This review also appears on my RadioIO.com Blog at the following link:http://www.radioio.com/genres/hiphop-soul/

This was a straight up spiritual experience today at the Apollo Theatre. It was the ‘Church of Michael Jackson” up in there today and it was something that I was quite unprepared for. You see I had been to the Apollo a few years ago for what was essentially the “wake” of James Brown. I had expected this event, less than a week after the passing of Michael Jackson to be much the same. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

There was no dead body on the stage, as there was at the James Brown wake.. Instead there was a lone barstool, with a familiar looking black fedora, a familiar pair of black shades and a single familiar white sequined glove resting on top of the seat cushion of the barstool. The spotlight shined on the barstool and the items resting on the seat cushion of the barstool glowed.

The crowd entered the lower level of the Apollo in an orderly fashion. They all seemingly had on Michael Jackson T-Shirts, Michael Jackson Baseball caps. Some carried handmade/store brought Michael Jackson banners and posters.

Jonelle Procope CEO and President of the Apollo then came out to speak. She talked about how folks came to the Apollo as soon as they heard about the news of Michael’s passing. Rev Al came out and talked about how the Jackson’s started here at the Apollo and he made the world recognize OUR CULTURE. Congressman Charlie Rangel came on and gave greetings from the Congressional Black Caucus. All of what they had to say was important and most fitting to the occasion. However what they had to say was nearly meaningless after what came next.

And what came next was an EXPLOSION. It was sheer joy.
It made me smile from ear to ear. And it made me understand perhaps for the first time, just why Michael Jackson is/was as big as he is/was.

What came next was indescribable using text. You really had to be there..

If I say something like..

“For the next 30 minutes the packed Apollo crowd was treated to a Michael Jackson MASTER MIX + VIDEO SHOW with legendary rapper CHUBB ROCK leading the crowd”

Then most of you will say “big deal.”

..and you would be correct.

IT WAS A BIG DEAL

In fact it was something pretty damn close to: ::::MAGIC:::::

It can’t be compared to being at any musical event I have ever been to. It was something like being at an amusement park and just watching the joy & happiness on the faces of the people. It was as though it didn’t matter that he had died. People singing.
People dancing. People screaming his name in unison.
The packed Apollo was turned into a house party, for sure.
People “freaking.”
People “moonwalking.”
Young people.
Old people.
Black
White
Hispanic
It was as though there was a “rebirth” right there inside of the Apollo.

NOBODY WAS CRYING

The vibe was incredible. The entire Apollo bonded together as one. I’ve been a Michael Jackson fan since 1969. But after today THE SONGS mean more than they ever did to me before.

When I took the subway back to Penn Station, I encountered two young white girls. They had on Michael Jackson paraphernalia, so I decided to interview them. One was 22 and the other was 23. Neither had been born yet when the “Thriller” album was released.

Later as I added up the sum total of the day, what I had seen, what I had heard, the people I talked with, the people I didn’t, plus the general glow surrounding the Apollo today, I finally came up with a person from the past to compare Michel Jackson to.

It’s not a musical artist. It’s Walt Disney. It occurred to me that Walt Disney was a visionary, who was all about the same kinds of things that Michael Jackson was about. I think that it’s fair to say that Walt Disney had a world view with respect to technology, culture, education and more was similar to that of Michael Jackson.

Except for one difference.

Unlike Walt Disney, Michael Jackson really did figure out a way to place himself into a state of “suspended animation.”

WE HAVE HIS SONGS, WHICH WILL BE HERE FOREVER.

…..And every single time someone spins a record.
Or

….Loads in a CD

Or

…..Clicks a mouse.

Or

….perhaps in the future, summons up a hologram

Over some object, physical or meta physical with the name

::::JACKSON::::

He is going to reappear, and it will be just as if he had never left.

And we are going to smile just as soon as we hear his voice.

Even Walt Disney can’t do that, from the great beyond….

This poem comes from our friend Paradise. A few years ago a few of yall will recall that Paradise was named as Soul-Patrol’s Jazz Artist of the year…
——

THEY JUST BEAT HIM!

by Paradise

They just beat him
Just yesterday
They Finally beat him
Beat him to death
Beat all the black off of him
Beat all the naps off of him
Beat all the song
And the dance
And the music out of him
Beat him like a pinata
Until they knocked
All the goodies out of him
Beat the Soul out of him
Like Rodney King
They just beat him
And beat him and beat him
For 50 years
This world beat him
Made fun of him
And made him their whipping boy
For making great music
For giving us a Thriller of a life
A Thriller of a time
For leaving behind an incredible
Legacy of music and love
And not a single curse word
On any of his songs
Nothing but great art
For the world to cherish forevermore
The number one selling album of all time
On planet Earth
And for this they beat him
Like Emmitt Till and Jesus
They just beat him, beat him
Put him on a cross and beat him
Another messiah bites the dust
For having a beautiful soul
For being too beautiful for this world
For trying to heal the world
And bring salvation back
And bring us together
A humanitarian, a vegetarian
Because he loved animals
Wouldn’t harm a flea
He loved us all
It didn’t matter
Whether you’re black or white
But whites and blacks
Just beat him
Assassinated his character
Blasphemed his name
Held him up against The Wall
And threw rocks at him
Stoned him to death
For trying to Rock With You
For singing about Butterflies
For being a Dancing Machine
They pulled him over
And gave him a ticket
For Moonwalking While Black
For having a Moonwalk
more shocking than NASAs
For being one Giant Step for mankind
They finally popped the King of Pop
And sent him back to Neverneverland
With Peter Pan
And all the other mythical
Mystical, magical creatures
He gave us
Billie Jean, The Love You Save
Never Can Say Goodbye & I’ll Be There
And we gave him creature features
We are the World
And we just beat him
Pulverized him into submission
Teased him to death
The world finally beat Michael Jackson
He’s Out of Our Lives
Are you happy now
Beat him off the planet
Beat all the ebony and ivory off of him
And yet he continues to stand
And he will forevermore be The Man
With the velvet touch
And the Sequined Gloved Hand
Michael Jackson
Invincible
Heeee hee!

(c) 6/26/09 6:30am by Paradise

The “King of Pop” performed at the world-famous Apollo several times in his career - first, in 1969 when he was just a young boy, and, most recently, in 2002 at the invitation of former President Bill Clinton at a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee.

On Tuesday, June 30, 2009, the Apollo will welcome the public into the Theater to pay tribute to Mr. Jackson, hear his music, and see video tributes to the late pop star. Apollo President and CEO Jonelle Procope, the Reverend Al Sharpton, and others will offer eulogies under the Apollo marquee at 2:00p.m. On Wednesday, July 1, 2009, the Apollo will dedicate its weekly Amateur Night show to Mr. Jackson with special performances and dance features such as a moon walking contest. Further, the Apollo has erected a signature wall outside the Theater where mourners can write condolences and leave remembrances. The Theater also has plans to do a star-studded tribute to Mr. Jackson later in the month of July.

“Michael first performed at the Apollo in the late 1960s with his brothers and won Amateur Night, which catapulted their career as the Jackson 5. We will always remember Michael in our hearts as part of the Apollo’s family of artists and a true Apollo legend. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family. He will be deeply missed,” said Jonelle Procope, president and CEO of the Apollo Theater Foundation. “From the moment the news of his passing was made public, fans began gathering at the Apollo to pay their respects and celebrate Michael’s life. We at the Apollo thought it was important to put these events together to give Michael’s fans the chance to remember him as the consummate entertainer that he was.”

Statement to the Press , Tuesday, June 30, 2009, Starting at 2:00p.m. Jonelle Procope, President & CEO of the Apollo Theater Foundation, will speak to the press and will be joined by the Reverend Al Sharpton to eulogize the late icon.

I was just interviewed and asked to give my reflections on Michael
Jackson.

Here is what I said, I don’t know if this is how they will run it . . .

“Michael Jackson was a cultural icon that surpassed all others that you might be tempted to compare him to. Unlike others such as Elvis, the Beatles or others, the legacy created by the Jackson’s was
TOTALLY ORIGINAL.

The Jackson’s created something out of nothing and Michael
Jackson was the star of that something. Although that might be
considered to be an amazing thing, Black Americans have been creating something out of nothing since the beginning of time!

Michael Jackson became the most famous person on the face of the earth because of his role in creating something that ultimately he found a way to eclipse. So in effect he first created a star for his family and then created an even bigger star for himself.

I don’t think that anyone else has come close to accomplishing that!”

http://www.soul-patrol.net/j5_live.ram

It’s a great live recording, made in 1973 and then followed by
Soul-Patrol’s 1 hour long “Jackson Five Sampler”…

http://www.soul-patrol.net/j5_live.ram

Just let it play in the backround for a couple of hours.
You won’t regret it…

1. Starfleet’s charts for 6/16-30/09

Top-50 Crossover Chart 6/16-30/09

Top-50 Urban/Hip Hop Chart 6/16-30/09

Top-50 Dance Chart 6/16-30/09

Top-40 Indie Urban/Street/Latin Chart 6/16-30/09

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I am totally fascinated by Teena Marie and after listening to her new album called “Congo Square” I am now convinced that after all is said & done, she will become recognized as not only one of the most popular artists of her generation, but also as one of the most innovative in an arena not previously known for its innovation.

Of course like most people I was introduced to her in the late 1970’s via her association with Rick James. And of course I was a big fan along with everyone else of her recorded output in the 1980’s. Lots of hit records in an updated funk style that owed as much to Minnie Riperton as much as it did to Rick James. It was funky, erotic and playful all at the same time, in a very entertaining manner. Most of all Teena injected her personality (even a litte bit of rap on “Square Biz”) into her songs in a way that endeared her to her audience of funkateers, who by now were no longer teenagers, but were now in their late 20’s/early 30’s. Of course these people were no longer called “funkateers” in the 1980’s. They were now considered to be the core of an audience that was now called “Urban Contemporary” and also the target audience of a similarly named nationwide radio format with the same name.

Today that radio format is called “Urban Adult Contemporary” and honestly most of the people who called themselves “funkateers” during the 1970’s think that this format is horrible. That’s because neither the format nor the music has grown with the audience. In fact much of the format and the music insult the audience. However the “Urban AC” format continues to be financially successful because it’s audience feels that it has no alternative. Much of the music is either “bad new stuff” from older artists or “bad new stuff” from newer artists. And as a result the audience has to “settle.”

Fast forward to 2009 and the album “Congo Square”, Teena Marie has done something for her audience that is totally unexpected, and completely welcome. Imagine if you could take the very best of 1980’s “soul/funk” and pretend that the ravages of rap music had not completely rendered “soul/funk” music impotent during the 1990’s? Imagine instead that it had continued to advance musically along it’s projected path starting in about 1985, continuing till 2009. Imagine how good that music would sound. It would be funky, it would be erotic, it would be personal, it would have substance and it would connect with you and your lifestyle. And it would be delivered to you by someone that you feel totally comfortable with, who had also endured the very same up’s & downs offered by post affirmative action America.

“Congo Suare” is really two albums for the price of one.

Album #1 (tracks 1-9) is one of the best “Urban Adult Contemporary” albums that has been produced in 15 years. One of the reasons why it sounds so good is because Teena Marie knows her audience and is a master of knowing what their expectations are. She knows that what they want is something that is based on 1980’s soul/funk, but she also knows that they want something that sounds fresh, but at the same time speaks to them on an extremely personal level. She delivers for her audience a soul music sonic masterpiece in a manner that someone like Alicia Keyes could never deliver, because Alicia Keyes doesn’t yet have the “battle scars.” And she does it in a way that respects the past as she brings it up to date.

Album #2 (tracks 10-16) is something special and Teena Marie is possibly the ONLY white artist who could successfully pull it off. Album #2 (tracks 10-16) from a lyrical content perspective, sounds more like something Gil Scott-Heron or Sly Stone or the Last Poets or the Neville Brothers or Nina Simone might do. It’s in effect as if she is saying, “Black folks, YALL need to sit down, shut up and let Lady Tee take yall to school for a while about your own history, cuz yall are getting ready to screw yourselves.” Teena Marie does indeed take us to school as she addresses topics like the true meaning of “Congo Square” in music history, the true meaning of the Blues, an ode to Mrs. Corretta Scott King, the impact of soldiers separated from their families by war.

This is all done in a jazzy/funky/bluesy style that will remind you of the late 70’s/early 80’s style of Lonnie Liston Smith or Donald Byrd or Freddie Hubbard, etc. She is doing nothing short of telling Black folks that “regardless of how badly you are being treated by others, absolutely nobody else besides you is responsible for passing your values & your history on to your children, so stop passing the buck and start doing what you & I BOTH know YOU are supposed to be doing, before it’s too late.” No other white artist could even conceive of getting away with this besides Teena Marie. Here is a big clue as to why. A few years ago I attended a Teena Marie concert at the Dell East in Philadelphia, where she literally “tore the roof off the sucka.” The crowd was transfixed/transformed by the sheer power of her music. After observing this I went around and interviewed several fans, asking them the question; “How come yall love Teena Marie so much, she’s a white woman…” One 40 year old Black woman answered me like this; “Teena Marie isn’t white, she’s one of us…”

The Pressure 5:32
Can’t Last a Day 5:06
Baby I Love You 4:58
Ear Candy 4:48
Lover’s Lane 5:08
Marry Me 5:32
You Baby 4:16
Milk N’ Honey 5:27
What U Got 4 Me 4:43
Rovleta’s Jass
Congo Square 4:55
Harlem Blues 5:18
Black Cool 2:00
Ms. Coretta 5:20
Soldier Boy 4:26
The Rose N’ Thorn 5:30

Teena Marie Music and DVDs are available at
http://www.earwaxonline.com

This is a bazz azz album. I’ve been listening to it for about a week. In fact, I snuck the first single (”Something Special”) from here into the rotation last week on the Nu Soul @ RadioIO channel: http://www.radioio.com/channels/nusoul

I can only hope that not only will the single do well, but that other songs from the album are released as singles also…
———-

Taking his inspiration from the French term Classique - an author, artist or work of art, of the highest excellence - Will Downing returns with his 14th collection of sensual grooves and true love primers.

‘Classique’ is his second album for Peak Records (in stores June 16 via the Concord Music Group) and a triumphant encore presentation following the challenges he faced creating his Peak debut, ‘After Tonight’ (recorded while battling the muscle disorder Polymyositis). Back in top form, Downing’s sensitive touch is felt throughout the project - singing, writing, arranging and producing, the latter mostly in collaboration with his dear friend and much-in-demand ace Rex Rideout.

Listen to the smooth & sensual first single, “Something Special” Listen To The Latest From Will Downing Here.

Excerpts from Press Release:

Will Downing - Peak Records / Concord Music Group Classique’ - Available June 16th

Highlights of ‘Classique’ include the hypnotic tick-tock pulse of “More Time” (a recurring theme of Will’s regarding finding more hours in the day for love), the feel-good summer groove “Something Special” and what will surely become this album’s top contribution to his personal best canon “I Won’t Stop”, a passionate backbeat driven declaration of eternal love. He waxes especially spicy on the clever “Just Think About It” and in the sexy vocal he shares with singer Sherrida on the funky call and response breakdown of “Love Suggestions”.

As always, Downing respectfully dips back into the timeless wax of old for three numbers. Interestingly, all three of them are songs originally made famous by three legendary gentlemen of Soul. The first is “Baby, I’m For Real”, a monumental 5-weeks-at-#1 smash first penned, produced and arranged by Marvin Gaye in 1969 for his favorite Motown vocal quartet, The Originals. Will recaptures that group vibe by sharing the mic with Phil Perry, whose powerful tenor and trademark falsetto flights play dynamically against his own smooth baritone. Perry, who was a member of just such a singing group called The Montclairs, taps into that experience with overdubbed harmonies.

Next is a stroll through Barry White’s very first hit from 1973, “I’m Gonna Love You Just A Little More Baby”, Will’s version of which also recently graced the Rideout-produced compilation ‘The Strength of a Woman’ (in support of breast cancer research for African American women). Finally there’s Will’s version of original Temptations lead tenor David Ruffin’s 1976 solo masterpiece “Statue of a Fool” (a.k.a. “Name It After Me”), a cover of the 1969 Jack Greene country classic that is among Ruffin’s most poignant recordings. Will tenderly delivers the evocative lyric as well as the heavenly backing harmonies for a rendition that goes straight to the heart.

Beyond the music, Downing is a conscientious humanitarian, proven by his role as a spokesperson for the American Stroke Association which has become even more important to him in the wake of prominent victims such as Luther Vandross, Ron Isley and Coretta Scott King. Whenever possible on tour, Downing conducts the charity bowling event “Strike Against Stroke” to raise funds towards greater stroke awareness and education in the African American community, which is disproportionately affected. The American Heart Association awarded Mr. Downing for his efforts, honoring him as a Celebrity Ambassador in their Power to End Stroke national campaign. Off the road, Will indulged his love for photography by self-publishing the 2005 coffee table book ‘Unveiled Series I’, and relishes his ultimate life roles of loving husband and father.

‘Classique’ is quintessential Will Downing from start to finish.a quiet but emphatic statement on the strength and confidence this Brooklyn native has garnered as he celebrates his 20th anniversary as “The Prince of Sophisticated Soul” - a career in which the man and his artistry have been recognized for excellence from NARAS to the NAACP.

Will Downing Music available at http://www.earwaxonline.com