Raymond vs Raymond

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He’s probably one of the greatest male superstars to come out of the turn-of-the-century tradition of tween urban R&B and crossover pop. Usher Raymond used his cool swagger, lightning sharp choreography, strong ballads and dance tunes (with the help of A-list producers) to capture the hearts of millions. He made a name for himself with […]

Synthesis (2010)

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Incredible amounts of advance buzz as well as appearances on several major television shows greeted the major label debut of singer/songwriter Raul Midon in 2005.  His concerts were well known by that time and led Blue Note Records, still flush from its success with Norah Jones, to sign Midon and to pair him with legendary […]

The Day Is Too Short To Be Selfish

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You may not be familiar with the names Fabrizio "Doc Bix" Poli, Antonio "Lurpak" Fern, Salvo Pignanelli, Adriano Pancaldi, Mirco Zagnoli and Pino De Fazio, but together they make up the band Live Tropical Fish.  Back in 1991, a young Fabrizio Poli met Antonio Ferne in university, and together they founded Live Tropical Fish. Their […]

Beautiful (2010)

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She burst onto the R&B scene with “Emotional Rollercoaster” in 2002, and ever since then, Ms. Vivian Green has distinguished herself from the other R&B sirens (including her former employer, Jill Scott) by fashioning herself into a sweet, stirring voice for the woeful, weary and broken-hearted. With the tempering of time, as well as the […]

The Crescendo

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I recently interviewed a musician who told me that his band planned to release an EP because the group wanted to get new music into the hands of fans quick. If they didn’t have enough songs ready for a full album, so be it. Better to get folks mouths watering. If a group that has […]

Players

Wide Hive Records, founded by musician/songwriter Gregory Howe, was originally conceived to introduce the diverse talents from the San Francisco Bay region.  The label’s roster covers material mostly heard outside the mainstream; from hip-hop rock (JBK); to progressive jazz (guitarist Calvin Keys) and the eclectic funk of Howe’s band dissent.  Wide Hive Players, a collective […]

The Gospel According To Jazz: Chapter III

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On the third installment of smooth jazz saxophonist Kirk Whalum’s The Gospel According To Jazz series, it’s strictly a family affair, but one that includes – not excludes – listeners. Kirk, Kyle, Kevin, Kenneth and Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum are certainly all present on a recording dedicated to the memory of Kirk Whalum’s father, the Rev. […]

Walk Alone

The Candyland album cover of PJ Morton’s Walk Alone belies the heft and wealth of what lies beneath its cheerful veneer. If PJ Morton’s classic debut, Emotions, was about the joys of falling in love then Walk Alone is about surviving that relationship’s heartbreak. However, far from a pervading, moody blues, PJ Morton’s lyricism on […]

I Learned the Hard Way (Advance Review)

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The burlesque strippers in Stephen Sondheim’s Gypsy famously stated that "you gotta have a gimmick, if you wanna get ahead." From their slow burn 2000 debut Dap-Dippin’ With…to their forthcoming I Learned The Hard Way, with their Back To The Future soul sounds Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings seem determined to prove Sondheim’s bumping […]

Still Standing

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Monica’s been undergoing personal and professional growing pains lately. Just a few weeks ago,  she ended her years-long engagement with the father of her sons, Rocko, and the less-than-expected sales of her 2007 CD, The Makings of Me, left many feeling that she was on her way down, if not out. So entitling her fifth studio […]

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