AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Frank Sinatra and Natalie Cole

Artist:Frank Sinatra and Natalie Cole
Song:I Get A Kick Out Of You
DVD:Concert Collection





With the recent death of Natalie Cole, I thought it might be interesting to look at the time she sang a duet with Ol' Blue Eyes Frank Sinatra. I bet most of you don't know about this. Sometimes I find oddities like this. The two never recorded together but Natalie appeared on the 1977 ABC TV special Sinatra and Friends. Of course this was after Sinatra's 1970 retirement. I always laugh when I see clips from his retirement concert. He came out of retirement in 1973 and he did a lot of TV specials in the 70s. Natalie had just become a big star after her 1975 smash This Will Be. Sinatra was pals with her dad. So it's not surprising that he would want to sing with her. It's the only time they performed together. Of course I Get A Kick Out Of You is from the 1934 Cole Porter musical Anything Goes and was made famous by Ethel Merman. The song was a regular part of Sinatra's repertoire for years. Natalie also sings I've Got Love On My Mind which was her new single at the time. Others who perform with Sinatra on this show include Robert Merrill, Dean Martin, Loretta Lynn, Tony Bennett, Leslie Uggams and John Denver. This TV special was released on DVD in 2002. It is now out of print. But Shout! Factory has included it on the 7DVD box set Concert Collection. This is a comprehensive collection of Sinatra's TV specials from the 60s to the 80s and also includes a Christmas DVD and the 2003 PBS special Vintage Sinatra. This is a must for Sinatra fans. Here's Frank Sinatra and Natalie Cole performing I Get A Kick Out Of You on the 1977 TV special Sinatra and Friends.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-De'Adre Aziza

Artist:De'Adre Aziza w/Daniel Breaker & Stew
Song:Keys
Album:Passing Strange: Original Broadway Cast Recording




De'Adre Aziza was nominated for a Tony for her performance in the 2008 musical Passing Strange. Recently she has turned to Hollywood doing TV guest shots. She was born De'Adre Avery June 14, 1977 in Atlanta and she grew up in Teaneck, NJ. She legally changed her name to Aziza because of bad experiences with her father. She got into theater as a teen and she is a graduate of the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. She started out doing bits in TV shows shot in New York like Sex in the City. Then she auditioned for Passing Strange. The show was written by rock musician Mark "Stew" Stewart and partner Heidi Rodewald. Stew plays the narrator and the young people who are the focus of the story are played by Daniel Breaker and De'Adre Aziza. Keys is one of De'Adre's big numbers. The show played on Broadway from Feb. to July 2008. Breaking Strange was nominated for 7 Tonys including nominations for De'Adre and Breaker. Stew won a Tony for Best Book of a Musical. Spike Lee directed a film of the play which is available on DVD and the original cast recording is available on CD. De'Adre also appeared in the musical adaptation of the film Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown and a 2013 production of A Night With Janis Joplin. Recently she has done guest shots on TV series like Blue Bloods, Madam Secretary and The Good Wife. She also starred in the VH1 movie The Breaks. And she stars with Anthony Rapp of Rent in the film Dreamland which will run the film festival circuit later this year. Here's De'Adre Aziza with Daniel Breaker and Stew performing Keys followed by It's Alright from the Passing Strange DVD.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Uncle Sam

Artist:Uncle Sam
Song:I Don't Ever Want To See You Again
Album:Uncle Sam





Sam "Uncle Sam" Turner scored a top ten pop hit in 1997 with I Don't Ever Want To See You Again. Uncle Sam is best known for his association with the very popular R & B group Boyz II Men. But Uncle Sam only recorded one album and went into the ministry which he still does today. Turner was born May 31, 1971 in Detroit. He started singing in church as a child and as a teen, he was a singing preacher. At the age of 12, he was traveling to churches across the US as this boy preacher. This kind of thing is a big draw in churches. The parishioners would go nuts over a kid like this. So then he started doing gospel plays like A Good Man Is Hard To Find. He was spotted by Boyz II Men's manager Charlucci Finney. At the time, he was in charge of finding talent for Boyz II Men's new record label Stonecreek with Epic Records distribution. He had Turner sing over the phone to Boyz II Men's Wanya Morris and Turner was their first signing. The album Uncle Sam was released in Oct. 1997. I Don't Ever Want To See You Again reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and it topped the R & B Singles chart. Boyz II Men's Nathan Morris wrote the song and Boyz II Men produced the album. It was certified Gold. But it was the only album released on Stonecreek. And it was Uncle Sam's only album. He quit the music business and he is currently the pastor at Life Saviors Christian Church in Atlanta. It doesn't look like he sings at all. As Turner grew up steeped in the church, I can only assume that he had misgivings about being in the secular world. He would say it was God's plan. He's a pretty good singer so I'm surprised he doesn't record gospel music. Uncle Sam is available as a budget CD. Here's the video for I Don't Ever Want To See You Again by Uncle Sam.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bobby Lewis

Artist:Bobby Lewis
Song:Tossin' and Turnin'
Album:Tossin' and Turnin'





Tossin' and Turnin' may be the most successful one hit wonder of all time. Bobby Lewis had a second top ten hit so technically it's not a one hit wonder. But most folks only remember Tossin' and Turnin'. Lewis was born Feb. 16, 1927 in Indianapolis. He was raised in an orphanage until he was adopted at age 12 to a family in Detroit. But things didn't go well and Lewis ran away from home at age 14 and he moved back to Indianapolis. Lewis sang with the Leo Hines Orchestra. He recorded singles for Mercury and Roulette. Lewis appeared on a 1960 Apollo show in New York when he spoke to another artist from that show Ritchie Adams. Adams was lead singer of the doo wop group The Fireflies. They scored a top 30 hit in 1959 with You Were Mine. Adams was working as a staff songwriter for Beltone Records. Adams invited Lewis to the Beltone office. He showed Lewis Tossin' and Turnin' and Lewis recorded it. The record topped the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks in 1961. It was the biggest record of the year. Beltone owner Malou Rene took a songwriting credit. His brother Joe Rene arranged and conducted the record. The sax solo on the record was by sax great King Curtis using his mouthpiece with big band veteran Haywood Henry's baritone sax. Very unique solo. The song is still memorable and it got a big boost when it appeared in the 1978 film Animal House. Lewis scored a second top ten hit with One Track Mind. And he even recorded an album which is available on CD from Collectables. Unfortunately Beltone went out of business soon after. Lewis recorded for ABC-Paramount and Philips But he was never able to score another hit. Lewis still tours the oldies circuit and everyone wants to hear Tossin' and Turnin'. Here's Bobby Lewis performing Tossin' and Turnin' at Little Darlin's in Kissimmee, FL in the 80s.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Sonny Stitt and J.J. Johnson

Artist:Sonny Stitt and J.J. Johnson
Song:Elora
Album:Sonny Stitt/Bud Powell/J.J. Johnson





Here's a CD of two different recording sessions by two of the all time greats of jazz, Sonny Stitt and J.J. Johnson. They were first released as 10" LPs and then reissued on one 12" LP in 1957. I presume Prestige Records combined the two because Stitt is on both sessions. The first session was led by sax great Sonny Stitt. This was Stitt's first recording after spending two years in prison for narcotics. It was released on 10" LP in 1950 as All God's Children Got Rhythm. Musicians are Bud Powell on piano, Curly Russell on bass and Max Roach on drums. The second session is led by trombone great J.J. Johnson. It was released in 1951 on 10" LP as Modern Jazz Trombones Vol. 2. Stitt and Roach are also on this session with John Lewis on piano and Nelson Boyd on bass. Most of the songs including Elora are Johnson compositions. As I said, Prestige reissued these recordings on 1 12" LP in 1957. It was not unusual for labels to do that as 10" LPs were obsolete by the late 50s. I don't know why Roach's name wasn't on the cover because he played on both sessions. He was as well known as the other three guys. This album was released on CD in 1990 with some bonus alternate takes, mostly from the Johnson session. It's available as a budget CD and I think it's a must for jazz fans. Here's a video of Elora by Sonny Stitt and J.J. Johnson.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Led Zeppelin

Artist:Led Zeppelin
Song:Whole Lotta Love
Album:Led Zeppelin II: Deluxe Edition





Led Zeppelin was one of the most successful bands of the 70s. Whole Lotta Love was their biggest hit single and though they were an album oriented band, that single got them a wider audience. In 1968, guitarist Jimmy Page was already known for his work with The Yardbirds. When they disbanded, Page and Yardbirds bassist Chris Dreja planned to form The New Yardbirds. Page wanted Terry Reid for lead singer. But Reid had previous commitments and he recommended Robert Plant. Plant recommended drummer John Bonham. Then Dreja quit the music business to become a photographer and he was replaced by John Paul Jones. They played gigs as The New Yardbirds but Dreja took legal action to prevent them from using the name. The Led Zeppelin name came after Page wanted to form a supergroup with Jeff Beck, Keith Moon and John Entwistle and Moon told Page it would go over like a lead balloon. Then Led Zeppelin signed with Atlantic Records. Their first album Led Zeppelin was released Jan. 1969 and they toured to support it. The album was certified 8XPlatinum. They worked on Led Zeppelin II while touring. Though they probably didn't need it, Atlantic wanted a hit single. Whole Lotta Love is based on a Page guitar riff he came up with during recording session rehearsals. Whole Lotta Love reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. It would turn out to be their biggest hit single. The album Led Zeppelin II was certified Diamond. So it was even bigger than the first album and it would set them up for future success through the 70s. Led Zeppelin II was released as a 2CD Deluxe Edition in 2014. The second CD contains alternate takes and other rarities. Led Zeppelin was known for basing songs on blues classics. Sometimes this got them into legal trouble. Whole Lotta Love was based on the 1962 Muddy Waters hit You Need Love written by Willie Dixon. But they didn't credit him. Dixon sued in 1985 and got a songwriting credit and a settlement. This would not be the last lawsuit against Led Zeppelin for this sort of thing. I can only assume Page looked at blues classics as public domain that he could draw on as needed. Of course Led Zeppelin had plenty of success and I may look at them again. But Whole Lotta Love was important in establishing them as a mainstream band. Here's Led Zeppelin performing Whole Lotta Love at Madison Square Garden in New York in 1973 from the 1976 film The Song Remains The Same.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Lauren Murphy vs Kelly Faszholz

Here's the match video of Lauren Murphy vs Kelly Faszholz from Sunday's UFC show. Kelly came in on short notice so she really needed an early finish. She scored a knockdown in round one but was unable to finish. She was already running out of gas by the end of the round. The same thing happened in round two. Kelly seemed to break her nose and there was blood all over the place. Then the fight went to the ground in round three and Lauren pounded her enough to get a stoppage with five seconds left in the fight. Lauren would have won the fight anyway. Round three was a 10-8 round. But they won the $50K Fight of the Night bonus. So both fighters were winners. I will be very interested to see what Kelly can do with a full camp. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Floetry

Artist:Floetry
Song:Say Yes
Album:Floetic





Say Yes was the biggest hit for the Neo Soul duo Floetry. Natalie Stewart was very active in London poetry groups. She met Marsha Ambrosius in the basketball court. Marsha had plans to attend Georgia Tech on a basketball scholarship. But she got injured. Marsha also sang and the two began writing songs together in 1997. They moved to the US in 2000 and started working poetry clubs. They moved to Philadelphia and started working with producers Darren Henson and Keith Pelzer. This led to a contract with DreamWorks Records. On their 2002 debut CD Floetic, Floetry worked with producers Andre Harris and Vidal Davis who also work with Jill Scott among others. Say Yes was the second single from the album. Marsha wrote it with Andre Harris. It reached #8 on the R & B Singles chart and #24 on the Billboard Hot 100. Floetic was certified Gold. So Floetry was off to a good start. The problem was DreamWorks Records did not do well and the company was sold to Universal in 2003. Floetry was moved to Geffen Records and they released the 2005 CD Flo'Ology. It didn't perform as well as the first CD and there were no hit singles. Floetry split up in 2006. Since then, Marsha has had a successful solo career. Natalie has recorded three albums as The Floacist. Floetry reunited and toured in 2015. They announced plans to continue touring in 2016 and plans for new music though nothing specific has been announced. Here's the video for Say Yes by Floetry.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Ashlee Evans-Smith vs Marion Reneau

Here's the fight video of Ashlee Evans-Smith vs Marion Reneau from last night's UFC show in Pittsburgh. First, the announcers did not say that Ashlee was coming off of a one year drug suspension due to diuretics. And they should mention it. The fight was basically three rounds of light sparring. I didn't think either fighter did enough to win. I scored the fight 29-28 for Marion and I think most of the media scored it that way. The contentious round was round one. Other than Marion's one good punch dropping Ashlee and a guillotine right at the end of the round, there wasn't much to the round. The whole fight was like that. So I scored that round 10-9 for Marion. But two of the three judges scored the round 10-9 for Ashlee. You can watch it for yourself. I don't see how the round can be scored that way. The final scores were 30-27 and 29-27 for Ashlee and 29-28 for Marion. The 29-27 was a math error. It should have been 29-28. During her post match interview, Ashlee was upset she was being booed. They weren't booing her. They were booing the judges. Afterwards, Pennsylvania AC executive director Greg Sirb spoke to Hunter Homistek of MMA Fighting. Sirb also thought that Marion won round one. So why did two judges score it the other way? There was talk that the judges got the two fighters confused. Sirb said he went over that with the judges so they knew which was which. He says he'll go over the fight video with the judges to see what they were thinking. He could watch it right here on the blog. I wasn't impressed with either fighter. They have to do more than light sparring to get my attention. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Four Aces

Artist:The Four Aces
Song:Love Is A Many Splendored Thing
Album:Greatest Hits





The Four Aces were a popular 50s vocal group. The 1955 single Love Is A Many Splendored Thing was one of their two number one hits. Of course like a lot of 50s musical acts, The Four Aces were killed by Rock 'N' Roll. Philadelphia native Al Alberts was the lead singer of The Four Aces. He met Dave Mahoney while serving in the US Navy. Lou Silvestri and Rosario "Sod" Vaccaro were added and The Four Aces were born. At first they were a band but then they dropped the instruments and became a vocal group. When Alberts couldn't get The Four Aces a record deal, he released the 1951 single (It's No) Sin on his own label. It did so well that The Four Aces signed with Decca Records. For the next few years the group had a steady stream of hits. Their two biggest hits were both movie theme songs. The first was Three Coins in the Fountain in 1954 followed by Love Is A Many Splendored Thing in 1955. Both records topped the pop charts. Love Is A Many Splendored Thing was written by Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster for the 1955 film Love Is A Many Splendored Thing starring Jennifer Jones and William Holden. I think the song was sung in the movie by a chorus led by legendary film composer Alfred Newman. It won the 1955 Best Original Song Oscar. Decca house bandleader Jack Pleis arranged and conducted The Four Aces recording. The Four Aces started to fade with the late 50s rise of Rock 'N' Roll. Alberts left the group to go solo in 1958. He didn't have much luck as a solo artist. Alberts is best known as the host of the Philadelphia TV talent show Al Alberts Showcase which ran for 32 years. He died in 2009. You can get all of The Four Aces hits on this budget comp. These are the original recordings. Beware of rerecorded versions. All the original members of The Four Aces are deceased. A version of the group continues to tour the nostalgia circuit today. Here are The Four Aces performing Love Is A Many Splendored Thing on one of those PBS nostalgia shows.

Sweet Honey In The Rock concert review

Last night I went to see Sweet Honey in the Rock at Koerner Hall in downtown Toronto. Sweet Honey in the Rock is a female vocal group somewhat similar to The Persuasions. The big difference between the two is that The Persuasions are clearly steeped in doo wop and Sweet Honey in the Rock came out of the Washington, DC live theater scene. There are currently four members including original members Louise Robinson and Carol Mailard and sisters Nitanju Bolade Casel and Aisha Kahlil. Sign language interpreter Shirley Childress has toured with them since 1981. And currently bassist Romeir Antonio Mendez is touring with them. They said they met him while they were working on a project for Alvin Ailey. They don't really need him. Sweet Honey in the Rock currently record for the folk label Appleseed and they are out promoting their new CD #LoveInEvolution. So not surprisingly, most of the songs performed are from that album including the traditional songs Somebody Prayed For Me and I Don't Want No Trouble At The River, the gospel medley Operator/Jesus Is on The Mainline/I Don't Know What You Come to Do and the original songs The Living Waters, Oh, Sankofa and the tongue in cheek IDK, But I'm LOL!. All of these songs are on the new album and CDs are available in the lobby. One of the best songs on the show was their version of Feeling Good, a song made famous by Nina Simone but written by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse for the musical The Roar of the Greasepaint, The Smell of the Crowd. As one would expect from a group that has been together for over 40 years, the harmonies are perfect. I'd like to see them make more musical instrument sounds so they sound like a jazz group. I have known about Sweet Honey in the Rock since the 70s so I was not surprised by anything in the show. They sounded great.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Colt Ford

Artist:Colt Ford f/Jake Owen
Song:Back
Album:Answer To No One: The Colt Ford Classics




Colt Ford is a country rapper. Probably the best known country rapper is Cowboy Troy who has worked with Big & Rich. Ford has also worked with several singers including Jake Owen on Back. He was born Jason Brown Aug. 27, 1970 in Athens, GA. He played professional golf on the Nationwide tour. Then he turned to music and took the stage name Colt Ford. Ford got some radio airplay when he appeared on a rap remix of the 2008 Montgomery Gentry hit Roll With Me. When major labels wouldn't sign him, Ford started Average Joes Entertainment with partner Shannon Houchins. Ford released his 2008 CD Ride Through The Country. One of the songs on that album, Dirt Road Anthem, was a number one country hit for Jason Aldean. Ford wrote and recorded the song with Brantley Gilbert. Back is from the 2012 CD Declaration of Independence featuring Jake Owen. It is Ford's highest charting single to date. But Ford has no illusions about his success. There is still a lot of resistance to rap on country music radio. Ford isn't planning to top the charts anytime soon. Ford wrote Back with Noah Gordon, Mike Hartnett and Shannon Houchins. Gordon is a bluegrass guy who recorded in the 90s and then turned to production. Ford, Hartnett and Houchins have worked together frequently, most notably with rapper Bubba Sparxxx. You can get all of Ford's hits on this comp released last Oct. He is currently on tour. Here's the video for Back by Colt Ford featuring Jake Owen.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Luther Vandross and Gregory Hines

Artist:Luther Vandross and Gregory Hines
Song:There's Nothing Better Than Love
Album:Greatest Hits





Of course Luther Vandross was an R & B legend and he recorded with all kinds of people. Gregory Hines was best known as a fantastic tap dancer who became a very popular film actor in the 80s. But he had a brief recording career in the late 80s. The man behind that was Luther Vandross. Vandross saw Hines perform with pianist Eubie Blake on an episode of Saturday Night Live. He decided to work with Hines. Vandross toned down some of Hines' stage trained vocal mannerisms. And Vandross also had to sing at a higher vocal range in order to sing harmony with Hines. Vandross wrote There's Nothing Better Than Love with his pianist, John "Skip" Anderson who was a member of Lenny White's Twennynine. The song appears on the 1986 album Give Me The Reason which Vandross produced with bassist Marcus Miller. That album was very successful as Stop To Love was Vandross' first top 20 pop hit. There's Nothing Better Than Love was released right after Stop To Love. It topped the R & B Singles chart and it reached #50 on the Billboard Hot 100. This led to Hines' 1988 album Gregory Hines on Epic Records. Vandross wrote and produced the album. Hines scored a top ten R & B hit with the single That Girl Wants To Dance With Me. So Hines probably could have recorded another album. But he didn't. He returned to film and stage work. Hines' album is available on CD but it's expensive. You can get There's Nothing Better Than Love on this Vandross budget comp. There's Nothing Better Than Love is pretty good for a one shot deal. That's the kind of talent Luther Vandross had. Here's the video for There's Nothing Better Than Love by Luther Vandross and Gregory Hines.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Victoria Spivey

Artist:Victoria Spivey
Song:Dirty T.B. Blues
Album:Vol. 3





Victoria Spivey was a blues pioneer similar to Bessie Smith. The big difference was that Victoria was rediscovered in the 60s and she toured the festival circuit until her 1976 death. She was born Oct. 15, 1906 in Houston. Her father was a railroad flagman and a part time musician. Victoria and her sisters performed as children with his band. He died when Victoria was seven years old. She performed in local clubs and in 1918 she was hired to accompany films at the Lincoln Theater in Dallas. She moved to St. Louis in 1926 and signed with Columbia's race label Okeh. She had success with the 1926 single Black Snake Blues. Victoria wrote many of her own songs. And like a lot of singers from that era, she wrote a lot of songs about sex and drugs like Dirty T.B. Blues. Victoria moved from Okeh to RCA in 1929. And it looks like Dirty T.B. Blues was one of her first RCA recordings. She is accompanied by pianist Luis Russell and his orchestra featuring trumpeter Henry "Red" Allen. Other musicians are J.C. Higginbotham on trombone, Charlie Holmes on soprano sax, Will Johnson on guitar and Pops Foster on bass. King Oliver, Louis Armstrong and Lonnie Johnson were among those who recorded with Victoria. She got a big break when director King Vidor cast Victoria in his 1929 film Hallelujah!. This led to film and stage appearances with her dancer husband Billy Adams. So when Victoria's recording career dried up in the late 30s, she continued to perform on stage. The British label Document has released three CDs of Victoria's recordings in chronological order. Victoria retired in 1951 to play organ in her church choir. But Lonnie Johnson lured her back to performing in 1961. She started her own label in 1962 and continued to tour and record until her death on Oct. 3, 1976 at age 69. Here's a video for Dirty T.B. Blues by Victoria Spivey featuring Henry "Red" Allen on trumpet.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Asuka vs Deonna Purrazzo

Here is the match video of Asuka vs Deonna Purrazzo from last night's NXT show. I am posting all of Asuka's matches for her fans who don't get the WWE Network. Deonna has been on NXT as enhancement talent a few times. She is not signed to the WWE. Deonna is from New Jersey. Asuka does one new move, a body scissors into an ankle lock. Other than that, she does all her trademark moves but instead of finishing with the Asuka Lock, she hits three spinning back fists followed by a spinning head kick. The main thing you will get from this match is Asuka's smooth transitions. She's very quick and creative we just don't see that level of creativity very often. After the match, they show a clip from last week when Bayley successfully defended her NXT Women's Championship against Carmella. They were attacked by Nia Jax and Eva Marie after the match and Asuka made the save. Then, Asuka eyed the belt. Big things are coming for Asuka.
Asuka vs Deonna by asukalock

Ray has an inoperable brain tumour

Yesterday, masked joshi puroresu wrestler Ray announced that she has an inoperable brain tumour. This stems from a concussion she suffered a couple of months ago. Ray debuted in 2003 after being trained by Sakura Emi. She was originally called Rei which means zero in Japanese. She was supposed to look like a cartoon character appealing to kids. Ray also trained with Mariko Yoshida at Ibuki. Ray's ring style can best be described as "spot monkey". She does a lot of high flying and she may be the only joshi wrestler who is comfortable doing the Shooting Star Press. After working for Ice Ribbon and Nanae Takahashi's Passion Red group, Ray took off the mask and worked as Lin Bairon for SMASH and later WNC after SMASH closed. Some fans might not even know that she was that character because it was so much different from the Ray character. She also wrestled for SMASH under the mask as Ray. And SMASH did not identify the characters as the same person. After that, she worked for REINA and also SHIMMER. She also freelanced but in recent months, Ray has worked for the revived FMW. On Dec. 22, Ray suffered a concussion during a match with Ayako Hamada. When her condition didn't improve, an MRI revealed that she had a brain tumour and a biopsy would have to be done to determine malignancy. Ray announced this at an FMW press conference a couple of weeks ago. She held yesterday's press conference to announce the results. Sadly, the tumour is malignant and inoperable. Obviously she is through with wrestling. Ray said she will talk to doctors about a course of treatment and she will give an update at the Feb. 26 FMW show. On behalf of joshi fans worldwide, I would like to wish Ray all the best in the future.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Wild Belle

Artist:Wild Belle
Song:Keep You
Album:Isles





The brother sister duo Wild Belle got some buzz when Keep You was used in the 2012 hit film Pitch Perfect. But the song isn't on the soundtrack CD. It is on Wild Belle's 2013 debut CD Isles. And now they have a new CD coming out. Elliott and Natalie Bergman are from Chicago. Elliott studied at the University of Michigan and it was there that he formed the band NOMO. Elliott plays sax. He plays the baritone sax solo on Keep You. NOMO was a mix of afro beat, reggae and jazz fusion. They recorded several albums for the jazz label Ubiquity Records. Elliott brought Natalie in to sing background vocals for NOMO. The two started writing songs together and Natalie sang a lead vocal for the NOMO track Upside Down. Elliott, Natalie and NOMO guitarist Erik Hall decided to start a new band and that became Wild Belle. NOMO last recorded in 2009 and it looks like they may have disbanded in 2011. A performance at the 2011 South By Southwest festival got Wild Belle a deal with Columbia Records and their debut CD Isles was released in 2013. Keep You was the first single and it appeared in the 2012 hit film Pitch Perfect. But the song wasn't on the soundtrack CD. So if you want it, you have to get Isles. It's available as a budget CD. Wild Belle has the NOMO influence but Natalie sings lead vocals and writes all the lyrics. Elliott writes and produces the music. Wild Belle appeared on the 2015 Major Lazer single Be Together. Wild Belle has been on tour. They hire musicians to fill out the touring band. Their new album Dreamland will be released in April. They have already released a couple of singles from the album. Here's the video for Keep You by Wild Belle.

Analysis of Invicta FC 16 card

Yesterday Invicta announced that their next show will be Mar. 11 at the Trinidad Pavillion at Tropicana in Las Vegas. And they announced the full card. As usual, I will analyze the full card with a critical eye. My first thought was we have a great main event but the rest of the card is not up to par. The main event will have Ayaka Hamasaki defending her Invicta Atomweight Championship against Amber Brown. This has match of the year potential. Of course Ayaka is a Megumi Fujii trainee. So I expect Megumi will be in Vegas. Ayaka has also had success training RENA for her RIZIN fight and she will be training pro wrestler Syuri in MMA. Ayaka won the belt over Herica Tiburcio by unanimous decision. The kind of smothering attack she used in that fight won't work against someone as aggressive as Amber. Amber trains at Fit NHB in Albuquerque which is owned by UFC fighter Tim Means. Amber has won her last three Invicta fights. And she likes to finish. So I expect the first round to be crazy. But I don't know if it will get to round two. Of course a big plus for Ayaka is she will have the master strategist Mega Megu in her corner. I can't wait for this one. The co-main event will have Vanessa Porto vs Jennifer Maia for the Interim Flyweight Championship. A couple of months ago, Invicta said they would to a tournament. Maybe they didn't know if Barb Honchak will return. A change to the interim belt tells me that Barb will return. Vanessa and Jennifer are both veteran Brazilian fighters who tend to be inconsistent. I'm not a fan of either. Mexican Irene Aldana will face Jessamyn Duke. Both are overrated. Irene is a teammate of Alexa Grasso but she's not as good. In her last fight, she lost badly to Tonya Evinger. Jessamyn lost her last three UFC fights. I thought she was overrated before she went to the UFC. She's tall but awkward and she is mainly a striker with no ground game. So I don't like either of them. Alexa Grasso will face Stephanie Eggink. In her last fight, Alexa really schooled MIZUKI. I think she's ready for the UFC now. But she's returning from injury so we'll see how she looks now. I am told that Stephanie is returning from pregnancy. Her last fight was a loss to Katja Kankaanpaa in Sept. 2014. I just think Alexa is too slick for her. Roxanne Modafferi will face DeAnna Bennett in a Flyweight bout. Didn't DeAnna just lose a Strawweight Championship match? She did and now she's back up to Flyweight which is her natural fighting weight. She was not impressive at Strawweight. I don't know what Invicta management sees in her. Roxy is a fan favourite who has improved quite a bit since training with John Crouch at Syndicate in Vegas. He seems to have gotten rid of some of her bad habits. A win here might get her a title shot. Former Invicta Atomweight champ Herica Tiburcio will face Jinh Yu Frey. Instead of giving her an immediate title shot, this kind of prelim fight is where Herica should have been in the first place. It should be an even match. Andrea Lee will face Sarah D'Alelio at 125lb. Sarah usually fights at a heavier weight. I wonder why they didn't give Andrea a rematch with Roxy. Hmmm. Anyway, I have liked Andrea in the past and she has personality which can be tough to find sometimes. Bantamweights Kelly McGill and Amberlynn Orr will face off. Kelly won her Invicta debut in Nov. Amberlynn is making her pro MMA debut though she as an extensive amateur record. And in the opener, Strawweights Ashley Greenway and Sarah Click are both making pro MMA debuts. So there you have it. You can watch Invicta FC 16 on UFC Fight Pass. I will use Roku to watch it on my HDTV.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Taylor Hicks

Artist:Taylor Hicks
Song:Do I Make You Proud
Single:Do I Make You Proud





Of all the American Idol winners, Taylor Hicks was probably the biggest bust. Do I Make You Proud topped the charts right after he won in 2006. But by 2008, he was cut from his record deal. So that was a quick descent. Part of the problem was he probably shouldn't have won. Most pundits thought Katharine McPhee was going to win. So it was a shock when Hicks was announced as the winner. Hicks was born Oct. 7, 1976 in Birmingham, AL. His music can best be described as blue eyed soul heavily influenced by Ray Charles. He had a band while attending Auburn University. After graduating, he moved to Nashville and unsuccessfully tried to get a record deal. He moved back to Alabama and released a CD independently. Then of course he won American Idol. He performed Do I Make You Proud on the AI finale and then it topped the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written and produced by the British production group Absolute who have written plenty of hits for others. So then he records his debut album Taylor Hicks. For some reason, Do I Make You Proud was not on the album. It's not even on any various artist hits comps. It's only available as a single. I don't understand that at all. The album was released just before Christmas 2006. And though it was certified Platinum, it did not do as well as other AI winners and there were no hit singles. Arista dropped Hicks in 2008. Since then, Hicks has recorded on his own label and done various other things including a residency in Las Vegas in 2013. He still tours and he has a new CD scheduled for a 2016 release. And he owns a restaurant in Birmingham. Like a lot of AI winners, his post-AI career wasn't what he expected. Here's Taylor Hicks performing Do I Make You Proud on the American Idol season five finale in 2006.

Kelly Faszholz to replace injured Sarah Moras on Feb. 21 UFC show

Last week the UFC announced that an injury forced Sarah Moras to drop out of her fight with Lauren Murphy on UFC Fight Night 83 Feb. 21 at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh. I figured they had someone in mind or they would have just scrapped the fight. Today they announced that Kelly Faszholz will replace Sarah. This fight will air on the UFC Fight Pass prelims. Kelly is from Santa Rosa, CA. Her record is 3-0. She trains at Gracie Jiu Jitsu/Nor-Cal Fight Alliance which is owned by retired UFC fighter David Terrell. He was forced to retire due to inner ear problems. Kelly's latest win was over Brittney Elkin on the Nov. 6 Fight To Win show in Denver. Check out the fight video for yourself. Kelly has finished all three of her fights. So I like that. And all her fights have been at 145lb. So with the short notice, I would be concerned about her making weight. Of course normally a UFC fighter would be a big step up in competition. In this case, I'm not so sure. Of course Lauren is a former Invicta champ who is 0-2 in the UFC. She lost two close fights which is a product of her being a points fighter. You all know I like fighters who finish so I'm not crazy about Lauren. And here she is facing someone who likes to finish. This could be interesting. Here's the video of Kelly Faszholz vs Brittney Elkin.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Meat Loaf

Artist:Meat Loaf
Song:Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad
Album:Bat Out Of Hell





Marvin Lee Aday started out as a musical theater performer who lucked into Bat Out Of Hell, one of the biggest selling albums of all time. Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad was the highest charting single. But that doesn't matter much as the album has sold 43M worldwide. He was born Sept. 27, 1947 in Dallas and he grew up listening to gospel music. Aday constantly lies about the origin of the nickname Meat Loaf just to mess with with people. It's a childhood nickname because of his size. Aday moved to Los Angeles in the late 60s. He had several bands in those days and record companies liked Aday's powerful voice. But he didn't trust them so he didn't accept any contract offers. Then he appeared in the Los Angeles production of Hair. Motown asked him to record with fellow Hair cast member Shaun "Stoney" Murphy. The album was released in 1971 on Rare Earth Records as Stoney & Meatloaf. They toured to support it but the album was a failure though it has been rereleased many times after Meat Loaf became famous. Aday returned to the cast of Hair, this time on Broadway. And it was at an audition for another show that Aday met songwriter Jim Steinman who apparently liked Stoney & Meatloaf. The two started working on Bat Out Of Hell. In the meantime, Aday appeared in the Broadway production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show which led to a role in the 1975 movie. Aday was also John Belushi's understudy in The National Lampoon Show. It was here that he met Ellen Foley who would appear on Bat Out Of Hell. Aday and Steinman finally got serious about Bat Out Of Hell. Todd Rundgren agreed to produce the album and after shopping it around to record companies, Cleveland International released it through Columbia. Of course Bat Out Of Hell was a huge seller. After that, Aday lost his voice for a while. And he bickered with Steinman. So they stopped working together which killed Aday's music career. Aday also starred in the 1981 film Roadie which was a dud. Then he had problems with Columbia and he left for Arista followed by Atlantic. He finally had success again with the 1993 album Bat Out Of Hell II on MCA and the number one hit single I'd Do Anything For Love. That album reunited him with Steinman. Since then he has bounced around different labels. Aday last recorded in 2011. But he is working with Steinman on a new album scheduled for a 2016 release. Normally I would recommend a greatest hits comp. But Meat Loaf has only recorded two successful albums so if you don't have it already, Bat Out Of Hell is available as a budget CD. Here's Meat Loaf performing Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad 1977.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Keb' Mo'

Artist:Keb' Mo'
Dong:Loola Loo
Album:The Door





Kevin "Keb' Mo'" Moore was around the music business for twenty years when he accidentally discovered that he could play the blues. Today he is a best selling recording artist playing the acoustic blues style of legends like Robert Johnson. He was born Oct. 3, 1951 in Los Angeles. He started out playing steel drums on a calypso band. In the 70s, he was in a band led by Jefferson Airplane violinist Papa John Creach. He appeared on several Creach albums. Then Moore worked as a staff songwriter for A & M Records. As Kevin Moore, he released the 1980 album Rainmaker on the Casablanca Records label Chocolate City. Casablanca went under soon after that. In the 80s, Moore was in a band led by sax player Monk Higgins. Then in 1990, Moore appeared in the stage musical Spunk as Guitar Man. The character is a blues singer who narrates the play. He got the idea to become a blues artist. He was given the name Keb' Mo' and he signed with Sony's Okeh label. Since his 1994 debut album Keb' Mo', Moore has been a best selling blues artist. Though he does perform the occasional blues classic, Moore writes most of his own songs. He wrote Loola Loo with jazz singer Bobby McFerrin. It's from the 2000 CD The Door. Moore left Sony in 2006 and he currently records for his own label. His latest CD BLUESAmericana was released in 2014. He is currently on tour. Moore certainly plays an authentic blues singer very well. Here's Keb' Mo' performing Loola Loo at the Piazza Blues Festival in Switzerland 2009.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Nels Cline & Julian Lage

Artist:Nels Cline & Julian Lage
Song:Odd End
Album:Room





Guitarist Nels Cline has been around since the 80s. He is best known as a member of Wilco and for his jazz group The Nels Cline Singers. But he does all kinds of other things. On this 2014 CD, he is recording with the much younger Julian Lage. Cline has recorded jazz and rock since the 80s. He joined Wilco in 2004 and along with recording and touring with them, he also leads the jazz group The Nels Cline Singers. Julian Lage was a child prodigy and the subject of the 1997 documentary Julian At Eight. Lage has recorded as a leader but he's a member of Gary Burton's New Quartet and he works a lot as a sideman. These guys are so busy one wouldn't think there would be time to record an album together. Cline says he was burned out from touring and recording with Lage refreshed him. The 2014 CD Room is just the two guitarists. There's no band. So fans of Cline and Lage as individuals should check this album out as the two work very well together. Cline and Lage did a media tour and a few gigs. This album could be a one shot deal as they might not have time to work together again. This is recommended to jazz guitar fans. Here's Nels Cline & Julian Lage performing Odd End at KEXP in Seattle 2014.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Charli XCX

Artist:Charli XCX
Song:Boom Clap
Album:The Fault In Our Stars: Music From The Motion Picture




British singer songwriter Charli XCX seemed like an overnight sensation when she scored a top ten pop hit with Boom Clap from the 2014 film The Fault In Our Stars. But she's actually been around for a few years. She writes her own songs so she has potential for longevity. She was born Charlotte Aitchison Aug. 2, 1992 in Cambridge, England. Charli XCX was her MSN Messenger user name. When she started performing as a teen, a promoter billed her as Charli XCX so she just kept the name. She released a CD independently in 2008 and this led to her signing with Atlantic's Asylum label in 2010. She released a couple of singles but she got a lot of attention when she sang lead on the 2012 top ten pop hit I Love It by the Swedish duo Icona Pop. Charli wrote the song with Swedish producer Patrik Berger and she seemed to click with him. He took her in an electro pop direction. She released her debut album True Romance in 2013. It was produced by Ariel Rechtshaid who had produced her singles. There were no hit singles and the album didn't sell. Charli wanted to work with Berger on her second album. Charli's duet with rapper Iggy Azalea Fancy topped the charts in early 2014. Then Asylum placed Boom Clap in the film The Fault In Our Stars about two teen cancer patients who fall in love. This film was a big success with teenage girls. And so was the soundtrack CD. Boom Clap was the lead single and it reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. She wrote and produced the song with Berger. Charli's second album Sucker was released late 2014. It did OK but I recommend the soundtrack CD for The Fault In Our Stars because it's available at a budget price. Charli opened for Katy Perry and also toured with Jack Antonoff. We should see a new CD from her later this year. She has to prove that Boom Clap was not a fluke hit from a hit movie. And she can always write songs for others if things don't work out. Here's the video for Boom Clap by Charli XCX.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Grandmaster Flash

Artist:Grandmaster Flash f/Duke Bootee & Melle Mel
Song:The Message
Album:Essential Cuts




Rap had been around since the mid-70s. But the 1982 hit The Message was the first rap song to get serious mainstream attention. And it was the first social commentary rap song. Joseph "Grandmaster Flash" Saddler was born in Barbados but he grew up in The Bronx. In high school, he learned how to repair electronic equipment. And his dad was a big music fan with a large record collection. So Saddler became a DJ and invented a lot of the turntable techniques that are still used today. By 1975, he was working with legendary rapper Kurtis Blow. Then he formed his own group with Melvin "Melle Mel" Glover. There were others involved in the group that became Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. But Glover was around long term. A lot of the others didn't stay long. They were popular on the New York City party circuit. But when The Sugarhill Gang's Rapper's Delight was a hit in 1979, they signed with the same label, Sylvia Robinson's Sugar Hill Records. Of course Sylvia was a singer herself (Pillow Talk) and a record industry veteran who lucked into the dawn of rap. Grandmaster Flash had some success on the R & B charts with singles like Freedom. But the Message really established them as a force. It reached #4 on the R & B Singles chart and it crossed over to pop. The rapping was by Melle Mel and Ed "Duke Bootee" Fletcher. As for Saddler, he was important to the live shows but he wasn't much of a presence in the recording studio. Glover has said in interviews that the group wasn't crazy about doing social commentary. But Fletcher wasn't a regular member of The Furious Five. The Message was the only song he ever did with them. He was usually a session musician. Things went south for The Furious Five when they sued Sugar Hill for unpaid royalties and that ultimately split them up. They reunited for the 1988 album On The Strength but their time was over. This comp from the British label Metro has all their hits. Today Saddler owns a clothing store in New York City. And Glover still records occasionally. Fletcher returned to studio work after The Message. Here's the video for The Message by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five featuring Duke Bootee and Melle Mel.

Rin Nakai vs Leslie Smith added to Mar. 19 UFC show

Yesterday, The Courier Mail in Brisbane, Australia first reported and then the UFC confirmed that Rin Nakai vs Leslie Smith has been added to UFC Fight Night 85 at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, Australia. This show will air Mar. 19 on Fox Sports 1 in the US and TSN in Canada. Rin lost her UFC debut by unanimous decision to Miesha Tate in Aug. 2014. Afterwards, she complained to Nikkan Sports that she thought she won the fight. In that fight, she made the same mistake she has been making in all her fights over the last few years. She's not aggressive enough at the start of fights and she fell behind against Miesha. Fans have asked me what happened to her. There was even a phony report that she was released. The UFC tried to get her on the Korea show but they were unable to come to terms with her potential opponent's management. More recently, she has been talking about dropping to Flyweight as the UFC will start that division later this year. This will be Rin's first fight ever outside Japan. Flying in for fights is nothing new for Rin as she lives in the northern Japan island of Shikoku and she always had to travel by plane to Tokyo for fights. Of course fans remember her goofy PANCRASE videos. But Rin was a competitive gymnast as a child and when she got too big for gymnastics, she competed in judo tournaments as a teen. The last time we saw Leslie, she had her ear split open by Jessica Eye. She was booked to face Liz Carmouche last fall but she backed out due to injury. She trains with the Diaz brothers in California. Leslie is a one dimensional kickboxer with no ground game. I have never seen her go for a takedown. Rin's advanced judo skills are her advantage if she comes out aggressively at the start of the fight. That's a mental block Rin must get past to be successful. But I don't know if she can. Rin would still like to train in the US. On her blog, she was envious of Kyoji Horiguchi who recently moved to Florida to train at American Top Team. One thing is for sure. If Rin wins, we'll get to see her "air dancing" in a UFC cage.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Alfredo Rodriguez

Artist:Alfredo Rodriguez
Song:Crossing The Border
Album:Sounds Of Space





Alfredo Rodriguez is the latest in the rich tradition of Cuban jazz pianists. If you like Chucho Valdez or Gonzalo Rubalcaba, you will also like Rodriguez. And the great thing is he is being mentored by music legend Quincy Jones. He was born Oct. 7, 1985 in Havana, Cuba. His father was a singer who led his own band. Rodriguez trained in classical piano as a child. Then as a teen, he played in his father's band. He received Keith Jarrett's Koln Concert album as a gift and that opened his eyes to improvisation. Rodriguez studied at the Instituto Superior de Arte and he won several piano competitions. Rodriguez was invited to play at the 2006 Montreux Jazz Festival. Festival founder Claude Nobs arranged for Rodriguez to perform in his home for Quincy Jones. Jones took him under his wing. Rodriguez moved to the US in 2009 and he appeared on the song Better City, Better Life with Chinese composer Tan Dun and veteran session singer Siedah Garrett for the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. Then Rodriguez started playing the jazz festival circuit. Jones got him a record deal with Mack Avenue Records. Sounds Of Space is his 2012 debut CD. Rodriguez wrote all the songs. The best known musician to work with him on this album was drummer Francisco Mela who has worked with Joe Lovano and Esperanza Spalding. Other musicians are Ernesto Vega on sax, Peter Slavov on bass and Michael Olivera on percussion. Rodriguez' new CD Tocoroco will be released on Mar. 4. So no doubt he will tour to support the album. Be sure to check him out if he's coming your way. Here's Alfredo Rodriguez performing Crossing The Border in Quincy Jones' living room (!). Take note of the Oscar on the piano.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Mel Torme

Artist:Mel Torme
Song:The Christmas Song
Album:Compact Jazz





Normally I would save a Christmas song for the Christmas season. But The Christmas Song is Mel Torme's signature song and he wrote it so it's the song that keeps giving to his family long after his death. For the most part, Torme was a jazz singer who frequently crossed over to pop. He was born Sept. 13, 1925 in Chicago. He performed as a teen and by 1943, he moved to Hollywood. Torme appeared in films, most significantly the 1947 film Good News. And he also led his vocal group The Mel-Tones. He wrote The Christmas Song with Robert Wells in July 1945. Wells would go on to film and TV work, especially The Dinah Shore Chevy Show. It's the hottest day of the year and Torme is at Wells' house and he sees some Christmas lyrics on a note pad. They decide to write a Christmas song to keep cool. The song was written in forty minutes. Of course the most famous version of The Christmas Song was by Nat King Cole in 1946. Though Torme performed The Christmas Song in concert, the first time he recorded it in the studio was on the 1961 album My Kind Of Music with an orchestra arranged and conducted by Wally Stott. This was Torme's final album on Verve and this recording of The Christmas Song is on this budget comp. Torme moved to Atlantic Records and he also worked for Judy Garland at that time. Torme died on June 5, 1999 at age 73. But The Christmas Song will continue to pay royalties to Torme's family for generations to come. Here's Mel Torme with Judy Garland performing The Christmas Song on The Judy Garland Show 1963.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Greg Adams

Artist:Greg Adams
Song:Smooth Operator
Album:Hidden Agenda





Trumpeter Greg Adams was a founding member of Tower Of Power. He was an integral part of developing their trademark sound. When he started recording solo in the 90s, Adams immediately scored in the Smooth Jazz market with his cover of Sade's Smooth Operator and he has done well in that market ever since. Adams played trumpet in his high school band in San Francisco. After graduating, he joined Tower Of Power. Adams says it was better than going to music school. Of course Tower Of Power was known for their horn sound and Adams played on hundreds of albums. In 1995, Adams decided to record a solo album for Epic Records. Tower Of Power was on Epic at the time. Adams' instrumental cover of Sade's Smooth Operator was a hit in the Smooth Jazz market and he has been recording as a solo artist ever since. Adams wrote and produced most of the songs on Hidden Agenda with drummer Ken Kessie who was also a recording engineer. Other musicians on the album include Gary Herbig on tenor sax and keyboard player James Wirrick. Wirrick was the guy behind the Sylvester hit Mighty Real. Adams has since recorded for Blue Note and on his own label. And he continues to tour with Tower Of Power. Here's a video for Smooth Operator by Greg Adams.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-David Rose and his Orchestra

Artist:David Rose and his Orchestra
Song:The Stripper
Album:Tease! The Beat Of Burlesque





I'm sure all of you have heard The Stripper. But I bet you didn't know that it topped the pop charts in 1962. The song was written and recorded by veteran film composer and arranger David Rose. He was born David Rosenberg June 15, 1910 in London, England. His family moved to Chicago and shortened the family name to Rose. He studied at the Chicago School of Music and he was 16 when he joined Ted Fio Rito's dance band. Rose also worked at NBC Radio and he was an arranger for Frankie Trumbauer at WGN. Rose moved to Hollywood in 1938 and he worked for the Mutual Broadcasting System on the radio show California Melodies. He soon became musical director for Mutual. Rose scored his first hit single when Holiday for Strings reached #2 on the hit parade in 1944. This song is best known as the theme for The Red Skelton Show. Rose and Skelton met in The US Army during WWII and Rose became Skelton's musical director. In the 50s, Rose got into composing music for film and especially TV. He wrote the music for Highway Patrol, Sea Hunt and he won an Emmy for composing Bonanza. Rose recorded The Stripper for MGM Records in 1958. It was not released. In 1962, MGM was releasing Rose's recording of Ebb Tide as a single and they needed a B side. They had an office boy go through Rose's unreleased tapes and he chose the Stripper as the B side. And as sometimes happens in radio, DJs preferred the B side and The Stripper topped the Billboard Hot 100. I think many believe the song is from the 40s. Of course The Stripper is now a burlesque standard. It was helped by a Noxzema shave cream commercial with with a model cooing "Take It Off. Take It All Off". There is a David Rose budget comp of his MGM recordings available. But I think most will only want The Stripper and you can get it on this Verve various artists burlesque music comp. Rose returned to composing music for TV. He worked a lot for Michael Landon and Rose won a couple of Emmys for Little House on the Prairie. David Rose died on Aug. 23, 1990 at age 80. Here's a video for The Stripper by David Rose and his Orchestra.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Run DMC

Artist:Run DMC f/Steven Tyler & Joe Perry
Song:Walk This Way
Album:Ultimate Run DMC





This 1986 record crossed rap over into mainstream rock. It was the first rap record to reach the Billboard Hot 100 top ten. So there's no question that Run DMC were music pioneers and worthy of induction into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. Run DMC are from Queens, NY. As a teen, Joseph Run" Simmons was recruited into performing rap by older brother Russell Simmons who would found Def Jam Records. Simmons performed with rap pioneer Kurtis Blow as DJ Run. Meanwhile, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels bought turntables and began to DJ. The two started hanging around a local park and that's where they met Jason "Jam Master Jay" Mizell. Simmons convinced his brother to record them and Russell Simmons came up with the name Run DMC. They didn't like the name at first. They signed with Profile Records who had some success in the rap market. Run DMC's first couple of albums did well in the R & B market. The 1985 album King Of Rock was certified Platinum. But it was the 1986 album Raising Hell that made Run DMC mainstream stars. This was their first album working with producer Rick Rubin who was Russell Simmons' partner at Def Jam. It was Rubin's idea to cover Walk This Way. But Run DMC didn't know anything about Aerosmith so Rubin had to explain it to them. Sampling rock classics has always been done by rappers. But Rubin convinced Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith to record new parts for this record. And the band in the video was not Aerosmith but an unknown band called Smashing Gladys. Aerosmith had just released their first album for their new label Geffen which stiffed so they needed a hit record. Of course the video was brilliant and MTV played it to death. It all helped Walk This Way reach #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Raising Hell was certified 3XPlatinum. So this was the biggest selling rap album at the time and it paved the way for future rappers. Run DMC never had another hit that big. And there was also conflict in the group which eventually split them up in 1993. Mizell had already started his own record label. This budget comp has all of Run DMC's hits along with a bonus DVD of videos. Run DMC reunited and released an album in 2002. But it wasn't the same and Simmons and McDaniels didn't get along. Then Mizell was murdered in his recording studio on Oct. 30, 2002 and that ended Run DMC for good. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 2009. Simmons appeared in the successful reality show Run's House. McDaniels has recorded occasionally but he started his own comic book company which has done well. There was talk a couple of years ago about a Run DMC biopic. That seems to have stalled. McDaniels says he wants to do a Run DMC Broadway musical. Here's the video for Walk This Way by Run DMC featuring Steven Tyler and Joe Perry.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kamasi Washington

Artist:Kamasi Washington
Song:Final Thought
Album:The Epic





Sax player Kamasi Washington is the new "it" boy in jazz. The Epic has done very well on the jazz charts despite it being a 3CD set. He has talent but I think he's trying to do too much. Washington was mostly a session musician before The Epic. He was born Feb. 18, 1981 in Los Angeles the son of sax player Rickey Washington who was a member of the 70s funk group Raw Soul Express. While attending UCLA, Washington was mentored by legendary big band leader Gerald Wilson. Washington appeared on Wilson's 2005 CD In My Time. He played local clubs with his band Young Jazz Giants and released a few CDs independently. Then he started getting session work. Washington has recorded with Snoop Dogg, George Duke and Flying Lotus. You may have heard Washington's sax solo on Kendrick Lamar's 2015 hit single To Pimp A Butterfly. Flying Lotus signed Washington to his Brainfeeder label. The Epic is Washington's first release on the label. It's a sprawling 3CD set with an orchestra and voices. But mostly Washington works with guys he has known since high school. This includes Ronald Bruner Jr. on drums and his brother Stephen "Thundercat" Bruner on bass along with Brandon Coleman on keyboards. The album did very well on the jazz charts and also on the independent music charts because Washington isn't on a jazz label. Washington has been on tour since The Epic was released. Check him out if he's coming your way. Here's Kamasi Washington performing Final Thought at the Pickathon Mountain Stage near Spokane, WA July 31, 2015.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Buddy Miles

Artist:Buddy Miles
Song:Them Changes
Album:Them Changes





George Allen "Buddy" Miles Jr. is probably one of the most talented guys you never heard of. Best known as the drummer in Jimi Hendrix' Band Of Gypsies, Miles also recorded some great albums of his own. Them Changes is his signature song. He was born September 5, 1947 in Omaha. His father played bass. Miles learned the drums at age 9 and spent his teen years playing in his dad's band. His aunt named him after Buddy Rich. Miles started out as a sideman, most notably with Wilson Pickett. He first met Jimi Hendrix in 1964. In 1967, guitarist Mike Bloomfield hired Miles for his new band The Electric Flag. They had success but didn't stay together long. Then Miles played on the Hendrix album Electric Ladyland. He formed Buddy Miles Express and he recorded two albums for Mercury. When that band split up, Miles joined Hendrix' Band Of Gypsies. He left after one album and then he recorded Them Changes with producer Steve Cropper. This would turn out to be Miles' most successful album. And Them Changes became his signature song. Miles also recorded with John McLaughlin and he recorded and toured with Carlos Santana. In the 80s, Miles was lead singer of The California Raisins. Miles recorded with various bands until his death on Feb. 26, 2008 at age 60. Buddy Miles' legacy is he was a badass drummer who could play anything. Here's Buddy Miles performing Them Changes on Playboy After Dark 1970.

Tecia Torres vs Rose Namajunas added to to Apr. 16 UFC show

Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting reported this afternoon that Tecia Torres vs Rose Namajunas has been added to UFC on FOX 19 Apr. 16 in Tampa. This match could be for a future shot at the UFC Strawweight Championship. Of course fans should recall that these two fought in Invicta a couple of years ago. Tecia won by unanimous decision. This fight could turn out much differently. Though Tecia is 7-0, I have two major concerns about her. One is that she is a kickboxer with no ground game. We saw this give her problems in TUF 20. Because she has no punching power, that makes her a points fighter. And eventually, points fighting will catch up to her. Plenty of folks wrote Rose off when she lost to Carla Esparza at the TUF 20 Finale. But her recent dominant win over the overhyped Paige VanZant got her a lot of attention. Rose likes to finish fights and the key to that could be getting Tecia to the ground. As I said, this is a pivotal match in the Strawweight division so it should be very interesting.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Asuka vs Santana Garrett

Here's the match video of Asuka vs Santana Garrett from last night's episode of NXT. I am posting this for Asuka fans who don't have the WWE Network. The WWE has brought Santana into NXT before because she lives in the area. Fans should be familiar with Santana from her TNA days but she works a lot for SHINE and she recently won the Wonder of STARDOM Championship during her first trip to Japan. A veteran wrestler once told me that the problem with women wrestlers is many would prefer to look good than have a good match. That's Santana Garrett in a nutshell. And her dad was a wrestler one would think she would know better. But she gets by on her looks. Fortunately, Asuka can make anyone look good. Typically, Santana punches Asuka in the face and Asuka just smiles at her. Then when Santana applies an abdominal stretch, Asuka turns it into an ankle lock followed by a flying armbar and the Asuka lock for the finish. Having seen the NXT spoilers for the next month, big things are coming for Asuka. So stay tuned and enjoy the video.
Asuka Vs Santana Garrett by asukalock

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kenny Rogers & Dottie West

Artist:Kenny Rogers & Dottie West
Song:Anyone Who Isn't Me Tonight
Album:Every Time Two Fools Collide





Kenny Rogers recorded plenty of duets. I guess his best known duet partner was Dolly Parton in the 80s. But his first duet partner was veteran country singer Dottie West. They recorded two albums together and scored four top five country music hits including Anyone Who Isn't Me Tonight in 1978. Dottie West had success on RCA in the 60s and 70s. Her biggest hit was Country Sunshine in 1973. She also recorded successful duets with Jim Reeves and Don Gibson. in 1976, Dottie left RCA for United Artists. She also changed her look as she started wearing spandex outfits. Rogers came to UA at about the same time and scored his first big hit with Lucille in 1977. The story goes that Dottie was recording Every Time Two Fools Collide and her session was running long. Rogers arrived for his session and waited for Dottie to finish. They started discussing recording together with producer Larry Butler and decided to record Every Time Two Fools Collide as a duet. The single topped the Country Singles chart. They recorded two albums together and scored four top five country hits. Anyone Who Isn't Me Tonight reached #2 on the Country Singles chart. The song was written by Casey Kelly and Judy Didier. Kelly recorded a couple of albums for Elektra in the early 70s and then turned to songwriting. This was his biggest hit. Rogers and Dottie also toured together. So it was a very successful partnership. This budget comp has all their hits on it. They didn't record together after that. Rogers went to RCA in 1983 and that's when he started recording with Dolly Parton. He continued his success. Dottie West faded in the mid-80s and never recorded after 1984. Here's Kenny Rogers & Dottie West performing Anyone Who Isn't Me Tonight 1979.

Jessica Aguilar vs Juliana Lima added to Apr. 16 UFC show

Juliana Lima, Jessica Aguilar

This afternoon the Brazilian TV network Globo reported that Jessica Aguilar vs Juliana Lima has been added to a UFC show. At the time, they didn't know which show or the date. But I have learned that this fight will be on UFC on FOX 19 Apr. 16 in Tampa. Jessica lost her UFC debut to Claudia Gadelha last August. Afterwards, she revealed that she broke her foot during training but went through with the fight anyway. Ugh! I wish fighters would stop doing stupid stuff like this. Obviously Jessica should have backed out of the fight. If she's healthy, she shouldn't have much trouble with Juliana. Juliana's last win was over Ericka Almeida who was promptly released from the UFC. I just don't think Juliana can beat anyone who is any good. Unless of course Jessica isn't any good anymore.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Vivian Green

Artist:Vivian Green
Song:Emotional Rollercoaster
Album:A Love Story





Vivian Green started out as a backup singer for Jill Scott. Then she went solo and Emotional Rollercoaster topped the dance chart in 2002. She's still around but she hasn't matched that success yet. The neo soul female singer market is very crowded. She was born May 22, 1979 in Philadelphia. Vivian began singing as a child. She was in the teen girl group Younique. At age 19, Jill Scott took her on tour as a backup singer. She signed with Columbia Records and her debut CD A Love Story was released Nov. 2002. Emotional Rollercoaster was the first single and it topped the Dance chart and it reached the pop top 40. The album was certified Gold. Vivian co-wrote all the songs on the album. She wrote Emotional Rollercoaster with Eric Roberson who is a pretty good singer and Osunlade who is mostly a producer. Junius Bervine produced Emotional Rollercoaster and played keyboards. He had previously produced Musiq Soulchild. A Love Story is available as a budget CD. Vivian also appeared in the film De-Lovely and the NBC series American Dreams as Brenda Holloway. Then she had a baby and her next album Vivian was released in 2006. The break just killed any momentum and the album didn't do as well and there were no hit singles. Vivian left Columbia and signed with E1 Music. She released two albums for them but they don't have the promotion budget and her albums didn't sell. For her latest CD Vivid, Vivian signed with Make Noise owned by rapper Kwame and distributed by the British label Caroline. Kwame produced Vivid and also manages Vivian. The album didn't sell. It looks like Emotional Rollercoaster will be Vivian's biggest hit. Here's the video for Emotional Rollercoaster by Vivian Green.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-McCoy Tyner

Artist:McCoy Tyner
Song:Blues On The Corner
Album:The Real McCoy





When McCoy Tyner left the John Coltrane quartet in 1965, he had a big dilemma. Though he had recorded a few solo albums for Coltrane's label Impulse Records, his musical identity was tied to Coltrane. Tyner and drummer Elvin Jones left the Coltrane band because Coltrane was getting into atonal free jazz and neither of them were interested in playing that kind of music. After trying a few things including a stint playing piano for Ike and Tina Turner, Tyner signed with Blue Note Records. The 1967 album The Real McCoy was Tyner's first album for Blue Note. The musicians are Joe Henderson on tenor sax, Ron Carter on bass and Elvin Jones on drums. All of the songs including Blues On The Corner are Tyner compositions. It's straightforward post bop jazz and the album is available as a budget CD so it's definitely worth getting. Tyner left Blue Note for Milestone in 1972. And it was in the 70s that Tyner became known for his adventurous use of strings and other things. And those 70s albums are Tyner's main musical identity. McCoy Tyner just celebrated his 77th birthday. He still tours and he has his own record label distributed by Half Note Records. Here's McCoy Tyner with Gary Bartz on sax, Gerald Cannon on bass and Eric Kamau Gravatt on drums performing Blues On The Corner at the Viersen International Jazz Festival in Germany Sept. 22, 2007.