The oceanfront amphitheater at Jones Beach was the perfect setting for the Budweiser Superfest this past weekend in New York. With an all-male line up of performers the testosterone was in full gear. Darien, Abraham McDonald and Hal Linton served as the opening acts and stellar featured performers that included Jahiem, Kem and Anthony Hamilton, soul music fans in attendance were thoroughly entertained.  Advertisements leading up to the show indicated that Raheem Devaughn would also be a featured performer; however, as the evening progressed (and concluded) Raheem was notably absent.  Nonetheless, the fellas sang , prompting the audience to rise to their feet dancing, singing along and having a great time. Read the rest of this entry »

In 2009 Calvin Richardson—dubbed the Soul Prince—gave the music world cause to take notice.  After releasing the twice Grammy® nominated tribute album Facts of Life: The Soul of Bobby Womack and having co-written the Charlie Wilson performed R&B hit “There Goes My Baby” with Babyface, expectations for Richardson’s fifth album, America’s Most Wanted are great. Set to drop on August 31st, the video for first single from the album “You’re So Amazing” is a dedication to US troops who have been deployed.  Portraying a soldier (with perfectly chiseled abs), the singer returns home to a scenario that is all to real.  Expecting to rekindle a relationship with a former sweetheart—who unbeknownst to him has moved on in his absence—the couple is discovered by his former girlfriend’s current beau. Check out the video below to see what happens next.

http://www.vimeo.com/13759576

Make no mistake, jazz in its purest form of music and is still alive, as is evident in the documentary, Icons Among Us: Jazz In The Present Tense.  This film expertly weaves performance footage and insightful interviews which provide an extensive view into the impossibility of defining jazz and the inability of placing it into a concise box. Icons Among Us: Jazz In The Present Tense opens with one-on-one interviews featuring trumpeters, Nicholas Payton and Terrence Blanchard.  Blanchard, well-known for his musical contributions to many Spike Lee films and their accompanying soundtracks, outright acknowledges today’s movement of up and coming musicians who are shaping jazz in their own fashion.  Several of these rising jazz musicians, Robert Glasper, Esperanza Spaulding, Roy Hargrove, Russell Gunn and Awashai Cohen—to name a few—are spotlighted throughout the film, either in performance mode or depicting jazz from their vantage point. Legendary musicians, Herbie Hancock, Wynton Marsalis, Dianne Reeves and Wayne Shorter lend credibility to the younger set of artists that are actively taking hold of the jazz scene and expounding upon it by leaps and bounds. According to Hancock, “younger musicians are bringing new blood to jazz, new blood to expression.” Read the rest of this entry »

Dizzy’s Club at New York’s Lincoln Center recently was the site for the celebration of Tia Fuller’s third release, Decisive Steps.  The setting sun over Central Park served as the breathtaking backdrop as Fuller and her band mates took the stage.  Proceeding to entertain a full house, Fuller never failed to yield the spotlight to the talented players sharing the stage, one of which was her sister on the grand piano.  Throughout the evening, Fuller’s gift was in full bloom as she alternated between the alto and soprano saxophone, and even displayed her skills playing the flute.

Hailing from a family of musicians, Fuller was raised on the music of jazz greats like Coltrane and Bird.  Graduating from Spellman College with full honors (Magna Cum Laude), Fuller went on to pursue music education in Jazz Pedagogy and Performance from the University of Colorado, also with full honors (Summa Cum Laude).  It’s no wonder that this young jazz musician would ultimately embark on a world tour as part of mega-superstar, Beyonce’s funky all-female band.  On working with the celebrity, Fuller believes that the surprisingly down to earth, Beyonce is destined for greatness.  “Her work ethic is incredible. She strives for perfection and pushes those around her to do the same.” Read the rest of this entry »

As part of the Uptown Nights series in Harlem, Revive Music Group recently honored legendary jazz musician, Roy Ayers for his contribution to, and influence on urban contemporary music in an incredible tribute that included hip hop pioneer, Pete Rock, members of the Robert Glasper Experiment (Casey Benjamin, Derrick Hodge, Chris Dave), and special guest, Stefon Harris.

Ayers music has been widely sampled in hip hop, past and present on songs by Tribe Called Quest, J Dilla, Talib Kweli and many others. Prior to taking to the stage, the press room buzzed enthusiastically as Ayers spoke candidly about the state of radio today with the phasing out of “the music that has made America great,” and of his collaboration with rapper, Guru.  Acknowledging their groundbreaking collaboration on Jazzmatazz, Vol. I, Ayers admitted that upon the completion of the project, he had anticipated the merging of musical efforts between jazz and hip hop artists.  To date, disappointingly this has not evolved in the manner he hoped for.  Asked about his thoughts on jazz influencing hip hop, Grammy nominated pianist, Robert Glasper defined jazz as “music that reflects the time and the period that you’re in.” Read the rest of this entry »

Dwele is a gifted artist that we always want more of; more live shows, more music, more insight into his life. Referred to as the chocolate soul genius, Dwele’s music and mellow vibe appeals to all: the sisters, the homeboys and the lovers. He will be touring the US this summer promoting his fourth album, the anticipated W.W.W. (W.ants W.orld W.omen) which is slated to hit stores on June 29. The first single, What’s Not to Love recently leaked and has folks eager for the project’s release. More cities and dates will be announced for this tour, stay tuned.

June 3 – Ramshead/Annapolis, MD
June 4 – Nokia Theatre/New York
July 3 –   Memphis,TN
July 7 – Triple Door /Seattle, WA
July 9 – Yoshi’s /West Oakland, CA
July 10 – Yoshi’s /West Oakland, CA
July 11 –   Yoshi’s /West Oakland, CA
July 15 –  Key Club /West Hollywood, FL
July 16 – Anthology /San Diego, CA
July 17 –   Anthology /San Diego, CA
August 4 –  Fine Line / Minn, MN
August 5 –    HOB/ Chicago, IL
August 6 –    Chene Park /Detroit, MI
August 7 –    Plush / Jacksonville,FL
August 8 –    Kansas City
August 9 –    HOB/Dallas, TX
August 10 – House Of Blues/Houston TX
August 11 – House Of Blues/New Orleans, LA
August 16 –  Birchmere/Alexandria, VA
August 17 –  Birchmere/Alexandria, VA
August 18 –  Baltimore, MD
August 19 –  Atlanta, GA
August 20 –  Raleigh, NC
August 21 -  Gerald R. Ford Ampth/Vail, CO

With each passing day it seems that more artists who ruled the 80s and 90s are being bitten by the infectious comeback bug.  Several have emerged as a shell of their former selves and quite frankly would have been better off remaining in the shadows.  Not so for Dave Hollister who is in the studio working on a new r&b project, Chicago Winds: The Saga Continues slated for release later this year.

As a member of the group, Blackstreet, Hollister serenaded us on the smash hit, “Before I Let Go” before going solo and dropping gems like, “One Woman Man”, “Baby Mama Drama” and “Can’t Stay”.  He also blessed the gospel world with two albums that spawned the hits, “Standing” and “Striving” which still get spins today on gospel radio. In addition to new music, Hollister has been appearing in the recurring stage play, “Heaven I Need a Hug” which features Real Atlanta Housewife, Sheree Whitfield; performing spot dates and was recently a live on-air guest on the Steve Harvey Morning Show.  Needless to say, catching up with Hollister was difficult, but well worth the wait.

So Dave, why come back with new music now?

Real soul, r&b is not in the forefront as it should be. When I turn on the tv, I watch music videos on VH1 Soul and Centric. (laughs) I’m not saying that because we’re talking. It’s the truth!

What do you hope to accomplish?

I want to touch someone’s soul with my music.

Was Blackstreet the first [musical] group you were part of?

No, I was part of a group called, Force One Network that rivaled Tony! Toni! Tone! in the Bay Area. We had a single [Spirit] on the Boyz n Da Hood soundtrack.

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Jonathan Butler’s forthcoming cd, So Strong is derived from a dark, yet hopeful place as the South African  born musician returns after a difficult past year. After the loss of his mother, very good friend and fellow musician Wayman Tisdale and withstanding his wife’s battle with cancer; Butler has emerged spiritually victorious and steadfast with an optimistic outlook on life. Read the rest of this entry »

Long time fans of jazz saxophone player, Kirk Whalum might find themselves feeling slightly perturbed by the amount of singing on his latest release; a live double disc recording entitled The Gospel According to Jazz Chapter III.  However, by showcasing the smoky addition of Lalah Hathaway’s vocals, the skilled mastery of George Duke on keys, Doc Powell’s ability to make his guitar talk at you and T.D. Jakes momentarily stepping away from the pulpit to share a romantic and sensual dialogue with his wife, Serita are only a few stellar moments that clearly make this album a treasure. Included in this collection are renditions of classic soul hits like Running Away [Maze], Make Me A Believer [Luther Vandross], and You Are Everything [The Stylistics] with slightly altered lyrics to infuse the message of a gospel song.  RATING 5/5

The late Nina Simone, a classically trained pianist was dubbed the High Priestess of Soul and recorded more than fifty albums during her career as a musician.  As a child of the south, Simone experienced blatant racism and acts of segregation that ultimately impacted her music.  Her songs were filled with a range of emotions that culminated into lyrics that vividly depicted racial equality and cultural pride.  As a political activist, she was a strong voice during the Civil Rights era and beyond.  Though she died seven years ago, her music’s relevance continues to influence many of today’s artists, most notably Mary J. Blige, Mos Def, Talib Kweli and Alicia Keys. Read the rest of this entry »