AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Nikki Renee Daniels

Artist:Nikki Renee Daniels

Song:Summertime

Album:The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess: New Broadway Cast Recording

Nikki Renee Daniels has appeared on Broadway since 2000. She is probably best known for playing Clara in the 2012 production of the Gershwin musical Porgy & Bess. In recent years she has concentrated more on concert tours. But she has returned to Broadway so I would guess she will appear there again. Nikki was born Jan. 10 but she does not disclose her year of birth. She was born in Atlanta. Her mother was a teacher and her father managed a meat packing company. After graduating from a performing arts high school, she earned a BFA in Musical Theater at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Nikki moved to New York City and made her Broadway debut in Aida in 2000. She was mostly an understudy. Other shows include Nine (2003), Lestat (2006) and Anything Goes (2006). She was mostly an understudy until she got her break as Clara in the 2012 revival of Porgy & Bess. The stars were Audra McDonald as Bess, Norm Lewis as Porgy and David Alan Grier as Sportin' Life. The production was criticized for trying to make Porgy & Bess relevant to contemporary audiences. But the show ran for about a year and it was nominated for ten Tony awards. The original cast album is available as a digital download. After that Nikki appeared in the 2014 production of The Book of Mormon. Meanwhile, Nikki released the 2012 album Home produced by her husband Jeff Kready. So she toured to promote the album. Nikki returned to the stage in the 2019 Chicago production of Hamilton followed by Broadway revivals of Company (2021) and Once Upon a Mattress (2024). Nikki has also appeared in the films Wicked (2024) and Kiss of the Spider Woman (2025) and in the TV shows Billions (2022) and The Equalizer (2023). Like many Broadway performers, Nikki appears with regional orchestras and in New York clubs. Here's Nikki Renee Daniels performing Summertime at Birdland in New York City Dec. 19, 2020. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Steve Camp

Artist:Steve Camp

Song:Lazy Jane

Album:Compact Favorites

CCM singer songwriter Steve Camp had success beginning with his 1985 Sparrow Records debut album Shake Me to Wake Me and debut single Lazy Jane. This was at a time when CCM labels were trying to cross their artists over to pop a la Amy Grant. I don't know if Sparrow tried to do that with Camp but Lazy Jane is a pretty good audition for that. BTW, Steve Camp is not related to CCM singer Jeremy Camp. He was born Apr. 13, 1955 in Wheaton, IL. which is west of Chicago. His parents were Christian and that's how he was raised. He was friends with Jesus music pioneers Larry Norman and Keith Green and they helped him chose music as a career. Camp attended Roosevelt University in Chicago where he majored in music composition and theory. His key collaborator in his early days was Rob Frazier formerly of Petra. Camp signed with Word's Myrrh label in 1977. He recorded four albums for Myrrh and switched to EMI's Sparrow label. He worked with Frazier on the 1985 album Shake Me To Wake Me. They wrote most of the songs together including Lazy Jane and produced. Frazier went on to a solo career. But he has had more success as a songwriter and producer. As I said, Lazy Jane almost seems like Camp is telling Sparrow that he wants to cross over to pop. It's typical of pop music fromthat time. The album was recorded with studio musicians. The Sax solo is by Jim Horn. Sparrow released this comp in 1998 which is available as a digital download. Camp left Sparrow for Warner Bros.' Warner Alliance. and he had his greatest success with the 1993 album Taking Heaven By Storm produced by Michael Omartian. The problem was Warner Alliance was soon closed. Camp hosted a radio talk show AudienceONE Ministries and last released an album in 2024 on his own label. He is currently the senior pastor at The Cross Church in Palm City, FL. Here's the video for Lazy Jane by Steve Camp.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Gaelic Storm

Artist:Gaelic Storm

Song:Johnny Jump Up

Album:Special Reserve

As you might expect given the band name, Gaelic Storm performs traditional Irish songs in a contemporary style. Their claim to fame is they were the band in the 1997 film Titanic. Gaelic Storm is still around but only one original member is still in the band. Johnny Jump Up is from their 1997 debut album so I will concentrate on their early days. Gaelic Storm was formed in 1996 in Santa Monica, CA. The plan was to play regularly at O'Brien's Pub and Restaurant in Santa Monica. Lead singer Patrick Murphy was the manager there. He still leads Gaelic Storm. Guitarist Steve Twigger was the other long term member. He's from Coventry, England and he was designing movie posters when Gaelic Storm was formed. The other original members were Stephen Wehmeyer on bodhran, Samantha Hunt on fiddle and Shep Lonsdale on drums. While performing at O'Brien's, Titanic director James Cameron came in and told them he was looking for a band for Titanic. Once they appeared in the film, Gaelic Storm got a record deal from Virgin's Higher Octave label. The album did very well on the International chart. Johnny Jump Up was popularized by Irish folk singer Christy Moore in the 70s. Most of the songs on the album are traditional. Lonsdale and Twigger produced the album. Lonsdale played drums. Twigger played guitar and designed the album cover. Murphy was lead singer and played accordion. Samantha Hunt played fiddle and Wehmeyer played bodhran. You can get Johnny Jump Up on this comp which covers Gaelic Storm's early years. They recorded three albums for Higher Octave then started their own label. Murphy and Twigger were the constant members of Gaelic Storm until Twigger retired in 2025 due to health concerns. Gaelic Storm still plays live but they last released an album in 2017. Here's Gaelic Storm performing Johnny Jump Up at Neighborhood Theatre in Charlotte, NC Nov. 10, 2022.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Icehouse

Artist:Icehouse

Song:Electric Blue

Album:White Heat: 30 Hits

The Australian band Icehouse had success mostly at home until they started using synthesizers in the 80s when synth pop was very popular. They scored a top ten hit with the 1987 single Electric Blue. I think it's one of those songs that folks remember but they know nothing about the band. The band was called Flowers when they were formed in Sydney, Australia in 1977. Iva Davies was the leader. He still leads the band and is the only original member. He sings lead, writes all the songs and produces. So the other band members are disposable. Flowers had success on the local pub rock circuit playing mostly covers. They signed with Regular Records with Festival distribution in 1980. Davies started experimenting with synthesizers and released Flowers' 1980 debut album Icehouse. They had success on the Australian charts. Flowers signed with Chrysalis Records for international distribution and changed the band name to Icehouse as there was already a band called Flowers. Though Icehouse toured internationally, they didn't have much success outside Australia until the 1987 album Men of Colours probably because there were a lot of synth pop bands around at the time and it was difficult for Icehouse to distinguish themselves. But they finally had success in the US when the 1987 single Crazy reached #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 followed by Electric Blue which reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. Other than that, Icehouse had little success outside Australia which makes me think that many listeners liked the song but thought it was by Spandau Ballet. This happens a lot in pop music and results in plenty of one hit wonders. Davies wrote Electric Blue with John Oates of Hall & Oates. Oates was an Icehouse fan. He said that if Icehouse hadn't recorded Electric Blue, Hall & Oates would have recorded it. The girl in the video was Paris Jefferson who had appeared in other Icehouse videos. Icehouse had very little international success after that though they were still successful in Australia. All their his are on this comp. Icehouse last released a new album in 1993. But they still tour Australia. Davies is the only original member and he has released a few solo albums. Here's the video for Electric Blue by Icehouse. 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Oliver Nelson

Artist:Oliver Nelson

Song:Stolen Moments

Album:The Blues and the Abstract Truth

Jazz saxophonist Oliver Nelson played in several bands in the late 50s. His goal was to be a composer and arranger. And the 1961 album The Blues and the Abstract Truth and especially the song Stolen Moments was so successful that it led to Nelson moving to Los Angeles to compose music for TV and film. So Nelson's path is very similar to Quincy Jones. The difference is that Nelson died prematurely so he never had the chance to be like Jones. He was born June 4, 1932 in St. Louis. His brother was a saxophonist who played with Cootie Williams and his sister sang and played piano. He took up the sax at age 11. His most notable early stint was playing alto sax and arranging for Louis Jordan in 1950. Nelson served in the US Marine Corps and played in their band. He attended a Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra concert that convinced him to become a composer. So when Nelson got home to St. Louis, he studied music composition and theory at Washington University in St. Louis and Lincoln University and graduated with a master's degree in 1958. He moved to New York City and was the house arranger at The Apollo Theater. He recorded several albums for Prestige Records. He played with Count Basie and Duke Ellington and toured with Quincy Jones. ABC-Paramount Records decided to start a jazz label. They hired Creed Taylor as a producer. He had previously worked for Bethlehem Records. Taylor was scouting for talent in New York and met Nelson. Nelson was already under contract to Prestige. So Taylor hired him to compose The Blues and the Abstract Truth and assemble an all star band. The musicians were Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Eric Dolphy on alto sax and flute, Nelson played tenor sax, George Barrow on baritone sax, Bill Evans on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and Roy Haynes on drums. The song Stolen Moments became a jazz standard. Jazz singer Mark Murphy wrote lyrics for Stolen Moments when he recorded it in 1978. The album is available as a budget CD. Nelson continued to record his own albums. But he also worked as an arranger on big band albums. The big one was when Nelson worked with Sonny Rollins on the score for the 1966 film Alfie. Nelson moved to Los Angeles in 1967. He worked mostly on TV shows like Ironside, The Name of the Game, It Takes a Thief, Night Gallery and The Six Million Dollar Man. He also worked as an arranger on films like Lady Sings the Blues (1972). He was recording albums for former Impulse! producer Bob Thiele's label Flying Dutchman. It's likely that Nelson would have continued on this route. But he died from a heart attack on Oct. 28, 1975 at age 43. Here's a video for Stolen Moments by Oliver Nelson.

 

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Clarence Ashley

Artist:Clarence Ashley

Song:Coo Coo Bird

Album:Country Music Pioneer 1927-1935

Clarence Ashley was a country music pioneer who recorded in the late 1920s. Mostly he played the banjo. Coo Coo Bird is probably his best known song. Though he was influential, Ashley was never famous until he was rediscovered in the 60s and played folk festivals. He was born Clarence Earl McCurry Sept. 29, 1895 in Bristol, TN. His father played fiddle. Shortly before Ashley's birth, his maternal grandfather discovered that daddy was an adulterer and was forced to leave town. Ashley and his mom moved in with her parents. They ran a boarding house in Mountain City, TN. He adopted his grandparents name Ashley and his grandfather nicknamed him Tom. So as a child, he was known as Tom Ashley. His grandfather bought him a banjo when he was eight years old. His mom taught him traditional Appalachian folks songs and some of the boarders taught him techniques. In 1911, Ashley joined a medicine show that was passing through Mountain City. He played banjo and guitar and performed blackface comedy. Ashley toured with medicine shows until the early 40s. In the winter, he played local shows with fiddler G.B. Grayson. Ashley first recorded with the Blue Ridge Mountain Entertainers in 1928 for Gennett Records. The other members were Garley Foster on harmonica and Clarence Horton Greene on fiddle. He also played guitar with The Carolina Tar Heels with Foster on harmonica and Dock Walsh on banjo. Ashley recorded solo for Columbia in 1929 followed by recordings with Blue Ridge Entertainers and some sides with Gwen Foster on harmonica in 1933. Ashley recorded Coo Coo Bird in 1929. The recording became famous after it was selected for the Anthology of Folk Music in 1952. This box set has all of Ashley's recordings. The Great Depression ended Ashley's performing career. Not only could he not record but all the places that he played for money were closed. No one had money anyway. Ashley started a trucking company in 1937 and he performed with the Stanley Brothers and The Tennessee Merrymakers. Ashley was rediscovered in the 60s because of his inclusion on the Anthology of Folk Music. Mandolinist Ralph Rinzler met Ashley at the 1960 Old Time Fiddler's Convention in Union Grove, NC. and he persuaded Ashley to start playing banjo again. Ashley toured with the great Doc Watson and played the 1963 Newport Folk Festival and New York's Carnegie Hall among other places. He recorded a 1966 album for Folkways Records. Ashley toured England with guitarist Tex Isley in 1966. He was going to go there again when he got sick and died of cancer on June 2, 1967 at age 71. Doc Watson and Roy Acuff are among those who cite Ashley as an influence. At least he got rediscovered in the 60s. This video is mostly an interview with Clarence Ashley. But he does play Coo Coo Bird in the video.

  

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-MEW

Artist:MEW

Song:Introducing Palace Players

Album:No More Stories...

The Danish band MEW had success mostly in Europe as an album and touring band. The 2009 album No More Stories... is probably their most popular album. MEW recently retired after a farewell tour. MEW is from Copenhagen, Denmark led by lead singer and main songwriter Jonas Bjerre. They were classmates in the Copenhagen suburb of Hellerup. The other members were Bo Madsen on guitar, Johan Wallert on bass and Silas Graae on drums. When they formed in 1995, they called themselves Orange Dog. Though the band failed, Bjerre regrouped after a trip to the US. The new band was called MEW. It's supposed to be like "eeeew" which is a reaction to something disgusting. They self released the 1997 album A Triumph for Man which got them a distributor. Also, Bjerre created background animation for live shows that got them noticed. This led to a record deal with Columbia. As I said, they have been successful mostly as an album and touring band. Introducing Palace Players was first released on the 2009 EP No More Stories... The album was released a couple of months later. MEW wrote and produced with recording engineer Rich Costey. This is probably their best known album and is available as a budget CD. MEW continued until Bjerre decided to end the band. They were trying to record in 2024. And when things weren't going well, Bjerre decided to end the band. It looks like he plans to start a new band. MEW played their farewell show in February. Here's the video for Introducing Palace Players by MEW.