20
Carlton Street, Suite 1032, Toronto, ON
M5B 2H5
(416)
677-5883
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LE
NEWSLETTER
April 19, 2007
Weather is starting to warm up here in Toronto - it's a long haul!
Celebrated yet another birthday this past weekend - siigghhh. Thank
goodness for good friends that make it seem like there's something to
celebrate! (You know who you are!)
I have a special event for you led by a good and trusted friend of mine -
if you've ever been curious about a career, image or personal makeover, then Look Good Feel Wonderful is for
you. Details below.
::HOT EVENTS::
Look Good, Feel Wonderful – Saturday,
April 28, 2007
Spring is a season of rejuvenation. It's a time when many of
us clear out the clutter in our physical spaces and prepare for the
joyful feeling that the warm weather and sunshine brings. So what
better time is there than now to tidy up your life and eliminate the
mental and emotional clutter that is keeping you from living up to your
highest potential? If you have dreams of doing more with your life, but always
seem to get deterred and if you want to freshen up your wardrobe
and get in style without going in debt, then this is your season of
change! Register today for Look Good, Feel
Wonderful, a personal development and fashion consulting seminar
sponsored by The Stepping Stone Image Consulting. Come discover what's
really holding you back and why aligning your attire with your aspirations
is an important step toward personal and professional success. If your home is
worthy of renewal, then why aren't you?
Since sharing blesses the giver and the receiver, please join us on April
28th and bring everyone who you know wants to feel, be and do
their best.
"One of the greatest feelings in life is the conviction
that you have lived the life you wanted to live - with the rough and the
smooth, the good and the bad - but yours, shaped by your own choices, and not
someone else's"
- Michael Ignatieff, author, politician
SATURDAY, APRIL 28
LOOK GOOD, FEEL WONDERFUL
Verity Centre For Better Living
28 Milford Ave. (closest major intersections are Keele & Lawrence)
12:00 NOON
$20 in advance; $30 day of
Refreshments will be served
To register call (416) 534-1069
Tickets are also available at: A Different Booklist - 746 Bathurst
Ave (south of Bloor in Toronto) and Knowledge Bookstore - 177 Queen
Street W. (east of McLaughlin in Brampton)
::TOP STORIES::
FLOW 93.5's Tricky Moreira Wins Toronto Media Idol Challenge
2007
Source: FLOW 93.5
(April 18, 2007) FLOW 93.5 would like to congratulate DJ Tricky
Moreira for winning the third annual Toronto Media Idol competition on
Saturday, April 14th at Yonge-Dundas Square. Members of the Toronto
Media auditioned by performing their favourite song acapella in front of
Canadian Idol hopefuls as well Canadian Idol judges Farley Flex, Jake Gold,
Sass Jordan and Zack Werner. After an exciting rendition of Michael Jackson’s
“The Way You Make Me Feel” Tricky Moreira walked away with the Toronto Media
Idol Challenge 2007 title and $1,000 for a charity of his choice. Moreira
choose Save The Children Canada, a charity organization committed to bringing
immediate and lasting improvements to children’s lives through the realization
of their rights throughout Canada and overseas (www.savethechildren.ca).
In addition, Tricky Moreira will also receive the opportunity to shine in the
national spotlight when he competes as a member of the Media Idol Top 10 on the
actual Canadian Idol stage this summer.
Tricky Moreira can currently be heard every Saturday morning on FLOW 93.5 FM
from 1 – 4 am when he hosts his popular radio show, This House.
Bailey Rae Ready To Write For Second Album
Excerpt from www.billboard.com
- Gary Graff, Detroit
(April 13, 2007) Corinne Bailey Rae is enjoying her time
on the road with John Legend these days, but the British singer says she's
looking forward to getting back home and starting work on the follow-up to her
self-titled platinum 2006 Capitol debut album. "When I get back from
this tour I'm going to have quite a big break," Rae tells Billboard.com,
"and over that time I guess I'll start writing and starting to get my head
in that mode again, going from performing all the time and doing lots of
promotion to actually being more creative again. I'm really looking forward to
writing more. I can't wait for that -- for the next phase of
things." Nevertheless, Rae is enjoying opening for Legend, an early
supporter whose audience has given her "a really good response, standing
ovations and everything. It's a good match; I think his audience really
appreciates what we do. They're quite open-minded. They like things that aren't
in a box or limited to one style."
Rae will tour with Legend through May 4. She then heads to New Orleans for a
May 5 show at Tipitina's Uptown and will play the Beale Street Music Festival
in Memphis the following day. Afterward, there are two months off on the
schedule before she plays the Live Earth show on July 7 at London's Wembley Stadium.
With only appearances at the V Festival in August on her docket after that, Rae
will presumably have plenty of time to work on her sophomore album. She's
currently working a third single, "I'd Like To," from "Corinne
Bailey Rae." And she can be heard on "If I Don't," the new
single from Detroit soul/electronic artist Amp Fiddler. "That was
really fun," Rae says. "It was a good match. It seemed like we fit
together, though we actually recorded it separately. He was in London, and I
actually did my part in Paris. I haven't seen the video yet; we're kind of
animated characters, which sounds really cool."
Proud
FM Makes History
Excerpt from www.thestar.com - Entertainment Reporter
(April
15, 2007) As of
tomorrow morning, Toronto will get a chance to
hear just what a gay radio station sounds like. Claiming to be the world's
first commercially licensed radio station to specifically target the gay,
lesbian and transgendered communities, Proud
FM 103.9 hits the local airwaves at 6 a.m. The station's arrival caps a
10-year wait for such a license, but almost as impressive are the folks who are
going to be – ahem – manning the booth. Ken Kostick and the (still
non-gay) Mary Jo Eustace are a known commodity, as the pair hosted more than
600 episodes of the cooking show What's for Dinner. Now the two are
taking their schtick to the audio airwaves with a morning show called What's
for Breakfast. As they sit in the offices of the new gaydio station at
Church and Wellesley, it's obvious their easy chemistry is no act. The pair
finishes each other's sentences, but despite their long-standing relationship,
there's still room for unpredictability. Eustace is talking about
switching to a new medium: "At the same time, because we have a 13-year
history, you know it feels like ..."
"Don't even go down that road," interrupts Kostick.
"What?" she says. "You're going to say that it feels like being
married," he says. "No. Been there, done that. It doesn't feel
like that," she quips. "And what's your response?" he
asks. "My response is that it feels a bit like when we started What's
for Dinner, how fun it was, and how much fun we had everyday, it was kind
of unique," she says. Eustace is still tabloid fodder, after her
ex-husband Dean McDermott began a public affair with actor Tori Spelling while
the couple was still married, but Eustace is certainly not above making fun of
herself. The broadcast duo gets into another bit where Kostick needles her
about how the show's early call time means she's been wearing the same clothes
for three days, including a gorgeous yellow jacket. She sheepishly pulls out
the latest issue of Hello! magazine, and the jacket's there – in a
two-page spread featuring Eustace.
So far, Proud FM's website proudfm.com has been airing a loop of music along
with some promotional clips, as the on-air personalities work on their acts.
For Kostick and Eustace, it's been an easy transition – they like to bring up
the fact that years ago, Eustace outed Kostick on television long before it was
fashionable ("We though it was an obviousity, but not to all the viewers.
Many thought we were married. Can you believe that?" she says). Although
as they've been pre-taping a few pieces and preparing for tomorrow's debut,
there have been a few slips of the tongue that come with the new gig, although
none of the Don Imus variety. "My favourite is this, `you're listening to What's
for Dinner.' But that's understandably hard to kick after 600 shows,"
says program director and operations manager Rob Basile. "It's What's
for Breakfast now."
But does Toronto need a queer radio station? Eustace says yes. "We're not
as liberal as we like to think. On certain radio stations we couldn't talk
about some of the things we talk about, and how we express ourselves. And this
is a different forum. There is going to be some leeway, and there is a
different voice," says Eustace. "I think what it's going to do
is push the envelope with all the other radio stations," says Kostick.
"I'm going to be able to say, `Hey, I think Justin Timberlake is pretty
hot'." For Deb Pearce [note:
a friend of mine!], the midday deejay, the new station is allowing her to
be herself. Formerly on the morning show at Jack FM, she says while she was
encouraged to be out, she didn't really want that to be the focus of her on-air
persona. "(At Jack FM) I didn't want to be looked at as a lesbian, I
wanted to be thought of as the talented woman on the morning show. So now I'm
exactly who I am and I don't have to change pronouns, I don't have to pretend I
have a boyfriend or say I went for dinner on King West last night, instead I'll
say I went to Drag Idol on Church St. It's just a sense of honesty that I
enjoy," she says.
"This feels like sort of an arrival. And almost a validation, it's
important there's enough of us that exist to have a radio station built about
taking about our issues, or gay people talking about any issues." Basile
says that "We want everyone, the core audience and our mandate is to
serve, represent and be a voice for the gay audience, but it's not exclusive to
the gay audience. And this is my programming philosophy for the radio station
... It's going to serve that community but it's going to be inclusive for
everyone. So it won't be gay talk all the time, but it'll be a good radio
station first and foremost that's going to address issues as they arise."
Ten years ago, they wouldn't have had the chance. In 1997, Toronto's FM
airwaves were said to be full. Today, new engineering allows for more stations
closer to each other on the dial without interference, and Basile points out
that's the main reason that Proud could get a license at all. Now they'll be
operating a low-power FM service, whose signal is meant to be heard from their
Church St. HQ to Toronto's inner suburbs. The station's co-owner Evanov Radio
Group owns several stations in the GTA as well as Halifax and Ottawa, including
its flagship Z103.5 (Today's Hit Music) right next to Proud on the dial.
And once they're on the air, what will they sound like? Gay artists such as
Elton John and stereotypical gay-community favourites like Madonna and Cher
will be part of the Proud playlist. But Torontonians hoping to hear prominent,
catchy local queer acts – the church-folkies in Hidden Cameras and the Polaris
prize-winning Final Fantasy come to mind – will probably be disappointed. The
current promos don't make Proud sound all that different from stations like Mix
99.9, using the so-called "hot AC" format – uptempo pop for the
adult-contemporary market.
"Do we have to go `we're gay, we're gay, we're gay!' Wouldn't that be just
as annoying as someone saying `we're straight, we're straight, we're
straight!'" says James Collins, Proud's music director. "We all like
the same music. It's not different – we might like a bit more kitschy stuff.
We're a little more liberal than what the average station will play. Yes, we'll
play more dancey stuff, and we're playing lots of openly gay artists and
closeted gay artists, but it's just not discussed, like no one says we're
playing Erasure, he's gay." Collins says that the station will decide
whether they play gay-unfriendly artists, such as ones who make homophobic statements,
on a case by case basic. But Collins says that it's more important that the
artist fits the sound, which he describes as upbeat and feel-good music. Enter
Maggie Cassella. The comedian is going to be in the afternoon drive slot
from 3 to 7 doing an odd sort of hybrid talk show: interviews, callers, music
and of course Cassella's rants, last seen on her show Because I Said So in
2002 on Star TV. She'd rather people think of her more as a loudmouth than a
lesbian. "It is what it is, and they hired me to do what I do,"
she says of her new gig. "To be honest, I've never had any issues since I
moved to this country," said the American ex-pat. "It's never been
about me being a lesbian, it's been about me being a woman who's loud and aggressive
and that doesn't always work on television, but with radio, every time I check
myself, they say no, no, no, don't check yourself." For listeners,
it's a chance to hear how different sexual orientations sound. Or to find out
if it sounds different at all.
::MUSIC NEWS::
Anthony Hamilton - "Southern
Comfort"(Southern Soul/Nu Soul/Funk)
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com - Bob Davis
(April 12, 2007) Anthony Hamilton and Leela James have come to
symbolize "the best of breed" in today's mainstream music marketplace
among younger artists in the "post Erykah/Jill era." Both have
received heavy radio and television exposure and deservedly so and yet, neither
has really been able to rekindle the embers burning away slowly inside of the
bellies of soul music fans. However with the album "Southern
Comfort," Hamilton turns those long festering embers into a blazing inferno
of the kind that can only be generated by the very best of Motown/Stax,
etcetera translated into a modern context. This album is so good that it has
the potential to turn the entire music world inside out, if it can be exposed
to the masses. "Southern Comfort" is by far the best album thus far
released in the career of Anthony Hamilton. Yet it consists of tracks that were
left on the "cutting room floor." That says volumes about the ability
of major labels to actually select the correct songs for someone who could
possibly be the "monster mainstream soul music artist of the decade."
I am reluctant to say much more about this album, because you may accuse me of
"over hype."
However I will tell you a little story... The day that the album arrived in my
mailbox, I took it out of the package and looked at it. A few seconds later I
heard "mrs. earthjuice" calling me to hurry up and get ready to go
food shopping. I threw on my coat and with the CD in my hands I jumped into the
car. Once inside of the car I took the CD out of its jewel case and put it into
the car CD player. "Mrs. earthjuice" then said, is that another one
of your new artists that nobody ever heard of again. I said, "nah you have
heard of this one." As we drove down the highway and the album advanced
thru the tracks "mrs earthjuice" said to me, "who the hell is
that CD by? It's pretty damn good." When I told her who it was, she said,
"oh I've seen Anthony Hamilton before on VH-1 and I like him, but this is
way better than anything I've heard from him previously. Remember what I said
earlier... "with the album "Southern Comfort", Anthony Hamilton
turns those long festering embers into a blazing inferno of the kind that can
only be generated by the very best of Motown/Stax/etc. translated into a modern
context." That is EXACTLY what I observed with "mrs.
Earthjuice." The end of the story? Well there is no end to this story.
That's because "mrs. earthjuice" still has my promo copy of Anthony
Hamilton - "Southern Comfort" inside of her car and she refuses to
give it back to me. I suppose that I could just wait till she is asleep and go
out to the car and grab it, however I don't want to face the consequences of
dealing with an angry Black woman who knows that you have "stolen her
music." I am pretty good health right now, so I really don't want to find
out how she would react to discovering "her copy" of Anthony Hamilton
- "Southern Comfort" missing from her car :)
I guess I will have to go and buy a copy for myself? I strongly urge you
to do the same...
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Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds:
Back In Stride
By Karu F. Daniels, AOL Black Voices
(Apr. 13, 2007) His
Hollywood Ex Wife Tracey Edmonds may be
running around and making the scene with Eddie Murphy, but Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds is back in business. This week, the
legendary singer/songwriter signed an exclusive worldwide agreement with the
Universal Music Publishing Group, which already owns or administers more than one
million copyrights by artists such as U2,
Elton John, 50 Cent, Prince, Diana Krall, Ludacris, Godsmack,
Ice Cube, Mary J. Blige, The Corrs, Eve, Musiq, Jill Scott, Brian McKnight, No Doubt,
and Paul Simon.
"Babyface has long been one of our industry's leading lights as a writer,
artist, producer and entrepreneur, offered Universal Publishing chief David
Renzer. "He has written, produced and in many cases performed
many of our modern day 'classic' songs. We are sure that the story of
hit-making will continue for him, and are thrilled to welcome him to the UMPG
family."
Babyface, as he is preferably known as, is credited on over 320 albums and he
has produced for some of music's biggest legends and top-selling artists,
including: Mariah Carey, Toni Braxton, Madonna, Aretha Franklin,
OutKast, Vanessa Williams, New Edition, En
Vogue, Usher, Phil Collins, Faith Evans, George Michael, Deele, Eric
Clapton, Pink, Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Carole
King, Whitney Houston, Bobby Brown, TLC, Boyz II Men, Bell Biv Devoe, John Mellencamp, Paula Abdul, Heather Headley, and many
more. "I am pleased to be working with Universal Music Publishing,"
Edmonds, who turned 48 on April 10, said in a statement. "The team has
demonstrated their appreciation of my music, and their commitment to my career
as an artist, producer and songwriter." The 10 time Grammy Award
winner (four wins for "Producer of the Year") is currently recording
his new album to be released via Def Jam, currently helmed by his former LaFace
Records partner Antonio "L.A." Reid.
Previously signed to Sony/ATV -- who will retain his back catalogue --
the Indianapolis native currently has new tracks on new projects with Katherine
McPhee, Fallout Boy, Nelly, Keyshia Cole, KeKe Palmer
and Ashanti. His last recording project, as an artist,
was 2005's 'Grown & Sexy', released on Arista Records.
Andrae Crouch: Celebrating The Big 4-0
By Karu F. Daniels, AOL Black Voices
(Apr. 13, 2007) Would
you believe it's been 40 years since Andrae
Crouch started his career
in the business? And the 64 year-old-gospel pioneer is planning to celebrate
the feat in high style with a star studded concert at the very church he first
sang, California's New Christ Memorial Church -- the temple his father founded.
On April 28, the nine-time Grammy Award winning inspirational music maestro
will host an evening of celebratory praise with a concert featuring gospel
heavyweights Tramaine Hawkins, Donnie McClurkin, BeBe Winans, and
the New Christ Memorial Church Mass Choir. For more than
a decade, Crouch has served as pastor at the San Fernando Valley-based house of
worship.
While the Saturday event is the centerpiece for a three-day holy rolling
festival, festivities also include a special black tie affair featuring
internationally renowned gospel powerhouses Shirley Caesar and
CeCe Winans at the Sheraton Universal Hotel on April 27.
Considered "The Godfather of Gospel," his classic songs that have
been recorded by artists as diverse as Elvis Presley and Destiny's
Child. His vast repertoire includes inspirational tunes such as 'Can't
Nobody Do Me Like Jesus,' 'My Tribute (To God Be the Glory),' 'Soon and Very
Soon,' 'Jesus is the Answer,' 'Take Me Back' and 'Through it All.' Aside from
his nine Grammy awards, Crouch has been nominated for an Academy Award ('The
Color Purple' soundtrack), collaborated with Michael Jackson, Diana
Ross, Quincy Jones and Elton John. He has also won
nine Dove Awards, two NAACP Image awards, and even has a star on the Hollywood
Walk of Fame among other accolades. Recently, he co-wrote the title track
of CeCe Winans' gold-selling opus 'Throne Room,' and his latest project, titled
'Mighty Wind' was nominated for an NAACP Image Award.
Timbaland Soars To No. 1 After Sales
Explosion
Excerpt from www.billboard.com
- Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.
(April 13, 2007) Timbaland's "Give It to Me" featuring
Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake explodes 42-1 this
week on the Billboard Hot 100 thanks to sales of 248,000 digital downloads.
This is the second biggest leap to the top in chart history (second only to
Kelly Clarkson's 52-1 move with "A Moment Like This"). Only Timberlake,
whose "SexyBack" shifted 250,000 downloads last September, has had a
better opening week for digital sales. Akon's "Don't Matter"
slips 1-2, while Gwen Stefani's "The Sweet Escape," which also
features Akon, is down 2-3. Fergie's "Glamorous" featuring Ludacris
holds at No. 4, Mims' "This Is Why I'm Hot" slides 3-5 and Avril
Lavigne's "Girlfriend" remains at No. 6. Linkin Park's
"What I've Done" is the chart's top debut at No. 7, its first top 10
placement on this chart since March 2002. The track also debuts at No. 1 on
Modern Rock Tracks and No. 4 on Hot Digital Songs with 121,000 downloads.
Linkin Park's new album, "Minutes to Midnight," arrives May 15.
Gym Class Heroes' "Cupid's Chokehold" featuring Patrick Stump falls
7-8, while Beyonce and Shakira's "Beautiful Liar" is down 8-9. The
chart's fastest growing track at radio for a second week is T-Pain's "Buy
U a Drank (Shawty Snappin')" featuring Yung Joc, which climbs 14-10.
Hilary Duff's "With Love" is the chart's greatest digital gainer and
jumps 43-24, thanks to sales of 57,500 downloads. Other songs new to the
chart this week include Dashboard Confessional's "Stolen" at No. 65,
Ashley Tisdale's "Kiss the Girl" at No. 81, Fabolous'
"Diamonds" featuring Young Jeezy at No. 83 and Maroon 5's "Makes
Me Wonder" at No. 84. The latter song is just the third this decade to
reach the top 15 of the Adult Top 40 chart in two weeks or less. Robin
Thicke's "Lost Without U" is No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for a
ninth week in a row. 50 Cent has the top debut on that chart at No. 48 with
"Straight to the Bank," the first single from his new album,
"Curtis," due June 19. Carrie Underwood's "Wasted"
rises 2-1 on Hot Country Songs to give the "American Idol" champ her
third No. 1 on the tally. It dislodges last week's No. 1, Tim McGraw's
"Last Dollar (Fly Away)," which slips to No. 2. On the
Mainstream Rock chart, Breaking Benjamin's "Breath" is No. 1 for a
fifth straight week.
XM Burning Through Cash To Catch Sirius
Excerpt from www.globeandmail.com -
Grant Robertson
(Apr. 17, 07) John Bitove knew it would take a lot of cash to
launch XM Canada, but the costly slugfest that has
unfolded with rival Sirius Canada Inc. in the satellite radio market over the
past year has forced the upstart company to hit up its U.S. parent for a loan.
XM Canada acknowledged yesterday that it is lagging Sirius in the race to add
monthly subscribers, particularly in retail sales of its radios. Each new
customer is costing $53 in marketing dollars and incentives, and XM is now
planning to dip into a $45-million credit line from its Washington-based
parent, XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. The move illustrates how much
cash the industry is burning through as it attempts to establish a base of
paying customers. Analysts have expected for months that XM Canada would find
itself in a cash crunch. It had more than $45-million in cash last August, but
that number has dwindled to less than $18.5-million in the face of rising
marketing costs. XM, which has been focusing mostly on the new car market, also
plans to take "corrective" measures in the retail market in a bid to
claim some of the ground it has lost to Sirius. "We're taking action to
make sure we get a sizable share of the retail market going forward," said
Mr. Bitove, chief executive officer of Canadian Satellite Radio Holdings
Inc., the publicly traded company that operates XM Canada.
Those measures include cutting costs to free up more dollars and the recent
addition of more channels to lure potential buyers away from Sirius. Because
Sirius Canada is privately owned and not required to report its financial data,
it is difficult to compare the financial health of the two companies. Even the
number of subscribers claimed by both is a matter of dispute. Sirius says
it has more than 300,000 customers who pay the full subscription price, but XM
said yesterday that it can't figure out how its rival arrives at that
number. "I'm not discrediting their numbers at all, I'm just saying
we can't reconcile them. So I think that a comparison is very difficult,"
XM Canada's chief operating officer, Stephen Tapp, told analysts. Despite the
doubts expressed by XM Canada, a Sirius spokesman said yesterday it counts only
subscribers who pay the full subscription fee. XM Canada last month changed the
way it defines a paying subscriber, which bolstered its numbers. It now counts
radios installed in vehicles as soon as they roll off the factory floor, even
if the car hasn't been purchased. The company says it collects revenue from the
manufacturers, who subsidize free trials of the radios. That allowed XM Canada
to add an additional 18,200 subscribers to its books in the second quarter, and
contributed to a 60-per-cent increase in customers over last quarter. Of its
237,500 subscribers, 136,400 are "self-paying" customers, while the
remainder are on promotional deals.
Observers have criticized the industry for lacking a standard way of reporting
subscriber numbers and the friction between the two companies appears to be
increasing in the face of a potential merger of Sirius and XM in the United
States. That deal, if approved by regulators some time in the next year, would
force consolidation in Canada. Though the U.S. merger has been called a merger
of equals, ownership in the Canadian company would be divided based on the
value of each business, meaning Sirius could walk away with a bigger chunk of
the operation based on its higher subscriber numbers. "They're both
jostling for position," said analyst Carl Bayard of Desjardins Securities.
Mr. Bitove said using the XM credit facility is cheaper than taking on debt.
However the arrangement still carries an annual interest rate of 9 per cent.
The company will borrow in the "single-digit" millions in the coming
months, he said.
Pop Princess Is Back Playing A Saucy
Teen On The Best Damn Thing
Excerpt from www.thestar.com - Ben Rayner
Avril Lavigne
The Best Damn Thing (Sony)
(April 17, 2007) Nothing, it's safe to say, would give the kiss
of death to Avril Lavigne's relationship with millions of doting high
school girls the world over more certainly than a "mature" third
album about the responsibilities of marriage and home ownership. The love
affair soured somewhat, after all, with the downbeat turn taken on 2004's
Chantal Kreviazuk-supervised Under My Skin, a sullen sophomore disc that
suffered a 35 per cent whack in the worldwide sales figures enjoyed by
Lavigne's smash 2002 debut, Let Go. So while Avril, the
22-year-old newlywed, now shops for Bel Air mansions, Avril, the global pop
starlet, is shrewd enough and sufficiently cognizant of her strengths to return
to playing the saucy teenager today on The Best Damn Thing. Packaged
like a garish Teen Beat takeout – save, perhaps, a couple of alluring
CD-insert shots of the Napanee native in fishnets and Brigitte Bardot pout –
and bursting at the seams with pugilistic variations on the "Sk8r
Boi" template, it's pretty much ready-made to become the
celebrity-cementing home run Lavigne narrowly missed the last time out.
There's a trio of goopily interchangeable power ballads here, including last
year's Eragon soundtrack hit "Keep Holding On," to keep a foot
in adult-contemporary playlists and set young hearts a-flutter. The lion's
share though, is composed of brisk bubblegum-punk, and it's a better record –
or at least, rather more fun – for it. If we're to nitpick, there's still a
gnawing disparity between "executive producer" Lavigne's
"punk" pose and the expensive, programmatic sheen brought to shouty four-chord
kiss-offs like "I Can Do Better," "Hot" and contagious
first single "Girlfriend," by a roster of A-list writing and
production collaborators that includes Sum 41's Deryck Whibley, a.k.a. Mr.
Avril Lavigne. A disparity laid barer, one might further argue, by the bleeping
of cuss words. The title track, "I Don't Have to Try," kicks off with
a Peaches-esque half-rap of "I wear the pants, I wear the pants"
before steaming ahead into a full-bore punk gallop. Lavigne is at least honest
about where her roots on the punk continuum lie, having fannishly lured
Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker into the studio for a couple of tracks. Who
cares what a 32-year-old male thinks, anyway? The Best Damn Thing wasn't
made for me. But if I can privately and guiltily dig some of it, just think how
freakin' awesome it's gonna sound if it was made for you.
Randy Bachman Explores New Musical
Territory In Massey Hall Debut
Excerpt from www.thestar.com - Geoff
Chapman, Jazz Columnist
(April 12, 2007) Randy Bachman is a key part of Canada's music
fabric. Is there anyone in this country who hasn't heard of The Guess Who or
Bachman-Turner Overdrive, or who isn't familiar with the siren calls of rock
history staples "These Eyes" and "American Woman"? Few are
likely to see Bachman as more than a bona fide rock star, but he's trying to
carve out new territory as a jazzman. You'll hear some of the new Bachman
tomorrow at Massey Hall, a show that's billed as a retrospective of his long
career and a showcase for his new album, JazzThing II, on which there
are two Mose Allison tunes ("Everybody's Cryin' Mercy," "Your
Mind Is On Vacation") as well as his signature "Takin' Care Of
Business." His finger-picking-style guitar is heard alongside fellow
axemen Duke Robillard, Gerry Beaudoin and Jay Geils. It follows 2002's JazzThing.
On stage tomorrow – amazingly, it's Bachman's Massey Hall debut – he'll have
Robillard for company, a rhythm section of keyboardist Chris Gestrin, bass Mick
Dalla-Vee and drummer Roger Belanger. Guesting are pianist-vocalist Stephan
Moccio and Jeff Healey. Speaking from his home on Salt Spring Island,
B.C., Bachman credited his jazz aspirations to a pal he grew up with in
Winnipeg, guitar legend Lenny Breau.
"Lenny was like a brother and he introduced me to the Chets – Atkins and
Baker – and all the '50s-'60s music that brought bluegrass, jazz, blues and
rockabilly together. I began listening to (jazz guitarists) Barney Kessel and
Tal Farlow. "I started the Guitarchives label as my thank you to Lenny. I
never did really thank him when he was alive, but now there's seven albums of
his music on the label with proceeds going to his family. I still play his discs
– they still sound phenomenal." Bachman, who describes his playing as an
amalgam of all styles, says he has had to work hard to master the jazz approach
– "every night I practice for an hour or two, but then the guitar is a
never-ending well of possibilities." He'll open the show with "a
10-minute ode to Lenny" that brings in rock, country, jazz and
counterpoint. Then with his band he'll spin jazz out of his hits, for example
"No Sugar Tonight" as a shuffle, "American Woman" a jazz
bossa nova and "These Eyes" a blues-reggae vehicle. Then there'll be
song excerpts from Vinyl Tap, his CBC and Sirius Satellite radio show.
"It's challenging. The jazz work demands something different, but it'll be
heard alongside old favourites. I like to think my music is a fluent mix of
jazz and rock, my fulfillment as a songwriter and everything I've ever heard,
influences like Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Lenny and more. We'll close
proceedings with `Centrepiece' ... and then maybe an encore." Bachman has
sold more than 40 million records. But, to quote another of his hit titles,
"You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet."
Stephen Marley’s Mind Control Slam Dunks
Its Way To The Top Of The Billboard
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com - By Kevin
Jackson
(April 12, 2007) With a first week sales burst of 20,000 copies, Mind
Control, the debut album from Stephen
Marley, debuts at the top of the Billboard
Reggae album chart. The sales were strong enough to allow Marley to debut at
number 35 on the big chart, the Billboard 200 pop album tally. Over on the
Billboard R&B Hip Hop album listing, Mind Control debuts at number
18. Let’s take a quick recap of the Marley siblings who have
debuted on the Billboard album charts. Ziggy Marley & the Melody
Makers have six charted titles. The group’s 1988 debut album Conscious Party
debuted and peaked at number 23 on the Billboard 200. The disc got as far as
number 26 on the R&B album chart. Their follow up album, 1989’s One Bright
Day debuted at number 26 on the Billboard 20, but stalled at number 43 on the
R&B album listing. In 1991, the group’s Jahmekya disc rose to
number 63 on the Billboard 200, while their 1993 disc Joy and Blues topped out
at number 178 on the Billboard 200 and number 75 R&B. Free Like We
Wanna Be went to number 170 on the Billboard 200 in 1995 and number three
Reggae album chart. 1997’s Fallen Is Babylon didn’t even pick up on the
radar of any of the main album charts, but it got as far as number two on the
Reggae album tally.
Grammy winner Ziggy Marley’s solo effort Spirit of Music reached number
four on the Billboard Reggae album chart in the year 2000. But it was the album
Dragon Fly which picked up some steam debuting at number 84 R&B and 138
Billboard 200. It reached number three on the Billboard Reggae album
chart. Julian Marley only turned up on the radar in 2003 when Time and
Place stopped at number eight on the Reggae album listing. Grammy nominee
Ky-Mani Marley reached number seven on the Reggae album chart in the year 2000
with The Journey, while 2001’s Many More Roads which contained the hit single
Dear Dad, reached number eight. Damian ‘Junior Gong’ Marley has fared
better than the other Marley siblings. His 2005 disc Welcome to Jamrock debuted
and peaked at number 7 on the Billboard 200 and number four on the R&B
album chart. The disc flew to the top of the Reggae album chart. By stark
comparison, his sophomore set Half Way Tree reached number two on the Reggae
album chart in 2001, while Mr. Marley which was released in 1997, peaked at
number two on that same chart.
Trey Songz Is Back
Source: Atlantic Records
(April 13, 2007) There are entertainers who sing for
their
people and then there are singers who speak for their generation. Stevie
spoke for hearts and souls; Marvin crooned for his country; Fela sent the
rhythm of Africa abroad; Curtis gave the ghetto a voice. Artists
come a dime a dozen, but a spokesman for the masses who's been bestowed with a
voice from the heavens, once every generation. With Songbook/Atlantic Records
R&B blessing Trey Songz, the first generation to come of age in
the 21st century has one they can claim as their own. The anointment of the
Petersburgh, Virginia inspiration will be solidified with his second
collection, the emotional joyride entitled "TREY DAY."
Spanning a sonic spectrum, the album bathes in waves of chord colors
(reminiscent of Jodeci's "DIARY OF A MAD BAND"), with Trey's pen
painting so vividly it could pass for a crayon. Much of this lush
production comes courtesy of some of the best producers in the business.
To note a few: Dre and Vidal, Danjahandz, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and
Troy Taylor, who signed Trey to his Songbook Entertainment imprint in 2003 and
produced the lion's share of his 2005 debut, "I GOTTA MAKE IT."
However, while the score for "TREY DAY" is fittingly grandiose, the
source of its strength is its author. Trey Songz's vocals have never been
more mint. The innovation and lyricism displayed on his sophomore effort
belies his 22 years of age. "I'm just taking my music to another level,"
he offers with an 'I'm just doing my job' tone. "I'm challenging
myself vocally, and as a songwriter and an arranger, I'm trying to become an
all-around artist."
The evolution can be witnessed firsthand on the lead single, "Wonder
Woman." Over the heart- pumping drum track and brain-twisting
futuristic sounds of Timbaland protégé Danjahandz, Trey flexes the scribe
within. He opens with a riptide rap verse that could put many an MC to
shame, then teams with the album's A&R director, Nokio of Dru Hill fame, to
express his need for that special lady. "My Wonder Woman is just a
strong woman," says Trey. "The modern day woman is independent,
doing her own thing, not depending on a man for anything. So the whole
basis is if you're invincible, let me see." "The boy is a star,"
praises Nokio of Trey. "Many times he'll go in [the studio], write a
record and record himself. He doesn't wait for an engineer or
anything. His work ethic is crazy and then there's the feeling he puts
behind his singing… it's just rare to work with an artist that can do it
all."
"Wonder Woman" - Trey Songz (Audio)
WIN:
REAL:
One thing that Trey does better than any young R&B artist today is to
create songs that resonate with fans regardless of gender, race, age, or
residency. His music soars above categorization. You'll be
hard-pressed to find many who can't relate to the gorgeous "Last
Time." With production by R&B sure-shot Bryan-Michael Cox, Trey
documents the challenges of monogamy and the complexities of infidelity in one
final episode with his female on the side. The song is beautiful.
It's ugly. It's common. It's special. It's human. While Trey
has a gift to express the thoughts and experiences of most, he basks in the
opportunity to speak for the fellas. There hasn't been a song since
Usher's stratospheric single "Burn" that has given the world a
clearer inside view of the male mind than Trey's "Store Run."
From atop Dre and Vidal's instrument cornucopia, Trey tells the tale of a
sex-capade that almost took an irresponsible turn until he came to his senses
and raced to the store for prophylactics. It's a story for the guys and a
message for the world. The creativity on this album doesn't end until the last
track does. "Stereo" is a perfect example. It speaks
directly to the tech-age of today. "Imagine Trey's the stereo and the
girl's just sitting there listening to it," explains the track's producer,
Troy Taylor. "Trey starts singing to her and the speaker moves as if
it's his mouth." Trey seduces: Turn me up don't turn me down/Promise
that you'll love it/Now put your hands on the radio/Don't be afraid to touch
it/Imagine I was there (baby) pullin' on your hair. Even cyber-fantasies
get fulfilled.
It's simple. Trey is at his best because for the first time we receive him in
his entirety, as he makes a major leap forward from his debut. "I
used 'I GOTTA MAKE IT' as a staircase to achieve," he says. In the
wake of the release of his first album, Trey found himself reaching into the
mainstream at the same time that the underground was feasting on his mixtape
releases. And Warner Music Group Executive Vice President Kevin Liles
took notice. "On the new project, Kevin came in and he really got
who I am as an artist," tells Trey. "Kevin always said 'I don't
see "I Gotta Go" in the clubs. I see "I Gotta Go" on
stage and then I see this guy in the clubs, poppin' bottles and throwing money.
It's not matching.' So he said the image is gonna match the songs this
time." The result is a gift for all. Everyone's a winner. The
world will be able to enjoy the complete experience of Trey Songz, the future
of R&B. "This album, though he's a little older from the first
album, is who he is," states Taylor. "He's soulful. He's
street. He's hip-hop. He's sexual. He's diverse." So Trey's
reign begins. The people of today are ready for their representation
(over 400,000 of them are his Myspace friends!). They've actually been
ready since day one. Just like Trey speaks up for them, they've
reciprocated. "Before my first album came out, the fans on my
website were calling the release date, "Trey Day." So I decided
this time it's gonna be "TREY DAY" for real. The first album
was an introduction and this is the arrival."
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A
Hip-Hop Artist Finds Trouble Adds To The Mix
Excerpt from www.thestar.com - Associated Press
(April
15, 2007) ATLANTA With arms folded and a grin that shows much bravado,
DJ Drama stands alongside his nine Aphilliate group members for
an album cover photo shoot. His friend DJ Don Cannon suddenly starts crooning;
the entire clique bursts into laughter. No worries. No conflict. Just
everyone having a good time. A few months ago, Drama thought such an enjoyable
moment wouldn't come anytime soon. "I wasn't thinking about a photo
shoot," he said. "I said to myself, `God, give me a bail and a
bond.'" Drama, born Tyree
Simmons, had become one of the top DJs in hip-hop
after working with rappers such as Young Jeezy, T.I. and Lil' Wayne through his
popular Gangsta Grillz mixtape series. Mixtapes are promotional CD
compilations featuring top rappers and are often sold on street corners and
online. Drama had just signed a record deal, which is rare for a DJ, and was
co-hosting a local and satellite radio show. But as his star rose, he and his
partner Cannon were arrested in January for reproducing recorded material for
sales, violating Georgia's Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization law.
Both were jailed one night and were released on $100,000 bond.
Although the case is still not resolved, Drama is looking to clear his name as
a criminal and show people that mixtapes are an asset for the music industry.
"They're the bloodline," he said. "They're the vein. So many
people have capitalized off mixtapes. 50 Cent, one of music's top moguls,
wouldn't even be where he is at if it wasn't for them. "I hope people
learn more about mixtapes after our situation." Mixtapes are a compilation
of songs that include teasers for upcoming albums, freestyle rhymes and remixes
of popular hits. Artists often use them to gain extra exposure. Even though
record labels often support mixtapes for their marketing strength, they also
have been wary because bootleggers often sell the music for profit. Isaac Hayes
III, son of soul singer Isaac Hayes and a music producer, said mixtapes have
benefited unknown artists in the urban market and record labels as well.
"It's a way to create a buzz in the streets," he said. "Rappers
can easily go on mixtapes and say whatever they want about an issue at that
moment, without having to wait for their album to drop. They help a lot."
In efforts to crack down on pirated music, special task forces focus on
copyright infringement in the recording industry. Drama and Cannon, born Donald
Cannon, were investigated after a Georgia task force officer said he found
mixtapes supplied by Drama that were for sale – without the consent of record
labels whose songs were remixed – at a kiosk inside a south Atlanta mall. About
a month later local police raided the Aphilliate Music Group office in Atlanta.
The company's assets were frozen, more than 81,000 mixtape CDs were destroyed,
recording equipment, computers and cars were taken by officers. Even files for
Drama's first mixtape album release under a major label – T.I.'s Grand Hustle
Records, under Atlantic Records – were seized by police. Drama said it
was disturbing when officers repeatedly asked them if they had "guns and
drugs" in their office. "Cops jumped out, M-16s were drawn," he
explained. "They threw us to the ground and arrested me and Cannon.
Drug-sniffing dogs went inside and they confiscated everything we worked so
hard to achieve." Cannon, who is also a hip-hop producer, insists that
they don't make money off mixtapes, but it does provide exposure from them. He
said DJs try to gain recognition and get the major bucks through separate
deals, like their own radio show, party performances or going on tour with an
artist. The Aphilliates host an evening radio show in Atlanta and a program on
Sirius Satellite Radio. Drama is also the official DJ for the bestselling
rapper T.I.
After the album he had been working on for a year was taken in the raid, Drama
recreated a whole new mixtape album in three weeks. OutKast, Busta Rhymes and
Beenie Sigel were some artists who took part in the album, which is set for
release in June. Drama's first single, "Takin' Pictures," speaks
specifically on the raid and the importance of mixtapes. The track features
Young Jeezy, Jim Jones, Young Buck and T.I. "I didn't have nothing, but
everyone came to my aid," said Drama. "My engineer thought I was
crazy about putting out an album in such short time. But I had no choice. This
album represents the game and the obstacles that comes with it." The
28-year-old Philadelphia native attended Clark Atlanta University, graduating
in 2000. His hyperactive voice over thumping but synthesized beats made him
popular on his first southern-based mixtape, Jim Crow Laws. Drama
decided to rename the series Gangsta Grillz, producing over 40 mixtape
albums. Grand Hustle co-CEO Jason Geter signed him onto the label in 2005.
"It's another chapter in my book," said Drama, father of two
daughters. "I realize it's another challenge to overcome. I'm here to
prove that I can put the game on my back and the Aphilliates can't be
stopped."
Pleasing Connick Takes No Chances
Excerpt from www.globeandmail.com -
J.D. Considine
Harry Connick Jr.
At the Hummingbird Centre
In Toronto on Saturday
(Apr. 16, 07) For all the lip service given the notion that New
Orleans is the home of the blues and the cradle of jazz, there remains one
deeply ingrained part of the city's tradition that many jazz musicians (and a
fair number of fans) seem unable to embrace: The urge to entertain. Louis
Armstrong certainly had it, and his eagerness to please the audience --
combined with enormous charm and unparalleled musicality -- helped jazz be
embraced worldwide. And there's no doubt that Harry Connick, Jr. has it too, although on a considerably smaller scale
than Pops Armstrong. Watching him run through a string of Crescent City
chestnuts at the Hummingbird Centre in Toronto on Saturday, it was hard not be
amused, and damned near impossible not to tap a foot or two. It wasn't just
that Connick understands the milieu -- although it should be pointed out that
he has a mastery of stride piano that would shame many musicians of his
parents' generation, much less his own -- so much as that he recognized the
importance of making the music personal.
One of the reasons later generations of New Orleans jazz entertainers were
looked down upon by serious jazz fans was that their sense of showmanship came
across as mostly shtick -- a happy, smiley bonhomie that seemed to have been
dictated by some committee at the tourist board. This may be why Wynton
Marsalis, for all his championing of the New Orleans tradition, maintains such a
dour stage persona; heaven forbid he should be mistaken for Al Hirt! There was
a time when Connick, too, would have been worried about his artistic image, but
those days are long past. After making his name as a teenaged piano virtuoso,
he went through his Young Sinatra phase (sparked by his contributions to the
soundtrack of When Harry Met Sally), his funk phase, and big band phase.
He even made a go at Broadway by scoring the musical Thou Shalt Not, a
title theatregoers took a little too much to heart. His current project
incorporates elements from his big band, funk and Sinatra personae, but mainly
draws upon his roots in the clubs of New Orleans, where he cut his teeth. Along
with saxophonist Branford Marsalis, Connick has been extremely active in post-Katrina
relief efforts, and his sense of how much has been lost -- and how much more
could potentially disappear -- seems to have turned him into a sort of musical
evangelist for his beleaguered hometown.
And so we got everything from a soppy, somewhat sloppy rendition of Do You
Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans to a lean, James Booker-inspired
solo piano version of On the Sunny Side of the Street, to a raucous,
genuinely joyous run through Jambalaya. It wasn't always great
musically, but it was never less than great fun. What Connick got absolutely
right was his rapport with the audience. He may be pushing 40, but he still
maintains an aura of boyish charm, and definitely isn't above exploiting his
looks or physique, as the display of booty-shaking he gave during Mardi Gras
in New Orleans made plain. At its best, his willingness to personalize his
experience of the music, particularly through rambling, affectionate
reminiscences of musicians such as pianist Booker or gospel musician Raymond
Miles, brought an Oprah-esque warmth to the proceedings. Connick's obvious
affection for the music and musicians was infectious enough to make any
listener curious to hear more. If only the music that followed those
soliloquies had been more inspiring. Connick is a supremely capable technician,
but he tends to want to gussy things up when no gussying is needed. So he
crowded the Armstrong-era classic Didn't He Ramble with unnecessary
dissonance, reworked Hello, Dolly! to the point that it would have been
unrecognizable without the vocal, and crammed so much brass razzmatazz into Yes
We Can Can that the Allen Toussaint tune nearly lost its groove --
something Toussaint's tunes almost never do. There's nothing wrong with wanting
to entertain. But Connick seems to be approaching the crossroads where he needs
to decide whether he wants to please himself through clever tricks worked into
otherwise pedestrian songs, or to please the audience by serving the songs
straight up. Because Armstrong's third route -- in which the audience gets what
they want while the band pushes the envelope -- doesn't seem to be on maps
Connick is using.
Don Ho, 76: Hawaii's Breezy Crooner
Excerpt from www.thestar.com - Nate
Chine, Special To The Star, New York Times News Service
(April 16, 2007) Don Ho, an entertainer who defined popular
perceptions of Hawaiian music and held fast as a peerless Waikiki nightclub
attraction, died Saturday in Honolulu. He was 76. The cause was heart failure,
his daughter Dayna Ho said. Ho was a durable spokesman for the image of Hawaii
as a tourist playground. His rise dovetailed with a visitor boom that followed
statehood in 1959 and the advent of affordable air travel. For 40 years,
his name was synonymous with Pacific Island leisure, as was his signature hit,
"Tiny Bubbles." Born Donald Tai Loy Ho in the Honolulu enclave of
Kaka`ako, Ho had an ethnic background worthy of the islands' melting-pot ideal:
He was of Hawaiian, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch and German descent. He grew up
on the island of Oahu, where he began his singing career at Honey's, his mother
Emily's restaurant and lounge. Ho enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1954,
receiving certification as a fighter pilot in Texas but never seeing combat. He
transferred to Military Airlift Command and flew cargo across the Pacific
before leaving the service in 1959.
Ho took over Honey's and resumed performing. He befriended a young songwriter
named Kui Lee, who would soon write "I'll Remember You," one of the
most enduring Hawaiian standards that Ho effectively introduced. With a
repertoire that included some of Lee's earlier work, Ho developed a style that
carried over to the nightclub scene in Waikiki. By 1962, he was headlining
there with a backing group called the Ali`is. Their blend of two guitars,
piano, drums and xylophone, along with Ho's Hammond organ, was well-suited to
the breezy pop sound of the era; so was Ho's nonchalant, slightly slurred
baritone. Duke's, their resident lounge, became a hot spot for locals,
tourists and stars taking a break from the mainland. Within five years, Ho had
achieved widespread fame with several albums and the hit, "Tiny
Bubbles." A full decade before Jimmy Buffett's "Margaritaville,"
the song painted an appealing portrait of tropical indulgence. He adhered to
his lovable rogue character in his frequent television appearances in the late
1960s and early '70s, and on his own ABC variety series, "The Don Ho
Show," from 1976 to 1977. While Ho was at his peak, a grass-roots movement
called the Hawaiian renaissance was stirring. It was an effort at cultural
preservation inspired by such folk traditions as Hawaiian falsetto singing,
offering an implicit rebuke to the commercialization that Ho, as well as the
CBS television series Hawaii Five-O, had come to represent.
But there was respect for Ho's representation of Hawaii to the world, even
among artists in the Hawaiian renaissance. For decades, Ho was a steady Waikiki
nightclub attraction, appealing largely to tourists. In his show at the Ohana
Waikiki Beachcomber hotel, he would crack jokes and play familiar songs. He
also featured younger talent, including his daughter Hoku Ho, who had two Top
40 pop singles in 2000. Late in 2005, Ho's regular engagement was interrupted
because of a heart condition called nonischemic cardiomyopathy, a muscular
weakness unrelated to coronary artery disease. He travelled to Thailand in
December 2005 for experimental stem cell treatment. Less than seven weeks
later, Ho returned to the Beachcomber and performed a sold-out show. He resumed
performing on a weekly basis. Last September, Ho took another medical leave to
have a new pacemaker installed. Around the same time, Ho married his long-time
executive producer, Haumea Hebenstreit. As well as his wife, he is survived by
10 children.
Ashford & Simpson Live At The Apollo
Theatre
Source: Nina Flowers, PR Coordinator, nina.flowers@apollotheater.org
(April 17, 2007) (New York, NY) - The Apollo Legends
Series is proud to present the first concert of its
2007 season with a truly classic Apollo line-up starring legendary performing
and songwriting team Ashford
& Simpson and featuring
R&B star Melba Moore. The Apollo Theater will be the
only place to be as music's most dynamic duo ring in the Spring season with an
evening of perennial hits and favourites. Don't miss your opportunity to get
your classic soul on with Ashford & Simpson and special guest Melba Moore
on Saturday, April 21st at 8pm. Tickets are $65*,$55 and
$45(*prime seating and post-concert reception) and are available through the
Apollo Theater Box Office, 125th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues,
212/531-5305 and Ticketmaster, (212) 307-7171, www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets on Sale
Now
Since embarking on their musical journey together more
than four decades ago, husband and wife team Nickolas Ashford and Valerie
Simpson have established themselves as one of the most prolific, versatile, and
exciting couples in recording history. They have created an unprecedented
catalogue of chart-topping hit singles and albums as performers, writers and
producers that has undeniably solidified their place in music history. Now,
Ashford & Simpson will give soul music devotees a rare treat when they
return to the world famous Apollo stage for the first time in over 10
years. The Ashford & Simpson legacy began in 1964 when the two met at
the famed White Rock Baptist Church in New York City. After discovering
their shared musical talents, they began writing songs together, eventually
signing on as staff songwriters for Scepter Records. Ashford &
Simpson scored their first songwriting hit with, "Let's Go Get
Stoned" for Ray Charles in 1966. That song caught the attention of
Motown's powerhouse songwriting and production team Holland, Dozier and
Holland, who brought the duo on board to the Motown dynasty as
songwriters. Their first Motown single, "Ain't No Mountain High
Enough", written for Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, proved to be a smash
hit and firmly established the signature Ashford & Simpson
style with its soaring high energy harmonies and driving rhythms. While at
Motown, the duo wrote several other hits for the Gaye/Terrell combination
including "Your Precious Love," "Ain't Nothing Like The Real
Thing," and "You're All I Need To Get By." With the
astonishing ability to sing anything from gospel to pop and equipped with a
soaring five octave voice, Melba Moore first enchanted audiences in her debut
as Dionne in the Broadway musical, Hair. She later became the first African
American woman to win a Tony Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for
her role as Lutiebelle in the long-running show Purlie. The recognition she
gained catapulted her into a successful television and recording career. Her
credits include Broadway's Les Miserables; television's The Melba Moore/
Clifton Davis Show and the mini-series Ellis Island.
In 1975, Melba Moore and her husband Charles Huggins formed Hush Productions
and began managing R&B artists, most notably Freddie Jackson. In the late
70's and early 80's Ms. Moore's solo recording career began to surge with hits
like "I Am His Lady," "Love's Comin' at Ya," "Livin'
for Your Love," "A Little Bit More" (a duet with Jackson) and
the Grammy Award-nominated song "Lean On Me." Her 1990 recording of
"Lift Every Voice and Sing" was instrumental in having the song entered
into the Congressional Record as the official African-American National Anthem.
As one of America's best known actresses and recording artists, Ms. Moore has
seen a series of ups and downs throughout her extraordinary career. Despite
a period of extreme personal and professional hardships in which she
suffered through the pain of welfare, blackballing and other misfortunes, the
talented performer was able to rebound. In 1996, she released Happy Together,
her first album in six years, and toured the country with her one-woman
autobiographical musical, Sweet Songs of the Soul in 1998. She was also
featured in the Jackie Wilson Story at the Apollo Theater as well as in the
Paramount/MTV movie The Fighting Temptations, alongside singing sensation
Beyonce Knowles and Cuba Gooding JR, in 2003. Most recently, Ms. Moore is
currently enjoying an exciting career revival with several new projects,
including the release of her first gospel recording I'm Still Here on Warner
Electra Light Year. The album serves as a powerful musical testimony of her
trials and triumphant return. Since introducing the first Amateur
Night contests in 1934, the Apollo Theater has played a major role in the
emergence of innovative musical genres including jazz, swing, bebop, R&B,
gospel, blues, soul and hip-hop. Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie
Holiday, Sammy Davis, Jr., James Brown, Bill Cosby, Gladys Knight, Luther
Vandross, D'Angelo, Lauryn Hill, and countless others began their road to
stardom on the Apollo's stage. Based on its cultural significance and
architecture, the Apollo Theater received state and city landmark designation
in 1983 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Apollo Theater Foundation was established as a 501 (c) 3 not-for-profit
corporation in 1991 and is dedicated to the preservation and development of the
Apollo Theater. The historic venue hosts major concerts and special events and
continues its tradition of discovering future stars with its weekly instalment
of Apollo Amateur Night every Wednesday night and with the syndicated
television show, Showtime at the Apollo, which is taped at the theatre and airs
weekly in over 150 markets nationwide. Harlem is Manhattan's third most popular
tourist destination and the Apollo remains Harlem's top attraction, drawing 1.3
million visitors annually. The world famous Apollo Theater, "where stars
are born and legends are made" ™ is located in the heart of Harlem at 253
West 125 Street, between Adam Clayton Powell Blvd (7th Ave.) and Frederick
Douglass Blvd (8th Ave.). For further information about the Apollo Theater,
visit the website at www.apollotheater.com.
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Carrie Underwood Tops At CMT Music
Awards
Excerpt from www.globeandmail.com -
John Gerome, Associated Press
(Apr. 17, 07) NASHVILLE, TENN. — Carrie
Underwood's
dark hit Before He Cheats won video
of the year, female video and best video director Monday at the fan-voted CMT
Music Awards. In the song, Underwood takes a baseball bat to a cheating
boyfriend's “pretty little souped up 4-wheel drive.” “It was at the CMT awards
last year that I gave my first acceptance speech ever,” Underwood said. “It's been
such an amazing and blessed two years.” Kenny Chesney won male video for You
Save Me and Rascal Flatts won group video for What Hurts the Most.
Jack Ingram received the Wide Open Country award, a new category intended to
honour artists outside the mainstream. Viewers chose Ingram's video over Johnny
Cash's God's Gonna Cut You Down, rockers Sheryl Crow and Sting for their
duet Always on Your Side and Jimmy Buffett's Bama Breeze. “Right
now, I'm flying on the mainstream radar but for a long time I wasn't,” Ingram
said. Teen newcomer Taylor Swift captured breakthrough video of the year
honours with her hit Tim McGraw. Later, the Grade 11 student said she is
taking her final exams Tuesday. She attended the show with her mother. “This is
my first award show ever. I wanted my mom right next to me,” Swift said.
Sugarland won duo video of the year for Want To. “Thank you to the
fans,” singer Jennifer Nettles said. “We love that you vote for that; it makes
it that much more special.” Kris Kristofferson, who penned country classics
like Sunday Morning Coming Down and Help Me Make it Through the Night,
received the Johnny Cash Visionary Award. Kristofferson, 70, joins previous
winners Hank Williams Jr., Loretta Lynn, Reba McEntire, the Dixie Chicks and
his late friend Johnny Cash. Cash's daughter, Rosanne Cash, presented the award
and Kristofferson received a standing ovation at the Curb Event Center at
Belmont University. “He is an artist with nothing to lose,” Rosanne Cash said.
“He can risk everything because he never compromises his integrity.”
Kristofferson praised the late Johnny Cash and said: “Bob Dylan said it best.
He said John was like the North Star — you could guide your ship by him.” Then
Kristofferson looked up and raised the award high above his head in tribute to
his late friend.
Later, Kristofferson recalled time spent at Cash's lakeside home near Nashville
that was destroyed by fire last week. “We used to go down there when we got
down on our spirits,” he said. “My wife put it best though when she said John
and June (wife June Carter Cash) took everything that really mattered with
them.” Comedian Jeff Foxworthy hosted the show and performers included Rascal
Flatts, Chesney, Toby Keith, Sugarland and Bon Jovi. Foxworthy recapped the
year in country music, including Dolly Parton's Kennedy Center Honor. “That's
appropriate because if there's ever been a president who would enjoy Dolly
Parton it's President Kennedy,” he quipped. But he quickly became serious when
he addressed the fatal shootings at Virginia Tech. “There are a lot of hurting
people associated with Virginia Tech and we want those people to know in the
days and weeks going forward that you are going to be in the hearts and minds
of everyone in the country music community,” Foxworthy said. “God bless you.”
The Dixie Chicks were nominated for video of the year and group of the year —
their first such nominations since country radio unofficially banned them. But
the Chicks were nixed in both categories. The trio has been at odds with
country radio since lead singer Natalie Maines told a London audience in 2003
they were ashamed President George W. Bush is from their home state Texas. But
even without radio airplay, they managed to win three Grammys and sell 2
million copies of their latest album, Taking the Long Way. “I understand
the songs on that album are great but I listen to country radio so I haven't
heard them yet,” Foxworthy cracked.
Deniece Williams Returns!
Source: Lucy Beer, Elemental Consulting, lucy@elemental-consulting.com
(April 18, 2007) Deniece Williams will forever be one of
the great all-time R&B divas. Possessing an infectious, angelic and soulful
honey -coated voice with an awe-inspiring range, Deniece Williams set the bar
high for R&B singers back in the 70s and to this day her influence can be
heard on everyone from Mariah Carey to Beyoncé. Her songs have been
sampled by dozens of artists including Will Smith and Master P. Deniece's pure,
rich and spine-tingling vocal quality, along with her impeccable diction and
ability to honestly connect with any song has resulted in a vast catalogue of
hits. Some of her timeless anthems include "Silly," "Too
Much, Too Little, Too Late" (her No. 1 pop and R&B duet with Johnny
Mathis), "Let's Hear It For The Boy" (the million-selling pop/soul
chart-topper from the movie Footloose), "It's Gonna Take A Miracle,"
"Free" (from her gold-certified This Is Niecy album) and "Black
Butterfly." In recent years the chanteuse has primarily been
recording gospel records but on April 24, 2007 Shanachie Entertainment will
release Deniece Williams' highly anticipated return to R&B Love, Niecy
Style produced by renowned Philly soul producer Bobby Eli. Deniece's
label debut will mark her first major return to R&B in over a decade.
For this momentous occasion Deniece called upon some of the artists who have
been instrumental throughout her career: Stevie Wonder, George Duke and Philip
Bailey. In 1978, Deniece Williams' sophomore album Songbird was released,
coming two years after the classic "Free" (from her gold-certified
This Is Niecy album) propelled her into international fame and success.
The title was a perfect description of the soulful vocal beauty associated with
this legendary singer/songwriter and it is as appropriate now as it was back
then. Indeed, a songbird with a dynamic range, a distinctive sound and
a true gift for lyrical interpretation, Deniece has long enjoyed a place in the
hearts of music buyers who embraced her through a rich legacy of close to
thirty charted singles and a dozen best-selling albums. Her career also
includes four Grammy wins and an extensive list of credits including sixteen
Grammy nominations, three Stellar Awards, an American Music Award and an Oscar
nomination.
Audio Links:
"This
Time I'll Be Sweeter"
"Love's
Holiday"
As Deniece reflects "I wasn't really thinking about making a new record
until a mutual friend put me in touch with Bobby, who I knew from the recording
sessions I did with Thom Bell in the early '80s which included songs like
"Silly" and "It's Gonna Take A Miracle." Bobby talked
to me about the idea of doing a project of songs that I've always loved. I
thought it was a great way to honour artists like Luther Vandross, Donny
Hathaway and Gwen Guthrie and what their music has meant to me. When
people listen to this project, I hope it will take them back down memory lane
as well as create new memories for those who may not be familiar with all the
songs on the album." Within weeks of agreeing to Love, Niecey
Style, Bobby Eli (whose extensive production credits include such favourites as
Sister Sledge, Atlantic Starr, Major Harris, Blue Magic and Engelbert Humperdink
and whose discography includes countless Philly soul sessions as a star
guitarist with Billy Paul, The Spinners, Wilson Pickett, The Salsoul Orchestra,
The O'Jays, MFSB, The Temptations and Elton John) and Deniece had begun
selecting songs for it. "There were so many songs I had been
carrying around forever, humming them, singing them and never thinking I would
be recording them!" she declares. "By the time we finished, I felt we
had done what we set out to do." For Eli, working with Deniece was
"a pure pleasure. She's a producer's dream, a very special artist
and someone I always wanted to work with from being on the Thom Bell sessions
with her." Love, Niecey Style is particularly
special, given the presence of three distinguished music men who have played an
integral role in Deniece's career at different times: icon Stevie Wonder (with
whom Deniece got her first gig as a member of his touring backup vocal group
Wonderlove in 1972); super producer, songwriter and artist in his own right,
George Duke (who produced 1984's Grammy-winning "Let's Hear It For The
Boy"); and renowned vocalist Philip Bailey, of Earth, Wind & Fire,
with whom Deniece was associated by virtue of working with EW&F's Maurice
White and Kalimba Productions from 1976 to 1982.
In addition, what distinguishes Niecy's new CD from other albums of R&B
'cover' tunes is the range of her choices, starting with the 1963 Baby
Washington chestnut "That's How Heartaches Are Made" through to Donny
Hathaway's eternal "Someday We'll All Be Free" and on to Luther
Vandross' first solo 1981 smash, "Never Too Much." For good
measure, Deniece re-recorded her own "Cause You Love Me Baby," a
staple in her repertoire since the track was included in her 1976 Columbia
debut album as well as cutting a brand new song, "The Only Thing I'm
Missing Is You," a prime romantic mood-setting, sensuous cut which
showcases the songbird sounding better than ever! The basic tracks on
Love, Niecey Style were cut by producer Eli in Philadelphia; an all-star
cast of West Coast musicians including saxman Everette Harp, bass player
extraordinaire Freddie Washington and Tower Of Power trumpeter Greg Adams then
added their musical skills to the album. Says Deniece, "It was an
extraordinary experience to make music with such gifted musicians…words could
never truly express how special it made me feel being in the studio again with
Stevie, George, Philip, Greg, Freddie and Everette. Truly, I was
surrounded by friends and loved ones." The spirit of love and
celebration is displayed throughout Love, Niecey Style. Speaking about her
choices for the album, Deniece explains, "I'd been wanting to record
"That's How Heartaches Are Made" for years. I was thirteen when
I first heard Baby Washington sing this song. It touched my heart because
at the time, I was in love with this boy but he didn't love me the same
way! When we started recording the song, I could hear Stevie
(Wonder) playing harmonica on it. 'Can you come down?' I asked and he was
gracious enough to play on the track. It turned out beautifully. Then,
"Love's Holiday" has always been one of my favourite EW&F
songs.
It was also written by Skip Scarborough, who I feel was one of the best
songwriters of our generation. Then having my dearest friend Philip
Bailey sing on it…it doesn't get any better than that!" The
standout ballad "This Time I'll Be Sweeter" (previously cut by both
Angela Bofill and Roberta Flack, one of the many artists whose recordings -
including Minnie Riperton and Esther Phillips - benefited from Deniece's work
as a session singer in the '70s) is a tribute to a longtime friend: "The
song was written by the late Gwen Guthrie who we lost to breast cancer. Gwen
used to sing with me, Lani Groves and Patti Austin - we were in the same circle
of background singers when I lived in New York and I remember when she wrote
the song. I always wanted to do it and it's my way of honouring
Gwen." Deniece says the two most challenging tunes were her reading
of Donny Hathaway's "Someday We'll All Be Free" (which features Greg
Adams) and one of the only covers ever done of Luther's "Never Too
Much." The vocalist shares, "I told Bobby (Eli) and Executive
Producer Danny Weiss that I wanted to do Donny's song. After I listened
to his rendition again, I just broke down and cried. I thought, 'do I have the
audacity to do this song?' I called the record company and told them I'd made a
mistake. They said, 'are you crazy? No…you gotta do the
song!' It has a beautiful message of encouragement so I'm glad I did
it. As for the Luther song, well, he was a friend and certainly one of
the best vocalists of our time. I had no idea how hard a song "Never
Too Much" was to sing - you can hardly sing and breathe on it. I tell
people, when I get to heaven, I'm going to tell Luther how hard it was to
do!" Keeping with contemporary
classics of the '80s, Deniece chose Kool & The Gang's
"Cherish" about which she says, "real love only happens on
a few occasions and when we have it, we shouldn't take it for granted";
and George Benson's 1983 hit, "Love Me (One More Time)" which she
declares is her favourite Benson song, given "something really special by
George (Duke) who played on the track." Rounding out this stellar
collection are her own "Cause You Love Me Baby" and "If You Really
Love Me," another nod to Stevie Wonder. "I sang this song so much as
background for Stevie that at one time, I was singing it in my sleep! I
was very apprehensive about doing this song because he was and still is my
mentor and I wanted to please him. I think I've made him
proud." The choice for Deniece Williams to revisit one of her own
classic tunes "Cause You Love Me Baby" was easy: "I've been very
blessed as a songwriter and publisher to have so much of my music sampled.
I was going to re-do "Free" but then I thought it would be good to do
something up-tempo because it's been sampled by so many other artists…and being
the romantic I am, it seemed perfect for this project."
Since the mid-'80s, Deniece has been busier than ever, recording a children's
CD, Lullabies To Dreamland, appearing in the London cast of the pioneering
musical "Mama I Want To Sing," producing and hosting her own radio
program, "The Deniece Williams Show" for BBC Radio for almost ten
years. Purposely devoting much of her time to raising her four sons,
Deniece says she made a conscious choice to limit her touring activities:
"I've been doing maybe ten concerts a year and in recent years, I've
really got into writing theatre pieces and developing film scripts with my
older sons. I felt it was time to test myself in other creative
ways. Now with my children grown, it's time for mom to be out there
again! I chose to stay at home and did only 10% of what I could have
done. Vocally, I think I'm stronger than I've ever been and it's time to
get out there and do it. I've been blessed with a fantastic audience and
I'm always humbled by that. My audience reminds me that this is what I'm
supposed to be doing!" For MORE, visit: www.myspace.com/deniecewilliams
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Prosecutors Name Suspect In Jam Master
Jay Slaying
Excerpt from www.thestar.com - Tom Hays,
Associated Press
(April 17, 2007) NEW YORK – Federal prosecutors have
alleged that a low-level career bandit may hold the key to one of the more
high-profile mysteries of the hip-hop world: Who killed rap pioneer Jam Master Jay? In court papers, the prosecutors
identify Ronald "Tenad'' Washington as the armed accomplice of a second
unidentified gunman who shot Jay, whose real name was Jason Mizell, inside his
New York recording studio in 2002. They say Washington also is a suspect in the
1995 fatal shooting of Randy Walker, a close associate of the late rapper Tupac
Shakur. The papers were filed earlier this month in the federal trial of
Washington, who was convicted in a string of armed robberies that occurred just
after Jay was killed. Prosecutors declined on Tuesday to discuss the unsolved
slayings. A Mizell family spokeswoman welcomed news that authorities had for
the first time publicly identified a suspect. "We're relieved there's some
information coming out, although we understand that it's not the full
story," said the spokeswoman, Fern Yates. Washington, 45, has denied any
connection to either the Mizell or Walker cases. In a sworn statement, he
claimed hostile detectives had hounded him about the slaying of his
"childhood friend" Mizell and other crimes. Washington's criminal
record dates to 1982, and includes convictions for assault, drugs and grand
larceny, authorities said.
During the 1980s, Mizell made rap music history working the turntables as Joe
"Run" Simmons and Darryl "DMC" McDaniels rapped on hits
like "King of Rock,'' "It's Tricky" and a top-40 remake of
Aerosmith's "Walk This Way.'' Mizell was gunned down Oct. 30, 2002, at his
24/7 recording studio. According to a performer there, a man wearing a black sweat
suit appeared, embraced Mizell, pulled out a .40-caliber pistol and opened
fire. A first round missed Mizell and injured another person. A second bullet,
this one fired from point-blank range, entered the left side of Mizell's head.
The shooter vanished. For his part, Washington "pointed his gun at those
present in the studio, ordered them to get on the ground and provided cover for
his associate to shoot and kill Jason Mizell," prosecutors said in court
papers. While being sought for questioning in the Mizell case, Washington fled
and lived in various motels, authorities said. He held up several fast-food
restaurants and other businesses with a pellet gun before his arrest in
December 2002. Prosecutors claim Washington was among three men involved in a
fatal car chase with another hip-hop figure – Walker – on Nov. 30, 1995. The
suspect allegedly fired a gun out a car window, killing Walker and causing his
minivan to crash. Walker had performed with the group Live Squad under the name
Stretch. He also was known for producing several songs for Shakur, victim of an
unsolved murder in 1996 in Las Vegas.
Corinne Becomes A Legend
Excerpt from www.thestar.com - Ashante
Infantry, Pop & Jazz Critic
(April 18, 2007) In the post-Don Imus climate that has
misogynistic hip hop back on the front-burner, it's helpful to recall the
genre's positive contributions. After all, it was erstwhile thug
posturing, ho-baiter turned corporate lackey Jay-Z who begat boastmeister Kanye
West who begat John Legend – the reigning prince of R&B. Usher
and Justin Timberlake outdance and outsell the Ohio native, but Legend is an
intelligent lyricist – prone to clever, risqué turns – and versatile musician
whose adapted surname seems fitting for the ages. That's why it was puzzling to
find the typically dapper, Grammy-winning former choir director acting like a
commoner at his biggest headlining gig in Toronto, before a diverse near
capacity crowd at the Hummingbird Centre. Legend served up the highlights
of Get Lifted and Once Again, along with soul covers and a
Brazilian pop tune written for Sergio Mendes. The thought-provoking,
sophisticated material, delivered seamlessly on a simple, elegant set comprised
of velvet curtains and icicle lights, deserved better packaging than the
scantily clad female backup vocalists and his own boating casual attire.
Perhaps the 28-year-old singer-pianist stayed too long on the superstar circuit,
opening for Kanye West, Alicia Keys and Usher, but the "C'mon y'all, hold
ya hands up!" demands and queries to the audience about their purchases of
his albums didn't suit him.
Those early moments would have been better served sorting out the distortion in
the overwhelming sound, because the best part of his set was "Maxine's
Interlude" – without the band. Accompanying himself on piano, Legend's
intriguing lyrics and rich, beseeching voice were finally showcased. But
the stripes he lost were forgiven by having Corinne Bailey Rae as the warm-up act. The British lass is truly
deserving of the aggressive major label campaign that brought the former indie
rocker to our shores. Whether playing acoustic guitar, shaking a
tambourine or singing acapella, Rae is a delight. Tow-headed and dressed in an
diaphanous babydoll dress, her voice has a childlike quality that she evokes
with her carefree manner. But the 28-year-old is a serious musician, with
great timing and sense of drama. She proved herself as a risk taker: not
content to coast on hit singles, she introduce new songs, bowed to extended
horn solos and rocked a Led Zeppelin cover. Apparently Snoop Dog was
trying to support the Rutgers basketball team when he said that rappers of his
ilk would never speak badly of "collegiate basketball girls who have made
it to the next level in education and sports. "We're talking about
ho's that's in the 'hood that ain't doing sh–, that's trying to get a n---a for
his money," the rapper told MTV.
If that's what passes for a compliment from my generation of black male
entertainers these days, I happily overlook Legend's sneakers and incongruous
set design. He was gracious enough to bring Rae out during his segment
for a duet and rise from the piano to kiss her cheek when she left the
stage. Chivalry lives.
Wilkinsons Will Go Ahead With New Video
For Song That Tackles School Violence
Excerpt from www.thestar.com - Raju
Mudhar, Entertainment Reporter
(April 18, 2007) It is the kind of strange coincidence that
sounds like a poor joke, but it isn't at all funny to Steve Wilkinson. He and
two of his children, Amanda and Tyler, make up the country music trio The Wilkinsons and today the group is hard at work at a
local school on their latest music video "Nobody Died." Focusing on
school bullying and violence, the song was inspired by the 1999 Columbine
shootings, but it seems all the more ominous in light of Monday's massacre at
Virginia Tech. "The timing flipped me out and it kind of pulled the rug
out from under my feet ... I was in my basement finishing off my rec room when
my video director called me. He said, `have you seen the news? You're not going
to believe it.' "It's terrible, and it just made me sick," says Steve
Wilkinson from his home in Belleville. "I tell you what, the song has been
in our laps for 5 or 6 years. We recorded it once and it never came out because
we didn't have the courage to do it.” Wilkinson says they were concerned that
radio might not play the song due to its content, but after the Amish school
shooting last year that resulted in the deaths of five girls, the group felt it
was a necessary message to get out. He describes the song as reminiscence from
the singer's point of view about what life was like when they went to school
and how things have changed. It starts with these lyrics:
Back when I went to school, kid smoked and swore and bent some rules,
But didn't everybody? I mean almost everybody.
A fake I.D. bought a beer, had the devil's rock `n' roll ringing in my ear,
And people said that these kids got a problem here.
And I'm not saying that they weren't right,
But I'm crying and trying to understand what I'm seeing on the news tonight.
As a father with children still in school, Wilkinson understands the fear
that parents are living with whenever these chilling incidents occur.
"I've got a daughter that's still in high school and I thought about the
millions of fathers sending their kids to school these days. Nobody ever thinks
that this type of thing would ever occur at any school." The Wilkinsons
released their new album, Home, a little over a month ago, and the band
applied for and received a grant to make the "Nobody Died"
video. Casting and plans have been in the works for weeks, Wilkinson
says, adding Monday's incident did make them pause, but after speaking with
their label and publicists, they decided to push forward. "I just
felt that we finally needed to shine a light on it," he says. "If one
radio station and one person listens to it and thinks twice about maybe doing
something drastic because they're being picked on or something went wrong in
their world, it's worth the money, the time and it's worth the effort."
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