about several things...
1. How many people under the age of 40 even know who/what/why Walter Cronkite?
2. The time I met Walter Cronkite (when I attended the Ed Bradley Memorial Service a few years ago) and how he seemed like such a tiny person.
3. Telling the "truth"
I also thought about a research paper that I had done for my High School AP Amerikan History class. We were studying the Army McCarthy Hearings. We did it "Our Town" style where we were given roles and had to act out each person. In order to be able to accurately "act out each person," we were also required to write a 10 page research paper on the person.
I was assigned to do Edward R. Murrow and I was pretty happy about that, since Edward R. Murrow was kinda the "darling of the liberal media," since he was a journalist who was seen as a crusader because he did things like take on the evil Senator McCarthy and fight for humanitarian treatment for migrant farm workers and more. Murrow was a dashing figure who could also just as easily be seen on TV doing a fluff interview with Marylyn Monroe as challenging the evil Senator McCarthy.
In the course of my extensive research on Edward R. Murrow, I learned that Walter Cronkite was none of these things. Although Walter Cronkite had been a contemporary/colleague of Edward R. Murrow at CBS News he was the complete and total antithesis. Walter Cronkite gave you the news straight, he seemingly had no opinions on anything. I had no idea if Cronkite was a Democrat, Republican, Liberal, Conservative, Straight, Gay, Anti this or Pro that. The only thing that I can remember Walter Cronkite being in favor of was the Space Program.I mean, with Cronkite you just didn't know what he thought about anything. But you could pretty much be assured that he was giving you the "truth." And therein was the power that Walter Cronkite wielded on our society.
People want the "truth," to help them to shape their own "opinions."
That is far different from today's world where it doesn't seem to matter what news outlet or who the reporter is, you will always get the news, but it is always filtered thru the "opinion" of the reporter. Which means that "the truth' is always elusive. All of the TV news reporters of today are more like descendants of Edward R. Murrow, because we know what their opinions are about most everything. None are like Walter Cronkite, whose opinions we never knew. BTW....I have no problem with news people giving their opinions on things, just as long as I don't think that their opinions aren't "brought & paid" for by some corporation. In other words, I even want their opinions to be the "truth" (i.e.; what they really think)
People want the "truth," to help them to shape their own "opinions."
And once they become convinced that you are potentially a source for the "truth," that is trust that will remain forever, as long as you ever become perceived as being a "sell out."
And that was & is the perception of Cronkite, whatever he said was the "truth."
That point was driven home to me last night during the Chico DeBarge/Joe concert @ the Keswick. At the concert, a dozen or more people came up to me @ the Soul-Patrol table, many of them brand new subscribers to the Soul-Patrol Newsletter who said to me; "Mr. Davis I just wanted to let you know just how much I appreciated you telling the truth in your review of last week's concert @ the Keswick. Dwele wasn't worth sh*t and you told it like it was. I agreed with every word that you said."
Earlier this week there were a number of people who were in "mourning" because of the announcement that VIBE magazine was going to be shut down.
I wasn't one of those people, mourning the passing of VIBE magazine.Personally I wondered how VIBE could have possibly lasted this long? I had long ago stopped reading VIBE, in any form (with the exception of Mark Anthony Neal's blog), simply because as far as I was concerned, VIBE had long ago stopped "telling the truth." In my opinion they had "sold out" to the very same people who had destroyed Black culture and had in fact become "part of the problem," not "part of the solution." Their financial support was coming from the very same people that we as readers were looking to VIBE to provide honest commentary about. As a result even their opinions couldn't be trusted.
When I attended the memorial service for Ed Bradley at Riverside Church a few years ago, someone introduced me to CBS newsman Randall Pinkston and he in turn introduced me to NBC newsman Lester Holt. They introduced me to CBS newsman Steve Kroft, who in turn introduced me to Walter Cronkite.
I am only 5'9" so you can imagine my surprise when Walter Cronkite extended his hand to me and I saw that he was several inches shorter than me. We shook hands and all I could think of was how it doesn't matter how tall you are if you are a badd mf and tell the truth, you are a giant!!
I don't think that there are many folks under the age of 40 who know or care about Walter Cronkite. If someone is 40 years old today, then they were about ten years old in the early 1980's when Walter Cronkite retired from the CBS Evening News. I wonder if they think that "AndersonCooperBillO'ReileyChrisMatthews" are telling them the "truth?" Can their "opinions even be trusted, not to be "brought & paid" for by some corporation?
Anyhow....both Joe and Chico DeBarge gave very good performances at the Keswick last night. Chico DeBarge in a "black bohemian, I just got outta jail but don't worry cuz I still got it like that cuz i got motown in mah blood kinda way & btw I got a new CD" and Joe in a "vegas/sinatra/ghetto ya may not like it but I'm just about as good as it gets for mainstream R&B in 2009 kinda way."
(& That's The Way It Was)
RIP Walter Cronkite...
--Bob Davis
609-351-0154
earthjuice@prodigy.net
Review: Michael Jackson Tribute @ the Apollo in NYC (6/30/2009)
This was a straight up spiritual experience today at the Apollo Theatre. It was the 'Church of Michael Jackson" up in there today and it was something that I was quite unprepared for. You see I had been to the a few years ago for what was essentially the "wake" of James Brown. I had expected this event, less than a week after the passing of Michael Jackson to be much the same. I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was no dead body on the stage, as there was at the James Brown wake... Instead there was a lone barstool, with a familiar looking black fedora, a familiar pair of black shades and a single familiar white sequined glove resting on top of the seat cushion of the barstool. The spotlight shined on the barstool and the items resting on the seat cushion of the barstool glowed.
The crowd entered the lower level of the Apollo in an orderly fashion. They all seemingly had on Michael Jackson T-Shirts, Michael Jackson Baseball caps. Some carried handmade/store brought Michael Jackson banners and posters....
Review continued at the following link: http://bit.ly/KuHYC
--Bob Davis
609-351-0154
earthjuice@prodigy.net
My reflections on Micheal Jackson (RIP 1958 - 2009)
I was just interviewed and asked to give my reflections on Michael Jackson.Here is what I said, I dunno if this is how they will run it...
"Michael Jackson was a cultural icon that surpassed all others that you might be tempted to compare him to. Unlike others such as Elvis, the Beatles or others, the legacy created by the Jackson's was totally ORIGINAL. They truly created something out of nothing and Michael Jackson was the star of that something. Although that might be considered to be an amazing thing, Black Americans have been creating something out of nothing since the beginning of time. Michael Jackson became the most famous person on the face of the earth because of his role in creating something that ultimately he found a way to eclipse. So in effect he first created a star for his family and then created an even bigger star for himself. I don't think that anyone else has come close to accomplishing that."
--Bob Davis
For more on Michael Jackson and the Jackson Five check out the following link:
http://www.soul-patrol.com/funk/jackson5.htm
Album Review: Leela James - "Let's Do It Again"
(Black American Standard Music - Where All da Party People At?)I'm not quite sure why I'm even bothering to write this review. I already know that some of yall aren't going to like the album, Leela James - "Let's Do It Again". That's cuz it's...
:::HARDCORE SOUL:::
Really and truly I don't really have to say much more than this album is simply...
"One that you wait for your parents to be away for the day, roll back the carpeting in the living room & dining room, remove all of the good glasses & plates that might break, invite your friends over, fry up some chicken wings, break out the paper plates & plastic silverware, get a few bottles of Boones Farm/T-Bird and run the whole M*therF*ckin album from end to end and then run it back it again..."
Any of yall who ever lived in the projects knows exactly what kind of a party I'm talkin about. The album Leela James - "Let's Do It Again", can easily provide ALL of the music that you need for a party in the projects!!!
(Am I allowed to use the word FONK around here?)
This album exists in an "alternate universe" that's sweaty, it's funky, there's no health food, the term "dow jones industrial average" doesn't exist in our vocabulary, and political correctness is something that we aren't bothered with!!!
IT"S STANK/NASTAY.....(review continued here)
--Bob Davis
Radio Daze (online, offline & otherwise)
Clearly internet radio represents the future of radio. And one of the reasons for this is because of the phenomenal amount of choice and diversity that is available.For example, in preparation for my interview a few weeks ago w/Chuck D's AirAmerica Radio show I did a little bit of research (cuz I always like to have a few stats.....lol) over on Shoutcast, which is a server that aggregates some internet radio traffic.
On a Sunday afternoon at about 3pm Shoutcast showed that there were 500,000 + listeners streaming about 29,000 different radio stations. In my opinion these numbers are phenomenal. It's a clear demonstration that internet radio fills the listening needs of a large segment & ever increasing segment of the population and it shows that there is a wealth of diversity in listening choices. This past week I discussed this same topic among others on the Our Common Ground with Janice Graham show on the USA Talk Network as well.
Of course I am extremely biased and I think that the internet radio that I am personally involved in both here at Soul-Patrol.Net (podcasting) and at RadioIO.com (continuous stream) represents just that type of diversity & relevancy as well.
The listenrship numbers continue to grow. For example the podcast that we did the other day on Soul-Patrol.Net radio for the artist Donnie C's new album, had 4,000 listeners on a single day (pretty good exposure in one day for an "unknown artist"). At the same time the RnB Mix Channel (continuous stream) over on RadioIO.com gets hundreds of thousands of tune ins per month.
-- Soul-Patrol's audio outlet at www.Soul-Patrol.Net averages 70,000 + listeners each month.
-- The 8 stations I run on www.RadioIO.com (Classic RnB, Nu Soul, Classic Hip Hop, RnB Mix, Blues, Today's RnB, Top 20 HipHop & Top 20 RnB) total millions of tune ins each month. And these people don't just tune in. They stay and leave the station on all day long at work or at home, regardless of what "segment" of the Black music marketplace each one of those stations represent. I know this because they email me all day long with running commentaries on what they are hearing.
These numbers continue to grow month after month, especially with the increasing adoption of mobile devices that are capable to tuning in these stations. Much of my email & feedback related to internet radio is coming from folks listening on Blackberry's, iPhones & other mobile devices. And the good news is that many of these mobile users are plugging their devices into their car stereo systems and listening in their vehicles, as Chuck D told us that he does during the interview.
So clearly lots of folks are listening and more importantly, finding what they are looking for and listening from whatever devices suits their lifestyle. And that is really the whole point, being able to find what you are looking for and consuming the content in the manner that you want to consume it.
And truth be told, this is what the terrestrial broadcasters (Clear Channel, Cathy Hughes, etc.) fear even more than the passage of a bill that required them to pay the very same performance royalties to artists that internet radio has been paying for years.
As far as Black Radio is concerned, that ended in the 1980's, when Black radio stations abandoned the communities that had made them successful and decided to go "corporate." When you stopped hearing commercials for "Pookie's Funeral Parlor on 119th & Malcolm X Blvd." and started hearing commercials instead for "Enormous Corporate Scottish Brand Name Generic/Unhealthy Hamburgers", that was the end of Black radio. These stations lost their "community focus", because the person paying the bills (the advertisers), were no longer a part of nor did they care about the community. As a result the stations became just as bland & predictable as the "generic hamburgers" they advertised.
PREDICTION: Old skool Black radio oddly enough in the technologically advanced age we are in now has a chance to return. Black owned businesses (large & small) will now be in a position to sponsor both internet radio/tv programming. As the sponsor, they will be instrumental in insuring the voice of the community is heard.
(stay toooned....)
NP: "Give The People What They Want"
--O'Jays
--Bob Davis
609-351-0154
earthjuice@prodigy.net
Album Review: Darren Rahn - Talk of The Town
Smooth jazz" has been on my mind quite a bit over the past several weeks....I'd love to be able to report to you that there is absolutely no future whatsoever for the so called genre of "smooth jazz." However if I were to say that I would be lying to you because I just got thru attending a series of concerts full of contridictions as far as "smooth jazz" was concerned. For example, there was a terrestrial radio station broadcasting live continuiously from the venue for the entire two weeks in a manner that might suggest that "smooth jazz" has a strong future. That was what one might think, until having a conversation with the promotions manager of the station, and having him tell me that theirs was the only remaining "smooth jazz station" remaining on the east coast of the United States. Or perhaps even more telling was that nearly every musician that I spoke with confesssed to me that they hated the music, and then contrasting that to the sheer joy on the faces of the concert patrons as they left events specificly tailored for "smooth jazz" music.
In effect, as I type this so called "smooth jazz" would seem to be at a crossroads with it's audience and as a result with itself.
Enter Mr. Darren Rahn and his new album "Talk of the Town" on the Nu Groove label. One of the nicest things about this album is that Darren Rahn isn't really hedging his bets at all. The album is certainly contemporary, but it isn't smooth. It's funky enough to dance to in places and yet is also melodic/erotic at the same time. It's got some familair cover songs (ex: "Forget Me Nots") and some memorable vocals (provided by our friends De'Nate'). In short, Darren Rahn perhaps understands that with so called "smooth jazz", being at a crossroads, he has got to cover all bases.....(continued here)
A Few Thoughts on The Berks JazzFest, Thus Far (March 27 through April 5)
As you all are aware last weekend, Soul-Patrol covered the first weekend of the Berks JazzFest. This event is probably the largest jazz festival in the United States, running for 10 days, over the course of 2 weeks, featuring both big name and yet to become big name artists of course playing to big crowds. Just take one look at the artist line up at the following link & you will see what I mean: http://www.soul-patrol.com/jazz/berks_jazz_fest.htm
We will be back this weekend to do more of the same. In fact we will be doing even more, simply because yours truly will be the emcee of the "JASON MILES PRESENTS: SOUL SUMMIT" show on Friday April 3 @ Scottish Rite Cathedral (featuring: featuring Maysa, Simone, Richard Elliot, Jeff Golub, Eric Darius, Bob Babbitt, Reggie Young, Steve Ferrone, and the original Soul Survivors, plus the Berks Jazz Fest Horns).
We are glad to be on board, that's because we aren't just there to write reviews or to conduct interviews. Folks that we know and folks that we don't know stop by the booth, to talk music, to talk about the website or simply just to talk. Soul-Patrol is there as a major presence at the festival and our presence is a part of something much larger than the text/audio that results from our presence.
The term "Jazzfest" is something of a misnomer for two reasons:
1. Most of the "jazz artists" at the event are really "smooth jazz artists" and depending on your perspective, may not actually be "jazz artists" at all.
2. Probably about 1/3 of the artists can't even be called "smooth jazz artists", they are truly R&B (ex: AWB) or Funk (ex: Victor Wooten) or "Pop" (ex: Phoebe Snow) or "Blues" (Severn All Stars) artists.
Therefore the line up af artists is "musically impure", at least based on the title of the event. Rather than use the term "JazzFest" a more accurate title would be something along the lines of; "A Contemporary Overview of Popular Music Originated By Black Americans." Given that description, Soul-Patrol's presence becomes completely understandable and in fact absolutely required.
Continued + Reviews, Interviews & more from the 2009 Berks Jazz Festival at the following link:
http://www.soul-patrol.com/jazz/berks_jazz_fest.htm
--Bob Davis
609-351-0154
earthjuice@prodigy.net
2008 Best Black Music Albums, Tracks & Live Shows (Classic Soul, Jazz, Southern Soul & Blues, Funk, Neo Soul, Rap & Rock n' Roll)
Also posted at:
http://www.soul-patrol.com/newsletter/2008/news7/bestof2008.html
These rankings are also posted on www.soul-patrol.com and www.radioio.com as well as other places around the internet. Feel free to repost them wherever you hang out at online.I really do hate making lists. That's because they have a beginning, a middle and an end. Which means that something is going to get left off, and no doubt I have left something out.
At any rate I have compiled a list of what I think are the very best ALBUMS (listed in rank order) and SONGS (listed in rank order/Black music style) released in 2008.
In addition to the rankings, clicking on the links below will enable you to listen to sound bytes from the associated albums and songs. If you are thinking about buying any of these, rest assured that you can buy them "sight unheard", they are ALL wicked, jazzy, funky, soulful, rockin joints that it is my extreme pleasure to turn you on to.This is a great year for Black music (Classic Soul, Jazz, Southern Soul & Blues, Funk, Neo Soul, Rap & Rock n' Roll), probably the best this decade! So we as music lovers had quite a bit to smile about in 2008.
Thanks in advance for your consideration...
Bob Davis - Soul-Patrol
798 Woodlane Rd
Suite 10264
Mount Holly, NJ 08060
earthjuice@prodigy.net
Also posted at:
http://www.soul-patrol.com/newsletter/2008/news7/bestof2008.html
Best of All Time in Funk/Jazz/Soul/Rock/Blues & Culture
Quite a few people have been writing in to me complaining about various lists that have been published by Rolling Stone Magazine over the years. The complaints have ranged from a lack of knowlege to outright rascim with respect to these lists. In my opinion it makes little sense in 2008 to complain about lists produced by Rolling Stone or any other entity. We are on the internet, we have mailing lists, we have message boards, we have blogs, we have the capability to create and publish our own list of who we think are the best artists, songs, etc.THEREFORE I SAY F#@#&@#*K ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE, WE CAN CREATE OUR OWN
And over the years we have done exactly that here at Soul-Patrol.com. Not only do we announce our listing of best releases each year (and we will do so again for 2008 later this week), we also conducted a little survey of our readership back in the year 2000 of the BEST OF ALL TIME.
As selected by the "Soul-Patrol Board of Directors", back in the year 2000, we think these are the tops in Funk, Jazz, Soul, Rock, Blues and Culture, thru the year 2000. We published these results at the following link: http://www.soul-patrol.com/2000
These results are also published in this newsletter. Scroll down and see if you concur. Share it with your friends, argue about it create your own if you like. And if you disagree, why not consider creating your own list on your MySpace page, your website, etc. In 2008 you all have the ways and means to do so, and I would encourage you to follow suit. But whatever you do, don't complain to me about Rolling Stone, who really gives a crap about what they have to say about this topic. This is OUR music and if we actually care about it, lets start with ourselves and give it the props that it deserves.
Photos by James VandeZee
Check it out at the following link: http://www.soul-patrol.com/2000
Thanks in advance for your consideration...and next week look for Soul-Patrol's Best of 2008 In Black Music.
Bob Davis - Soul-Patrol
798 Woodlane Rd
Suite 10264
Mount Holly, NJ 08060
earthjuice@prodigy.net
http://www.soul-patrol.com/album
http://www.soul-patrol.com/album
If you would like to ask a question about Soul-Patrol feel free to contact the owner Bob Davis.
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If you would like to ask a question about Soul-Patrol feel free to contact the owner Bob Davis.
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