The younger brother of Hubert Laws, Ronnie Laws has a nice soulful sound on tenor, but has never seriously pursued playing jazz. Throughout his career, which includes early-'70s gigs with Quincy Jones, his brother, Ramsey Lewis, and Earth, Wind & Fire, Laws has essentially been an R&B player. He has led his own albums since 1975, but recorded very little of interest to the jazz world, although he is often listed on Billboard's contemporary jazz chart Here we go with an amazing performance of " Always There " !!!
Banda Black Rio released 5 records between 1976 and 2002. The seven-piece band blended funk with samba and jazz, and was often associated with soul/funk bands like Earth Wind and Fire, Herbie Hancock's Headhunters and Kool And The Gang. Black Rio has been credited as the vehicle that helped spread instrumental music in the poor areas of Rio de Janeiro as a result of their pro Afro-Brazilian rights… Top Tune of the Band!!!I love it!
Amazing Tribute taken from the Soul Train Awards 2010 .... The best rnb soul artists..for the MAN..Mr. Ron ISLEY & the Isley Brothers band! No words to describe ..just a must listen...Enjoy!
Lillo Thomas. (born 1961, Brooklyn, New York, United States), is an American former Olympic-qualifying athlete and later a soul musician. He reached the peak of his success as a recording artist in the 1980s. His most famous songs include "Sexy Girl" and "I'm in Love."
Harvey William Mason (born February 22, 1947 in Atlantic City, New Jersey) is an American jazz drummer. He has worked with many jazz and fusion artists such as Bob James, The Brecker Brothers, Lee Ritenour, Herbie Hancock's Headhunters and almost all the Mizell Brothers productions with Donald Byrd, Johnny Hammond, Bobbi Humphrey and Gary Bartz. He is featured on George Benson's 1976 album, Breezin'. Harvey is also the Percussionist for the Contemporary Jazz group Fourplay, which includes keyboardist Bob James, Guitarist Chuck Loeb and Bassist Nathan East.
Mason's son, Harvey Mason, Jr., is one-half of the production team The Underdogs with Damon Thomas. The Underdogs have produced tracks for artists including Fantasia Barrino, Justin Timberlake, Mariah Carey and Luther Vandross. Harvey Sr.'s work is featured on one of the The Underdogs' major works, the soundtrack of the 2006 film adaptation of Dreamgirls.
In 1979 Mason Sr, released the hit single "Groovin' You", a disco-stomping tune, from the album with the same name. This music was then, sampled by House producer Gusto, in his 1995 hit-single "Disco's Revenge".
Unlimited Touch was a New York based post disco group who had some regional fame in the early eighties. The group consisted of Audrey Wheeler, Phil Hamilton, Tony Cintron, Sandy Anderson, Stephanie James and Lenny Underwood. Raymond Reid and William Anderson from New York-based band Crown Heights Affair instigated Unlimited Touch in the early '80s, but they were not part of the band. The group was signed to Prelude Records (via Epic Records in the U.K.) Here we go with a nice melodic funky disco groove....enjoy it!;)
George Dukeshowed a great deal of promise early in his career as a jazz pianist and keyboardist, but has forsaken that form to be a pop producer. Inspired early on by Les McCann, he worked with a trio in San Francisco during the mid-'60s. In 1969,DukeaccompaniedJean-Luc Ponty, recording with the violinist. After eight months with the Don Ellis Orchestra, he joinedFrank Zappafor much of 1970.Dukespent 1971-1972 withCannonball Adderleyand then returned toZappafor 1973-1975. In 1975, he worked withSonny Rollins, co-led a group withBilly Cobham, and then formed a funk band (the Clarke-Duke Project) withStanley Clarke. By the late '70s, he was completely outside of jazz, playing R&B and producing projects for pop artists. Although he has since expressed interest in returning to active playing, little ofGeorge Duke's post-1976 work is relevant to jazz, but he has kept himself busy with projects.Dukey Treatsappeared in 2008 from Heads Up Records. This is the best live exhibition of SHINE ON...amazing tune!! ;) Enjoy
Houston, Texas born singer Beau Williams may be one of the greatest Soul voices of the past 30 years, but he still remains relatively unknown outside of the Gospel world. Williams was performing at an early age, and his clear, booming Gospel voice began winning local talent contests for him by the time he was a teen. He began providing backup vocal work in the late 70s and nearly became the Temptations' lead singer after the departure of Louis Price in 1980.
With the help of George Benson, Williams landed a recording contract with Capitol Records in 1981. He recorded four albums for Capitol during 1982-86 which were of uneven quality but which included a number of notable ballads that showed off his strong, multi-octive Sam Cooke-like voice. "Elvina," "I Think I Know You," "The Last Time I Made Love" and the booming "Another Place and Time" earned for Williams critical acclaim and an international following but little success in the U.S. He achieved his only notoriety in America when he became the winning male singer on the TV talent show Star Search in 1983 (which was designed as an amateur show, though oddly Williams won after he had already released two albums). In 1989 Williams went back to his roots, signing with Light Records and releasing the Gospel album Wonderful. He scored a number one Gospel hit with the title cut, a Sam Cooke remake. His follow up album, Love, also hit the top 5 and included another hit Cooke cover, "That's Heaven to Me." Williams recorded three more less popular Gospel albums, the last being 1996's They Need to Know on Insync Records, before his solo recording career faded. Williams continues to perform in Gospel shows around the U.S.
(born June 3, 1942, Chicago, Ill., U.S. — died Dec. 26, 1999, Roswell, Ga.) U.S. singer-songwriter and guitarist. He became a vocalist and guitarist with the Impressions in 1957. Together with Sam Gooden (bass) and Fred Cash (low tenor), Mayfield (high tenor) devised a much imitated vocal style. Mayfield was a self-taught guitarist, and when he tuned his instrument to a natural chord, he achieved a subtle lyricism that was also influential. Mayfield's songs, including "It's All Right" (1963), "People Get Ready" (1965), and "Choice of Colors" (1969), were inspirational and humanistic. The high point of his solo career (from 1970) was the influential soundtrack to Superfly (1972), and he became a major force in the development of the musical style known as funk. He was paralyzed when a lighting tower fell on him during a concert in 1990.
Smooth soul singer Lew Kirton was born in Barbados and grew up singing in his church choir; he later performed with island vocal groups as Jiggs Kirton. Also an accomplished drummer, he later moved to the United States and took over the drum chair in Sam & Dave's touring revue in 1969. He joined the Philly-styled soul group the Invitations in 1972 as lead vocalist, and they attracted some attention with singles like "They Say the Girl's Crazy" and "Look on the Good Side." Kirton went solo in the late '70s, signing with the Miami-based TK label family (best known for hits by George and Gwen McCrae) in 1977. Teamed with writer/producer Clarence Reid (whose alter ego was, of course, the bawdy comedian Blowfly), his first releases on the Marlin subsidiary included the future collector's item "Do What You Want, Be What You Are." 1978 saw the single release of his best-known song, "Heaven in the Afternoon"; two years later, he issued his first full-length album, Just Arrived, on another TK subsidiary, Alston. After recording as a guest vocalist with B. Baker's Chocolate Company, Kirton left TK and moved to New York. His second album, Talk to Me, appeared in 1983 on the Believe in a Dream label, and spawned singles in the title track and "Don't Give Up Your Dream (Hang On in There)." One further single, "Don't Wanna Wait," was released on MCA in 1986; despite having completed another album, Kirton has yet to find an outlet for its release. Just Arrived was later reissued by the British label Expansion under the title Heaven in the Afternoon, with bonus tracks from Kirton's earlier singles included...This is my fav tune...just amazing!
O'Bryan Burnette was one of the more popular pop/soul singers of the mid-80s and landed a handful of hits under the moniker "O'Bryan" during his short recording career. A North Carolina native, O'Bryan first hit the charts with the popular, controversial 1982 song "Gigolo." Introduced to Soul Train host Don Cornelius by legendary Philly producer Ron "Have Mercy" Kersey, O'Bryan the next year became the voice behind "Soul Train's A Comin'," the popular music show's theme song.
In 1983 O'Bryan again hit the charts, this time with an excellent midtempo remake of Stevie Wonder's "You and I," arguably topping the master's original version. It hit the Soul Top 20 and continued the young singer's ascent. Momentum carried his next album, Be My Lover, to the top five, but he never again had a major pop or soul hit. During this period, O'Bryan was issuing a number of X-Rated music videos that were too racy for MTV but were showing in alternative venues and overseas. By the time of 1986's Surrender, O'Bryan's creative output had slowed, though he managed a minor hit with the dance cut "Tenderoni." Unfortunately, it became the coda for his 80s recording career. In 2007, two decades after his last hit, O'Bryan independently released a new album called F1RST (click below to see review). While it was a hit-or-miss project, there were enough bright spots to make it a minor hit on the indie charts and to signal a welcome return of a talented singer.
Byrd Pressley was born in Pittsburgh, PA. He traveled around the world entertaining with The New Century Platters. Byrd later formed the Byrd Pressley Band. In the mid eighties he was managed by Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother, and Toni Chambers for their Company, Personal Touch Management. Byrd also was a special guest performer for the Miss Maryland Pageant. He had several songs released in Europe that hit the UK charts.
Born in Detroit in 1932, his studies at Wayne State University (1954) were interrupted by military service, during which he played in an Air Force band. He then attended the Manhattan School of Music (MA in music education). At the same time he was the favorite studio trumpeter of the bop label Presitge (1956-58), though he also recorded frequently for Riverside and Blue Note. He gave performances with George Wallington (1955), Art Blakey (1956), and along with Gigi Gryce was a member of the Jazz Lab Quintet (1957). He also performed with Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, and others, before settling into a partnership with Pepper Adams (1958-61). After studying composition in Europe (1963-63) Byrd began a career in black music education, teaching at Rutgers, the Hampton Institute, Howard University, and (after receiving a law degree, 1976) North Carolina Central University; in 1982 he was awarded a doctorate by Columbia Teachers College. Following the death of Clifford Brown in 1956, Byrd was for a few years arguably the finest hard-bop trumpeter. He had not only a masterful technique, displayed on all his albums from this period, but also a beautiful tone. He resumed playing in the 1970s and made several pleasant recordings in a jazz-rock style. His best-selling album Black Byrd led to the formation of his students into the Blackbyrds, a hit group of the mid-1970s.
Leroy Hutson is an American soul and R&B singer, songwriter, arranger, producer and instrumentalist, best known as former lead singer of the R&B vocal group, The Impressions.
He has been characterized as the best-kept secret of Seventies Soul, most recently noted in the June 29, 2006 issue of Rolling Stone magazine. He is the father of producer JR Hutson.
Awesome record out of Chicago, realized with the help of The Chi-Lites manager
Marshall Thompson in a joint effort to financially support the 'Probation Challenge'
program. Revenues made from sales of the record would be donated to fund education
programs, with the purpose to give people a 'second chance' and prevent encarcelation.
A noble and unselfish project by this band that didn't just seek stardom and fame.
Canadian-born singer/songwriter Glenn Lewis' sensational debut for Epic, World Outside My Window, was like a breath of fresh air when it was issued on March 19, 2002, just two days before the first day of spring. The buzz had been building around Lewis due to the album's lead single, "Don't You Forget It," which has a strong Stevie Wonder influence. The singer freely lists Wonder, Donny Hathaway, and Gap Band-lead singer Charlie Wilson as some of his musical idols. Here we go with an amazing performance of " Rock With You " by MJ ...just Stunning...
Lenny Williams (born Leonard Charles Williams, February 16, 1945, Little Rock, Arkansas) is an American singer known for his work in the R&B and soul music genres. During the 1970s, he was the lead vocalist for Tower of Power. As a soloist, he made several hit recordings, including Cause I Love You and Choosing You.
One of the most popular saxophonists of all time, Grover Washington, Jr. was long the pacesetter in his field. His roots were in R&B and soul-jazz organ combos, but he also fared very well on the infrequent occasions when he played straight-ahead jazz. A highly influential player, Washingtonpushed himself with the spontaneity and risk-taking of a masterful jazz musician. Grover Washington, Jr.'s, father also played saxophone and was his first influence. The younger son started playing music when he was ten, and within two years was working in clubs. He picked up experience touring with The Four Clefsfrom 1959-1963 and freelancing during the next two years, before spending a couple years in the Army. He moved to Philadelphia in 1967, becoming closely identified with the city from then on, and worked with several organists, including Charles Earlandand Hjonny Hammond Smith, recording as a sideman for the Prestige label. His biggest break occurred in 1971, when Hank Crawford could not make it to a recording date for Creed Tasylor's Kudu label; Washingtonwas picked as his replacement, and the result was Inner City Blues, a big seller. From then on he became a major name, particularly after recording 1975's Mister Magicand Feels So Good, and later 1980's Winelight; the latter included the Bill Whitershit "Just the Two of Us." Although some of his recordings since then found him coasting a bit,Washingtonusually stretched himself in concert. He developed his own personal voices on soprano, tenor, alto, and even his infrequently-used baritone. Grover Wahsington Jr. recorded as a leader for Kudu, Motown, Elektra, and Columbia and made notable guest appearances on dozens of records ranging from pop to straightforward jazz. He died of a sudden heart attack on December 17, 1999 while taping an appearance on CBS television's The Saturday Early Show; Washingtonwas 56. The posthumous Ariawas issued early the following year.
Hey dear soulful friends. Today i'm doin' a Midnight Groove special post with some of my favorite joints and grooves. First out is Jamelia. born 11 January 1981, Her profesional music career began in 1999, when she release her debut single, "So High", followed by a more successful single, "I Do". She then release her debut full-length studio album, Drama in June 2000. Jamelia went onto release further successful singles, including "Superstar" and "Thank You" which charted at number three and number two on the UK Singles Charts respectively, with "Superstar" charting at number one in Australia and becoming platinum certified in Australia. She went onto further release another two studio albums, Thank You (2003) and Walk with Me (2006), before being dropped by her then-label, Parlophone.
Jamelia - Call Me (Goodfelles' Risin Remix)
Year: Rhythm Series Label: 2000
Atlantic Starr - You
Year: 1998 Label: Sound
Sweetback feat. Amel Larrieux - You Will Rise (Energise Mix)
b. 1st September 1943, Baltimore, Baltimore City, Maryland, U.S.A.
d. 20th November 2002, Barryville, Sullivan County, New York, U.S.A.
Webster Lewis was a fine pianist, clarinetist, conductor and arranger.
Webster was born 1st September, 1943 to the late Webster S. Lewis, Sr. and the late Virgie Gaines Lewis.
Although born in Baltimore, Webster Lewis moved to Los Angeles in the mid 1970's.
Prior to his move, Webster played the live circuit, cutting 'Live At Club 7' on Counterpoint Records, a three track live album that included his version of the Isley Brothers 'It's Your Thing'.
Lewis is a great favourite of punters and musicians alike, although he never attained mainstream success he thoroughly deserved...
Los Angeles born American singer-songwriter best known for his classic soundtrack for "The Mack". He also worked with many Motown artists, including The Jackson 5 for whom he co-wrote the hit "I'll Be There". Sadly Willie passed away at his Dallas home in September 2005 aged 60.
If Jimmy Buffet grew up in Detroit, it would sound like this. Rays new album IM FREE equals and surpasses his earlier hits. Produced, composed, arranged and sung by Parker, IM FREE showcases a new found beginning for this exceptional artist and embraces a variety of musical styles including Urban, Pop, Rock, Jazz, Blues, and Reggae. This album represents a lot more than just a song or a project, says Ray. For the first time in many years I feel free to express myself the way I used to when I first started!
Utilizing the cream of L.A.s studio A team along with Ray himself on both acoustic and electric guitar, IM FREE exhibits a new maturity for the man who first gained fame writing and recording youth based love songs, both with his band RAYDIO (You Cant Change That) and later as a solo artist (Ghostbusters). With more adult themes to sing about, Ray wrote every song on the album with the exception of the David Gates/Bread hit Guitar Man. From the beautiful acoustic guitar opening on Mexico to the closing instrumental Gibsons Theme, Parker takes the listener on a heartfelt journey that is both musically stunning and lyrically moving .
Singer, Songwriter, Guitarist, and Producer Ray Parker Jr. had hits as Raydio (the million-selling Jack and Jill, You Can't Change That), Ray Parker Jr. and Raydio (Two Places at the Same Time, A Woman Needs Love [Just Like You Do]"), Ray Parker Jr. (the number one R&B and pop gold single "Ghostbusters"), and co-wrote hit songs for Rufus and Chaka Khan (the number one "You Got the Love" from fall 1974) and Barry White ("You See the Trouble With Me" from spring 1976).
Born May 1, 1954, in Detroit, MI, Parker started out as a teenaged session guitarist playing on sessions recorded for Holland-Dozier-Holland's Hot Wax and Invictus Records whose roster listed Freda Payne, Honey Cone, Chairman of the Board, 100 Proof Aged in Soul, Laura Lee, and 8th Wonder. He'd also play behind the Temptations, Stevie Wonder, the Spinners, Gladys Knight and the Pips, and other Motown acts when they appeared at the Twenty Grand Club. In 1972, Wonder called Parker to ask him to play behind him on a tour that he was doing with the Rolling Stones. Parker thought it was a crank call and hung up the phone. Wonder called back and convinced Parker that he was the real deal by singing "Superstition" to him.
Later, Parker played on Wonder's albums Talking Book (1972) and Innervisions (1973). Moving from Detroit to Los Angeles, Parker got into session work playing on sides by Leon Haywood, Barry White, arranger Gene Page, and working with Motown producer Clarence Paul on Ronnie McNeir's 1976 Motown debut, Love's Comin' Down, and he appeared in the picnic scene in the Bill Cosby/Sidney Poitier comedy classic Uptown Saturday Night.
Deciding to become a recording artist, Parker got a deal with Arista Records in 1977. Not confident on his singing ability, he put together a band that included vocalist Arnell Carmichael, bassist/singer Jerry Knight (who later had his own solo hit with "Overnight Sensation" and as half of Ollie & Jerry and co-produced hits by the Jets), guitarist Charles Fearing, Larry Tolbert, and Darren Carmichael. However, on record, Parker played most, if not all of the instruments. Though after racking up hits, Arnell et al. were paid a retainer so they'd be available if Raydio had a hit record and needed to tour.
His first LP, Raydio, went gold, peaking at number eight R&B in spring 1978. The LP included the gold, number five R&B hit single "Jack and Jill" (lead vocal by Jerry Knight), "Is This a Love Thing," and the charting single "Honey I'm Rich." The hits continued with Ray Parker, Jr. and Raydio's gold, number four Rock On (the single "You Can't Change That" was number three R&B, number nine pop in the spring of 1979); the gold, number six R&B Two Places at the Same Time from spring 1980 ("Two Places at the Same Time" was number six R&B in spring 1980); and the number one gold record A Woman Needs Love from 1981 ("A Woman Needs Love [Just Like You Do]" -- the first song Parker sung all the way through without trading vocals -- held the number one R&B spot for two weeks and went number four pop in spring 1981). Then, as Ray Parker, Jr., The Other Woman held the number one R&B, number 11 pop spot in spring 1982 ("The Other Woman" was number two R&B for four weeks).
One of Parker's biggest hits and best loved songs, "Ghostbusters" was initially submitted for the background score of the Dan Aykroyd/Harold Ramis/Bill Murray/Ernie Hudson comedy. Director Ivan Reitman thought that the song should be released as a single.The "Ghostbusters" music video is one of the funniest and star-studded videos ever made (breakdancing Bill Murray style). "Ghostbusters" parked at the number one R&B spot for two weeks and the number one pop for three weeks on Billboard's charts in summer 1984.
Parker also wrote and produced hits for New Edition ("Mr. Telephone Man" -- Parker originally recorded this with Jr. Tucker for his 1983 self-titled Geffen album), Randy Hall ("I've Been Watching You [Jamie's Girl]," the refreshing "Gentleman"), Cheryl Lynn ("Shake It Up Tonight" from In the Night), Deniece Williams (the 1979 ARC/Columbia LP When Love Comes Calling, the 1981 Bang LP Brick, Summer Heat), and Diana Ross ("Upfront" from her 1983 RCA LP Ross).
Parker left Arista for Geffen then MCA before returning to Arista because of his relationship with Arista president Clive Davis.
The Controllers are an American soul and R&B vocal group, originally from Birmingham, Alabama, who had a series of successful recordings in the late 1970s and the 1980s.
Players Association wasn’t exactly the band du jour in disco’s heyday, but they did manage to strike up a modest cult following with their first two releases, reissued here by the excellent Ace records imprint. Make no mistake, this isn’t pure commercial disco ala the chart toppers of the time, rather this is a wonderful hybrid of jazz, funk and disco by skilled musicians. Granted, many of the better tunes on here are covers, but “Hustlin” and “Ride The Groove” are probably the best two tracks the band ever recorded. This is quite easily all of the Players Association one could possibly want or need in their record collection
Year : 1977 Label : Vanguard
This is my favourite Hit...a real BOMB!!!!Amazing Synth...
