Sunday, June 30, 2019
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Amanda Ribas vs Emily Whitmire
Here's the match video of Amanda Ribas vs Emily Whitmire from last night's UFC show in Minneapolis. Emily trains at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas. She was in TUF 26. She is 2-0 since dropping to Sttawweight. Amanda is from Brazil. She was supposed to debut in 2017 but tested positive for a banned substance which turned out to be a tainted supplement. Her father Marcelo Ribas has been training her since she was a child. When her coach Marcos Di Matta moved to American Top Team in Florida, they came with him. Her dad was in her corner. She's a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu so Amanda will want to go to the ground. I didn't think Emily's striking would be good enough to hold her off. For most of the first round, Amanda got Emily's back and she attempted to get a standing choke. She had a good bodylock so Emily couldn't get rid of her. They finally went down to the mat. Emily was able to reverse but did nothing. I scored the round 10-9 for Amanda. Between rounds, Emily's corner told her to keep the fight standing. But Amanda immediately went for the clinch and then the takedown. Some ground and pound gave Amanda Emily's back and that led to a rear naked choke and the finish. So I thought Amanda looked great. Obviously she has elite ground skills. She also has charisma and a sense of humor. In her post match interview she says she has a black belt in BJJ and a white belt in English. Her manager Alex Davis was there but she didn't him to translate. Later on Amanda said she would like to fight on her mother's birthday Oct. 18. Certainly I liked what I saw from Amanda but I'd like to see how she does against a decent striker like maybe Yan Xiaonan or possibly Cortney Casey. The UFC might want Yan for the China show in August and Felice Herrig is out with a knee injury. Cortney is in the top 15. Enjoy the video!
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-John Paul Young
Song:Love Is In The Air (Ballroom Mix)
Album:Strictly Ballroom: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: Bonus Tracks
John Paul Young has had a long career in Australia. The 1978 single Love Is In The Air was his only big international hit. It returned to the Australian charts when director Baz Luhrmann featured a new mix in his 1992 film Strictly Ballroom. Young was born June 21, 1950 in Bridgeton, Scotland. He was 11 years old when his family moved to Sydney, Australia. After graduating high school, he began an apprenticeship as a sheet metal worker. But his friends convinced him that he could be a singer. So he formed the band Elm Tree. They released one single that went nowhere. Big break number one saw Young cast as Annas in the Australian production of Jesus Christ Superstar. That ran for a couple of years. The second was when producer Simon Napier-Bell saw Young with Elm Tree and signed him to a solo contract at the big Aussie label Albert Productions. He put Young together with George Young and Harry Vanda of The Easybeats. Of course they were also behind AC/DC and plenty of other groups. The 1972 single Pasadena was a top 20 hit in Australia. Subsequent singles failed to chart. And Young was considering quitting music and returning to sheet metal work. But the 1975 single Yesterday's Hero began a string of Aussie top ten hits. Young appeared a lot on the popular Countdown show. The 1977 single Standing In the Rain was a hit in Europe, especially Germany. Love Is In The Air was recorded to take advantage of that. It had more of a disco beat than Young's other songs. So it was released in the US by Scotti Bros. and it reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was his only big international hit. Young continued to chart in Australia though he faded in the 80s. Then Baz Luhrmann used Love Is In The Air in his 1992 film Strictly Ballroom. That version of the song reached #3 on the Australian charts. The film soundtrack is available on CD. Normally I would recommend the original recording. But in this case the remix may be more popular than the original. Young appeared on the closing ceremonies of the 2000 Summer Olympics. He last released an album in 2006. He currently tours with his All Star Band doing a Vanda and Young tribute show. He was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association Hall of Fame in 2009 and he was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2012. So he's a legend there though he's only a one hit wonder here. Here's the video for Love Is In The Air (Ballroom Mix) by John Paul Young.
Saturday, June 29, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Uriah Heep
Song:Easy Livin'
Album:The Best Of
The big difference between Uriah Heep and Deep Purple is Uriah Heep never had that big radio hit. Easy Livin' was a top 40 hit and that's as high as they got. So they are mainly an album band. They have also gone through 40 members over the years which is staggering. They started out in 1967 when 19 year old guitarist Mick Box formed Hogwash. When the lead singer left, drummer Roger Penlington suggested his cousin David Byron. They started writing together and they formed Spice with drummer Alex Napier and bassist Paul Newton. Manfred Mann manager Gerry Bron signed them and got them a deal with Philips' new label Vertigo. While recording their debut album, they changed the band name to Uriah Heep from Charles Dickens' David Copperfield. Then they added lead singer and organist Ken Hensley who had been in The Gods with Newton. He didn't contribute much to the 1970 album Uriah Heep because he had just joined the band. Box and Byron wrote all the songs. Elton John's drummer Nigel Olsson joined for a while. But he was replaced by Keith Baker when he returned to John. The 1971 album Sanctuary was more in the progressive rock vein and Hensley wrote half of the songs. Their next album Salisbury was on Bron's Bronze label. Newton left because his dad was the band's original manager and he was trying to recoup his expenses from Bron. By the time the 1972 album Demons and Wizards was recorded, Gary Thain of Keef Hartley Band was the new drummer. That was Uriah Heep's breakthrough album. Easy Livin' reached #39 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the album was certified Gold. Just when they seemed to be going somewhere, Thain was a serious drug addict. After he was fired from the band, Thain died from a drug overdose on Dec. 8, 1975. Then John Wetton of King Crimson joined and he helped Uriah Heep be more professional. Except Byron's alcoholism got out of control and he was fired. Wetton also left. Uriah Heep is still around. Box is the lone original member still with the band. This budget comp is a good intro to their music. Certainly Uriah Heep peaked in the 70s but they continue to tour and record. Here's Uriah Heep performing Easy Livin' on the German TV show Disco 1972.
Friday, June 28, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-JP Cooper
Song:September Song
Album:Raised Under Grey Skies
JP Cooper scored a top ten hit in England with the 2016 single September Song. It doesn't look like his label Island Records has tried to sell him outside of England. John Paul Cooper was born Nov. 1, 1983 in Middleton, Manchester, England. He got interested in music as a teen and taught himself to play guitar. He got into soul music and joined a gospel choir. Cooper's biggest influence is Ben Harper. He probably sounds too much like Harper. Starting in 2012, Cooper released several EPs which led to signing with Island Records in 2014. After a couple more EPs, Cooper sang lead on British DJ Jonas Blue's 2016 single Perfect Strangers which reached #2 on the British Singles chart. And that set things up for September Song which reached #7 on the British Singles chart in 2016. Cooper says September Song is a nostalgic look at teenage romance and the video reflects that. The actors in the video are James Short and Madeleine Ross. The single and most of Cooper's album was produced by Teemu Brunila formerly of the Finnish group The Crash. Cooper and Brunila wrote the song with Benjamin "Mr. Hudson" McIldownie and Jon Hume.The album Raised Under Grey Skies was released Oct. 2017. Cooper is currently on a European tour and he released the single Sing It With Me featuring Astrid S. So a new album is on the way. And it looks like Island may have him tour the US once it is released. As I said, I think he sounds too much like Ben Harper. He need to be more distinctive. But he's a songwriter so he can write for others if his solo career doesn't pan out. Here's the video for September song by JP Cooper.
Thursday, June 27, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Steve Lawrence
Song:Go Away Little Girl
Album:Side By Side
For the most part, Steve Lawrence worked frequently with his wife Eydie Gorme on TV and they recorded together. But Lawrence had a successful solo career before they married. Go Away Little Girl was Lawrence's only number one solo hit in 1962. He was born Sidney Leibowitz July 8, 1935 in New York City. His father was a cantor at a local synagogue and Lawrence first sang as a child in shul. He stopped singing when his voice changed but he started again while in high school. While hanging around the Brill Building in New York, Lawrence was hired by publishers to record demos. He changed his name to Steve Lawrence after two nephews and he won Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts in 1951. That got him a contract with King Records. In 1953, Lawrence joined Steve Allen's Tonight! TV talk show. He was a regular on that show until Allen left to host a prime time show in 1957. Eydie Gorme was also on Tonight! so they started working together. They married in 1957. Lawrence recorded for Decca's Coral label and his 1957 cover of Party Doll was a top five hit. In 1958, Lawrence was in the US Army for two years. He switched to ABC-Paramount in 1959 and Pretty Blue Eyes was a top ten hit. He also recorded for United Artists. Then he moved to Columbia in 1962. Go Away Little Girl was the third single and it topped the charts. The song was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin for Bobby Vee. That wasn't released as a single. Producer Al Kasha heard it and got Lawrence to record it. Kasha won an Oscar for The Morning After from the 1972 film The Poseidon Adventure. Arranger Marion Evans had worked with Lawrence and Gorme before they came to Columbia. It's interesting to hear Evans use the strings as a vocal partner on the record. After the single was a hit, Lawrence recorded the album Winners!. You can get Go Away Little Girl on this 2CD Steve & Eydie comp. Of course Go Away Little Girl topped the charts for Donny Osmond in 1971. Lawrence never had another big hit. But he's had a long career mostly performing with Eydie. She died in 2013. And it was recently reported that Steve Lawrence is suffering from Alzheimer's. Here's a video for Go Away Little Girl by Steve Lawrence.
Wednesday, June 26, 2019
Melissa Aldana concert review
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-R.W. Hampton
Song:Sunset Trail
Album:The Last Cowboy: His Journey
R.W. Hampton is keeping The Cowboy Way alive. There are some others who do this like Riders In The Sky. Hampton started out as a cowboy. He was born June 17, 1957 in Houston. After working as a cowboy for eleven years, he released his debut album in 1984. He appeared on the Grand Ole Opry and the Smithsonian. He played a singing cowboy in the Kenny Rogers TV movie Wild Horses. He owns a ranch in New Mexico near Cimarron. That's the name of his record label. Hampton was given the Will Rogers Award in 1996 by the Academy of Western Artists. He also has performed his one man play The Last Cowboy. Sunset Trail is from Hampton's 1999 album The Last Cowboy: His Journey. I think these are songs he wrote for his play. The album is available as a digital download. If you are a fan of cowboy music, Hampton should be on your playlist. He last recorded in 2014. But he continues to tour and occasionally turns up in TV movies. There is a market for this kind of music. It's just not a big market. Here's R.W. Hampton performing Sunset Trail in his living room on Facebook 2016.
Tuesday, June 25, 2019
Antonina Shevchenko vs Lucie Pudilova added to Aug. 3 UFC show
Last night UFC president Dana White appeared on ESPN and announced several matches for UFC on ESPN 5 Aug. 3 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. One of those matches was Antonina Shevchenko vs Lucie Pudilova at Flyweight. Of course Antonina is the older sister of UFC Flyweight Champion Valentina Shevchenko. Antonina is a kickboxer like her sister but she's nowhere near as good. She's 34 years. Her record is 7-1. She was on Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series. Including that her UFC record is 2-1. Last time out Antonina lost a split decision to Roxanne Modafferi. Based on that fight, Antonina needs to work on her takedown defense. Lucie is 25 years old from the Czech Republic. She was 2-2 in the UFC as a Bantamweight and she lost her Flyweight debut to Liz Carmouche. It was an awful fight. Neither fighter performed well. And after squeaking out a win, Liz got a title shot. Lucie hasn't looked good in any of her fights. So I am expecting three rounds of nothing. Also, Lauren Murphy vs Mara Romero Borella has been moved from UFC 242 to this show. So that is two crappy Flyweight bouts on this show. Three's a charm.Lucie Pudilova will fight Antonina Shevchenko at #UFConESPN5 in Newark, New Jersey. (Aug. 3, 2019). (per @espnmma) #UFC #UFCNewark #MMA #UFCESPN #WMMA pic.twitter.com/RXfTcSiShM
— MaRCeL DoRFF 🇳🇱🇮🇩 (@BigMarcel24) June 25, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Heartland
Song:I Loved Her First
Album:I Loved Her First
Heartland topped the country charts with their 2006 debut single I Loved Her First. It was all downhill from there as subsequent singles went nowhere. Heartland are from Huntsville, AL. They formed in 1994 with Jason Albert on lead vocals, Craig Anderson on guitar, his brother Todd Anderson on drums, Charles Crawford on fiddle, Mike Myerson on lead guitar and Keith West on bass. They were going back and forth to Nashville trying to get a record deal. They heard I Loved Her First at a songwriters showcase at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville. The singer that night was Walt Aldridge. He also wrote the song with Elliot Park. Aldridge was lead singer of the 80s band The Shooters. He was a staff songwriter and producer at FAME Recording Studios in Muscle Shoals. Aldridge agreed to help Heartland get a record deal. I Loved Her First had been around for a while. The song was usually rejected as too old fashioned. It's clearly a wedding song. But Heartland loved the song and it got them a deal with Lofton Creek Records. It topped the Country Singles charts. Aldridge wrote and produced most of the album. After subsequent singles didn't do well, Heartland left Lofton Creek. The label has closed and this was their only number one country hit. Heartland released a few singles on Country Thunder and that label also closed. By 2012, only Albert and Crawford remained as the others quit the music business. They added Chad Austin who recorded as a solo artist for Asylum in the 90s. Heartland still tours as a trio and they have released occasional singles. Here's the video for I Loved Her First by Heartland.
Monday, June 24, 2019
Pannie Kianzad in for Melissa Gatto on July 6 UFC show
Nolan King of MMA Junkie reported today that Melissa Gatto has pulled out of her fight vs Julia Avila on UFC 239 July 6 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Coming in on short notice is Pannie Kianzad. This is the second time Melissa has pulled out of a fight. The first time was for a skin infection. Pannie is 27 years old from Copenhagen, Denmark. Her record is 11-4. She was on TUF 28 for Featherweights but she's really a Bantamweight. She lost in the TUF 28 finals to Macy Chiasson and she has been trying to get the UFC to bring her back since then. I noticed that Pannie is unbeaten in Europe but 1-4 when she has fought in the US for Invicta and the UFC. Maybe the competition level is too high. And this fight is short notice and Julia is a really good fighter anyway. But that is what fighters have to do sometimes to get in the UFC.#UFC239: With Melissa Gatto out, Pannie Kianzad returns to take on Julia Avila (via @mma_kings) https://t.co/tezlVUpgaF
— MMA Junkie (@MMAjunkie) June 24, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Duke Reid's Group
Song:Duke's Cookies
Album:Early Blue Beat Greats Volume 1
Along with Coxsone Dodd, Arthur "Duke" Reid was a very important figure in the early days of Jamaican music. Though mainly known as the owner of Treasure Isle, he occasionally released instrumental singles under his own name. Duke's Cookies is from 1960. He was born July 21 1915 in Portland, Jamaica. His family owned the Treasure Isle grocery store in Kingston. He started out in the 50s as a DJ with a mobile sound system. He started producing his own music in the late 50s. Among the successful artists he produced in those early days were Derrick Morgan and The Jiving Juniors. But he also recorded under his own name. His motivation was keeping one step ahead of his chief rival Dodd. The funny part is the same musicians appeared on instrumentals produced by Reid and Dodd. They didn't care as long as they got paid. Among the musicians would be guys like Roland Alphonso on sax, Ray Harper on trumpet, Rico Rodriguez on trombone, Ernest Ranglin on guitar, Cluett Johnson on bass and Lloyd Knibbs on drums. I don't know who is on Duke's Cookies. It would depend on availability. There is no detailed discography for Jamaican music. You will notice a heavy Chicago blues influence on this record. Apparently Reid was a big jazz and blues fan. This led to the invention of ska with Derrick Morgan a key figure. And Reid continued his success through the 60s. This various artists CD is being released this week. It's a sampling of early 60s Jamaican music. Reid slowed down in the 70s due to health problems. He also did not like the Rastafarian reggae movement. He died on Jan. 1 1975 at age 59. Here's a video of Duke's Cookies by Duke Reid's Group.
Sunday, June 23, 2019
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Molly McCann vs Ariane Lipski
Here's the match video of Molly McCann vs Ariane Lipski from last night's UFC show in Greenville, SC. This was a close fight but not in a good way. Like I said on Friday's podcast, I don't think either fighter should be in the UFC. But when you consider Ariane's rep as "The Queen Of Violence", she has been awful. Be sure to check out her expression after the decision is given. She doesn't know what the hell happened. Both of them were ineffective for most of the fight. I thought Ariane won round one 10-9 except for Molly's takedown in the last minute stole the round with the judges. You'll notice that Molly showboats quite a bit. I thought Molly won round two 10-9 and round three was really close. I scored it 10-9 for Ariane but I could have scored it 9-9. So for me it was mostly a draw. I don't think either fighter did enough to win the fight. And though the fans seemed to love Molly's showboating, I don't know why she did that in a close fight. It doesn't affect how I score the fight. I didn't think either fighter was any good. Enjoy the video!
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Ashley Yoder vs Syuri Kondo
Here's the match video of Ashley Yoder vs Syuri Kondo from last night's UFC show in Greenville, SC. Because Syuri is a kickboxer with no ground game, Ashley's route to win this fight was to take her down. And that's what she did. But Syuri defended well for the most part. She couldn't seem to get out from under and get the fight standing where Syuri is actually pretty good. When it became obvious that Ashley wasn't going to be able to finish by submission, her corner was yelling at her to switch to ground and pound. She preferred to play it safe and it became more of a lay and pray. I guess Ashley isn't too smart. I guess a win is a win. Maybe Syuri should sign with AEW and team up with her pal Hikaru Shida. Enjoy the video!
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Andrea Lee vs Montana De La Rosa
Here's the match video for Andrea Lee vs Montana De La Rosa from last night's UFC show in Greenville, SC. All three women's matches on this show had fighters who need to prove they belong in the UFC. None of them did that. The losers are one thing. But all the winners fought conservatively. You know, a win is a win. In this fight, I thought that if Andrea could keep the fight standing, she could outpoint Montana. Montana needed to take Andrea to the ground but even when she did in this fight, she couldn't seem to get anywhere. So Andrea won the fight fairly easily 30-27. The interesting thing is that in her post fight interview, Andrea said she was disappointed with her performance and she needs to be more aggressive. And I think she will need to improve to be taken seriously as a Flyweight contender. I've seen her fights for the last few years and Andrea is a points fighter. She did what she had done in all her fights. But I give her props for recognizing that isn't good enough. Most fighters would repeat "A win is a win". We'll see how she does against better competition. Enjoy the video!
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Delirious?
Song:Deeper
Album:History Makers: Greatest Hits
The 1997 single Deeper was so popular in in the Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) market that Capitol Records thought Delirious? could cross over to pop. Though that never worked out, Delirious? is still an iconic band in CCM. They started out in 1992 as The Cutting Edge Band at the Arun Community Church in Littlehampton, West Sussex, England. The founders were lead singer and guitarist Martin Smith and keyboard player Tim Jupp. Members of the church youth group filled out the band. The band played locally. Smith and Jupp worked at a recording studio so they were able to release some EPs. Then Cutting Edge got more serious when Stuart "Stu G" Garrard became lead guitarist and Jon Thatcher became the bassist. Then Smith was seriously injured in a 1995 car accident. During his rehab, he changed the group name to Delirious?. The 1997 album King Of Fools was their first album as Delirious?. The single Deeper got them a deal with Capitol's CCM label Sparrow. They thought Delirious? could cross over to pop and be like U2 who always claimed to be CCM. Capitol tried to cross Delirious? over to pop first with the 1999 album Mazzamorphis and then the 2001 album Audiolesson Over?. Delirious? toured with Bon Jovi and Matchbox 20. The second album in particular was a big failure. Delirious? alienated their CCM fanbase and they got nowhere with mainstream audiences. So with the 2003 album World Service, Delirious? returned to CCM for good until they retired in 2010. This comp has all their hits. At first they were just going on hiatus but Smith decided to end Delirious? after one final album and tour. Smith has released several EPs and recently suggested that Delirious? could reunite someday. Garrard and Thatcher formed One Sonic Society. They released a 2012 album and they seem to still be around. There's no question that in 1997 Delirious? had potential to be much bigger than CCM. Here's the video for Deeper by Delirious?.
Saturday, June 22, 2019
Hot 8 Brass Band concert review
Last night I went to see the Hot 8 Brass Band at the Cumberland Stage at the Toronto Jazz Festival. Two years ago this stage was in the street. The setup this year is not accessible. I found a festival staff member and after I yelled at him, we figured out a way that I could see the band. I know the festival did not set up the stage. That was done by the Bloor Yorkville BIA. But they should know better. At a free venue, they need to have a spot near the stage for wheelchairs because the audience is standing and we can't stand. And here there were steps when there should have been a ramp. His response was "Well, you can still hear the music". And I said not only is that not good enough for me but it shouldn't be good enough for you. That put a sheepish look on his face. They need to smarten up. Then he helped me find a spot where I could see the band. The Hot 8 Brass Band is a modern version of a traditional New Orleans brass band. They are similar to bands like Dirty Dozen or Rebirth except I think Hot 8 integrates more funk elements. You may have seen them in Spike Lee's 2006 HBO doc When The Levees Broke: A Requiem In Four Acts and the HBO series Treme. The band gained a lot of fans with their 2007 cover of Marvin Gaye's Sexual Healing. It's serious party music. And this is a band that have been through a lot including Katrina and the deaths of four members. And yet the band energy is joyous and infectious. The leader and one of the founders of Hot 8 is tuba player Bennie "Big Peter" Pete. He also writes a lot of the arrangements. Add bass drummer and also a founder Harry "Swamp Thang" Cook and snare drummer Derrick Tabb and a great horn section and things get funky very quickly. So I enjoyed them. Ninety minutes went very quickly. Their latest CD Take Cover was released Feb. 2019. I have two more concerts I am going to and I will review them too.The Hot 8 Brass Band bringing the hot sounds of New Orleans to downtown Toronto. 🎺 Follow us on Instagram for more photos!#tojazzfest2019 📸: Bill Beard pic.twitter.com/bcseKcWHP9
— JAZZ.FM91🌈 (@JAZZFM91) June 22, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Bells
Song:Stay Awhile
Album:20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best Of The Bells
After success in their native Canada, The Bells scored a top ten pop hit with Stay Awhile in 1971. You have probably heard the song but know nothing about the group. And the song is probably too creepy to get airplay on oldies radio today. The Bells are from Montreal. Cliff Edwards and future wife Anne Ralph started out as a duo performing in local clubs. It turned into a full band called The Five Bells. They scored a minor hit in Canada with Moody Manitoba Morning in 1969. They released the album Dimensions on Polydor and went on tour. But Edwards didn't like touring and Anne got pregnant. Edwards decided to end the band. But Anne's sister Jackie Ralph and drummer Doug Gravelle decided to continue as The Bells. They added pianist Frank Mills, guitarist Charlie Clark and bassist Michael Waye. When Mills left to go solo, he was replaced by Dennis Will. Edwards was still producing and they released the album Fly, Little White Dove, Fly. After the title song was a top ten hit in Canada and then Stay Awhile topped the Canadian charts, Polydor released it in the US and it reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. Cliff and Anne sang lead despite Cliff not wanting to be in the group. Stay Awhile was written by Ken Tobias who would go on to some success as a solo artist in Canada. The Bells recorded two more albums and then Edwards went solo to get off the road. One of the problems I see with Edwards is he isn't a songwriter. If you check out The Bells discography, he certainly made some questionable song choices. This budget comp was released by Universal Canada. Jackie Ralph and Charlie Clark continued The Bells and recorded another album before Polydor dropped them. The group has reunited occasionally and the Edwards' daughter Jessica Edwards released The Bells documentary Stay Awhile in 2014. Here's a video for Stay Awhile by The Bells.
Friday, June 21, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Young-Holt Trio
Song:Wack Wack
Album:The Definitive Young-Holt Unlimited
Most music fans should remember the 1968 top five hit Soulful Strut by Young-Holt Unlimited. But you may not know that they had a top 40 hit in 1966 with the single Wack Wack. Maybe you heard it and thought it was a lost Ramsey Lewis record. Bassist Eldee Young and drummer Isaac "Red" Holt met at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago. They met Ramsey Lewis in 1958 and were part of his trio when he had mainstream success with hits like The In Crowd in 1964. Young and Holt left and formed The Young-Holt Trio with pianist Hysear Don Walker. They signed with Brunswick Records. The single Wack Wack reached #40 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #12 on the R&B Singles chart. You'll notice that it sounds a lot like a Ramsey Lewis record. Obviously this was Brunswick and veteran producer Carl Davis' attempt to knock off Lewis using the guys who played on those records. The three guys wrote Wack Wack but most of their album was piano trio covers of standards. Walker was replaced by Ken Cheney in 1968. So he wasn't part of Young-Holt Unlimited when Soulful Strut was a big hit. And the story is that Soulful Strut was a backing track of a Barbara Acklin record and Young and Holt didn't appear on the record. Both songs are on this comp. Hysear Don Walker recorded two albums for Brunswick in the early 70s. He may have also played on some sessions but it looks like he may have quit the music business after that. Here's The Young-Holt Trio performing Wack Wack on The Fred Astaire Show 1966. And check out Fred tapping his feet in the video.
Thursday, June 20, 2019
Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast June 20, 2019
Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series review, UFC on ESPN+ 12 preview and new fight announcements.
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Johnny Pacheco
Song:La Escensia del Guaguanco
Album:Introducing...
Johnny Pacheco is one of the most important figures in Latin music. He founded Fania Records and The Fania All Stars. But he also had a long career as a bandleader and was especially successful performing with singer Pete "Conde" Rodriguez. Pacheco was born Mar. 25, 1935 in Santiago, Dominican Republic. His father Rafael Pacheco led the Santa Cecilia Orchestra in the 40s. Pacheco's family moved to New York City in 1946. He started out playing flute and sax in Charlie Palmieri's orchestra before starting his own band in 1959. Pacheco y Su Charanga recorded for Allegre Records in the early 60s. They created the Pachanga dance craze. The biggest thing Pacheco ever did was found Fania Records in 1964 with his lawyer Jerry Masucci. Pacheco was the creative director and most Latin musicians recorded for Fania. Of course Pacheco led his own band and also led The Fania All Stars. His main collaborator was Puerto Rican born singer Pete "Conde" Rodriguez. He started out playing congas in New York bars. He met Pacheco in 1963 and was lead singer of his band from 1964-74. La Escensia del Guaguanco is from the 1971 album La Perfecta Combinacion. This album was just released as a digital download. Concord has been remastering and releasing all the Fania recordings. This comp CD from the British label Charly is a good intro to Pacheco's music. After Rodriguez left to go solo, Pacheco continued to record with other singers. And he continued to lead The Fania All Stars. Pacheco and Rodriguez reunited for four albums in the 80s. And they toured. Rodriguez died in 2000. But Pacheco just celebrated his 84th birthday. A Johnny Pacheco mural was recently unveiled in The Bronx. You can keep up with him on Facebook. Here's Johnny Pacheco featuring Pete "Conde" Rodriguez performing La Escensia del Guaguanco in Spain 1990.
Wednesday, June 19, 2019
Julianna Pena in for Sara McMann on July 13 UFC show
This afternoon Sara McMann posted on Instagram that she is out of her match against Nicco Montano on UFC on ESPN+ 13 July 13 at Golden1 Center in Sacramento. Shortly after Damon Martin of MMA Junkie reported that Julianna Pena will step in. Like Sara, Julianna is returning from pregnancy. I heard a couple of weeks ago that she was ready to return. Though Julianna now lives in Chicago, she still returns to her home town of Spokane to train at Sikjitsu. The last time we saw Julianna she lost to Valentina Shevchenko Jan. 2017. So she's had a long layoff. Who knows what she will be like. Nicco has also had a layoff of over a year because of injury. And this is her first fight at Bantamweight. So there is plenty of uncertainty in this fight. In other news, after Liz Carmouche was pulled from UFC San Antonio for a Flyweight title match, Jennifer Maia will replace her and face Roxanne Modafferi. Of course Jennifer is a former Invicta champ with a 1-1 record in the UFC. She's a boxer with no power or ground game. So she's a points fighter and not a very effective one.Sara McMann is out of her upcoming fight due to injury. In her place, Julianna Pena is expected to face Nicco Montano at UFC Fight Night in Sacramento#UFC #UFCSacramento https://t.co/kWjlATkW3v pic.twitter.com/Cyjy4bVQKh
— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) June 19, 2019
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Hannah Goldy vs Kali Robbins
Here's the match video of Hannah Goldy vs Kali Robbins from last night's Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series (DWTNCS). The fighters are not only competing against each other but against the other fighters on the show for a UFC contract. With that in mind, I thought both fighters made tactical errors. Kali spent the whole fight chasing Hannah around the cage. And what she needed to do was close the distance and use her ground skills. But instead Hannah picked her apart for three rounds and won easily 30-27. That wasn't enough to get that contract. She needed a finish. She even admitted to fighting conservatively in her post match interview. But don't be surprised if we see Hannah as a short notice replacement in the future. I thought she looked pretty good but it was a mistake to play it safe. Enjoy the video!
Valentina Shevchenko vs Liz Carmouche added to Aug. 10 UFC show
Brett Okamoto of ESPN reported yesterday that Valentina Shevchenko will defend her UFC Flyweight Championship vs Liz Carmouche on UFC on ESPN+ 14 Aug. 10 at Antel Arena in Montevideo, Uruguay. This will be the main event. A couple of weeks ago there was talk that this fight would main event the July 20 show in San Antonio. I guess that was too soon for Valentina. This is still a very quick turnaround for her. It's like I said after Valentina beat Jessica Eye. The UFC have zero Flyweight contenders. I didn't think Jessica was a credible contender and neither is Liz. The UFC is to blame for TUF 26 being a bust. The two TUF 26 finalists were forced to move up to Bantamweight. And other than Maycee Barber who came to the UFC as a Strawweight, the cupboard is bare. And Maycee needs more fights before she would be ready. Joanne Calderwood could have been a contender but she lost to Katlyn Chookagian. Katlyn is similar to Jessica. All her wins are soft. It would be a rerun of Valentina vs Jessica. So back in 2010, Liz won over Valentina on a show in Oklahoma. That was a long time ago. Also remember that Valentina was a full time kickboxer until she signed with the UFC. She dabbled in MMA. Now the UFC is pushing her as an unbeatable monster but they really need to find decent Flyweights. Liz is a good but not great fighter. She's 2-1 since dropping to Flyweight but Lucie Pudilova and Jennifer Maia are not top fighters. And Liz lost to Alexis Davis who is now on a two fight losing streak. Liz was scheduled to face Roxanne Modafferi at the San Antonio show. Though I don't think either fighter is a credible contender, I would have been OK with the winner of that fight getting a title shot only because there is no one else. Everything the UFC has tried so far to develop the Flyweight division has fallen flat. They need to get their act together.Breaking: Valentina Shevchenko vs. Liz Carmouche will headline UFC Fight Night on Aug. 10 in Uruguay, per multiple sources. Carmouche is only one of two women to ever defeat Shevchenko in MMA. It happened back in 2010, at a regional show outside Oklahoma. pic.twitter.com/4JbJ6uETrv
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) June 19, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Mel & Tim
Song:Starting All Over Again
Album:Classic Stax
Mel & Tim had two big hits. First was Backfield In Motion in 1969 and then Starting All Over Again in 1972. The problem is they were on different labels so they aren't available on one CD. Mel Hardin and Tim McPherson were cousins originally from Holly Springs, MS but they grew up in Chicago. Hardin's mother Yolanda Hardin was a former singer who started her own label Bamboo Records to record family members. R&B legend Gene Chandler (Duke Of Earl) saw Mel & Tim and he agreed to produce them. The result was Backfield In Motion which reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #3 on the R&B Singles chart in 1969. The album Good Guys Only Win In The Movies was released. It was the only album released on Bamboo as it closed. Mel & Tim returned in 1972 with Starting All Over Again. It reached #19 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #4 on the R&B Singles chart. The song was produced by Barry Beckett and Roger Hawkins in Muscle Shoals and sold to Stax. Starting All Over Again was written by Muscle Shoals staff songwriter Phillip Mitchell. The album Starting All Over Again was released and then a third album Mel & Tim was produced at Muscle Shoals and released in 1973. That was the end of Mel & Tim. You can get Starting All Over Again on this 3CD Stax comp. McPherson died in 1986. Here's Mel & Tim performing Starting All Over Again on Soul Train 1973.
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
Sarah Moras vs Liana Jojua added to Sept. 7 UFC show
Igor Lazorin of Tass in Russia reported today that Sarah Moras vs Liana Jojua has been added to UFC 242 Sept. 7 at the Du Arena in Abu Dhabi. This fight will be at Bantamweight. When I saw this a couple of hours ago, a red flag went up immediately. I will explain. Sarah is 31 years old from Kelowna, BC. She is training at the UFC PI in Las Vegas. The red flag is because the UFC has a show coming up in Vancouver and they're sending her to Abu Dhabi? Her record is 5-5 and 2-3 in the UFC. She looked really bad losing to Macy Chiasson a few months ago. Liana is making her UFC debut. The above pic is Liana signing her UFC contract. She is 24 years old from Tibilisi, Georgia. Her record is 7-2. She has fought for Fight Nights Global in Russia and Kunlun in China. She's mainly a striker but she has won three fights by armbar. She is certainly easy on the eyes. Obviously this is a big step up in competition for her. And the UFC jitters are a thing. But as I have said before, the UFC needs fighters for foreign shows. And if some of them are decent, it's a bonus. I think if Sarah loses, she goes on a one way trip to Palookaville.Контракт с @ufc 😈 pic.twitter.com/gskwE1dsiE
— Liana Jojua (@lianajojua) March 14, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ella Mai
Song:Boo'd Up
Album:Ella Mai
British R&B singer Ella Mai Howell scored a top five pop hit with Boo'd Up in 2018. And she topped the R&B charts. She was born Nov. 3, 1994 in London, England. Her mom is a big jazz fan so she named her after Ella Fitzgerald. Ella idolized Alicia Keys and other singers as a child. Her family moved to New York City so her mom could take a teaching job. Ella went to high school in Queens. After graduating high school, Ella moved back to England to study at BIMM London. She appeared on X Factor as part of a trio Arize. But they didn't get past the initial audition and then they split up. Then she released the EP Trouble on SoundCloud. This got the attention of producer Dijon "Mustard" McFarlane. He is best known for his work with rappers Tyga and YG. McFarlane signed Ella to his 10 Summers label distributed by Interscope. Ella soon moved to Los Angeles. McFarlane decided to release three EPs mainly to test Ella's music. Boo'd Up was on the third EP Ready released in 2017. It reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and it topped the R&B charts. The subsequent single Trip did just as well. The album was released Oct. 2018 and it was certified Platinum. Ella and McFarlane wrote most of the songs on the album and McFarlane produced. Boo'd Up was written and co-produced by Larrance "Rance" Dopsin of 1500 or Nothin'. He has had success producing Justin Timberlake. Ella Mai just finished touring. She opened for Bruno Mars and Ariana Grande and headlined some shows. Boo'd Up won a Best R&B Song Grammy and Ella won three Billboard Music Awards including Best R&B Artist. I expect her to record a new album now that her tour is finished. Ella Mai is off to a great start. Here's the video for Boo'd Up by Ella Mai. Ella's love interest in the video is played by model Donell Blaylock Jr.
Monday, June 17, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Freddy Martin and his Orchestra
Song:Johnny Doughboy Found A Rose In Ireland
Album:The Victory Collection
Big band leader Freddy Martin started out in the 30s but he had most of his success in the 40s with WWII songs like Johnny Doughboy Found A Rose In Ireland and also adapting classical compositions. He was born Dec. 9, 1906 in Cleveland. He was raised in an orphanage. Martin learned to play drums and then switched to the sax. After graduating high school, Martin took a sales job with the H.N. White musical instrument company. Of course this gave him an excuse to go see his favorite bands which hopefully would lead to a gig. One of those was Guy Lombardo who liked Martin's band and gave him gigs that he couldn't do. Though Martin first recorded in 1932, he didn't have any success until he signed with RCA's Bluebird label in 1938. He also appeared frequently on radio. Martin started to have success by adapting classical pieces. He added lyrics to Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto in B Flat Minor and Tonight My Love was Martin's biggest hit in 1941. Clyde Rogers was the singer for that and he worked for Martin through WWII. By this time Martin moved to Los Angeles and appeared in films like What's Buzzin' Cousin? and Stage Door Canteen. Johnny Doughboy Found A Rose In Ireland was was written by Al Goodhart and Kay Twomey. Goodhart wrote I Apologize for Bing Crosby. Twomey's best known song was Wooden Heart which Elvis Presley sang in the 1960 film G.I. Blues. It was also a #1 hit for Joe Dowell in 1961. In the 40s, the same song was recorded by several bands and they competed for record sales. Johnny Doughboy Found A Rose In Ireland was a top ten hit for Kay Kyser and Guy Lombardo. Martin's recording reached #16. You can get it on this 3CD budget comp that combines music of the era with WWII history. It was produced by the Smithsonian and RCA Records. Martin's band continued after WWII with Merv Griffin as his main singer. Martin appeared on TV and in the 70s he toured with Big Band Cavalcade. Freddy Martin died on Sept. 30, 1983 at age 76. Here's a video of Johnny Doughboy Found A Rose In Ireland by Freddy Martin and his Orchestra featuring Clyde Rogers.
Sunday, June 16, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Rend Collective
Song:Counting Every Blessing
Album:Good News
Rend Collective is a Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) group from Ireland. So their music has Irish folk music leanings. Since switching labels in 2015, they have gained momentum and the 2017 single Counting Every Blessing is their biggest hit to date. The group was formed in 2003 at Bangor Elim Church in Bangor, Ireland. They prefer to call themselves a collective. They claim there is more to them than music. The other thing I noticed is there are no individual songwriting credits. All the songs are credited to the group. The music group is led by drummer Gareth Gilkeson. Chris Llewellyn is lead singer. Ari Gilkeson plays keyboards and also sings. Patrick Thompson plays lead guitar and Steve Mitchell plays bass. After releasing a couple of albums independently, Rend Collective signed with Integrity Records in 2011. The wider distribution brought them success. And they were also touring with Chris Tomlin and other big CCM acts. For the 2015 album As Family We Go, Rend Collective started their own Rend Family label distributed by Capitol's Sparrow label. Since then they have picked up momentum. Counting Every Blessing is from the 2017 album Good News. The single was a top ten Christian hit. They aren't on tour right now. But based on their Facebook page, they are announcing a Canadian tour tomorrow. Maybe they have been working on a new album. CCM fans should check them out. Here's the video for Counting Every Blessing by Rend Collective.
Saturday, June 15, 2019
Hannah Cifers vs Jodie Esquibel added to Aug. 17 UFC show
Hannah Cifers posted on Instagram that she will face Jodie Esquibel at UFC 241 Aug. 17 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. This fight is at Strawweight. I don't think either fighter belongs in the UFC. Hannah is 26 years old from Oxford, NC. Her record is 9-3 and 1-1 in the UFC. Supposedly Hannah is a hard puncher. She had five TKO or KO finishes in regional MMA. She came to the UFC as a late replacement and lost by TKO to Maycee Barber. So maybe she'll be better if she has a full camp. Nope. Hannah won by split decision over Polyana Viana but it was a terrible fight and neither fighter looked good. Jodie is 33 years old. Her record is 6-5 and 0-3 in the UFC. She trains at Jackson Wink in New Mexico. I thought she was awful when she was in Invicta. After losing in the first round of TUF 23, the UFC didn't sign her. But she was needed at for a short notice fight in 2017 and she has lost all three of her fights by unanimous decision. I'm surprised she wasn't released. Jodie is an ineffective points fighter. She doesn't do enough to win fights. The question is can Hannah show some of the potential that she showed in regional MMA. Or is the competition level in the UFC too high for her. I expect the loser to go on a one way trip to Palookaville.
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Point Blank
Song:Nicole
Album:American Exce$$/On a Roll
Point Blank should remind you of Southern fried rock groups like ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd. They weren't as successful though Nicole was a top 40 pop hit in 1981. The ZZ Top connection is not a coincidence as they were managed and produced by Bill Ham who also managed ZZ Top. Point Blank are from Irving, TX. They were formed in 1974 by lead singer John O'Daniel and Rusty Burns and Kim Davis on guitar. The bass and drums changed quite a bit. By the time Nicole was a hit in 1981, Bill Randolph played bass and Buzzy Gruen played drums. After Ham started managing Point Blank, they signed with Arista Records around the same time another Southern rock group Outlaws signed with Arista. The problem was Point Blank was not as successful as Outlaws and Arista dropped them after two albums. They signed with MCA Records and Point Blank went to a more mainstream rock sound. Nicole reached #39 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1981. Point Blank was mainly known for constant touring usually opening for ZZ Top and similar bands. But they weren't a headliner. After the 1982 album On a Roll didn't sell, they decided to split up. American Exce$$ and On a Roll are available as a twofer CD. O'Daniel and Burns reformed Point Blank in 2005. They released new music in 2009 and then in 2014 through Kickstarter. Burns died in 2016 and then O'Daniel died in 2018. I guess that is the end for Point Blank. Here's Point Blank performing Nicole at Cardies in Houston July 4, 1983.
Friday, June 14, 2019
Two more women's matches added to Aug. 10 UFC show
Today the UFC announced several matches for UFC on ESPN+ 14 Aug. 10 at the Antel Arena in Montevideo, Uruguay. There was already one women's match I wrote about last week. Two more matches were added. At Strawweight, we have Tecia Torres vs Marina Rodriguez. And at Flyweight, we have Rachael Ostovich vs Veronica Macedo. I guess Tecia is a gatekeeper at this point. After losing to Weili Zhang in her last fight, she certainly isn't a contender anymore. I always thought she was overrated anyway. I wouldn't be surprised if she retires soon because she has a degree in law enforcement. She lives in Colorado with Raquel Pennington. We should get a handle on if Marina is any good. She's 32 years old from Brazil. She was on the Brazilian Dana White Contender Series. Her first UFC fight was a draw vs Randa Markos. And then she beat Jessica Aguilar by unanimous decision. Jessica has since been released. I don't think she's good enough to even be a gatekeeper. So this fight should tell us more about Marina's potential. Rachael and Veronica are both pretty bad. Rachael is 28 years old from Hawaii. I didn't like her when she was in Invicta. But she's hot. Then she was in TUF 26. She's 1-2 in the UFC and she has really looked bad in her losses. I know fans have sympathy for her since her husband/trainer assaulted her. But she's a terrible fighter. Veronica is also terrible. She's 23 years old originally from Venezuela but she lives in France. She came to the UFC in 2016 as a late replacement at Bantamweight. But she also lost her two fights at Flyweight. And she has had two fights cancelled due to injury. So I don't think either fighter belongs in the UFC.Tendremos 3️⃣ batallas femeninas en #UFCUruguay 🇺🇾@TeciaTorres 🆚 @wmmarz
— UFC Español (@UFCEspanol) June 14, 2019
Taila Santos 🆚 @AshleeMMA @veromacedomma 🆚 @rachaelostovich
Pronto se anunciará estelar y coestalar, conoce los precios y dónde comprar boletos https://t.co/rvmUFAm5X3 pic.twitter.com/AnXmIb4N73
Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast June 14, 2019
Io Shirai, Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series preview and new fight announcements.
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Blessid Union Of Souls
Song:I Believe
Album:The Singles
Blessid Union Of Souls scored a top ten hit in 1995 with I Believe. Some of their other songs charted but that is the one memorable song. They were formed in Cincinnati in 1990 by lead singer and pianist Eliot Sloan, guitarist Jeff Pence, bassist C.P. Roth and drummer Eddie Hedges. Sloan and Hedges were previously in the band The Movies. Roth toured with Ozzy Osbourne. Sloan and Pence wrote most of the songs. The band name comes from a line in an episode of M*A*S*H. A demo got them a deal with EMI Records. I Believe was the first single from Blessid Union Of Souls' 1995 album Home. Cincinnati DJs played the song enough that it caught on nationally and reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was produced by Matt "Emosia" Senatore who owned a Cincinnati recording studio. He wrote I Believe with Sloan and Pence. Senatore was involved in Blessid Union Of Souls' development but only as a producer. He was never a member of the band. Blessid Union Of Souls is frequently compared with Hootie and the Blowfish because they are a mixed race band. But I don't think the bands are similar. Blessid Union Of Souls seems to have gospel or Contemporary Christian (CCM) leanings. It might have turned out better for them if they had been in EMI's CCM label Sparrow. Because EMI Records was closed in 1995 and the 1997 album Blessid Union Of Souls was on Capitol. Then they were moved to V2 for the 1999 album Walking Off The Buzz. Bouncing around like that within EMI's corporate maze probably didn't help them get a decent promotion budget. So EMI dropped them after three albums. This comp covers their EMI recordings. Sloan still leads a version of Blessid Union Of Souls. They released a Contemporary Christian album in 2011. Here's the video for I Believe by Blessid Union Of Souls.
Thursday, June 13, 2019
Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Io Shirai and Candice Lerae vs Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir
Here's the match video of Io Shirai and Candice Lerae vs Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir from this week's episode of NXT. This match was taped at a Belair, MD house show. NXT Women's Champion Shayna Baszler is at ringside. Candice starts the match because Io supposedly injured her shoulder at Takeover. Her shoulder is taped but it's a phony injury. Candice is already over as a white meat babyface so I don't think this was necessary. She gets heat for most of the match until Io finally gets a hot tag. Io wants to send a message to Shayna so she stomps Jessamyn's arm like Shayna does. And Shayna is yelling "Don't you dare". This is followed by a 619, a springboard dropkick and knees to the corner. Io goes to the top for the moonsault. But Shayna pulls Jessamyn to the floor. So Io moonsaults to the floor on Shayna. And then they brawl into the crowd and Candice brawls with Jessamyn and Marina after a suicide dive. No decision was announced. It was announced that Shayna vs Io in a steel cage will be in two weeks. That match has been taped and more is being taped as I write this. So I already know what's coming but I never post spoilers. Just be sure to watch the match and I will post it on the blog. Enjoy the video!
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Joe Henderson
Song:Snap Your Fingers
Album:Birth of Soul
Not to be confused with legendary jazz musician Joe Henderson, this Joe Henderson scored a top ten hit with Snap Your Fingers in 1962. There are probably plenty of music fans who think this is a lost Brook Benton record. Sadly, Henderson died in 1964 at age 27. He was born Apr. 24, 1937 in Como, MS but he grew up in Gary, IN. He was in The Fairfield Four gospel group. Henderson moved to Nashville in 1958 where he met Todd Records owner Paul Cohen. Cohen was the head of A&R at Decca Records Nashville for over 20 years before he started his own label. Todd Records was going nowhere when Cohen moved back to Nashville to run Top Rank's new country label. Todd finally struck gold when Snap Your Fingers reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. Like I said, Henderson sounds a lot like Brook Benton on this record. It's not unusual for soundalike records to become hits. Snap Your Fingers was written by veteran Nashville session guitarist Grady Martin and songwriter Alex Zanetis. Martin is in the Country Music Hall of Fame. In 1987, Ronnie Milsap topped the country charts with Snap Your Fingers. Cliff Parman arranged and conducted the orchestra. Henderson released an album but you can get Snap Your Fingers on this Kent Records various artists comp. This was the only success Todd Records had. Cohen closed the label in 1964 and became A&R head for Kapp Records' country music division. Henderson signed with Ric Records. He had just recorded an album when he died of a heart attack on Oct. 25, 1964 at age 27. His body was found by his friend and fellow soul singer Arthur Alexander. Here's a video for Snap Your Fingers by Joe Henderson. Thanks to BSN Pubs for the Todd Records and Joe Henderson info.
Wednesday, June 12, 2019
Two women's Flyweight bouts added to Aug. 17 UFC show
Two women's Flyweight bouts have been added to UFC 241 Aug. 17 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. The first one reported by Marcelo Barone of Globo will have Poliana Botelho vs Maryna Moroz. Above is a pic of Poliana signing the bout agreement. The second one reported by Tristen Critchfield of Sherdog will have Sabina Mazo vs Shana Dobson. Both Poliana and Maryna started in the UFC as Strawweights but have moved up to Flyweight. Poliana is 30 years old from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She trains at Nova Uniao. Her record is 8-2. She went 2-1 at Strawweight and she won her Flyweight debut over Lauren Mueller. Poliana won the first two rounds and then hung on to win by unanimous decision. She is mainly a striker but she has been training with Ketlen Vieira and that could help her improve her ground game. Maryna is 27 years old from the Ukraine but she now trains at American Top Team in Florida. She's mainly a boxer. She went 3-3 in the UFC as a Strawweight but she moved up to Flyweight for her last fight. She fought at Flyweight before the UFC. She won that fight over Sabina Mazo when she broke Sabina's nose in round one and then hung on for the win. Sabina is 22 years old from Colombia but she trains at MMA Kings in Huntington Beach, CA. She's a former LFA champ and like I said, she lost her UFC debut when Maryna broke her nose in round one. Shana is 30 years old from Arlington, TX. She was in TUF 26 but she lost in the first round. The last time we saw her she lost to Lauren Mueller by unanimous decision Apr. 2018. She was supposed to fight in Nov. but dropped out due to injury. I have not liked what I have seen from her so far. The Flyweight division lacks title contenders. You'd think one of these four could rise up to that challenge. I liked what I saw from Maryna in her last fight.E vamos para próxima parada ... Contrato assinado ... É GUERRA !! 👊🏽🙏🏽💪🏽
— Poliana Botelho (@polibotelho) June 12, 2019
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-#teambotelho #novauniao #brasil #ufc #luta #rio #riodejaneiro #rj #kickboxing #muaythai #porrada #strong #polianabotelho #eguerra #wrestling #ufcbrasil #brasileira pic.twitter.com/0ZGisx88kJ
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band
Song:Landmarks
Album:Landmarks
Brian Blade is one of today's top jazz drummers. He has led The Fellowship Band since the late 90s. He is also drummer in jazz legend Wayne Shorter's band. And he works a lot as a sideman. He was born July 25, 1970 in Shreveport, LA. His father Brady L. Blade Sr. has been the pastor at Zion Baptist Church for 52 years. His older brother Brady L. Blade Jr. is also a drummer best known for touring with Emmylou Harris. He lives in Sweden. Blade learned to play violin as a child. And then he took up the drums in high school to be like his brother. He got into jazz and after graduating high school, he moved to New Orleans to study at Loyola University. Blade also studied with Ellis Marsalis and Steve Masakowski among others. He was in Masakowski's band for a while. In the mid-90s Blade recorded and toured with Kenny Garrett and Joshua Redman. He started The Fellowship Band in 1998 and signed with Blue Note. Landmarks is from the 2014 album Landmarks. The band membership has been fairly stable since the beginning. The only big change was when guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel left to go solo and was replaced by Marvin Sewell. Other members are Jon Cowherd on piano, Myron Walden and Melvin Butler on sax and Chris Thomas on bass. This album is available as a digital download. Blade has recorded and toured with Wayne Shorter since 2000. Blade has also recorded several albums with Austrian guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel. The latest Fellowship Band album Body and Shadow was released in 2017. They are doing a few dates but this fall Blade and Christian McBride will tour with Chick Corea's Trilogy trio. Here's Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band performing Landmarks at Seattle radio station KEXP Feb. 26, 2016.
Tuesday, June 11, 2019
Jessica Andrade vs Weili Zhang to main event Aug. 31 UFC show
Brett Okamoto of ESPN reported this afternoon that Jessica Andrade will defend her UFC Strawweight Championship against Weili Zhang on UFC on ESPN+ 15 Aug. 31 at the Universiade Sports Center in Shenzhen, China. Raphael Marinho of Combate reports that this has been verbally agreed to. They are just waiting for signed bout agreements. I told you guys last week that Weili would be the main event of the China show. I didn't think it would be a title match because those are usually on PPVs. The first thing to remember is the UFC is investing a lot of money in China. They are building a UFC Performance Institute. So the rankings are secondary. Obviously the first option was a title rematch for Rose Namajunas. Today her manager Brian Butler announced that Rose is nursing an injury and she will pass on a rematch for now. Keep in mind Butler also manages Weili. I suggested Tatiana Suarez for a title shot. But she injured her neck on Saturday and is not available. That leaves two options, Weili Zhang and Michelle Waterson. Michelle was in Chicago on Saturday demanding a title shot. UFC president Dana White told her she wasn't ranked high enough. I don't agree with that. But both fighters beat very similar opponents in their last fights. Michelle beat Karolina Kowalkiewicz and Weili beat Tecia Torres. So I think both are deserving. The big difference is the China show is very important to the UFC's business and Weili was going to be in the main event anyway. A title match there is meaningful to the local audience. I would not have had a problem with Michelle getting a title shot and Weili vs Tatiana in China for the next title shot. But Tatiana's injury took that option away. Besides, Weili has been dominant so far so she is a worthy challenger. I think this will be a competitive fight and other than slurping The Karate Hottie, I'm not sure what the complaints are about. So why didn't they have Weili vs Michelle main event China for a title shot. They don't want Jessica sitting around until Christmas. That's what would have happened.The champ goes to China 🇧🇷🏆🇨🇳 pic.twitter.com/kq4iX4F9fu
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) June 11, 2019
AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Kevin Kline
Song:Be A Clown
Album:De-Lovely: Music From The Motion Picture
Though Kevin Kline is not known for film musicals, he started out in Broadway musicals and won three Tonys. He starred as Cole Porter in the 2004 film De-Lovely. He was born Oct. 24, 1947 in St. Louis. His father was an amateur opera singer and he owned The Record Bar. Kline's Inc. was the family owned department store chain. Kline studied music and theater at Indiana University. And he studied at Juilliard in New York on a drama scholarship. He toured with the City Center Acting Company. His first big Broadway appearance was in the 1978 musical On The Twentieth Century. He won a Tony for that. Then he won another Tony for the 1981 musical The Pirates of Penzance. And he also appeared in the 1983 film version. Kline's first film was the 1982 film Sophie's Choice. He continued to appear on stage. But he concentrated mostly on films after appearing in the Lawrence Kasdan films The Big Chill and Silverado. Kline won an Oscar for the 1987 film A Fish Called Wanda. Though Kline has occasionally returned to the stage, he is best known for his film career. Kline starred as Cole Porter in the 2004 film De-Lovely. It's a biopic of Porter and his marriage to Linda Lee Thomas played by Ashley Judd. The film was written by Jay Cocks and produced and directed by Irwin Winkler. Kline performs several songs in the film including Be A Clown. Peter Polycarpou plays Louis B. Mayer. Porter wrote Be A Clown for the 1948 film The Pirate performed by Gene Kelly. MGM stole the song for the 1950 film Singin' In The Rain. Producer Arthur Freed conceived Singin' In The Rain as a tribute to himself featuring songs he had written with Nacio Herb Brown. Director Stanley Donen told Freed they didn't have a solo number for Donald O'Connor and he wanted something similar to Be A Clown. Freed changed some of the lyrics and retitled Be A Clown as Make 'Em Laugh. And he credited the songwriting to himself and Brown. Donen has described it as 100% plagiarism. It is not known why Porter didn't sue Freed. Speculation is that he thought he owed Freed a favor for hiring him to write songs for MGM musicals like The Pirate and it wasn't worth jeopardizing that relationship over a minor song in his catalog. An odd thing in De-Lovely is there are several musical performances by contemporary artists like Sheryl Crow, Elvis Costello and others who aren't part of the film's story. It makes the film a little disjointed. It looks like this was done to serve the soundtrack album which is available as a digital download. Kline continues to appear in films and he won a third Tony for the 2017 revival of the comedy Present Laughter. Here's Kevin Kline with Peter Polycarpou and chorus performing Be A Clown in the 2004 film De-Lovely.
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