RIBS TPTD: Michael Jackson, Interpretations & Covers…

July 4, 2009 by tgrundy · 1 Comment
Filed under: Michael Jackson, R&B, R.I.P., RIBS, Triple Play Thurs-Day, podcasts/mixes, soul

This is the 3rd and final part (final for now that is, I have a couple of ideas for another MJ mix for a future date, most likely around his birthday in August) of our 3-part Michael Jackson tribute mix here on RIBS. I like to think of them collectively as “Memories of Michael”. In case you missed them here are the links to part 1, Michael Jackson, R.I.P. and part 2, Michael Jackson, Ballads & Love Songs.

For this mix I wanted to do something a little different. As I mentioned in the post for part 1, I know that over the past week (and probably for the next couple until MJ is laid to rest) you’ve been inundated (more like saturated {smile}) with Michael Jackson and Jackson 5 music on the radio and TV. The problem is that these commercial mediums have no creativity any more. While their intentions may be good, mostly all they are playing are the same 10-20 MJ/J5 songs that we are already well familiar with. Come on, play along with me here… how many times during the past 9 days have you heard the following songs:

P.Y.T (Pretty Young Thing)
Billie Jean (O.K., have to admit I never get tired of this one!)
Thriller
Rock With You
Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough
Beat It
Got To Be There
Never Can Say Goodbye
ABC
Dancing Machine
The Love You Save
Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)
Man In The Mirror
Human Nature
Bad

See what I mean? Shaking your head in agreement while reading that list weren’t you? {smile}

Now please don’t get me wrong, I LOVE these songs. As I mentioned previously MJ’s music is a large part of the “Soundtrack of My Life”. I just think that if you are going to honor what is arguably the most gifted entertainer in our lifetime then you need to dig a little deeper into the catalog to present a fuller picture of his talent.

Fortunately that is what many of us music podcasters do. We dig deeper. We set aside the very familiar and well known songs and we pull out the little known and/or lesser played tracks that we feel you would enjoy just as much as the monster hits.

So… now that I got all of that off my chest {smile}, this mix focuses on cover versions that Michael and/or the Jackson 5 did of other artists’ songs AND MJ/J5 songs covers by other artists. For example, the playlist includes the J5 doing La La (Means I Love You) originally by the Delfonics, and Stand! and I Want To Take You Higher by Sly and the Family Stone. On the other side I have a lovely version of The Lady In My Life by Silk, a reggae version of Don’t Stop till You Get Enough by Derrick Laro And Trinity, Weird Al Yankovic doing his classic parodies Eat It and Fat, and the crown jewel of the mix (IMHO) a cover/interpretation of Smooth Criminal by Carlos Santana!

And…don’t mean to beat a dead horse but if you want the best MJ/J5 information and commentary, without any of the negativity, check out this post: Remembering The Time. Michael Jackson (1958-2009) [Audio, Video Links] over on HoneySoul.com for a large list of MJ tributes on the ‘Net.

RIBS TPTD: Michael Jackson, Interpretations & Covers

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Playlist: (song - artist - album [time])

Ain’t No Sunshine – Michael Jackson – Music & Me [4:12]
Never Can Say Goodbye – Isaac Hayes – Black Moses, Michael [5:11]
Reflections – Jackson 5 – G.I.T: Get It Together [2:55]
La La (Means I Love You) – Jackson 5 – ABC [3:29]
Standing In The Shadows Of Love – Jackson 5 – Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5 [3:33]
Come Together – Michael Jackson – HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I [4:02]
Fat – Weird Al Yankovic – Even Worse [3:37]
Rock With You – Quincy Jones ft. Brandy – IQ’s Jook Joint [4:09]
I Want To Take You Higher – Jackson 5 – Goin’ Back To Indiana [2:09]
Stand! – Jackson 5 – Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5 [2:36]
Eat It – Weird Al Yankovic - In 3D [3:21]
Smooth Criminal – Carlos Santana - Live at Sunrise [6:11]
My Girl – Michael Jackson – Ben [3:10]
Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough - Derrick Laro And Trinity – Hustle! - Reggae Disco Kingston [7:31]
Ready Or Not (Here I Come) – Jackson 5 – Third Album [2:34]
Human Nature – Miles Davis – You’re Under Arrest [4:31]
Lonely Teardrops – Michael Jackson – The Best Of Michael Jackson, Disk 2 [2:45]
I’ll Be There – Mariah Carey – Greatest Hits, Disk 1 [4:28]
The Lady in My Life – Silk – Always And Forever [5:08]
You’ve Got A Friend – Michael Jackson – Got To Be There [4:53]

Have you missed any of the RIBS mixes we’ve posted? If you have there is now an easy way to catch up on what we’ve been up to. Just go check out the new RIBS Archives Page to see a very easy to read listing of every post (and music mix) we’ve uploaded to the site.

Enjoy!

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Tags: J5, Jackson 5, Jackson Five, Jacksons, Michael Jackson, MJ, r&b, R.I.P., soul

RIBS TPTD: Michael Jackson, Ballads & Love Songs…

July 3, 2009 by tgrundy · 2 Comments
Filed under: Michael Jackson, R&B, R.I.P., RIBS, Triple Play Thurs-Day, podcasts/mixes, soul

This is part 2 of our 3-part Michael Jackson tribute mix here on RIBS. Even tough all 3 mixes are going to end up with different names, I like to think of them collectively as “Memories of Michael”.

In part 1 of the mix, Michael Jackson, R.I.P., I listed several “memories” I’ve thought about over the past week after Michael’s death. However, late last night I realized I missed a couple of very important ones…

Memories Of Michael (addendum)

Breaking the “color barrier” on MTV. It’s no secret that black artists and R&B music were virtually non-existent on MTV during the first couple of years after it’s debut. Michael and the “Thriller” video changed all of that… forever.
Speaking of music videos, MJ was one of the first to produce a music video as a “mini-movie” with a storyline/plot (so to speak) as opposed to the glorified “concert footage” of the majority of pre-Thriller videos.

O.K., let’s get to the music. OBTW, remember to check out this post: Remembering The Time. Michael Jackson (1958-2009) [Audio, Video Links] over on HoneySoul.com for links to the best MJ tributes on the ‘Net.

RIBS TPTD: Michael Jackson, Ballads & Love Songs

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Playlist: (song - artist - album [time])

Music & Me – Michael Jackson – Music & Me [2:38]
Dear Michael – Michael – Forever, Michael [2:38]
I Just Can’t Stop Loving You (Spanish) – Michael Jackson & Siedah Garrett – Bad [2:09]
Good Times – Jacksons – The Jacksons [4:58]
Liberian Girl – Michael Jackson – Bad [3:53]
The Way You Love Me – Michael Jackson – Diverse [4:30]
Touch – Jackson 5 – Skywriter [3:01]
Break Of Dawn – Michael Jackson - Invincible[5:32]
Destiny - Jacksons – Destiny [4:53]
I’ll Be There – Jackson 5 – Third Album [3:59]
To Know – Jackson 5 - Lookin’ Through The Windows [3:22]
With A Child’s Heart – Michael Jackson - Music & Me [3:30]
Don’t Say Goodbye - Jackson 5 – G.I.T: Get It Together [3:40]
Find Me A Girl - Jacksons – Goin’ Places [4:32]
Maria (You Were The Only One) – Michael Jackson – Got To Be There [3:43]
All I Do Is Think Of You - Jackson 5 – Moving Violation [3:09]
I’ll Come Home to You – Michael Jackson – One Day In Your Life [3:02]
If I Don’t Love You This Way – Jackson 5 – Dancing Machine [3:28]
2300 Jackson Street – Jacksons – 2300 Jackson Street [5:06]
Gone Too Soon – Michael Jackson – Dangerous [3:23]

Remember, don’t forget to check back here for part 3 of the Rhythms In Black Satin “Memories of Michael” mixes!

Enjoy!

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Tags: J5, Jackson 5, Jackson Five, Jacksons, Michael Jackson, MJ, r&b, R.I.P., soul

RIBS TPTD: Michael Jackson, R.I.P.

July 2, 2009 by tgrundy · 3 Comments
Filed under: Funk, Michael Jackson, R&B, R.I.P., RIBS, podcasts/mixes, soul

Hey folks, how is everybody doin’ today?

Note: This is part 1 of a 3-part MJ mix here on RIBS (parts 2 & 3 will be available over the next 24-48 hours). Try as I might there just were not enough hours in the day (nor days in the week) for me to get an MJ mix posted last weekend as I originally intended. Now I know that commercial radio has played MJ/J5 music to death over the past week and that everybody and their mother are posting MJ tribute mixes, but to be a music fan/podcaster and NOT celebrate his life at a time like this just wouldn’t be right. Hopefully there are a few things in these RIBS Michael Jackson mixes that you haven’t heard 100 or more times this past week and that the combination of songs chosen is pleasing to your ear.

Oh, and one more thing… I must give a shout out and major BIG props to Honey over on HoneySoul.com. She has done a great job providing information and links to the many, many MJ tribute mixes, video and information that have been posted online. If you want to find good music and info about the “King of Pop” (without all of the negativity those other sites are giving you) check out: Remembering The Time. Michael Jackson (1958-2009) [Audio, Video Links] over on HoneySoul.com

Well, as we are all well aware, Michael Jackson left us one week ago today. It’s still very hard to think of him as being gone. I, like so many others, was really looking forward to his planned tour later this year to see if he could stage a comeback in his career after all of the mess that he had been through these past several years.

The best way for me to describe MJ is this:

“He was one of the cornerstones of the foundation of the "Soundtrack of My Life"

I mean I’m not that much older than Michael, and from the early days with his brothers in the Jackson 5, to their move to CBS Records as The Jacksons, and of course his enormously popular and influential solo career his music was always there somewhere during all of the various trials, tribulations, happiness, sadness and discoveries of my life.

He was, without question, one of the best (if not THE BEST) entertainers that I’ve had the pleasure to see in my lifetime. I say "entertainer" and not just singer or singing artist because MJ could do it all: singer, dancer, actor (a little {smile}), songwriter, producer. The only person who I think comes close in comparison to Michael (that I can think of) is Sammy Davis, Jr. Hmmmm, MJ vs. Sammy, that could make for an interesting discussion in the comments section!

One of things I have been doing during the past week as the reality of Michael’s death has slowly been sinking in is thinking of the various memories that I have of him…

Memories Of Michael

7th grade music class with Mrs. Hoffman. She had us singing "ABC" by the Jackson 5
Buying the UK pressing of the Maybe Tomorrow album over in London on the 9th grade class trip during Spring vacation. (forever grateful to my maternal grandfather, God rest his soul, for helping pay for the trip so I could go)
How BIG of a J5 fan Jolene White was (girlfriend in 9th grade); she was one of the few girls I knew at that time that liked Marlon better than Michael
Seeing the Jackson 5 in Madison Square Garden in 1971 (with Jolene). Opening act: The Commodores! (Hmmmm, wonder whatever happened to THEM? {smile})
Watching the Jackson 5ive cartoon (nope that’s not a mis-spelling) on Saturday mornings
Hating The Osmonds and the song "One Bad Apple" as they blatantly (but, I have to admit all these years later, very smartly) modeled themselves after the J5 and went on to quite a bit of success themselves during the 70s
Hoping and praying that Michael’s solo albums would not cause the Jackson 5 to break up (hey, I was young then. I didn’t know anything about the music business)
The changing sound of the group (as the boys naturally grew older) on the albums G.I.T.: Get It Together, Dancing Machine and Moving Violation
The Jackson 5 leaving Motown (for CBS Records) and having to change their name to The Jacksons
Jermaine leaving the group and staying at Motown due to his marriage to Motown founder Berry Gordy’s daughter Hazel
Youngest brother Randy joining the group to replace Jermaine
Michael playing the Scarecrow in The Wiz
The monster success of the Off The Wall album (only to be surpassed by the Thriller album)
The Motown 25 television special and Michael’s performance of Billie Jean! My favorite MJ moment/performance of all time.
We Are The World (song and recording session)
Watching the first airing of the Thriller video. Wow!
Watching and listening to Marc Jones (a friend I had a short-lived mobile DJ business with after college) mix Billie Jean. Nobody could mix that song like he could!
…and so many, many more!

Hopefully Michael is at peace now. Though we mourn his passing, we will always celebrate his life and the happy times he gave us all. He will continue to live on in our hearts and minds and ears via the wonderful legacy of music he has left behind.

RIBS TPTD: "Michael Jackson, R.I.P."

RIBS TPTD: Michael Jackson, R.I.P.

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Download playlist .PDF file here (right-click)

Playlist: (song - artist - album [time])

I Am Love, pts 1 & 2 – Jackson 5 – Dancing Machine [7:29]
Walk Right Now – Jacksons – Triumph [6:29]
Forever Came Today – Jackson 5 – Moving Violation [2:09]
Can You Feel It (Disconet mix) – Jacksons – Triumph [7:44]
Mama I Got A Brand New Thing – Jackson 5 – G.I.T: Get It Together [7:11]
Feelin’ Alright – Jackson 5 – Goin’ Back To Indiana [4:12]
Man In The Mirror (Instrumental) – Michael Jackson – Instrumental Version Collection [5:06]
Dirty Diana – Michael Jackson - Bad [4:41]
Money - Michael Jackson – HIStory: Past, Present and Future [4:42]
Doctor My Eyes – Jackson 5 – Lookin’ Through The Windows [3:11]
Lookin’ Through The Windows – Jackson 5 - Lookin’ Through The Windows [3:38]
Don’t Want To See Tomorrow – Jackson 5 - Lookin’ Through The Windows [2:40]
Corner Of The Sky - Jackson 5 – Skywriter [3:40]
Maybe Tomorrow - Jackson 5 – Maybe Tomorrow [4:48]
Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing - Jackson 5 - Lookin’ Through The Windows [2:28]
Can I See You In The Morning - Jackson 5 – Third Album [3:09]
It’s Too Late To Change The Time - Jackson 5 - G.I.T: Get It Together [4:00]

Remember, don’t forget to check back here for parts 2 & 3 of the Rhythms In Black Satin “Memories of Michael” mixes!

Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: soul, RIBS, TPTD, Rhythms In Black Satin, playlist, mp3, mp3blog, soul music, MJ, Michael Jackson, Jackson 5, Jacksons, King of Pop, J5, Jackson Five, The Jacksons

Tags: J5, Jackson 5, Jackson Five, Jacksons, Michael Jackson, MJ, r&b, R.I.P., soul

RIBS TPTD: “The Gospel Of Soul”…

June 11, 2009 by tgrundy · 2 Comments
Filed under: Gospel, R&B, RIBS, Triple Play Thurs-Day, podcasts/mixes, soul

Hey Everybody!

Sorry for the silence around here the past few weeks. Things have been quite busy/crazy over here for a while and I didn’t get much time to play in the kitchen as a result.

Basically, it’s one of those times when all you can say is, “I’ve been going through some thangs, lately.” You know what I’m talking about, we all go through some “thangs” from time to time. As a matter of fact, I have a few friends that are going through some thangs themselves right now. I won’t name names (this is not that kind of a site) but I do wish them well and they stay in my prayers.

Speaking of prayers, that is a perfect lead-in to the mix today. Things have been swirling around me so fast lately that I’ve losing track of which way is up. It’s at times like that that you need something to hold on to, something solid that can steady you and calm you in a time of turmoil. And that something is our faith… our belief in God.

So, in trying to navigate the craziness of the past few weeks, I decided to put together a Gospel themed mix, some sounds of inspiration and praise by some of our contemporary Gospel artists and some R&B/Soul artists that we know and love.

Remember, God won’t ever give you more than you can handle. Or, like they say in one of this week’s songs, “Maybe God is trying to tell you something”…

RIBS TPTD: "The Gospel Of Soul"

RIBS TPTD: The Gospel Of Soul

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Download playlist .PDF file here (right-click)

Playlist: (song - artist [time])

Get Up - Mary Mary [3:05]
Mighty High - Mighty Clouds Of Joy [3:34]
Lean On Me - Al Green [2:09]
You Brought The Sunshine – The Clark Sisters [4:18]
Do You Know Him - Marvin Sapp [3:52]
Peace Of Mind - Rance Allen [5:06]
Be Ever Wonderful - Earth, Wind & Fire [5:10]
Someday (ft. Mavis Staples) - Los Lobos [4:39]
Mary - Take 6 [3:33]
Mary Don’t You Weep - Aretha Franklin [7:07]
God Bless The Child - CTI All Stars [6:57]
Jesus Is Love – Commodores [4:59]
God Is Trying To Tell You Something - Tata Vega [4:38]
What A Friend - Mary Mary [3:11]
Have A Talk With God - Stevie Wonder [2:42]
Open Our Eyes - Earth, Wind & Fire [5:06]
When You’ve Been Blessed (Feels Like Heaven) - Patti LaBelle [3:58]
Jesus Is Waiting - Al Green [5:42]
Amazing Grace - Al Green [3:30]

Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: soul, RIBS, TPTD, Rhythms In Black Satin, playlist, mp3, mp3blog, soul music, gospel

Tags: Gospel, soul

RIBS TPTD: ‘Sax Appeal’ 5 – Great Sax 2…

April 30, 2009 by tgrundy · 2 Comments
Filed under: R&B, RIBS, Sax Appeal, Triple Play Thurs-Day, jazz, podcasts/mixes, soul

Wow, here we are at the end of April already. This month sure went fast. Well, that means that today the RIBS kitchen is serving up the last of it’s ‘Sax Appeal’ entrees that we’ve been cooking up all month long. We hope that you have enjoyed this look at the many different players of this instrument both past and present.

Since most of the sax-a-teers we’ve heard from this month have been culled from the 50s, 60s and 70s, I thought this time around I’d feature some of the "newer" sax players on the scene today. That means that today’s mix will feature:

Eric Marienthal
George Howard
Dave Koz
Kirk Whalum
Kim Waters
Najee
Pamela Williams
Euge Groove
Richard Elliot
Kenny G
Ronnie Laws
Maceo Parker

I have to admit, I’ve really enjoyed focusing on a particular instrument like this and exploring the various artists who play it. I think there will be more explorations like this in the months ahead here on RIBS.

OK! Another round of "great sax" for ya to close out ‘Sax Appeal’ month as we present to you…

"Sax Appeal 5 – Great Sax 2"

RIBS TPTD: ‘Sax Appeal’ 5 – Great Sax 2

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Right-click here to download .MP3 file (111Mb, 1:19:25)

Download playlist .PDF file here (right-click)

Playlist: (song - artist - album [time])

Compared To What – Eric Marienthal – Got You Covered [3:42]
Grazin’ In The Grass – George Howard – When Summer Comes [4:45]
Do You Know The Way To San Jose? - Pamela Williams - The Look Of Love [4:48]
All I Do – Kirk Whalum - For You [5:02]
(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay – Kim Waters – All Because Of You [4:12]
Can’t Hide Love - Najee – Najee’s Theme [5:09]
Going In Circles – Maceo Parker - Funkoverload [6:55]
Pink Panther Theme – Dave Koz – At The Movies [3:38]
Sax Attack – Kenny G - Gravity [5:02]
New Jack Saturday - Eric Marienthal – Easy Street [5:09]
Get ‘em Goin’ – Euge Groove – Just Feels Right [5:44]
That’s The Way Love Goes – Kirk Whalum – For You [4:41]
In The Groove – Richard Elliot – Jumpin’ Off [4:16]
Just Be My Lady – Kim Waters – All Because Of You [4:49]
Chillaxin – Euge Groove – Just Feels Right [6:06]
You Don’t Know – Pamela Williams – Sweet Saxsations [4:56]
Why Do You Laugh At Me – Ronnie Laws – Pressure Sensitive [3:59]

Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: soul, RIBS, TPTD, Rhythms In Black Satin, playlist, mp3, mp3blog, soul music, jazz, Eric Marienthal, Dave Koz, Pamela Williams, Euge Groove, George Howard, Kenny G, Kim Waters, Kirk Whalum, Maceo Parker, Najee, Richard Elliot, Ronnie Laws

Tags: Dave Koz, Eric Marienthal, Euge Groove, George Howard, Kenny G, Kim Waters, Kirk Whalum, Maceo Parker, Najee, Pamela Williams, Rhythms In Black Satin, RIBS, Richard Elliot, Ronnie Laws, sax, Sax Appeal, smooth jazz, Triple Play Thurs-Day

RIBS TPTD: “Jazz 101” – An Introduction To Jazz, Lesson #2…

April 26, 2009 by tgrundy · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Jazz 101, RIBS, Spotlight, jazz, podcasts/mixes

And… we’re back. Welcome to Lesson #2 in our “Jazz 101” – An Introduction to Jazz series.

A quick recap for those of you who missed the beginning…

It all started with a cry for help from one of our blogger family, Vivrant Thang, in a post entitled, "All That Jazz: In Celebration of Jazz Appreciation Month".

That led to the question:

What artists and what songs WOULD a person choose to initially introduce someone to jazz???

and the title:

“Jazz 101”

Lots of good conversation on Twitter:

"Jazz 101" conversation via Twitter Search

and finally the playlist/mix:

“RIBS TPTD: “Jazz 101” – An Introduction To Jazz, Lesson #1”

all wrapped up by a great follow-up post by Vivrant Thang:

Jazz 101: Become A True Aficionado

Well, I did promise to create a Lesson #2 playlist.mix and here it is. AAMOF, now that I think of it two jazz “lessons” probably won’t be enough to adequately cover this subject. I think the “Jazz 101” mixes will become a regular feature here on RIBS, maybe one every 4-6 weeks or so.

Now on to today’s lesson…

One of the instruments I forgot to mention in my prior post on this subject was the Hammond B-3 organ. Some of my favorite jazz recordings feature this wonderful sounding instrument. So, in order to make up for the previous oversight, Lesson #2 starts off with two long cuts (’I Love You More Today Than Yesterday’ [8:22] and ‘The Sermon’ [20:15]) by a couple of excellent "Hammond-istas", Charles Earland and Jimmy Smith. BTW, have to give a heartfelt "shout-out" to my co-worker TP for suggesting the Jimmy Smith cut. He said that this was the song that served as his introduction to jazz. All I can say is, wow, he had a great teacher! {smile}

Staying with the keyboards, pianist and composer Horace Silver takes over with what is probably one of his best known compositions, ‘Song For My Father’. Then we bring the first third of the class to a close with one of the defining recordings of the soul jazz genre: ‘The Sidewinder’ by trumpeter Lee Morgan.

10 minute recess…

Time to change up the pace a bit with a couple of vocal jazz performances. First up trumpeter, jazz pioneer (and legend IMHO) Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong teaming up with the "First Lady of Song" Ella Fitzgerald on ‘Cheek To Cheek’; followed up by "Lady Day" (do I *have* to tell you her name? Billie Holiday) and ‘Good Morning Heartache’, which ranks number 316 on the list of jazz standards.

Time for the big finish…

Most of what we’ve covered so far far has been rooted in the 60s (or earlier), let’s fast forward to some of the jazz sounds from the 70s. Originally known as "The Jazz Crusaders", Joe Sample, Stix Hooper, Wilton Felder and Wayne Henderson shortened the name to just "The Crusaders" in 1971 and moved from the hard-bop jazz style of their early years and adopted a jazz-funk style, which really ushered in the genre which came to be known as "jazz fusion". You may remember them from their monster 1979 hit ‘Street Life’ (with Randy Crawford on vocals) which signaled the height of their commercial success. They give us a nice cut from their great 1971 Crusaders 1 album called ‘That’s How I Feel’.

Keyboardist, arranger and composer Bob James is another notable jazzman who played a major role in developing the mainstream, commercial appeal of fusion jazz. Probably best known for ‘Angela’, the instrumental theme from the sitcom Taxi, he is also well-known for the fusion classics ‘Nautilus’ and ‘Westchester Lady’ as well as his work arranging and producing many of the acts for jazz recording label CTI Records (Creed Taylor Incorporated). His contribution to our lesson plan is ‘Swingset’ from the album Joy Ride.

Finishing up, we next turn to Ms. Shirley Horn. While her original ambition was to be a classical musician, the racism that was so prevalent during the times that she was coming along lead her instead to become a master pianist and vocalist in the world of jazz. She gives us a sultry, jazzy version of ‘Fever’, a song with an interesting history in and of itself. Originally a rhythm and blues hit for Little Willie John in 1956, it crossed over and became a pop standard after being transformed (with additional lyrics) by Peggy Lee peaking at #8 on the US pop charts in 1958.

Last, certainly not least, is another keyboard master, Ramsey Lewis. He takes us on home with a live version of his hugely popular 1965 hit, ‘The In Crowd’. An interesting note about this song: even though it is often thought of as being a Ramsey Lewis song, it was written by Billy Page and originally performed by Dobie Gray on his album Dobie Gray Sings for ‘In’ Crowders That Go Go.

Time for class as we present to you…

"Jazz 101 - An Introduction to Jazz, Lesson #2"

RIBS TPTD: Jazz 101 - An Introduction To Jazz 2

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Right-click here to download .MP3 file (111Mb, 1:19:01)

Download playlist .PDF file here (right-click)

Playlist: (song - artist - album [time])

I Love You More Today Than Yesterday – Charles Earland - Live [8:22]
The Sermon – Jimmy Smith - The Sermon [20:15]
Song For My Father – Horace Silver – Song For My Father [7:18]
The Sidewinder – Lee Morgan – The Sidewinder [10:25]
Cheek To Cheek – Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald – Cheek To Cheek [5:54]
Good Morning Heartache – Billie Holiday – Billie Holiday’s Greatest Hits [3:05]
That’s How I Feel – The Crusaders – Crusaders 1 [8:23]
Swingset – Bob James – Joy Ride [5:58]
Fever – Shirley Horne – Jazz ‘Round Midnight [4:45]
The ‘In’ Crowd – Ramsey Lewis – Ramsey Lewis Trio-Greatest Hits [5:51]

Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: Jazz101, RIBS, TPTD, Rhythms In Black Satin, playlist, mp3, mp3blog, jazz, Charles Earland, Jimmy Smith, Horace Silver, Lee Morgan, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, The Crusaders, Bob James, Shirley Horne, Ramsey Lewis

Tags: JAM, jazz, Jazz 101, Jazz Appreciation Month

RIBS TPTD: ‘Sax Appeal’ 4 – The Ladies of Sax: Candy, Mindi and Pamela…

April 25, 2009 by tgrundy · 1 Comment
Filed under: Funk, R&B, RIBS, Sax Appeal, Triple Play Thurs-Day, jazz, podcasts/mixes

Playing “catch-up” this week on the site since I got “overcome by events” and did not get the mix posted last week. A late drop this week (been happening a lot lately {sigh}) BUT… we’ll get back on track on our regular Thursday release schedule soon. Let’s go…

In this, installment #4 in our month long ‘Sax Appeal’ series (installment/mix #3 is here), we take a look at the Ladies of the saxophone. I originally thought that female sax players were few and far between, but my research has uncovered more than quite a few ladies who have mastered the instrument. I’ve come to the conclusion that it is not so much that women musicians aren’t playing the instrument as much as they may experience great difficulty in getting recorded, especially as solo artists. Sounds like a subject well worth investigating further at some point in the future here on RIBS.

Fortunately, our trio today have not had any problems getting recorded, and we get to enjoy all the benefits of THAT fact. These three are probably the most prominent and well known women on the scene playing the sax today (of course there may be some out there who disagree with that statement):

Candy Dulfer: She started playing saxophone at age six, was leading her own band Funky Stuff at age fourteen, became an international recording star at age nineteen, started touring the world at age twenty. Born in Amsterdam, The Netherlands in 1969, she’s probably the reigning queen of the current crop of female sax players.

Mindi Abair: American born saxophonist with a strong Top-40 pop music background, Mindi also plays keyboards and the flute (and occasionally sings a little too!). She started out as a backing musician for such acts as Mandy Moore and the Backstreet Boys but switched to jazz in 2003 and has never looked back.

Pamela Williams: A Philadelphia native, Pamela sites Grover Washington, Jr. as one of her early influences. A former member of Patti LaBelle’s backup band she released her first album, “Saxtress” in 1996. Multi-talented (she also writes, produces and paints) Pamela is also known for her incredible visual art. She earned a degree in Fine Art and continues to paint when not on tour.

Let’s get busy wit it and let the Ladies of Sax show us what they can do as we present to you…

“Sax Appeal 4 - Candy, Mindi & Pamela”

RIBS TPTD: ‘Sax Appeal’ 4 – The Ladies of Sax: Candy, Mindi & Pamela
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Playlist: (song - artist - album [time])