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…
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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

This email was forwarded from our friend Todd Baptista, via our friend Clyde Frazier. Please read it and pass this blog link and information along.

1. Obviously it is very important for OUR artists to be compensated for their work and as you read thru the website list you will see the names of some of your favorite artists who have money waiting for them, all they need do is collect it. This money represents PERFORMANCE ROYALTIES that they are due as a result of Internet Radio airplay.

Please forward this blog address to as many people as possible and if you know any artist (not just the ones listed on the website), please encourage them to go to the SoundExchange website (http://www.soundexchange.com) to check and see if they are entititled to collect any past due airplay royalties.

2. It is these very same PERFORMANCE ROYALTIES that the US Congress via HR Bill 848, wants to insure are paid by terrestrial radio broadcasters like Cathy Hughes.

CATHY HUGHES WANTS YOU TO LOBBY YOUR CONGRESSPERSON TO OPPOSE THIS PROPOSED LAW. SHE DOESN’T THINK THAT ARTISTS DESERVE TO BE COMPENSATED FOR THEIR WORK AS A RESULT OF HER PLAYING THEIR MUSIC AND MAKING MONEY FROM IT.

Soul-Patrol feels that Cathy Hughes in taking this position is helping to enable CULTURE BANDITRY. Why shouldn’t she pay for using the artist content? How would she feel if someone used her work to get rich, and then got on the public airways and told the general public that it was a good thing?

(and this is one of the things that I recently discussed on www.AirAmerica.com w/Chuck D on his show “On The Real”)

Here’s the Email that I received:

Friends-

It’s about time for next round of Sound Exchange royalty statements to be sent out and while browsing at their site today, I am amazed at the number of artists who are not collecting their royalties.

Remember- any unclaimed royalties revert back to the U. S. Government at the end of each calendar year.

I am not sure when the following list was most recently updated as several of the artists we recently signed up (including the Solitaires and Tune Weavers, for example) are listed as unclaimed. However, the following artists are still not collecting royalties. If you are on this list or know someone on this list or a family member or estate, please contact Sound Exchange or visit them online at http://www.soundexchange.com.

As always, I am willing to volunteer my services to assist in getting the paperwork done for original artists or their families (trbent[at]charter.net). Currently, we
have assisted over 60 performing artists to collect these royalties.

Thanks,

Todd Baptista

For the updated list, and more info about Sound Exchange, read on:

Artists not collecting royalties are listed on 84 pages at their website.

In summary, SoundExchange handles the following:

. collects performance royalties from the statutory licensees;
. collects performance royalties from reciprocal agreements with foreign collecting societies for featured artists and labels;
. collects and processes all data associated with the performance of the sound recordings;
. allocates royalties for the performance of the sound recording based on all of the data collected and processed;
. makes distribution of the featured artist’s share directly to the artist;
. makes distribution of the SRCO’s share directly to the copyright owner;
. makes distribution of the non-featured artist’s share to AFTRA and AFM’s Intellectual Property Rights Distribution Fund; and
. provides detailed reports summarizing the titles, featured artists and royalty amounts for each of the sound recordings performed by the statutory licensees.

I probably got more email from folks asking to lobby congress to defeat HR Bill 848 on behalf of Cathy Hughes, than I did about the passing of Waymon Tisdale.

That’s because Radio One’s owner Cathy Hughes was on the Tom Joyner Show recently begging for a black community bailout of black radio because of a proposed bill by Rep. John Conyers that would make radio stations have to shell out some major dollars to stay on the air.

The name of the bill is HR Bill 848 and frankly I am a supporter of it. This bill is designed to insure that terrestrial radio station pay the same performance royalties to artists that web casters (ex: Soul-Patrol) and satellite radio operators.

That sounds like a fair proposition to me…

So now Cathy Hughes is whining again.

I would suggest that she could do three things that might be helpful in formulating a direction for herself at this point:

1. Take a look at our friend Mark Anthony Neal’s brilliant essay called “Radio One’s “Save Black Radio” Campaign Misses the Mark” at the following link:

http://newblackman.blogspot.com/2009/05/should-black-radio-die.html

2. Take a look at our friend Minista Paul Scott’s brilliant essay called “Live or Let Die: Should We Save Black Radio?” at the following link: http://blackpoliticsontheweb.com/2009/05/14/live-or-let-die-should-we-save-black-radio

3. And of course she shyould also revisit the offer that I made to help her several years ago, which she can re-read at the following link. The offer is still open:

http://www.soul-patrol.com/newsletter/2004/news20

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Bob Davis
earthjuice@prodigy.net
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