Untitled Document


Black Rock - Hendrix, Berry, Funkadelic, Living Colour, Prince, Lenny Kravitz, RHCP, Mandrill

History Lesson - Vernon Reid

In Africa, music is not an art form as much as it is a means of communication.
A Negro has got no name. Quite often, the words of the song are meaningless.
A Negro has got no name We are wearing the name of our master



Soul-Patrol and the Black Rock Coalition
(6 Hr. Black Rock Online Chat Session on 10/7 6pm est - 12 m)


Soul-Patrol and the Black Rock Coalition I am am much like Michael Dukakis was a "card carrying member of the American Civil Liberties Union", that is to say I am a "card carrying member of the Black Rock Coalition". As I am sure that you are all aware, Soul-Patrol.Net hosts the Black Rock Coalition Internet Radio show, which is a fact that I am quite proud of. However it all goes much deeper that simply that.

I was a listener to the Black Rock Coalition radio program in NYC on WBAI-FM during the 1980's after their formation by Village Voice writer, Greg Tate and Vernon Reid (leader of the then unheard of band Living Colour). The radio show was an excellent one, mixing the sounds of BRC bands (ex: Living Colour, Micheal Hill's Blues Mob, Defunkt, etc) with commentary and also the identification of "Culture Bandits" (although they did not use that term).

The primary focus of the old BRC radio show was to inform people of the following:

1. Black people did indeed invent rock n' roll
2. Artists as diverse as Chuck Berry, Little Richard, James Brown, Funkadelic, Hendrix, Isleys, Barkays, etc are a part of that tradition.
3. That there were still "Black Rockers" around.
4. Because of all of this and more, Rock n' Roll is something that Black folks should be proud of and NOT simply take for granted as being a "white's only artform"!


Needless to say, the old BRC radio show during the 1980's was a big influence on me when I frist began Soul-Patrol in 1996. One of the first links that I sought was from the BRC website and they gave the P-Funk Review a link! Since that time, I have tried to talk as much about the BRC online in various forums as possible. In my opinion they are doing something close to "God's Work". I also make it a point to attend as many BRC events as I can, and write about them. Not that the BRC needs much assistance from me, after all they are an organization with a worldwide profile and reach.

Nevertheless over the years that Soul-Patrol has been in existence we have partnered with the Black Rock Coalition both online and offline on many different projects. Among other things the BRC is partnering with us this month in our celebration of R-O-C-K-T-O-B-E-R by moderating our SIX HOUR MARATHON BLACK ROCK ONLINE CHAT SESSION on 10/7 2006 from 6pm est - 12 midnight in the Soul-Patrol Chat room at the following link: http://www.soul-patrol.com/chat

A six hour marathon chat session (6p - 12m est) hosted by our partners from the Black Rock Coalition open to all on the general topic of Black Rock, featuring audio from BRC Radio @ Soul-Patrol.Net streamed into the chat room as a backdrop to our discussion. The session is open to all and we will have numerous guests from the world of "Black Rock" during the course of the evening. If you are interested, make it a point to join in and contribute to the expansion of the dialogue...

--Bob Davis
earthjuice@prodigy.net


Buddy Miles Comes To The Soul-Patrol Chat Room
(10/24/2006 @ 10pm est)


BUDDY MILES
(10/24/2006) A one hour chat session (starting at 10pm) in the Soul-Patrol chat room hosted by the legendary drummer/guitarist/vocalist BUDDY MILES. During the session Buddy will take your questions about his career, past, present and future as one of the pioneers in fusing together funk/soul/rock/blues music and doing so during a period of American history when it wasn't really "safe" to do so. Buddy will also bring us up to date on his current and future activities. Hopefully you will be able to attend and interact directly with Buddy Miles during the session here on Soul-Patrol.

Click here for more info on Buddy Miles...

--Bob Davis
earthjuice@prodigy.net






Nadir and Distorted Soul

Nadir and Distorted Soul
As you all know, Nadir & Distorted Soul was named as the Soul-Patrol.com 2005 Funk Artist of the year. We love both the style and substance their music here on Soul-Patrol. Distorted Soul 2.0 is coming from a point of view that is totally and out of step with what is happening today in the world of music.

Distorted Soul 2.0 puts it in your face, right from the start, the first voice that you hear on the CD is that of Fannie Lou Hammer, followed more spoken word from word from the Civil Rights era in a song called "Prelude To Revolution". Then it rips into a mind blowing FUNK/ROCK groove that would have Lenny Kravitz peeing in his pants if he were to ever hear it, entitled "Slave" with the opening lyric that goes like this "I don't want to feel the pain anymore, and I don't wanna feel the whip across my spine"... Song #3 called "Daddy's Cane" is a great song in tribute to Black fathers and how hard they work. When is the last time we heard a song with that theme? Especially done to a serious Funk/Rock groove, with stellar vocals to boot, which even quotes "Cosmic Slop" in it's lyrics??

And that's how it starts...(click here to read more)

--Bob Davis
earthjuice@prodigy.net




How Come the Five Royales Aren't in the RRHOF?

Five Royales
I have been asked a dozen times over "why do I feel so strongly that the 5 Royales belong in the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame?" And the answer is always the same. The 5 Royales were rockin' in '49 and on through the 50's. I feel their edgy soulful sound scared people. I mean no one knew what their sound was. Who was singing soul music before them?

NO ONE!

The 5 Royales would be out there for 2 full years before even Ray Charles broke his sound. The 5 Royales had a hard rockin' guitar player, Mr. El Paulings. And no one knew what to make of this black man who played his guitar at knee level long before Chuck Berry and who would inspire Steve Cropper in a few short years. The birth of the 5 Royales was simply the natural evolution of the sound and direction of music in the black community. The group originally started as a gospel quintet. During the late 30's and 40's the sound for black groups was, blues, gospel or the smooth group harmony sound of the Mill's Brothers. The Royal Son's Quintet took the gospel route.....(click here to continue)


--Bob Davis
earthjuice@prodigy.net


Shelley Nicole's blaKbüshe

Shelley Nicole's blaKbüshe
Obviously I have seen this band perform live before. I think that they are off the hook Best description I can come up with for "Shelley Nicole's blaKbushe" that yall could relate to is that they sound something like a combination of Living Colour and LaBelle/Betty Davis.


In fact, you can check out a sample of "Shelley Nicole's blaKbushe" on Soul-Patrol.net Radio at the following link... http://www.soul-patrol.net/prog1.ram
It's the third track on the set!

Now I don't want yall to think that Shelley is just a "pretty face with a bass" either. She was also one of the co-promoters of the show that we did at BB King's in NYC a few years ago and at that show, I also had the distinct pleasure of introducing her onstage along with the BRC's Darrell McNeill.

BOB D: "I have dealt with blaKbushe for most of my adult life, yet I have never heard what blaKbushe sounds like before..."
DARRELL MCNEILL: "Bob, stop being nasty and just introduce the band..."

Anyhow...
As you travel the internet, please say hello to Shelley and give her all of the props in the world from Soul-Patrol.

(she's good people)

--Bob Davis
earthjuice@prodigy.net


Give it up for Jesse Stone

Jesse Stone
Music historian Donald Clarke, in his magisterial The Rise and Fall of Popular Music, astutely observed: "It was at Atlantic that Stone had an unsung influence on the music of ensuing decades. Atlantic's recordings were more polished than those of other R&B labels ... yet they also swung, because people like Stone brought the skills and values of decades of black music with them." Similar sentiments are stated by Dave Marsh in The Heart of Rock and Soul, wherein he deemed Stone "unforgivably uncelebrated".

And Nick Tosches devoted the entire first chapter of his book, Unsung Heroes of Rock 'n' Roll to Stone. Moreover, Stone's influence at Atlantic was not limited to artists. In a letter written to Stone in 1996 and published in the 11/10/01 issue of Billboard, Atlantic Record's premier producer, Jerry Wexler, (who coined the term, "rhythm and blues" when he was an editor at Billboard) declares: "It wouldn't be overstating the case to say that you taught me everything I know about our craft; yes, everything I know, and a small fraction of what you have always known."....(click here to read more)



--Bob Davis
earthjuice@prodigy.net


Sonny Boy

SonnyBoy
It's almost 2 a.m. I'm home. Blurry-eyed, Chinese-chicken-winged and fried. But mostly, I am sore-throated from whooooping it up for Sonny Boy. To say that they turned tha mutha out, would be an understatement!

Wow! Where to begin....
· With the big, tight sound that made you look around to see who-all-else joined the band from offstage?
· With the infectious hooks that snagged you into thinking you already knew the songs even though you had never heard them before in your life? (Can we say "Snaggle-puss?")
· With the slick-@ss mid-song breaks done "just so?" (Yeah, done just so yo' @ss will cheer 3-times louder when the groove returns to yo' eardrum.)
· With the driving grooves that escalate perfectly, making you nod progressively harder with anticipation only to stop on a dime (to more cheers)?

Sonny Boy! You rocked it! Your tight-@ss grooves, your inter-locked-ness wit each other onstage, your exuberance, your twang-chucka-twan-ka-twang-chop spread thick like Karo dark corn syrup over a biscuit converted Bob Davis's recent "Just Show Up" admonishment into a mantra! And speaking of conversions, yes! Sheldon Riser took us to church! That voice! The range! His dynamics! His cadence evoked a revival meeting ("Can I get a witness?") while his especially skilled and adept scat evoked live trombones and horns ("Blow Gabriel, Blow!") Even his ballad went down sweet and "Cool, Daddy-O!".....(click here for more)


--Bob Davis
earthjuice@prodigy.net



SOUL-PATROL .NET RADIO
CELEBRATE BLACK ROCK WITH "RADIO BRC"


RADIO BRC @ Soul-Patrol.NET Radio: Show #9 Black Rock Coalition:

Critical wax, Seminal acts and Crucial facts from: Earl Douglas, Darrell McNeill, Laronda Davis of the BRC.
Featuring music from Ben Harper, Red Hill Down, The Negro Problem, Michael Hill's Blues Mob, DJ Munz, Maktub, Soulive, Jeffrey Gaines, Tracy Chapman, Femi Kuti, Nile Rogers, Common, Erykah Badu...
Listen Here

RADIO BRC @ Soul-Patrol.NET Radio: Show #8 Black Rock Coalition:

Critical wax, Seminal acts and Crucial facts from: Earl Douglas, Darrell McNeill, Laronda Davis of the BRC.
Featuring music from The Negro Problem, Cody ChesnuTT, Spearhead, Chango Mango, Michelle N, Terrence Trent Darby, and others
Listen Here

RADIO BRC @ Soul-Patrol.NET Radio: Show #5 Black Rock Coalition:

Critical wax, Seminal acts and Crucial facts from: Earl Douglas, Darrell McNeill, Laronda Davis of the BRC.
The focus is on great LIVE performances, featuring James Brown, Bad Brains, Donny Hathaway, Jungle Funk, Jill Scott, Jimi Hendrix, Pheobe Snow, Cyprus Hill and more!
Listen Here

RADIO BRC @ Soul-Patrol.NET Radio: Show #4 Black Rock Coalition:

Critical wax, Seminal acts and Crucial facts from: Earl Douglas, Darrell McNeill, Laronda Davis of the BRC.
Featuring the music of: Vernon Reid, 7 Dust, Prince, Ursula Rucker, Herbie Hancock, Chaka Khan, Jimi Hendrix, Tricky/Amber Sunshower, Bilal, and more
Listen Here

RADIO BRC @ Soul-Patrol.NET Radio: Show #3 Black Rock Coalition:

Critical wax, Seminal acts and Crucial facts from: Earl Douglas, Darrell McNeill, Laronda Davis of the BRC.
Featuring 1 hour of NEW music and commentary from the following artists :Terrence Trent Darby, Buddy Guy, Saundra St. Victor, Saul Williams, and more
Listen Here

RADIO BRC @ Soul-Patrol.NET Radio: Show #2 Black Rock Coalition:

Critical wax, Seminal acts and Crucial facts from: Earl Douglas, Darrell McNeill, Laronda Davis of the BRC.
It's a tribute of sorts to the 3 compilation BRC CD's that were produced during the 1990's * History of Our Future * Blacker Than That * The Bronze Buckaroo Rides Again The show is in effect a kind of "BEST OF 1990's BLACK ROCK"
Listen Here

RADIO BRC @ Soul-Patrol.NET Radio: Show #1 Black Rock Coalition:

Critical wax, Seminal acts and Crucial facts from: Earl Douglas, Darrell McNeill, Laronda Davis of the BRC.
Featuring: Living Colour, Band of Gypsy's, Shuggie Otis, Eric Gales, Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Angela Davis, Langston Hughes and more
Listen Here


Visit The Black Rock Coalition Web Site


WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE P*FUNK REVIEW?

Sometimes terminology can be both troubling and misleading:


  • rock 'n' roll or rock-and-roll (r¼k“…n-r½l“) n. Music. 1. A form of popular music arising from and incorporating a variety of musical styles, especially rhythm and blues, country music, and gospel.

  • I personally have no problem with this description, but I do have a serious problem with the usage of the term "rock n' roll" by both Blacks and Whites. It seems that history has been perverted to the point where in today's world neither Blacks nor Whites seem to feel that African Americans have anything to do with "rock n' roll" !!

    ....I feel certain that the folks mentioned below might just tell ya that African Americans invented "rock n' roll" and that somehow the "perversion of history" that has occured must be corrected



    Here at the P*Funk Review this month, we have some BRAND NEW Black Rock CD Reviews to share with you from Cymande, Shuggie Otis, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Sonny Boy, along with the transcript of a chat session that we had recently with the LEGENDARY Lester Chambers of the 1960's Super Group, the CHAMBERS BROTHERS, A LIVE concert from "Original P" (Parliament Funkadelic, an update on Chuck Berry, a special feature on "Black Hippies" and a chat session with some younger people about "Black Rock"…


  • Lester Chambers (Chambers Bros): Chat Session SonnyBoy: Love Child Voodoo Child: The Jimi Hendrix Collection Cymande: Soul of Rasta Shuggie Otis: Lost and Found
    Bob Marley: Catch a Fire CD Deluxe Original P (Parliament Funkadelic): Live Concert Black Hippies Chuck Berry Update Black Rock Chat Session

     

    History Lesson - Vernon Reid



    In Africa, music is not an art form as much as it is a means of communication.

    A Negro has got no name

    Quite often, the words of the song are meaningless.

    A Negro has got no name

    We are wearing the name of our master

     

     

    Need some More BLACK Rock, Check Out These Links...

     

    For more info we suggest a visit to the home page of the Black Rock Coalition .....peace!

     

     

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