From: Bob Davis (earthjuice_at_prodigy.net)
Date: 2005-06-06 01:41:00
Well I've got some Jazz, some R&B/Soul, some Classic Soul DVD's & CD's this time out.
* Kashif - "Music From My Mind"
(Contemporary R&B/Jazz)
This CD was selected as one of the best releses for the year 2004 on Soul-Patrol, but I
haven't really reviewed it yet (till now). Kashief is of course a legendary figure from the
past. THis is a 2 CD set that falls into the category of what I call a "nice album". It isn't
going to overwhelm you with artistic brilliance, however what it is going to do is become the
type of CD that stays near the top of your stack. Yall know what I'm talking about....It is
the type of CD that you will find yourself reaching for at key moments. For example.....Having
a few people over to play cards??? (you will instictively rach for this CD) Going for a long
drive and you need some nice "crusin music"??....You will throw this CD in the car. Having a
backyard BBQ??? You will throw this in the CD changer. In short it's one of those types of
albums that we need to have in our collection because they become part of the fabric of our
lives. The music is timeless and personal, therefore it threads itself into what I call "life
situations" and that's why you will come back to it time and time again. Try it and find out
for yourself...
http://www.davisind.com/redirect/?d=newsletter_kashif
<a href=" http://www.davisind.com/redirect/?d=newsletter_kashif "> KASHIF'S OFFICIAL WEB SITE
</a>
* Jason Miles - "Miles To Miles"
(Jazz/Funk)
Well, Well Well.......This is a special to ALL of you "MF's" (Miles Fans) out there. PLEASE DO
NOT SLEEP ON THIS ALBUM. The legacy of Miles Davis is certainly an ongoing topic of interest
here on Soul-Patrol. That's because Miles Davis is one of our "core artists". As such we know
that without the music of Miles Davis, that thing we commonly refer to as "jazz", simply
doesn't exist at all within the context that Soul-Patrol defines it. That's because Miles
Davis "The Prince of Darkness" means so much to us on a cultural/spiritual level. What Jason
Miles has done with the new CD "Miles To Miles", is to take the music of Miles Davis and not
reform or reshape it (that would be herasy), but to simply go back to the 1980's timeframe of
Miles Davis and extend it to 2005 Featuring an all star linup including: Gerald Albright, Marc
Antoine, Bob Berg, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Maria de Barros, Karls Denson, Tom Harrell,
Karsh Kale, DJ Logic, Keiko Matsui, Me'Shell Ndegeocello, Nicholas Payton, David Sanchez and
more. If you are a fan of Miles Davis in the 1980's period, this album is essential to own if
you are a Miles Davis fan. And if you aren't a Miles Davis fan, this would be a good one to
pick up on to find out just what all of the fuss is about...
Anthony David - "3 Chords and the Truth"
(Soul/Neo Soul/Jazz/Socialy Aware)
The CD "3 Chords and the Truth" came out in 2004 and I have to admit that I slept on it.
Therefore I am going to count this one as a 2005 release :) It's badd as hell. Anthony David
is an outstanding singer/songwriter that I would compare to a modern day version of Bill
Withers combined with Stevie Wonder, with some of the "life lessons" found in the CD's of our
own Mighty Sam McClain. This CD is all about the realities of life, love, looking back and
moving forward. Yet it's as fresh as a spring day. Remember how you felt the very first time
that you heard Music of My Mind or Talking Book by Stevie Wonder? That is how I felt the first
time I heard "3 Chords and the Truth" by Anthony David yesterday. Add to that a
polotical/social conciousness not heard since the release of "The Colored Section" by Donnie
and this CD is nothing short of an instant classic!
* Marcus Miller - "Silver Rain"
(Jazz/Funk)
Sometimes music can be just as much about education as it is about popular entertainment, That
is the case with this album. For example lets take the often used phrase called: MONSTER
FUNK.....Here we go again. and just to be sure that he places that term into it's proper
historical context on the album "Silver Rain", Marcus Miller gives us a cover version of Edgar
Winter's "Frankenstien". Then as if to put an exclamaition point on the notion, he gives us a
cover version of Jimi Hendrix's "Power of Soul". Funk is a diverse form of music and that is
just why it is so monsterous. Marcus Miller never wants us to forget that and for that he is
to be commended. However for me this was a hard album to absorb. It's very commercial and I
suspect intentionally so. It's aimed right at the world of "Smooth Jazz Radio", which is a
concept I have always had some difficulty with. I suspect that this CD will be quite popular
with listeners of "Smooth Jazz Radio". However I think that given the concept and the
selection of songs, Marcus Miller could have done a better job (and has done so in the past).
But I won't complain about it too much, because perhaps the real value of this album is indeed
in it's concept, not in it's content. If it does become popular on "Smooth Jazz Radio", it
will cause listeners to go back and explore the roots of the concept. Maybe it will cause
younger listeners to go back and explore the original music of artists like Jimi Hendrix,
Stevie Wonder, Bob Marley, Miles Davis and yes even Edgar Winter, upon which the over all
concept for "Silver Rain" seems to be based?
John Hickey Band - "Down With The Ship"
(Funk/Rock)
At the age of 26, Soul-Patroller John Hickey is an up-and-comer in the funk scene. He has
played and recorded with George Clinton, Bernie Worrell, and Bootsy Collins. I have had the
chance to see John perform live, both with his own band, with George Clinton and the P-Funk
All Stars and also as a member of Bernie Worrell's W00 Warriors. John is a standount FUNK
guitarist. Now John has a pretty nice debut CD called “Down with the Ship”. The CD features
guest apperences from "a few friends": the album boasts guest appearances by distinguished
musicians such as Bernie Worrell, Gregg Fitz (Quazar and Bootsy’s Rubber Band), T.M. Stevens
(James Brown, Shocka Zulu), Garry Sullivan, and Donna McPherson. It's pretty much an all
instrumental album that reminds me of the albums we used to listen to back in the 1970's in
dark rooms with lots of incence burning :) If you too used to spend a lot of time in rooms
like that (or if you still do) then you will dig this album. The strongest cut on the CD is
the Funkadelic inspired "Know Me Better". John Hickey is someone for Funkateers to keep their
eye on...
* Edwin Starr - "25 Miles From Home" (DVD)
(Classic Soul/Funk/Disco)
"25 Miles From Home" features two full-length performances showcasing the late Edwin Starr,
his band and his legendary hit songs. Included in this live set are: That's The Way I Like
It, War, I Heard It Through The Grapevine, Wonderful World, Please Don't Go, Na Na Hey Hey
Kiss Him Goodbye, Contact, Sweet Like Chocolate, Happy Radio, 25 Miles, Celebration, Shake
Your Body and Celebration. Edwin and his band "The Team" are seen in the DVD THROWING DOWN, on
all of his legendary hit songs along with some great cover versions (Check out: Shake Your
Body (Down To The Ground) of all-time soul classics. I watched it twice and the second time I
made my daughter sit there and watch it with me I love the DVD. After watching it, I had a new
found respect for Edwin Starr's band called "The team". Those suckas are as good as any
Soul/Funk band that I have ever seen and are seriously high energy in their approach. These
two great stage shows clearly demstrate that Edwin Starr was a superstar in Europe, even if he
is barely remembered here in the United States. I'm proud of the fact that Edwin Starr was a
longtime member of Soul-Patrol and watching this DVD brought a tear to my eye.
Shame on us for not taking care of our own. However it's not too late, you can pick up this
fantatstic DVD at the official website of Edwin Starr at:
http://www.edwinstarr.info
<a href=" http://www.edwinstarr.info "> Official website of Edwin Starr </a>
* Soul Comes Home - Various Artists (DVD)
(Classic Soul/Funk)
I just got thru watching the DVD of "Soul Comes Home". I realize that I don't normally review
DVD's here but I thought that I would mention this one, since we recommended the CD so highly.
Seems like it fell thru the cracks completely. It's a live "reunion concert" done in a style
that is a cross between the RRHOF induction ceremonies and a PBS
Classic Soul TV broadcast. Lots of staged high tech glitz/glamour with the event taking place
at what looks like a restored opulent movie house in Memphis. Each artist gets to perform one
song, backed up by a slammin band that has all of the Memphis catalog down pat. Each artist
then gets to introduce the next artist, so there really is no "host".
In my opinion people like Jimmy Vaughn, Michael McDonald, etc have no place being given such
prominent roles in
this movie. The appearance of Chuck D (fronting the Bar-Kay's on "Soulfinger") in this movie
is significant, because it hints at a potential cross demographic unity within Black music
that has never happened.
This DVD is badd, the "usual suspects" (Isaac Hayes, Steve Cropper, Al Green and others) are
there as would be expected. However the show is absolutely STOLEN by Rance Allen, Booker T.
Jones, Sir Mack Rice, and Mavis Staples, as these 4 luminaries took Memphis to FUNK SCHOOL
that night.
-Sir Mack Rice did a "twisted" version of Mustang Sally.
-Booker T. came out there and TORE UP the B3 Organ playing Green Onions. At the end of the
song, Steve Cropper & Duck Dunn took a bow together. Booker T stayed behind his organ and was
never seen again the rest of the night. I have always thought that it was curious that Booker
T. himself wasn't in the "Blues Brothers Movie". His apparent separation from Cropper/Dunn
reminded me of that fact once again. I hope that at some point I get a chance to have a
conversation with Mr. Booker T. Jones and ask him (in a nice way) about some of this.
-Mavis Staples led the group in singing the finale, but she did it in a most unusual manner.
The final song was "I'll Take You There", and all of the other artists who had performed
earlier were on stage together (except for Al Green who I didn't see) and lined up. Mavis
walked up the line and as she approached each artist, she "wailed" as only Mavis can
do..."WILL YOU TAKE ME THERE..." to which each artist shook her off in a manner as if to
say...."Mavis, I know you want me to grab the microphone and sing as loud as I can.....I'LL
TAKE YOU THERE....But seriously, don't you think I would look rather foolish if I even thought
for one second that I could dare to sing that line with YOU OF ALL PEOPLE standing right in
front of me". So one by one they waved her off. Only Michael McDonald was FOOLISH enough to
try to sing THE SIGNATURE SONG OF MAVIS STAPLES......(right in her own face). And of after he
tried to, she took the microphone back and made Michael McDonald sound like he was a little
girl....lol. But then when she came to RANCE ALLEN...Rance Allen grabbed that microphone and
shouted..."I'LL TAKE YOU THERE" and Rance Allen sounded like the "voice of God" (so Mavis left
it alone.....lol)
Anyhow, it was a very entertaining DVD. Highly recommended...
LISTEN TO SOUL-PATROL'S 90 MIN SPECIAL
SOUL COMES HOME:
http://www.soul-patrol.net/soulcomeshome.ram
<a href="http://www.soul-patrol.net/soulcomeshome.ram"> LISTEN TO SOUL COMES HOME: Eddie
Floyd, Jean Knight, William Bell, BookerT. & the MGs, Little Milton, Isaac Hayes, The
Bar-Kays w/Chuck D, Michael McDonald, Carla Thomas/Michael McDonald, Al Green Solomon Burke,
Sir Mack Rice, Rance Allen, Mavis Staples</a>
--------------------
Bob Davis
earthjuice_at_prodigy.net
--------------------
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