Friday, May 31, 2019
Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast May 31, 2019
AEW joshi match, UFC on ESPN+ 11 and NXT Takeover previews and new fight announcements.
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tanya Tucker
Song:Something
Album:Come Together: America Salutes The Beatles
Occasionally I come across a recording that is not part of a popular artist's main discography. But fans of that artist who want a complete discography will want it. I call those recordings orphans. Usually these songs are on soundtracks. This Tanya Tucker cover of The Beatles classic Something is on a 1995 various artists Beatles tribute album. It does not appear on one of Tanya's albums. Tanya first became popular as a teen in the 70s with hits like Delta Dawn on Columbia. She left Columbia for MCA in 1975. She had success at first but things weren't going well in the early 80s. After a 1982 album on Arista, she signed with Capitol Nashville and stayed there through the 90s. At Capitol she reunited with producer Jerry Crutchfield who she worked with at MCA early in her run there. So Tanya had a string of top five country hits in the early 90s. This 1995 Beatles tribute album was Crutchfield's idea. He produced most of the songs. Country artists on the album include Willie Nelson, Sammy Kershaw and Randy Travis but Huey Lewis also appears and so do Christian artists Phil Keaggy and Susan Ashton and Gary Chapman. The album did OK and Steve Wariner's cover of Get Back was released as a single. But as I said, Something doesn't appear on any of Tanya's albums so her fans may want to buy the album. It doesn't seem to be available as a digital download. Here's a video for Something by Tanya Tucker.
Thursday, May 30, 2019
Cris Cyborg vs Felicia Spencer added to July 27 UFC show
Last night UFC President Dana White told ESPN's Brett Okamoto that Cris Cyborg vs Felicia Spencer has been added to UFC 240 July 27 at the Rogers Arena in Edmonton. This will be the co-main event. I have been asked why this is not for an interim Featherweight title. Easy answer confirmed by Cyborg's Twitter. This is the final fight of her UFC contract. She hired Audie Attar to negotiate a new contract. But this announcement tells me they weren't able to come to terms. Her whole UFC run was built on beating up Bantamweights. When UFC Bantamweight Champion Amanda Nunes moved up to Featherweight and KOd Cyborg in round one, Cyborg's aura of invincibility is gone. Even her coach Jason Perillo admitted that she fought like an idiot. So why would the UFC pay her like that loss didn't happen? So I'm sure Cyborg wants more than the UFC thinks she's worth. She could get some of that aura back with a win over Felicia. Wasn't Felicia the underdog in her fight against Megan Anderson? How did that go? I expect the same idiots to underestimate Felicia for this fight. So unlike most of Cyborg's UFC fights, I don't expect this to be easy for her. Felicia has already shown that she's an elite fighter on the ground. You all saw what she did to Megan. If she can take Cyborg down, she can finish her. I know what you're thinking. Couldn't Cyborg KO Felicia? Did you know that Cris Cyborg has never KOd an opponent. All her wins were TKOs over undersized inferior opponents. Look what happened when she tried that with Amanda Nunes. If she underestimates Felicia, the same thing could happen.Challenged ➡️ Accepted ➡️ Booked #UFC240 pic.twitter.com/mwA8O4E1Lx
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) May 30, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Dovells
Song:You Can't Sit Down
Album:The Best Of The Dovells 1961-1965
You Can't Sit Down was the second of two top five hits for The Dovells. Their other big hit was The Bristol Stomp. They started out as The Brooktones in 1957. They all went to Overbrook High School in Philadelphia. The group leaders were Jerry Gross and Len Barry along with Arnie Silver, Mike Freda and Jim Mealey. Their single No No No was a local hit. Gross and Freda left in 1959 to form The Gems. After The Brooktones signed with Parkway Records, the group name was changed to The Dovells and Gross and Freda returned. The 1961 single The Bristol Stomp reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written and produced by Parkway house producers Kal Mann and Dave Appell. Of course Parkway was also the home for Chubby Checker's The Twist. So dance records were all the rage at the time. So subsequent Dovells singles were all dance related. They also appeared in the 1961 Chubby Checker movie Don't Knock The Twist. After the dance singles went nowhere, The Dovells score their second big hit You Can't Sit Down in 1963. It reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. That song was written by session guitarist Phil Upchurch and organist Cornell Muldrow. Upchurch's instrumental version was a top 30 hit in 1960. Dave Appell wrote the lyrics. The Dovells continued to record without much success. Barry left in 1963 and scored a top five hit with 1-2-3 in 1965. That song and all The Dovells singles are on this comp. Some of The Dovells went on to record for MGM as The Magistrates in 1968. Barry went on to be a key figure in 70s Philly Soul working for WMOT Records. Gross and Mark Stevens of The Gems have led a version of The Dovells on the oldies circuit since the 70s. Here's The Dovells performing You Can't Sit Down in the 80s.
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
Aspen Ladd vs Germaine De Randamie added to July 13 UFC show
John Morgan of MMA Junkie reports that Aspen Ladd vs Germaine De Randamie has been added to UFC on ESPN+ 13 July 13 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. This fight is at Bantamweight and will be the main event. The fight has been verbally agreed to. The UFC is waiting on signed bout agreements. Because of the current Bantamweight rankings, the UFC is limited as to what they can do with Aspen. They need a top ten opponent for her. Aspen was suggesting on Twitter a match with Yana Kunitskaya because Yana had called her out a while back. But at #7, Yana isn't ranked high enough for a main event. Did you know that Germaine is currently the #1 ranked Bantamweight? Well, neither did I until I just looked it up. And anyone who reads this blog knows that I pay no attention to rankings. But in this case, I knew the only reason for this fight was that Germaine is ranked way too high. Yes, she once held a title...but it was after a bogus Featherweight title shot when the UFC needed a title match when Cris Cyborg was unavailable. And Germaine gave up the title when she refused to fight Cyborg. So the whole thing was nonsense. There's no question that Germaine is a great kickboxer. But she's a mediocre MMA fighter at best. She has no ground game. Germaine did win her latest fight over Raquel Pennington. But Raquel didn't look like herself and Germaine still only eked out a win. Germaine is living back in her home in The Nerherlands after several years training in the US. And she did have surgery on her hand last year. But Aspen is an elite fighter. She is 24 years old and she trains at MMA Gold in El Dorado Hills, CA. She is now 8-0. Sijara Eubanks gave her a tough fight. But I think a lot of that was the two had fought before and Sijara knew she had to be more aggressive than usual. Aspen showed her composure in round one and then almost finished Sijara in round two. So though Germaine is ranked higher, I don't think she is any better than Sijara. And Aspen will want to make a statement with a finish. Germaine doesn't have the skills to compete with Aspen.BREAKING: UFC targeting Aspen Ladd vs. Germaine de Randamie for #UFC Sacramento main event (via @MMAJunkieJohn) https://t.co/83N1YjB4bD
— MMA Junkie (@MMAjunkie) May 29, 2019
Taila Santos vs Ashlee Evans-Smith added to Aug. 10 UFC
Raphael Marinho of Combate reported last night that Taila Santos vs Ashlee Evans-Smith has been added to UFC on ESPN+ 14 Aug. 10 at Antel Arena in Montevideo, Uruguay. This fight as at Flyweight. My guess is we'll see a lot of Brazilians on this show. Taila is 25 years old from Santa Catarina, Brazil. She trains at Astra Fight Team. She was on the Brazilian Dana White's Contender Series. Her record is 15-1 and she lost her UFC debut to Mara Romero Borella by split decision. Taila is a striker. She lost because she allowed Mara to tie her up in the clinch on the fence. And it's not like Mara is a worldbeater. Ashlee is 31 years old from Lake Forest, CA. She is a teammate of Carla Esparza at Team Oyama. Her record is 6-4 and 3-4 in the UFC. She is 1-1 as a Flyweight. Like Carla, Ashlee was a wrestler in college. She has been a disappointment. She hasn't looked good even when she has won. And she has had injury problems. In her last fight, Andrea Lee just outworked her and won the first two rounds. And then her corner lied to her and told her she was doing OK. By the time she got her act together in round three, it was too late. Maybe Ashlee is on the chopping block. As you can tell, I don't think much of either fighter.Taila Santos é escalada para enfrentar Ashley Evans-Smith no UFC Uruguai, dia 10 de agosto | combate | Sportv - via @marbarone https://t.co/s746RNzVrZ
— Raphael Marinho (@raphamarinho) May 29, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Sublime
Song:What I Got
Album:Gold
By the time Sublime finally scored a radio hit with the 1996 single What I Got, lead singer Bradley Nowell had died from a heroin overdose. The others didn't want to continue without him so that ended Sublime. What distinguished Sublime from other band of the era was the addition of ska and reggae elements. Sublime was formed in 1988 in Long Beach, CA. Bassist Eric Wilson and drummer Bud Gaugh were childhood friends. They had a band in high school with Michael Happoldt called The Juice Bros. Happoldt became Sublime's manager. Lead singer and guitarist Bradley Nowell knew Wilson from another band. Sublime was formed when Nowell convinced the other two to play ska and reggae. They started playing shows and they started their own label Skunk Records. Nowell adopted a dalmatian and the dog was allowed to be on stage. He was made an official mascot. The 1992 album 40oz. to Freedom saw success when Los Angeles radio station KROQ played the single Date Rape. It was enough to get Sublime a deal with MCA's Gasoline Alley label. The 1994 album Robbin' The Hood did not perform as well as expected. And Sublime became a problem on tour due to unruly behavior. They returned to the studio to record the 1996 album Sublime mostly produced by Paul Leary of The Butthole Surfers. But before the album was released, Nowell died from a heroin overdose on May 25, 1996 at age 28. His body was found in a San Francisco motel room. Sublime was released July 30, 1996. As tends to happen, the death spiked album sales. It was certified 5XPlatinum. The single What I Got topped the Modern Rock chart. The song was based on Loving by dance hall reggae artist Lindon "Half Pint" Roberts. And the melody will remind you of The Beatles classic Lady Madonna. The video was a tribute to Nowell. Sublime chose not to continue without Nowell. This 2CD comp covers their history. Universal had continued to release Sublime recordings from the vault. Wilson and Gaugh formed Long Beach Dub Allstars in 1997. They released two albums and split up in 2002. Wilson formed Long Beach Shortbus from that. They reformed Sublime in 2009. Though Gaugh has left the band, they continue to tour. Here's the video for What I Got by Sublime.
Tuesday, May 28, 2019
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Hikaru Shida, Riho and Ryo Mizunami vs Aja Kong, Sakura Emi and Yuka Sakazaki
Here's the match video of Hikaru Shida, Riho and Ryo Mizunami vs Aja Kong, Sakura Emi and Yuka Sakazaki from Saturday's AEW show in Las Vegas. The match is OK but nothing special. It's a joshi puroresu sampler. Nobody in the arena including the announcers knows anything about any of them except Aja Kong of course. The commentary is pretty bad. Geez, do some friggin' research. It's not that difficult. Hikaru, Aja and Yuka are all under AEW contract. Hikaru posted yesterday on Twitter that she will move to the US in the fall. She's going to be the star out of this bunch because she has tons of charisma and she can work. We all know who Aja is and Yuka is probably a little green at this point. She's a work in progress. Apparently Kenny Omega insisted on signing Riho. But she is only signed short term as this is her first time away from home. Homesickness could become an issue. I'm sure you will notice they rang the bell prematurely towards the finish. We see these kind of timewasters in Japan all the time. The match didn't really do anything for any of the wrestlers though I thought they picked up the pace at the end. They aren't going to get a lot of time so they need to pick up the pace sooner. As for AEW, I wasn't going to spend $50 on this with the Raptors on. I might have bought it for $25. Maybe they shouldn't charge anything until they are on TV. Use it as a promotional vehicle instead of a cash grab. AEW is on TNT in the US. TNT is not available in Canada. I dunno who would buy it here. Probably nobody. If I can't watch the weekly show, I won't buy their PPVs. But I will post joshi matches for fans who also can't watch AEW. Enjoy the video!
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-P.M. Dawn
Song:Set Adrift On Memory Bliss
Album:Latest & Greatest: Soul Anthems
Set Adrift On Memory Bliss topped the charts in 1991. It was the biggest hit for the rap duo P.M. Dawn. It was an influential record because it showed a different type of sound than what we normally heard from rap music. P.M. Dawn are brothers Attrell (Prince Be) and Jarrett (DJ Minutemix) Cordes from Jersey City, NJ. Their father died from pneumonia when they were young. Their stepfather was Kool & The Gang drummer George Brown. Attrell started DJing while in high school. They formed P.M. Dawn in 1988. They recorded a demo with money that Attrell earned as a security guard at a homeless shelter. Tommy Boy rejected the demo. They said they sounded too much like De La Soul. It was released on the British label Warlock and then Gee Street. That's when record companies came calling and they signed with Island after Gee Street had financial problems. I think Island bought Gee Street. Their 1991 debut album Of the Heart, Of the Soul and of the Cross: The Utopian Experience was certified Gold after Set Adrift On Memory Bliss topped the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written by Attrell Cordes based on the Spandau Ballet hit True. Spandau Ballet leader Gary Kemp appeared in the video. The song offered a different kind of rap than we had heard up to that point. It was influential on the hip hop that followed. P.M. Dawn had two more top ten hits; I'd Die Without You in 1992 and Looking Through Patient Eyes in 1993. They faded after that. P.M. Dawn released four albums, the final one in 1998. There are no comps available but you can get Set Adrift On Memory Bliss on this 5CD budget comp from the German label H'Art. Though they did appear on the NBC series Hit Me Baby One More Time, Jarrett Cordes had repeated issues with sexual abuse. Attrell Cordes suffered a stroke in 2005 and eventually died in 2016. Their cousin Gregory Carr currently performs as P.M. Dawn. Here's the video for Set Adrift On Memory Bliss by P.M. Dawn.
Monday, May 27, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Dave Mason
Song:We Just Disagree
Album:The Best Of Dave Mason
Dave Mason is probably best known as one of the founders of the 60s group Traffic. He wrote Feelin' Alright, one of Traffic's biggest hits. But he also has a long history as a session musician. He also scored a couple of hit singles in the 70s. Only You Know And I Know reached #42 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1970. And We Just Disagree reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1977. The problem is they are on two different labels. Only You Know And I Know was recorded for Blue Thumb Records. While it was climbing the charts, Mason was working on George Harrison's All Things Must Pass and he recorded an album with Cass Elliot. He even rejoined Traffic who released the live album Welcome To The Canteen. While working on his next solo album, Mason got into a royalty dispute with Blue Thumb. After releasing the half finished half live album Headkeeper followed by another live album, Mason settled the dispute and left Blue Thumb for Columbia. We Just Disagree is from Mason's 1977 album Let It Flow. It was his fourth album for Columbia. The song was written by Mason's guitarist Jim Krueger who would unsuccessfully go solo shortly after. Let It Flow was certified Platinum. It is the biggest success of Mason's career. Unfortunately the only comp CD that has both hits is too expensive. This 1981 Columbia comp has We Just Disagree along with live recordings of Feelin' Alright and Only You Know And I Know. Mason left Columbia in 1980. Though he has recorded sporadically since then, Mason continues to tour. This year he will play solo dates and dates with Hot Tuna and later Steve Cropper. He toured with Cropper last year too. Here's Dave Mason performing We Just Disagree on The Midnight Special 1977.
Sunday, May 26, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Henry Butler, Steven Bernstein and The Hot 9
Song:Viper's Drag
Album:Viper's Drag
Pianist Henry Butler was a New Orleans staple for years. But he didn't tour so he wasn't known outside New Orleans. This 2014 album with trumpeter Steven Bernstein was Butler's final album before his 2018 death. It also relaunched Impulse Records. Butler was born Sept. 21, 1949 in New Orleans. Glaucoma blinded him during childhood. He learned to play piano at the Louisiana State School for the Blind in Baton Rouge. He started playing clubs as a teen. He studied at Southern University and Michigan State and he got an NEA grant to study with Cannonball Adderley and George Duke. Though Butler plays mostly in the traditional New Orleans style, clarinetist Alvin Batiste got him to listen to different kinds of jazz so he could improvise better. Butler finally got a record deal with Impulse and recorded two albums in the mid 80s. He also recorded for Windham Hill, Atlantic, Basin Street and the blues label Black Top. And he recorded an album with bluesman Corey Harris for Alligator. Trumpeter Steven Bernstein leads the group Sexmob. He is part of New York's Jewish Jazz community led by John Zorn. He has recorded for Zorn's label Tzadik. He met Butler when they worked on the music for Robert Altman's 1996 film Kansas City. When Butler's house was destroyed by Katrina, he was forced to move to New York. And after Butler and Bernstein played some 2011 shows together, producer Joshua Feigenbaum suggested they record an album. Viper's Drag is a Fats Waller standard. The album is a mix of standards and Butler originals. Bernstein wrote the arrangements. Musicians include Reggie Veal on bass and Herlin Riley on drums and a horn section. The album got a lot of attention because it relaunched Impulse. You can get it as a digital download. Butler continued to perform despite a colon cancer diagnosis. He died on July 2, 2018 at age 69. Here is Henry Butler, Steven Bernstein and The Hot 9 performing and discussing Viper's Drag.
Saturday, May 25, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Joe Locke/Geoffrey Keezer Group
Song:Signing
Album:Signing
Vibraphonist Joe Locke and pianist Geoffrey Keezer are two of today's top jazz musicians. After working together on other projects, they recorded the 2006 album Live In Seattle as a duo. The album was so well received they recorded a second album in 2012. I have featured Locke before but I haven't featured Keezer. He was born Nov. 20, 1970 in Eau Claire, WI. At age 18 he was pianist for the final version of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Blakey died in 1990. Keezer joined Art Farmer's band in 1990. He recorded several albums as a leader in the 90s. But he also toured with Ray Brown and Christian McBride. He seems more comfortable as a sideman than as a leader. And it's around 2000 that he first recorded with Locke in the band Storms/Nocturnes with sax player Tim Garland and singer Mark Ledford. That band recorded two albums. Then they recorded two albums as The New Sound Quartet for a Japanese label. Drummer Terrion Gully was on the second album. This led to the 2006 album Live In Seattle by the Joe Locke/Geoffrey Keezer Group. Gully was the drummer and Mike Pope played bass. The band toured and the album was so well received that Locke was looking to record a second album with this band. After a 2011 Storms/Nocturnes album, Locke signed a new contract with Motema Music and he decided to reform the Joe Locke/Geoffrey Keezer Group for the 2012 album Signing. They toured to support the album. Of course this band could record again. But these guys are so busy that might not happen for several years. It certainly kicked off Locke's Motema deal with a bang and he still records for them. Here's the Electronic Press Kit for the 2012 album Signing by the Joe Locke/Geoffrey Keezer Group.
Friday, May 24, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Seven Nations
Song:All You People
Album:Another Ten Years
Seven Nations is an indie band that incorporates Celtic music elements like bagpipes. Most of their success has been as a touring band. The lead singer and songwriter of Seven Nations is Kirk McLeod. He is from Florida. He moved to New York and started Seven Nations in 1993 while working as a bartender. The other original members were Neil Anderson on bagpipes, Jim "Struby" Struble on guitar and bass and Nick Watson on drums. McLeod learned to play bagpipes at summer camp. The band was called Clan Na Gael but there was already a band with that name so it was changed to Seven Nations. Seven Nations has recorded on their own label since 1994. Anderson and Watson left in 1998 and were replaced by Scott Long on bagpipes and Ashton Geoghagan on drums. They also added fiddler Dan Stacey. What got Seven Nations a lot of attention was when they appeared in a Dewar's Scotch ad campaign from 1999-2002. They also appeared on a PBS special. It led to their only major label release on Razor & Tie. All You People is from the 2000 album Seven Nations. They also performed it on the 2001 CD/DVD Live At The Palace Theatre which is out of print. But you can get part one of this two part comp as a digital download. McLeod and Struble still lead Seven Nations. Their latest CD was released in 2014 and they are currently on tour. Here's Seven Nations performing All You People at the Palace Theatre in Albany, NY St. Patrick's Day 2001.
Thursday, May 23, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Norman Hutchins
Song:God's Got A Blessing (With Your Name In It)
Album:The Essential Norman Hutchins
Gospel artist Norman Hutchins has been recording since the 90s. He's had success on the gospel chart. But he probably made his biggest splash when the video for God's Got A Blessing was played on BET's Video Gospel. It blew up in 2002 and Hutchins continues to sustain that success today. He was born Sept. 27, 1962 in Dover, DE. Hutchins started preaching at age eight and he was ordained at age twelve. He was one of eleven children of a single mom. So he was the family breadwinner as a teen. Hutchins married at age 19 and eventually moved to Los Angeles to be music minister at West Angeles COGIC. While performing in church, Andrae Crouch spotted him and got him into the music business. After singing on the 1991 West Angeles COGIC Choir album Saints In Praise Vol. 2, Sparrow Records signed Hutchins to a solo contract. After three albums, Sparrow dropped Hutchins and he signed with James Roberson's JDI label. God's Got A Blessing is from the 2002 album Nobody But You. The song zoomed up the gospel chart after the video was played on BET's Video Gospel. Hutchins continued to have success until he left JDI to start his own label. This comp of Hutchins' JDI recordings is available as a digital download. Hutchins moved back to Dover to start his own ministry Frontline and his own label. He last released an album in 2013. Hutchins has had diabetes related health problems which required a kidney transplant from his wife. But he continues to lead his ministry and release occasional singles. Here's the video for God's Got A Blessing (With Your Name on It) by Norman Hutchins.
Wednesday, May 22, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Angela Hagenbach
Song:You Do Something To Me
Album:Weaver Of Dreams
Jazz singer Angela Hagenbach has been a staple of the Kansas City jazz community since the late 80s. She was born in 1960. Her parents were jazz musicians. Her dad Leslie Washington played sax in local dance bands. Her mom Emma Jean Washington played piano and sang. Angela was the seventh of eight children. So with a large family, Angela's parents were never full time musicians. But they made sure all their kids learned piano and an instrument of their choice. Angela chose to play trombone. After several years performing in local bands, she became a fashion model. She moved back to Kansas City in the late 80s and she performed for four years at Kansas City's Ritz-Carlton Hotel. She started her own label in 1994. Angela's version of the Cole Porter standard You Do Something To Me is from her 2000 CD Weaver Of Dreams. She works a lot with the local group The Sons of Brasil who are obviously Brazilian influenced. Their guitarist Danny Embrey arranged a lot of the album. Sons of Brasil drummer Doug Auwarter and percussionist Gary Helm also appear on the album. Other musicians are Joe Cartwright on piano, Greg Carroll on vibes and Bob Bowman on bass. Bassist Steve Rigazzi and drummer Todd Strait also play on this album. They are all local Kansas City guys. Angela's latest CD The Way They Make Me Feel was released by Resonance Records in 2009. She still performs locally and tours occasionally. Jazz fans should check her out. Here's Angela Hagenbach with Jake Blanton on guitar, Roger Wilder on piano, Steve Rigazzi on bass, Doug Auwarter on drums and Gary Helm on percussion at the 2006 Gene Harris Jazz Festival in Boise, ID. Except for Blanton, the band is The Sons of Brasil.
Tuesday, May 21, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Christine Johnson and Jean Darling
Song:June Is Bustin' Out All Over
Album:Carousel: Featuring Members of the Original New York Production
Christine Johnson was an opera singer who originated the role of Nettie Fowler in the 1945 Broadway production of the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical Carousel. June is Bustin' Out All Over was written for her. Jean Darling was a child actress in the Our Gang comedies. She played Carrie Pipperidge in Carousel. It was her only major role in a musical. Christine was born Sept. 8, 1911 in Hopkinsville, KY. Her family moved to Owensboro while she was in high school. After studying voice in Nashville, she worked for radio station WSM. Christine moved to New York in 1937 and sang with many opera companies until she was cast in the original 1945 production of Carousel. After the show closed in 1949, Christine moved back to Owensboro, got married and retired from performing to raise a family. She occasionally appeared in local shows and taught voice to among others Florence Henderson. She died on June 9, 2010 at age 98. Jean Darling was born Aug. 23, 1922 in Santa Monica, CA. As a child she appeared in Our Gang shorts. And she continued to work as a teen. After earning a scholarship at the New York Municipal Opera Association, Jean began to appear on Broadway. As with Christine, Carousel was Jean's one major show. After the show closed, she hosted A Date With Jean Darling for NBC in New York and The Singing Knit-Witch for KHJ in Los Angeles. Then she moved to Ireland and wrote for Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine. She appeared on Irish TV reading her stories. She moved to Germany to live with her son and died on Sept. 4, 2015 at age 93. The 1945 original cast album for Carousel is available on CD. Here's a video of Christine Johnson and Jean Darling performing June Is Bustin' Out All Over from the 1945 production of Carousel.
Monday, May 20, 2019
Viviane Araujo vs Alexis Davis added to July 27 UFC show
Raphael Marinho of Combate reported this afternoon that Viviane Araujo vs Alexis Davis has been added to UFC 240 July 27 at Rogers Place in Edmonton. Viviane confirmed the news with an Instagram post of her signing the bout agreement. This fight will be at Flyweight. Viviane is 32 years old from Brasilia, Brazil. Her record is 7-1. She made her UFC debut last week in Brazil with a third round KO over Talita Bernardo. Not only did Viviane come in on short notice but the fight was at Bantamweight and Viviane is a Strawweight. She beat Emi Fujino for Pancrase in Japan. Viviane said afterwards that she planned to move back down to Strawweight. Instead she is fighting at Flyweight. Alexis is 34 years old from Port Colborne, ON but she trains at Cesar Gracie in Lodi, CA. Her record is 19-9. She once got a UFC Bantamweight title shot. Since returning from pregnancy, Alexis is 1-2 at Flyweight. The last time we saw Alexis she lost to Jennifer Maia Mar. 2017, a fighter she should have beaten. Alexis' biggest problem is poor decisions during fights. She chose to spar with a boxer instead of using her ground skills to win. Alexis has the skills to be a winning fighter. But her fight IQ has deteriorated. She will have to be on her toes because Viviane is very aggressive and she wants to finish fights. We have already seen that a size disadvantage means nothing to her.
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Scandal featuring Patty Smyth
Song:The Warrior
Album:Greatest Hits
By the time The Warrior was a top ten hit in 1984, Scandal was on tour and in the process of disbanding. So Columbia Records was left to figure out what to do with them. Of course everyone remembers The Warrior because MTV played the video to death. It is not technically a one hit wonder as some of their other songs charted. But it's their only memorable song. Scandal was formed in New York City in 1981 by guitarist Zack Smith. One of my sources says he played in the late 70s with Elton John band members Dee Murray and Davey Johnstone. They were recording with Alice Cooper at the time. Other members were Patty Smyth on vocals, Keith Mack on guitar, Benjy King on keyboards, Ivan Elias on bass and Frankie LaRocka on drums. Smith and Smyth wrote most of the songs. They signed with Columbia and their 1982 EP was certified Gold. The singles Goodbye To You and Love's Got A Line On You charted. LaRocka was replaced by Thommy Price. Jon Bon Jovi was in Scandal briefly but he never recorded with them. The 1984 album Warrior was produced by veteran British producer Mike Chapman. The Warrior reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written by Nick Gilder (Hot Child In The City) and veteran songwriter Holly Knight. She wrote Love Is A Battlefield with Chapman. The problem was Scandal was disintegrating while on tour and they split up. Columbia unsuccessfully tried to keep Scandal together. Patty had solo success with the 1994 single Look What Love Has Done. You can get both her big hits on this budget comp. Scandal reunited for the 2004 VH1 Bands Reunited show and tour. Then they reunited again for the 2006 VH1 We Are The 80s tour. Scandal continued to tour. Patty and Keith Mack were the only original members. Scandal was supposed to release a new album. But it never happened though they did release a single in 2011. Their website is kaput so I guess they aren't around anymore. Here's the video for The Warrior by Scandal featuring Patty Smyth.
Sunday, May 19, 2019
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Aspen Ladd vs Sijara Eubanks
Here's the match video of Aspen Ladd vs Sijara Eubanks from last night's UFC show in Rochester, NY. Though this was a close fight, I thought Aspen won decisively. I was surprised when in round one, Sijara took Aspen down early in the round. The problem was she did nothing with the position and eventually Aspen took Sijara down and was much more productive in attempting to advance her position. Then at the end of the round, Sijara knocked Aspen down. I scored the round 10-9 for Aspen because her takedown was more productive. Of course there are some who thought Sijara's knockdown stole the round. Well, that's if you think the takedowns cancel each other out. But I didn't think that. One judge scored it 10-9 for Aspen and the other two scored it 10-9 for Sijara. I'm not a believer in round stealing. I always look at each round as a whole. Aspen controlled round two. She came very close to a finish. Sijara defended well. I scored it 10-8 for Aspen. Two of the judges scored it 10-8 and the third scored it 10-9. I'm usually very reluctant to score rounds 10-8. Based on the judges scorecards, Sijara needs a finish in round three. She's not a finisher and Aspen is undefeated. Round three was all on the feet. It was close but I scored it 10-9 for Aspen and so did all three judges. So I scored the fight 30-26 for Aspen. The judges scored it 30-26, 29-27 and 29-28. Round two killed Sijara's chances. At least it won the fight of the night bonus. Obviously Aspen Ladd is headed for a title shot but I think she may be a couple of fights away. She's doing well so far. Enjoy the video!
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Felicia Spencer vs Megan Anderson
Here's the match video of Felicia Spencer vs Megan Anderson from last night's UFC show in Rochester, NY. Megan was the betting favorite going into this. I guess it was because Felicia was making her UFC debut. Except based on her Invicta run, Felicia is a better fighter than Megan. And once Felicia took Megan down, it didn't take long for a finish. Felicia won with a rear naked choke. Of course the problem is the Featherweight division is so shallow, it's possible for Felicia to start at the top. Cris Cyborg tweeted last night that she wants to fight Felicia at UFC 240. The only thing is I don't think Cyborg has signed a new contract yet. Felicia's performance is about what I expected from her. Enjoy the video!
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Perpetual Groove
Song:Teakwood Betz
Album:Sweet Oblivious Antidote
Perpetual Groove is a jam band in the tradition of The Grateful Dead, Phish and especially Garaj Mahal. Their music is a mix of rock, jazz and they also feature electronics and tape loops. They were formed in 1997 in Savannah, GA. A lot of jam bands have emerged from Georgia, most notably Hampton Grease Band. The founding members are Brock Butler on guitar and vocals, Brett Hinton on keyboards, Adam Perry on bass and Joe Stickney on drums. They were all students at the Savannah College of Art and Design. They started playing gigs while attending classes. They released a CD independently in 1999. As they got more attention locally, Perpetual Groove signed with Harmonized Records which is also the home for another popular jam band Garaj Mahal. Hinton and Stickney left after graduation and were replaced by Matt McDonald on keyboards and Albert Suttle on drums. Stickney is a member of the band Bear In Heaven. The album Sweet Oblivious Antidote was released in 2003 and they toured to support it. After that they recorded three more albums. McDonald was replaced by John Hruby in 2008 and then McDonald returned in 2011. There is a niche market for jam bands. I find this kind of music monotonous at times. And Perpetual Groove uses tape loops which I guess distinguishes them from other jam bands. Perpetual Groove went on hiatus in 2013. Actually, Butler went on hiatus and the rest of the band recorded an album as Ghost Owl. Perpetual Groove reunited for a couple of 2015 shows. They reunited officially in 2017 with a Kickstarter to finance a new album. That album is now out and Perpetual Groove will tour to support it. Here's Perpetual Groove performing Teakwood Betz at the Georgia Theater in Athens, GA Apr. 5, 2013. This concert is available on DVD from Tour Gigs.
Saturday, May 18, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Rizen
Song:View The City
Album:Stellar Award Hits 2004
Rizen was a traditional gospel music group who won Best New Artist at the 2004 Stellar Awards. Things didn't go so well after that. They released three albums on three different labels which is usually a bad sign. Adriann Lewis and sister Aundrea Lewis are from Saginaw, MI. Their dad is Elder Luciose Lewis Jr. of the New Galilee Baptist Church. Obviously they grew up singing in church and directing the choir. They formed Rizen with Kanika Trigg and Ashley Jones. The 2003 CD Rizen was released on Light Records. Adriann wrote all their songs including View The City. It did well on gospel radio and Rizen won Best New Artist at the 2004 Stellar Awards. The album is out of print but you can get View The City on this various artists budget CD. By the time the 2005 CD Rizen 2 was released, Kanika and Ashley left Rizen and that album was on Artemis. That album didn't do as well as the first one. Fred Hammond signed them to Verity and he produced the 2009 album Free. That was Rizen's final album. Like I said, they recorded on three different labels which is not good. Also, these are youngish singers trying to record traditional gospel while others are recording hip hop influenced gospel to reach young people. Rizen's music is aimed at an older audience. I don't know if there was record company pressure on Rizen to be more contemporary but that would not surprise me. The first two albums were recorded live which is typical for traditional gospel. I think the third Rizen album may have been recorded in the studio. Traditional gospel artists like the energy of a live audience. Adriann Lewis released a solo album last year on her own label. But for a brief time, Rizen looked like the next big thing in gospel music. Here's Rizen performing View The City on Bobby Jones Gospel 2004.
Friday, May 17, 2019
Two women's Flyweight bouts added to July 27 UFC show
Raphael Marinho of Combate reported two women's Flyweight bouts added to UFC 240 July 27 at Rogers Place in Edmonton. The first is Gillian Robertson vs Sarah Frota. The second is Mara Romero Borella vs Lauren Murphy. Gillian is 24 years old from Niagara Falls, ON and she trains with Din Thomas at American Top Team in Florida. Her record is 6-3 and 3-1 in the UFC. I like Gillian because she's a finisher. Sarah is 31 years old from Brazil. Her record is 9-1. She lost her UFC debut by split decision to Livinha Souza. She was on the Brazilian Dana White Contender Series. That fight was at Strawweight and Sarah missed weight by eight pounds. So she has moved up to Flyweight. Sarah is a striker who is terrible on the ground. Gillian will try to take her down and submit her. Mara is 32 years old from Italy but she trains at American Top Team in Florida. Her record is 12-5-2NC and 2-1 in the UFC. She won her last fight over Taila Santos by split decision. She didn't look very good. Lauren is from Alaska but she trains at MMA Lab in Phoenix with John Crouch. Her record is 10-4 and 2-4 in the UFC. Lauren is a striker with no ground game and she's ineffective. All her fights tend to be close because she doesn't do enough to win decisively. She's been like this since her Invicta days. She'll lose a close fight and then whine about it. She's pretty bad. I haven't seen anything from Mara to make me think she can win decisively either. So I am expecting three rounds of nothing and a possible split decision..@atretaufc enfrenta @savage_ufc no UFC 240, em Edmonton, Canadá | combate | Sportv https://t.co/AsIo2pJJXO
— Raphael Marinho (@raphamarinho) May 17, 2019
Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast May 17, 2019
Asuka and Kairi Sane, UFC on ESPN+ 10 preview, Invicta FC 35 analysis and new fight announcements.
Raquel Pennington vs Irene Aldana added to July 20 UFC show
The San Antonio Express-News announced several fights for UFC on ESPN 4 July 20 at AT&T Center in San Antonio, TX. One of these matches will be Raquel Pennington vs Irene Aldana at Bantamweight. Raquel is 30 years old from Colorado Springs, CO. She trains at Triple Threat Gym. Her record is 9-7 and 6-4 in the UFC. Raquel was on TUF 18. She fought Amanda Nunes for the title last year and lost by fifth round TKO. In her most recent fight, she lost to Germaine De Randamie by unanimous decision. I know Raquel has been working around some health issues. Germaine is someone she should have beaten. I think she's a good but not great fighter. But she is a step up in competition level for Irene. Irene is 31 years old from Mexico. She and teammate Alexa Grasso train at Lobo Gym owned by Alexa's dad. Both fight a similar style. They are strikers with no power or ground game. So she's a points fighter. Her record is 10-4 and 3-2 in the UFC. She beat Bethe Correia last week with an armbar of all things. Irene was winning the fight anyway and then Bethe stumbled into the armbar. So I think that fight was a case of who is worse, not who is better. It doesn't make me think Irene can beat anyone good. But if Irene got a win over Raquel, she would have to move up the rankings. I just don't see her winning unless Raquel has slowed down through injuries.¡Oficial! Irene Aldana regresa rápido a la acción y enfrenta a Raquel Pennington en UFC on ESPN 4 el 20 de julio en San Antonio, Texas. #MMa #MMAMexico #UFCSanAntonio pic.twitter.com/svtsD5hEHC
— SoloMMA (@Solo_MMA) May 17, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lee Ritenour
Song:Waiting In Vain
Album:A Twist Of Marley: A Tribute
Guitarist Lee Ritenour is a smooth jazz pioneer known as Captain Fingers. This 1993 cover of Bob Marley's Waiting In Vain featuring Maxi Priest was an R&B hit. He was born Jan. 11, 1952 in Los Angeles. Ritenour started playing guitar at age eight. And at age 16 he played on a Mamas and the Papas record after John Phillips saw Ritenour with his band The Esquires. He's been playing sessions ever since. Ritenour first recorded as a leader for Epic in 1976. Then he moved to Dave Grusin's GRP label in 1983. And he had plenty of success in the Smooth Jazz market. He is also a founding member of Fourplay. Ritenour's main influence is Wes Montgomery. So it's not surprising that that he recorded the 1993 Montgomery tribute album Wes Bound. The album is mostly covers of Montgomery classics. But this cover of the Bob Marley classic Waiting In Vain featuring the popular singer Maxi Priest charted in R&B. Other musicians are Dave Witham on organ, Aaron Smith on drums and Cassio Duarte on percussion. They are all session musicians. Jerry Hey of Seawind arranged the horns. This album is out of print and Waiting In Vain does not appear on any Ritenour comp CDs. But it does appear on this 2001 Bob Marley tribute album produced by Ritenour. Priest appears on two songs. Others on the album include Michael Brecker, Lisa Fischer, Dave Grusin, Jonathan Butler, Will Downing, Richard Bona, Gerald Albright, Rick Braun, Phil Perry, Marc Antoine, Patti Austin and Jochem and Digz. It looks like most of this album was newly recorded. GRP chose to promote it as a various artists CD instead of a Ritenour CD though he produced it. It is not part of Ritenour's standard discography. Waiting In Vain is not on a Maxi Priest CD. Ritenour currently records for Concord and his latest CD A Twist Of Rit was released in 2015. He will tour this summer. Here's the video of Waiting In Vain by Lee Ritenour featuring Maxi Priest.
Thursday, May 16, 2019
Liz Carmouche vs Roxanne Modafferi added to July 20 UFC show
Brett Okamoto of ESPN reported yesterday that Liz Carmouche vs Roxanne Modafferi has been added to UFC on ESPN 4 July 20 at AT&T Center in San Antonio, TX. Liz confirmed this fight with an Instagram post. This fight is at Flyweight. Liz is 35 years old. She trains at 10th Planet in San Diego with her long time trainer Manny Hernandez. Her record is 13-6 and 5-4 in the UFC. She is 2-1 since moving from Bantamweight to Flyweight. I have seen her since her Strikeforce days and she is a decent but not great fighter. And she has been slowed down by injuries. She hasn't finished a fight since 2013. I just don't see her as an elite fighter. Roxanne is 36 years old. She trains at Syndicate MMA in Las Vegas. Of course Roxanne lived in Japan for several years. She was in TUF 18 and she finally made the UFC after TUF 26. She's also not an elite fighter though she's better than she used to be thanks to John Wood of Syndicate. There was a time when Roxanne refused to punch anyone and Wood cured that silliness. She's 2-2 in the UFC. Some think her split decision win over Antonina Shevchenko was an upset. That's because Antonina was overrated by idiots because of her sister. So Roxanne is also a decent but not great fighter. So I expect this fight to be competitive possibly ending in a split decision. It's not going to make me think that either of them can beat an elite fighter.
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tom Aldredge and Company
Song:Prologue: Into The Woods
Album:Into The Woods: Original Broadway Cast
Stephen Sondheim's musical Into The Woods interweaves several popular fairy tales. You may be familiar with the 2014 film adaptation. But it was first performed on Broadway in 1987. The show won three Tony awards. The show was a big hit and it has been revived several times. Sondheim wrote the music and lyrics. James Lapine wrote the book and it looks like he also directed the show. Into The Woods takes Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel and Cinderella and ties it up with the story of a baker and his wife trying to start a family. That's actually the beginning of Rapunzel. Prologue: Into The Woods leads off the show and is performed by the majority of the cast. The video is from PBS's American Playhouse which aired Mar. 15, 1991. The narrator who ties the whole show together is played by character actor Tom Aldredge. He was a five time Tony nominee and he won a 1978 Daytime Emmy for playing William Shakespeare in Henry Winkler Meets William Shakespeare. The biggest star in this show is Bernadette Peters who plays The Witch. Others include Chip Zien as the Baker and Joanna Gleason as his wife, Robert Westenberg as the Wolf and Cinderella's Prince, Kim Crosby as Cinderella, Danielle Ferland as Little Red Ridinghood, Ben Wright as Jack and Barbara Bryne as Jack's Mother, Pamela Winslow as Rapunzel and Chuck Wagner as Rapunzel's Prince. Jean Kelly played Snow White in the original show. She was replaced by Cindy Robinson for the TV show. The cast album is available as a budget CD. So if you liked the 2014 film of Into The Woods you should check out the original version. Here's Tom Aldredge and company performing Prologue: Into The Woods on PBS's American Playhouse Mar. 15, 1991. This is available on DVD, VOD and you can watch the whole show on Youtube.
Wednesday, May 15, 2019
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Asuka and Kairi Sane vs Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville
Here's the match video of Asuka and Kairi Sane vs Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville. So they have given Asuka and Kairi Sane the name Kabuki Warriors. I'll get to why I don't like that name in a minute. Then Mandy and Sonya start yakking. Plus The IIconics were on commentary again. So one problem with this match is Kevin Dunn keeps cutting to them. And there are too many commercial breaks. The match begins with Kairi in control. Then she misses a Sliding D and Mandy and Sonya gets heat on her. She finally makes the hot tag and Asuka cleans house. After Sonya breaks up an Asuka Lock, she drops Asuka with a slam. She's about to go for the pin when Mandy insists on tagging in. She goes for the pin and Asuka wins with a rollup. Again they are teasing a Mandy Sonya split. They haven't announced it yet but I assume that Asuka and Kairi will get a title shot on Sunday. As I said a couple of weeks ago, this team doesn't need a name but the WWE wants a name for merchandising. Paige said in an interview they were going to call them Kabuki Girls but Asuka suggested Kabuki Warriors which is a video game. And as we all know, Asuka is a video game expert. Then she gives the definition of kabuki on Twitter. No one should have to explain the name. If fans don't know the name meaning immediately, it's a bad name. I know their gimmicks don't easily translate to a team name. Maybe they should have called them Kawai Warriors. Anyway, I won't be using the name here because I don't like it. Enjoy the video!
Invicta FC 35 analysis
Sara McMann vs Nicco Montano added to July 13 UFC show
The Sacramento Bee reported yesterday several matches for UFC on ESPN+ 13 July 13 at Golden1 Center in Sacramento, CA. One of those matches is Sara McMann vs Nicco Montano at Bantamweight. Of course Sara is a veteran fighter who was a Silver medallist in Wrestling in the 2004 Olympics. She's 38 years old and she now trains at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento. Her record is 11-5 and 5-5 in the UFC. She is on a two fight losing streak. She's always been overrated as an MMA fighter because of that Olympic medal. She should be better than she has been in the UFC. She has serious technique flaws and makes poor decisions that cost her fights. And she is returning from pregnancy. So she might be a completely different fighter. There has also been turmoil at TAM so how does that affect her. There is also plenty of uncertainty with Nicco. She is 30 years old and she trains at Fit NHB in Arizona. Former UFC fighter Tim Means trains there. Her record is 4-2 and 1-0 in the UFC. And that fight was the final of TUF 26 and it made Nicco the UFC Flyweight Champion. So this should be a rags to riches story. But it all went down in flames when the UFC tried to have Nicco defend that belt against Valentina Shevchenko Sept. 2018. She told them she wouldn't be ready and then when she got sick and couldn't weigh in, she was stripped of the title. And she had a positive drug test which turned out to be a tainted supplement. At one point she was supposed to have foot surgery. But it would have left her with limited mobility. So she has decided to live with the pain so she can still fight. She's also moving up to Bantamweight though she has fought for most of her career at Flyweight. Sara is big enough to be a Featherweight so her size advantage gives her a clear edge. But with all these other factors, who knows what will happen?
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-DeGarmo & Key
Song:Six, Six, Six
Album:Destined to Win: The Classic Rock Collection
DeGarmo & Key were one of the most successful Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) groups of the 80s. This was at a time when CCM labels were attempting to cross acts over to pop and get music videos played on MTV. That didn't go well for DeGarmo & Key but they were still successful in CCM. Eddie DeGarmo and Dana Key were childhood friends in Memphis. Key was usually the lead singer and he played guitar. DeGarmo played keyboards. They wrote and produced all the songs together. They were in the early 70s band Globe. But they became Christians and left the band. They were going to quit music. But listening to Larry Norman's groundbreaking CCM album Only Visiting This Planet encouraged them to perform Christian music. They signed with Pat Boone's Lamb & Lion label with Word distribution and at first they recorded with studio musicians. In the early 80s, bassist Tommy Cathey and drummer Greg Morrow became permanent members. For the 1983 album Mission Of Mercy, DeGarmo & Key signed with Benson's Power Discs label. Benson seemed to have a better handle on how to promote a Christian rock group to young Christians and maybe to the mainstream. DeGarmo & Key were having success in CCM and the decision was made to get the video for Six, Six, Six played on MTV. The hook is Kevin Bacon appears in the video. DeGarmo & Key were the first CCM group to be played on MTV. Unfortunately, the US Senate hearings on sex and violence in music caused MTV to ban Six, Six, Six for violent imagery. They thought it was anti-Christian which is pretty funny. After that, DeGarmo & Key stuck to the CCM market. They continued to have success until they retired in 1998. This CD has all their hits. DeGarmo already owned the CCM label Forefront. And Key was president of Ardent Records. Both recorded solo and reunited for special occasions until Key's 2010 death. Here's the video for Six, Six, Six by DeGarmo & Key.
Tuesday, May 14, 2019
Cynthia Calvillo vs Livinha Souza added to July 13 UFC show
Today Brett Okamoto of ESPN reported and Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting confirmed that Cynthia Calvillo vs Livinha Souza has been added to UFC on ESPN+ 13 July 13 at Golden1 Center in Sacramento, CA. This fight is at Strawweight. Cynthia is 31 years old from Sacramento. So obviously she wants to fight in her home town. Her record is 8-1 and 5-1 in the UFC. She announced recently that she left Team Alpha Male. Her coach Justin Buchholtz also left TAM but he isn't affiliated with a gym right now. So I'm sure she is training with him but I don't know where. She came off a drug suspension and won her latest fight over Cortney Casey. This will be a tougher fight. Livinha is 28 years old from Sao Paulo, Brazil. She is a former Invicta Strawweight Champion. Her record is 13-1 and 2-0 in the UFC. She was supposed to fight Carla Esparza in April but pulled out due to injury. That's the second time she had to pull out of a fight. And she won her last fight over Sarah Frota by split decision. She will have to be at her best in this fight because Cynthia is no pushover. Whover wins could be headed towards a title shot.Cynthia Calvillo meets Livinha Souza at UFC Sacramento https://t.co/yeoLBrHm5j
— Guilherme Cruz (@guicruzzz) May 14, 2019
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