NOTE: THIS BAND IS A GAME CHANGER FOR MUSIC

Homemade Jamz Blues Band

Here is the TWITTER REVIEW:

“Pay Me No Mind” & “I Got Blues For You” by the Homemade Jamz Blues Band are two excellent albums done by an amazing band. If you like Classic Soul, Classic Rock & Classic Blues, you will think that you have died and gone to heaven: www.hmjamzbluesband.com

Here is the TWITTER REPLY after being asked “Who in the hell are the Homemade Jamz Blues Band?” They are kinda like a genre busting combination of Elvis Presley,Jackson Five, The Beatles and Wilson Pickett. Their sound is like STAX, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jimi Hendrix, Muddy Waters all rolled into one and they should be bigger than the Jonas Brothers & Miley Cyrus combined (but aren’t): ( Visit >>> Homemade Jamz Blues Band < << Website)

(well that last reply was more than 140 characters, but you get the idea)

As some of you all may recall, I first encountered the Homemade Jamz Blues Band about two years ago on a lazy Sunday morning while watching the CBS Morning News. The Homemade Jamz Blues Band consists of 3 young siblings from Tupelo, MS. (hometown of Elvis) Ryan Perry, 17yrs. old,Kyle Perry, 15yrs old, and Taya Perry, 10yrs. old. Here are the internet links to both the video and the story that I saw at that time.

READ >>>> CBS News Homemade Jamz Story

Watch >>> CBS News Story Homemade Jamz Blues Band

Needless to say I went ballistic after seeing them on TV. I immediately started writing about them. I went to their MySpace page and wrote a message to them asking if they had any recordings available. A few days later I got a reply back from them telling me that they were working on an album and that they would contact me when it was finished. And that was the last thing that I heard from them, till a few weeks ago when I got an email asking if I would be interested in reviewing their second album. I requested that they send me their first one as well.

I suppose that this is that review.

And my recommendation is that you pick up on both albums, not only if you are the least bit interested in Classic Soul, Classic Rock & Classic Blues, but if you are interested in owning a piece of the history of the future of Black music. This is the most compelling artist that I have had the pleasure of listening to in a long time. In fact I would put this music right up there with how I felt the very first time that I was exposed to artists like Jimi Hendrix or the Jackson Five. This is the type of thing that you don’t have to hear twice or wait for anyone else to validate it for you. You don’t need the mainstream media to tell you that this is an artist that you should be interested in. I’ll probably blow them up on BOTH the RadioIO.com Blues and Nu Soul Channels, simply because I find them and their music to be so compelling!!!

And that is also what seems to be so troubling about the Homemade Jamz Blues Band for me. In my mind, two years after I was first introduced to them via the CBS Morning News, tearing up the Blues circuit, producing not one, but TWO TREMENDOUS ALBUMS, with a group that not only features a charismatic 17 year old lead guitarist/lead singer who plays like Jimi Hendrix and sings like Wilson Picket and an 11 year old phunky azz drummer who is as cute as Raven Symonne was when we first met her on the Cosby show, with a backstory that is as American as “apple pie,” the question must be asked…

WHY AREN’T THEY BIGGER????

I mean, from any perspective that you might want to look at this, they are in fact the replacement for the aging (& deceased) Blues legends of the past. There is no doubt that they deliver the goods, both live and on stage.

IMHO the Homemade Jamz Blues Band should be HUGE right now. They should be at the level of Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brothers and other young artists who don’t have HALF of their talent!!!

It’s not because of a lack of mainstream exposure, if you go to their website, you can see that they have actually gotten quite a bit of that. Perhaps their parents don’t want them to be out there for fear that they might not have a “normal childhood?”

I dunno what the reason is, all I know is that my feeling is that there shouldn’t be a week that goes by that we shouldn’t see them on a major TV show. They probably should have played at least a couple of gigs at the White House by now. Maybe I shouldn’t even be concerned about it and just be happy that the quality of their music is do damn good?

However I can’t let it go. And the reason I can’t is because on multiple levels and for multiple reasons, the Homemade Jamz Blues Band is a GAME CHANGER:

-Not just for music
-Not just for culture
-But in ways that go way beyond anything that we would see in the mass media

They are one of those type of once in a while kinda artists that could literally define the culture of a generation and to re-define it if they stay around long enough. And I care about this so much because my feeling is that the generation that they come from so badly needs that type of an artist…

Anyhow, enough of that!

Here are the track listings for both albums. If you have read this far that means you will probably love them both and if you find yourself short of ca$h during this recession, and you are going to only buy 2 albums this year, you would be extremely happy with your selections if you brought these two.

Click CD Cover to Listen and Buy Homemade Jamz Blues Band

Pay Me No Mind (2008)

1. Who Your Real Friends Are
2. Voodoo Woman
3. The World’s Been Good To You
4. Right Thang Wrong Woman
5. Penny Waiting On Change
6. Blues Concerto
7. Time for Change
8. Pay Me No Mind
9. Jealous
10. Shake Rag 9
11. Boom Boom

Click CD Cover to Listen and Buy Homemade Jamz Blues Band Music available at www.earwaxonline.com

I Got Blues For You (2009)

1. Hard Headed Woman
2. Rumors
3. Dusk Till Dawn
4. Roots
5. Heaven Lost An Angel
6. Loco Blues
7. King Snake
8. Hobo Man
9. Alcoholic Woman
10. In The Wind
11. Grits Ain’t Groceries
12. I Got Blues For You

Homemade Jamz Blues Band – www.hmjamzbluesband.com

Homemade Jamz Blues Bands Music available @ EarwaxOnline.com

I am listening to this album as I am typing this. Anyone else here (besides me) a fan of George Benson???
———-

National Endowment of the Arts Jazz Master and 10X Grammy-winning, legendary musician George Benson will release his new album on August 25th entitled Songs and Stories, his second for Concord Records / Monster Music. The album is a collection of tunes penned by some of the most prolific and enduring songwriters of the last half-century. Some
were written specifically for this new recording, such as Bill Withers’ (who came out of retirement to write “A Telephone Call Away” for George), Rod Temperton’s “Family Reunion” and Lamont Dozier’s “Living in High Definition”; while others, including James Taylor’s “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight”, Donny Hathaway’s “Someday We’ll All Be Free” and Tony Joe White’s “Rainy Night in Georgia” were hand-picked by Benson for their ability to convey simple but universal truths about the human experience.

Songs and Stories was produced by Concord’s Grammy winning, creative head John Burk and renowned bassist /composer / producer Marcus Miller. Benson, Miller, keyboardist Greg Phillinganes, guitarist Jubu and drummer John Robinson make up the core unit for the project. They were joined by special guests: guitarists Lee Ritenour, Steve Lukather, Wah Wah Watson and Norman Brown, vocalists Lalah Hathaway and Patti Austin, keyboardist David Paich, saxophonists Tom Scott and Gerald Albright along with several others. “Brother, with that team, you can do just about anything,” said Benson. “We recorded in the studio for three days straight, and everything we touched had something on it that made us all glad we were there. It was just the right mix of people and material.”

And yet, for all of the high-caliber musicians on hand, the most important guests are the songwriters, says co-producer Miller. “Smokey Robinson doesn’t perform on this record, but he’s still a guest,” he says. “Lamont Dozier is a guest. Bill Withers, Rod Temperton and James Taylor are guests. If you take great songs from writers like these, and you put them in the hands of George Benson and a great band, you’d better just get out of the way and let things happen, because the result is going to be something great.”

Indeed, the record captures the somewhat underappreciated essential brilliance of his storied career; the ability to simply touch people through authentic lyrics and beautiful melody. On Songs and Stories, George Benson’s musical artistry has perhaps never been on sharper display.

To celebrate the release of Songs And Stories, fans can visit the official Benson website, georgebenson.com and receive a free mp3
download of “Living In High Definition”, the new song written by legendary composer Lamont Dozier. Additionally on the website, fans can view “The George Benson Sessions: The Making Of Songs And Stories”, a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the making of the new record. The series will be updated with a new video each week leading up to and through the August 25 release.

Concord Records is proud to once again partner with Monster Music on presenting the newest George Benson album Songs and Stories on High Definition Surround Sound SuperDisc. The Monster version, also available August 25th, is a specially priced two-disc package that consists of Songs and Stories on compact disc mixed in traditional stereo and a bonus DVD, containing Monster’s High Definition Stereo and Surround mixes. In addition, the bonus DVD features behind-the-scenes video footage of the making of the record including an in-depth interview with George Benson. With its innovative High Definition Surround technology Monster Music is revolutionizing the listening experience. Mastered in the highest resolution possible, HDS SuperDiscs are specially engineered to capture the true harmonic depth and tonal richness of the music. THX certified HDS SuperDiscs deliver the music through a 5.1 speaker system just the way the artist heard it in the studio when it was recorded, the way they intended you to hear it.

1. Starfleet’s charts for 7/16-31/09

Top-50 Crossover Chart 7/16-31/09

Top-50 Urban/Hip Hop Chart 7/16-31/09

Top-50 Dance Chart 7/16-31/09

Top-40 Indie Urban/Hip Hop/Latin Chart 7/16-31/09

2. New music reviews and more

Urban/Hip Hop Music

E Dubb – Whooty

Flo-Rida feat. Nelly Furtado – Jump (Disco Fries Remix)

Will Vill feat. Cherine Anderson – Confuzed

Moe.Diamondz – Yumi Yumi

Talia Coles feat. Elephant Man – Nikki Wine

Black Kadafi – Bending Corners (Klubjumpers Club Mix)

Crossover Music

Jada – American Cowboy (Remixes)

Kristinia DeBarge – Sabotage

Shakira – She Wolf (English Version) /span>

Britney Spears – Radar (Remixes)

Jordin Sparks – SOS (Let The Music Play)

Danielle Bollinger – The Place For My Heart (Remixes)

Wonder Girls – Nobody

Dance Music

Jessie James – Wanted (Remixes)

Jenn Cuneta – I Want That Man (Remixes)

F2G – Beverly Hills Bop (Remixes)

TR feat. Frenchie Davis – Give Me Tonight (Remixes)

Kandystand – OYH (Open Your Heart)

Rupaul – Jealous Of My Boogie (The RuMixes)

Jaylin Ducati – Long Run (Klubjumpers Extended Mix)

These are just a few of the latest reviews listed on the site.

3. Featured artist

Feature YOUR artist here

Featured Crossover Artist – Sonny Long

Featured Urban Artist – Joni – Lisa’s Man

Featured Urban Artist – Jason Little ft. Ebony
Eyez

Featured Urban Group – Remedy, Alyric, Los, Ms. Neicey

Featured Crossover Group – Anything But Monday – Schools Out Forever

Featured Crossover Artist – Yolanda Ruiz

Please contact Starfleet Record Pool to check out the details for having your artist as a featured artist on the Starfleet website.

4. Guidelines for submitting digital music to Starfleet

Digital Music –
Guidelines for submitting to
Starfleet Music Pool

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!”

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

New music reviews & more

Urban/Hip Hop Music

Jason Little feat. Ebony Eyez – Derrty Textn

Krys Justice – Not Stoppin & All Night Long

Gorilla Zoe feat. Diddy – Echo

Mike Epps – Trying To Be A Gangsta

GS Boyz – Booty Dew

Crossover Music

Mariah Carey – Obsessed

Alyson – Sticky Sticky (Remixes)

Lady Gaga – Paparazzi (Remixes)

The Black Eyed Peas – I Gotta Feeling

DaZoo – Excuse Me

Dance Music

M Lovers – Come On Dance and E Lectric

Kurd Maverick – Strings Of Tortuga (Josh The Funky 1 and Jewelz Remixes)

Taxi Doll – Notice Me (Remixes)

LaKisha Jones – Let’s Go Celebrate (Remixes)

Gray – Trust In Me (Remix)

New Music Reviews & More

Featured Urban Artist – Joni – Lisa’s
Man

Featured Urban Artist – Jason Little ft. Ebony
Eyez

Featured Crossover Group – Anything But Monday – Schools Out Forever

Featured Crossover Artist – Yolanda
Ruiz

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