Bonnawho's Who

Bonnawho's Who - Stephen Marley

2008-06-10T16:39:00.000-07:00

Official Bio:

If you think you don't know the music of Stephen Marley, you do-you just don't realize it. A member of the celebrated Marley sibling group The Melody Makers since the age of seven, the Grammy winning producer, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist has also been the driving creative force behind the music of his brothers. Stephen's production, performance and writing credits recently earned him two Grammys-giving him a total of five: more than any other Marley family member or reggae artist in history.

Born in 1972, the second son of Bob Marley, Stephen was dancing and singing onstage during his father and The Wailers' live shows (alongside older siblings Ziggy and Cedella) by the time he was old enough to walk. As a young boy, he stayed at home-as Ziggy and Cedella entered school-where he would shadow his father, mimic his speech and quickly fall in love with such future reggae anthems as "Lively Up Yourself." At seven, he began learning guitar on a nylon-stringed acoustic.

In 1979, he made his official debut when he, Ziggy, Cedella and Sharon-collectively known as The Melody Makers-cut their first single, "Children Playing in the Streets," followed in 1985 by their debut LP, Play the Game Right. Over the next decade, the group would follow in their father's footsteps, racking up Grammy awards and bringing conscious songs and one-love rhythms to every corner of the globe.

With his highly anticipated debut album, not only does the sound and soul of Stephen Marley come into vivid focus, but the 34 year-old artist is now inevitably stepping to center stage for the first time in his 27 year career. Appropriately, Mind Control is all Stephen and a cornucopia of the sounds and styles that he loves: a blend of reggae, rock, R&B, nyabinghi rhythms, flamenco and hip-hop. It's an album with the grit and flavor to
rock old-school Kingston sound systems and slippery, waxed Miami Range Rovers alike.

Featuring cameos from roots-rock star Ben Harper, hip-hop hero Mos Def and younger brother Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley, it's a collection of songs that range from conscious critiques of society ("Mind Control") and politics ("Chase Dem"), to the sweet and open- hearted ("Hey Baby"), to the simple and fun (the sexy, club-rocking, Latin-tinged grinder "Let Her Dance," which features Maya Azucena & Illestr8).

"My joy and my pain, this is me," Marley says, humbly. "It's a page from my book: Every page tells a story, but at the same time is a continuation of the page before it or the page to come. This is just one page."

The album's breezy, horn-spiced title track casts a light on a modern day form of slavery, its words conscious, its groove monstrous: "That song is about subliminal slavery, hi-tech slavery, subliminal suppression," says Stephen. "It holds you down, it holds a man down from being wholesome." It's a call to arms for us to take back our lives, free our minds,
regain our spiritual souls and think for ourselves: "Don't let them mold your mind/They wanna control mankind/Seems like their only intention is to exploit the Earth."

Tapping into the disillusionment triggered by elected leaders in both the U.S. and Jamaican governments, the vintage, easy-skanking roots reggae of "Chase Dem" rips into the insincere, crooked politicians by shouting "run them away." If the balance of Mind Control sounds wholly created in the 21st Century, "Chase Dem" blasts out of the subwoofers like a long lost jewel from Bob himself. With that song, Stephen says, "It's like me post a bill saying, 'Just say no to politics.'"

The softer and sweeter side of Stephen is also on full display in the album. A smooth, smart slab of hip-hop featuring a dose of Brooklyn flow courtesy of Mos Def on the album's first single, "Hey Baby," is based on a song Stephen would sing to his children to keep them from being sad while he was on tour with The Melody Makers: "Hey baby/ don't you worry/ even though the road is rocky/ I'll be coming home to you again." The hypnotic "Lonely Avenue," is a sweet, harmony vocal- and organ-soaked take on the Ray Charles classic-done Marley style. "I'm a big fan of Ray," says Marley. "I couldn't tell you the first time I heard him, but I could tell ya what I remember is hearing him and feeling him in pain." Blending modern sounds with classic roots vibes, Mind Control finds Stephen carrying the Marley legacy even further into the future with such samples as the smart piece of the Martina Topley Bird song "Sandpaper Kisses" heard throughout
"You're Gonna Leave."

The album includes a trilogy of sorts ("Officer Jimmy Interlude," "The Traffic Jam," featuring Damian, and "Iron Bars," featuring brother Julian Marley, Mr. Cheeks & Spragga Benz) inspired by the few hours that Stephen and Julian spent in a Tallahassee jail in 2002 for marijuana possession: On "Iron Bars"-the song in which he sings "Let me out!/Let me out!/I'm an angry lion!"-Stephen asks himself, "What am I doing here, among the wolves? For some herb? It's like I'm a murderer. Ya know what I mean? Ya make me feel like I'm a murderer, for some herb, where, ya know, it's my culture."

The genre-meshing "Fed Up" is a flute-led lament of romantic missteps-"She said, 'How could you treat me this way?'/What we had was more than words could say"-while the album closing "Inna Di Red," featuring Ben Harper, is a thoughtful, shaker-dusted meditation on inner peace.

In addition to recording his debut album, Stephen has been hunkered down in the studio serving as the secret weapon behind both of Damian's past two Grammy winners as well as behind the Ghetto Youths International and Tuff Gong imprints. In addition to executive producing 1999's lauded, star-studded tribute to his father, Chant Down Babylon, his production skills can be heard on albums by Buju Banton, brothers Julian and Ziggy, Spearhead, Eve, Erykah Badu, Capleton and Mr. Cheeks. He's performed as a
vocalist, percussionist or guitarist on albums by all the above, as well as albums by Eric Clapton and others. Marley continues to work on new music for all of his brothers. If they felt it important to carry on their father's legacy, it's not something that Stephen-nor his brothers-think much about anymore. "That work has been done", he says. "We are the
legacy now."

Stephen also embarked on two U.S. concert tours this year, including the acclaimed "Bob Marley Roots, Rock Reggae Festival," where brothers Stephen and Ziggy Marley joined together for the first time ever with reggae pioneer Bunny Wailer.

Stephen has built and laid the foundations for a full-blown Marley family renaissance and with Mind Control, Stephen has achieved that: It's an album full of confidence and diversity in styles and emotion. "I don't want to be just another artist. I want to make a statement, and to continue this legacy, this musical legacy, with my family. Just like my brothers... I aspire to be a reckoning force, when you hear my name, you know quality comes with that: good music, good message, good vibe."

Live On Stage:

Stephen becomes the third Marley to play Bonnaroo, here he is paying tribute to his dad with No Woman, No Cry...

IMEEM Playlist:

Stephen Marley

Music Videos:

Here's Stephen with his brother Damian with Traffic Jam...

For more on Stephen Marley head on over to his official website.

Bonnawho's Who - Sigue Ros

2008-06-10T16:12:00.001-07:00

Official Bio:

13 years into their career, Iceland's Sigur Rós have become one of the world's biggest cult bands. While details of the musicians behind the music remain almost deliberately sketchy, what they have created over the course of four albums has become quietly ubiquitous; defying genres to find fans in almost every musical niche. They remain almost a byword for non-conformity and the artistic rewards to be had from obdurate anti-commercialism...only with great melodies.

The members of Sigur Rós are Jón Þór “Jónsi” Birgisson (vocals, guitar), Georg “Goggi” Hólm (bass), Kjartan “Kjarri” Sveinsson (keyboards/guitar) and Orri Páll Dýrason (drums). They have released four studio albums, including “Von,” “Ágætis Byrjun”, and “Takk…”; their third album, released in 2002, has no title. They released 'Heima", a film of their 2006 Icelandic tour last year, along with a companion compilation 'Hvarf/Heim'.

Live On Stage:

If you dig Radiohead and weird atmospheric rock then go check out Sigur Ros - their music just sort of makes sense for the late night slot they'll be playing. Here they are doing Hoppipolla on Later with Jules Holland...

IMEEM Playlist:

Sigur Ros

Music Videos:

Here's the Icelanders with Glosoli...

Few more to check out...

Untitled #1 (Vaka)

Saeglour

Viorar Vel Til Loftarasa

For more on Sigur Ros head on over to their official website.

Bonnawho's Who - Death Cab For Cutie

2008-06-10T15:58:00.001-07:00

Official Bio:

"Transatlanticism" is a made-up word. At least, Death Cab for Cutie singer-guitarist Ben Gibbard thought so when he penned the song of the same name. He's since stumbled across evidence indicating otherwise. Whether this particular conglomeration of vowels and consonants merits inclusion in the dictionary is an argument better left to etymologists than musicians. Suffice to say, when Ben coined it, "Transatlanticism" was meant to relate to distances so vast and daunting – "such as a body of water creates between people" – that they seem impossible to breach.

Negotiating spaces and distances – be they emotional, geographic, or chronologic – is a recurring theme throughout Transatlanticism, the fourth full-length (excluding 2002’s reissue/archival release You Can Play These Songs With Chords +10) from the celebrated Seattle rock quartet. And this theme is not just a lyrical conceit, but also characterizes the band’s entire creative process. Carefully mapping out, from a new perspective, what elements did – or did not – belong in each of the eleven tracks. Allowing more time to pass between studio sessions. And introducing a new player into the intra-band dynamic.

The first thing one notices about Transatlanticism is the distinctive character of each of its eleven songs, from the glacial guitars of the sweeping opener "The New Year" to the poppy bah-bah-bahs of "The Sound of Settling." Piano forms the basis of more than one moment during the melancholy midsection of the disc. Bizarre sound effects flutter down like the first snowfall behind the folky, fleetingly dissonant closer, "A Lack of Color." No two songs are alike ("there's nothing more boring than a record with twelve of the same song," opines Ben), some are dense and others spacious. Yet taken as a whole, they constitute DCfC's most thought-out album yet, as Ben's songwriting and guitarist/ keyboard player Chris Walla's nuanced production complement each other better than ever.

Unlike the selections preserved on their previous albums, DCfC has deliberately kept these new songs out of their concert repertoire until now. "Almost everything we've done in the past has been based on touring the material before we recorded it, so by the time it gets to the studio, how it's supposed to sound is cemented in our heads," says Ben. This time, there was no set template to follow, which opened things up considerably.

As in the past, Ben submitted stacks of demos – most composed during a period of exile in San Francisco last year – to his band mates for consideration. Only this time, the other members found themselves less smitten with the initial arrangements. Ultimately, that turned out to be very beneficial. "We ended up doing a lot more surgery," explains Chris. "Stripping songs all the way down to the melody and the lyric – knowing that those were totally right on – and then building up around that. For me, from a producer's perspective, that was great. And it was really good for Ben, too, to trust us to really tear it all apart and put it back together."

Oh it was, was it? Yes, insists Ben. "I loved it! As we've continued to grow as a band, we've been able to focus on our strong points more, and trust each other. On almost every song on this record, I was much more excited about hearing what Chris, Nick, and Jason, had in mind for the arrangements and production, mostly because I had been sitting on so many of the songs for so long."

"The greatest danger for any singer/songwriter is closing the circle in on themselves, to the point where they are rewriting their own songs," adds bassist Nick Harmer. "Which is not to say that Ben had hit some sort of creative dead end, but that by asking for, and allowing more input from all of us, we could all help each other to explore new territory and take a few more risks."
"All of us," in this case not only refers to Chris and Nick, but also new drummer Jason McGerr (who the guys knew from their school days in Bellingham, WA, where Nick and Jason were the rhythm section of Eureka Farm). "We've known him for so long, and had such respect for him before we started playing together, that it makes for a much more communicative environment," says Ben. "Not only amongst all four of us, but between Nick, Chris, and me as well."

In Chris' opinion, Jason – who "turned so many of these songs upside-down, in the best possible way" – has restored a sense of balance to the line-up that has been absent the last few years. "I feel like we're back to a place where we haven't been since [the second album] We Have The Facts, where we're four people, in a really insular little unit." (Indeed, the only guests on this album are Sean Nelson and John Roderick of The Long Winters, and Phil Wandscher of Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter, all of whom contributed vocals to the choir in the epic title track.)

Another crucial change was the leisurely pace at which the band made the album. Splitting studio time between the Hall of Justice in Seattle and Tiny Telephone in San Francisco, the album was fashioned over half a year, beginning in December of 2002. "We'd record for a week, then take a week or two off, and then we'd come back and do more," recounts Chris. "We figured out that Day Five or Six was our saturation point. If we took a week off after that, then came back and listened to things, we could go, 'Oh, we did a bunch of good work – now we can elaborate on it.' Instead of working and working, and getting to Day Eight, and going, 'I hate all of it!'"

The end result? "This record was about evolution," concludes Nick. He's right. It is also very different from its predecessor, which is fine. "The Photo Album is more to the point, both in the songs and the production," adds Ben. "While I am very proud of that record, I see it now as more of a transitional album. We needed to make it to realize the direction we're now heading in, which is sonically more experimental." With Transatlanticism, Death Cab for Cutie has made a great leap, and crossed over to the next phase of its musical career.

Live On Stage:

Here's Death Cab from the short lived John McEnore show with Title Registration...

IMEEM Playlist:

Death Cab For Cutie

Music Videos:

Here's DC4C with Soul Meets Body...

Few more to check out...

I Will Possess Your Heart

I Will Follow You Into The Dark

A Movie Script Ending

For more on Death Cab For Cutie head on over to their official website.

Bonnawho's Who - B.B. King

2008-06-10T15:47:00.000-07:00

Official Bio:

Throughout the 1990's as well as the 1980's, 1970's, 1960's and 1950's, there has been only one King of the Blues - Riley B. King, affectionately known as B.B. King. Since B.B. started recording in the late 1940's, he has released over 50 albums many of them considered blues classics, like 1965's definitive live blues album "Live At The Regal", and 1976's collaboration with Bobby "Blue" Bland, "Together For The First Time".

Over the years, B.B. has had two number one R & B hits, 1951's "Three O'Clock Blues", and 1952's "You Don't Know Me", and four number two R & B hits, 1953's "Please Love Me", and 1954's "You Upset Me Baby", 1960's "Sweet Sixteen, Part I", and 1966's "Don't Answer The Door, Part I". B.B.'s most popular crossover hit, 1970's "The Thrill Is Gone" went to #15 pop.

But B.B. King, as well as the entire blues genre, is not radio oriented. His classic songs such as "Payin' The Cost To Be The Boss", "Caldonia", " How Blue Can You Get", "Everyday I Have The Blues", and "Why I Sing The Blues", are concert (and fan) staples.

Riley B. King was born on September 16, 1925, on a cotton plantation in Itta Bene, Mississippi, just outside the Mississippi delta town of Indianola. He used to play on the corner of Church and Second Street for dimes and would sometimes play in as many as four towns on a Saturday night. With his guitar and $2.50, he hitchhiked north to Memphis, Tennessee, in 1947 to pursue his musical career. Memphis was the city where every important musician of the South gravitated and which supported a large, competitive musical community where virtually every black musical style was heard. B.B. stayed with his cousin Bukka White, one of the most renowned rural blues performers of his time, who schooled B.B. further in the art of the blues.

B.B.'s first big break came in 1948 when he performed on Sonny Boy Williamson's radio program on KWEM out of West Memphis. This led to steady performance engagements at the Sixteenth Avenue Grill in West Memphis and later to a ten minute spot on black staffed and managed radio station WDIA. "King's Spot", sponsored by Pepticon, a health tonic, became so popular that it was increased in length and became the "Sepia Swing Club". Soon, B.B. needed a catchy radio name. What started out as Beale Street Blues Boy was shortened to Blues Boy King, and eventually B.B. King. Incidentally, King's middle initial "B" is just that, it is not an abbreviation.

In the mid-1950's while B.B. was performing at a dance in Twist, Arkansas, a few fans became unruly. Two men got into a fight and knocked over a kerosene stove, setting fire to the hall. B.B. raced outdoors to safety with everyone else, but then realized that he left his $30 guitar inside, so he rushed back inside to retrieve it, narrowly escaping death. When he later found out that the fight had been over a woman named Lucille, he decided to give the name to his guitar. Each one of B.B.'s guitars since that time have been called Lucille.

Soon after his number one hit, "Three O'Clock Blues", B.B. began touring nationally, and he has never stopped, performing an average of 275 concerts a year. in 1956 B.B. and his band played an astonishing 342 one night stands. From the chitlin circuit with its small town cafes, ghetto theaters, country dance halls, and roadside joints to jazz clubs, rock palaces, symphony concert halls, college concerts, resort hotels and prestigious concert halls nationally and internationally, B.B. has become the most renowned blues musician of the past 40 years.

B.B.'s technique is nonetheless complex, featuring delicate filigrees of single string runs punctuated by loud chords, subtle vibratos, and "bent" notes. The technique of rock guitar playing is to a large degree derived from B.B.'s playing.

In the army, B.B. was introduced to the music of such guitarists as Charlie Christian and T-Bone Walker. "I heard an electric guitar that wasn't playing spiritual", recalls B.B. "It was T-Bone Walker doing "Stormy Monday", and that was the prettiest sound I think I ever heard in my life. That's what really started me to play the blues".

Over the years, B.B. has developed one of the world's most readily identified guitar styles. He borrowed from Lonnie Johnson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, T-Bone Walker and others, integrating his precise vocal like string bends and his left hand vibrato, both of which have become indispensable components of rock guitarist's vocabulary. His economy, his every note counts phrasing, has been a model for thousands of players including Eric Clapton, George Harrison and Jeff Beck.

B.B. has mixed traditional blues, jazz, swing, mainstream pop and jump into a unique sound. His singing is richly melodic, both vocally and in the "singing" that comes from his guitar. In B.B's words, "When I sing, I play in my mind; the minute I stop singing orally, I start to sing by playing Lucille".

"I'm trying to get people to see that we are our brother's keeper, I still work on it. Red, white, black, brown, yellow, rich, poor, we all have the blues".

"From my own experience, I would say to all people but maybe to young people especially black, white or whatever color, follow your own feelings and trust them; find out what you want to do and do it and then practice it every day of your life and keep becoming what you are despite any hardships and obstacles you meet".

"I'm me," B.B. told Time Magazine in 1969, "blues is what I do best. If Frank Sinatra can be the best in his field, Nat King Cole in his, Bach and Beethoven in theirs, why can't I be great, and known for it, in blues?"

Sidney A. Seidenberg, B.B.'s former manager, likens B.B. to Louis Armstrong and Frank Sinatra. "B.B.'s goals have always been to be like an American Ambassador of blues music to the world, like Louis Armstrong and Frank Sinatra are to the jazz world. B.B. is still the King of the Blues".

In 1967, B.B. performed at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival, a portion of which was later aired over PBS TV. in 1968, B.B. played at the Newport Folk Festival and at Bill Graham's Fillmore West on bills with the hottest contemporary rock artists of the day who idolized King and helped cross him over to a young white audience.

B.B. has influenced Eric Clapton, Mike Bloomfield, Albert Collins, Buddy Guy, Freddie King, Jimi Hendrix, Otis Rush, Johnny Winter, Albert King and many others while being influenced by Charles Brown, Lowell Fulsom, Elmore James, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Jimmy Rushing, T-Bone Walker, Bukka White and others.

In 1969, B.B. was chosen by the Rolling Stones to open 18 American concerts for them; Ike and Tina Turner also played on 18 shows. B.B. also made the first of his numerous appearances on Johnny Carson's "The Tonight Show". In 1970, B.B. premiered in Las Vegas at Caesar's Palace and at the Royal Box in the American Hotel in New York City as well as on the "Ed Sullivan Show".

In the early 1970's, B.B. toured Ghana, Lagos, Chad and Liberia under the auspices of the United States State Department. Besides playing the major jazz festivals around the world.

In 1989, King toured Australia, New Zealand, Japan, France, West Germany, Holland and Ireland for three months as a special guest of U2. King is featured in "When Love Comes To Town" on U2's album "Rattle and Hum". Starting in 1992, King has headlined the Blues Music Festival of American amphitheaters with three support acts.

On February 23, 1990 PBS started televising "All Day & All Night: Memories From Beale Street Musicians", which featured B.B. King and captured the lifestyles of musicians who performed on Beale Street (Memphis, TN) from the 1920's to the 1950's when being on Beale Street was like "living in paradise". King recalled on the half-hour special that Beale Street was "a place to learn, to make friends. It was a little world all of your own. There were always musicians who were willing to help you if you wanted to learn". And King and Rufus Thomas recalled Amateur Night at the Palace Theatre where "anyone who could carry a tune got a dollar for going on stage".

In 1990, King and Ray Charles co-headlined the Philip Morris Superband five continent world tour. The final concert was recorded and "Live At The Apollo" became King's first big band album. In 1991, King headlined the Philip Morris Superband International Tour again with Diane Reeves featured. And in 1991 King participated in the all-star Guitar Legends concert in Seville, Spain, where practically every guitar hero performed.

In 1990 King Received the Songwriter's Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 1991 the Orville H. Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award from Gibson Guitar Company. In 1989, King's imprint was added to the Amsterdam, Holland Walk of Fame and in 1991 to the Hollywood Walk of Fame (between Milton Berle and Vivian Leigh). In 1973, King received the B'nai Brith Humanitarian Award from the Music and Performance Lodge of New York.

In 1990, King received the prestigious Presidential Medal of the Arts in Washington, D.C. with President Bush presiding. In 1991, King received the National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment of the Arts. In 1995, King received the Kennedy Center Honors.

Over the years, B.B. has been bestowed eight Grammy Awards by his peers: Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance, Male in 1970 for "The Thrill Is Gone", Best Ethnic or Traditional recording in 1981 for "There Must Be A Better World Somewhere", and Best Traditional Blues Recording in 1983 for "Blues 'N Jazz" and in 1985 for "My Guitar Sings The Blues" from "Six Silver Strings". In 1970, King's "Indianola Mississippi Seeds" won for Best Album Cover, an art director's award. In 1989 King received two more nominations: Best Contemporary Blues Recording "King Of The Blues 1989", and Best Rock Performance by a duo or group with vocal for "When Love Comes To Town" with U2 from U2's "Rattle And Hum". In 1990 King received another Grammy for the album "Live At San Quentin" as Best Traditional Blues Recording. In 1991, King was bestowed Best Traditional Blues Recording for "Live At The Apollo" and in 1993 the same award for "Blues Summit". And in 1996, along with Eric Clapton, Jimmie Vaughn, Robert Cray, Bonnie Raitt, Buddy Guy, Dr. John and Art Neville, King received the Best Rock Instrumental Performance for "SRV Shuffle" from A Tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan.

B.B. King was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1984 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, where Sting of the Police made the induction speech. B.B. was the recipient of the 1986 National Association For Campus Activities Hall of Fame Award. B.B. was Blues Act of the Year in 1985, 1987, and 1988 Performance Award Polls. He is a founding member of the John F. Kennedy Performing Arts Center. B.B. King received the Grammy "Lifetime Achievement Award" in December of 1987 at the first televised awards in May 1990. He won the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Blues Foundation in 1997. B.B. Has received four honorary doctorates: Tougaloo (Mississippi) College (L.H.D.) in 1973; Yale University (D. Music) in 1977; Berklee College of Music (D. Music) in 1982; and Rhodes College of Memphis (D. Fine Arts) in 1990. In 1992 he received the National Award of Distinction from the University of Mississippi.

On May 3, 1991, "B.B. King's Blues Club" opened in Memphis, and also at the Universal City Walk in Los Angeles in 1994, and although King resides in Las Vegas, he plans to play at his clubs at least four times a year. A B.B. King Blues Club will open in New York's Times Square's E-Walk in early 2000.

In 1996, the CD ROM "On The Road With B.B. King: An Interactive Autobiography" was released to rave reviews including an "A-" in Entertainment Weekly. Also in 1996, B.B. King's autobiography "Blues All Around Me" (written with David Ritz) (Avon) was published and won second prize in the prestigious Eighth Annual Ralph J. Gleason Music Book Awards. The biography "The Arrival of B.B. King" by Charles Sawyer was published in 1980 by Doubleday.

In November 1997, MCA released B.B. King's album Deuces Wild with B.B. in tandem with 13 legendary artists. The lineup included Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Joe Cocker, Tracy Chapman, Mick Hucknall (Simply Red), Dr. John, Marty Stewart, D'Angelo, David Gilmore & Paul Carrick and Heavy D. Deuces Wild became B.B. King's second gold album.

In 1999, B.B. King released Let the Good Times Roll, his tribute to Louis Jordan. "Louis Jordan was a great musician," says King, "and in my opinion, was way ahead of his time. As people get to know him, they will realize what a great contribution he left to the music of today."

Live On Stage:

B.B. is a living legend - nuff said - go see him, who knows if you'll ever get another opportunity then this. Here's B.B. with The Thrill Is Gone...

IMEEM Playlist:

BB King

Music Videos:

Here's B.B. and Eric Clapton with Riding With The King...

For more on B.B. King head on over to his official website.

Bonnawho's Who - Yonder Mountain String Band

2008-06-09T18:30:00.000-07:00

Official Bio:

If Yonder Mountain String Band’s fourth studio album and self-titled debut for Vanguard Records sounds a little different, well, it should. It marks the first time the burgeoning progressive string band has worked with a stellar rock producer—Tom Rothrock (Foo Fighters, Elliott Smith, Beck and James Blunt—it’s the first time they’ve added a little drums to their mix of banjo/bass/mandolin/guitar and it’s the first time they’ve written almost an entire album spontaneously. Yonder Mountain String Band catches them transitioning into more folk and rock territories and most certainly and ceremoniously exploring different sounds and ways of songwriting.

Previously, guitarist Adam Aijala, mandolinist Jeff Austin, banjo player Dave Johnston and bassist Ben Kaufmann would each show up to the studio with their own songs, or songs that had already been worked up on the road. But with Rothrock behind the boards, they sat around and came up with songs that stirred the band’s creative juices in a new way. “It definitely was the challenge that was ready to be taken on,” says Austin. “For me, it was a very necessary step that the band had to take, just because we’ve always been about letting ourselves experiment to the full width of the spectrum. It was a part of us that was just dying to come out.”

Under Rothrock’s leadership, Aijala added electric guitar to the album, while Austin, milked an old ‘70s amplifier for feedback with an acoustic mandolin. Ambient noise accompanies the disc-ending “Wind’s On Fire.” The cinematic instrumental “Midwest Gospel Radio” was born out of Rothrock’s request for a spiritual number. Says Aijala, “Tom’s input certainly gave the songs a new and interesting feel.”

On the upbeat, rousing, first single “How ‘Bout You?” and “Classic Situation,” the band also brought into the fold Elvis Costello drummer Pete Thomas, who changed the sensibility of the record, says Ben. “All of a sudden, our perspective got a little broader. His drumming shows up fundamentally and very subtly in places throughout the record. I’ll leave that up to the listener to find these. We ended up with an album that’s got rippin’ bluegrass on it, but approached in a non-traditional way, which really appeals to me because we are not a traditional band. It’s always been forward-thinking and this is the first time we’ve captured that in the studio."

As a result, the always progressive Yonder Mountain continues to close the gap between bluegrass and rock: With its dueling electric guitar/banjo solo section, “How ‘Bout You?” has the goods to turn people on to a new way of thinking about how a banjo can be played. “There are places where the banjo and the mandolin become rock instruments,” says Kaufmann. “Angel,” meanwhile, could be dubbed “hard-folk” “That’s a song where we draw from personal influences that bridge—for us—our love of heavier rock music, with lyrical imagery that’s clearly traditional,” Kaufmann continues. “There’s a fiddle in the solo section, but it’s clearly channeling the spirits of the rock guitar gods.”

Fusing traditional elements and modern techniques, the disc’s leadoff cut, “Sidewalk Stars,” appropriately and perfectly captures the spirit of Yonder Mountain on this album.

A few of the tracks were worked up live, and a few come from outside sources. “I Ain’t Been Myself in Years” was written by band friend Benny Galloway, and “East Nashville Easter” was penned by Austin and lauded singer/songwriter Todd Snider. And it’s in songs like the latter where the band’s experimentations make even more sense.

Twisting and bending their sound with a rock producer was a natural next step for a group of guys who actually grew up on rock music. Comprised of Colorado transplants that grew up in the Midwest or Northeast, none of the band members had backgrounds in bluegrass music, but rather discovered it through old and new records and fellow musicians during college.

But it was indeed their new and growing love for bluegrass that quite unexpectedly brought the four players together during a free-for-all jam session at The Verve, a bar outside of Boulder, in 1998. Once they met, they knew they were onto something. “It was an eye-opening experience because we heard a unique sound,” says Johnston. “Something coalesced that night.”

Emphasizing song craft and unafraid to push its boundaries, things began snowballing quickly. In 1999, the band debuted with Elevation, produced by Grammy-winning dobro player Sally Van Meter and released (like each of its previous studio discs) on their own Frog Pad Records. Yonder Mountain returned in 2001 with Town by Town, helmed by Grammy Award winning songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Tim O’Brien. Van Meter was back behind the boards for the 2003 set Old Hands, a concept album of sorts that featured the songwriting of Benny “Burle” Galloway. Featured on the evocative tunes about cowboys, miners and all sorts of hard-livin’ Western folk were O’Brien, lauded fiddleman Darol Anger (Bela Fleck, David Grisman Quintet, Vassar Clements) and dobro player Jerry Douglas (Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris).

In between those studio discs, the band released Mountain Tracks Volume 1-IV, issued on Frog Pad Records, and each capturing the energy of its increasingly popular live shows.

With little radio support, Yonder Mountain has become one of the fastest rising touring bands in the country, its fanbase having ballooned over the past five years through steady gigging and high-profile festival sets, all of which are full of improv and none of which feature the same set list. “Now that we’re maturing as performers, our improvisation is more beholden to playing with good tone, good feel, good timing,” says Johnston.

It can’t be understated just what the band has achieved with that untraditional banjo/bass/mandolin/guitar line-up. Using bluegrass as its bedrock, the band has grown like few rock bands even do these days. “It’s funny,” says Austin. “But now we’re playing before 4,000 people in Denver. Last year, we played before 700 people in Atlanta and we recently sold-out a 3,000 seat venue there!” Added Kaufman, “ I think there’s just something about the banjo that makes people feel good.”

“[This album] probably represents us more than any other record we’ve done,” states Aijala, “because it incorporates more of our musical influences than ever before. It’s a really cool thing to be a part of and I’ll never take for granted just how lucky we are to do what we do. It makes me more excited for the future.”

Live On Stage:

Bluegrass has been a staple of Bonnaroo since the fests first year and Yonder Mountain are the best of the new-grass bands out there. We'll go with a double dose, first up is - Angel...

And here they are with Sideshow Blues...

IMEEM Playlist:

Yonder Mountain String Band

For more on Yonder Mountain head on over to their official website.

Bonnawho's Who - Umphrey's McGee

2008-06-09T18:14:00.001-07:00

Official Bio:

The ascension continues for Chicago’s Umphrey’s McGee, not only in terms of their commercial success but in creative accomplishment and instrumental achievement as well. Their performance on Live at the Murat (SCI Fidelity), their first official live release, is as impressive as anything they’ve recorded to date, with the power and finesse, the yin and the yang, that have come to characterize their by-now classic material.

Recorded in Indianapolis in April 2007 and produced by longtime “sound caresser” / honorary seventh member Kevin Browning, the two-disc set features fan favorites like “Push the Pig,” “The Triple Wide,” “In the Kitchen,” and “Nothing Too Fancy” along with rare tunes like the set-ending “Padgett’s Profile” and the brief but torrid “Angular Momentum,” centered on the combo of drummer Kris Myers and guitarist Jake Cinninger. The band also dusts off tunes like “Hajimemashite” from ’98s Songs for Older Women, and the Yes meets Little Feat-influenced “40’s Theme,” a live favorite for the band and its fans.

Throughout the show, UM’s invention brings the progressive instrumental chops of Zappa and the stylistic savvy of Steely Dan. It is innovative without being indulgent, exhilarating without losing control, and there are plenty of improv passages that keep the band and their fans off-balance. As David Fricke notes in his four-star review of Live at the Murat in Rolling Stone, Umphrey’s McGee “always have destination on their minds, even when they fly free.”

Live at the Murat is the latest feather in the cap of the dazzling sextet. The magical odds and sods The Bottom Half, released in the spring of this year, followed their highly touted spring 2006 studio release Safety In Numbers. Contrary to its name, The Bottom Half is a top-rate sequel to Safety In Numbers. The double album is full of spontaneity and intrigue, fresh ideas, and the kind of dazzling musicianship we have come to expect from Umphrey’s. With its outtakes, alternate versions, and other nifty bits, The Bottom Half reached #26 on Billboard’s coveted “Heatseakers” Chart and received high marks from the music press. HARP magazine noted “…[The Bottom Half delivers] creamy studio work infused by diabolical skill.”

UM has — since forming in the late ’90s in the South Bend, Indiana area — cultivated an impressive presence both live and in the studio, quite an accomplishment when considering their humble roots. Cummins, Bayliss, bassist Ryan Stasik and original drummer Mike Mirro all studied at the University of Notre Dame near South Bend, Indiana, while percussionist Andy Farag at the South Bend branch of Indiana University. Cinninger, from Michigan, had a South Bend-based band called Ali Baba’s Tahini — as well as an open invitation to join Umphrey’s, which he accepted in the Fall of 2000. His addition, along with Kris Myers’ arrival in 2003, proved critical to the band’s success. Together, the gifted collective elevated its game.

Just a few months after their first gig in 1998, the band released their first album, the cleverly titled live document, Greatest Hits Volume III. Songs for Older Women and One Fat Sucka followed — as did their first ever DVD, Live from the Lake Coast. Building a reputation with the critically favored studio recording Local Band Does OK (not to be confused with Local Band Does Oklahoma — a live EP released soon after) and honing their groove as a stellar live act, by the time 2004’s Anchor Drops was released to raves, the buzz on Umphrey’s had grown loud. Rolling Stone tipped them in their Hot Issue and the Washington Post named the band “rock’s undisputed lord of sonic shape-shifting.” And if you need further convincing, one look at their second DVD—2005’s Wrapped Around Chicago: New Year’s at the Riv says it all: Umphrey’s had arrived.

The jam crowd hoisted the band up on their proverbial shoulders as heroes, heirs to the Phish throne. Fans reveled in Umphrey’s flair for inventive improvisation, incredible covers, and unpredictable moments. The band had also developed an uncanny visual language onstage that includes dozens of unspoken cues — a happy face, for example, symbolizes a major key, while a sad face indicates a minor one — that make their signature “jazz odysseys” and “Jimmy Stewarts” legendary on the jam scene. These cues manage to keep things tight and prevent their improv interludes from spiraling into hippie jam orbit. The band retains space, breath, and patience in performances, yet maintain masterly control in the process.

These days, Umphrey’s spends half the year on the road habitually flooring audiences. Their anything-goes musicianship, humor, and good-nature all make remarkable entertainment. The band shuttles between styles with precision, from straight-up pop and rock to jazz, prog-metal, and classical. If you can name it, chances are Umphrey’s can play it.

Live On Stage:

Who said that Bonnaroo doesn't book jambands anymore? These guys have something for everyone - even you metal fans out there. Here they are will Partin' Peeps...

IMEEM Playlist:

Umphreys Mcgee

For more on Umphrey's McGee head on over to their official website.

Bonnawho's Who - The Disco Biscuits

2008-06-09T17:46:00.000-07:00

Official Bio:

Uniting elements of electronic dance music with more traditional forms of American rock, the Disco Biscuits have long established themselves as one of the most exciting — and influential — touring bands in the country. In the late 90s, the band pioneered a unique style of music, often referred to as “trance-fusion,” that distinguished them from their peers, while heavily influencing an entire generation of younger “livetronica” acts.

It’s now been more than 10 years since guitarist Jon Gutwillig, bassist Marc Brownstein, keyboardist Aron Magner, and original drummer Sam Altman first formed the Disco Biscuits from within the ivy walls of the University of Pennsylvania. Since then (and with Allen Aucoin now on drums, following his victory at a Bisco firing squad drum-off at Atlantic City’s Borgata Casino in 2005), the band has repeatedly sold out many of the nation’s most prestigious venues and are a proven draw at U.S. festivals, earning key slots at majors such as Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza. Along the way, they’ve accumulated cover stories (Relix Magazine), accolades (Jammy Award for “Jam of the Year”), and hit videos (“Caterpillar;” MTV Latin America).

The Disco Biscuits’ live show has developed from a regional nightclub attraction to a full on American experience. As Brownstein explains, “There’s this deep, fun-loving community built around the band that’s a decade old and which extends throughout the entire country. When we go anywhere, there’s something else going on that’s not just about the band and the music, but it’s a part of a greater experience.”

Standard rock concerts have become formulaic showcases where bands support their latest album by performing new songs amidst a selection of greatest hits. The Disco Biscuits, on the other hand, use their shows to create an entirely new album every night, in front of a live audience. Gutwillig equates it to watching a painter craft an image from scratch, using just a palette and a muse. “It’s unlike buying the art, where it’s already painted,” he says. “It’s watching the paint getting thrown on the canvas in a frenzy. And we’re doing it with dance beats and we’re doing it with grooves and we’re trying to make it as exciting as possible. It’s almost like getting cars into a field with cameras and just shooting a high-speed chase right there on the spot. What we’re trying to do, for the observer, is to make the most awesome, exciting, high-speed chase that they could possibly watch. And we’re trying to do it in a way that makes everyone feel like they went there, they lived it, and they felt it deep inside. That’s our goal.”

At the end of each summer, the Disco Biscuits host the largest live electronica event of its kind in the country. Called “Camp Bisco,” the festival has featured electro superstars (Amon Tobin, Infected Mushroom), live bands (Umphrey’s McGee, Brazilian Girls), hip-hop acts (The Roots, Slick Rick), and even weekend-long games of “color wars” organized and run by the fans.

Beyond just making music, the band is involved in community & political outreach. Brownstein is a co-founder and co-chair of HeadCount, a non-profit voter registration organization that registered nearly 50,000 new voters at live concerts in 2004 and aims to register 200,000 additional voters for the 2008 election. In addition to the Disco Biscuits, HeadCount has received support and involvement from a number of top-tiered touring acts, including the Dave Matthews Band and Phil Lesh & Friends, while members of the Grateful Dead, moe., and Leftover Salmon sit on its board of directors.

The Disco Biscuits are currently finishing their fifth studio album, this time collaborating with producers and legendary trance DJs Simon Posford & Benji Vaughn of UK’s Twisted Records (Shpongle, Hallucinogen, Younger Brother), as well as Grammy Award-winning Philly-based hip-hop producer Dirty Harry, whose credits include tracks for Ludacris & Beanie Segal. Much of the album has been recorded and mixed at the legendary Phil Nicolo studio in Philadelphia, with Nicolo & engineer Michael Block.

On New Year’s Eve 2007, the Disco Biscuits took over the Tweeter Center in Camden, NJ for the second year in a row, heralding the inaugural Circo Bisco, a circus-themed spectacle featuring support sets from Keller Williams, Antibalas, and Bassnectar and happenings by the performance art-oriented Philadelphia Experiment (PEX). The band also just released Progressions, a 4-hour, 2-disc DVD set documenting last year’s historic tri-city New Year’s run (TLA Video, Nov. 13, 2007).

Live On Stage:

The Biscuits return to Manchester for a late-night slot - which is where they do their best work. Here they are with their patented techno-jam-rock with Crickets...

IMEEM Playlist:

Disco Biscuits

Music Videos:

There is a reason jambands don't make music videos, here's example A...

For more on The Disco Biscuits head on over to their official website.

Bonnawho's Who - Robert Randolph's Revival

2008-06-08T12:15:00.000-07:00

Official Bio:

“We wanted to take our time and find ourselves,” says Robert Randolph. “Find out what was really inside of me and the band and bring that out. Really try to come up with the best songs, dig deep within, and let all of the experiences that we have had in the last three years come out in the music.”

With Colorblind, Randolph and the Family Band have taken the difficult leap from being great performing artists to being great recording artists. Since emerging from a House of God church in Orange, New Jersey steeped in the “sacred steel” tradition, Randolph’s astonishing pedal steel playing has had a revolutionary impact. Like a mere handful of musicians – Louis Armstrong, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Wonder – he has actually been able to redefine the sonic possibilities of his instrument. Randolph’s string wizardry is the focal point of the Family Band’s legendary live appearances, and led to guest spots with artists ranging from the Blind Boys of Alabama to Ozzy Osbourne.

But even Randolph admits that the Family Band’s previous recordings have focused more on capturing their onstage magic than on making an album for the ages. “On the last record (2003’s Unclassified),” he says, “we had some ideas, wrote as we went along, and we were out of there in three weeks – and that’s cool. But in working with so many people and getting advice from Eric Clapton, Steven Tyler, and the guys from Dave Matthews Band – they all say, ‘We’d love to see your talent showcased within the context of a great song.’ I was always caught up in the show, because I’m comfortable as a performer,” he continues. “But Carlos Santana said to me, if you ask fifty people which they remember most, a show or a record, 48 of them will say a great record. Because you live with a record, you can pick it up fifty years later and still listen to those songs.”

So Randolph set some new goals for his second studio album – something he wanted to stand on its own, not just be a souvenir of a great concert. For inspiration, he went back to some classic sources. “I listened to Sly Stone, a lot of Hendrix, Zeppelin, Stevie Wonder,” he says. “Then I’d go back to a church service and I’d think, I want Colorblind to be a mixture of all of these things."

The big step this time around was the decision to collaborate with other songwriters. The talent assembled was immense, including Tommy Sims (who has written songs with Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, and Garth Brooks), Jeff Trott (Sheryl Crow), Mark Batson (Dave Matthews Band, Gwen Stefani), and the team of Drew Ramsey and Shannon Sanders (India.Arie, Heather Hedley). “We're fortunate to be good musicians,” says Randolph, "and we were able to channel into that foundation during the collaboration process, and grow as songwriters."

Not that it was easy for such a pure player to make the emotional commitment required to craft and shape new material. “At first, it was kinda weird,” he admits. “You put up this wall, like, this guy is going to try to change me, make me write a song that I wouldn’t be comfortable performing – that’s automatically what you think. So at first I wasn’t being as open as I should have been.”

The breakthrough, he says, came with a ballad called “Stronger,” written with Steve McEwan, who has scored country hits with the likes of Faith Hill and Kenny Chesney. “He was more of an aggressor, like, ‘Let’s go, we gotta write a song here!’ And that was really the first step, the song that got everything glued in. Then I knew I could hold my own as a songwriter."

Randolph says that he began to feel growth that was both musical and personal. “I learned a lot about myself,” he says. “You get into that mode and there’s so much uncharted territory, it’s like discovering a whole new country. That confidence helped feed myself and the band."

As the album’s title indicates, the results on Colorblind range from infectious R&B to timeless ballads. “Ain’t Nothin’ Wrong with That” is a sure-fire party-starter, while “Blessed” presents Randolph’s more spiritual, introspective side. And, there is a blistering version of the Byrds’ “Jesus is Just Alright With Me,” featuring Randolph and Clapton – who became a close friend and mentor to the younger artist when they toured together – in a blazing guitar battle recorded live in the studio.

Though Randolph has been defined by his jaw-dropping pyrotechnics on the pedal steel, he notes that the studio time devoted to this album led to an evolution in his playing as well. “Now instead of playing over the top of everything, I’m learning to play within the melodies and the concept of the song,” he says. “It doesn’t have to be the most fancy lick, but everything needs to work together – the melodies and the lyrics and the music.”

Having grown up in urban New Jersey and making the leap from playing in church to headlining rock festivals, Randolph’s aspirations go beyond expanding his own musical boundaries. “I’m trying to create a new field and a new style that’ll influence some kids to go, ‘wow, I can be Black and be from the inner city and I don’t have to be a rapper,’” he says. “I look at Sly Stone, how he came in and just ripped the music industry apart – I think music fans are ready for that again.”

Having broken through to a new level of creativity, Robert Randolph now finds that he can’t turn it off. “I’m still writing today,” he says. “It’s like being Willy Wonka – this is that first door that opens up and all this other stuff comes out. We’ve definitely stepped into some new dimension.”

Live On Stage:

This will be Robert Randolph's sixth time playing Bonnaroo and will be his third different band - previously playing with The Family Band and as part of The Word. Here's Robert with his signature tune The March...

IMEEM Playlist:

Robert Randolph & The Family Band

Music Videos:

Here's Robert with the Family Band with I Need More Love...

Few more to check out...

Thrill Of It

Going In The Right Direction

For more on Robert Randolph head on over to his official website.

Bonnawho's Who - Chali 2na

2008-06-08T11:50:00.000-07:00

Official Bio:

MC. Musician. Actor. Painter. Renaissance Man.

Chali2Na has done it all. From his days growing up on the hardscrabble streets of Chicago’s south side, to his subsequent explosion on to Los Angeles’ burgeoning hip-hop scene, to his tenure as MC for seminal hip-hop group, Jurassic 5, Chali epitomizes the portrait of a 21st century artist.
Indeed, with his unmistakable, beloved baritone, Chali has firmly established himself as one of the most distinctive personalities not just in hip-hop, but music in general. Only a select few can say they’ve rocked microphones in front of thousands at a sold-out arena in Tokyo with Jurassic 5, spit rhymes at Lollapalooza, appeared on two Van’s Warped Tours and supported Lenny Kravitz backed by the Latin-tinged rock of Ozomatli, and painted professional caliber oil color paintings in their California home.

More than an artist, though, Chali’s charismatic personality, his exquisitely humble approach to his craft, makes him an enigma amongst hip-hop’s elite. With this spirit in mind—and the varied musical, socio-cultural and geographical influences that have shaped him—Chali is poised to release his first solo album Fish Out Of Water in 2008.

A powerful and deeply personal body of work, Chali’s debut features a seemingly endless litany of groundbreaking tracks, which touch on topics the veteran musician has never bared to his listeners before. Whether it’s the trauma he experienced from the shooting death of a childhood friend to the twists and turns of his own family lineage, to the travails of maintaining creative chemistry with other artists, Fish Out Of Water, is quite simply, a life’s worth of songs in the making.

To be sure, Chali’s diverse tastes—from the blues he was raised on to the political gangsta’ rap he loved to the graffiti art he sprayed as a teenager—flow from this album, like the oil colors Chali uses for his paintings. With production from the likes of Will I Am to Scott Storch and collaborations with Damian and Stephen Marley and Raphael Saadique, Fish Out Of Water, feels like a new beginning of sorts for Chali.

Says Chali: “These are all artists whom I’ve always admired. Some of them I’d worked with before, some of them I hadn’t, but to have these cats on my album, to have them be part of what I’m doing… it’s just been an incredible, experience.”

Never one to be pigeonholed into a particular genre of music, or a specific artistic taste, Chali is also a rising talent in the voiceover world. With his distinctive bass-heavy voice, he made a name for himself as a voiceover specialist, beginning in 1991 with a Coors commercial and has since lent his talents to such mega-brands as Coca Cola and Sega Dreamcast. As a result, Chali’s work has attracted the interest of big-name Hollywood studios, as evidenced by his role as the character PUP in the animated picture: Night Before Christmas.

Rest assured, there’s still plenty of fire in Chali’s lyrical arsenal. His days of training at the legendary Los Angeles hotspot, the Good Life Café, have taught him well. Only now, he’s fused the bass-heavy bravado with his own life’s story, and in doing so, creates art that’s not only superb, it’s important.

Live On Stage:

Chali 2na is best known as a member of the now defunct Jurassic 5, here he is with Galatic from last year's Bonnaroo...

IMEEM Playlist:

Chali 2na - Fish Market

Music Videos:

We'll kick with some J5, here's Quality Control...

Few more to check out...

What's Golden

Concrete Schoolyard

Work It Out

For more on Chali 2na head on over to his official website.

Bonnawho's Who - Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Soul Stew Revival

2008-06-08T11:10:00.000-07:00

Official Bio:

Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi have combined forces for a summer outing, touring together as one musical group; Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Soul Stew Revival. The guitar-slinging couple - married since 2001 - have recorded on each other’s albums and toured together with their respective bands on occasion, but this new musical adventure reveals the two side by side leading one amazing ensemble.

Fans can expect a mixture of material from both artists’ repertoire along with a batch of songs worked up especially for this tour, steeped in blues, roadhouse rock and American roots.

A 2007 concert review in the Deseret News, raved, “whether playing some of the all-time classics or their own compositions, the pair proved repeatedly why they are arguably two of the best young blues musicians in the world. Tedeschi, whose singing never ceases to amaze” mixed with “trucks jaw-dropping solos left everyone in the crowd--and on the stage--breathless.” The Dallas Morning News added, “the pair work so seamlessly together, that the songs performed – from Etta James, Junior Wells, King Curtis, the Rolling Stones, Blind Willie Johnson and others, took on an ultrasultriness that had men and women, young and old, single and coupled alike swaying sensually to the time… the Soul Stew Revival was served piping hot and with dollops of Southern spice.”

The Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Soul Stew Revival consists of acclaimed slide guitarist Derek Trucks, soulful vocalist/guitarist Susan Tedeschi, horn players Kevin Hyde, Paul Garrett, Mace Hibbard and current members of The Derek Trucks Band; Todd Smallie (bass), Yonrico Scott (drums), Kofi Burbridge (keys & flute) Mike Mattison (vocals), Count M’Butu (percussion). The Soul Stew will also feature Derek’s younger brother, 19-year-old Duane Trucks on second drum kit.

Both Tedeschi and Trucks are known for their amazing live performances and along with the impressive individual talents of this band, it promises to deliver a high energy night filled with new and familiar grooves.

Four-time Grammy-nominated singer, guitarist and songwriter Susan Tedeschi maintained a busy schedule in 2007 in support of her latest critically lauded album Hope and Desire (Verve Forecast). She's won a large and loyal audience for her ability to craft elements of classic blues, rock, R&B, folk and gospel into a distinctly individual style that honors rootsy musical traditions without being subservient to them. Guitar Player declares that "Susan Tedeschi has got the whole package: a sultry and soulful voice, an engaging personality, a broad palette of stylistic influences, and an articulate pen that tells it like it is.”

For Trucks, already a veteran at 28 (29 on 6/8), the tour with Tedeschi caps one of the busiest years of his career which included sharing the stage with Eric Clapton as a featured soloist for the 2006/2007 world tour, a packed schedule of dates with The Derek Trucks Band including Europe and Japan in addition to U.S. dates with Carlos Santana and was featured on the cover of the Rolling Stone ‘New Guitar Gods’ issue. In 2006, The Derek Trucks Band’s best-selling album to date, Songlines, prompted USA Today to hail Trucks as “possibly this generation's greatest rock guitarist,” while the Wall Street Journal concurred that “he is the most awe-inspiring electric slide guitar player performing today.” The album also spawned Songlines Live, the group's first-ever DVD. Trucks currently divides his time between The Derek Trucks Band, The Allman Brothers Band (full time member since 1999) and now Soul Stew Revival.d

Live On Stage:

The Allman may have had to cancel their appearance, but sure to stop by for Derek and Susan's set. I had a chance to catch them at Farm Aid with this band and it was one of the highlights of the day. Let's go with a double doses, first up is Little By Little...

And here they are with the Derek & The Dominos - Anyday...

IMEEM Playlist:

Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi

For more on Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi hit up their official websites.

Bonnawho's Who - Les Claypool

2008-06-07T14:16:00.001-07:00

Official Bio:

In 2006 Primus main man/bass legend Les Claypool will be revealing his multi media talents as he releases a new solo studio album in the spring (first since 2002), publishes his first novel and releases an independent feature film that he wrote, directed and stars in. He will be doing a US tour with stops at the Bonnoroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester TN (June 16-18th) where he will be playing with his solo band, and the band Oysterhead featuring Trey Anastacio and Stuart Copeland. The Claypool train
will also be stopping at Wakarusa festival in Lawrence Kansas in June.

Les will also be releasing his first novel “SOUTH OF THE PUMPHOUSE”. A dark, clever tale of two brothers, a fishing trip, misconceptions, drugs and murder, South of the Pumphouse skillfully combines classic motifs of epic struggle and intelligent layers of imagery, reminiscent of The Old Man and the Sea, and the raw, tweaked perspective and hallucinogenic tutorial of a
Hunter Thompson novel.

Les’ movie debut “Electric Apricot” a mockumentry on the Jam Band scene that is not only enlightening, but also hysterical at the same time. (http://www.electricapricot.com) Electric Apricot will be screened at The Tiburon Film Festival on March 15th and Portland Lonbaugh Film Festival April 6th. It features cameos by actor Seth Green, South Park co-creator Matt Stone, and such jam band legends as Bob Weir, Mike Gordon and Gov't Mule's Warren Haynes and Matt Abst.

Live On Stage:

Les is no stranger to Manchester having performer at Bonnaroo with a number of bands over the years. This time he's being billed as a solo act, so we'll see what's in store. Here's he is with Rancor...

IMEEM Playlist:

Les Claypool

Music Videos:

Let's kick it with some Primus, here's a few videos to check out...

Jerry Was Racecar Driver

My Name Is Mud

Winona's Big Brown Beaver

For more on Les Claypool head on over to his official site.

Bonnawho's Who - Cat Power

2008-06-07T12:49:00.000-07:00

Official Bio:

Cat Power is the nom de rock of Chan Marshall. Her second album of cover songs is a tribute to the great vocalists that have inspired her over the years. It includes two originals which fit the 'covers' theme: "Song To Bobby" evokes Dylan in both style and content, and a new sense of triumph pervades her revisit to 2000's "Metal Heart".

Jukebox was recorded by Stuart Sikes at the Hit Factory (Miami), Rare Book Room (Brooklyn), and Sikes Studio (Dallas). Her backing band on the album and all subsequent touring is "Dirty Delta Blues" – Jim White (drums), Judah Bauer (guitar), Gregg Foreman (keyboards), Erik Paparazzi (bass). Guest musicians on Jukebox include Spooner Oldham (Neil Young, Janis Joplin), Larry McDonald (Toots & the Maytals, Taj Mahal), Teenie Hodges (Al Green, Memphis Rhythm Band), and Matt Sweeney (Chavez).

Rolling Stone: "A dazzling self-portrait...she refashions material from other artists and makes it seem like it's been hers all along."
New York Times: "Quietly assertive as well as admiring...she claims [the originals] by pondering them."

LA Times: "Subtle touches of jazz, blues, rock and country add to the dreamy, soulful elegance and make Jukebox feel like a private love letter to treasured tunes."

Live On Stage:

Chan Marshall is making her second appearance at Bonnaroo. Last time in Manchester she was backed by the Memphis Rhythm Band, this time around her touring band is Dirty Delta Blues. Here she is with them doing New York...

IMEEM Playlist:

Cat Power (Chan Marshall)

Music Videos:

I absolutely love this tune, here's Lived In Bars...

Couple more to check out...

Cross Bones Style

Where Is My Love?

For more on Cat Power head on over to her official website.

Bonnawho's Who - Tiesto

2008-06-07T12:31:00.000-07:00

Official Bio:

Tiësto- After nearly 25 years as a DJ, Tiësto continues to take it to the next level. In 2007 he was nominated for a Grammy for Elements Of Life, closed the main stage at Coachella, played to over 200,000 people at one show in Ipanema Beach, Brazil, had one of the biggest tours in tours in North America, including selling out 15,000 tickets in LA Sports Arena and remixed artists including José González, Tegan & Sara, Imogen Heap and Justin Timberlake.

A crowned knight of Holland, Tiësto has been chosen three times as the world’s Number One DJ, since his career began in 1994. He was the first DJ to sell out a 25,000 person stadium event and had the first ever house track smash on North-American radio. His world tours and record releases remain some of the most anticipated events around the planet.

“A wax statue at Madame Tussaud’s. A memorabilia case at Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. Playing for a crowd of 200,000 on a beach in Brazil. Closing this year’s Coachella Saturday night after Red Hot Chili Peppers. Selling out two 25,000 ticket Amsterdam shows in less then two hours. It sounds like the resume of a classic rock band or red-hot pop star. But it actually belongs to a DJ/Producer: Dutch phenomenon Tiësto.” Reuters, 2007

“On August 11, the Dutch DJ performed a 5 1/2-hour set in front of a sold-out crowd of more than 15,000 at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. It was the largest-ever single-DJ show in North American history, featuring full-production and arena-scale theatrics the likes of which the dance community has never seen.”
The Hollywood Reporter, 2007

“Trance DJ Tiësto dominated from his main stage position. All hands were in the air as he put his own stamp on Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek” and Moby’s “We Are All Made of Stars”
Los Angeles Times, 2007

“DJ. For most people, the name conjures images of a mysterious figure hidden away in a booth high above the dance floor, spinning the current crop of chart-topping tunes. International dance maestro Tiësto is determined to change that image forever.” Pollstar, 2007

“In this post-post rave world, how does a Dutch DJ demand such adoration that his fans drown out The Cure’s encore at the Ultra Music Festival with repeated shouts of the man’s name? From the sound of it, Tiësto does it by giving the people all of what they want, and none of what they don’t…No use fighting it then. Join in the chant.” URB, 2007

Live On Stage:

This one's for all you late night dancers out there, Tiesto handles the late night duties on Friday night at This Tent...

IMEEM Playlist:

DJ Tiesto: Elements of Life (Limited Edition) (2CD) (2007)

Music Videos:

Here's Elements Of Life...

For more on Tiesto head on over to his official website.

Bonnawho's Who - Zappa Plays Zappa

2008-06-07T12:21:00.001-07:00

Official Bio:

Zappa Plays Zappa, Dweezil Zappa’s ongoing homage and performance of his father’s music, is hitting the road again in 2008, after hugely successful tours in 2006 and 2007.

2008 promises material performed that ZPZ have never performed, as well as some of their favorite tunes from previous tours.

Frank Zappa (1940-1993) was an American composer who immersed himself in his craft with equal parts vision and vigor. Over the course of 80 albums—first as the leader of the Mothers Of Invention and then as a solo artist—Zappa raised the bar in a rock world that spent most of its time embracing the ordinary. His music was fearless, imbued with an impeccable sense of technique, but never, ever at the expense of emotion. Although critics marginalized his music (apparently too busy celebrating the “genius” of the Eagles), and radio stations would rarely play it (lest they thought they would lose the ever-important used-car dealership commercials), Zappa’s work continues to defy any calendar thrown at it.

To that end, Dweezil Zappa is becoming more proactive in the continued public display of his father’s music for years to come. Zappa Plays Zappa is a seven-person-strong ensemble dedicated to keeping Frank Zappa’s music (aesthetically eight to 10 years ahead of whatever copyright date was printed on the records in the first place) very much alive. Zappa Plays Zappa is the synergistic result of what happens when a vibrant repertoire of music is learned by a stellar band and worshipped by an audience weary of Pro Tools.

“It seems to me that people my age (38) and younger know the Zappa name a little bit, but they don’t know a lot about the music,” says Dweezil, explaining the original impetus behind the creation of ZPZ in 2004. “They might know some of the songs that accidentally got on the radio, but those songs don't represent the totality of Frank’s output. I feel that Frank’s music needs to be proposed to a new audience. The core fans have always been there, but in the past 13 years, there’s been no outreach program to introduce it to younger fans. Because his music will not suddenly just start being played on the radio 700 hundred times an hour, the only way to effectively reach new people is to play it live. I wanted to seize the opportunity now because I can't stand the notion of his music fading away in my lifetime.”

Dweezil’s commitment to his father’s work began with him listening, in chronological order, to every single one of Frank’s albums to understand its evolution. Then he began learning to play the compositions, starting with “The Black Page #2,” the piece known to strike terror in the hearts (and bowels) of musicians whose sight-reading skills weren’t up to the challenge. After learning that one, one might think the rest of the oeuvre might as well be “Louie Louie,” right? Well, negotiating time signatures that look like graduate-school algebra is one thing, but in order to approximate his father’s complex written music, Dweezil essentially had to relearn how to play guitar. To perform the uniquely difficult material live he ended up adopting a picking technique devised by veteran player Frank Gambale.

After he accomplished the woodshedding needed to realize his goal, Dweezil was faced with the aesthetic considerations of such a large body of work. (Read: Mother, Mary and Joseph! What the hell are we gonna play?) With over 1,000 pieces to choose from, he focused on Frank’s work from the mid- to late-’70s, as well as some personal favorites from his own youth. “It takes a certain snarky delivery of that material and it's difficult to execute it the way Frank did,” reminds Dweezil. “Frank's vocal style is very distinctive and I did not want any of the material we were presenting to seem like a cheap imitation.” He pauses and starts to laugh. “Attitude is everything with this music!”

From the Utility Muffin Research Kitchen in California to the stages of theatres and festivals across the globe, Zappa Plays Zappa is prepared once again to respectfully expose new fans to Frank Zappa's extraordinary acheivements in music.

Live On Stage:

I'd venture to guess a lot of people out their don't know much about Frank Zappa's music. I would definitely suggest going to check these guys out. Frank's music was complex, funny and dynamic and was a big influence on a lot of jambands. Here's a couple live performance to check out. First up is Willie The Pimp...

And here's Joe's Garage...

For more info on Zappa Plays Zappa head on over to their official website.

Cafe/Night Club Acts - Part IV

2008-06-07T11:39:00.000-07:00

Mike Farris f. Roseland Rhythm Revue

Official Website

Live On Stage:

The Nikhil Korula Band

Official Website

Live On Stage:

Nomo

Official Website

Music Video:

Person L

Official Website

Live On Stage:

Phonograph

Official Website

IMEEM Playlist

Phonograph

Rotary Downs

Official Website

IMEEM Playlist:

Rotary Downs

Royal Bangs

Official Website

IMEEM Playlist:

Royal Bangs

Bonnawho's Who - Chk Chk Chk

2008-06-07T11:22:00.000-07:00

Official Bio:

Following a titillating tour in summer '95 between Popesmashers and Black Liquorice, !!! officially formed upon their return at one of the famously ultra-hot, all-night Sacramento, CA dance parties. The tour had provided the attendees - and a few of the band members - with plenty to think about. Black Liquorice came with disco covers without the kitsch, and Popesmashers followed with loud, propulsive noise. The combination of these styles seemed odd to some, but it worked in the most primal sense, leading the aforementioned band members and others to wonder - Why NOT feel this? All the fucking time.

The eight members of !!! had grown up playing various breeds of punk and experimental music (!!! frontman Nic was vocalist for the infamous hardcore band, Yah Mos), and increasingly found themselves wanting to play music in the vein of the stuff they were dancing to. Which is not to say !!! are a punk band, nor a funk band, for that matter. They are both. And neither.

The !!! symbol was chosen, rather than a conventional band name, because it reflects the excitement shared by the band members, mixed with an intense desire to shake things up. They have toured the U.S. repeatedly,amassing a sizeable following thanks to their cathartic live shows. The years spent train-hopping, hitch-hiking and touring DIY style have forged a desire to take !!! everywhere, fast.

!!! shares three of its members with Out Hud, including Tyler Pope, who is also in LCD Soundsystem. !!! has released a 12" split EP with Out Hud, as well as a seven-inch on Hopscotch called "Dis-ease". A self-titled debut came out on GSL in 2000, which included the nine minute manifesto, "There's No Fucking Rules, Dude" - an exhortation to forget your worries and just shake your ass... dude. Got it?

!!! is John Pugh (drums), Nic Offer (vocals), Allan Wilson (percussion, horns), Mario Andreoni (guitar), Tyler Pope (guitar, keys), Justin Vandervolgen (bass, sound engineering tweaks), Dan Gorman (percussion, horns), and Jason Racine (percussion).

FYI:
!!! is pronounced as any three repetitive sounds.
Common interpretations are chicchicchic, powpowpow, uhuhuh, among many unlimited possibilities.

Live On Stage:

They may have the toughest band name to Google, but !!! are going to make you dance you ass off. Check out this live performance and you'll see what I mean...

IMEEM Playlist:

Chk Chk Chk (!!!) "Myth Takes"

Music Videos:

Here's !!! with Must Be The Moon...

Couple more to check out...

Heart Of Hearts

Hello? Is This Thing On?

For more info on !!! head on over to their official website.

Bonnawho's Who - Talib Kweli

2008-06-07T09:50:00.000-07:00

Official Bio:

Ever since emerging as a member of Black Star in the late 1990s, Talib Kweli is one of the few artists making commercially viable music that matters. The Brooklyn bred rapper’s hard-hitting music has been able to educate and entertain simultaneously. So it is no wonder that at the peak of their fame, both Jay-Z and 50 Cent named Talib Kweli as one of their favorite rappers.

With Ear Drum, his first album released on his own Blacksmith Music and his sixth album overall, Kweli has delivered his career-defining work, a polished collection showcasing his advanced lyricism and his penchant for picking music that resonates long after the song ends. “The image of the ear and of the drum are powerful enough by themselves, but when you put them together, it’s an instrument that’s in your body that helps you hear,” he explains. “They’re also two very simple, yet powerful words. I wanted to focus on finding a sound that makes you move, and that’s where the word ‘Ear Drum’ popped in my head.”

Throughout Ear Drum, Kweli delivers powerful music that sparks your intellect and makes your body move. He teams with Reflection Eternal partner Hi-Tek on “More Or Less.” Over pounding drums and a minimalistic groove, Kweli makes brash declarations on how to improve music specifically and American society in general. “A statement like, we need ‘more rap songs that stress purpose/With less misogyny and less curses/Let’s put more depth in our verses,’ I haven’t made bold, blatant statements since that like ‘Manifesto.’ There are fans of mine that really appreciate those statements because there are times when those statements need to be made.”

The lead single "Hot Thing," produced by will.i.am, is a drum-driven track detailing how his lady makes things better and how much he enjoys her sexual appeals, personality and tendencies – “I love her country ass, her city sass,” after all, "She's instrumental to my life,” Talib Kweli raps on the cut.

An equally bold Ear Drum moment comes on "Say Something." Building off a horn blast made famous by Lords Of The Underground and featuring a guest appearance from Jean Grae, the intense cut showcases the pair's ingenious lyrical agility, ones that range from heavy-handed boasts to sly double entendres. Then there's "Country Cousins," which features Kweli trading verses with UGK and Raheem DeVaughn. Over a soulful beat accented by brassy horns, Kweli, Bun B and Pimp C talk about the reality of their experiences growing up in New York and Texas, respectively. "People have the perception of what an East Coast artist sounds like, who he's supposed to be listening to and what he likes, and what a Down South artist sounds like,” Kweli explains. "There’s preconceived notions and that's really what the song with Bun and Pimp C is about, the preconceived notions between East Coast artists and Down South artists."??Talib Kweli keeps the hard edge going on the macabre "New York Weather Report," a moving meditation on life's journey and struggles. "That track makes me think of really dark, bassline-driven songs like Eric B. & Rakim's 'Juice (Know The Ledge)' or 'Casualties Of War,' that era where songs were driven by deep jazz basslines. I wanted to do a song where I wasn't restricted to 16 bars and hooks, which is why the first verse is 32 bars and the second verse is 24 bars. I just wanted to do a straight rap song and that's what that song is -- and it feels like New York City hip-hop to me, like the basslines Evil Dee and them were using on Black Moon records."??The Kanye West-produced "In The Mood" changes the vibe with its feel-good, smooth approach, as does the silky, soulful, Madlib-produced "Soon The New Day" featuring cooing vocals from Norah Jones.

An equally bold Ear Drum moment comes on “Country Cousins,” which features Kweli trading verses with UGK and Raheem DeVaughn. Over a soulful beat accented by brassy horns, Kweli, Bun B and Pimp C talk about the reality of their experiences growing up in New York and Texas, respectively. “People have the perception of what an East Coast artist sounds like, who he’s supposed to be listening to and what he likes, and what a Down South artist sounds like,” Kweli explains. “There’s preconceived notions and that’s really what the song with Bun and Pimp C is about, the preconceived notions between East Coast artists and Down South artists.”

Throughout Ear Drum, Kweli makes a point to explore new topics, collaborate with a variety of artists and rap over distinctively innovative production. It is part of Kweli’s growth as an artist and as a person. “We need to challenge our audience but we also need to challenge ourselves to know that whatever our new experiences are, we can write about them, be creative and bring that to an audience without them feeling alienated,” he says.

Long-time Talib Kweli followers will say the same thing about him. Since his stellar debut with Mos Def as Black Star, Kweli has been one of rap’s most exceptional and consistent artists. Released in 2000, Reflection Eternal, the RIAA-certified gold album with Hi-Tek, was one of the most acclaimed albums of the year. In 2002, smash single “Get By,” the biting political commentary “The Proud” and the insightful examination of America’s gun culture on “Gun Music” made Quality a landmark recording and Kweli’s second gold album. Subsequent recordings in 2004 (The Beautiful Struggle) and 2005 (Right About Now) solidified his status as one of rap’s most talented and important voices.

Now, after establishing himself as a rap visionary, Kweli along with long-time manager Corey Smyth launched Blacksmith Music. The pair signed an exclusive deal with Warner Bros. to market, promote, and distribute the music of Blacksmith artists. Following Kweli’s release on Blacksmith/WBR there will be a new solo album from Jean Grae, the critically acclaimed South African-born female rapper who is among the most respected female rappers in the history of the genre. Rolling Stone called her “the best kept secret on New York’s indie hip-hop scene,” while XXL, Spin, Village Voice, URB and others have labeled her an artist to watch. Strong Arm Steady, a forthcoming Blacksmith/WBR release, is a super group whose members are Los Angeles underground star Phil The Agony, lyrical assassin Krondon and San Diego rap pioneer Mitchy Slick. Strong Arm Steady has been one of the few West Coast acts to build a rabid fanbase through mixtapes.

Kweli hopes Blacksmith will create a movement with Jean Grae and Strong Arm Steady, much as his own music has. “With Blacksmith, I want it to be a flag that everyone can wave,” he says. “I want to be packing shows and I want people to feel like they were up on Jean Grae and Strong Arm Steady before anybody else was.”

In the mean time, the lyrically and sonically potent Ear Drum demonstrates that strong, powerful messages can serve as the backbone for music at its best. “The vast majority of my subject matter focuses on black self-love, black self esteem, black self worth,” Kweli says. “That translates to other communities because if you’re a human being, it doesn’t matter what color you’re talking about. You’ve been through some sort of struggle and you can apply it to your own life.”

Especially after listening to Ear Drum.

Live On Stage:

Here's Talib with Get By...

IMEEM Playlist:

Talib kweli

Music Videos:

Here's Talib with Listen...

Few more to check out...

Hot Thing/In The Mood

Everything Man

Get By

For more on Talib Kweli head on over to his official website.

Bonnawho's Who - Solomon Burke

2008-06-07T09:37:00.000-07:00

Official Bio:

The course that led Solomon Burke to his throne atop the celestial hierarchy of soul singers has been one of the most extraordinary in pop music history. Born on March 21, 1940, his unerring gift for hitting dead center every time was developed very early in life. By the age of seven, Burke was already a phenomenon, holding forth as the regal-robed Wonder Boy Preacher before not only his own congregation in hometown Philadelphias Solomons Temple, but also an untold number of listeners who tuned in to the live remote broadcasts local station WDAS provided. Delivering innumerable sermons, Burke was already sifting through a complex spectrum of mind and spirit, coaxing right from wrong, uplifting the desperate, examining frailty and failure through a prism that not only explored human psychology but provided direct and invaluable experience with all the passionate intricacies of sanctified gospel singing, the very bedrock upon which so much American popular music is built--territory that Solomon Burke owns.

Recording for the independent Apollo label at age 14, his already skillful presentation resulted in 1954s million selling gospel Christmas Presents From Heaven, but after rhythm & blues tastemaker Jerry Wexler brought him to Atlantic Records in 1960, and Burke applied the gospel technique to secular R&B, it provided the depth, involvement and range of emotion that defined what would come to be known as soul music. His output at Atlantic was stunning, a string of classic numbers ( Cry To Me, Everybody Needs Somebody To Love, Down In The Valley) that defined the idiom with architectural precision, influenced everyone from Otis Redding to Tom Jones and ensured his subsequent coronation as the King of Rock & Soul.

An unchallenged ruler with a remarkable pedigree -- record sales topping 17 million, a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction -- Burke has thrived not only artistically, but also spiritually (he maintains his own church in the San Fernando Valley) and personally (his family boasts 21 children), and shows no sign whatsoever of slowing.

Since his 2002 Grammy win for Best Contemporary Blues Album for the stunning Dont Give Up On Me introduced him to a new generation, Solomon Burkes always impressive cachet has only expanded. He has made numerous television appearances, undertaken his second tour with the Rolling Stones, done studio collaborations with the hipster likes of Junkie XL and Zucchero, been featured in the acclaimed documentary Lightning In A Bottle -- a raft of resume additions that would be an impressive chapter in any musical career, but for an artist such as Burke, one who trades in the profound and illimitable truths of soul music, these are mere speed bumps along the way.

Solomons latest release, Make Do With What You Got brings the focus back to exactly where it should be, on that unrivaled, intoxicating voice, an instrument able to elevate, enchant and more importantly, inform. He once again provides a powerful set that both reflects his unparalleled past achievements and attains a higher artistic plateau. Presented with a warm, after-hours feel from a funky-tight sextet, Burkes incomparable vocals float with an intimate grace, grind down to the gritty rock valley bottom and deliver soul-stirring testimonials of abiding hope. Drawn from the work of some of the 20th centurys most vaunted songwriters, Hank Williams and Bob Dylan among them, the ten tracks play as a series of messages conveyed in oracular metaphor that, coming at a critically uncertain moment in history, strive to manifest the understanding and endurance so sorely needed. In 2006, Solomon received his second Grammy nomination for Make Do With What You Got.

In the Fall of 2005, Solomon collaborated with the British sensation, Jools Holland, both in the studio and in a sell-out tour of the United Kingdom, including two performances at the Royal Albert Hall. And to cap off 2005, Solomon was invited by Pope Benedict XVI to perform at the Vatican for the Christmas concert, with Maestro Renato Serio and the Vatican Symphony Orchestra.

In another step of inspired destiny, Solomon will return to his roots on is next recording: a country cd recorded in Nashville, to be produced by renowned performer, writer, and producer Buddy Miller. The anticipated release for this masterpiece will be September, 2006. In the meantime, Solomon continues to tour, preach and spread his message of peace and love in all that he does.

Live On Stage:

Solomon Burke is a soul music legend, and should be circled on your schedule - no excuses. Here's he is doing his signature song Everybody Needs Somebody To Love...

IMEEM Playlist:

Solomon Burke

Music Videos:

Here's King Solomon with None Of Us Are Free...

For more on Solomon Burke head on over to his official website.

Bonnawho's Who - Little Feat

2008-06-01T07:23:00.000-07:00

Official Bio:

In his preface to Little Feat’s recent retrospective compilations—‘02’s Raw Tomatos and Ripe Tomatos--the band’s Paul Barrere wrote, ”It’s almost 33 years ago exactly since Mr. [Lowell] George came to the front door of the Laurel Canyon house I was livin’ in, with that beautiful white ”p“ bass in hand, and asked if I wanted to try out as bass player for his new band. As most who know the story’s end can tell you, as a bassist I make an excellent guitarist, and 3 years later-- when I finally began my stint in Little Feat-- I would never have guessed that I would be here writing these liner notes to yet another chapter in the now storied life of a band that has been my life, and a true labor of love.“Truth is, there really is no story’s end yet, and Little Feat have indeed led a storied life ever since they formed in 1969. From then on, their unconventional signature of earthy, organic appeal and polished, first-rate musicianship wrapped around eclectic and memorable songs--clearly delivered as an authentic labor of love--has been a lasting fixture on the musical landscape. As American as apple pie--and rock ‘n roll itself--Feat’s music transcends boundaries, a freewheeling fusion of California rock and Dixie-inflected funk-boogie. In the mix as well are strains of folk, blues, rockabilly, country and jazz, inventing a hybrid sound that is truly Little Feat’s own.

Easily one of the hardest working bands in show biz, today’s Little Feat is a seven-member powerhouse that ably carries on the group’s tradition in both the recording and touring arenas. In fact, they have a brand new studio album—their first since 2000’s Chinese Work Songs—titled Kickin’ It At The Barn, produced by Feat-ers Paul Barrere, Bill Payne and Fred Tackett. It’s named after the place it was recorded throughout 2003, Tackett’s barn-come-studio in Topanga Canyon, which Bill Payne has called ”Little Feat’s version of The Band’s ‘Big Pink’,“ and which lent an invaluable ambience to Feat’s latest undertaking. In his liner notes, faithful Feat scribe Paul Barrere writes, ”If music is a conversation between the players, then we are talking like never before…this has been truly one of the most memorable recording projects we’ve done. We started with an idea to write songs on acoustic guitar and piano, like the old days before computers and samples, and then let the band interpret the music.“

The result is a spirited collection of eleven-songs, comprised of both acoustic and plugged-in numbers that finds Feat in absolutely top form, weaving magic once again with their inimitable sound. Stand-out tracks include Bill Payne’s epic and beautiful Tex-Mex inspired opus ”Corazones y Sombras“ (hearts and shadows), which was co-written in Texas with Stephen Bruton and features a stellar guest line-up of Mexican players. The sublime musical journey continues with ”Bills River Blues,“ which Barrere and Payne co-write, ”In A Town Like This,“ the title track from Fred Tackett’s last solo album, now amp-ed up and fleshed out by the full band, and the Shaun Murphy-penned groove ”I’d Be Lyin’.“ And, that’s just to mention a few, of course.

It’s a past whose long and winding history took root in 1969 when songwriter, performer, multi-instrumentalist, and all around colorful character Lowell George, formerly of Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention, set out to form his own band -- at Zappa’s suggestion. The brilliant and often idiosyncratic George connected with keyboard master Bill Payne, and, along with drummer Richie Hayward and Roy Estrada, founded Little Feat. They were soon signed to Warner Bros., where Little Feat, in various configurations, would remain for twelve of their sixteen albums.

This initial line-up recorded the band’s first two LPs--their rootsy, 1971 self-titled debut, featuring the classic cut ”Willin,“ and its follow-up, Sailin’ Shoes, which added ”Easy To Slip,“ ”Trouble,“ ”Tripe Face Boogie,“ ”Cold Cold Cold“ and the infectious title track to their repertoire. Upon Estrada’s departure in 1972, Paul Barrere, Sam Clayton and Kenny Gradney (all still in Feat today) signed on, and the rest, as they say, is history…and many more great albums.

Next up was Dixie Chicken (’73), a New Orleans-influenced gumbo of greatness that offered up the signature title track and ”Fat Man In The Bathtub,“ among other delights. The two LPs that followed, Feats Don’t Fail Me Now (’74) and The Last Record Album (’75) served up ”Rock & Roll Doctor,“ ”Oh, Atlanta,“ and ”All That You Dream,“ respectively, while 1977’s Time Loves a Hero offered up, in fine Feats fashion, another unforgettable title track. That same year delivered the aforementioned Waiting For Columbus, forever memorializing their legendary stage prowess.

During Little Feat’s recording of their eighth album as a group, 1979’s Down On The Farm, founding member Lowell George—who had already been veering towards solo work-- met a tragic and untimely passing. Except for Hoy, Hoy, a 1981 full-length assemblage of rarities, live performances, previously overlooked tracks, and a new song apiece from Payne and Barrere, Little Feat disbanded until the mid-‘80s. At that point, their own lyrics from ”Hangin’ On To The Good Times Here,“ ”…although we went our own ways, we couldn’t escape from where we came, so we find ourselves back at the table again, telling stories of survivors and friends,“ proved very telling. Barrere and Payne remember that a chance jam session in 1986 brought them together again, when they were reminded of how deeply Little Feat’s music was ingrained in them.

In 1988, the reformed band—with new members Craig Fuller (handling George’s vocal duties) and Fred Tackett--rekindled Feat’s magic for fans old and new alike. That year, they released the lively reunion album Let It Roll, and the singles ”Hate To Lose Your Lovin’,“ and, of course, the title track. The 1989 follow-up, Representing The Mambo, would prove to be their last for Warner Bros. Next came 1991’s Shake Me Up (on Morgan Creek), after which Fuller departed the band. Little Feat added a new lead singer, Shaun Murphy, in 1993, and released an acclaimed studio album, Ain’t Had Enough Fun in 1995 (this time on Zoo). Shaun’s feminine energy and powerful, seasoned, bluesy vocalizations certainly upped the fun quotient for a recharged Little Feat.

This incarnation of the band— which remains current today—was captured live to great effect on ‘96’s Live From Neon Park, a two-CD set culling performances from multiple concert venues including San Francisco’s fabled Fillmore Auditorium, Portland, Oregon’s Roseland Ballroom, and House of Blues Sunset Strip. Named after the renowned album cover artist whose striking images gracing Little Feat’s releases was a time-honored tradition (until his death from ALS in 1993), this live-fest featured all the band’s best-loved songs as well as their contemporary material. The collection proved how vital they remained after all the changes time had wrought.

In 1998, Little Feat released Under The Radar, their first album on CMC International. Spotlighting a confident and well-oiled configuration of first-rate talents, Under The Radar delivered a consistently strong set of songs including new Feat favorites ”Home Ground,“ ”Eden’s Wall,“ and ”Calling The Children Home.“ With 2000’s Chinese Work Songs, also on CMC, Little Feat’s ever-evolving repertoire grew even more, featuring original compositions including ”Marginal Creatures,“ ”Eula,“ and ”Another Sunday,“ as well as vibrant covers of Bob Dylan, The Band and Phish songs.

Released in October 2003, Kickin’ It At The Barn adds to the ever-growing repertoire on the band’s very own Hot Tomato Records. ”It’s something we’ve talked about doing for a long time,“ says founding Feat-er Payne of launching the label, adding, ”it gives us the chance to do what we want, and it’s there for everybody in the band… and when it’s really up and running, for other artists too.“ In a perfect synergy of saluting their vibrant past and christening the untold future, Hot Tomato kicked-off in June ’02 with the inaugural releases Raw Tomatos and Ripe Tomatos, each a double-CD collection of live rarities spanning over three decades. Tracks were culled from a wealth of tapes amassed over the years from both fans and band sources alike, with each collection boasting well over two hours of music—they are only the first in what promises to be a Hot Tomato tradition of creatively mining the band’s inexhaustible archives.

Other Hot Tomato releases include the 2002 two-CD set Live From The Ram’s Head, capturing a 2001 acoustic show recorded in Annapolis, MD, and ‘03’s Down Upon The Suwannee, a live recording captured at the Magnolia Festival in Live Oak, Florida. The title, which is also a tip of the hat to Stephen Foster, refers to the Suwannee River, which flows through the concert site.

Fred Tackett’s solo album In A Town Like This came out in 2003 as well, and plans are in the works to release discs from various band members in the future, including one from Bill Payne slated for 2004, and a second Paul Barrere/Fred Tackett album, among other projects.

Yet another present day acknowledgement of Little Feat’s rich legacy is Rhino’s deluxe 25th anniversary edition of the band’s monumental concert LP Waiting for Columbus, released in 2002 as an expanded two-CD set with extensive new liner notes and rare photos. When it first came out in 1977, Waiting For Columbus instantly became one of the all-time great live rock ‘n roll albums, serving up bringin’-down-the-house versions of a host of Feat favorites including ”Dixie Chicken,“ ”Fat Man In the Bathtub,“ ”Time Loves A Hero,“ ”Sailin’ Shoes,“ ”Oh Atlanta,“ and ”Willin’.“ The new package restores the full 17-song sequence of the original concert, and adds seven previously unreleased outtakes. In October 2002, Little Feat commemorated Rhino’s re-release--and the unforgettable musical event that inspired it-- with a benefit concert at Washington, D.C.’s Lisner Auditorium, one of the two venues where Waiting For Columbus was recorded. An all-star guest line-up including Jackson Browne, Stephen Bruton, Joe Ely, Bela Fleck, Levon Helm, Sonny Landreth, and Billy Bob Thornton helped the band celebrate.

Rhino/Warner Bros. also saluted Little Feat’s accumulated musical history with the comprehensive retrospective Hotcakes & Outtakes: 30 Years of Little Feat, a project initiated and co-produced by Bill Payne and Paul Barrere. Released in 2000, the deluxe 4-CD, 83-track boxed set features hits from all of Little Feat’s classic albums as well as fan favorites, alternate takes and hand-picked rarities from the band’s eventful past.

Time has loved these musical heroes for more than three decades now, as have legions of fans and countless fellow musicians, many of whom they’ve played with over the years. Feat’s fabled collaborators have included Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Beck, Brian Wilson, Bonnie Raitt, Robert Plant, John Lee Hooker, Johnny Lang, and Leftover Salmon (for whom Bill Payne recently produced an album). With the success of Hot Tomato Records, an endeavor powered by an inspired band of musicians continuing to create exciting new material both individually and as a group—including their latest, Kickin’ It At The Barn--Little Feat will no doubt be sailin’ into the future with no end in sight.

Live On Stage:

It always surprises me that more people don't know Little Feat - they put out some fantastic albums in the 70s, before their lead singer died - they've seemed to have gotten lost in the shuffle because of it. Sure the touring version of the band isn't the original, but they still a great live band. Let's kick out school with two live clips. First up Dixie Chicken...

And here's Fat Man In The Bathtub...

IMEEM Playlist:

Little feat

For more on Little Feat head on over to their official website.

Bonnawho's Who - The Avett Brothers

2008-05-31T15:16:00.000-07:00

Official Bio:

"It costs nothing to be honest, loyal and true."

If you put your ear to the street, you can hear the rumble of the world in motion; people going to and from work, to school, to the grocery store. You may even hear the whisper of their living rooms, their conversation, their complaints, and if you're lucky, their laughter. If you're almost anywhere in America , you'll hear something different, something special, something you recognize but haven't heard in a long time. It is the sound of a real celebration.

It is not New Year's, and it is not a political convention. It is neither a prime time game-show, nor a music video countdown, bloated with fame and sponsorship. What you are hearing is the love for a music. It is the unbridled outcry of support for a song that sings to the heart, that dances with the soul. The jubilation is in the theaters, the bars, the music clubs, the festivals. The love is for a band.

The songs are honest: just chords with real voices singing real melodies. But, the heart and the energy with which they are sung, is really why people are talking, and why so many sing along.

They are a reality in a world of entertainment built with smoke and mirrors, and when they play, the common man can break the mirrors and blow the smoke away, so that all that's left behind is the unwavering beauty of the songs. That's the commotion, that's the celebration, and wherever The Avett Brothers are tonight, that's what you'll find.

Live On Stage:

Don't know much about these guys, but after watching this great performance I think I may need to track down some of their albums...

IMEEM Playlist:

Avett Brothers

Music Videos:

Was a little surprised I'd find a music video, but here's Die, Die, Die...

One more for ya...

Paranoia In B Flat

For more on The Avett Brothers head on over to their official website.

Cafe/Night Club Acts - Part III

2008-05-31T11:36:00.000-07:00

Howlin' Rain

Official Website

IMEEM Playlist:

Howlin Rain

Jake Shimabukuro

Official Website

IMEEM Playlist:

Jake Shimabukuro

Jessie Baylin

Official Website

IMEEM Playlist:

jessie baylin

Jypsi

Official Website

IMEEM Playlist:

Jypsi

K'NAAN

Official Website

IMEEM Playlist:

KNaan

Lord T & Eloise

Official Website

IMEEM Playlist:

Lord T & Eloise

Bonnawho's Who - Jakob Dylan And The Gold Mountain Rebels

2008-05-31T11:20:00.000-07:00

Official Bio:

“Once I realized that this album was basically going to just be guitar and voice,” says Jakob Dylan, “I had to work a bit differently, because there's nothing but the song to grab your attention.”

On Seeing Things, Dylan's first-ever solo album, the songs most certainly do make a listener sit up and take notice. They are spare, unblinking visions, stripped to the bone, full of dread and darkness one minute and spirited optimism the next. After five albums as the leader of the platinum-selling, Grammy-winning band the Wallflowers, with this project Dylan reveals a striking and powerful new approach to his work.

“In a band, you usually use the studio as another instrument, whether as an ally or an opponent,” he says. “But this time, it was as if there was no studio beyond documenting the songs. I wanted the studio to be invisible, and to have that lack of sound become the sound of the record.”

Inspiration arrived when he went on tour opening for T-Bone Burnett, an old friend who also produced the Wallflowers' 1996 breakthrough album Bringing Down the Horse. Dylan had only his Wallflowers material from which to draw, but playing those compositions alone on an acoustic guitar led to a revelation.

"That's the way I wrote all of those songs, and the way they sounded before exploring them with the Wallflowers,” he says. “I knew that I wanted to write more songs I could play in that sort of setting.”

Still, he had to find a voice that matched his intention. “You want each record to have a language that's unique to itself,” he says. The new chapter began with “Valley of the Low Sun,” a haunting, gently ominous dreamscape. “There's always something that tells you that you've started a record,” he says, “and when that song hit me, I realized I had begun.”

The rest of the album was written over the next few months, at which point Dylan played them for Rick Rubin, who had recently become the head of Dylan's new label, Columbia Records. Rubin, who has produced legends from Johnny Cash to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, from the Dixie Chicks to Jay-Z, became Dylan's guide to unlocking the songs on Seeing Things.

“Rick got to Columbia right on time for me, because I was at a bit of a standstill,” says Dylan. “He understood what I was trying to get to, and set me in an atmosphere which gave me the freedom to do it.” Rubin's support extended down to the location of the sessions—most of the album was recorded in the producer's Hollywood home,

The lyrics of these ten songs return again and again to visions of apocalypse and war. Asked if this imagery is a result of the times we live in, Dylan allows that “I wouldn't know how to write something today and not have that sense in there.” But, he emphasizes, he isn't interested in writing literal commentary on current events. “I never find it that distinctive to reference or name-check specific moments, or to write actual narratives,” he says. “I'm still too caught up in the beauty of words. It doesn't matter what you're talking about—if you truly tell it the way you see it, you're never going to have regrets.”

More than anything, songs like “All Day and All Night” hearken back to the timeless language of American roots music. Though Dylan has often spoken of more modern bands like the Clash as his greatest inspiration, he asserts that with these songs, he was aspiring to the majesty and the mystery of the country blues masters.

“That's the stuff I listen to, that's the vocabulary I work with and always go back to,” he says. “If you're a songwriter, that should be your territory-that's the high water mark for all of us. I wanted to write songs that sounded like they've been here forever, that feel like they were carved right from the mountain, not just made in some studio somewhere.”

But there's nothing one-dimensional about Seeing Things; it is also marked by the joy found in such songs as “Something Good This Way Comes.” “I was aware that it was shaping up as a very dramatic record, but I believe those optimistic things, too,” says Dylan. “People might sometimes listen to my songs and think I'm depressed, but I'm really not. There's always been hope and humor in what I write.”

As for the Wallflowers, Dylan maintains that the band is alive and well, and that Seeing Things represents a hiatus, not an ending. “The Wallflowers are designed for a certain sound, and I needed something different,” he says. “I have a great group, and I want to make more records with them. But I've never had a chance to hear my voice sound this way coming out of the speakers.”

Live On Stage:

Jakob will be hitting Manchester will a newly released solo album, so I wouldn't expect a Wallflowers greatest hits set out him. Here's Jakob doing a solo acoustic version of One Headlight...

IMEEM Playlist:

Wallflowers

Music Videos:

We'll kick it old school with some Wallflowers, let's go with their cover of Heroes...

Few more to check out...

One Headlight

Sleepwalker

6th Avenue Heartache

For more on Jakob Dylan head on over to his official website.

Bonnawho's Who - Donavon Frankenreiter

2008-05-31T09:05:00.000-07:00

Official Bio:

Once upon a time, mentioning surfing and music in the same sentence conjured up sepia-toned images of the early’’60s. But thanks to artists like Donavon Frankenreiter -- who, unlike most of the old-school “surf-rockers,” knows his way around a wave as well as he does a fret-board -- those images have been updated radically to focus as much on musical adventure as on the spreading of good vibes.

Over the course of the past half-decade, the California-bred Frankenreiter established himself as one of the more original voices on the acoustic-rock scene, through tireless touring and the innate catchiness of songs like “Free” (which became a Triple-A radio staple upon its release two years ago). But, unsatisfied with simply heading further down that path, he opted to shift gears for Move By Yourself, his sophomore outing -- and first for Lost Highway.

The brisk 11-track disc is something of a sonic sea change for Frankenreiter. While the sun-kissed openness of his songs is still in full effect, he’s now couching those feelings in a whole new set of sounds, from the keyboard-drenched “Let It Go” (which blends Allmans-styled soulfulness with an undeniable pop sensibility) to the low-slung funk grooves of the smoldering title track.

“I listen to so much music, and I pretty much feel comfortable singing all of it, so I didn’t want to come across as a guy who does nothing else but sit on a beach with an acoustic guitar, playing around a fire,” says Frankenreiter. “The funky stuff, especially, is fun to play -- it really lets me tap into a different part of my personality.”

In order to more fully explore different aspects of that personality, the Laguna Beach-based singer-songwriter decided a change of scenery would do him good. After releasing his self-titled debut on Brushfire Recordings -- the label run by longtime friend and collaborator Jack Johnson -- Frankenreiter chose to link with Lost Highway for the release of Move By Yourself.

“Jack and Mario [Caldato] did a great job on that last record and I had a beautiful time making it. I just felt like I needed to make a change, and there were definitely no hard feelings involved,” he says. “I wanted to succeed or fail on my own merits and I jumped at the opportunity to be part of a roster like Lost Highway’s."

Frankenreiter has been moving towards being part of that roster for ages. After establishing himself as one of the most acclaimed free surfers in the world -- a talent that took him halfway around the world before his 16th birthday -- he picked up a guitar in order to master riding a different sort of wave. By his senior year of high school, he was part of a popular live act called Peanut Butter and Jam, in which he learned that taking the stage provided an entirely different sort of pleasure -- for him and his audience.

“The reality is that surfing is my first love,” he admits. “For a long time, it was my life -- I made a living at it starting when I was 16 years old, and it took me all a round the world. But it’s vastly different than doing music. If I call up a buddy to surf, there can be a moment of clarity, but if I get a wave that’s really incredible and try to convey that feeling to someone else, they may not be able to relate. But my wife -- or anyone -- can see me on stage playing and really feel what I’m feeling. It’s magical, there’s so much togetherness.”

Exploring that communal feel was one of Frankenreiter’s primary goals when recording Move By Yourself. He’s adamant about crediting his bandmates Matt Grundy (bass), Eric Brigmond (Keyboards) and Craig Barnette (Drums) with helping shape its alternately funky and blissed-out grooves, and equally eager to spread the gospel of the sort of old-fashioned recording process they used in making the disc.

“We recorded at a studio in St. Augustine, and this guy, Jim DiVito, had tons of really old equipment, which was terrific,” recalls Donavon. “He had two inch tape, no click tracks and we had to do things the way stuff had been done before all the modern studio technology was invented. Just seeing the tape roll was fun. That had a lot to do with the way the music sounds.”

Those sounds are undeniably, unabashedly, organic. Acoustic interludes like “Girl Like You (Cali Honey)” exude a back-porch vibe so vivid that it’s easy to imagine the sound of ice swirling around in glasses hoisted by fellow party-goers. And when the volume ramps up to the point where such sounds would be drowned out -- as on the fiery “Fool,” which showcases Frankenreiter’s deft, bluesy fretwork -- other senses get a workout via the smell of sweat and the feel of heat.

Move By Yourself has no shortage of such sonic mood swings, but there’s a definite evenness of spirit. Sure, the disc has its share of assertive moments, but it’s hard to miss the delight with which Frankenreiter approaches life, whether he’s relating his feelings about his child (as on “These Arms”) or simply waking up to greet the new dawn addressed on “Beautiful Day.” He’s a happy guy, and he’s the first to admit it.

“It’s a totally positive thing for me,” Frankenreiter declares. “I’ve talked to people who’ve asked ‘why don’t you write more depressing songs? Sure, I have bad days like anyone else, but mostly, I feel lucky. When I pick up a guitar, I feel good. It makes me want to open a bottle of wine and have a party, and that’s what I’d like people to feel when they listen to my music.”

Live On Stage:

Ok once you get past the creepy 70s style porn mustache, Donavon Frankenreiter plays a funkier version of that laid back beach music that Jack Johnson made famous. Check out Call Me Pappa...

IMEEM Playlist:

Donavon Frankenreiter

Music Videos:

Here's What'cha Know About featuring G. Love....

Few more to check out...

Free

Move By Yourself

It Don't Matter

For more on Donavon Frankenreiter head on over to his official website.

Bonnawho's Who - Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings

2008-05-31T08:51:00.000-07:00

Official Bio:

Sharon Jones was born Sheron Lafaye Jones in Augusta, Georgia on May 4th 1956. Her mother moved to Brooklyn soon thereafter, however Jones was sent down south for a few months every year to stay with her family. As a child, she and her brothers would imitate the songs and dances of James Brown, who shared their hometown. Like many rhythm and blues entertainers, she began performing in church at a very young age where her voice would find a lifelong home and inspiration. As a teenager in the early nineteen seventies, she began singing outside of the church in talent shows and with local funk groups. Later she would make her living with a combination of sporadic session work as a mostly anonymous voice on various dance records (sometimes credited as Lafaye Jones), singing with wedding bands, and a handful of day jobs which included stints as both a prison guard at New York’s notorious Riker’s Island, and an armored car guard for Wells Fargo Bank. In 1996 she was called in to sing back-up at a Desco Records studio session for 70’s soul legend Lee Fields.

Desco was a small independent specializing in traditional funk and soul pressed exclusively to wax. Co-owners and producers Phillip Lehman and Bosco ‘Bass’ Mann had called Jones in on a tip from a sax player who was seeing her at the time. As the other two girls never showed up for the session, Jones cut all the background parts for the session herself, and proceeded to cut the impromptu prison rap over Switchblade, which had originally been intended for a man. Ironically, that rant (slowed down to make it sound like a man) would be her first outing as a featured artist on a record. Though she was at first skeptical of the 21 year-old jewish kid egging her on from the other side of the glass, a common love and respect for Soul music soon created a trust and friendship between Jones and Mann which would lead them both to a fruitful career.

Over the next four years, Jones sang frequently alongside Lee Fields, Joseph Henry, and Naomi Davis as part of the Desco Super Soul Revue backed by Desco house band the Soul Providers. Desco would release a handful of singles in her name including The Bump & Touch, Damn It’s Hot, and You Better Think Twice as well as versions of funk classics I Got the Feelin’ and Hook & Sling. In the UK, a blossoming Deep Funk scene lead by DJ’s Keb Darge and Snowboy among others showed support for these Desco releases and paved the way for Jones and the Soul Providers’ first international tour in 1999, where her command of the stage earned her an overnight title as the ‘Queen of Funk’.

Unfortunately, just as the Jones and the band began to gain momentum and a reputation for a show that couldn’t be missed, internal business conflicts caused the demise of Desco Records in the early part of 2000. Though the Soul Providers would not perform again, it wasn’t long before Jones and Mann would regroup in another formation.

Guitarist Binky Griptite, would remain at Mann’s side as well as organist Earl Maxton, percussionist Fernando ‘Boogaloo’ Velez, trumpeter Anda ‘Goodfoot’ Szilagyi and Baritone saxophonist Jack Zapata (AKA Martín Perna, who would go on to form Brooklyn afrobeat collective Antibalas) all from the original Soul Providers. From the Mighty Imperials, a young instrumental organ funk group that recorded at Desco, Tenor saxophonist Leon Michels (who would later leave the group to form the El Michels Affair as well as his own label, Truth & Soul) and drummer Homer ‘Funkyfoot’ Steinweiss would fill out the line-up. Both were only 17 years-old at the time. Now for the first time, the group would be billed as Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings.

In 2001, the group landed a summer residency at a club in Barcelona. Knowing that the trip would be a financial disaster without having a recording to sell, Mann penned a few new tunes and assembled the band to record. A rough eight track recording studio was rigged up in the basement beneath the Afro-Spot, a local kung-fu dojo which doubled as an afrobeat nightclub and headquarters for Antibalas’ frontman Duke Amayo. After a few weeks of tracking and mixing, the band’s debut album was completed. Dap Dippin’ with Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings would be Jones’s first full length recording. Though few hundred copies were pressed to sell on the road, it would take several months and the birth of a new record label before Dap-Dippin’ would be commercially released.

In late 2001, saxophonist Neal Sugarman, whose organ driven Sugarman Three combo had given Desco two of its most prominent releases, and Gabriel Roth, Desco’s head recording engineer, joined together to form Daptone Records. With the intention of continuing on where Desco had left off, Daptone’s debut release would be the Dap-Dippin’ album.

Over the next three years, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings would tour extensively and build steadily upon a growing reputation as the unrivaled frontrunners of old-school Soul and Funk music. The band went through several changes in personnel before settling into what would be its permanent line-up. Sugarman joined the band to replace Michels on tenor saxophone. Michels would move to baritone where he would stay until 2005, when he eventually left to give Truth & Soul Records his full attention. He would be replaced on baritone by Ian Hendrickson-Smith, a well known and respected jazz saxophonist in his own right. The trumpet chair passed from Szilagyi to Todd Simon, and was eventually filled by David Guy. Maxton left the band in 2003 to play with Antibalas, leaving the band with no organ, and guitarist Tommy ‘TNT’ Brenneck, of the Budos Band, would take up the slack in the rhythm section.

By the time they returned to the studio in 2004, the Dap-Kings roster read like a veritable who’s who of the day’s Soul and Funk scene, most of whom were bandleaders in their own right. Countless gigs had molded the rhythm section into a redoubtable juggernaut on the bandstand, and the combination of Sugarman, Guy, and Michels in the horn section was fierce. Behind the ever-increasing power and stage presence of Jones, the band was becoming a force to be reckoned with.

In 2003, Daptone Records had relocated to a dilapidated two family house in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Upstairs became the offices, and with some amount of work, the first floor had been converted to a recording studio. By the time the Dap-Kings came to record their second record in March of 2004, the studio had been outfitted with a sixteen track tape machine. (Originally, the plan was to record the second and third albums back to back. Unfortunately, on the last day of tracking the second record, a car accident on the way home from the studio landed Mann in the hospital with serious eye injuries. From then on he would have to wear protective sunglasses. It was over a month and a half before work could be resumed on the album and it was decided to scrap the third album for the time being.)

In January of 2005, Naturally hit the streets and set Jones and the Dap-Kings loose on a relentless touring schedule. Fueled by rave reviews of both their new record and the blistering live show, record sales and concert attendance began rising across the country, and as the band began to tour more frequently overseas, international markets soon followed suit. By 2006, audiences in Europe, Canada, and Australia were packing venues to see Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings.

A high point came when Daptone Records presented a Soul Revue at New York’s Irving Plaza (Fillmore East?) to honor Jones’ 50th birthday. The sold out extravaganza featured The Mighty Imperials, The Budos Band, Charles Bradley, Binky Griptite, Naomi Davis & the Gospel Queens, the Bushwick Philharmonic, Antibalas, and was of course headlined by the Dap-Kings and Sharon Jones herself.

In the winter of 2006, the band slowed its touring schedule to make time for a return to the studio. The resulting 100 Days, 100 Nights, slated for a much anticipated release in September of this year, is arguably their greatest achievement to date. With much more extensive songwriting and arranging contributions from the members of the band, the songs take more distinct and well-crafted forms, enabling a deeper more soulful return to traditional Rhythm and Blues roots. However, it is the raw fire and Soul which Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings consistently pour into their music that will make this record an irreplaceable part of many people’s lives.

Live On Stage:

Sharon Jones and her fantastic backing band the Dap Kings should be a must see this year, if you don't believe check out this clip...

IMEEM Playlist:

Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings

Music Videos:

Here they are with Tell Me...

Got one more for ya...

100 Days, 100 Nights

For more on Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings boogie on over to their official site.

Bonnawho's Who - Israel Vibration

2008-05-27T17:30:00.000-07:00

Official Bio:
The story of international reggae group Israel Vibration’s success starts out with their humbling beginnings as children in a Jamaican rehabilitation center, battling polio, a disease that attacks the central nervous system, producing muscular atrophy and often death. The whole island of Jamaica had an outbreak of this epidemic in the 1950s after a shipment of used clothing from England was found to contain the polio virus and many of the islands poor people could not afford to raise these children.

After spending several years at the Mona Rehabilitation Clinic on the outskirts of Kingston, Lacelle Bulgin (Wiss), Albert Craig (Apple) and Cecil Spence (Skelly) began to exhibit interests in music playing piano and other instruments that were laying around at the clinic. They also became very close friends and as they became teenagers they started to adhere to the teachings of Rastafari. This caused some consternation with the administrators of the clinic and they were ordered to trim their locks, stop preaching to the other patients about Jah Rastafari or they would be asked to leave. Steadfast in their beliefs they were unable to eschew their religion and were eventually thrown out of the clinic.

With no money or family to care for them, these three soldiers found themselves sleeping under trees in a field at night with only cardboard as their bed. Sometimes passersby would give them some food or money to help them get through another day. This sufferation caused them to begin writing songs and creating harmonies where each member took a turn singing lead, with the other two providing a type of harmony where their voice would vibrate. This distinctive style lead to them taking the name Israel Vibration since they has become members of a Rastafarian organization known as the Twelve Tribes of Israel.

Eventually word of these homeless singers spread and noted Jamaican producer Tommy Cowan brought them to a studio in Kingston to record what would become their first LP “The Same Song”. This was picked up by EMI in England and their fame now became worldwide. Even Bob Marley picked them as his favorite group and had them play with Bob on a number of shows in Kingston. Jamaica. Their next album, “Unconquered People” was recorded at Bob’s Tuff Gong Studio and featured many of the Wailers as musicians.

As was typical with many producer/artist relationships in Jamaica in those times, the band was never fairly compensated for their work and they decided to split with Cowan. Their frustration with the music business and the difficulties of living in Jamaica with polio led them to come to Brooklyn, New York and like so many other Jamaican immigrants they settled into this community which was almost like home.

Living in America did not solve their problems and the group did not record for several years. In fact they began to drift apart and were trying to launch careers as solo artists. Around 1987 some of them approached Doctor Dread from RAS Records to see if the label would be interested in signing them as solo artists. Doctor Dread was firm in his response “Marcus Garvey always said that Unity Is Strength and if the group would re-unite, that RAS would be willing to undertake re-launching their career as Israel Vibration”. The rest is history.

In 1988 RAS recorded “Strength Of My Life” and went on to produce another seven albums by the group. RAS also was instrumental in touring the group all over the world. To see three polio victims come on stage with their crutches and perform for over two hours straight hours was a very powerful message and audiences the world over became mesmerized by the sounds that the Roots Radics (their backing band) and Israel were creating. Things kept growing and growing for the group until 1988 when Apple Craig decided to leave the group to again pursue a solo career. He released a solo project for RAS in 2001 and lives in Atlanta now.

Skelly and Wiss continue to record and tour as Israel Vibration and have released two albums for RAS and the brand new “Fighting Soldiers” CD. Their careers are peaking again as they have taken both Europe and America by storm and their legion of fans continues to grow. Headlining many large reggae festivals the worldover, Israel Vibration are the torchbearers of the roots, rock reggae movement popularized by Bob Marley. And their flame is burning brighter than ever!

Live On Stage:

Nothing beats some good reggae at a festival to put you in a good mood, and these guys have been doing it since the late '70s. Here's African Unification...

IMEEM Playlist:

ISRAEL VIBRATION

Music Videos:

Wasn't expecting to find a music video, but here's Rudeboy Shufflin....

For more info on Israel Vibration head on over to their official website.