RIBS TPTD: A Little “Jazz” Break - Bob James…

October 24, 2008 by tgrundy · 2 Comments
Filed under: General/Misc 

I felt like I needed a little break musically speaking this week. It’s been a while since I’ve done anything in a jazz and/or blues vein around here lately, and I needed something a little different.

So this week we’re focusing our TPTD taste buds on Mr. Bob James.

Hopefully many of you who stop by here on a regular basis are familiar with the man and his music. If not, I believe you are in for an enjoyable treat as you listen to the mix. As a matter of fact, many of you have probably already experienced some BJ music and are not even aware of it. Here, let me give you a hint…

Remember the TV show Taxi? Remember the opening instrumental theme for the show? The name of the piece is called Angela, and, you guessed it, the song was composed and performed by Bob James (unfortunately, I did not include this cut in the mix, but if you’re interested it can be found on his album, Touchdown). Oh, and have you ever heard of the jazz group, Fourplay? James was one of the founding members of that group and continues to make great music with them also in addition to his solo work and collaborations.

Now us older um, more experienced, I mean {smile} heads will recall the early years of BJ’s career when he was one of the people that played a major role in turning fusion jazz into the more mainstream form that we now refer to as “smooth jazz”. Back in the 70’s when he was recording (and also arranging and producing many of the artists on the CTI jazz record label) he produced three of my favorite jazz albums from that time period, Bob James One, Bob James Two and Bob James Three. AAMOF, the first seven selections in today’s mix are from those three discs.

So… sit back, relax and let’s partake of some Bob James jazz. A perfect mix for chilling out… anytime, anyplace and anyway in which you like best!

RIBS TPTD: Bob James
Alternate (if you have a problem using the javascript pop-up): Click here.
Right-click here to download .MP3 file (111Mb, 1:19:07)
Download playlist .PDF file here (right-click)

Playlist: (song - album [time])

  1. I Feel A Song (In My Heart) - Bob James Two [5:27]
  2. Westchester Lady - Bob James Three [7:28]
  3. Feel Like Making Love - Bob James One [6:39]
  4. Soulero - Bob James One [3:37]
  5. One Mint Julep - Bob James Three [9:09]
  6. You’re As Right As Rain - Bob James Two [5:28]
  7. Valley Of The Shadows - Bob James One [9:41]
  8. Storm Warning - Restless [4:05]
  9. The Ghetto (w/Kirk Whalum) - Joined At The Hip [5:15]
  10. Alone Together (w/Joe Sample) - Dancing On The Water [7:04]
  11. Midnight At The Oasis (w/Kirk Whalum) - Joined At The Hip [5:47]
  12. Mind Games - Playin’ Hooky [4:38]
  13. Midnight - Bob James 12 [8:28]

Enjoy!

And remember…

If you have the question: “Where are are the good Soul music sites on the ‘Net?
We have the answer: “Check out NetInfoWeb’s ‘SoulSites’ Aggregator Page!”

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RIBS TPTD: Levi Stubbs (Four Tops), R.I.P.

October 20, 2008 by tgrundy · 2 Comments
Filed under: RIBS, Triple Play Thurs-Day, music, podcasts/mixes, soul 

{sigh} Another one of the great soul voices of the “Soundtrack of My Life” has passed away. This past Friday we learned that Levi Stubbs former lead singer of The Four Tops had passed away after a long illness.

Maybe it’s just me but it seems like we’ve done a lot of these “in memorium” mixes this year, as a matter of fact, a couple of hours ago I saw that Dee Dee Warwick (Dionne’s younger sister) passed away this weekend (Saturday) as well as comedian/actor Rudy Ray Moore (Sunday), better known to the world as “Dolemite”.

It’s funny ironic, I was a little upset with myself for not getting a new mix out on Thursday as scheduled, but perhaps I was meant to have that little delay so we could have a chance to honor the memory of Levi in a timely fashion. As they say, the Lord works in mysterious ways.

I could sit here and try to wax poetic about all of the great music and memories that Levi and the Tops have provided for me over the course of my life, but others write so much better than I. So instead, here are a few links to some of remembrances that have  been posted in the past few days:

  1. 4 Brothers Beats: R.I.P. Levi Stubbs (if your eyes don’t tear up while watching the second video in this post, well, you are a better person than I)
  2. Funky16Corners: Levi Stubbs RIP
  3. Get On Down With The Stepfather Of Soul: RIP Levi Stubbs
  4. In Dangerous Rhythm: Levi Stubbs RIP
  5. Fufu Stew: So Long, Levi…
  6. soul sides: Levi Stubbs: R.I.P.
  7. Musicmeiho: Levi Stubbs - (R.I.P) - The Four Tops
  8. Funk my Soul: The Four Tops (In Memory of Levi Stubbs)

Rest well, Levi.

RIBS TPTD: Levi Stubbs, R.I.P.
Alternate (if you have a problem using the javascript pop-up): Click here.
Right-click here to download .MP3 file (111Mb, 1:18:43)
Download playlist .PDF file here (right-click)

Playlist: (song - album [time])

  1. MacArthur Park - It’s All In The Game [6:23]
  2. Ask The Lonely - Greatest Hits [2:48]
  3. Baby I Need Your Loving - Anthology, 1964 -1972 [2:47]
  4. Love Music - Keeper Of The Castle [3:23]
  5. Hey Man, We Got To Get You A Woman - Nature Planned It [4:56]
  6. Shake Me, Wake Me (When It’s Over) - Anthology, 1964 -1972 [2:38]
  7. Catfish - Catfish [6:21]
  8. Seven Rooms Of Gloom - Greatest Hits [2:35]
  9. Bernadette - Greatest Hits [3:03]
  10. Walk Away Renee - Motown’s Greatest Hits - Four Tops [2:46]
  11. Strung Out For Your Love - Catfish [5:21]
  12. Eleanor Rigby - It’s All In The Game [3:02]
  13. Reach Out (I’ll Be There) - The Ultimate Collection [3:02]
  14. One Chain Don’t Make No Prison - Essential Tops [4:04]
  15. Keeper Of The Castle - Keeper Of The Castle [2:59]
  16. You Keep Running Away - Essential Tops [2:52]
  17. Midnight Flower - Essential Tops [4:07]
  18. Still Water (Love) - Anthology, 1964 -72 [3:15]
  19. I Just Can’t Walk Away - Essential Tops [4:22]
  20. Love Don’t Come Easy - Catfish [6:20]
  21. I Believe In You And Me - Essential Tops [4:03]

Enjoy!

And remember…

If you have the question: “Where are are the good Soul music sites on the ‘Net?
We have the answer: “Check out NetInfoWeb’s ‘SoulSites’ Aggregator Page!”

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Get Up, Get Into it, Get Involved: GET OUT AND VOTE!

October 16, 2008 by tgrundy · 3 Comments
Filed under: General/Misc 

First, a little housekeeping note:

I apologize for not posting a new RIBS mix last week, I was down with the flu. Still not 100% but I’m getting there. Also, there will be a new mix this week but I need to push it back one day so please stop by tomorrow (Friday) to check it out.

Now, on to a more important matter…

Below is the text of an email I sent out this morning to many of my fellow podcasters and online family. As you may know, from time to time we do special “collaboration podcasts” to musically celebrate different times of the year, holidays, special occasions, etc. Well, to paraphrase the Thing, “It’s Collaboration Time!”

Election Day is almost upon us and it is important that we all get out and vote for the next President of the United States and the other elected officials that will represent us. It is very evident that this country is a big mess right now and we need to elect good leaders (whomever you think that might be) to get us back on the right track. We ALL need to GET OUT AND VOTE on election day. So… many of us have agreed to get together to give you a little musical encouragement to:

Get Up, Get Into It and Get Involved!

Super Friends (of Podcasting) & Music Lovers:

TGrundy here. I’m reaching out to you again to invite you to participate in another podcast collaboration brainstorm I had just the other day (gotta give credit where credit is due, the germ of this idea came from listening to the intro of Mr. Fresh’s latest Sunday Soundtrack [check it out: http://vibesnscribes.com/?p=127]).

I think we’ll call this one:

Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved: Get Out & Vote!

As I write this on the morning of October 16th there are 19 more days until the election on November 4, 2008. I don’t think that I have to tell you that this is a very important election this year. It doesn’t matter whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, it doesn’t matter whether you are an Obama supporter or a McCain supporter (well, actually, it really does but this is a bi-partisan collaboration effort {Ha! couldn’t resist}), the important thing is that we all GET OUT AND VOTE on election day.

And with that in mind, I figure that we should “do what we do” and put it to music and reach out to our fans and listeners and give them one more shot of encouragement to exercise their right to vote. I’m sorry, let’s make that our obligation to vote and participate our this democratic process.

The plan is to have the podcast available during that last week/weekend prior to election day (an exact date will be forthcoming), sometime between October 29th and November 1st.

If you’d like to participate, simply do the following:

1. Choose a song that captures how you feel about the election, why you feel it’s important to vote or a song that speak about the crazy times we are living in today (some examples: “Big Brother” [Stevie Wonder], “If There’s A Hell Below…” [Curtis Mayfield], “Fight The Power” [The Isley Brothers], etc.)

2. Record the following: An INTRO to your selection talking about why you feel it’s important to vote, giving the song title+artist+why you chose it

3. Send the intro+song as an MP3 file(s) via email to tgrundy[at]gmail.com - no later than Sunday, October 26th!

4. BTW, in an effort to eliminate duplicates, we’ll be posting the song selections everybody chooses in follow-up emails.

That’s it . . . we’ll do the rest. The podcast will be posted on RhythmsInBlackSatin.com AND we encourage you to post it or link to it on your podcast site as well.

If you have any questions, concerns, etc. please reach out to me at tgrundy[at]gmail.com or IM me on GMail or leave me a comment/message on my page at the Soul Commune music community or in the SoulSites Podiverse group also on Soul Commune.

Times are tough. We can no longer just sit on the sidelines and do nothing. We must:

Get Up, Get Into It and Get Involved!

My name is TGrundy of RhythmsInBlackSatin.com and I approve of this message! {smile}

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RIBS TPTD: Mercy, Mercy Me! What’s Goin’ On?…

October 2, 2008 by tgrundy · 2 Comments
Filed under: General/Misc 

Oh Man! What a couple of weeks it has been in the world!

The presidential election campaign gets crazier and crazier every day, the nation’s financial/monetary system is teetering on the brink, there are gasoline shortages in the southern part of the country due to the recent hurricanes… and my Mets collapsed down the stretch again and missed the playoffs for the second year in a row {sigh}. It’s like we are acting out in real time that age old Chinese saying curse:

“May you live in interesting times.”

Hell, considering how much has been and/or is already going on, I don’t know if we can take it if it gets any more interesting!

Sooo… with that in mind this week’s RIBS mix is called, “Mercy, Mercy Me! What’s Goin’ On?” There are occasions when the times get tough the tough get going, and on other occasions when times get tough the tough ride it out while listening to music. I heartily recommend the latter choice {smile}. On the menu this week we have a variety of “Protest/Message” songs that speak to the crazy conditions that we have in the world.

So, let’s all kick back, take a deep breath, exhale and ride out this craziness. Fortunately we have plenty of RIBS to munch on while we do!

RIBS TPTD: Mercy, Mercy Me! What’s Goin’ On?
Alternate (if you have a problem using the javascript pop-up): Click here.
Right-click here to download .MP3 file (111Mb, 1:19:17)
Download playlist .PDF file here (right-click)

Playlist: (song - artist - [time])

  1. What’s Going On - Marvin Gaye [4:08]
  2. Ball Of Confusion - The Temptations [4:05]
  3. Compared To What - Les McCann and Eddie Harris [8:42]
  4. Rough Times - Angela Bofill [4:40]
  5. The Ghetto Code (Dot Dot Dit Dit Dot Dot Dash) - Gil Scott-Heron [12:59]
  6. Six O’clock News Report - Bar Kays [4:06]
  7. Inflation Blues - B.B. King [4:17]
  8. You Make Your Own Heaven And Hell Right Here On Earth - The Temptations [2:46]
  9. Respect Yourself - The Staple Singers [5:09]
  10. Funky President - James Brown [3:57]
  11. Future Shock - Curtis Mayfield [5:20]
  12. The Lone Ranger - The Last Poets [0:31]
  13. When The Revolution Comes - The Last Poets [2:31]
  14. Something In The Air/The Revolution Will Not Be Televised - Labelle [6:11]
  15. Are You Man Enough - The Four Tops [3:27]
  16. Heroes - Commodores [4:04]
  17. Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) - Marvin Gaye [5:38]

Enjoy!

And remember…

If you have the question: “Where are are the good Soul music sites on the ‘Net?
We have the answer: “Check out NetInfoWeb’s ‘SoulSites’ Aggregator Page!”

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