eu também acho muito digno namorar ouvindo George Benson.

pronto, falei.

I’ve spent the last 3 days updating my spotify player with music I remember from the ’80s. The days when I could party for 4 days on the trot and not feel knackered at the end of it all. All I ever felt was extremely hungry at the end of the night.

I didn’t give a 2nd thought to waking up at 1 in the afternoon & just lounging around going over the events of the previous night with my girlfriends.

Oh, those were the days.

My playlist keeps growing … as I remember songs or artists, I type these in and let spotify do the searching.

I love you Spotify … almost as much as I love the ’80s.

My spotify ’80s playlist

Of course, we could be here all day talking about the best live performances on an album… So, I’m just gonna give you a well rounded taste of some classics. Music is amazing like that! There are so many wonderful artists with diverse talent to offer. Get to know somebody new… and get reacquainted with the ones you already love, right here….

To get things started, I thought I might share a lil’ footage of myself Enjoy!

Miss R&B

‘Erykah Badu “Erykah Badu Live”

Great covers, effortless on stage, absolutely classic

Aretha Franklin “Amazing Grace”

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find video footage of a song from her Amazing Grace live  album in 1972 with Rev. James Cleveland and the Southern California Community Choir. It’s been toted to be one of her best recordings live. I decided to share other footage instead. Enjoy;)

Keith Jarrett “Live in Koln”

The Koln concert… completely improvised, another dimension…WOW!

Sam Cooke “Live @ The Harlem Square Club”

Stirring vocals, with breathtaking drama and unparalleled soul

The Roots “The Roots Come Alive”

Full of energy, classic hip hop nostalgia and dope collaborations

Nirvana “Nirvana Unplugged”

Signature grunge that comes together for an effortless set in New York…

Jay Z “Jay Z Unplugged”

Hip Hop’s Renaissance man…backed by The Roots

James Brown “Live @ The Apollo”

Thrilling, let’s go adrenaline, passionate and soulful delivery…just dynamite

Jimi Hendrix “Band Of Gypsy’s Live @ The Filmore”

A sign of the times…war and self expression… famous for the 12 minute rendition of Machine Gun… Here’s a taste

KISS “KISS Alive 1975″

Electrifying, fist pumping, neck jarring rock!

Curtis Mayfield “Curtis/Live”

His second album came with his solo debut! Very bold and well worth the risk. Brilliance…

Bill Withers “Live @ Carnegie Hall”

Reveals his layered personality which sets up the emotional content of his songs… stellar renditions

Simply divine with a guitar, trendsetting  and smooth as smooth gets

Woodstock

A day to remember in music history… hippies, psychedelics and everything between… an incredible jam session

Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane “Live @ Carnegie Hall”

Two jazz giants… Lost recordings for over 40yrs… skill, expression… enjoy!

The Commodores “Live”

One of the greatest soul R&B band albums live… classic after classic

Earth, Wind and Fire “Gratitude”

The infamous Earth, Wind and Fire super band with Phillip Bailey delivering one of our favorites leads…

Bob Dylan “Bootleg series Volume 4″

Can’t ignore his huge impact on music… strange, extraordinary poetic power tucked into musical genius

Johnny Cash “At Folsom Prison”

Raw passion, unadulterated humanity… a very influential musician of the 20th century

Bruce Springsteen “Live 1975-1985″

Inspirational with an X factor that makes him a people’s champion

Donny Hathaway “Live”

Couldn’t pick just one video… capturing his essence is well worth it

Marvin Gaye “Live”

Golden pipes, dripping soul with non-stop sex appeal … Mr. Marvin Gaye

If you’re out and about in the southtowns today, be sure and give this guy a shout, fist-pump, and pat on the back…

Happy Birthday to Mr. TFB~With Love from Nancy Pelosi

     ~~~~~
Big Music Notes for Today
~2000 Billy Gilman’s “One Voice” video is the big winner for the 2000 Billboard Music Video Awards, presented at the Universal Hilton Hotel in Universal City, Calif. The clip sweeps all four categories in which it is nominated: best country new artist clip, best contemporary Christian clip, best contemporary Christian new artist clip, and best jazz/AC new artist clip. ~1984, Former Rufus singer Chaka Khan was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘I Feel For You.’ Written by Prince, the song featured Stevie Wonder on harmonica and the Rap was by Grandmaster Melle Mel. The repetition of Khan’s name by rapper Melle Mel at the beginning of the song was originally a mistake made by producer Arif Mardin, who then decided to keep it.
~1997, American session guitarist Tommy Tedesco died of lung cancer aged 67. Described by “Guitar Player” magazine as the most recorded guitarist in history recording with The Beach Boys, Everly Brothers, The Supremes, The Monkees, The Association, Barbra Streisand, Elvis Presley, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Zappa, Sam Cooke, Cher, and Nancy and Frank Sinatra. And played on many TV themes including Bonanza, The Twilight Zone, M*A*S*H and Batman.
     ~~~~~
From the Smooth ‘n’ Jazzy World
(smoothjazznetwork.com)~”Gerhardt Fuchs, a versatile drummer who just this summer appeared on Late Show With David Letterman during a performance with John Legend, died on November 8 after a freak accident, falling to his death in the elevator shaft of an industrial building in Brooklyn.
Fuchs, 34, had attended a benefit party on a building’s seventh floor and was stuck on a freight elevator between the fourth and fifth floors, police say. He had been trying to jump out of the stalled car when his jacket got caught on something, causing him to fall to the bottom of the shaft.
Fuchs grew up in Marietta, Ga., and moved to New York in 1995. He performed in a number of bands, including one from Toronto called MSTRKRFT, pronounced “Mastercraft.” It was in this band that Fuchs performed on the Letterman show with Legend, the featured vocalist on a song called “Heartbreaker” on the band’s Fist of God CD.”

God Bless his family and friends during this difficult time.

~Smooth jazz guitarist and vocalist George Benson appeared on NBC’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon November 9, as a guest of the show’s house band, the Roots. The addition of Benson’s much-copied guitar style will certainly complement the powerful full-band groove that the Roots bring on a nightly basis. Benson, whose current Smooth Jazz Top 20 hit “Living In High Definition” is from his Songs and Stories CD, sat in with the band for the duration of the show.
Songs and Stories CD debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Albums chart and marked the 17th No. 1 album for Benson in the Billboard era. The CD is a collection of tunes penned by some of the most prolific and enduring songwriters of the last half-century. Some were written specifically for the recording, such as Lamont Dozier’s “Living in High Definition.”
On Wednesday, November 12, Benson will begin a tour of Europe, Russia and the Middle East.
     ~~~~~
Your Fab Four Fact Fix for Today
(thisdayinmusic.com)
~1967, The Beatles filmed three promotional films for their new single ‘Hello Goodbye’ at the Saville Theatre in London. Each of the three film clips featured different costumes and Beatle antics. In the first film they wear their “Sgt. Pepper” uniforms, for the second The Beatles are wearing everyday clothes, the third film clip features shots from the first two films, plus additional shots of The Beatles (especially John) doing the twist. A Musician’s Union ban on lip-sync broadcasts prevented the film being used on British television.
     ~~~~~
Big Firsts…Two of Them Today…Two Firsts
~1951 1st long distance telephone call without operator assistance
~1954 Iwo Jima Memorial (servicemen raising US flag) dedicated in Arlington
     ~~~~~
Oh Word, Man
~Paper clip: The larval stage of coat hangers.
~Profanity: The linguistic crutch of inarticulate bastards
~Punctuality: the virtue of the bored.
     ~~~~~
Big Birthdays
~1948 Greg Lake, singer/songwriter/producer/guitarist is born in Bournemouth, England. Lake contributed to King Crimson in the late ’60’s, and of course became a founding member of Emerson, Lake & Palmer. He contributed to many of ELP’s songs, “but was particularly noticeable for his guitar-oriented and soulful tunes” such as “Lucky Man”, “From the Beginning”, “Still…You Turn Me On”, “C’est la vie”. And in 1975, Greg was responsible for adding a new holiday tune to radio station Christmas playlists…”I Believe in Father Christmas”.
 
~ 1944 Dave Loggins born in Mountain City, Tenn. Along with 1974’s “Please Come to Boston”, Dave wrote “Pieces of April” for Three Dog Night, “Morning Desire” for Kenny Rogers, “Nobody Loves Me Like You Do” recorded by Anne Murray and himself. And also wrote for Restless Heart, Wynonna, Reba, Alabama, Gary Morris, Toby Keith, and Don Williams. “Loggins also composed the theme music “Augusta” that is used on broadcasts of the The Masters Golf Tournament. “Augusta” was later released as part of a collection of songs about golf called The New Course Record. On this recording, Loggins shared the vocal duties with Birmingham-based singer and pianist Ray Reach.” Oh, and BTW, Dave Loggins is a cuz of Kenny Loggins.
~1945 Donna Fargo, born Yvonne Vaughan (!?) Mount Airy, NC, country singer (“The Happiest Girl in Whole USA”, “Funny Face”)
~1956 Sinbad comedian/actor born in Benton Harbor, Michigan. (Different World, At the Apollo, The Sinbad Show, Jingle All the Way)
     ~~~~~
And Finally…From Twitterville
(In case you don’t know, Twitter has Trending Topics that keep up with current themes and people’s tweets about them. These were from yesterday’s collection under #world’s thinnest books)
~”Directory of Straight Male Cher Fans”
~”How to Seduce a Woman” by Richard Simmons
~”Eloquent Speaking” by Larry The Cable Guy
~”Healthy Cooking with Paula Deen”
~”Decisive Governing” by Obama
~”The Pot, The Kettle; You Get The Picture” by David Letterman
~”The importance of pessimism” by Joel Osteen
~”Famous Antartican TV Personalities of the 18th Century”
~”Irish dancing volume 2 – Use of the arms”
~”The Playlist of Local Radio Stations”
~”My Wild Side” by Pat Boone

It was good to see you again…thanks…

George Benson: Songs And Stories (Concord Jazz 0888072303645)
Ah, it’s the other gorgeous George. For some weak-minded reason every time a new George Benson album comes out I am interested enough to hear it and hope that it will be as good as the early ones – that the guitar playing will match those real jazz discs he made in the 1960s, that he will once more skirt pop music in the subtle way he did on his first few Warner Bros discs.

And every time I am mostly disappointed but still mildly entertained in places.

Well, this time it’s mostly entertainment and only mild disappointment. This is probably the closest Benson has got to the vibe of Breezin’ and  In Flight since, well, Breezin’ and In Flight.

Listen to his solo and skat solo on Show Me The Love, the way the beat changes up a gear for the solo on Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight, and his gospel vocal on A Telephone Call Away. The last named is a lovely duet with Lalah Hathaway with sumptuous strings, Hammond and saxophone (Gerald Albright) accompaniment. Other tunes in this soul-pop selection come from Smokey Robinson (One Like You), Tony Joe White (Rainy Night In Georgia) and Christopher Cross (Sailing). And Nuthin’ But A Party is a fine and funky outing with Norman Brown trading guitar and vocal lines with George, while Marcus does his wiry, popping bass thing beneath.

The tastiness of the arrangements, the overall sound and the great grooves are explained in part by the name Marcus Miller in the credits. But there are other solid gold names there too, like Ray Parker Jr, Wah Wah Watson, Lee Ritenour and Steve Lukather on guitars, Greg Phillinganes on piano, Rod Temperton on keyboards, Paulinho Da Costa on percussion and Tom Scott on saxophone.

It’s like the ’80s and ’90s never happened. Nice one George.

What a classy album cover!

Randy Crawford by Stuart Mentiply

L’artiste du ce  dimanche n’est pas toute jeune et pourtant je viens à peine de la découvrir. C’est fou ces artistes qui ont des carrières fulgurantes et dont on n’entend plus parler ensuite.. ce qui fait que les jeunes générations n’en profitent pas. C’est vraiment dommage.

Chanteuse de jazz and soul, elle a joué avec les plus grands dont une de mes stars : George Benson.

Voici ce qu’en dit Wikipedia : “Randy Crawford est une chanteuse de jazz et de soul américaine née le 18 février 1952 à Macon, dans l’état de Georgie. Elle a commencé sa carrière en se produisant dans des clubs, de Cincinnati à Saint-Tropez mais c’est au milieu des années 1970 qu’elle s’est faite un nom en chantant aux côtés de grands jazzmen comme George Benson ouCannonball Adderley. Par la suite, elle a accompagné Bootsy Collins, Johnny Bristol,Quincy Jones, Al Jarreau et bien d’autres.

Elle s’est ensuite faite remarquer sur le tube planétaire des vétérans du R&B/jazz, lesCrusaders, Street Life en 1979. Cette chanson a dominé les charts jazz pendant 20 semaines et est devenu depuis un classique du rare groove et du disco. Ses titres suivants One Day I’ll Fly Away (1980), You Might Need Somebody (1981, reprise deTurley Richards) et Rainy Night In Georgia (1981, reprise de Tony Joe White), deviendront tous des standards soul. Son album Secret Combination (1981) est resté dans les charts du Billboard pendant 60 semaines consécutives, après quoi sa carrière est retombée, malgré un succès dans le top 10 avec Almaz en 1986. Naked And True(1995) marque un retour à ses racines soul : elle y reprend Give Me The Night de George Benson et l’album compte la présence du Funkadelic Bootsy Collins, Bernie Worrell et les cuivres de Fred Wesley. La chanteuse connaît un regain de popularité en 1997, même si de façon involontaire puisque cette même année, son tube avec les Crusaders Street Lifeest inclus dans la BO du film Jackie Brown de Quentin Tarantino et la chanteuse anglaise Shola Ama reprend avec un succès considérable une version à l’identique de sa ballade You Might Need Somebody. En 2006, elle enregistre un album en duo avec le pianiste Joe Sample, Feeling Good, avec qui elle tourne pour une série de concerts, avec notamment quelques dates en France.”

Je vous laisse écouter ce son dément !

Detroit Free Press reporter Martin Bandyke in the article “5 questions with George Benson” writes that the 66-year old Arizona resident still plays tons of concerts and stays busy in the studio.

Лейбъл: Concord

Дата на издаване: 25.08. 2009

Формат: CD

Жанр: R&B, Джаз

Стил: Soul, Smooth Jazz, Pop

45 години не стигат!

По-предният албум на Джордж Бенсън „Irreplaceable” (2004) беше пълна катастрофа. Последният – „Givin’ It Up” (2006) постигна огромен успех, но беше в дует с Ал Жаро. Така че почитателите на китарния маестро трябваше дълго да почакат за нещо ново и добро от него.

Бенсън обаче не им изневери. За 45-тата годишнина от началото на своята звукозаписна кариера той пусна нов диск. И макар да носи подозрителното заглавие „Songs And Stories”, той е с изцяло нова продукция.

Някои казват, че Джордж Бенсън никога няма да успее да издаде албум, който да се хареса на всичките му фенове. Просто защото аудиторията му е много разнообразна и се състои от две основни групи фенове. Едните харесват поп и соул музиката му. Другите пък боготворят джаз китарата му. На която и страна от творчеството си да наблегне великият майстор, все ще има недоволни и разочаровани.

„Songs And Stories” страда от същата дилема. Той започва като поп албум, но по някое време се появява малко китара, после пак се връща към соул музиката, след това прави неуверен завой към инструменталния джаз и накрая твърдо остава там.

На първо слушане това е един хаотичен албум, сбор от каквото е записвал напоследък човекът, когато е бил на кеф да влезе в студио (той все пак е на 66). Но второто и последващите го прослушвания убеждават, че Бенсън е в отлична форма като музикант и творец и е извадил един страхотно добър албум, пълен с бисери и диаманти в почти всяко парче.

Бенсън започва лежерно и мързеливо със соул кавър на Джеймс Тейлър – „Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight”. Тук му партнира като контрапункт акустичната китара на бразилеца Тониньо Хорта, а на ударните е ветеранът Паолино Да Коста.

В същото темпо остава и джаз поп композицията „Family Reunion”, която ни връща в началото на 80-те. Нищо чудно, тъй като тя е дело на гениалния фънки маестро от онези години Род Темпъртън – автор на уникални хитове, сред които например вездесъщия „Thriller” на Майкъл Джексън.

Следва „Show Me The Love” – първият бляскав диамант в албума. Бързичкото парче е дело на Стив Люкадър и Дейвид Пейч от Тото и на басиста Маркъс Милър, който е и съпродуцент на целия албум. На китарата е поредната фънк легенда – Рей Паркър Джуниър, а Бенсън демонстрира блестящата си техника и прословутото си скат пеене в унисон с бързите си пръсти. Прекрасният аранжимент на духовите и щрайха абсолютно връща в края на 70-те и неизбежно подсеща за невероятния връх „Give Me The Night” (1980).

Темпото успокоява „A Telephone Call Away”, нова песен на соул легендата Бил Уитърс, която Бенсън прави в дует със златния глас на Лола Хатауей, подкрепен от саксофона на Джералд Олбрайт.

Последващата „Someday We’ll All Be Free” е кавър на старо парче на бащата на Лола – Дони Хатауей. Джази версията на Бенсън показва, че джазът в пръстите му по грифа още пари, а гласът му е в невероятна форма – мек като кадифе.

„Nuthin’ But A Party” е рискован опит за леко ърбън, хип хоп ритъм – там, където китаристът се провали преди години в албума „Irreplaceable”. Този път парчето е трепач с участието на извънземния бас на Маркъс Милър, акомпаниран от дуела между китарите на Бенсън и по-младия му джаз колега Норман Браун.

„Come In From The Cold” е още една лежерна Мотаун соул балада, макар да е дело на съвременен композитор. Отбелязваме поредното звездно участие – този път на саксофониста Том Скот.

И ето ти я „Exotica” на Маркъс Милър – огромен подарък за феновете на седемдесетарския смуут джаз инструментален звук на Бенсън. Общо взето, непретенциозно парче, което обаче спокойно може да влезе в топ 10 или 20 на най-доброто, излязло изпод ръцете на феноменалния китарист.

Следващата е класиката „Rainy Night In Georgia”, която сменя темпото, но запазва настроението от онези велики бенсънови албуми от средата на 70-те. Без да се напъва особено, китаристът прави чисто своя, доста различна от оригинала версия.

Същото важи и за следващия радио френдли смуут джаз кавър – „One Like You” на Смоуки Робинсън.

И отново – диамант. „Living In High Definition” е модерна, бърза инструментална версия на парче от Мотаун ветерана, композитора Лемънт Дозиър. Страхотен аранжимент, страхотни музиканти, страхотен Бенсън от най-висша класа. Точно заради смазващи изпълнения като това мнозина вярват, че Джордж Бенсън е най-великият жив джаз китарист, макар че по-добри техничари от него не е трудно да се намерят.

Албумът свършва все така меко, лежерно, привидно небрежно и разпускащо, както е започнал, с кавър и по „Sailing” на Кристофър Крос – поредното доказателство за безупречния вкус на божествения китарист.

Малко са албумите, в които се изсипва такава благодат за ухото на слушателя, изсвирена при това от десетки топ музиканти, почти всеки от които – сам той звезда в своя бранш. Нека споменем още няколко имена – Стив Поркаро и Грег Филингейнс (клавишни), Уа Уа Уотсън, Пол Джаксън Джуниър и Лий Ритенаур (китари), Пати Остин (вокал), Джери Хей (аранжимент на духовата секция).

Изненадващо в този звезден кастинг откриваме и едно българско име – Тодор Пелев. Живещият днес в Америка български цигулар е завършил Софийската консерватория, а в годините зад океана си е създал бледстяща кариера и реноме на перфектен концертен и студиен музикант. Освен с Джордж Бенсън, записвал е и с Тийна Мари за тазгодишния й доста успешен албум. Участвал е и в записите на албума на Рей Чарлз „Genius Loves Company”.

„Songs And Stories” може би не е сред най-великите албуми, но е най-доброто, което китаристът е издавал от поне десет години насам. Сравнително успешният баланс между поп, соул и джаз от една страна, и между песни и инструментални изпълнения от друга, прави албума силно комерсиален за ценителите на перфектно изпълнени композиции от музиканти виртуози. Няколкото блестящи изпълнения от висша класа в духа на най-добрите записи на Бенсън от 70-те и 80-те пък го правят безусловно желан и задължителен подарък за всеки истински фен.

Джордж Бенсън не е кой да е и не издава албуми всеки ден. Дано е жив и здрав да ни радва още много години с таланта, присъствието и музикалността си!

Оценка: 8 от 10 – страхотен

Автор: Ники Русиновски

Торент: http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/5040182/George_Benson_-_Songs__amp__Stories_(Advance_2009)_-_Jazz

Видео: 

I recently decided that I no longer accept the religious excuse for homophobia as valid.  The typical Christian claim goes like this: “I’m not the one who says homosexuality is evil, God says so.”  Our society is reluctant to criticize opinions that are related to religion, but it eventually comes around.  For a long time, southern Christians used religious rhetoric to justify segregation and discrimination, saying things like “God made some blue birds and some black birds and that they were not intended to mix.” Although this type of thing was accepted for a long time, we eventually got to the point where we told religious racists that their oppressive opinions were no longer acceptable.  I have reached that point with religious homophobia.

The typical quote in the second sentence above attempts to avoid intellectual responsibility.  The statement could be paraphrased “I was told to think this, and I am repeating it, but I do not bear any responsibility for the words coming out of my mouth.”  I disagree.  Thinking human beings are responsible for the things they say and believe as well as the things they do.  At Nuremberg, Nazi war criminals tried to absolve themselves based on the defense that they were only following what an authority said.  Their defense didn’t work, and they dangled from gallows.

Modern people who publicly condemn others for being gay or lesbian or who discriminate against them must be held accountable for their words and actions.  It is no longer a defense that they are relying on religious beliefs.

Some Christians object to the term homophobia when it is applied to them.  It doesn’t matter if they are homophobic with good intentions or homophobic with smiles on their faces.  A racist university president who gently says that black people shouldn’t be able to go to the same schools as white people is still a racist.  An anti-Semitic restaurant owner who refuses to serve Jews, but smiles is still anti-Semitic.  These are irrational prejudicial attitudes and none of them can be justified in the modern world.

We cannot allow homophobes to use the intellectual Nuremberg defense to avoid moral accountability for the things they do and say any more.

Smooth ‘n’ Jazzy news on Jessy J coming up…

What an Awesome Family!

That’s Niece Deborah, hubbie Tony, and the kids (hope I have it right) are Mia, Zach, and Emma.

Big Birthdays Today
~1953 Tom Petty, Gainesville Fla, singer (Heartbreakers-Refugee)
~1890 Jelly Roll Morton, New Orleans, US pianist, arranger, bandleader, the first great composer in jazz, died 10th July 1941.

Big Firsts
~1817 1st Mississippi showboat leaves Nashville on maiden voyage
~1960 1st fully mechanized post office opened, Providence, RI

Big Music Notes
~1967, Davy Jones of The Monkees opened his own ‘Zilch’, boutique in Greenwich Village, New York City.
~1977, Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines and Cassie Gaines of Lynyrd Skynyrd were all killed along with manager Dean Kilpatrick when their rented plane ran out of fuel and crashed into a densely wooded thicket in the middle of a swamp in Gillsburg, Missouri. The crash and seriously injured the rest of the band and crew who were due to play at Louisiana University that evening.
~1991, Country singer Clint Black married actress from ‘Knot’s Landing’, Lisa Hartman.

Big on the Music Charts
~1979, Herb Alpert started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Rise’, giving the co founder of A&M records his second US No.1.
~1979, The Eagles started a nine week run at No.1 on the US album chart with ‘The Long Run’, the bands fourth US No.1.
~1973, The Rolling Stones went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Angie’, the group’s 7th US chart topper.

Big Beatle Fix for This Date
~1961, The Beatles played a lunchtime show at the Cavern Club, Liverpool and tonight they appeared at The Village Hall in Knotty Ash, Liverpool.

Big Smooth ‘n’ Jazzy Notes
(courtesy www.smoothjazznetwork.com)
~ Smooth jazz saxophonist Jessy J, whose “Tropical Rain” is the No. 1 song on the Smooth Jazz Top 20, has just released several videos which should be of interest to her fans. The first is an actual video of “Tropical Rain” recently recorded at the Pizza Express jazz club in London, where Jessy is joined on stage by smooth jazz guitarists Peter White and Paul Brown.

Jessy’s No. 1 song is from her latest CD, True Love, released in August. It’s her second No. 1, as “Tequila Moon,” from her debut CD of the same name, also went to the top spot of the Smooth Jazz Top 20.

For the last couple of years, Jessy has been one of the most active video posters among smooth jazz artists. In addition to numerous videos on her official website, Jessy also has a YouTube page where you can see her playing piano at recitals, competitions and festivals, as well as one of her in high school playing the saxophone.

Jessy, who is fluent in Spanish, says her music has many influences. However, there is one style that most affected her, which is reflected on “Tropical Rain” and True Love. “I feel strongly influenced by music of Latin America. Growing up, I always had music playing in the house. It’s kind of just in me to play that style of music. It’s hard to explain, but all I can say is that I understand it really well. I started incorporating more of that into jazz and then a little bit of pop on top of that, and then now the smooth jazz element really brings things together.”

Big Believe It or Don’t
(what customers were saying at their local convenient store  in 1955)
~’If cigarettes keep going up in price, I’m going to quit. 20 cents a pack is ridiculous.’
~’I never thought I’d see the day all our kitchen appliances would be electric. They are even making electric typewriters now.’
~’I'm afraid the Volkswagen car is going to open the door to a whole lot of foreign business.’
~’No one can afford to be sick anymore, at $15.00 a day in the hospital, it’s too rich for my blood.’
~’Who the heck hired this Pat G. woman?! She’s so nasty and rude to us customers! ‘

Big Blog-Reader Challenge
(Sure you’ll do better-I only got a score of 21)
http://games.toast.net/independence/

Big Late Night Humor
(from Dave’s online newsletter)
~Top Ten Things Overheard During the Bernie Madoff Prison Brawl
From the Home Office in Wahoo, Nebraska…
An Exclusive Un-Aired Top Ten List
Cut From the 10/13/09 Show…
10. “They say disagreements over the stock market are the leading cause of prisoner violence”
9. “Bernie bet against himself and made $5 million”
8. “I’d hate for this incident to tarnish the Madoff family’s image”
7. “This had to be the lamest brawl in the history of prison”
6. “The Latin Kings aren’t what they used to be”
5. “I haven’t seen a 71 year-old in such good shape since Brett Favre — he’s that old, people!”
4. “Is this some scheme Bernie whipped up to swindle us out of cigarettes?”
3. “Will this get Bernie kicked out of the prison production of ‘Jersey Boys’?”
2. “Let’s celebrate your win with some booze I made in the toilet”
1. “Hope this doesn’t ruin his chances of getting out in 150 years”

And Finally…A Moment for Us?…Could we?…Just you and I?
~I have not been so enthused and pumped-up about a song in YEARS, as I am when I hear a particular song from George Benson’s new album. The album is called “Lovers and Songs” (or somethin’, “Lovers of Songs” maybe?- I forget , and I’ve heard 3 or 4 tunes from it, but “Living in High Definition” , esp the entire album version, is just something that gives me the old-fashioned ‘chills up the spine’ (or for you Chris Matthews’ fans, “a shiver up my legs”). Granted, it’s smooth jazz/contemp/pop/jazz (or whatever-what are categories anyway?   –so it’s not going to excite everyone as much as it does me–but so smooth, jazzy, and subtly powerful. And stays with you for a long while afterwards. Don’t have a link to send to you, but it’s getting regular play on the Smooth Jazz Internet Radio Stations, and I’m sure the CD is climbing the charts and available everywhere, as well.
Smokin’ and Memorable*****
“Living in High Definition”
George Benson

…and your Dorkman is out…Thanks for coming by…

In Volume 33 of The Originals, we’ll look at the first recordings of Glen Campbell’s Gentle On My Mind, The Drifters’ On Broadway, Millie’s My Boy Lollipop, George Harrison’s Got My Mind Set On You and Lutricia McNeal’s Ain’t that Just The Way. The two versions of On Broadway that preceded The Drifters’ version are of particular interest because they were recorded as originally written; the song was reworked for the version that became a hit. As always, thanks to Walter and RH who helped me out with songs.

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John Hartford – Gentle On My Mind (1967).mp3
Glen Campbell – Gentle On My Mind (1967).mp3
Leonard Nimoy – Gentle On My Mind (1968).mp3
Boots Randolph – Gentle On My Mind (1968).mp3
Elvis Presley – Gentle On My Mind (1969).mp3
Even without a chorus, Gentle On My Mind made a great impact when it first appeared in the late 1960s. John Hartford, who wrote the song, picked up two Grammys for best folk performance and best country song, but that was eclipsed by Glen Campbell, for whom it became a signature tune (literally; it was the theme of his 1969-72 TV show, The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, on which Hartford frequently appeared). Campbell, who discovered the song when he heard Hartford’s record on the radio, also won two Grammy for his version, for best country recording and solo performance). His version was a hit twice, in 1967 and again in 1968. The song also bothered the charts in versions by Patti Page (1968) and Aretha Franklin (1969), and featured on Elvis Presley’s excellent comeback album, From Elvis In Memphis (1969). In Britain, its only chart appearance was a #2 hit for, of all people, Dean Martin in1969.

Gentle On My Mind was not a typical John Hartford number. The singer is better known for his bluegrass roots which found expression in his accomplished use of the banjo and fiddle (shortly before his death at 63 in 2001, Hartford won another Grammy for his contributions to the bluegrass soundtrack for the Coen Brothers’ O Brother, Where Art Thou?). Hartford — the son of a New York doctor who grew up in St Louis and later acquired a steamboat pilot licence — said that he wrote Gentle On My Mind after watching the film Dr Zhivago. “While I was writing it, if I had any idea that was going to be a hit, it probably would have come out differently and it wouldn’t have been a hit. That just came real fast, a blaze, a blur.” See Hartford’s scribbled lyrics on the website dedicated to the singer.

The song is said to have spawned some 300 cover versions. Elvis’ remake is from the great Memphis sessions which also yielded Suspicious Minds (another cover, dealt with HERE); saxophonist Boots Randolph delivers a very likable easy listening instrumental; and Leonard Nimoy’s version…well, it needs to be heard.

Also recorded by: Tammy Wynette (1967), Trini Lopez (1968), The Lettermen (1968), Burl Ives (1968), Eddy Arnold (1968), Nancy Wilson (1968), Jim Ed Brown (1968), David Houston (1968), Johnny Darrell (1968), Wally Whyton (1968), Patti Page (1968), Billy Eckstine (1968), Dean Martin (1968), Frank Sinatra (1968), Bobbie Gentry & Glen Campbell (1968), Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs (1968), Wolfgang Sauer (as Die schönen Zeiten der Erinnerung , 1968), Andy Williams (1969), Lenny Dee (1969), Nat Stuckey (1969), Aretha Franklin (1969), Elvis Presley (1969), Lawrence Welk (1969), Wayne Versage (1969), Claude François (as Si douce à mon souvenir, 1970), The New Seekers (1970), Albert West (1975), Bucky Dee James & The Nashville Explosion (1977), Howard Carpendale (1980), Mark Eitzel (2002), Johnny Cash with Glen Campbell (released in 2003), Lucinda Williams (2006) a.o.

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The Cookies – On Broadway (1962).mp3
The Cystals – On Broadway (1962).mp3
The Drifters – On Broadway (1963).mp3 (reuploaded)
George Benson – On Broadway (single version) (1978).mp3
Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil were among the giants of the Brill Building songwriting collective, although they were based at Aldon Music on 1650 Broadway, not in the actual Brill Building at 1619 Broadway (Aldon Music was co-founded by Al Nevins, one of the Three Suns who recorded the original of Twilight Time). According to Cynthia Weil, her future husband Mann had wanted to write a “Gershwinesque” pop song, and she, being a Broadway fan, was delighted to put appropriate lyrics to the melody. They first had the song recorded by The Cookies (who featured in The Originals HERE), who ordinarily recorded songs, mostly demos, by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. Their demo was not released, but that by fellow girl-group the Crystals recorded soon after was, opening side 2 of their 1962 Twist Uptown album.

In February 1963, Brill bosses Mike Stoller and Jerry Leiber were in need of a song for the Drifters. At their request, Mann & Weil offered their On Broadway. Leiber & Stoller didn’t quite like their arrangement, and revised it overnight with the original composers. Next day the Drifters recorded the song, with Leiber & Stoller protégé Phil Spector on guitar and Rudy Lewis (successor of Ben E. King as the group’s lead singer) making one of his final appearances as a Drifter before his sudden death of a heart attack in 1964. Released in March ’63, the Drifters’ version became a hit, reaching #9 in the Billboard charts.

George Benson’s jazzed-up 1978 live recording did even better, reaching #7 in the US. Recorded in L.A., the crowd clearly agrees with the statement that Benson “can play this here guitar”.

Also recorded by: The Challengers (1963), Bobby Darin (1963), Nancy Wilson (1964), Dave Clark Five (1964), Frank Alamo (1964), Freddie Scott (1964), Lou Rawls (1966), King Curtis (1966), Nancy Sinatra (1966), Willis Jackson (1966), Blossom Dearie (1966), Mongo Santamaría (1970), Livingston Taylor (1971), Tony Christie (1972), Eric Carmen (1975), Disco Tex & The Sex-O-Lettes feat. Sir Monti Rock III (1977), George Benson (1978), Bogart (1979), Gary Numan (1981), Jeff Beck & Paul Rodgers (1983), Neil Young (1989), Jeff Beck & Paul Rodgers (1994), George Benson & Clifford and the Rhythm Rats (1995), Stacy Sullivan (1997), Johnny Mathis (2000), Barbie Anaka with David Loy (2003), Frankie Valli & Jersey Boys (2007), James Taylor (2008), Daniele Magro (2009) a.o.

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Barbie Gaye – My Boy Lollypop (1956).mp3
Millie Small – My Boy Lollipop (1964).mp3
How often does a cover version change the course of music history? Elvis’ remakes of country, blues and rockabilly numbers. The standards sung by Sinatra and Crosby. And Millie’s My Boy Lollipop, widely regarded as the first crossover ska hit which helped give reggae a mainstream audience. In its original version, My Boy Lollypop (note the original spelling) was a song recorded in 1956 by the white R&B singer Barbie Gaye, at 15 two years younger than Millie Small was when she had a hit with the cover in 1964.

As so often in pop history, the story of the song’s authorship is cloaked in controversy. By most accounts, it was written by Bobby Spencer of the doo wop band the Cadillacs, with the group’s manager, Johnny Roberts, getting co-writer credit. Barbie Gaye’s single became a very minor hit, championed by the legendary rock ’n roll DJ Alan Freed (the late songwriter Ellie Greenwich styled herself Ellie Gaye in tribute to Barbie on her first single, 1958’s Silly Isn’t It). It was Spencer’s misfortune to come into contact with the notorious record executive and music publisher Morris Levy, who implausibly claimed that he had in fact written My Boy Lollypop, using the moniker R Spencer as a pseudonym. The Cadillacs’ Spencer was later reinstated on the credits which nonetheless still list Levy as a co-writer. Levy’s name is attached to other classics which he had no hand in writing, such as Lee Dorsey’s Ya Ya, Frankie Lymon’s Why Do Fools Fall In Love, and later the Rivieras’ California Sun.

My Boy Lollipop was resurrected in 1964 by Chris Blackwell, boss of the nascent Island Records in England label which had recorded no big hit yet. He chose young Millicent Small, who as the duo Roy and Millie had enjoyed a hit with We’ll Meet in Jamaica, to record it. Her version changed that: the song became a worldwide hit, reaching #2 in both US and UK. Island, of course, went on to become the label of Bob Marley, Roxy Music, Robert Palmer and U2. Millie’s German version of the song featured HERE.

Also recorded by: Joan Baxter (1964), Heidi Bachert (German version, 1964), Plum Run (as part of a medley with Lollipop, 1969), Maggie Mae (1974), James Last (1975), Lea Laven (1976), Flesh (1979), Bad Manners (as My Girl Lollipop [My Boy Lollipop], 1982), Lulu (1986), Isabelle A & The Dinky Toys (1996), Die Mädels (2003), Élodie Frégé (2003), Steven Seagal (as Lollipop, 2005), The King Blues (2008), Amy Winehouse (2009) a.o.

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James Ray – Got My Mind Set On You (1962).mp3
George Harrison – Got My Mind Set On You (1987).mp3
Produced by Jeff Lynne of the Electric Light Orchestra, it was a cover version that gave George Harrison his first big hit since his nostalgic All Those Years Ago six years earlier. With Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty, Harrison and Lynne went on to form the Traveling Wilburys. It is no accident that Harrison’s US#1 and UK#2 hit sounds a lot like a Wilburys song.

Got My Mind Set On you was originally recorded at roughly the same time as the Beatles began their ascent. Indeed, Harrison discovered the song at that time when he bought James Ray’s LP during a holiday to visit his sister in the US in September 1963. It was written by Rudy Cark, who also wrote The Shoop Shoop Song (featured HERE), Good Lovin’ (which will still feature in this series) and Barbara Mason’s Everybody’s Got to Make A Fool Out Of Somebody. He also co-wrote the Main Ingredient’s Everybody Plays The Fool. R&B Singer Ray James was remembered mostly for only one song, and it wasn’t the song Harrison resurrected 25 years later, but If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody, which reached #22 in the Billboard charts. It might have become a Beatles cover (they did perform it), but in Britain Freddie & the Dreamers had a hit with it.

The diminutive Ray began recording in 1959, as Little Jimmy Ray, releasing one single which flopped. He soon became destitute until he was rediscovered in 1962, while busking in the streets and living on a rooftop in Washington, by Gerry Granahan of Caprice Records. Soon after, If You’ve Got To Make A Fool became a hit, and Ray’s star seemed to be rising. Alas, he struggled to have more hits. James Ray died in 1964, reportedly of a drug overdose. Featured here is the longer album version of I’ve Got My Mind Set On You, on which Ray was backed by the Hutch Davie Orchestra, which Harrison would have heard on the LP he bought (and which is a lot better than his cover). The single version apparently was brutally truncated.

Also recorded by: ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic (parody as This Song’s Just Six Words Long, 1988), Shakin’ Stevens (2007)

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Barbi Benton – Ain’t That Just The Way (1976).mp3
Lutricia McNeal – Ain’t That Just The Way (1997).mp3
Twenty years before the unusually named Lutricia McNeal had a European hit with Ain’t That Just The Way, it was recorded by the girlfriend of Playboy honcho Hugh Hefner. Hefner and Benton became a couple, for seven years, after the then 18-year-old pretended to be his girlfriend in episodes of the Playboy After Dark TV series in 1968. Born Barbara Klein (the more Playboy-friendly name was suggested by Hefner, of course) in New York and growing up in California, Benton was primarily an actress, appearing in a few unsuccessful movies as well as in the TV show Hee Haw. Between 1978 and ’81, she had three cameos playing three different characters on the Love Boat. In the meantime, she recorded six albums (including a live set) between 1974 and 1988, scoring a country chart top 5 hit in 1975 with Brass Buckles. She also appeared several times in Playboy, making it to the cover in July 1969, March 1970, May 1972 and October 1985 — but never as a Playmate.

Benton first released Ain’t That Just The Way, which she co-wrote with film composer Stu Philips, as a single in 1976, possibly for the TV series McCloud, which Philips scored. It Appears in an episode of which the song played (the “Park Avenue Pirates” one, fact fans). Benton re-recorded a slowed-down version of the song, produced by Deep Purple’s Roger Glover, for her 1978 album of the same title (the cover of which is pictured here). The version featured here is the 1976 single. Benton today is married to a millionaire real estate developer and apparently works as an interior designer in L.A.

The song was covered in 1977 by Dutch singer Patricia Paay, retitled Poor Jeremy. Two decades later, American R&B singer McNeal had a big hit throughout Europe with her version, restored to its original title, reaching #5 in Britain and the top 10 in every European chart, as well as topping the Billboard Dance charts. In a bit of a twist, McNeal posed in the German edition of Hefner’s Playboy magazine in 2004.

Also recorded by: Patricia Paay (as Poor Jeremy, 1977)

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More Originals

Seguramente todos y cada uno de vosotros conocéis la canción Sunny. Aunque es probable que no sepáis quién es el autor original, y es que, esta canción ha sido una de las más versionadas de la historia. Y de más o menos eso es de lo que vamos a hablar.

Bobby Hebb

Su autor original fue Bobby Hebb, los motivos de su composición los podéis encontrar en este articulo de la Wikipedia.

Para Bobby Hebb, tras pasar por la muerte de su hermano  Harold en un club nocturno de Nashville,  esta canción está marcada como un acto de optimismo hacia la vida, quizás incluso inspirada en Dios.

“All my intentions were just to think of happier times – basically looking for a brighter day – because times were at a low tide.

En éste enlace podéis ver a Bobby Hebb cantando Sunny en un programa de televisión.

Sunny se convirtió en un éxito inmediato en 1966, y a lo largo de todo este tiempo, las innumerables versiones que se han hecho de ella, la han convertido en un standard del R&B y del Jazz.

Precisamente del género Jazz, os destacamos esta preciosa versión instrumental que hizo el guitarrista y cantante George Benson en su album Giblet Gravy.

George Benson

Capaz de cantar como nadie  sus propios solos de guitarra, traslada a esta versión de Sunny su sensibilidad musical en forma de unos fraseos de guitarra jazz pa’ quitar el sentío.

Esperamos que os guste!

Año de Publicación: 1980
Nacionalidad: EE.UU.
Discográfica: Warner Bros.
Producción: Quincy Jones

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Lista de temas:

01 Love x Love

02 Off Broadway

03 Moody’s Mood

04 Give Me The Night

05 What’s On Your Mind

06 Dinorah, Dinorah

07 Love Dance

08 Star of a Story (x)

09 Midnight Love Affair

10 Turn Out The Lamplight

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“Brezzin“

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“Take Five“

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“Affirmation“

Sidney Rodrigues, né à São Paulo est un guitariste brésilien autodidacte.

Influençé par Ary Piassarollo, Pat Metheny, George Benson or Wes Montgomery, Sideny Rodrigues a développé sa propre technique pour devenir compositeur et improvisateur sur guitare classique et semi acoustique.

A Paris depuis 2002, il poursuit une carrière européenne et en parrallèle de sa carrière solo, a pu joué avec de grands chanteurs et chanteuses comme Marcia Maria, Bïa, Emilio Santiago, Jorge Pardo and Nicolas Stilo.

Vous pouvez le découvrir sur son site Myspace ici : http://www.myspace.com/sidneyrodrigues

Philippe Baden Powell, le fils du plus célèbre guitariste brésilien nous le recommande ce soir.

By 1977 Warner Bros. had quite a stable of artists producing R&B, soul, funk and dance music – or disco, in the parlance of the time.  That is what sold and what managed to get on the radio, but in truth the Warner R&B artists were as varied as the label’s underground acts just eight years before.  Cook Book, a two-LP sampler focusing mainly on the WB/Reprise R&B acts (“black” music, in the parlance of radio programmers) had a little bit of everything: pop artists (Dionne Warwick), jazz artists (George Benson), gospel soul shouters (Candi Staton), Motown alumni (Undisputed Truth, Lamont Dozier) – all put into duty in service of the Great and Powerful Disco.

I must admit, I do not own Cook Book so I cannot judge its worthiness or faults.  The four cuts included here did appear on the sampler, however.  You know, I’m not sure how these Loss Leaders samplers were marketed in the mid-1970s.  I did see ads for some of the earlier albums in comic books and in Rolling Stone;  and truth to be told, I spotted an ad for one of the later Loss Leaders and after purchasing that one I filled in the missing back copies in my collection from a coupon printed on an inside sleeve of the record.

So let’s move on to Limo, also from 1977.  Ostensibly a return to the diversity of the earlier Loss Leaders, Limo transported the usual suspects (Ry Cooder, Van Morrison, Jesse Winchester, Jesse Colin Young, Little Feat, Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris), chart-topping singles (“Tonight’s The Night” by Rod Stewart; “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing” by Leo Sayer; “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac) as well as a collection of oddities and novelties (The Gabby Pahinui Hawaiian Band).  Another novelty was the sprightly British group Deaf School, brought to Burbank by the Beatles’ faithful press agent Derek Taylor.  Gary Wright followed his big hit “Dream Weaver” here with “Phantom Writer,” which to my ears sounds a little like “Love Is Alive.”

Limo also detoured away from the disco for the most part, featuring instead artists like Al Jarreau, who offered a live “Better Than Anything” from his third Warner Bros. album and the blue-eyed soul of Ed Sanford and John Townsend, whose offering “Moolah Mah Mazuma” was re-tooled from a previous album (that also contained their hit, “Smoke From A Distant Fire”).

Eddie Hazel, guitarist for George Clinton’s Parliament-Funkadelic corporation, showcases his first solo album with a cover of “California Dreamin’.”   Hazel was best known for his wild 10-minute guitar solo on Funkadelic’s definitive statement “Maggot Brain.”  This is straight from the Limo liner notes: “One day in 1975, Eddie was on an airliner when he saw a UFO which (sic) took him off the plane and fed him to the universe.  When an air marshall (sic) attempted to calm him, Eddie bit the man on the neck.  Result: a year in jail, during which Eddie workied hard at developing his own style of playing, singing and writing.”  One would assume that explains his absence from Funkadelic’s most successful album, One Nation Under A Groove.  Eddie finally died in 1992, of liver failure no doubt brought on by years of alcohol and drug abuse – they played “Maggot Brain” at his funeral.

Speaking of liner notes, this would be a good time to mention the contributions of one Mr. Barrett Hansen, who compiled and annotated most of the Loss Leaders samplers.   He would take a break from this job after Limo, as most of his time was devoted to his more famous persona – radio archivist/humorist Dr. Demento.   Surely you’ve heard a Dr. Demento radio program or record in your lifetime: he’s credited with discovering the likes of Weird Al Yankovic and may be loved (or hated) for making famous records such as “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer” by Elmo & Patsy and “Junk Food Junkie” by Larry Groce.  Dr. Demento’s syndicated radio show eventually lost member stations slicked into rigid formats by their corporate masters.  It’s heard only on a handful of stations today, but you can tune in Dr. Demento any time you want by streaming it from his website.

MP3: “Nature Boy” by George Benson (from Cook Book)

MP3: “Rubber Duckie” by Bootsy’s Rubber Band (from Cook Book)

MP3: “Love (Covers A Multitude Of Sin) by Graham Central Station (from Cook Book)

MP3: “Express Yourself” by Charles Wright and the 103rd Street Rhythm Band (from Cook Book)

MP3: “Alimony” by Ry Cooder (from Limo)

MP3: “Flamingos Fly” by Van Morrison (from Limo)

MP3: “Phantom Writer” by Gary Wright (from Limo)

MP3: “What A Way To End It All” by Deaf School (from Limo)

MP3: “Walking Blues” by Kate and Anna McGarrigle (from Limo)

MP3: “California Dreamin’ ” by Eddie Hazel (from Limo)

Inside the WB/Reprise Loss Leaders at Dustbury.com

30 Days Out’s series on the WB/Reprise Loss Leaders

The cull to bring the 1976/77 mix down to CD-R length was more brutal than I had anticipated. So much good music that failed to make the cut (hence all the bonus tracks)! Here then is a mix of a few fairly well-known songs, a couple of album tracks, and a handful of quite rare — and certainly not familiar — numbers. A few of these rarities are not of great sound quality; I hope the excellence of the music compensates for that.

To me the centre piece in the mix is Marlena Shaw’s Yu-Ma/Go Away Little Boy, the boy of the title being a bit of a waster whom Marlena knows she ought to get rid of — but when he nibbles her earlobes…ooooh! Shaw is treasured among the soul and jazz cognoscenti, but wider fame has sadly eluded her. Shaw’s career, which started with a performance at age 10 at the Harlem Apollo, was certainly distinguished. She was not yet out of her teens when she co-wrote the jazz classic Wade In The Water with Ramsey Lewis. Careering between jazz and soul, she fronted the Count Basie band from 1968-72, and before that came up with some soul gems, such as California Soul and Liberation Conversation (the latter features on Any Major ’60s Soul Vol. 2). By the mid-‘70s she had no recording contract. A CBS record exec heard her sing Go Away Little Boy at a nightclub, and signed her up, giving her career a new lease.

The singer with the most off-putting name in this set must be Bunny Sigler. Born Walter Sigler, the nickname refers to the timing of his birth: two days before Easter 1941. The Philadelphia native was an early collaborator with Philly Soul godfather Leon Huff. He had a couple of minor hits in the 1960s, including 1967’s Let The Good Times Roll (featured on Any Major ’60s Soul Vol. 1), and was central in the ascent of Philly Soul in the ’70s, not only as a singer but also as a writer and producer. Like Marlena Shaw, Sigler continues to perform today.

Billy Paul’s Let ‘Em In is a cover of the Wings song, but with entirely different lyrics, paying tribute to Malcolm X, Martin Luther Kind, Louis Armstrong et al. Vastly superior McCartney’s original, a truth I hold as self-evident.

Arthur Alexander occupies a rare, perhaps unique, position in music history: he had his original songs covered by the Beatles (Anna), Elvis Presley (Burnin’ Love) and the Rolling Stones (You Better Move On). More of a writer and arranger than a hitmaker, Alexander enjoyed a very brief revival in the mid-’70s. The gorgeous Sharing The Night Together, which was written by Muscle Shoals composers Ava Aldridge and Eddie Struzick, reached only #92 in the R&B charts. Typically, somebody else had greater success with it, in this case Dr Hook. Thereafter Alexander drifted out of the music industry, working as a bus driver. Just as he began making music again in 1993, he died of a heart attack. He was 53.

Bo Kirkland and Ruth Davis represent the disco influence in this mix. They were both recording independently until put together at Claridge Records, to whom both had signed. The smoothly funky You’re Gonna Get Next To Me was their only hit, reaching #12 in Britain in 1977.

The New World (not to be confused with the early’70s Australian group) were Curtis Mayfield protégés who did not seem to have recorded much more than one single. We’re Gonna Make It was the flip side of Help The Man, a funky number which can find at the I Wish You Would blog. Curtis Mayfield is represented here with a really lovely track from 1977’s Never Say You Can’t Survive album .

The Fiestas were veterans by the time their Philly soul-a-like was released. The group had enjoyed some success since starting out as an R&B group in 1959, when they had a #11 US hit with So Fine. They later also covered Arthur Alexander’s Anna. Released in 1977, Gonna Hate Myself made no chart impact at all, which is a great shame.

Oh, and about the Lou Rawls’ title: it is not me taking liberty with the Queen’s English.

TRACKLISTING
1. Billy Paul – Let ‘Em In
2. Arthur Alexander – Sharing The Night Together
3. The Fiestas – Gonna Hate Myself
4. The Spinners – The Rubberband Man
5. Innersection - I’m In Debt To You
6 . Curtis Mayfield – Show Me Love
7. High Inergy – You Can’t Turn Me Off (In The Middle Of Turning Me On)
8. Marlena Shaw – Yu-Ma/Go Away Little Boy
9. Bessie Banks – Try To Leave Me If You Can (I Bet You Can’t Do It)
10. Bunny Sigler – That’s How Long I’ll Be Loving You
11. Candi Staton – Before The Next Teardop Falls
12. L.T.D. - Love Ballad
13. Lou Rawls – See You When I Git There
14. Tavares - Whodunnit
15. Bo Kirkland & Ruth Davis – You’re Gonna Get Next To Me
16. Eddie Kendricks – Skeleton In Your Closet
17. New World – We’re Gonna Make It
18. Dee Edwards – I Can Deal With That
19. Brothers Johnson – I’ll Be Good To You
20. Marvin Gaye – After The Dance

DOWNLOAD

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Bonus tracks:
Philadelphia All-Stars – Let’s Clean Up The Ghetto.mp3
Teddy Pendergrass – When Somebody Loves You Back.mp3
Real Thing – You To Me Are Everything.mp3
Four Tops – Strung Out For Your Love.mp3
George Benson – This Masquerade.mp3
Jesse Green – Flip.mp3
Aretha Franklin – Something He Can Feel.mp3
Earth, Wind & Fire – Burnin’ Bush.mp3

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Any Major Soul 1970/71
Any Major Soul 1972/73
Any Major Soul 1974/75

More mixes

currently listening: los amigos invisibles

hoy hacido un dia super bien. Estuve super produtiva en la oficina y mañana seguira siendo un dia super padrisimo!!!

estos ultimas semanas me la eh pasado super ocupada, y bien acompañada. espero poner las pilas y seguir logrando metas, ya sean de trabajo o personales.

I’m such a night owl its ridiculous…. like the great mr. benson

Whenever dark has fallen

you know the spirit of the party starts to come alive

Until the day is dawning you can throw out all your blues

and hit the city lights

‘Cause there’s music in the air

and lots of loving everywhere

so gimme the night, Gimme the night.

Just relax your mind and let your conscience be free.

JulCeVal Collecti0n

Part 1

http://www.mediafire.com/?45iomyhnjkz

Part 2

http://www.mediafire.com/?mt4njnmk2jt

George Benson slágerparádéval kényeztette a táncoslábú közönséget, sok éneklés és kevesebb gitározás jutott nekünk ezen a csodálatos estén El sem hiszem, hogy itt vagyok, régi álmom teljesült, hogy láthatom George Bensont élőben, aki az egyik kedvenc gitárosom. Az csak hab a tortán, hogy majdhogynem karnyújtásnyira vagyok a színpadtól. Pontosan nyolckor kezdődik a koncert, egyből elképesztő az élmény, nagyon jó Bensont látni, hallani. Az első pillanattól kezdve szerethető zenét játszanak, a pop, a soul, a jazz, a latin, a funk, a diszkó és még sok másnak a keverékét, amit a közönség láthatóan imád, ide nem lehetett csak úgy beesni, rajongás van a nézőtéren. A művészt egy dobos, egy basszusgitáros, egy gitáros és két zongorista kísérte el ezen az estén, nagyon jól szól a zenekar, azaz szólhatna, ha a basszusgitár nem lenne egy-két hangtól eltekintve teljesen csöndes, maximum sejthetjük, amit játszik. A mozgása, a színpadi jelenlétével kompenzálja a hangerőt, ugrál, bohóckodik, szórakoztatja a közönséget és a zenésztársakat is. A basszusdob viszont túl hangos, minden egyes ütésnél döbben, amihez hozzászokik az ember, de meg is lenne nélküle. A többi hangszer szépen szól, ezért is kár ezért a kettőért. A csúcsa mindennek persze a gitár, ami gyönyörűen szól, a Benson-féle meleg tónusú jazzhang. Ezen az estén az éneké és a slágereké a főszerep, amikor a Love X Love-ban először hangszik fel az ének, felsikolt a közönség, ők valószínűleg ezért jöttek, és ezt meg is kapják, Benson selymes hangja még mindig erős, megdobbantja a közönség női tagjainak a szívét. A magasak már nem olyan könnyedén jönnek, de azért minden gördülékeny, minden számban nagyon énekel, átjön a hatalmas beleélés. Jófajta akkordszólózás, majd egyenként gördülnek elő a hangok, elképesztő gitározás folyik itten. A zongorista az, aki jópárszor csatlakozik hozzá, több gyönyörű szólót hallunk tőle is. A vokalista pedig egy spanyol nyelvű számon osztozik a főszereplővel, nagy tapsot kap ő is. A negyedik szám végén Benson elmondja, hogy vendégszeretőek vagyunk, szépen a nők az utcán, ezért nekik szól a Nothing’s Gonna Change My Heart. Lerakja a gitárját, és megindul a romantikus blokk, In Your Eyes, Kisses in the Moonlight. Jól megkomponált darabok ezek, tele érzelemmel, pont a nyálasságon még innen, ami a jó zenészeknek és George Benson varázsának is köszönhetünk. Bár ezek is jók voltak, én már vártam, hogy mikor veszi újra nyakába gitárját, hogy újra beüssön a jazzfunk. Végre felhangzik a védjegyes ének-gitár szóló, érzi a zenét, árad belőle minden irányból. Nagyon szép és könnyed zene ez, a harmóniák és a hozzáállás a jazzből merítkezik, de a dallamok és a hangzás inkább a pop felé kacsintgat, ami főleg ezeknél a számoknál érezhető, láthatólag a közönségbarát slágerekkel jött el, amit a közönség meg is hálál, tapsvihar minden szám után, többen a dalokat is együtt éneklik. Mozognak a testek az ülésekben, oldalt páran táncolnak, ám szigorúak a szabályok az örömködésre, egy táncolót, aki csak a székéből állt fel, kivezetnek oldalra. De a bulit nem lehet megállítani, a színpad elé invitálnak mindenkit, a biztonsági őrök összeomlanak, segítséget kérnek CB-n, de addigra már tömeg táncol a zenekar előtt. Az egész örömére egy hatalmas gitárszóló, majd George Benson elvonul, a zenekar lezár, tapsvihar. A gitáros tér vissza először, showszerűen bemutatja a zenekar tagjait, majd egy újabb sor popos nóta következik, többek között a régóta nem játszott Greatest Love of All, a közönség együtt dülöngél. Valaki odasúgja, hogy legyen a This Masquarade, amit szerencsére meg is fogadnak, buli van, az eddigi talán legnagyobb gitárszóló, szórakoztató és hosszú dobszóló az ifjú dobostól, George Benson az első sor szinte minden tagjával kezet fog, a közönség tombol, és így ér véget a közel két órás koncert. Fantasztikus és felejthetetlen élmény volt a koncert, George Benson csodálatos zenész, az egyik legnagyobb, még így a hetvenhez közelítve is lehengerli a közönséget, mind az énekével ,mind a gitározásával, hatalmas bulit csapott ma is. Nekem annyi hiányérzetem maradt, hogy én több gitározásra és instrumentális számra számítottam, jó volt hallani az Affirmationt, és a slágerek helyett szívesebben inkább a jazzt erőltettem volna. Majd legközelebb…