Soul-Patrol Event, Washington DC: Album Release Concert/Party for Chip Shelton's Peacetime - Imbuded With Memories @ Twins Jazz Club, May 17 at 9pm (Jazz/Funk/Soul)  That's right, Soul-Patrol.com is returning to the Chocolate City!!! And we are returning to help one of our "core arrtists" Mr. Chip Shelton to launch his brand new album release called: Imbuded With Memories. It's an exciting new album that combines straight no chaser + funk + fusion + soul + latin. I'm really excited not only because of the album, but also it gives me the chance to return once again to the "scene of my many crimes", WASHINGTON DC, hang out with some of our friends there, eat some great food at TWINS (www.twinsjazz.com)and listen to some great LIVE MUSIC from Chip and Peacetime. I will be in the house and of course I will also have some givaways!!If you click on any of the Chip Shelton links here in this issue of the Soul-Patrol Newsletter you can listen to the album in it's entirity...If you are in the DC/MD/VA area and you would like to hang out with us, please contact Soul-Patrol's Washingon DC Coordinador "ZieLove" via email(ZIELOVE@aol.com)if wanna hang out with us in the CHOCOLATE CITY! --Bob Davis Album Review: Marcus Miller- Marcus (Jazz/Funk/Soul)  Marcus Miller is one of those ubiquitous types. Seeing his name on an album may induce reactions spanning from "My man~!!" or "Marcus, again?" to the dreaded "Ummm". That's the territory where uniquely talented extremely busy types reside. We can take them to heart....and we can take them for granted. I mean in 2008 Marcus Miller shares relevancy with George Duke, Lil Wayne and Louie Vega. Musical types who in their chosen idiom are just.........everywhere. But the reason why they ARE everywhere is because their colleagues, be it fellow producers, rappers, remixers and lastly record buyers hold them in high esteem. It's just that it seems Marcus is ALWAYS around. I mean, this CD actually WAS already around last year. With a different cover. So the sense of Deja VU is on EXTRA TAKE FOR GRANTED. Don't let that happen. Marcus knew you got lost. Marcus felt all of you rushing past him to get to that Victor Wooten concert. So, he repackaged last years import-only CD with a new cover. Improved re-mastering and a bonus last-cut-on-the-CD retake of his version of Robin Thicke's "Lost Without You" using the spoken word talent of actress and since **That F'N Pimp movie** I guess, now spoken word vocalist Taraji P. Henson. As is standard for the modern Soul/Jazz CD there are musical guests: Corrine Bailey Rae turns in a better than decent version of "Free." It won't replace your memories of Deniece Williams but it wont insult you either. Keb' Mo guests on an original tune written by himself and Marc called "Milky Way." A nice weaving in-and-out of their styles. A lot smoother than you might think it would be....(review continued here) --Donald Cleveland Look for these songs playing as as "buzz cuts" on Nu Soul @ RadioIO.com ALBUM REVIEW: Gail Jhonson - Pearls (Jazz/Soul)  I am the type of person who uses music for many different purposes. Sometimes it involves heavy duty and intense listening, however most times it doesn't. I am a person with a relatively busy and normal life between work, family and home. I have very little time in my life to actually listen to music intently as a primary activity. For me the vast majority of my music listening occurs as a secondary activity that happens while I am doing other things. It doesn't matter if it's Miles Davis, Buddy Miles or Miles Jaye. For the most part I look for music that I can listen to while I am doing other things. I suppose that you could say that I am looking for music that I am willing to welcome into the "soundtrack of my life" and if I hear music that I can't find a place for in my life, it's very likely to find it's way into the pile over in the corner of this room that is destined for the used CD store. The new release by Gail Jhonson called "Pearls" is an album that has all of the elements of an album that can find it's way into my own personal soundtrack. For example it is currently springtime in the northeastern part of the united states and like any other self respecting "buppie" at this time of the year one of my primary pursuits is working in the yard, trying to get it together for the inevitable BBQ's to come in the next few months. So that means there is a whole lot of "farming type activities" (weeding, seeding, planting, mowing, bagging, etc) going on in the Davis household right at this moment. This is a good album to have playing inside of your headphones as you perform those activities. It is a soothing and relaxing album that serves as a powerful antidote for the sometimes back breaking that is associated with the activity. The album "Pearls" would work just as well in the very same back yard a few weeks from now, when it will be crowded with folks from all over, eating burned meat that I have personally cooked myself on my well used outdoor grille. Pearls also works for me as what we used to call "crusing music" back in the day. Although I certainly will be curtailing the amount of driving that I will do this summer due to the rising prices at the pump. I know that I'll still be doing a fair amount of driving this summer (possibly to other folks backyard BBQ's) and that this album will be loaded in the car waiting for the inevitable, frustrating traffic jam or idiot driver, waiting to be used as a preemptive strike in an effort to prevent "road rage" from totally consuming my being. Those are just a few examples. I could easily name a dozen more, but I will stop here. Gail Jhonson's "Pearls" fits into my life right now and I would imagine that it still will 5 or 10 years from today. It's an album that you can listen to over and over that will stand the test of time. It's slightly "urban", it's slightly "suburban" and it's all the way jazz (which isn't a bad description of my current and probably future lifestyle.....lol.) For me that is the most important criteria for evaluating any album is just how it fits in with the primary activities that I am likely to be engaged in while the music is playing. If you are the type of person that I am, then purchasing this album will represent an investment you can enjoy today, that will pay dividends years down the road. To sum it up I'll just quote Barry White and say that Gail Jhonson's "Pearls" has "staying power"... (More on Gail Jhonson - Pearls...) --Bob Davis Concert Review: Brian Auger in Pittsburgh 3-22-2008 (Jazz/Funk)  It was a few weeks ago today that I saw Brian Auger perform at Moondog's here in Pittsburgh. The steam from the smoke caused at the club that night is finally staring to go away, thanks to some rain in the area.I don't know how many of you have seen Brian and the Oblivion Express recently but don't pass up the chance to see them. The whole show is a journey through "Great Black Music". How that is possible many of you may ask for this White guy do do this? The answer is plain and simple. Brian Auger is one of the giants of Jazz-Fusion. Like Joe Zawinul, he has the soul of a Black Man and is funkier than a mosquitoes tweeter. Some of you have been following his music for over 30 years on the US recording scene. For over forty years, Brian Auger has been a musician's musician. Jazz pianist, bandleader, session man, Hammond B3 innovator, and key player in the rise of jazz/rock fusion, Brian has done it all and then some. (Review continued here...) --Kevin Amos (Tha Funkoverlord) Album Review: Miles Davis - The Complete On The Corner Sessions (6+ hours of BUTTHOLEFUNK)  Since Soul-Patrol started, I have probably written more about Miles Davis - "On the Corner" more than any single album. It's probably my favorite album of all time, and it's been a major inspiration in my life. "On the Corner" is a major inspiration in the creation of Soul-Patrol.com, as well it should be. After all it's the greatest funk album that's ever been made and it was created by the greatest funk band that has ever existed. After Miles Davis was inducted into the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame a few years ago, I thought that I would never write about this album again. (never say never)Listening to the original "On the Corner" LP was a mind blowing experience for me right from the first time that I heard it, as a teenager, that it has been something that I have always carried with me into adulthood. I have played that album over and over again on turntables, 8-track players, cassette tapes, compact discs, mp3's and even inside of my head more times than I could ever hope to tabulate. I'm hardly an objective reviewer, I'm a huge fan of the album, the concept, the reality, the vision, the execution, the silliness and the depth of it all. Of course over the years, most of the members of the Miles Davis Band have become friends of mine. They found me, because of "On the Corner". While their artistry is something that can never be duplicated, it is their friendship that I most treasure. In the liner notes it says that "the reason that Miles Davis played with his back to the audience, wasn't because he didn't respect the audience, Miles said it was because he wanted to hear and watch his band play..." You see, Miles Davis knew what I knew, that his band was in fact the greatest funk band on the planet!!!....(Read the rest of the review) --Bob Davis 
The Soul-Patrol.com Jazz/Funk Collection From Heads Up Records: Stanley Clarke, Candy Dulfer, Maceo Parker, Victor Wooten & the late great Joe Zawinul Album Review: Bob Baldwin - "NewUrbanJazz.com" (Jazz/Funk/Rap/Soul)  What a great album title and it really tells you everything that you need to understand about the "vibe" as well as the intent of this album. The first clue that we are really in for some "out of the box" type of thinking is the presence of singer Jocelyn Brown. Of course we know Jocelyn Brown best from her massive disco hit, the immortal "Somebody Else's Guy". Now as some of you might recall, the song "Somebody Else's Guy" wasn't just a "disco hit", it was actually something more. It was a club hit in Black disco's of the 1980's, after disco had once again become segregated. By then we had taken several steps backwards in our society and the Black discos of the 1980's became very upscale types of places. This was the beginning of the "buppie" (Black Urban Professional) lifestyle in big cities across the country, populated with folks who remembered the 1970's, but who were slowly adopting an alternate set of values......(click here to read the rest of the review) Look for these songs playing as as "buzz cuts" on Nu Soul @ RadioIO.com --Bob Davis Album Review: Jason Miles - Soul Summit (Featuring: Bob Babbit, Karl Denson, Richard Elliott, Steve Ferrone, Mike Mattison, Maysa, Jason Miles, Susan Tedeschi, Reggie Young) (Great Black Music From The Ancient To The Future)  For all practical purposes I reviewed this newly released album a year ago. You can read what I wrote about it here. For the past few years musical visionary Jason Miles has been on a one man crusade to save Black music from destroying itself, by helping it to remember what it once was. Very quietly (unfortunately) over the past few years, he has put out an exciting series of "CTIesque" albums that on the surface might appear to be "tribute albums." However these albums are less tributes than an opportunity to reexamine the majestic artistry of like Marvin Gaye, Miles Davis, Grover Washington Jr, and others inside of a contemporary context. Jason's albums are meant less for those who are old enough to remember and more for those who aren't old enough to remember.Soul Summit is a live recording of a magnificent concert that I was fortunate enough to attend in the spring of 2007 @ the Berks Jazz Festival. With the vocals anchored by singers like Susan Tedeshi & Maysa Leek and heavy duty funk players like Steven Feronne, Karl Denson and others, the Soul Summit concert is nothing less than a modern day re-creation of the great stage shows that one could see damn near on a daily basis at legendary venues like the Apollo, the Howard, the Royal, the Uptown and others that once formed the golden jewels of what was known as the "chitlin circuit"......(continue reading the review) Look for these songs playing as as "buzz cuts" on Nu Soul @ RadioIO.com --Bob Davis 
WILL DOWNING - AFTER TONIGHT: Listen to the Soul-Patrol.Net broadcast on Will Downing's new album called AFTER TONIGHT. Featuring commentary & analysis from Nightrain and brotha ELP ALBUM REVIEW - Will Downing: "After Tonight" 
There will never be another Barry White. There will never be another Luther or Lucian. Isaac is still around but not "really" active in a contemporary sense. We are left with the likes of WILL DOWNING....but with the album "AFTER TONIGHT"...that is NOT a bad thing.Perhaps it is unfair to use such legendary artists as the measuring tool for the efforts of their successors. Yet, at the same time, they have established a demand on those successors to, at the very least, follow the clear path they blazed to success and greatness, and in the end, isn't that what we want to hear? This isn't an "easy listen". It is a "Soulful Listen". You get that right away with "Will's Groove". From track to track and at times with the help of some other gifted performers, this album runs the gamete from "Pure Soul" to NuSoul and "just a hint of Jazz" throughout. Click hear to read more on Will Downing and his new album.... 
LISTEN TO: Miles Davis: Evolution Of the Groove + Interview w/Executive Producer Vince Wilburn & Co -Producer Lenny White - 1. Freddie Freeloader, 2. Freedom Jazz Dance (Evolution Of the Groove), 3. It's About That Time, 4. Honky Tonk, 5. Black Satin RIP: Joe Zawinul (Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderley, Dinah Washington, Weather Report, Joe Zawinul Syndicate) (Below: Our own Vince Wilburn (Miles's Nephew) w/ Joe Zawinuil in 11/2006)  "Keyboardist/composer/bandleader Joe Zawinul, who rose to fame as one of the creators of jazz fusion, died on Tuesday, September 11, 2007, of Merkel cell carcinoma. He was 75. Zawinul had been hospitalized since last month..." Well...I guess these cats ARE getting old but DAYUM!!!! I'm so sorry to hear about the passing of this genius,hell GIANT amongst some musical midgets. I've always admired his musical stance and approach towards drummers. He was a drummer's advocate for sure! His compositions were almost always funky or funk-induced in some way. He also wrote beautiful music as well but what really impressed me about this man was the way he allowed his musicians to write tunes and that he often featured a lot of the tunes that they composed. A lot of cats aren't half as band-member-friendly as that. I mean Jaco Pastorius, Wayne Shorter and Alex Acuna all wrote a ton of music for Weather Report which was basically Mr. Zawinul's baby. I appreciate that a helluva lot! God Bless Joe Zawinul! And a Mercy,Mercy Me to all that are residing on the other side. Hmmmmm JB, Pavarotti and Joe Zawinul? Don't need nobody else. They got that! Love yourselves Peace LP Go here for more on Joe Zawinul and Jazz on Soul-Patrol R.I.P: My encounter with the Late Max Roach (By Kevin Amos)  I consider myself to be a very fortunate individual and I have been able to sit at the feet of the masters to hear their wisdom.My first and only encounter with Max Roach came at the Jazz Times Convention I believe in 1996. My admiration for this musical pioneer started with being exposed to the recording "Garvey's Ghost". The vocal arrangements that featured Abbey Lincoln, his wife ,absolutely blew me away. He is one of my favorite percussionists along with Billy Cobham, and Art Blakey. I still search for this day his version of "It's Time" with M'Boom, his percussion ensemble that featured the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The music he has composed over the years in small groups, big bands, and as a soloist has deeply impacted me. Max Roach changed the way I listed to music just like when I first heard John Coltrane and Sun Ra. Our conversation started as I raced in the auditorium to introduce myself to him. I told him I was from Pittsburgh and he immediately called out the various Jazz clubs he had played at and he also mentioned another Be-Bop pioneer Kenny Clarke. I told him that I did radio and he told me how important it was for me to educate the masses about our musical legacy. He said that I was the key to pass this information on to our younger generations and he told me to keep up the good work. Guess what? Dizzy Gillespie told me the same thing too when I sat down with him! Mr. Roach also got into a conversation about how the music called Jazz was much appreciated by folks outside of the US and talked why our people should embrace it more. He also talked about how Black musicians have to work outside of the country to make a living because of the racism that exists here. That was in 1996. That conversation also occurred on the heels of a presentation by White record company producers and executives put down Miles Davis. I was mad! I never got it on tape but I'll remember that conversation forever. We must also not forget that Max, Abbey, Harry Bellefonte, Nancy Wilson and numerous other musicians were in the forefront of the civil rights movement. I have not forgotten my conversation with him as you can tell. His music lives on. May you rest in peace Max. Concert Review: Chip Shelton & Peacetime (Doug Carn- Organ, Lou Volpe- Guitar, Sipho Kunene- Drums) Friday Night Jazz @ The Firehouse, Cedar Park, 50th & Baltimore Av. Philadelphia, Pa.  Chip was on stage when I arrived, backed up by the same band (Doug Carn- Organ, Lou Volpe- Guitar, Sipho Kunene- Drums) that appear on his new album "HAVE FLUTE WILL TRAVEL, STOP 2, CAPE MAY JAZZ FESTIVAL LIVE!". A few of you may recall that we featured Chip's last album "Peacetime" here on Soul-Patrol.com last year. The new album is as different from the last one as "night & day". In a word "Peacetime" was "highbrow/experimental" and "Have Flute Will Travel, Stop 2, Cape May Jazz Festival Live!" is "lowbrow/funky." At the Soul-Patrol Convention we had quite a bit of heated discussion about the future of jazz and the challenge of engaging the modern day Black community in the music we call jazz. http://www.soul-patrol.net/2007jazz_panel.ram It seems to me that both Chip Shelton's new album and the concept of presenting live jazz on Friday nights in a small neighborhood park in West Philadelphia just might provide at least part of the answer....(click here for the rest of the review) LISTEN TO - 2007 Soul-Patrol Convention Black Music Town Hall Jazz Panel: Moderator: Tee Watts- Broadcaster/Journalist, Geri Allen- Artist/Activist, Kayte Connelly- Former Berks Jazz Fest Exec Dir, Kenny Mead- Jazz Producer, TS Monk- Artist/Activist, Onaje Allan Gumbs- Artist/Activist (from 5/27/2007)  A spirited discussion led by Moderator Tee Watts with, Geri Allen- Artist/Activist, Kayte Connelly- Former Berks Jazz Fest Exec Dir, Kenny Mead- Jazz Producer, TS Monk- Artist/Activist, Onaje Allan Gumbs- Artist/Activist (from 5/27/2007). Covering topics such as: Is jazz for whites only? Is "smooth jazz" destroying Black Culture? Is jazz in a crisis? Why is jazz off the radar of young people? and more.....(Click here or on the picture above to listen) Paradise Freejahlove Supreme Jazz-Funk-Hip-HoPoetry 
Melvin Sparks Concert Review & Audio Interview 
The Thunderbird Cafe in Pittsburgh was the setting October 27 for FUNK 101, a class on teaching the essence of tha funk aka the groove. Call it what you want: Groove, Soul Jazz, Old-School Acid Jazz, Barbeque Funk, Funk Jazz or whatever. Look up those terms in Webster's and there you'll find a picture of Melvin Sparks, the guitarist credited as the originator of the genre. As a session man for Blue Note and Prestige Records, Sparks laid his signature guitar work on many other musicians' albums without ever being in spotlight. It was during this time that Melvin defined the jazz-guitar sound of a generation. In the venue the class was made up of a majority of people who weren't born until the 70's or 80's. I would say 60 to 70% of the audience for sure. There were some in attendance believe it or not that couldn't even nod their heads. You better believe that tha Funkoverlord was NOT one of those folks. As a matter of fact I was soutin' in approval. It was funk church. The majority of people who came to the show? You guessed it....young and White. Out of about 150 people I saw only 4 other Black Folk and no other people of color. Here we go again about supporting our own. You would think in the Lawrenceville Arts District corridor that is in a supposedly culturally diverse neighborhood that there would be more attendance by our folks. The club owners did not advertise this event in any Black press like the New Pittsburgh Courier. I only found out about the show through a friend. I had not even announced it on the air. Melvin and his two great young players on drums and keyboards (Korg CR3) were smokin' as some of the tunes included in their hour, fifteen minute set included "Were Gonna Have a Funky Good Time" and "Thank You For Letting Me Be Myself Again". The set was short but these guys were smokin'. They are currently on tour on the east coast. Make sure you go see him and buy some CD's too, ok? Click here for to listen to the audio interview with Melvin Sparks --Kevin Amos WHAT IS THIS SITE? (It's Jazz for people who say that they don't like Jazz) 
I grew up listening to "jazz music". It was played in my household, in my neighborhood, on the radio and on TV. It was played at family gatherings, it was played at block parties, barbeques, subway stations, street corners, weddings and even funerals. The term "jazz" back in those days meant everything from Doc Severenson to Dr. Lonnie Smith, from John Coltrae to John Scofield, from the Heath Brothers to the Brecker Brothers. In my neighborhood, Gil Scott-Heron and Gil Evans co-existed as did Herbie Hancock and Herbie Mann. In my universe CTI was just as great a jazz label as Impulse or Blue Note and I saw no conflict whatsoever between Sun Ra, Dave Brubeck and Grover Washington. Of course that world of jazz all disappeared sometime during the 1980's and it became stratified and subdivided into many different sub genres and in doing so lost touch with "regular people".The scope of Soul-Patrol Jazz is inspired by a great radio station that existed in NYC back in the 1970's called WRVR-FM. One of the things that made WRVR so great was that it focused on presenting jazz music and commentary that was "in touch with regular people". The real brillance of WRVR was that not only was it able to connect with "regular people", but it also educated listeners about "deeper music" at the same time, without "pandering" or becoming "condesending". That's what we are going to do here at Soul-Patrol Jazz. One of the things we will be doing here is updating the site often with new releases, so bookmark the page and also sign up for the Soul-Patrol Newsletter (where we will be announcing the updates) using the form at the top of the page. So stay tuned and if you have any ideas or suggestions for me, please let me know... --Bob Davis earthjuice@prodigy.net CD Review: Paradise Freejahlove Supreme - "Jazz-Funk-Hip-HoPoetry" (Jazz/Funk/Spiritually Elevating Spoken Word/Like It Was Supposed To Be)  In some ways there isn't much to write about this new release called Jazz-Funk-Hip-HoPoetry by west coast artist Paradise Freejahlove Supreme, In most every way the title of this album speaks for itself. However I'm not going to stop there, because I belive that this album will ultimatly be of historic importance, so therefore it's important to connect a few dots from the past as we look towards the future. It is indeed one of the most compelling pieces of music that I have heard in the year 2006. You owe it to yourselves and your children to have a copy of it in your home.Those of you who are above a certain age will recall an album from the early 1970's entitled "Hustlers Convention" by spoken word artist "Lightning Rod" (of the Last Poets). "Hustlers Convention" the 1959 cautionary tale ("one" dies and "the other" does a 10 year stretch) of two hustlers named "Sport" and Spoon" which features jazz/funk background music from the pre disco Kool & the Gang, is one of the most effective and creative pieces of artistry that I have ever heard laid down on wax. "Hustlers Convention" is the very definition of what KRS-One called "edutainment", and is truly a soundtrack begging for a movie. As such "Hustlers Convention" the model for what hip hop should have become, but never attained. Fast Forward to 2006, Paradise Freejahlove Supreme, surely must have been exposed to "Hustlers Convention" because the album "Jazz-Funk-Hip-HoPoetry" contains many of the same elements. It's got a STANK NASTY Jazz/Funk (much like Kool & the Gang) "blackround" that will have you tapping your toes & bobbing your head the entire time you are listening. Now here is where it differs from "Hustlers Convention". Instead of telling us a fictional spoken word tale, Paradise Freejahlove Supreme delivers instead a series of essays, using the poetic form in a powerful way that compels you as a listener to pay attention. He manages to be "hardcore" without uttering a single profanity in delivering what is essentially a state of the union address on the world that we live in today. Paradise Freejahlove Supreme not only outlines the problems facing us, but also suggests positive action that can be taken on both an individual and collective basis to make life better. And because the music is so damn good, Paradise Freejahlove Supreme ends up taking you to school and you might not even realize it till he's done. If "Hustlers Convention" belongs in the movies, than "Jazz-Funk-Hip-HoPoetry" belongs on CNN. The coolest past about owning a copy of this album is that I can listen to it with my 13 year old daughter or any other younger person. It's got a "hard core" edge that sucks you into focusing on its positive and progressive message, not unlike a Trojan Horse. If any of this sounds like it might be of interest to you, I strongly urge you to get your copy as soon as possible. I doubt that the US Government is going to allow anything that entertains and educates younger people this much to remain available for very long... "A king wears his bling on the inside!" --Bob Davis CD Review: Gladys Knight - "Before Me" (Jazz/Standards) 
Ok so what do we have here? We have Gladys Knight as she covers Billy Holiday, Duke George and Ira Gershwin, Ellington, Mahalia Jackson, Lenny Welch, etc backed by the Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. Before we go any further it's important that we hit the rewind button and go all of the way back to the mid 1980's, when a moderately successful "country/rock" artist named Linda Ronstadt stepped in to the recording studio backed by the Nelson Riddle Orchastra and created three albums that became instant classics: "What's New," "Lush Life" and "For Sentimental Reasons". A certain "funkateer" brought these three albums, played them as often as possible and of course kept them well hidden from the view of others for fear that he would be labeled as insane. Well now that Gladys Knight has done something similar, it's time to come clean. Now you just might be inclined to compare this album with other efforts that might appear to be similar on the surface, by other artists. Please don't do that because by doing so you would be doing Gladys Knight a disservice. However more importantly you would be doing yourself a disservice because this album is as good (and perhaps even better) than those three album masterpieces from the mid 80's by Linda Ronstadt . The reason why I felt the need here to reference these perhaps long forgotten albums by Linda Ronstadt is to make the point that "Before Me" by Gladys Knight is far superior to the three Ronstadt albums as good as they were. Gladys Knight is a far superior singer to Linda Ronstadt, and she takes the material to a far different kind of a place. In fact she takes these great songs to the kind of places that were previously thought only possible by people with last names like Fitzgerald, Wilson, Holiday, McCrae, Carter, Vaughn, etc. Those are the kind of female singers that one would expect to see associated with the songs on this album. And if I may be so bold as to add the name "Knight" to that list, not only shouldn't you be surprised, but it should make you smile. --Bob Davis CD Review: Don Byron - "Do The Boomerang (The Music of Junior Walker)" (Supersonic Jazz/Supersonic Funk)  Do you like cover songs? I do. Today it seems to be a major trend with seemingly every new album that comes down the pike consisting of cover songs. Most times these type of covers are an attempt to tug just a little bit at our feelings of nostalgia for the original and that's what makes us feel good about hearing an old favorite once again. Let me now take this moment in time to re-introduce you all to Mr. Don Byron. Don Byron is an artist that likes to do "covers" also, but his covers are different than the type of covers that we are most familiar with. Most artists who do covers attempt to duplicate the original. The rest try to put their own personal stamp on the original. Don Byron is the only artist I am aware of who goes beyond either one of these concepts. You see when listening to his music, it feels very much like he is attempting to "obliterate" the original. He doesn't always succeed, but the attempt to do so makes you smile and think to yourself "damn he almost did it, he's a badd MF for even daring to try" (not unlike a pole vaulter who is attempting to break the world record). On the last album that we reviewed by Don Byron on Soul-Patrol called "Nu Blaxsplotation" he covers Mandrill's Fencewalk, Mango Meat and Haglo. Not even the nastiest/meanest funk bands attempt to cover Mandrill and certainly none think that they could possibly do Mandrill's songs better than Mandrill. Soul-Patrol named "Nu Blaxsplotation" as the top album of the year and one of the top albums released in the decade of the 1990's. On his latest release Don Byron attempts to rip a new "a-hole" into not only the music of Junior Walker and the All Stars, but also James Brown. For example as I am typing this, I am listening to Don Byron's cover version of James Brown's "There It Is" and I keep hitting the repeat button because it's so amazing. I do the same on the covers he does of the Jr Walker songs like "Shotgun", Road Runner" and others. Does he "obliterate" the originals??? I'm scared to say.... But I am willing to say that we need more artists like Don Byron in Black music, who are willing to challenge "the best of the best". We are currently lacking in artists who have the guts to attempt to do this (hence we have come to accept things like "smooth jazz", "gangsta rap", etc. as being "normal", when in fact they are an insult to our intelligence and demeaning to our culture). Click here to continue.... --Bob Davis CD Review: Steve Cole - "true" (Jazz/Funk) This album was a pleasant surprise for me. When I opened it I was thinking to myself "Uh oh, here comes another typical white guy playing smooth jazz, well let me give it obligatory listen.." However there is something just a little bit different here and as I listened I couldn't quite place my finger on it. Yes it is "smooth jazz" for sure, however it isn't "smooth jazz" in the (hated) modern day context. It's just a little bit too funky for that. Then I looked at the back cover and noticed that Ricky Peterson is one of the players here and that made me smile because he is such a great B3 organ guy. As I listened to the album a little more, it stuck me that the tone of Steve Cole's sax playing reminded me of Candy Dulfer's playing (and I am a big fan of hers). I really liked the song "Just a Natural Thang", it kinda reminded me of a Cannonball Adderley style 1960's instrumental. At the end of the day I have no problem recommending this album; it's mellow, yet funky in a "CTI kinda way". Nice, easy and groovy listening. --Bob Davis CD Review: Paul Samuels - Speak (Straight No Chaser Jazz with a bite) Do yall remember what that thing called "jazz" sounded like in the early 1960's? The type of jazz that would be playing in the background whenever someone like Joe Friday, or Mike Hammer would walk into a nightclub looking for a suspect? Yall know the kind of place I mean, filled with young white hipsters, wearing dark suits, white shirts and skinny ties. It was a kind of hardcore music that was supposed to somehow be at least partially a metaphor for the fact that the club itself was a hardcore place, possibly inhabited by really dangerous characters, but that our heroes despite their "white bread looks" actually knew how to handle themselves in such places and with such people. Well that is what this album sounds like. Even if you are too young to remember what jazz sounded like in those black & white movies from the early 1960's, just watch one on TV late at night and you will know what I mean. I love this album; it's been one of my secret passions all year long and I especially like the fact that they aren't afraid to cover compositions by Coltrane, Shorter and Monk. I had the good fortune of seeing the Paul Samuels Trio perform live this past summer in Cleveland at the Family Unity Festival and they are the real deal. So get the album, bring it home, pour yourself a glass of iced tea, put the headphones on and imagine that you are walking into a smoky 1960's nightclub (in black & white). --Bob Davis CD Review: Lee Ritenour - "Smoke 'N' Mirrors" (Jazz/Funk/World) Don't even think twice, if you are a longtime fan of this great guitarist, then you will love this album. And if you are new to Lee Ritenour, this album is going be like finding lost gold. This is a mellow, yet "trippy" kind of an album. In fact it's so mellow that I almost didn't make it first the third track. So what do I mean by "trippy"? Remember those almost superhuman "slow jams" that Weather Report used to do in the 70's, imagine a milder/lower volume version of that with some occasional African chanting, some Latin grooves and that is what this album sounds like. A nice surprise is finding a cover version of "Forget Me Nots" and hearing Patrice Rushen singing it here. --Bob Davis CD Review: Gary Taylor - "Retro Blackness" (Soul/Jazz/Mind Expanding Afrocentric Kozmic Funk) This is what I call a "record store album". Yall know what I mean??? It's the kind of an album that when you hear it being played in the background as you are "browsing" in a record store you find yourself "bopping your head" as you flipping thru the stacks. As you move around the store and the album moves from song to song, changing colors and moods, you "feel" your own mood shifting with the music in a subliminal way. You find yourself starting to not only "move and groove" as you make your ways thru the aisles of the record store, but you find yourself starting to pay attention to the lyrics. And then finally you stop browsing, you stand there, close your eyes and immerse yourself totally in the music, the lyrics and the vibe. At this point you have now heard 5-6 of these songs and your curiosity must be satisfied. You begin to walk towards the front of the store, where they have the antiquated in store stereo system playing and as you make your way over you are asking yourself questions like...."Is that Luther?, Is that the Isleys?, Is that Miles?, Is that Prince? Is it some lost classic? Is that Someone I've Never Heard of Before? You arrive at the front of the store and you ask the person behind the counter the magic question......"WHO IN THE HELL IS THAT PLAYING????" And they tell you...."It's something new, just came into the store, let me find the case it came in". (it ALWAYS turns out to be someone you never heard of.....lol). You inspect the back cover, and the front cover very carefully to see if you recognize any of the musicians, record label, etc (ANYTHING THAT WILL GIVE YOU A CLUE.....lol). You give up, you turn and ask the person behind the desk...."HOW MUCH FOR THIS" (as if at this point the price makes any difference whatsoever.....lol) And of course they ALWAYS say something like "Uhmmmmm It's $12.98 same as all of the other CD's in the store, and we only have 5 copies of it..." And before they finish their sentence you say...."I'LL TAKE IT". You take it home, pour yourself a glass of "iced tea", crank up your system, look for your headphones and see if you can recapture the "magic of the record store" at home and by the time you get to song #5 not only have you already completely consumed every word in the liner notes that you didn't want to stand there reading while you were in the store for fear of looking like an idiot, but you have already pressed the repeat button!!! So what's this album sound like? It's kinda like Donnie's album of a few years ago, but it's more "mature". It's kinda like Gil Scott Heron, but it's all singing without the spoken word or the humor and it's more romantic. It's kinda like Norman Connors + Marvin + CTI. It's kinda like Frank McComb on steroids. If Billy Stewart were alive today he might make an album like this. I could go on, but the reality is that it doesn't really matter what I have to say about it. You have to hear it for yourself... --Bob Davis CD Review: Ginetta's Vendetta - "La Dolce Vita" (Jazz/Funk/Pop) Remember when jazz used to be fun? Remember when the term "smooth jazz" didn't exist and we could just listen to jazz and have a whole lot of fun with it, remember that jazz was always supposed to be popular music and could somehow be considered to be serious at the same time? Well if you are the type of person who wants to hear some jazz that is fun, but even the thought of smooth jazz makes you want to vomit, then this may be just the album you have been searching for. If you are looking for a point of reference to compare the album La Dolce Vita by Ginetta's Vendetta to, think about the solo albums of Candy Dulfer. Just as when you look at Candy Dulfer, you would never think that she is a person who picks up the saxophone and sounds like Maceo Parker, when you look at Ginnetta she doesn't look like the kind of person who picks up a trumpet and sounds like Miles Davis (but she does). However she's not trying to copy anything about Miles, she's doing her own thing funky and fun. For example she takes the the classic Rogers & Hart song "My Funny Valentine" and starts out as though she is doing a instrumental cover and then midway switches up and turns it into an upbeat & funky song that is as danceable as Grover Washington's Mister Magic, with a trumpet that sounds vaguely like Miles in the lead. I think that this is a perfect type of an album to put on for all of your friends you suspect might like jazz, but simply don't realize it yet. See it is indeed possible for jazz to be both fun and popular without it being "smooth"... --Bob Davis CD Reviews: Rob and the Soul Brother, Christian Scott, Janis Siegel, Gwen McCrae, Jazz Vocalists, Eric Person, Lenny Welch, Gary Davis Band, Vernon Reid and Masque, Frank McComb, grosskopf 
I realize that I have fallen behind in posting reviews of new music. So here are a few CD reviews for ya. I've got some more coming, but in the meantime here are a few new albums that I think that you would enjoy checking out.... SounDoctrine - "Endurance"(originalternativejazzfunkfusion) "Endurance" by SounDoctrine Over the last few days I have been listening to the new CD "Endurance" by SounDoctrine. SounDoctrine calls itself "originalternativejazzfunkfusion". I don't really know what that is, but I think after listening to this CD that could be an accurate description. I don't really listen to Fusion jazz as I prefer Smooth Jazz but I do appreciate good music. SounDoctrine consists of some very good musicians with a polished sound. Endurance starts off with the song "Once Upon A Groove", typical lite jazz highlighting the piano. The second cut "Kicking Stick" picks up the pace with a solid groove then takes a journey to many alternate beats. I think that is my problem with Fusion Jazz. Once you get in the groove the music takes off in another direction and you gotta start all over again. But the song is well done. There are several songs like this on the CD so if you like Fusion Jazz you will be happy. These songs showoff the talent in the band. They remind me of a concert when they start introducing the band members and they each start doing their thang. "Small Mouth Bass" is a Smooth Jazz cut so of course its one of the songs I like. Funny though.. it sounds like a song I have heard (maybe I have heard Sound Doctrine on the Radio?) The cut "Soul Song" is a Carlos Santana type song... slow with guitar, very good work done here. I thought I was bout to get some funk with "Blues Crossing" The first few notes tease and then it goes off into another world, I suppose that is where the Alternative/fusion kicks in.. that's where I get lost. This song changes its groove so many times my head spins. SounDoctrine is a very skilled group of musicians and its shows in this song, The next cut "Sacrifice" is another Smooth Jazz joint. This is my favorite song on the CD. The song is smooth and stays in one direction, my type of music. "Chitea" got that funky beat and nice groove to it. "Chitea keeps my head bobbing and my toes tapping. This song is very well done and it rivals "Sacrifice" for my favorite song on the CD. I finally found the FUNK ! "Fiveaftersix" has a nice mellow groove, it changes up on me in the middle but stays close to the same area. The CD closes with an interesting cut called "Boyzinthewood". This song has a nice beat. The song does stop and go.. stop and go but it's a good song with a nice theme. Here are my thoughts to sum up the CD "Endurance" by SounDoctrine. I thought the CD would have been a bit more funky. I didn't hear any songs that just stood out and stopped me in my tracks but then again I am not into Fusion/Jazz. Some say Smooth Jazz aint really Jazz.. I say.. ok.. and some say Fusion/Jazz sounds like a bunch of instruments playing at the same time with no real purpose (thus the term fusion).. I say ...ok. SounDoctrine says its "originalternativejazzfunkfusion" and I say that's a broad range of music. The CD "Endurance" is a solid effort by some very good musicians and should make both parties happy. If you are looking to hire a good live Jazz Band that can keep most jazz lovers entertained give SounDoctrine a call. Does this CD Pass the Rissy Buy it test? If you are into a commercial Smooth Jazz sound then this might not be the CD for you. If you like Fusion/Jazz with a little bit of Smooth Jazz flavor then yes BUY IT. This CD has that "Band" sound to it throughout and hasn't crossed over to the commercial sound. I can see that happening if they chose to, but then again.. they are "originalternativejazzfunkfusion" and may be content with this targeted audience mzrissy www.cdawsongifts.com  Rob and the Soul Brother - "Show Some Luv"(Jazz-Funk-Slow Jams) This two CD set contains what is probably the best Jazz CD I have heard so far this year. The only problem is that it's hidden away and you have to dig it out. On their website it says "Rob & Tha Soul Brother is ON A MISSION. That mission is to bring back REAL MUSIC, in a modern form for people to enjoy and to bring back the fun that goes along with it-the party sounding music, the slow-jams-in-the-basement vibe, the block party sound, concerts!" And they aren't kidding either. Disc 1 of the two CD set sounds like an "old school house party in a box". Complete with foundation shaking funk jams in the mode of Slave/P-Funk/Brick/Graham Central Station, etc. and basement sweatbox style slow jams in the mode of the Miracles, just roll out Disc #1 and you have an instant party. Disc #2 is an exercise in the construction and deconstruction of jazz designed for the people (not critics). For example Disc #2 contains tributes to BOTH Victor Wooten "Loose Strings" and Jaco Pastorius "JP". And dammit if Sandy Anderson (The Soul Brother") doesn't sound EXACTLY LIKE VICTOR WOOTEN AND JACO PASTORIUS!!!!! It's also got a few mellow cuts a' la George Benson. Disc 2 also includes some stank funky cuts worthy of a "CTI fast song collection" (if such a thing ever were to exist). Take the song "Cosmic Soul" for example, it sounds like a SUPER HOTT JAZZ BAND playing FUNK at a house party in Harlem at midnight with the windows open and the cops kept at bay? In effect Disc #1 of "Show Some Luv" is "WWRL" and Disc #2 is "WRVR" (sorry for the NYC references….lol). So what's the problem with this album? You can't tell what it is when you look at it. When you look at the title and the album cover the first thing that comes to mind is hip hop. But perhaps in the end that will be more of an opportunity than a problem? Because maybe the way to get younger people to check out music that is this good is to put it into a package that they will be attracted to? I dunno, but if there is only one album that you are gonna buy in 2006, MAKE THIS THE ONE YOU BUY (nuff said). Order it online at the following website: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/ratsb and if you don't like the CD, I'll buy it back from you…(sike) Christian Scott - "Rewind That" (Jazz-Fusion) This is an outstanding album. It's a near perfect mixture of straight ahead and fusion. I've been listening to and reviewing a whole bunch of Jazz over the course of the last two months. This album is almost the best jazz album I've heard in 2006. Christian Scott is a great trumpet player who sounds like what Wynton Marsailis might have sounded like, had he not hated Miles Davis so much. You wanna know how badd Christian Scott is? After you get the CD in your hands, go immediately to track #4 and listen to his Funked up version of "So What" and you will hear what I'm talking about. No he's not trying to cover Miles Davis, instead he takes "So What" into a slightly different direction. So in effect he's giving props to the master not by challenging him, but instead trying to build on the foundation that the master gave to him (there is a difference Mr. Marsallis!!). Now that you have that little piece of work out of the way, put the CD player back to the first track and listen all the way through. Listening from the beginning it he reminds one of Weather Report with the title track, a monster jam appropriately called "Rewind That", a groove which continues on the second song called "Say It". Next up is a ballad called "Like This", which segues nicely into "So What". So now you have heard "So What" twice and it's time to open up the liner notes where it says: "he is an innovator of the highest order, one whose innovation comes as a result of understanding the music's past, present and future"." (Does this music sound like it belongs on Soul-Patol or what???). I won't go on to describe each track but fundamentally what Christian Scott does is take us back and forth between the mad science of trumpet ballads and excursions to the ninth period of FunkSchool. And yes, I do believe that "Miles is Smiling". Janis Siegel - "A Thousand Beautiful Things" (Jazz-Pop-Latin) This is a very good album from 1/4 of the enormously popular vocal group formerly known as Manhattan Transfer. However I do think that someone was looking closely at Bettye LaVette's CD when selecting the songs. The songs on this album are written by folks like Suzanne Vega, Nellie McKay, Stevie Wonder, Annie Lennox, Paul Simon, Bjork, Lizz Wright/Danilo Perez and Fred Hersch/Norma Winstone. How about that for a "crack songwriting team"? Heck, our good friend Marlon Saunders even shows up on background vocals. This proves to be a winning strategy and it's all good for Janis Siegel, it's good for Jazz and it's certainly good for Telarc Records. In that respect it's kinda like Herbie Hancock's "Possibilities" as well. Yet with all of that being said… Jazz Vocalists: Hear and Now (Vocal Jazz) From a musical perspective, this compilation CD is quite simply a "no brainier" if you like jazz vocals because it features some of the greatest jazz vocalists from the past 50 years. Here is a list of the artists appearing on this CD: Poncho Sanchez, Ray Charles, Shirley Horn, Michael Bublé, Freddy Cole, Diana Krall, Luciana Souza, Cassandra Wilson, Lizz Wright, Cry Me A River, In The Winelight, Jackie Allen, Jamie Cullum, Kitty Margollis, Mary Stallings, Al Jarreau, Karrin Allyson, Joni Mitchell, Madeleine Peyroux, Norah Jones, Dianne Reeves, Jane Monheit, Nnenna Freelon, Vanessa Rubin / Etta James, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ernie Andrews, Abbey Lincoln, Patricia Barber, Peter Cincotti, Tierney Sutton, Kevin Mahogany Big Band, Carmen Lundy, Carla Cook, Andy Bey, René Marie, Nancy Wilson, Jimmy Scott. Culturally it reaches even higher ground, with the profits from CD sales going to the Jazz Alliance International's education and advocacy programs. So you don't even have to think twice about buying, just feel safe in going ahead and doing so. Take it home and wait till you have some chores to do around the house before playing it for the first time, so that you can sing along with the music and make your work go that much smoother. Eric Person - "Reflections" (Jazz) This album is a collection (which includes 3 previously un-released live tracks) of Eric Person material from 1993 - 200. One of Downbeat Magazine's choices for top ten on Soprano Sax, Eric Person has had over 20 years of international jazz experience playing with entities such as World Saxophone Quartet, John Hicks Big Band, Chico Hamilton, Ronald Shannon Jackson's Decoding Society, Kelvynator, Sources, Dave Holland, Vernon Reid and others. This CD is no joke as Eric Person demonstrates why he is regarded as one of the best in the world. I found this CD to be very relaxing and thought provoking and a perfect "drive time" album! Gary Davis Band - "Playing My Dues" (Jazz-Funk-Soul) Nice saxophone driven jazz funk from the Gary Davis Band. This is BBQ/Fish fry type of music, just in time for summer's arrival into my CD player. Check out the songs 'On the Grover Side of Town', 'Keep on Steppin' and 'Rock Steady' (a remake of the Aretha Franklin classic) to get yo' funk on... Vernon Reid and Masque's "Other True Self" (Jazz-Funk-Progressive Rock) A few years ago while reviewing Vernon Reid & Masque's first CD called "Known Unknown" I said that they reminded me a bit of Chick Corea/Return To Forever in their basic sound. Well guess what? They still do, however they have expanded a bit to include more "progressive rock" influences, just as Chick Corea/Return To Forever did back in the 1970's. It even includes a few cover songs: The Tony Williams Lifetime's "Wild Life," Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence" and Radiohead's "National Anthem." The album Other True Self is industrial strength jazz/funk/rock and it's not for the meek. Did you like Return to Forever and or Weather Report back in the 1970's? Then treat yourself to a copy of this CD. Are you too young to have been a fan back then? Then check it out to find out what all of the fuss was all about. grosskopf File Under: G (Jazz-Funk) In short sax-player Andreas Grosskopf might as well be the year 2006 version of Klaus Dollinger of Passport (and if you don't know who Klaus Dolinger is, just imagine an electric sax player who is a cross between Maceo Parker and Eddie Harris). That is how badd he is and that's how badd the album "File Under G" is. A few years ago he released an album of powerhouse Jazz-Funk which we reviewed called "Type: G". This time out for "File Under G" the results are similar, however Grosskopf up's the anty by also featuring the beautiful vocals of Charlotte Karlstedt on several cuts. It all works perfectly with the vocal cuts that remind me of the early 70's Flora Purim Return To Forever and the instrumental cuts reminding me of like....well....Passport? Bob Davis: earthjuice@prodigy.net  ** MFA Kera/Mike Russell - Afro Soul (Black Heritage)(Afro-Funk) This is the type of CD that all of the "psuedo hip white folks" @ places like the Village Voice who are constantly writing about all of this music they like that originates from the "motherland" would like if they ever heard it. MFA Kera/Mike Russell is a funk band from Africa, now residing in Berlin Germany that has a true sense of what 1970's American funk music was all about. And I'm not just talking about the James Brown inspired grooves, I mean from a political/cultural sense as well. The title of the album Afro Soul (Black Heritage) is no joke and tells you what you need to know about the world perspective and view of the artist. In MFA Kera's biography it says: "In the meantime she formed the "Black Heritage Orchestra" working with US Jazzman Mike Russell, telling the story of black music in music (from Ethnic-African music through Blues, Afro-beat, Salsa, Gospel, Reggae, Jazz, Funk and Rap)." There are no apologies to political correctness here. My favorite song on this CD is the song "soulfood". Check out MFA Kera/Mike Russell online at their website http://www.black-heritage.de (Even their url is no joke) At the site you can listen to the music from Afro Soul (Black Heritage) and you can also view video clips of the group live. See how educated I have become? I had never heard of this group until they signed up for the Soul-Patrol Times a few months ago. Since that time not only have I become hip to the music of MFA Kera/Mike Russell, but MFA Kera herself has helped me to expand my own "world view" by writing some very heavy commentaries on today's music scene (a few of which I have re-published on Soul-Patrol) **Spirit of Life Ensemble: A Little Oasis (Straight No Chaser Jazz) Formed in 1975, Spirit of Life Ensemble (SOLE) is under the leadership of multi-percussionist Daoud-David Williams. I happened to spend an afternoon recently with Mr. Williams during a North Jersey recording session and during the course of the afternoon he gave me a copy of the latest CD from the Spirit of Life Ensemble entitled "A Little Oasis". This is a really nice Jazz CD. I listened to it with my headphones on and just like the title implies, the album provides you with an "audio oasis". It's a very relaxing CD, the type of thing that you want rolling thru your head, while you are reading a book or working at a computer. The music itself is straight ahead with a tinge of Latin. A few of the standout cuts on the album are "It's Raining", a funky little joint called "Baila Plena (Plena Funk)" and the Miles Davis flavored "Baku & Bismarck". The Spirit of Life Ensamble was established in 1975 and is a is a multi-cultural collective of some of the world's greatest jazz musicians, many of whom have performed with the likes of The Ellington Orchestra, The Basie Orchestra, The Hampton Orchestra, Clark Terry, Dizzy Gillespie, Kenny Barron, John Hicks, Nancy Wilson, Ahmad Jamal, Charles Mingus, Horace Silver, Buddy Rich, and many others. Well worth checking out if you are looking for some nice (non smooth) Jazz.
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