 Welcome to the email edition of the Soul-Patrol Times, which contains 7 days worth of announcements. The Soul-Patrol Times is also available on the front page of the Soul-Patrol.com website (look for the scrolling calendar, where there are 30 days worth of announcements) and as an RSS feed (by clicking on the RSS button near the calendar graphic on the front of the Soul-Patrol.com website). You can also view the complete calendar month by month view at the following link: http://www.davisind.com/wc This publication is an "appendix" to the Soul-Patrol Newsletter. The purpose of the Soul-Patrol Times news/information service is to keep you informed with announcements of upcoming events, artist releases, press releases, music downloads, internet broadcasts/chat sessions and other interesting things going on in the world of Great Black Music From The Ancient to the Future . If you would like us to distribute your information as well, contact Bob Davis via telephone 609-351-0154 or via email earthjuice@prodigy.net RIP Donald Byrd (From a Black Catholic and a Black Hippie Perspective)  RIP Donald Byrd - The Black Hippie Perspective:I'll just say a few things.... 1. I am listening to a CD called "The Best of Donald Byrd." It's a decent compilation and it is somewhat comforting to me right now. It has to be, simply because it is the only Donald Byrd that I have at this time. 2. But what I would really be much rather doing at this moment is listening to Donald Byrd - "Black Byrd," and smokin a nice bowl of hash, in a dark room lit only by a black light bulb. Unfortunately I no longer own a copy of Donald Byrd - "Black Byrd," I gave up smokin pot/hash back in 1981 (but I do have a black light bulb around here somewhere.) 3. Donald Byrd - "Black Byrd," with it's "red, black & green" album cover is the album that truly served as my introduction to Jazz as a freshman at the University of Pittsburgh in 1973. I suspect that is a true statement for many others who were between the ages of 16 - 25 in 1973. It was one of the first "fusion" albums that successfully penetrated the minds of young Black people at that time and became a huge commercial success for a Jazz album. If someone were to put a gun to my head and demand that I give them a list of "the 10 most important albums of Bob Davis..." Donald Byrd - "Black Byrd," would be one of the albums on that list. 4. Of course Donald Byrd did a lotta great music both before and after "Black Byrd," including the stuff on this compilation that I am listening to right now (most of which sounds like it comes the albums "Street Lady" and "Places & Spaces.) I saw Donald Byrd perform live many times when I was a college student, with & without the "Blackbyrds." The shows were decent, but (much like the Ohio Players) they never reached the majesty of the recordings. The last time I saw Donald Byrd live, was in the early 90's in Newark, NJ. By that time he was teamed up with the rapper Guru. This was some very cool hip hop and a direction that I wished that hip hop could have sustained. Speaking of hip hop, I can remember hip hop DJ's spinning Donald Byrd records in the mid 1970's in the parks & projects of NYC (how cool is that?) 5. Anyhow, my hope is that someone at the Blue Note record company will send me a copy of Donald Byrd - "Black Byrd," I would gladly do a review. According to Amazon.com, Donald Byrd appears on 119 albums. I can't possibly do his career justice. But I could sure as hell tell ya about "Black Byrd." :) Uh oh..... Flight Time just came on (and I'm having a flashback....) --Bob Davis  RIP Donald Byrd - The Black Catholic Perspective:It was 1963. That was a helluva year in retrospect. JFK was assassinated at exactly the same time we at Our Lady of The Rosary Catholic School @ 63rd n Callowhill in West Philly were rehearsing for receiving the sacrament of The Holy Eucharist. They called it our First Holy Communion. Upon learning of the president's death practice was aborted and we were sent home. To Catholics, JFK was like a saint. In the midst of all of this solemnity the Gregorian Chant so associated with The Catholic Church played mournfully in the background of my life. Ironically it was also at this time that another music of equal solemnity joined what was already playing in my head. The tune was Cristo Redentor (Christ The Redeemer). The album was A New Perspective and the featured artist was a trumpet player named Donald Byrd. Remember it was also at this time that the storied Civil Rights Movement began to reach its first peak. That album as well as the song became the soundtrack for the movement. Later Sam Cooke's A Change Is Gonna Come joined Cristo Redentor as the tunes most associated with this time period in the 60's. Byrd's album though was chock full of spiritual if not religious undertones. Titles including Elijah, Chant, Black Disciple and more galvanized many because they were not only uplifting but inspirational. What remained most interesting to me was that the musical vehicle was Jazz. An almost sacred gospel-tinged version but Jazz nonetheless. In fact as I grew up beginning to play music myself I noticed that the more serious music and musicians played this kind of Jazz. Don't get me wrong. Rock n Roll/R&B had its place but as all of the Black Arts Festivals and Black Power conferences convened the music being played was either this kind of thing or Miles or Horace Silver or John Coltrane. And of course large amounts of fiery poetry from the likes of Giovanni, Baracka, The Last Poets, Baldwin, Angelou and Grosvenor. As I recall it behind the scenes and right AFTER one heard the fading strains of We Shall Overcome the next sound heard was Cristo Redentor. So Donald Byrd makes my head swirl. Each and every time I hear that tune I pause, if only for a second. It's as if I'm pouring musical libation for all of the martyred souls active in the various movements of change for black people. That album and particularly that tune was my real introduction to Jazz. Interestingly enough then this connotation is solemn, sacred and inspirational. By then I'd heard Jimmy Smith, Gloria Lynne, Ray Charles, Count Basie and Frank Sinatra. I'd even seen some of those artist when I attended my very first live show at The Uptown Theater. None of em meant 1/2 as much to me as this New Perspective album. It wasn't like I was playing Donald Byrd w/my Temptations or Little Stevie Wonder. First of all it didn't belong to me and as such I was technically forbidden to even 'touch' it. Gladly it was on my parents and eldest brothers' playlist so I got to hear it often. Strangely as crazy as I am about the stuff to come some 10 yrs later INCLUDING Black Byrd it all pales in comparison. Interesting sidebar here is the fact that many of the musicians on these 70's Donald Byrd sessions (including the magnificent Mizell brothers) formed the famed Corporation. The Corporation was the crack group of musicians and producers that basically made you love The J5. That's them on every one of those Motown albums by the Jacksons. Imagine what that sound would be free of the limitations of pop and the constraints of Berry Gordy. Combine them with this earth moving Jazz trumpeter and the likes of Merry Clayton on vocals. Now, you're Stepping Into Tomorrow or you're going to Think Twice. An already dark gloomy day has been made moreso. Black hole? Sh*t this is beginning to be a gaping chasm of never ending darkness. Think Twice. An already dark gloomy day has been made moreso. --ELP --Bob Davis 609-351-0154 earthjuice@prodigy.net Co-Founder www.soul-patrol.com Standing In The Shadows Of Motown LIVE! - Starring Peabo Bryson & Leela James (Featuring James Jamerson Jr. On The Fender Bass )  Standing In The Shadows Of Motown LIVE!Starring Peabo Bryson & Leela James Featuring James Jamerson Jr. On The Fender Bass 3/3 - Rahway, NJ - Union County Performing Arts Center 3/5 - Providence, RI - Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel 3/6 - Boston, MA - The Wilbur Theatre 3/8 - Washington, DC - The Howard Theatre 3/9 - Glenside, PA - The Keswick Theatre 3/10 - Huntington, NY - The Paramount 3/11 - Annapolis, MD - Ramshead On Stage (2 shows) In November of 2002, a long-anticipated music documentary titled "Standing In The Shadows Of Motown" made it's world premier at New York's Apollo Theater. The sonic tsunami it set in motion that night is still reverberating a decade later. The film's subject, the legendary Motown studio band of the '60s known as the Funk Brothers, became an overnight sensation, touring the world and being honored with Presidential audiences and Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Recording Academy. Two of their members, drummer Benny Benjamin and the tormented genius of the Fender bass, James Jamerson, were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The film itself racked up thousands of media hits, a dozen film awards and two Grammys, while selling over a million DVDs. A decade later, it continues to make its presence felt through continuous rotation on Showtime, FLIX, Turner Movie Classics and other TV channels. On March 3, 2013 in honor of the film's tenth anniversary, a new show called Standing In The Shadows Of Motown LIVE! will continue the tradition, kicking off its East Coast tour at Rahway, New Jersey's Union County Performing Arts Center. The music of James Jamerson will be front and center in this production, which features an electrifying eleven-piece band comprised of sidemen veterans from the Funk Brothers' film and tours, members of the band from the National touring company of the Broadway show "The Color Purple," and Standing In The Shadows Of Motown's producer and creator Allan Slutsky. Heralded R&B master and multi-Grammy winner Peabo Bryson and STAX recording artist and BET-TV personality Leela James will front the band while James Jamerson Jr.-the only bass player alive who plays exactly like his father-will be holding down the groove on two dozen Motown songs. As he delivers heartfelt reminiscences and side-splitting anecdotes, dozens of projected images and video from the movie will appear on a 9 X 12 screen above the band. And in the process, that tiny basement studio on Detroit's West Grand Boulevard-the one that gave birth to all those groundbreaking Funk Brothers tracks-will come alive once again to remind us what '60s soul was all about. http://standingintheshadowsofmotownlive.com --Bob Davis 609-351-0154 earthjuice@prodigy.net Co-Founder www.soul-patrol.com PRESS RELEASE: So Good, So Right: Nicole Henry Live  This new release is right on time for Black History Month. It is outstanding. In fact, it's...So Good, it's So Right :)But this is an artist that I have seen perform live (last week in NYC) and I am ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE that she would never have a need (or a BS excuse) for "fakin da funk" by using a RECORDED TRACK on National TV. (I'm NOT going to "call no names," but yall KNOW who I'm talking bout.....LOL) Check out her website at the following link: http://bit.ly/VxVer5 We will have a whole lot more about her here on Soul-Patrol coming up, but I just wanted to send this out to "whet your whistle..." --Bob Davis ----------- Since her debut in 2004, Nicole Henry has captivated audiences while establishing herself as one of the jazz world's most acclaimed vocalists. Her expressive, soulful voice and uplifting energy has earned her three top 10 albums along with international accolades from Moscow to Madrid. Adding to her vocal talents, Nicole's beauty and on-stage rapport, combining confidence, sincerity and a touch of sass, have beguiled fans in over 15 countries. http://bit.ly/VxVer5 On her sixth album So Good, So Right: Nicole Henry Live, Henry demonstrates her gift for sublime interpretation as well as her love for the emotionally tinged soul, pop and rock songs that were staples of the 1970's. The 13-track live album, which was recorded at Henry's sold-out performances at Feinstein's in NYC in May 2012, showcases her soulful, inspired interpretations of some of her favorite classic hits of the decade from iconic artists including Bill Withers, Aretha Franklin, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, The Commodores and Gladys Knight. http://bit.ly/VxVer5 "I really connected with the music of the 70's-all those incredible grooves and great lyrics that conveyed hope and love and being free," comments Henry. "Growing up I can remember my parents listening to lots of soul and pop music, and so many of those songs just gave me a great feeling of happiness. The artists of that time were true craftsmen and their music had such a broad sound, accessible by people of all races- that's the kind of music I loved-no definitions! I wanted to revisit that time and those emotions and share them with my fans." http://bit.ly/VxVer5 Featured tracks on the album include the title track, Brenda Russell's 'So Good, So Right,' which Henry loves for the "simplicity of the adjectives Good and Right and how, in this song, "SO" completely explains that feeling of inexplicable perfection of that moment. It just IS." Henry grew up on Aretha Franklin's music so when album producer Matt Pierson recommended to her the song 'Spirit in the Dark,' from Franklin's 1970 album, she knew she had to cover it. "I grew up listening to Aretha's 1972 live gospel album Amazing Grace- as far as I'm concerned, everything Aretha sings is gospel," says Henry. "This song reminds people to be free, look within themselves, and lose control when you need to - a revival of spirit." Other tracks include the great Bill Withers 1972 classic 'Use Me,' which Henry says "shows just how funky he was, and the lyrics show how direct his writing could be. The song's meaning is obvious. GOOD LOVING goes a long way!" http://bit.ly/VxVer5 Henry also shines on tracks such as Joni Mitchell's 'Big Yellow Taxi,' where, as Henry explains, "Joni Mitchell's whimsical melody, combined with her sad lyrics, always throws me for a curve on the last verse," and Stealers Wheel's raucous 'Stuck in the Middle,' where Henry showcases her signature attitude. So Good, So Right: Nicole Henry Live closes with Fleetwood Mac's iconic 'Landslide,' a beautiful song Henry interprets to be about "learning to love, growing up, accepting one's past sacrifices, and making decisions about where you're going." http://bit.ly/VxVer5 Growing up in a musical family in Bucks County, PA, Henry immersed herself in the arts early on, singing in school and churh, and studying cello and ballet. After graduating from the University of Miami with a degree in Communications and Theatre, Henry launched a successful acting career, appearing in commercial roles as well as a series of voiceover assignments. But she directed her strongest passion toward the development of her full-time singing career which was quickly rewarded in her present hometown, when the Miami New Times named Henry "Best Solo Musician 2002." http://bit.ly/VxVer5 Henry's 2004 debut CD release, The Nearness of You, won considerable attention from audiences and critics in the U.S. and in Japan, where they named Henry Best New Jazz Artist of 2004. The following year, Henry's Teach Me Tonight reached #1 in Japan and was named HMV Japan's Best Vocal Jazz Album of 2005. 2008's The Very Thought of You substantially expanded her American audience, reaching #7 on Billboard's jazz chart. 2011's Embraceable, a slight departure from her prior recording, reached the top 20 on jazz and smooth jazz radio charts and was a creative triumph for Henry, increasing her repertoire of originals, and further established her as a peerless interpreter of jazz, and pop standards, transcending genre boundaries. http://bit.ly/VxVer5 So Good, So Right Recorded live at Feinstein's at Loews Regency in New York City in May 2012, Nicole Henry captures the musical essence of the 1970s in a stunning performance. This intimate journey through familiar and classic songs will surprise and delight listeners of all ages. 1. Stuck in the Middle With You 2. So Good, So Right 3. Neither One of Us 4. Big Yellow Taxi 5. Waiting in Vain 6. Use Me 7. Fire and Rain 8. Love Don't Live Here Anymore 9. Spirit in the Dark 10. Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word 11. Home 12. Sweet Love 13. Landslide http://bit.ly/VxVer5 --Bob Davis 609-351-0154 earthjuice@prodigy.net Co-Founder www.soul-patrol.com |
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| We hope that you found this edition of the Soul-Patrol Times to be useful. It comes out once/week and our intent is to keep you as informed as we can about what's happening in the world of Soul-Music in as concise a manner as possible. If you would like to ask a question about the Soul-Patrol Times feel free to contact the owner Bob Davis via email at: earthjuice@prodigy.netor (609) 351-0154. And if you want to sign up to have your information listed here, just click on the graphic below. |
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