From: Bob Davis (earthjuice_at_prodigy.net)
Date: 2003-07-14 14:46:53
This is a short review of an all too short live appearence by Soul-Patrol's own Shelley
Nichole's blaKbüshe in Philly at Maggie's Pub.
http://www.blakbushe.com
Once again, my apologies to Rickey Vincent for the format of this review..
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THE MUSIC
-------------------------
Here is the set list from the show as best I can recall...
* Long Train Running (Cover version of the Doobie Brothers FUNK classic)
* No Lye
* Spiritual Revolution
* America's Secret
* Long Train Running (This time a a STANK Blues rendition of the Doobie Brothers Classic)
Shelley's vocals were in fine form on this evening and the band brought home enough FUNK to
even make the "yuppies" tap their toes for a little bit :)
Jerome Jordan on guitar was outstanding when he did a bottleneck slide solo during the
closing song....
The show starts at about 10:15 pm and ran for about 45 min.
We also got to meet another group from Philly called Natural Selection, who started off with
some serious Jazz-Funk, featuring a STANK NASTY singer on Cello and vocals.
I wasn't able to stay for much of Natural Selection's performance, however I did get their CD
and I'll be reviewing it later.
Here is what Soul-Patroller, brotha "T-Mad" (who got there late, so we missed each
other....lol) wrote in to me about Natural Selection's performance:
"It took too long for me to find parking so I missed most of blakBushe's performance. I did
get to enjoy Natural Selection's performance though - they were smoking. The back in the day
disco medley was funny and the cellist was funky - you can tell she loves playing the
cello....:"
Natural Selection doesn't have a website just yet, but when they get one we will tell you
about it...
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THE PEOPLE
-------------------------
Maggie's Pub is a small but funky little joint located on Sampson Street between 12th and
13th right where Center City Philadelphia meets Rittenhouse Square.
This is a "yuppie zone" that I usually refer to as "Philly's Silk Stocking District".
Nice crowd of well behaved and cordial yuppies for the most part, with the exception of what
I have refered to in the past as...
"AFROS, CORNROWS & JUST PLAIN OL' NAPPY HEADS.....
or
SOME OF YOUR YOUNGER BROTHAS & SISTAS TURNED OUT JUST FINE"
There are about 50 people in the joint!
-------------------------
THE ONE
-------------------------
This was a good example of artists on the independent tip who are making it work on the real
side.
Obviously I am slitly biased in my view of this having worked with Shelley Nichole on various
projects in the past, but it's always good to see some real unity among folks.
Some of the folks in the crowd...
"AFROS, CORNROWS & JUST PLAIN OL' NAPPY HEADS.....
or
SOME OF YOUR YOUNGER BROTHAS & SISTAS TURNED OUT JUST FINE"
Are people that I know are working very hard to preserve the integrity of both their music
and their commitment to the extention of our culture and they put on a display of such that
has little to do with music, but has everything to do with the future.
It's a well oiled, organized and efficient cadre of artists, promoters, hairdressers,
salespeople and fans that all come together to try and create a music/cultural scene that is
un-corrupted by the music industry.
They worked the crowd before, during and after the show, gathering up email addresses,
selling CD's and exchanging information with a crowd that on the surface they would seem to
have little in common with.
quoting myself (once again)...
-------------------------
I just wanted to let all of you "OL' FUNKATEERS" out there know that...
SOME OF YOUR YOUNGER BROTHAS & SISTAS TURNED OUT JUST FINE....
"Some of them actually paid attention to the messages and the music of the
1970's and REJECTED much of what the world was serving up to them during the
1980's and 1990's
These folks have not only caught that "universal groove" called "FUNK", but
they have adopted it as a lifestyle that goes FAR BEYOND MUSIC.
They have incorporated that "universal groove" into a lifestyle where "jazz,
blues, rock, soul, gospel and hip hop" all coexist/blend with each other in
"perfect harmony"
-------------------------
Of special note isn the fact that apparently Natural Selection provided much support and love
for Shelley Nichole's blaKbüshe during their weekend in Philly, including a special
performance at the home of one of their members and more.
Of course props were given onstage...
When I see things like this happening at a grass roots level it makes me smile.
UNITY is a rare and fragile thing.
When I see people working together in a pro-active manner to actually foster it, then it also
becomes something that I want to help foster.
Another example of this on display was the pleasent surprise of seeing Achuziam Maha as one
of Shelley Nicole's backround singers.
Of course some of you will recall Achuziam Maha as being the lead singer of a group called
"Every And AnyThing",
www.everyanything.com
whose concert appearence we reviewed in the Soul-Patrol Newsletter, last year:
http://www.soul-patrol.com/newsletter/news1
It's important that we do so.
We are beginning to emerge from a peroid of negativity in music that has manifested itself in
the larger society.
Emerging artists like Shelley Nichole's blaKbüshe and Natural Selection (and there are many
others, below the radar of KNEE-GRO radio) are in fact the people who hold the key to the
extention of OUR music and culture into the future.
Go out and support these artists when they appear in your city.
People ask me all of the time...
"WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO FUNK"?
Well the answer to that question is often found in small big city nightclubs in under
publicized appearences by...
"AFROS, CORNROWS & JUST PLAIN OL' NAPPY HEADS.....
or
SOME OF YOUR YOUNGER BROTHAS & SISTAS TURNED OUT JUST FINE"
_________
Bob Davis
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