AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tawanda

Artist:Tawanda

Song:Bridges

Album:Smile

Jazz singer Tawanda Suessbrich-Joaquim caused a commotion when she won the 2021 Sarah Vaughan International Vocal Jazz Competition. It got her a record deal followed by the release of her 2022 debut album Smile. I think jazz vocal fans will want to check her out. Tawanda was born and raised in New Mexico. Her mother is German and her father is from Mozambique. She grew up listening to all kinds of music. While earning a Bachelor of Arts degree at Santa Fe University of Art and Design, her teachers taught her about standards by songwriters like Irving Berlin and The Gershwins. Then she got interested in jazz singers like Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. After graduating, she moved to Los Angeles and started playing clubs and that led to a record deal with the jazz label Resonance Records and the release of the album Smile. The album was produced by Resonance owner George Klabin. Musicians include Gary Meek on sax, Anthony Wilson on guitar, Josh Nelson on piano, Kevin Axt on bass and Gene Coye on drums. Tawanda records a mix of standards like Charles Chaplin's Smile and recent songs like Bridges written by Brazilian Milton Nascimento. This album is available on CD. Tawanda appeared on Ivan Lins' 2023 Grammy nominated album My Heart Speaks and she toured with the band Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox. Tawanda is currently working on a new album. Jazz fans should check her out. Here's the video for Bridges by Tawanda.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Mike Posner

Artist:Mike Posner

Song:I Took a Pill in Ibiza: SeeB Remix

Album:All Night, Alone

The 2015 single I Took a Pill in Ibiza was a top five hit. It was one of two big hits for singer, songwriter and producer Mike Posner. He hasn't had any success since then. He was born Feb.12, 1988 in Detroit. His father was a criminal defense lawyer. His sister is also a lawyer. Posner was on the track team in high school and earned a BA in Sociology at Duke University. He started recording music in college and released the 2009 mixtape A Matter of Time. When that topped the digital music chart, that got the attention of Clive Davis' label J Records and they signed Posner to a contract. After he finished college, Posner's debut album 31 Minutes to Takeoff was released in 2010. The single Cooler Than Me reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. Then RCA closed J Records and Posner was moved to RCA. While working on his second album titled Pages, Posner was uncomfortable with being in the spotlight and was struggling with depression. He took a break from recording to produce other artists. After he finished recording the album, RCA released a couple of singles. And when they were unsuccessful, RCA decided not to release the album. That is called being "shelved". Remember he was on J Records. Those people weren't there anymore. So when you hear of an artist being shifted to a different label owned by the same company, that's not usually good news. Posner requested RCA for his release and he signed with Island Records. They released the EP The Truth in 2015 and the single I Took a Pill in Ibiza. Originally the song was acoustic. But then Island A&R VP Mike D'Arduini sent the EP to the Norwegian duo SeeB (Simen Eriksrud, Espen Berg) and they remixed the song with electrobeats, it reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was a worldwide hit. Posner said when he wrote the song, he was drinking a lot. That's reflected in the video. Posner wrote and produced the album At Night, Alone. Both version of I Took a Pill in Ibiza are on the album and it's available as a budget CD. This is the last time Posner charted. He released two more albums on Island. In recent years he has concentrated on walks across America and climbing Mount Everest. He did recently release what seems to be a gag single I Went Back to Ibiza. But music seems to be secondary these days. Here's the video for I Took a Pill in Ibiza: SeeB Remix by Mike Posner.  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Roberto Occhipinti

Artist:Roberto Occhipinti

Song Marta

Album:A Bend in the River

Canadian jazz bassist Roberto Occhipinti started out as a classical musician. So he is equally comfortable in an orchestra or a small band. He's a two time Juno nominee. He was born Mar. 25, 1955 in Toronto. His brother Michael Occhipinti is a jazz guitarist and co-founder of the Neufeld-Occhipinti Jazz Orchestra. Occhipinti studied music at the University of Toronto with classical bassist Joel Quarrington and jazz bassist Dave Young. After graduating, he played with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra, Esprit Orchestra and Arraymusic. In the 90s he started working with Toronto based jazz musicians like Hilario Duran and Jane Bunnett. Since then he has worked with jazz and classical musicians and worked as a session musician. Occhipinti started his own label Modica Music in 2003. Marta is from the 2009 album A Bend in the River for the Canadian label Alma Records. The musicians are Luiz Deniz on alto sax, Cuban pianist David Virelles and Cuban drummer Dafnis Prieto. Occhipinti wrote most of the songs but Deniz wrote Marta. This album was nominated for a Juno and is available on CD. Occhipinti's latest album The Next Step was released in 2021. He plays regular shows in Toronto clubs including as a part of Deniz's band. Here's Roberto Occhipinti with Luis Deniz on alto sax, Uli Geissendoerfer on piano and Jeremy Klewicki on drums with The Young Artists Orchestra of Las Vegas conducted by Yuniro Lopez performing Marta 2017. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lee Ritenour

Artist:Lee Ritenour f/Joao Bosco

Song:Latin Lover

Album:Collection

Recently I wrote about a charity album that jazz guitarist Lee Ritenour had recorded that had a hit single on it. And I promised a friend that I would write about his career and recommend a comp. Ritenour has been around since the 70s. He had his greatest success when he recorded for GRP Records from 1985-95. He still tours, records and plays sessions. But he's not as successful today. He was born Jan. 11, 1952 in Los Angeles. He started playing guitar at age eight and at age 16 he played on a Mamas & the Papas recording. Ritenour was influenced by Wes Montgomery to get into jazz. Then he played with Lena Horne and Tony Bennett. Ritenour studied classical guitar at the University of Southern California. Meanwhile, he was already regularly playing sessions in Los Angeles recording studios and in clubs. And that led to a contract with Epic Records and his 1976 debut album First Contact. The album was produced by Skip Drinkwater who had produced jazz fusion artists. And Epic wanted Ritenour's music to sound like Return to Forever or Miles Davis. They were disappointed when he didn't sound like that. Dave Grusin played keyboards on both Epic albums. Meanwhile, Ritenour was brought in to play guitar on Pink Floyd's The Wall. He left Epic and recorded for the Japanese label JVC. These were straight ahead jazz because that's what Japanese fans like. He signed with Elektra and recorded for them from 1978-84. Ritenour wrote and produced everything with Grusin. He also brought in guest singers like Patti Austin and Bill Champlin. He probably knew that Grusin was planning to start his own label. So when Grusin and recording engineer Larry Rosen started GRP Records in 1985, Ritenour wasted no time in signing with them. He recorded for GRP until 1995 after Grusin and Rosen sold the label to MCA. While he was at GRP, Ritenour could record whatever he wanted. Latin Lovers is from the 1988 album Festival. It's a tribute to Brazilian music featuring guest singers Joao Bosco and Caetano Veloso. Bosco wrote Latin Lovers and sings lead. Other musicians are Dave Grusin on keyboards, Anthony Jackson on bass, Omar Hakim on drums and Carlinhos Brown on djembe, The orchestra was arranged by Johnny Mandel and conducted by Randy Kerber. You can get Latin Lovers on this comp which covers Ritenour's GRP years. Ritenour was in Bob James' band Fourplay from 1991-97. Ritenour still tours and records. He just doesn't have a major labe behind him anymore. His 2024 album Brasil is on Candid Records. He is currently on tour in Europe. Here's Lee Ritenour featuring Joao Bosco performing Latin Lovers with Bob James on piano, Anthony Jackson on bass, Paulinho Da Costa on percussion and Harvey Mason Sr. on drums at the Cocoanut Grove in Los Angeles 1990. This entire concert can be streamed for free on YouTube.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Aimee Mann

Artist:Aimee Mann

Song:Save Me

Album:Magnolia: Music from the Motion Picture

I'm sure most music fans remember Aimee Mann as lead singer of the band 'Til Tuesday. They scored a top ten hit with the 1985 single Voices Carry. And the video was memorable. They split up when she left to go solo in 1990. She is mostly an album and touring artist. She has never had a hit single. She had her greatest success with the songs she wrote and performed for the 1999 film Magnolia. Save Me was nominated for an Oscar and a Grammy. The score for Magnolia was composed by Aimee's long time collaborator Jon Brion. She was born Sept. 8, 1960 in Richmond, VA. Her parents divorced after Aimee's mother had an affair and got pregnant. Aimee was kidnapped by her mom and her new boyfriend and taken to Europe. Her dad hired a private detective. He got her back after a year. He had remarried with two stepsons. Not surprisingly, Aimee still suffers from PTSD. Most thought she was just weird. Aimee learned to play guitar. She was a big fan of David Bowie and Iggy Pop. Then she was encouraged when Patti Smith became popular. She studied bass guitar at Berklee College of Music. She left and joined the punk band Young Snakes. They didn't like her songs. She was in the band Ministry for a while. Then she formed 'Til Tuesday as lead singer and bassist. They signed with Epic and the 1985 single Voices Carry reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. 'Til Tuesday recorded three albums and split up after Aimee left to go solo in 1990. She says there was a management change at Epic and they stopped promoting the band. That happens all the time in the music business. Epic wouldn't release Aimee from her contract until 1993. She started working with 'Til Tuesday touring band member Jon Brion. She signed with Imago Records owned by Terry Ellis of Chrysalis Records. After he had financial problems, Aimee's contract was sold to Geffen. Her two albums for Geffen went nowhere. She kind of drifted around until director Paul Thomas Anderson hired Brion to compose the score for the 1999 film Magnolia and he brought Aimee in to write and perform songs for the film. Anderson knew Brion and Aimee from the Los Angeles club Largo and the script for Magnolia is based on her songs. Not only was Magniolia a big success but the album was certified Gold and Aimee was nominated for a Grammy and an Oscar. The soundtrack album is available. Brion's score is on a separate album. Once Aimee got out of her Geffen contract, she started her own label SuperEgo and her latest album was released in 2021. Aimee still tours but no sign of new music. Here's the video for Save Me by Aimee Mann

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bishop Briggs

Artist:Bishop Briggs

Song:River

Album:Church of Scars

The 2016 single River was streamed over 485M times on Spotify. But it never reached the Billboard Hot 100. It's highest chart placing was #3 on the Alt Rock chart. In those days, streaming did not count towards radio play or the Billboard Hot 100. They have changed that. But it's probably too late for British singer songwriter Bishop Briggs as River is her only hit to date. She was born Sarah Grace McLaughlin July 18, 1992 in London, England. Her parents are from Bishopbriggs, Scotland. That's where she got her stage name. Her family moved to Tokyo and she grew up singing karaoke. Then she moved to Hong Kong to attend school. And after graduating from Hong Kong International School, she studied at Musicians Institute in Los Angeles. Bishop performed in local clubs and released the 2015 single Wild Horses. After that was used in an Acura commercial during the Super Bowl, it got streamed a lot. Then she released the 2016 EP Bishop Briggs on her own label. The single River became a viral hit through streaming. The problem was Bishop wasn't going to be a star on her own label. So she met with Island Records CEO David Massey and he got her to sign. The first thing Island did was re-release the EP Bishop Briggs. Then they expanded it and released the 2018 album Church of Scars. They released several singles from the album. But River was the only big hit. It just wasn't a big enough hit. And that's because of how Billboard handled streaming. Bishop wrote all the songs on the album. It was produced by Ian Scott and Mark Jackson who used to produce music for MTV TV shows. So she's on her way, right? Then the wheels fell off. She ended her deal with Jackson and Scott due to "constant verbal abuse". Supposedly, they weren't happy that she signed with Island. They sued each other and it appears that both lawsuits were dropped. I couldn't find a resolution. Then Island released the 2019 album Champion. Bishop worked mostly with producer Andrew Wells of the band Eidola. And the album was less than a half hour long. It didn't sell. Then when Massey left Island, Bishop got out of her contract and signed with Arista Records. They released the 2023 EP When Everything Went Dark. It looks like this may have been pulled from release. Her latest album is Tell My Therapist I'm Fine in 2024. It seems to be on her own label with Arista distribution. Wells also produced this album. I think Bishop Briggs has cooled off considerably and it's unlikely she will have another hit. Here's the video for River by Bishop Briggs. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-RAYE

Artist:RAYE

Song:Where Is My Husband!

Album:This Music May Contain Hope

Singer songwriter Rachel "RAYE" Keen has already had success in her native England. She has already had success in the US with the single Where Is My Husband! and she is looking to break through in a big way with her new album This Music May Contain Hope. She was born Oct. 24, 1997 in Tooting, London, England. Her mother is from Ghana. She is the oldest of four sisters. It looks like all of them will be musicians. Rachel attended church as a child. He father was musical director and her mother sang in the choir. After her father taught her piano, Rachel started writing songs. She attended the performing arts high school the BRIT School. But she "felt confined" so she dropped out after two years. She learned about songwriting at recording sessions. Then she uploaded her 2014 EP Welcome to the Winter to SoundCloud. She wrote and produced it. Singer Olly Alexander heard it and sent it to his record label Polydor and they signed her. They released a couple of EPs. Rachel worked with Charli XCX and wrote songs for others including Beyonce. She was also getting positive reviews for her live shows. She recorded an album. But Polydor refused to release it until she had a big hit single. Of course an album is required to support that. Rachel finally had a showdown with Polydor and she was released from her contract. She had a five album deal. Rachel signed with Human Re Sources owned by Julius Erving III. That's right. He's the son of NBA legend Julius "Dr. J" Erving. The label is distributed by Sony owned The Orchard. So that's when things turned around for Rachel. Her 2023 album My 21st Century Blues was certified Gold in England and she topped the British charts with the single Escapism. So the next step is to take over the US. The 2025 single Where Is My Husband! topped the British charts and reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her new album This Music May Contain Hope will be released on Mar. 29. The album can be pre-ordered on Amazon. Both of Rachel's albums were produced by Mike Sabath. The two write and produce everything. He's a veteran producer. But he's really hitching his star to RAYE. We'll see how it goes. It's a crowded marketplace out there. Here's the video for Where Is My Husband! by RAYE.