THE SOUL
PATROL EAST COAST CONVENTION IS
COMING
Table of Contents
1. Soul-Patroller Billy
Paul Kicks Gamble and Huff's Butt In Court
2. Will
Wheaton/Urban Contemprary Radio
3. Concert
Review: The Kings of R&B (Butler, Chandler, King,
Price) In Atlantic City 4/25
4. CD Review -
Surrender To Love: Kindred-The Family Soul
5. CD
Review: 97th and Columbus: Doc Powell
6.
Tears For A Legend: Nina Simone, The High Priestess of
Soul
A brief introduction to those of
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TO THE FUTURE'
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Reviews, Concert Reviews, Commentary, Online Events,
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2002 Soul-Patrol East Coast
Convention
July 19 2003, Burlington, NJ
SPECIAL GUESTS: Billy Paul, Bernie Worrell
(P-Funk, Talking Heads and W00 Warriors), Pookie Hudson
(Spaniels), Soul Generation (featuring Cliff Perkins),
Vince Montana (Salsoul Orchestra), Ray Davis
(P-Funk, Temptations and
Original P), Sonny Boy,
Ray, Goodman & Brown, Sarah Dash and T.M. Stevens
(so far) Click here and find out how YOU can hang out
with us at Soul-Patrol's...
FUNCTION AT THE
JUNCTION!!!!
Click here and find out how
YOU can hang out with us at
Soul-Patrol's...FUNCTION AT THE
JUNCTION!!!!
Last year Soul-Patrollers from 8 different
states converged in Burlington NJ to not only meet and
greet some of the top artists from the world of soul
music, but also to have a FUNKY good time, with each
other.
At the same time we were able to raise a
substantial amount of money for the Open Up Your Heart
Foundation, which was founded by our very own
Mighty, Mighty Dells, to provide
support for the 'forgotten
victims' of the 9/11terrorist attacks on
the United States.
Go to the link
and check out what we did last year (in audio, text and
pictures), order tickets, find out more about the
foundation and more.
This year we will have bus
transportation from NYC, Washington/Baltimore and
Cleveland. If you live in one of these areas, go to the
page to contact your local Soul-Patrol Chapter
Coordinator for more information. Can't make it to
the Soul-Patrol East Coast Convention? Buy a ticket
anyhow and your purchase goes to the Open Up Your Heart
Foundation.
Click here and find out how YOU can hang out
with us at Soul-Patrol's...
FUNCTION AT THE
JUNCTION!!!!
If you
dig the Soul-Patrol Newsletter, feel free to pass it
along to a friend who also has good taste in music and
tell them to subscribe too!
--Bob
Davis
earthjuice@prodigy.net
1.
Soul-Patroller Billy Paul Kicks Gamble and Huff's Butt
In Court
 Folks, I
have got some TREMENDOUS NEWS for you!
Go
Here...
Billy
Paul Kicks Gamble and Huff's Butt In Court
That's right. The federal court said that Gamble
and Huff must pay
Billy Paul $500,000 owed to
him!
As I have told you all many
times...
ALL CULTURE BANDITS ARE NOT
WHITE
So there you have it...
Billy
Paul Kicks Gamble and Huff's Butt In Court
And when you get thru reading it, please do
us all a favor and pass this one along to ALL ARTISTS
that you know! And be sure to tell em that it
is indeed possible for the "good guys to win one every
once and a while"...(And for the "media barons" to
LOSE!!!!!!!!!!!!)
And then...
Why not drop on
by Billy Paul's official website at:
PHILLY
SOUL MUSIC LEGEND BILLY PAUL'S OFFICIAL WEBSITE
And drop him a quick email of
congratulations...
Billy's been down with Soul-Patrol
for a LONG TIME now and in my opinion, this couldn't
have happened to a nicer person…
--Bob
Davis
2. Will
Wheaton/Urban Contemprary
Radio
 Those
of you in Los Angeles have the rare
opportunity to
check out Soul-Patrol's resident
LOVE MAN Will
Wheaton on May 30th & 31st at Stevie's Creole
Café, located on 16911 Ventura Blvd. In Encino, Ca. 818
528 3500 R.S.V.P.
NOTE: Stevie's
Creole Café is a 100% BLACK
OWNED ESTABLISHMENT,
with excellent food and service. I have been there
before, met the owner and I think that it's a GREAT
establishment for music, food and entertainment. If you
go there, please tell Stevie I said hello!
So
just who is Will
Wheaton anyhow?
I'd be willing to bet that many
of you here are not familiar with his music or his
career, nor do you care.Because that is the case, I am
going to tell you exactly why you should care about the
music of Will Wheaton…
Let's take a look at the
"Adult Urban Contemporary" format for a moment.
This
is the radio format that is out there that is supposed
to appeal to a person
such as myself. Let's examine
the stats:
* I am 46 years old Black male.
* I
live in New Jersey, the state with the highest
population density (and therefore the most "urban" of
the 50 states).
* Till recently, I also worked in NYC
(the most "urban" of all cities).
* Although I like
pre 1980's music, I am also the type who is willing to
"experiment" with newer music.
* I have lived thru
both the Civil Rights and Hip Hop eras.
* I spend
quite a bit of my disposable income on "conspicuous
consumption"
items.
In short, I suppose that
I fit the profile of what some folks used to call a
"buppie".
(and I suppose that many other folks
here on Soul-Patrol do as well)
Yet (as most
of you know), I can't stand listening to more than a few
minutes of any "Adult Urban Contemporary" radio
station. That's
because the music that they play
SUCKS and is an insult to my
intelligence.
So that means that there is
one less "buppie" available to these kind of
stations in the radio markets that I live in. Obviously
the management of those stations isn't too concerned
about the fact that I am not listening.
* They
don't change their play lists
* They don't strive to
become the kind of radio station that I might develop
some loyalty for
* In short they don't care if I put
a tape in and listen to it instead of the
radio.
They are just fine with that because they
realize that most of their target demographic is simply
UNWILLING to ever change the dial on the radio or to put
in a tape instead. And that is really a shame.
Because the only real difference between me and most of
the other "buppies" across the United States is
that I am exposed to and listen to a great deal more
"Urban Contemporary Music" then most of them
do.
And I'm here to tell you all, that Mr.
Will Wheaton CD, CONSENTING ADULTZ is one of the best
of the current lot. His music is one of the tapes that
I consistently find myself reaching for during my daily
commute to work.His style is something of a "throwback"
to someone like Teddy Pendegrass. However it
isn't "retro" in the least.
* His music
is all about RAW SEX APPEAL.
* He is direct
* He
is straight to the point
* He is in command
*
Somehow he manages to do all of this without being
vulgar or profane.
* It has just a hint of jazz
*
It has just a hint of funk
* It has a singer with a
voice that is certain to lead to "spontaneous
combustion" in the bedroom
In short, it
would be perfect modern day "Quiet Storm" material, if a
radio programmer were to be bold enough to put Will
Wheaton into the rotation.
Unfortunately, Will
Wheaton can't afford to pay the going rates for payola
that
these stations want to charge him so that you
can become exposed to his music. That's the bad
news...
The good news is that you can actually
listen to the music of Will
Wheaton,
at the following link... www.willwheaton.com .Once
you arrive there, you can take a listen to most of the
CD: CONSENTING ADULTZ
I endorse the music of Will
Wheaton.
Know why?
Cuz I like it, and I'll bet
that more than a few of you out there would like it
also if you were willing to give the music a
chance!
And now that you have visited Will
Wheaton's site, checked out some of
his music and more…GO AND SEE HIM
LIVE!!!!!!!!
Will
Wheaton represents the future of Urban Contemporary
Radio!!!
Check out Soul-Patrol's
resident LOVE MAN Will
Wheaton on May 30th & 31st at
Stevie's Creole Café, located on 16911 Ventura Blvd. In
Encino, Ca., 818 528 3500 R.S.V.P.
And
if you do go, email me back a concert review to let me
know what
you thought of the show. --Bob Davis
3.
Concert Review: 4 Kings Of R&B, Atlantic City NJ
4/25/2003
 Ok...
Where in the
hell do I begin with this one?
I'm not quite sure but
here I go :)
Who are the 4 Kings of
R&B?
They are...
Longtime Soul-Patrollers Gene
Chandler, Jerry
Butler and Rock n'
Roll Hall of
Famers Lloyd Price & Ben E. King.
Here is the
set list as best I can remember:
OPENING - AL
JOHNSON'S BIG BAND
* Killer Joe, * Boogie
Wonderland
(This band was about as FUNKY AS A
MOSQUITER'S TWEETER)
LLOYD PRICE:
* Stagger
Lee, * Personality, * My First My Last My
Everything
JERRY BUTLER:
* He Don't Love You,
* Never Gonna Give You Up
BEN E. KING:
*There
Goes My Baby, * Spanish Harlem, * How Sweet It Is (to be
loved by you)
GENE CHANDLER:
* Duke of Earl, *
Groovy Situation, * God Bless our Love
SHANE
(background singer who should be singing up front):
*
Wind Beneath My Wings, *Heard It Thru The Grapevine
(done Gladys Knight style w/Price,
Butler, King and
Chandler singing background as the
"PIPS")
Then...
JERRY BUTLER:
* Moon
River, * Your Precious Love
LLOYD PRICE:
*
Misty, * Lady Miss Clawdy
BEN E. KING:
* Stand
By Me
And then....
THE ABSOLUTE SHOW
STOPPER....
GENE CHANDLER:
* I Only Have Eyes
For You
MEDLEY WITH ALTERNATING
LEADS...
* Wonderful World, * Sitting On The Dock of the Bay, *
Pride and Joy, * Can't Turn You
Loose
Then...
JERRY BUTLER:
* Only The
Strong Survive
GENE CHANDLER:
*
Rainbow
(Which was nearly as good as "I Only Have
Eyes For You")
At this point I stopped writing,
but I do know that the show ended with everybody on
stage singing....
I WANNA TAKE YOU
HIGHER
(boom shakka lakka lakka, boom shakka lakka
lakka, boom shakka lakka lakka, boom shakka lakka lakka,
boom shakka lakka lakka, boom shakka lakka lakka, boom
shakka lakka lakka, boom shakka lakka lakka, boom shakka
lakka lakka, boom shakka lakka lakka, boom shakka lakka
lakka)
From a musical perspective, there
wasn't much more that I could have asked for in this
show.
(except for Ben E. King to have done
"SUPERNATURAL THING and Gene Chandler
to have
done "YOU THREW A LUCKY PUNCH")
I am
probably a bit biased, but our good friend MR. GENE
CHANDLER IS THE STAR OF THIS SHOW!!!!!!
'The
Duke' looked like an Olympic athlete as he danced,
leaped and sang his way across the
stage all night
long. He dropped to his knees, bumped & grinded to
the audience and generally won the crowd over with his
infectious humor and manner. Of course he did the
classic "Duke of Earl" (top hat, cane and cape) routine
that comes from another
era of Black entertainment.
I had never seen
it before live and as good as he was I found myself
sitting there and wondering what Gene Chandler must have
been like on stage 35 years ago?
Separately each
one of these men is a superstar of Classic
Soul.
Together in this show they quite literally
represent the very definition
of the genre.
This show is filled with a LOT of
love, respect and class!
QUITE SIMPLY THIS IS A
KILLER SHOW THAT WILL TAKE YOU BACK TO ANOTHER TIME
AND PLACE. DO NOT MISS THIS SHOW IF IT COMES TO YOUR
AREA.
Backstage after the show I spoke with all
four men at length.
* Of course I have known Jerry
Butler and Gene Chandler for many years and they are
members of Soul-Patrol.
*
I have met Lloyd Price several times.
* I met Ben E.
King for the first time last night.
I was indeed
in the presence of FOUR LEGENDS of OUR music!
None of
that mattered; it felt like I was right at home last
night :)
--Bob Davis
4.CD
Review - Surrender To Love: Kindred-The Family
Soul
I
WILL say that all pre-conceived notions about artists
described, as neo-soul
should be tossed aside in the case of Kindred-The
Family Soul. This is a real R&B record with real
vocalists and real musicians. This project harks back to
a better time for R&B, with only the subject matter
updated for current times.
Considering
the glut of garbage littering the airwaves and record
racks, "Surrender
To Love" is a lyrical masterpiece. Aside from the
King Britt remix of 'Rhythm of Life' there are no true
'dance tracks'. This is 'head music' lyrics and music
that invoke thought. Depending on life's circumstances,
some tracks may bring a tear to the eye or a simple
smile...but most will make you grab the hand of that
special person in your life in a "we've been there"
clasp.
The inevitable question is "Who do they
sound like?" I won't go there...Kindred-The
Family Soul is unique. I will say this: Kindred will
take you back to your 8-track days
of...
RoyAyersUbiquity/Sun/BillSummers&Summer'sHeat/Rufus/RolandBautistawithE,W,&F/
LennyWhite&Twennynine
--Wicked
1
5. CD Review: 97th and Columbus:
Doc Powell
 This is
really a nice CD. It's got kinda of a 'Saturday
night, bid whist playing groove' to it! It's
also got some pretty heavyweight musicians who accompany
New York native Doc Powell. (Harvey Mason, Marcus
Miller, Luther Vandross, Ron Brown, Patrice Rushen,
Benny Maupin and others).
The
title of this CD is a reference to the legendary NYC
nightclub
called Mikels, which was located on '97th
and Columbus'.
This CD also includes some very
tasty cover versions of classic funk songs like George
Benson's 'Breezin', Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going
On'
and Ramsey Lewis/EWF's 'Sun Goddess'.
I think
it's important for Contemporary Jazz
artists to include a few covers of FUNK songs on
their CD's. When they do that it's almost like a hidden
message to someone like myself that screams
out..
'I UNDERSTAND THE HISTORICAL
CONNECTIONS AND DISCONNECTIONS OF BLACK MUSIC, PLEASE
TAKE A LISTEN TO MY ORIGINAL MATERIAL, I AM NOT A SMOOTH
JAZZ ARTIST..'
Well Doc Powell, I
listened to your original material, and I don't think
you are a 'smooth jazz
artist'. I think that
Soul-Patrollers would dig your music.
For
example, the song 'Let's Jam', which features Doc Powell
on guitar, Harvey Mason on drums, Benny Maupin (remember
him from Headhunters?) on on bass clarinet/soprano sax
and the living legend, Patrice Rushen on keyboards is a
'stone cold funky joint'!
Yet another standout
cut is the 4:00 'Upward Bound'.
Check out Doc
Powell's, '97th and Columbus'.
My guess is that you
will dig it…
Track Listing For: 97th and
Columbus: Doc Powell
1. The Flavour
2.
Breezin
3. 97th and Columbus
4. Two Hearts
5.
Sun Goddess
6. Thank You
7. Let's Jam
8. Ode To
Chet
9. Upward Bound
10. What's Going
On
Looking for a funky jazz CD, this one
might just be one to add to your list!
In the
meantime look for some cuts coming soon to
Soul-Patrol.Net Radio
www.soul-patrol.net
(I
told yall this was going to be a good year for
jazz....)
--Bob
Davis
6.Tears For A Legend: Nina Simone,
The High Priestess of
Soul
I
am deeply saddened by the passing of Nina
Simone. I heard of her transition just this evening and
was moved to tears. The first and only time, I recall,
ever shedding tears for a "celebrity", but Nina was like
family. My earliest musical memories, apart from the
nursery rhymes mama purchased me, were of Nina Simone.
In fact, Nina's music played a larger part of my
pre-school music appreciation than did the nursery
rhymes mama bought. Mama's music library was not
extensive, but she had her favorites, and Nina topped
her list.
I was raised on Nina live at Town Hall,
(one of the better recorded examples of her keyboard
skills), Nina at Newport, The Amazing Nina Simone, Nina
Simone's "Four Women", and Nina's "Forbidden Fruit", as
part of my daily pre-school ritual, especially on rainy
days and during those winter months when going to the
park was out of the question. It was because of them
(mama and Nina) that I have an appreciation for that
music and artistry.
It was said that Nina was a
difficult/eccentric personality. I've heard more than a
few stories about her sometimes-disagreeable
behavior, from either those who knew her or had
witnessed an occasion. But, she was a phenomenal talent
who used her gift in advocacy the struggle of Afrikan
people in America. Even when
the winds of social
justice and civil activism began to change, she remained
unflinching and unapologetic in her commitment to
the "cause".
I saw her perform live only once.
About ten years ago, mama and I saw her in concert at
the Beacon Theater in NY. The theater was packed, mama
cried, and Nina was magnificent. That night I finally
understood what she meant by
"Mississippi Goddam".
She sang it with an intense reminisce that could only
have been inspired 30 years before. I am grateful having
had that experience and am not eager to bear the news of
her passing on to my mama tonight.
It's ironic,
in my most recent trip to the Carolinas, I found two
used c.d.'s of some
of her earlier recordings,
predating the Colpix and RCA records. It was a
collection of
bluesy-er selections I was unaccustomed from Nina. I
debated which one to buy and wound up buying both. After
listening to them, repeatedly, over the ensuing weeks, I
was glad I did and am anxious to share them, as well as
others in my collection, (thanks in large part to mama,
who entrusted me her collection of vinyl) with my
listeners.
I won't be on air this
friday night but plan an extensive tribute to this soul
jazz blues sista upon my return Friday May 2nd. I just
wanted to say thank you Nina Simone, High Priestess of
Soul, job well done.
Kwabena Dinizulu
'For
Lovers Only' aka 'The FLO'
Friday Nights, Midnight -
3am
Community Radio
WMNF 88.5 FM simulcast atwww.wmnf.org
If you have a news item, update, review,
commentary, etc that you would like to submit
to the
Soul-Patrol Newsletter, please send them via email for
consideration to:
Hopefully you enjoyed this edition of the
Soul-Patrol Newsletter.
We will be back in about two
weeks with the next edition, with any email alerts for
local events, Soul-Patrol website updates/chat
sessions or breaking news in between, as
required.
If you have any comments, questions,
etc feel free to drop me an email and let me know what's
on your mind.
Bob Davis
earthjuice@prodigy.net
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The
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Music From The Ancient
To The Future. It's all about
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culture they
have
evolved from.
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