20 Carlton
Street, Suite 1032, Toronto, ON M5B 2H5
(416) 677-5883
langfieldent@rogers.com
www.langfieldentertainment.com
August 23, 2007
::HOT EVENTS::
The Ice Cream Men Are Comin' - Saturday, August 25, 2007
Source: Ajahmae Live Entertainment
By popular demand, Ice Cream Fest's hosts,
Jay Martin and
Trixx are joining forces for one night only to bring you
the hippest, funniest, and most insane comedy show! If you enjoyed the Ice Cream Summer Fest with jagged edge SWV, KCI and Jojo, New
Edition and more, then you are going to love this show with all the best
hosts Toronto has ever seen. You will laugh you a** off! Trixx
and Jay Martin funnier than ever. Lots of prizes and surprises. Musical acts also featured and DJ Starting from Scratch spins for the afterparty.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 25, 2007
ICE CREAM PRESENTS: JAY MARTIN AND TRIXX'S 2 MAN COMEDY SHOW
Panasonic Theatre
651 Yonge St (between Wellesly and Bloor)
Doors open 8:00 pm
Info line 416-949-2766 or www.jaymartin.tv
Early bird tickets are just $20 plus taxes
Click HERE for Ticketmaster
HARLEM EVENTS**
Week of August 23-29, 2007
For information on the vibe of Harlem Restaurant and live music
venue: Go to www.harlemrestaurant.com.
|
Date |
Name of Event |
|
|
August
23 |
Solari,
Clara Lofaro and Marinda perform a night of Latin Soul, Pop Indie Soul, and
Neo Jazz Fusion Show: 10pm $6 |
|
|
August
24 |
Hosted by Lisa
“Luscious” Tai, a night of spoken word poetry and house music. Open mic for
all types of artists. DJs
Pablo Hernandez, Carl Allen, & Roberto Brito Show: 9pm Afterparty: 11pm $5 |
|
|
August
25 |
Black
Kat |
DJ Black Kat Doors: 10pm $10 |
|
August
29 |
Vertigo |
DJ
David James (deep house deep tech garage) Doors:
10pm |
**HARLEM
67 Richmond St. (at Church)
Tel: 416-368-1920
::SCOOP::
Jacksoul Singer In Coma
Excerpt from www.thestar.com
- Pop & Jazz Critic
(August 19, 2007) Haydain Neale, lead singer of the
award-winning band jacksoul is in a coma, two weeks after a vehicle collided
with his scooter. The 36-year-old Hamilton native's family has been
tight-lipped about his condition, characterizing it as "critical but
stable" in a brief statement about the Aug. 3 accident that landed him in
hospital with head injuries. "That's my understanding," said Toronto
Police Detective Paul Higgins of reports that Neale has not regained
consciousness since the mishap. "He's still in very critical
condition." Although police have said charges are likely against the
27-year-old male driver of the Honda Civic that knocked the musician off his
Vespa, the proceedings are at a standstill because of Neale's condition.
"The accident is still under investigation; it is being reconstructed,
(but) out of respect for the family, we have put the investigation on
hold," said Higgins.
"We have witnesses,
we have a clear direction, this isn't a whodunit; there's no rush to judgment.
At this point, hopefully he recovers." Neale was travelling south on
Kennedy Rd. near Eglinton Ave. about 10 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 3, when a
northbound car turned left into his path. Neither alcohol, speed,
mechanical failure, or intent were factors, police said. And the singer, who
lives in Toronto's east end with wife Michaela and their teenage daughter, was
wearing a helmet. Higgins said his family has been inundated with inquiries.
The five-member band Neale fronts is best known for the hits "Can't
Stop" and "Still Believe in Love." Their latest effort, mySOUL, garnered a Juno earlier this
year for R&B/Soul Recording.
::TOP STORIES::
65%
More New FLOW 93.5 Makes You 91% More Likely To Tune In
Source: FLOW 93.5
(August 21, 2007) FLOW 93.5 is proud to announce enhancements to the station’s
programming and a name change to the NEW
FLOW
93.5. The NEW FLOW 93.5 is a hotter, faster, more vibrant
station. FLOW has always been about playing the latest and best music. Today’s
most popular music is still being produced by Urban music’s best talents like
Timbaland, Jay Z, and Kanye West, but the music itself has a wider appeal.
Always responsive to the demands of its listeners, the station has
broadened its musical play list by playing more hit artists like Fergie, Justin
Timberlake, Timbaland, Rihanna, Nelly Furtado and Beyonce, thereby delivering
more hits in its 45 Minute Non Stop Music Flows. The NEW FLOW is a
closer reflection of radio listeners’ tastes. Nine of the Billboard Hot 100
top ten can currently be heard on the NEW FLOW 93.5.
Changes to the DJ line up further enhance the sound of the NEW FLOW 93.5. A new
morning show, JJ and Melanie In The Morning, is growing in popularity.
Feedback on the show has been incredible with listeners connecting to their
real, fun and energetic style. “The radio landscape in Toronto has
changed so much in the six years since FLOW 93.5 launched, as has the way we
listen to music. We’ve always tried to be ahead of the curve and anticipate
what our listeners want, then deliver it in a style they appreciate. In making
these enhancements, and creating the NEW FLOW we’ve created a package that has
already started to resonate among radio listeners in Toronto,” says Wayne
Williams, FLOW 93.5 Program Director.
About the ad campaign:
The NEW FLOW is being launched with a bold new advertising campaign created by
Toronto’s Lowe Roche. Lowe Roche acquired the business in April of this year.
Says Nicole Jolly, FLOW 93.5 VP, Operations, “people knew that FLOW
played a lot of hot music, but I don’t think they realized how much of our
playlist is focused on hits. We wanted to grab the attention of people who
thought they knew what FLOW was all about, but didn’t. We were impressed by the
talent at Lowe Roche and had admired some of the outstanding work they had done
for their other clients. I really appreciate their strategic approach. I’m
thrilled because the new campaign is an amazing representation of the direction
in which we’ve taken the station.” With eye-catching colourful graphics, the
launch campaign focuses on the artists that are featured on the NEW FLOW.
Brightly coloured graphs and flow charts feature cheeky headlines that use made
up percentages to let listeners know what artists they will hear on the NEW
FLOW 93.5 and the effect it will have on them. One billboard reads “43% more
Nelly Furtado makes you 8% more promiscuous”. “It was really important
for us to ensure that FLOW had a distinct identity and point of view to set
them apart from the competition.” says Christina Yu, Vice-President, Creative
Director. “The vibrant graphics and irreverent headlines achieve this in a
humorous way.” Outdoor and interior transit launch this week. This
campaign will be supported by an interactive online component, radio, print and
T-shirts branded with the NEW FLOW’s graphic look. The enhancements made
seem to be the right move for FLOW. Market share is already up 27% over the
same time last year.
About the NEW FLOW 93.5
FLOW 93.5 is owned and operated by Milestone Radio Inc. FLOW 93.5 has been on
air since February 9th, 2001.
About Lowe Roche
Lowe Roche is a Toronto-based communications company that specializes in
developing innovative 360 degree campaigns that get results. It is part of Lowe
Worldwide, headquartered in London. Founded in 1991 by Geoffrey Roche, the
agency was named one of Canada's top three agencies by Strategy Magazine for
2006. To date, Lowe Roche has won over 850 Canadian and International
Advertising awards including Cannes, The One Show, Clios, Communication Arts,
Marketing, Cassies, Bessies, ADCC and Applied Arts. Clients include: Audi
Canada, Home Outfitters, Johnson & Johnson, Mackenzie Financial, Nestle
Purina, Nestea, Nokia Canada, Stella Artois, Toronto Zoo, and most recently Bel
Cheese.
It
Was All FutureSex, With A Few LoveSounds, At The ACC
Source: By Jason Macneil -- Special to Sun Media
(Aug. 21, 2007) TORONTO - Say what you want about
Justin Timberlake, he certainly can get a
lot out of two solo albums. The former 'NSync heartthrob and now uber pop
star made another trek to Toronto's Air Canada Centre last night before a
sold-out crowd. And while the set itself was identical to damn near every other
show he's done on his current world tour, the two-hour-plus show has plenty of
eye candy to keep even the casual fan interested. Timberlake, who
recently taped two shows at New York's Madison Square Garden for an upcoming
HBO special, opened the show with FutureSex/LoveSound off his 2006 sophomore
effort FutureSex/LoveSounds, backed by seven musicians and nearly a dozen
dancers. Looking quite dapper despite the white sneakers, Timberlake made a
grand entrance as he rose from the centre of a rather impressive, multi-layered
stage to the shrieks and shrills of females dominating the audience.
Played Guitar
"How you doing tonight, Toronto?" Timberlake asked following the
upbeat Like I Love You, which he initially strapped on an acoustic guitar for
before raising a toast to the crowd soon thereafter. "There's something I
realized about Canadians..." he said, prior to subtly but humorously
tipping his elbow. While the songs themselves often lean towards slower,
dim-the-lights romance at times, Timberlake also has an ample supply of funk in
some of his material. Following the Latin-laced Senorita, which the crowd ate
up, the performer quickly went into the groove heavy Sexy Ladies that had
Timberlake donning a "keytar" after showing off more dance steps.
Perhaps the biggest asset Timberlake had going for him was the
state-of-the-art stage design. Although looking from high above like some
dyslexic attempt at the symbol Prince used to go by, the sheer screens which
showed video footage, the various risers around the stage and the bar counters
around the perimeter on the floor gave it a distinct club feel.
Timberlake also worked the stage quite well, although the latter part of
the first half was more of a slower affair with the ballad-ish Until the End Of
Time, which led into What Goes Around...Comes Around, with the performer
content to sit and play an upright piano. Although the show was stifled
somewhat by a roughly 20-minute intermission, the concert's first highlight was
Chop Me Up, as producer Timbaland made an appearance prior to doing a DJ set
during the downtime, which featured clips of Michael Jackson, Nelly Furtado and
The Fray among others.
Scantily Clad Ladies
The second half again had some low points, including the rather stale medley he
began with Gone. But all was soon forgiven when two scantily clad ladies did
some burlesque-like dancing during Damn Girl. Fortunately Timberlake was wise
not to touch any upper body area after what happened a few years ago with Janet
Jackson at that football game. Following Losing My Way, which could have
initially been mistaken for some homage to Pink Floyd's Time, Timberlake began
to churn out the hits with Cry Me a River and the catchy Lovestoned. However,
even they paled next to the big highlight of the evening, Sexyback, which again
had Timbaland coming out. Opening for Timberlake was punk popsters Good
Charlotte. The Maryland group, touring behind their latest album Good Morning
Revival, played primarily new material as well as Girls and Boys and I Just
Want To Live.
ole's
First Songcamp Unites Pop/Urban Music Community
Source: ole
When ole Creative
Manager Jennifer Hyland envisioned a creative haven for pop and urban music songwriters,
she set a rather ambitious agenda for the first Pop Urban ole Songcamp,
a five-day event, held July 30 to August 3 at Toronto's Phase One Audio.
Inviting an impressive crop of hit-makers from around the world to attend
this event presented by ole and supported by, The Ontario Media
Development Corporation's OMDC Music Fund and performing rights organization
SOCAN (The Society Of Canadian Composers, Authors and Music Publishers),
Hyland's six-point plan was to:
1. Bring together greatness in songwriting from around the world
2. Showcase Canadian pop and urban songwriting talent
3. Generate new revenue for the Canadian Pop/Urban songwriting community
4. Build a local and international infrastructure for pop/urban writers
5. Establish Toronto as a creative and cost-effective city for music creators
6. Provide an exciting annual event allowing writers to network and expand
creative ideas.
"The original idea stemmed a couple of years ago when I was in A&R at
Sony BMG (Music Canada) and I organized the 2005 Canadian Idol Song
Camp," ole's Hyland explains. "Staging that event and
seeing how all the writers thrived, networked and enjoyed themselves, I
realized that the Canadian urban music community didn't really have an
infrastructure. They don't really network or talk to each other as much as they
should. "Once I came to ole and I saw the need to grow the
urban music side of our catalogue -- plus the fact that we have some
songwriters who really needed to network with local, U.S. and foreign writers in
their genre -- I thought this was an ideal opportunity to implement the
idea." So Hyland extended an invitation not only to ole writers
for "a really creative, focused week," but outside tunesmiths as
well: writers signed to EMI Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing and
Peermusic also attended. The ole contingent included Derek Brin
(Che'Nelle, Jaheim, In Essence); Ben Dunk (Eva Avila, Melissa O'Neil); David
Kopatz (Corbin Bleu, Westlife, O-Town); ole newcomer Rebecca
Everett; the ole/ib Entertainment triumvirate of Dru (In
Essence), Alonzo (Eva Avila, Melissa O'Neil, Rex Goudie) and recent
signing Haydain Neale (Jacksoul), as well as Mad Love Music's Dr.
Alex Tsisserev (Kevin Lyttle, Xiao Xiao, Tarkan).
Special guests included Shawn Desman (Keshia Chanté); Divine Brown;
Rupert Gayle (Keshia Chanté, Shawn Desman, George), Jeff Dalziel
(Kalan Porter, Melissa O'Neil, Prozzak); Tebey Ottoh (Big & Rich,
Rex Goudie, Cory Lee); Aileen de la Cruz (Coco Lee, Satomi, Kayle); D10;
Max Preece (Fat Cowboy), Boi-1da (Saukrates, Divine Brown, The
Clipse, Trey Songz); Robbie Patterson (Billy Klippert, Snow); Natasha
Waterman (Kalan Porter, Melissa O'Neil); and Levi (George).
The camp also provided a rare chance for such beat generators and
producers as KUYA Productions , (Nelly, Ginuwine, Mase), Tone Mason
Inc. (Fantasia, Busta Rhymes, Taleb Kweli) and Beat Merchant (Belly)
to hook up with melody and lyric providers. "The production guys are
amazing at making beats, but they don't have a lot of opportunities in Canada
to work with established songwriters, and have people write to their beats on a
regular basis," notes Hyland. Writing sessions in the eight studios
began daily at noon, with the proviso that a song-per-day be created and demoed
from scratch. Hyland and fellow coordinator Daniel Mekinda informed
participants who they'd be teamed with each day upon their arrival at Phase One
Audio.
By the end of the week, more than 35 future hits were generated by the
initiative for the ole catalogue. "I think I have some hit
songs on my hands. I've networked my writers. I've helped develop some
up-and-coming writers that aren't even mine. And everybody has their own
separate connections and network, so we may see potential cuts come from this.
"ole got great exposure, the OMDC Music Fund got great
exposure and so did SOCAN. I think it was a great initiative all around."
While some songwriters had previously attended similar camps specifically
dedicated to such ventures as Canadian Idol, others were slightly apprehensive
about the challenge of spontaneous collaboration. David Kopatz
admits he was a little anxious about attending his first songwriting camp.
"It's exciting and it's intimidating," admits Kopatz. "It
makes you bring your game up as far as trying to come up with good stuff
quickly and it's definitely motivating. "All these writers pull you
in different directions. You walk into a room and you might come in with an
idea that you think you're going to go with, and then something else is happening
at the time. Others had no reservations. "I always feel
great about song camps," says Alonzo. "There's a bunch of focused,
dedicated, professional people that are coming to work -- and that's what I
love about it. "Plus it gets very competitive when you have this
many people. We all want to write the best song - so it does add fuel to the
creative fire." Alex Tsisserev says songwriting camps are useful not
only for networking opportunities, but as a personal litmus test for your own
creative process. "Every day you're learning to collaborate in
different ways. Every day you're contributing something different, sometimes as
a writer, sometimes as a producer, sometimes as a lyricist. It makes you more
valuable and shows you your skill set." Co-sponsors the OMDC Music
Fund and SOCAN were both pleased to be involved.
"We helped fund part of it through the OMDC Music Fund, and we were very
pleased to be able to do so," says Keely Kemp, Consultant, Industry
Initiatives (Music) for the OMDC Fund, designed to strengthen independent
Ontario-based record companies and music publishers. "It was a
very exciting initiative." According to SOCAN's Dan Kershaw, “ While
there’s a good amount of urban music on our airwaves, the number of Canadian
copyrights in that mix lags behind other genres." "This
initiative goes some distance toward correcting that.” Mo' Jointz, whose
New York City-based Relentless Management roster provided Canadian production
success stories KUYA Productions, Tone Mason Inc. and Beat Merchant praised
both Hyland and ole for the groundbreaking initiative. "My
hat is off to ole for putting together a camp like this that gives these
talented writers, producers and vocalists a chance to work together,"
Jointz said. "At the end of the day, connecting creative people
together is the most genuine way to make hit records.” Echoing the
sentiment, ole Managing Partner Robert Ott says events like the ole Pop
Urban Songcamp are necessary in establishing a Canadian foothold and an
international presence in a globally popular medium. “ole is very
excited about this first annual ole Songcamp focused on urban and
pop," he stated. "We have amazing songwriting talent in Canada
and that talent requires a network and market access to flourish."
He also applauded the efforts of Hyland and expressed his gratitude for
the involvement of the event's co-sponsors.
"Jennifer Hyland has done a stellar job in founding this forum for
songwriters and we thank Daniel Mekinda, all the staff at Phase One Audio, our
U.S. and foreign guests, the OMDC and SOCAN for their support.” For ole's
Hyland, who is planning "a bigger and better" Year Two for the ole
Pop/Urban Songcamp, the rewards came not only in the songs, but also the
goodwill that was generated over the week. "The ole Pop/Urban
Songcamp proves there are ways to build on the genre in this community within
Canada." For more info, please visit the ole website at www.majorlyindie.com.
::MUSIC NEWS::
By
George, We Think He May Be Getting It
Excerpt from www.thestar.com
- Entertainment
Reporter
(August 18, 2007)
It was a nervous, shy smile, with almost a hint of a blush – not an
egotistical, pseudo-playboy one.
Sitting on a couch overlooking the entertainment district, George (Nozuka is his last
name, but he only goes by his first) starts talking about risks he's recently
taken and ones he's about to assume. The buzz on his MySpace page refers
to an "incident" last week at a show in Vancouver in which he took a
girl onstage, sang for her and then kissed her. George had never done that
before – he'd seen some of his influences, such as Usher, do it, so he thought
he'd try something new to broaden his performing arsenal. "I feel with
radio and TV, there's this image of me," says the down-to-earth
21-year-old Toronto singer, who seems a bit self-conscious talking about his smouldering
appeal to his predominantly female fan base. George hopes to show off his
vulnerability in addition to his heartthrob status when he plays two acoustic
sets of mainly mid-tempo ballads at 4 and 8 p.m. at the Drake Hotel tomorrow.
He also performs at the Palazzo Nightclub on Aug. 24.
"It's hard for
people to see a musician or the artist," he says. It's all part of
George's growth. A year ago, he didn't have a single on the radio or a video on
TV. He was waking up every morning hoping his career would take off. With No. 1
hits in Canada and a Backstreet Boy guiding him, George is now focusing on
making it big outside the land of the maple leaf. "What's the next
risk? Moving away and getting out of my comfort zone is a big risk," says
George about the city he's called home since he was 8. George will be
leaving the GTA for the bright lights (and smog) of L.A. in February. He spent
time there learning about the business under the mentorship of BSB member Howie
Dorough before his debut album, Believe. But the permanent move is
meant to get the one-named artist a bigger voice south of the border.
"I want to go back to ground zero. I want to be hungry. I want to
build up my name in the U.S.," says the New York-born singer, who is half
Japanese. He's had recent interest from Hilary Duff's camp to open on
some of her shows, but had to turn it down to promote his album with Dorough in
Tokyo, which comes out next month.
George is hoping to use
his Backstreet connection to secure some gigs opening for the reunited boy/man
band, sans elder statesmen Kevin Richardson. George's maturity isn't only
happening with his music, as his humanitarian side is evolving after traveling
to Haiti earlier this summer to film a documentary with Plan Canada about child
slavery. "Most people in the countryside are so poor that they're
giving up their children to the people in the city in hopes that they have a
better life," says George. "A lot of the girls and young women are
becoming sex slaves. The awareness isn't there – it's socially
acceptable." The documentary is scheduled to air on TV and in schools
starting in October. "George says he was overwhelmed by the
experience and the raw atmosphere he saw. The devastating poverty upset him,
but the pure joy of music expressed by local children showed signs of hope.
With all of these levels to George, he doesn't just want to be the guy
who makes the ladies swoon. "I'm looking to build a career," he
says. "Major artists like Prince, Michael Jackson or Usher, they have an
image, but over time you connect to the artist. Even with Madonna, she had an
image, but the reason why she had a big career is that she didn't let her image
control her art."
Angie's Stone Cold Comeback!
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(August 16, 2007) *Angie Stone was once called the most prolific
writer in music ten years ago, but that was ten years ago. The Columbia,
SC native has been on the extreme low from a musical perspective, but she has
been out and about recently to get the word in circulation regarding her new
set. Our Lee Bailey happened across Stone recently and she gave us
the heads up on her upcoming Stax Records release titled "The Art of Love
and War," a catchy title if we do say so ourselves. "It's an
old brand," said Stone of the revamped Stax imprint. "They approached
me about doing a deal and I thought it would be an amazing union because they
actually understand my music. I think in order for something to really go
well, there has to be a marriage. You can't have 13 things going on in one
company. I sat down and talked with them and let them know what my vision
was." "The Art of Love and War" is a moniker that's not just
there for flash. Stone says, when it comes to her albums, there's always
a method to the madness.
"Because it's a war out here and you have to have a lot of love (for
music) in order to stay in it for as long as I have," said Stax Records'
newest legend. EURweb asked Stone to elaborate on the significant
of this title. "I never enter into a project without a title first.
The only time that happened was when I was on J Records. The title of my
album was called 'Diary of a Soul Sister,' then Clive Davis came to me and said
I had to change it because Alicia Keys had 'Diary of Alicia Keys,' so I said
'Well, I had my title first' and they said 'Well, we gotta change yours.'
So then I came up with 'Stone Love' and that title was not indicative of that
album which is probably why that was my weakest selling album. I felt the
trust had been broken and I was very upset that I had to change the
theme. The album was supposed to have Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan and Roberta
Flack and was supposed to be a diary of my life but we had to abort the concept
of doing that kind of timeless piece of work. Right after that Jill Scott
came out with her duet album. So, I'm a little tight." Sometimes
success in the music industry is all about timing and it appears as though Ms.
Stone missed her timing on that project. Flash forward to 2007 and Miss
Stone is now at Stax Records where, right now, at least, the spotlight is
squarely on her. Stone's move to Stax appears to be paying off. Her single
with Betty Wright, "Baby," is in high rotation at urban radio. Her
album "The Art of Love and War" is scheduled for release on September
18.
Toronto Gets The Beyoncé Experience
Excerpt from www.thestar.com
- Ashante Infantry, Pop & Jazz Critic
(August 16, 2007) The Mighty Beyoncé. That's how R&B singer
Robin Thicke referred to the pop songstress recently. And after
catching the Texas native's show at the Air Canada Centre last night, I concur.
As Beyoncé's opening act, Thicke has a nightly view of the tireless wonder.
He's no slouch himself having overcome a tepid 2003 debut to become Soul
Brother No. 1 on the strength of an acclaimed sophomore disc of dreamy love
songs. Though an adequate party starter, he could use a more inspired backdrop
than his album cover and it's time to change up the black-and-white and Adidas
uniform. But I digress. Back to Herself. In the 10 years since Destiny's Child
released its first single, Beyoncé has become a multi-media conglomerate: solo
artist, actor, product hawk, fashion designer. And that ubiquity has engendered
a dismissive "Oh, not her again" attitude that credits the machinations
of her manager-father.
That's a shame, because the two- hour extravaganza billed as "The Beyoncé
Experience" is a testament to this 10-time Grammy winner's talent and
willpower. From a cloud of smoke, the 25-year-old singer rose out of a stage floor
trapdoor in a long silver gown and posed before a curtain of pyrotechnics
before launching into "Crazy In Love." She twisted and stretched the
tune – at one point neatly segueing into Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy"
with a display of vocal gymnastics that yielded the startling realization that
her tinny, overpolished recordings don't do her justice. Live, with novel
arrangements and a sizzling band, Beyoncé is a vocal marvel. Her village
was comprised of two drummers, three horn players, two keyboardists, two
guitarists, three backup singers and 10 dancers (four of whom were the only men
on stage). There were the requisite half-dozen costume changes and a
dazzling set which included stairs, chairs, and a moving walkway. With stellar
sound and lighting, the whole package showcased the healthily proportioned,
big-haired beauty at her finest.
The all-female band and plus-sized vocalists (reminiscent of comedian Mo'
Nique) were a nod to the feminist bent that defines Beyoncé's lyrics, in
conjunction with a materialistic outlook that also finds her name-dropping
luxury brands like a rapper. The singer drew from both solo albums for tunes
like "Baby Boy," "Ring The Alarm" and "Upgrade
U," but it was the nine-song Destiny's Child medley that drew the biggest
cheers from the full, but surprisingly not sold-out arena. As she shook and
shimmied her way through the set in the highest of heels and with the biggest
of smiles, the comparisons that came to mind were Prince (for versatility and
musicianship) and Tina Turner (for sass and sheer power). She utilizes
more props than those artists, and I can't imagine either crying on cue as she
did at end of "Flaws and All" (and has done throughout the tour), but
what she does, she does well.
Kings, Kingston Wear Billboard Crowns
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(August 17, 2007) *Royalty is running rampant atop the
Billboard charts. UGK scores its best sales week
ever with the No. 1 debut of their new album “Underground Kingz,” while Sean Kingston continues to lead the Hot 100 singles
pack with his debut smash, “Beautiful Girls.” “Underground Kingz,” from
Jive, sold 160,000 copies last week to secure its top spot, according to
Nielsen SoundScan. UGK's previous best was 2001's "Dirty Money,"
which opened at No. 18 with 98,000. After scoring a hit with “Shawty” featuring
T-Pain, new rapper Plies’ ranks second on the Billboard 200 with his debut
album, “Real Testament.” Elsewhere on the album chart, Common’s “Finding
Forever" fell from No. 1 last week to No. 7 on sales of 58,000. Black-Eyed
Peas singer Fergie's "The Dutchess" rose one to No. 8, perhaps
fuelled by a remix of her current single “Big Girls Don’t Cry” featuring Sean
Kingston.
Fergie’s original version of the single follows Kingston on the Hot 100 for a
second week, while Timbaland's "The Way I Are" featuring Keri Hilson
sits at No. 3. Also in the Hot 100 top 10, Rihanna's "Umbrella" featuring
Jay-Z, Kanye West's "Stronger" and T-Pain's "Bartender"
featuring Akon all stay put at the No. 5-7 positions, respectively. Fabolous'
"Make Me Better" featuring Ne-Yo" rebounds 9-8, trading places
with Hurricane Chris' "A Bay Bay." Plies' "Shawty" featuring
T-Pain rounds out the top 10 with a 12-10 jump. Kingston’s second single,
"Me Love," is the Hot 100's greatest digital gainer, prompting a
28-15 jump in its second week on the chart. 50 Cent enjoys the chart's top
debut at No. 22 with "Ayo Technology" featuring Justin Timberlake.
The track from his Sept. 11 release, "Curtis," surpasses his prior
best start with "Straight to the Bank" at No. 32 in May. UGK enters
at No. 74 with "Int'l Players Anthem (I Choose You)" featuring
OutKast. Black Eyed Peas member will.i.am's "I Got It From My Mama"
debuts at No. 93, followed by Daughtry's "Over You" at No. 94 and
Maroon 5's "Wake Up Call" at No. 99. Fantasia's "When I See
U" begins an eighth week at No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, where
Chaka Khan scores her highest debut since 1996 with "Angel" at No.
58. Her new album, "Funk This," is due Sept. 25 via Burgundy.
Foxy Brown Leaves Def Jam, Signs With
Koch
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
(August 16, 2007) *Foxy Brown’s management has announced that
the trouble-prone rapper has left Def Jam after 13 years and inked a fresh deal
with Koch Records, which has also agreed to house her label, Black Rose
Entertainment. "Def Jam was really an artist situation with Foxy under
Jay-Z," says Chaz Williams, Foxy's manager and CEO of Black Hand
Entertainment. "She's moved onto monetarily greener pastures by signing
her record label, Black Rose Entertainment to Koch.” “She is the first
artist and she wants to connect with her dancehall reggae roots,” Williams
continues. “Foxy's looking to sign up-and-coming Caribbean and U.S. artists.
But she's definitely the first and biggest artist on her label." Under
terms of the deal, Black Rose Entertainment is obligated to drop three albums
per year – the first being her own CD, “Brooklyn’s Don Diva,” on Dec. 4.
Brown’s long-delayed Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam album “Black Roses” will be released
through her label next year. “I have always been a symbol of independence as a
female in music," said the rapper in a statement. "My brand is
already established, millions of my records have already been sold, and I have
a fan base already loyal. After 13 years at Def Jam, I felt it was time as a
matured business women to move on and continue my brand under the roof of
something I own."
Meanwhile, TMZ.com is reporting that the Ill Na Na has “channelled her inner
Naomi” and smacked a neighbour with her Blackberry phone. According to police,
the artist was arguing with her 25-year-old neighbour on July 30 when she
struck the woman in the head with her cell phone. Police said the victim had
some teeth knocked loose and suffered a swollen lip and eye as a result of
Foxy’s alleged assault. The rapper, whose real name is Inga Marchand,
reportedly turned herself in to New York police Tuesday afternoon following a
report filed by the victim. Brown was arraigned, released on $5,000 bail and is
due back in court on Sept. 26.
Nu-Metal
Stalwarts Linkin Park Are Keeping Their Fans Even As They Chase A Gentler Sound
Excerpt from www.thestar.com
- Pop Music Critic
(August 19, 2007) Linkin Park sings long and loud of
its own displeasure, but it remains a band very eager to please.
Indeed, the peculiar triumph of the suburban-California sextet's latest album, Minutes to Midnight, is that it has
engineered a move even further into the rock mainstream by a group whose
mercurial rap/metal fusion was entirely mainstream to begin with, while
allowing the band the luxury of proudly throwing such concepts as
"experimentation" and "integrity" around during interviews.
This isn't to say the band wasn't taking any risks when it emerged from 15
months in the studio this year with several new beards and a third album that
values power ballads and stadium-seducing sweep and swell over the upfront, angst-ridden
(if always resolutely radio-friendly) roar rendered internationally familiar by
2000's Hybrid Theory and 2003's Meteora. Messing with the sort
of formula that sells 35 million records worldwide can yield unpredictable
results. Still, at this point in music history, the riskier bid would have been
for Linkin Park to shackle itself to the festering carcass of nu-metal – the
oft-pilloried hard-rock genre with which Linkin Park is as synonymous as Limp
Bizkit – rather than cozying up to the U2/Coldplay/Death Cab for Cutie crowd.
Co-frontman Mike Shinoda raps on just two songs on Minutes to Midnight, while only the
reasonably rampaging album opener, "Given Up," could be considered
heavy metal. Singer Chester Bennington, meanwhile, holds his clenched scream
largely in check and lets the more feminine side of his register burble
emotively over strings and percolating drum programming.
"The next record
could be a hip-hop album. Who knows?" offers Bennington from backstage at
one of Linkin Park's Projekt Revolution festival-tour stops in Cleveland.
"It wasn't downplayed, in that we consciously didn't put hip hop on it. We
made a decision very early on that we were going to write what we were inspired
to write, and melodies were what Mike and I were coming up with. The last thing
Mike wants to do is rap over a song because that's what people want to hear
from us. I think that would be cheapening and come across clichéd and fake and
forced." Linkin Park certainly didn't rush into Minutes
to Midnight. The
band wrote around 150 songs for consideration for the record, democratically
grading them all based upon member approval and voting out the ones they were
least excited about as time went on. Studio god Rick Rubin was brought in
to act as a seventh set of ears and to co-produce the album with Shinoda, who's
cultivated a stable musical sideline as a beatmaker and remixer with his
hip-hop side project Fort Minor, and work behind the boards for Lupe Fiasco and
Styles of Beyond. "Rick has hands-on experience in many genres we love and
also in taking bands that are kind of known for one thing outside of that
box," says Shinoda. "But I think the thing we realized in doing it
was that kind of change can't come from an outside force.
"If your band is
gonna change its sound, the meat of that change really needs to come from the
band." Rubin, Shinoda says, is "generally pretty hands-off (but)
hands-on at the best possible times. He'd tell us he was going to be away and,
if we needed him, to call him, and our default position would be to work it out
on our own. "But if we ran into a point where we had some trouble or we
needed an extra, outside ear to help us make a decision, those times were the
most important times." There were worries within the Linkin Park camp that
the band – one of a seemingly dwindling breed of acts that actually sell
millions of records in multiple territories – was on the verge of alienating
its fan base. But, says Shinoda, it was the sheer size of that fan base that
let the crew "basically go in the studio and do whatever we wanted"
free from the intervention of its label, Warner Bros. The lads were careful
enough to provide their handlers with another hit. Minutes to
Midnight stormed
out of the gates in May with a No. 1 debut and first-week sales of 623,000
copies, while the single "What I've Done" is, Bennington proclaims,
"our biggest ever." Crowds on the Projekt Revolution tour – a 10-band
road show featuring My Chemical Romance, Taking Back Sunday, Him and Placebo
that hits the Molson Amphitheatre on Tuesday – have also thus far been
appreciative of the "ride" provided by a set list that ebbs and flows
much more than it once did, he says. "We want to rock out just as much as
our fans want to go to a concert and get kicked in the face. At the same time,
though, we're about writing songs," shrugs Bennington, concurring with the
observation that Linkin Park remains a populist entity at heart. "I
like being in a group that does hip hop and heavy, hard metal songs and
pop songs. If the
song is good and we can make it sincere and make it an honest song, we're gonna
make that song. But we wanna make a song that people will listen to.
"As artists, we want as many people as possible to enjoy what we're
creating. The way that we find we can do that is by giving people a lot of
different things. And we touch a lot of different kinds of people in that
way."
Master Jazz Drummer Max Roach Dead At 83
Excerpt from www.globeandmail
- Larry Mcshane, Associated Press
(August 16, 2007) NEW YORK — Max Roach, a master percussionist
whose rhythmic innovations and improvisations provided the dislocated beats
that defined bebop jazz, has died after a long illness. He was 83. The
self-taught musical prodigy died Wednesday night at an undisclosed hospital in
Manhattan, said Cem Kurosman, spokesman for Blue Note Records, one of Roach's
labels. No additional details were available, he said. Roach received his first
musical break at age 16, filling in for three nights in 1940 when Duke
Ellington's drummer fell ill. Roach's performance led him to the legendary
Minton's Playhouse in Harlem, where he joined luminaries Charlie Parker and
Dizzy Gillespie in the burgeoning bebop movement. In 1944, Roach joined
Gillespie and Coleman Hawkins in one of the first bebop recording sessions.
What distinguished Roach from other drummers were his fast hands and his
ability to simultaneously maintain several rhythms. By layering different beats
and varying the meter, Roach pushed jazz beyond the boundaries of standard 4/4
time. Roach's innovative use of cymbals for melodic lines, and tom-toms and
bass drums for accents, helped elevate the percussionist from mere timekeeper
to featured performer — on a par with the trumpeter and saxophonist.
“One of the grand masters of our music,” Gillespie once observed. In a 1988 New
York Times essay, Wynton Marsalis wrote of Roach: “All great instrumentalists
have a superior quality of sound, and his is one of the marvels of contemporary
music. ... The roundness and nobility of sound on the drums and the clarity and
precision of the cymbals distinguishes Max Roach as a peerless master.”
Throughout the jazz upheaval of the 1940s and '50s, Roach played bebop with the
Charlie Parker Quintet and cool bop with the Miles Davis Capitol Orchestra. He
joined trumpeter Clifford Brown in playing hard bop, a jazz form that
maintained bebop's rhythmic drive while incorporating the blues and gospel. He
was survived by five children: sons Daryl and Raoul, and daughters Maxine, Ayl
and Dara. Funeral arrangements were incomplete, said Kurosman.
What a $200 CD Single Sounds Like
Excerpt from www.globeandmail.com -
David George-Cosh
(August 21, 2007) It's an argument that has plagued the
music industry since the Internet began being blamed for the decline in CD
sales: How much should a company charge for a song? Some would say $5 or the
average cost of a CD single sounds right, while users of iTunes, the Web's
largest music store, would say 99 cents is as much as they're willing to shell
out for a track. And then there's the niche group of tech-savvy online pirates
who say they won't buy anything with a price tag on it. They like their music
absolutely free, thank you very much. But aspiring Vancouver musician Dan O'Connell feels that his music is worth much more
than a pocketful of change. Try a few hundred dollars more. Along with a
small group of music-industry insiders in the United Kingdom, O'Connell will be
releasing 100 copies of his debut single, a 12-inch vinyl record of Somewhere
There's An Angel, for £100, or about $210 - quite possibly the most
expensive debut single ever. It may be high, but O'Connell, who performs
under the moniker the Thurston Revival, argues that charging an extrav-agant
amount for one song is more of a statement on the value of art itself.
"The industry has done a lot to foster the idea that their product is
worthless and this is basically a wake-up call to say that art actually has a
value, whether it's as a commodity or as an artistic piece onto itself,"
he said. Relatively unknown in his native country, O'Connell decided that
he would be better off making a name for himself across the pond, tirelessly
performing alongside a thrift-store drum machine across Britain since he
started the Thurston Revival two years ago. After being invited "out of
the blue" to perform a set at the In the City Festival in Manchester last
October, O'Connell found himself playing in front of a who's who of the British
music industry. After the set, a handful of employees from Record of the Day, a
British-based music-news subscription service, saw something special in
O'Connell and knew that more people had to hear his music. "It
really was one of those times when each of us [at Record of the Day] thought
that this was very special," said the company's managing director and
publisher, Paul Scaife. After unsuccessfully pushing it to a radio DJ and
getting a quick lesson in how the economics of the British music business
aren't conducive to an independent musician, Scaife and O'Connell decided to
work together to release a record that would eschew normal business practices
and put a fair market value on the song.
Record of the Day even decided to launch its own label, Victorious Kiam
Records, to support the release of the track. "They called me up and said,
'Look, we've come up with this idea. We want to put out a record with you and
we want to sell it for £100.' "I was laughing so hard, I almost drove off
the road when they told me," O'Connell said. "That's so
outrageous, it's brilliant." The song, a five-minute long piece of Nick
Cave-inspired blues with a catchy pop hook, will be released in 10 different
limited editions of 10, with the cover of each edition designed by a different
British artist. All the copies be displayed at the record's release show on
Aug. 28 at London's Sartorial Gallery. "Some people have described
it to me as a song good enough to play at your funeral," Scaife said.
"It just goes to show that great music can come from anywhere."
Still, the concept behind Somewhere There's An Angel has piqued the
curiosity of British labels, which have begun to distribute music for free in
an attempt to stay ahead of online pirates, notably giving away three million
copies of Prince's latest album Planet Earth in London's Daily Mail.
"This is the first time in a long time that someone has come along
with something worthwhile that isn't saying 'We have to sell cheaper.' I don't
think it's a valid way to do business to sell things at 100 quid a pop, but it
is being discussed in the industry in England as to what they can do with ideas
like this," O'Connell said.
So far, Somewhere There's An Angel has captured the attention of British
media outlets such as The Guardian, The Sunday Times and the BBC, but
O'Connell insists that charging so much for one song is not the media stunt
people would make it out to be. "This isn't as much about marketing
or charging so much for a single as it is a public statement ... of artistic
intent. I'm not writing the soundtrack for a commercial and I don't want my music
to sell mobile phones. Modern music has become so fixated on business that it's
become a great detriment to the actual music," he said. A third of
all copies of the record have already been sold, and O'Connell stands to make a
tiny profit if the run sells out. Not bad for an indie artist whose major
accomplishment to date had been a supporting act for Canadian indie pop bad
Stars on a cross-Canada tour. But amid all the hoopla across the pond,
O'Connell remains an unknown within Canada. Labels here have kicked the tires,
but so far, none have decided to sign a deal with the Thurston Revival.
"It's really ironic to have to go [to England] and get interest from
Canadian labels," O'Connell said. "But as of now, I don't know if I'd
call it interest. Maybe warm wishes or fascination." For more
information on the record and to hear what $200 sounds like, visit http://www.victoriouskiam.com.
Long Live Prince's Purple Reign
Excerpt from www.globeandmail.com -
Jian Ghomeshi
(August 17, 2007) LONDON — ‘How old is he?” The blond girl to my left
is looking straight ahead, eyes trained on the priapic purple enigma. He's in a
trademark salacious mood, prancing around the stage and flirting with his
microphone stand, his dancers, his band and his fans. He is coaxing
extraordinary sounds out of his guitar (also purple). He is in complete
control. It is the second Saturday-night show of his unprecedented 21-date,
sold-out run at The O2 in London. There are 20,000 punters again this night,
and they've all been standing since he hit the stage. It is an historic and
ambitious residency. He claims it is the final time he will play his big songs
(“per4ming his greatest hits 4 the last time” is the billing). And this nearly
two-month-long finale is rolling out in a global city that mirrors his
remarkably diverse audience. A quick glance around the arena reminds us that he
is the ultimate crossover artist, mixing R&B, soul, rock and pop fans.
Hip-hop mogul P Diddy is in the front area just ahead of me, wearing his
obligatory shades. Diddy is unable to contain his enthusiasm and is standing as
well, albeit behind a small rope. The rope is purple.
“He's about to turn 50,” I scream back at her, pleased with myself at this
quick response to a trivial pursuit and simultaneously impressed that the focus
of our attention has conquered near half a century. The blond girl barely looks
at me. She's now loudly singing along to Let's Go Crazy. The song is
certainly older than she is, but she doesn't care. Yes, he's 49, but it
feels as though he ought to be older. He's been a star for as long as I've bought
music – forever, in the ephemeral world of popular culture. Yet right now he
looks ever the youthful, sexy beast, singing like an angel and dancing like the
devil – blending the nobility of a veteran with the nubility of a teenager.
Ageless. Whoever this diminutive mystery really is, he's performing one of the
best concerts I have ever seen. Better than I've seen him in the past. He's
loose and clearly having fun. It is a creative extravaganza of musicianship,
improvisation, entertainment and exhilaration. It is hard to imagine him being
any better. To reference his own characteristically modest lyric: “In the
beginning God made the sea. But on the seventh day he made me.”
So let's introduce what may seem like a strange assertion: This is the year of Prince. Yes, odd. Thirty years into his career and two
decades removed from his most famous material, 2007 is increasingly the
dominion of the artist formerly known as formerly. With stellar live reviews,
major awards, positive reaction to his fine new record and more attention than
he's gotten since Purple Rain, it's like the whole world is waking up to
just how talented he is. Finally. While eighties megawatt counterparts The
Police are on a pricey international tour that is inviting questions from a
few critics about whether they are still worth the ticket price (some of the
questions being posed by their own drummer), Prince is universally accepted to
be at the top of his live game and has more respect than ever. To put it
colloquially, Prince is kicking ass. So how did this happen? It might be argued
that in recent years too many of us have forgotten Prince's musical footprint
and legacy. It's been hard not to focus on his peculiar idiosyncrasies rather
than his creative output. Let's see, there was the long-standing battle with
his former record label that led to various bizarre name changes, culminating
in an impossible-to-pronounce androgynous squiggle. Then there was the somewhat
offensive spectacle of an artist signed to a $100-million (U.S.) contract with
Warner glibly equating the deal with “slavery.” And finally, the hubris and
cynicism of a man willing to release subpar records to burn off the obligations
of a multialbum contract. Somewhere along the way, Prince lost our patience.
And we collectively forgot that he produces, composes, arranges and performs
almost every song on all of his albums. That besides his own
multimillion-selling catalogue of hits like Kiss and When Doves Cry
and Sign O' The Times, he has been responsible for writing myriad
classic songs made popular by other artists: Sinead O'Connor's version of Nothing
Compares 2 U; Chaka Khan's I Feel for You and The Bangles' Manic
Monday.
Even now, the musical imprint of Prince and his sound can be found on numerous
contemporary recordings. Ask fans of Justin Timberlake to sample any of
Prince's first three records and they may discover something strangely
familiar. And P Diddy could stand to throw a few royalty dollars to the man who
has clearly provided inspiration. Not that Prince is unaware of any of this, or
in any apparent need of affirmation. His recent return to the limelight can
partly be attributed to his legendary cockiness. A 21-date stand at one of
London's largest concert venues is an audacious act of self-confidence that would've
scared off the most reckless of gamblers. Each concert begins with a video
testimonial to Prince's career by the likes of Selma Hayek and the
aforementioned Diddy. Once the show begins, he emerges from underneath a
curtain and uses any spare moment to remind us of his legacy. “I got too many
hits! Y'all aren't ready for me!” he repeats with playful sass throughout this
night. The massive congregation is willing to take whatever he will give them –
and he knows it. But the point of all of this is more than just long-deserved
recognition. Prince is on a mission. He appears intent on warning all of us
about the music industry and the ascendance of manufactured pop artists abusing
new technology. “Real music by real musicians!” he screams throughout his O2
show. His declaration is underscored by the presence of a brilliant
backing group including former James Brown sideman Maceo Parker on saxophone.
The band jams and jousts and musically jumps from genre to genre, led by its
guitar-wizard conductor. It is the embodiment of everything unrealized in
prefabricated modern pop. At a later point in the concert, he solemnly tells
the audience, “You all got your computers and all that, you ain't ready for the
real music.” He then launches into another protracted but beautifully
melodic guitar solo, leaving no doubt as to what he considers real music.
He is not wrong. That is what is resonating with fans and critics around the
globe. It is this authenticity that marked the beginning of the year of Prince.
On the heels of winning the best-original-song award at the Golden Globes in
late January for his contribution to the hit film Happy Feet, Prince was
booked to play the halftime show at the Super Bowl, the annual overblown NFL
showcase, in Miami in early February. Then something quite remarkable happened.
In front of an estimated worldwide audience of one billion, Prince transformed
what is usually an excessive and inane, pre-packaged musical intermission
(notwithstanding wardrobe malfunctions) into an outstanding concert event.
Appearing virtually alone onstage and entirely live, he was dazzling. He
performed a moving and note-perfect rendition of his ballad Purple Rain
as rain began to poetically pour down on him. Seemingly energized by adversity,
he then shot through a blazing version of All Along the Watchtower as if
he was channelling the spirit and fingers of Hendrix. He was confident, he was
mature, he was moving, and he was doing it all without taped backing tracks. In
that 15-minute performance he silenced critics and reminded the world about the
power of live music and his unparalleled blend of talents as a vocalist,
guitarist, writer, dancer and ageless wonder. As if to emphasize the lessons he
intends to teach the music business, Prince is bringing a notable generosity to
his current affairs. You might think him self-indulgent, but you cannot accuse
him of being greedy. He cut a controversial deal with a national newspaper in
the U.K. to deliver his new album free with the Sunday edition a few weeks
back. In addition, copies of Planet Earth are handed out to each
customer with a concert ticket at the O2.
The seats themselves are being sold for a face value of approximately $70 for
any section in the house. Contrast this with the astronomic prices charged by
Barbra Streisand or the Rolling Stones and Prince comes off as positively
philanthropic. And he is treating those who attend his arena run to programs at
least two hours in length and sometimes three hours or more. Free albums, cheap
tickets and lengthy improvised shows are not exactly the current conventions of
the music aristocracy. But none of what Prince has been doing this year
would resonate the way it has without his unassailable musicianship and
spectacular live presence. He can play every instrument better than the stars
in his band (as Pharrell Williams once put it), and his voice appears to have
only gotten better with age. On this Saturday night, he opens with a fiery
extended version of Purple Rain that most performers would save for the
end of the program. It is like an inverse trajectory. He is starting his
spectacle with the encore. But the show reveals a series of climaxes, each one
besting the last. Less than half an hour into the concert, the band is engaged
in a furiously satisfying improvisation of Play That Funky Music.
Throughout, Prince shakes like Little Richard and then sings in a sultry
falsetto. He tears into a lightning-speed solo like Eddie Van Halen, and then
gently caresses his guitar notes into musical elegance like George Benson. He
is an energetic blur through Crème and U Got the Look and Little
Red Corvette. And two hours into the show, it is clear that he cannot
possibly play all of his hits without playing into tomorrow. In all, it feels
like a celebration of music itself. During one of his last moments of the
evening, a performance of Sometimes it Snows in April from the 1986 Parade
album, he sings the lyric, “All good things, they say, never last.” He
pauses. There is a moment of pathos and nostalgia. Then he continues. He is on
a mission. He has proven his point. It is the year of Prince. Again. Jian
Ghomeshi is a writer, musician and host of the daily program Q on CBC Radio One
and Sirius 137.
Canadian Opera Company's Richard
Bradshaw dead at 63
Excerpt from www.globeandmail
- Sandra Martin
(August 16, 2007) TORONTO — Richard
Bradshaw, the British
conductor who waged what he often called "the thirty years war" to
build an opera house in Toronto, died Wednesday evening of an apparent heart
attack at Pearson airport after returning from a holiday with his wife in the
Maritimes. He was 63. Born in Rugby, England in 1944, Mr. Bradshaw graduated
from the University of London in 1965. After a career in England as a choral
and opera conductor, he became resident conductor at the San Francisco Opera
from 1977 to 1989 before he was hired by the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto
as general director. During his tenure he developed the company's reputation
and repertoire so that it consistently drew sell-out crowds. His greatest
achievement was the building of the opera house, designed by architect Jack
Diamond, which opened its doors to rousing applause in June 2006.
"I had moments of great anxiety," Mr. Bradshaw told the Globe in late
2006 about the challenges he faced building the new opera house. "I'd wake
up in the night with a certain terror. But I don't think I ever believed it
wasn't going to happen. I don't think I ever absolutely despaired because I
don't think the most important thing in life to me is the opera house. The most
important thing in my professional life is whatever the company is doing.
That's where I'm lucky to be a conductor." He is survived by his wife
Diana and his two children Jenny and James. The funeral is Tuesday Aug. 21 at
11 am St. James Cathedral in Toronto.
Rhythm Kings - Sly and Robbie
Excerpt from www.thestar.com
- Ben Rayner, Pop Music Critic
(August 16, 2007) Were one to scour the planet for the ideal rhythm
section, Sly and Robbie would wind up in the running for first place.
The pair’s versatile playing and forward-thinking production style more or less
cornered the market on modern Jamaican music from the late 1970s on. They
brought a simultaneous toughness and unprecedented studio sheen to contemporary
reggae and are inseparable from crucial ’70s and ’80s work by Black Uhuru,
Peter Tosh, Gregory Isaacs and Culture. They also introduced dancehall to
the synthesized rumble of electronic dance music, and in recent years they’ve
boldly and memorably (and sometimes rather challengingly) taken their frequent
dub excursions wherever the technology they rabidly accumulate can lead them.
All of these accomplishments — not to mention their joint appearances on what
some archivists peg as 50,000 or even 200,000 (!) records — haven’t led to a
lessening of drummer Lowell “Sly” Dunbar and bass guitarist Robbie
Shakespeare’s dogged collective work ethic in middle age. (They would
appear to have a rather relaxed, if undeniably amiable attitude toward
interviews, however, if the five-day comedy of errors this writer just
experienced was any indication. I did get Sly on the phone once for a few
minutes on Monday night, but the din of voices and booming reggae music behind
him rendered the drummer almost completely inaudible.) Sly, 55, and
Robbie, a month away from 54, turn up at the Phoenix Concert Theatre on Tuesday
with their Taxi Gang posse (named for their record label, Taxi), featuring
legendary reggae tenor and frequent Massive Attack collaborator Horace Andy and
Cherine Anderson, the “Princess of Dancehall Soul,” on the microphones.
This North American tour comes shortly after a U.K. swing with their latest
young protégé, British reggae singer Bitty McLean, and work on both a new Andy
disc and a Sly and Robbie record of their own to follow up last year’s Rhythm
Double. Such frenetic multitasking is par for the course. If these guys have
taken a break since they first forged their working partnership whilst playing
together in the Revolutionaries during the mid-`70s, it hasn’t been long enough
to make a dent in their output. Dunbar and Shakespeare, critic James
Hunter once wrote, “are so enormously accomplished and prolific ..... that for
a while they seemed to appear on all reggae records; they were like Gérard
Depardieu and French movies.” It was this unflinching work ethic plus Sly
and Robbie’s open-minded ears that first turned them into Jamaica’s
indisputable go-to production team — they were the Neptunes when the Neptunes
were in diapers. Those ears have also been essential to keeping them in the
game this long. Sly and Robbie are no more locked into reggae as Sly Stone —
who provided ardent fan Dunbar with his nickname — was locked into R&B.
They’ll work with mainstream stars Maxi Priest, Sean Paul or Bounty Killer one
day and avant-gardeists Bill Laswell or Howie B. the next. For every
collaboration with the likes of Tricky or Michael Franti that makes sense,
they’ve done one that outwardly makes none. They toured and made a record, Aux
Armes et Caetera, with Serge Gainsbourg in 1975, for instance, and worked on
Bob Dylan’s curious 1983 album Infidels. They’ve worked with the Rolling
Stones. They’ve also made a jazz record with Monty Alexander. More
recently, they ushered Gwen Stefani and No Doubt into the stratosphere by giving
the band their hits “Hey Baby!” and “Underneath it All” and allowed Sinead
O’Connor an intriguing mid-career rebirth as a credible reggae singer on 2006’s
Throw Down Your Arms. The next Sly and Robbie album threatens to bring a
similarly motley cast of characters together. It features a track that guests
Paul McCartney, Lady Saw, Sizzla and Cherine Anderson. At once. “The song’s
very interesting — not their greatest work, but surely the reggae conversation
piece of the month!,” says local dub/reggae selecta Lauren “DJ Chocolate”
Speers, one of the folks bringing Sly and Robbie to town next week and someone
full of praise for the duo’s unapologetic, anything-goes approach to making
music. “Incidentally, they put Keith Richards into Black Uhuru’s `Shine
Eye Gal,’ proving that the crossover can work both ways. The most unusual
audience I’ve ever seen at a reggae show was when they were touring with Sinead
O’Connor and the sold-out concert at the Kool Haus was happily inhabited by an
audience comprised of one-third lesbians, one-third rastas and one third
pop-music fans waiting for her to sing `Nothing Compares 2 U.’ Which she didn’t
bother with.”
Chrisette Michele Presents ‘I Am’
Excerpt from www.eurweb.com
-
August 22, 2007) Chrisette's
speaking voice is sultry,
mellow, and low. At first it's kind of startling and a bit intimidating because
it's the polar opposite of her sweet singing voice. And she’s the first to tell
you that it’s always been that way. She said that even as a young child, she
always had a very deep voice. Newcomer Chrisette Michele is introducing a sound that is redefining the genre
of her generation. The 24-year-old singer’s debut disc, “I Am,” hit record
shelves this summer with a refreshing and sultry collection of songs she hopes
will envelope the young and old. “It’s a fun album, it’s a sultry album,
it’s a melancholy album,” Chrisette described. “I try very hard to be
everything that I am, which is why the CD is called ‘I Am’ so I didn’t want to
shy away from being excited about life and how we live life, but I also didn’t
want to shy away from dancing, but when the dancing is over, you say, ‘Life is
not always about a dance. Life is about doing things on earth.’” The earthly
things she refers to include giving attention to world issues and concerns such
as major catastrophes like 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina.
“There’s a song called ‘I Am One’ on the album. It’s a hidden track,” Chrisette
said. “I chose to hide it because a lot of times we hide the things that are
most beautiful inside. ‘I Am One’ challenges you to let those things out. It
talks about the world and just reaching out and helping people in their need.”
Her inspirational attitude and mature melodies may come as a surprise to some
because of her young age, but Chrisette explained to EUR’s Lee Bailey that
she’s never really surrounded herself in things Generation Y. “Culturally,
around me there was definitely a lot of hip-hop and R&B, but we didn’t have
a lot of hip-hop CDs,” she said. “We had a lot of instruments, and we were
always busy in dance class or choir rehearsal or something. I was into
alternative rock, jazz, and gospel. Hip-hop just didn’t play a major role in my
upbringing. I was definitely introduced to a lot of classic music. Not so much
soul and R&B, but gospel and jazz, and those influences are recognizable in
my sound.” Chrisette played and sang in jazz bands and choirs and studied
musical theatre and vocal jazz performance before getting her major label deal
from record industry giant, Island/Def Jam CEO L.A. Reid. “I recorded a demo
and sent it out to every major record label in New York City. [An executive at]
Island Def Jam heard my demo and had me audition for L.A. Reid. He told me that
I gave him goose bumps and he signed me that day. He is a musician so he knows
music and I respect his expertise and obviously he respects mine as well,” she
said.
Chrisette's speaking voice is sultry, mellow, and low. At first it's kind of
startling and a bit intimidating because it's the polar opposite of her
sweet singing voice. And she’s the first to tell you that it’s always been that
way. She said that even as a young child, she always had a very deep voice. “My
voice is one of my plights and I’m a singer!” she grumbled. “So I’m sure that
makes no sense. That’s like a dancer saying she doesn’t like her feet. It’s so
deep and so raspy. It’s been low and raspy my whole life. It’s definitely
unique.” Just as her age may give people an impression about her music,
Chrisette said, so does her voice give people an impression of her. Music fans
may recognize her soulfully mature stylings on Jay-Z’s “Lost Ones” and Nas’
“Can’t Forget About You.” “I laugh a lot, I smile a lot, but once I start
talking, people get scared. I never want to be pigeon-holed into any type of
person just because of the voice. People hear my voice, all of a sudden I write
poetry and I like coffee, but actually I like nail polish and shoes and cars –
but you can’t tell that when you hear my voice.” “I Am” is pretty much as
complex and diverse as Chrisette herself. The first single, “If I Had My Way”
has maintained its place in the Top 10 for Urban Adult Contemporary, while the
singer gets anxious to do college tours. “I Am” features production from
Babyface, and guesting from the Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am.
“There are a lot of upbeat songs. There are some moving songs and a lot of
spice on the album. I think that it meets a few different genres,” Chrisette
described. Next up - just off dates with Musiq - Chrisette takes her
multi-genre style to the stage, heading out on tour for the first time solo, to
promote the new disc “I Am,” and also to reveal just who she is. ““It’s what
I’ve always done; now it’s at a larger calibre. It’s a really big deal and I’m
extremely excited.” For more on Chrisette Michele and her debut disc,
visit www.chrisettemichele.com.
Sheryl Lee Ralph Presents: The 17th
Annual Divas Simply Singing!
Source: Tom Estey, Tom Estey Publicity & Promotion, TJE6464@aol.com,
www.myspace.com/tomestey
August 22, 2007) In its
17th installment Divas Simply
Singing!, will establish itself as the longest
consecutive running musical AIDS benefit in Los Angeles. Brain
child of Actress/AIDS Activist Sheryl Lee Ralph, the evening of song and
entertainment will spot light the talents of Divas of every genre.
Making a rare appearance will be Supermodel RuPaul, American Idol
Finalist (06) Paris Bennett and her grandmother, Ann Nesby (Sounds of
Blackness), Jenifer Lewis (Bipolar and Beyond), Grammy Award Winning vocalist
Deniece Williams, (07) American Idol Finalist, Lakeisha Jones, renowned violinist
Karen Briggs, High Maintenance 90210 star, Norwood Young (Pieces of a Dream),
and sharing the stage once again original Dreamgirls, Jennifer Holliday,
Loretta Devine and Sheryl Lee Ralph. Staged once again at the beautiful
Wilshire Ebell Theater in Los Angeles, Saturday, October 6, 2007, 7:30pm, Divas
will unite to raise their voices and awareness about HIV/AIDS.
This year's show will benefit Women Alive Coalition and Balm in Gilead.
Tickets can be purchased at the Wilshire Ebell Box Office or any Ticketmaster
Outlet. When asked why she still produces DIVAS Simply Singing! when AIDS
seems not to be the disease it once was, Ralph stated: "In seventeen years
of DIVAS, the rate of HIV infection has never gone down or plateaued it has
silently continued to rise, now targeting young people of all colors and
classes We must continue to break the silence and stigma that
still surrounds this disease."
MUSIC TIDBITS
Russian Court Acquits Music Website
Owner
Excerpt from www.globeandmail
- Gayle Macdonald
(August 16, 2007) A Rus
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