Sarah Moras vs Alexis Dufresne set for TUF 19 finale in Las Vegas

Sarah Moras

Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting reports today that TUF 18 contestant Sarah Moras will face UFC newcomer Alexis Dufresne on The Ultimate Fighter 19 finale July 6 in Las Vegas. Sarah is from Kelowna, BC. Her record is 3-1. I think a lot of us saw her lose to Raquel Pennington on Invicta FC2 July 28, 2012. Sarah started out OK. But she seemed to run out of gas and lost by unanimous decision. She was on Team Tate in TUF 18 and lost to Peggy Morgan in the semi final. Then she got hurt and did not appear on the TUF 18 finale. Alexis was supposed to make her UFC debut last month against Amanda Nunes but dropped out with a rib injury. Her record is 5-0 but she hasn't beat anyone of note. The one fight on video is her quick win over Kim Couture in Mexico. It's impossible to assess that fight because it was so short and according to Couture there were weight issues. And anyone who tells you they can assess Alexis' fighting ability based on that fight is an idiot. She trains at Dan Henderson's Team Quest in Temecula, CA. I spoke to her teammate Michelle Ould about her but in the end Alexis is unproven and I guess we'll find out what she has in her UFC debut.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-UB40

Artist:UB40 f/Chrissie Hynde
Song:I Got You Babe
Album:Greatest Hits





The British reggae band UB40 had some success here in North America with hits like Red Red Wine and I Got You Babe. But they are a much bigger deal in England where they are still active today. UB40 is from Birmingham, England. The name UB40 is the form that is filled out in England to get unemployment benefits. Supposedly the various members were standing in an unemployment line when they decided to start a band in 1978. They were Ali Campbell on lead vocals, Robin Campbell on lead guitar, Mickey Virtue on keyboards, Brian Travers on sax, Terence "Astro" Wilson on trumpet, Norman Hassan on trombone, Earl Falconer on bass and Jimmy Brown on drums. While the band learned to play the instruments, they promoted themselves. They started playing local clubs in 1979 and got a big break when The Pretenders lead singer Chrissie Hynde saw one of their shows and took them on tour to open for them. They released a couple of albums on their own label and success on the British charts led to a deal with Virgin Records in England and A & M Records in the US. Their most successful album was Labour Of Love in 1983 featuring the number one hit Red Red Wine. UB40 continued to have success in England with this 1985 cover of the Sonny & Cher classic I Got You Babe. It topped the British charts and reached #28 on the Billboard Hot 100. They toured with The Pretenders anyway and having Chrissie Hynde guest on a song was only natural. They also had a big US hit in 1993 with a cover of (I Can't Help) Falling In Love With You from the film Silver. You can get all their hits on this comp. UB40 still tours in England. Ali Campbell and Mickey Virtue left in 2008. Campbell was briefly replaced by Maxi Priest and then by Ali's brother Duncan Campbell. There were financial problems with the band's company and they went bankrupt in 2011. UB40's latest CD Getting Over The Storm was released Sept. 2013 and they are currently on tour. Campbell and Virtue have returned so the original band is back together. Here's the video for I Got You Babe by UB40 featuring Chrissie Hynde.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Gordon Lightfoot

Artist:Gordon Lightfoot
Song:If You Could Read My Mind
Album:Gord's Gold





Canadian folk music legend Gordon Lightfoot had already been recording for a few years when If You Could Read My Mind was his breakthrough single in 1970. After that, he had a few more hits in the 70s. He still tours regularly but he hasn't recorded much recently. He was born Nov. 17, 1938 in Orillia, ON. His mom recognized his talent and pushed him to perform. As a teen, he taught himself to play guitar. He moved to Los Angeles to study music at Westlake College but he returned to Toronto in 1960 and has remained in Canada. Lightfoot had some success as a member of The Swinging Eight who were featured on the CBC TV show Country Hoedown. By the mid-60s he was starting to have success as a songwriter. Ian & Sylvia recorded Early Mornin' Rain and got Lightfoot a management deal with Albert Grossman who also managed Bob Dylan. Lightfoot signed with United Artists Records. Though his UA albums were praised and sold well in Canada, he didn't have that big hit single to break him through to a larger audience. So he left UA for Reprise Records in 1970. On his Reprise debut album Sit Down Young Stranger, he worked with Warner Bros. house producer Lenny Waronker. Ry Cooder and Van Dyke Parks were among those who played on the album and Randy Newman arranged some of the songs. The album didn't sell at first until If You Could Read My Mind caught on with radio stations. It reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. Lightfoot says the song was inspired by his divorce from his wife Brita. So now Lightfoot was a star. His other big hits were Sundown in 1974 and The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1976. His albums sold very well until the early 80s. This comp Gord's Gold was first released on 2LPs in 1975. It was a big seller at the time and is now available as a budget CD. Be aware that Lightfoot re-recorded some of his UA recordings for this album. He says he doesn't like those old records. The original UA recordings are available on CD. Lightfoot faded in the 80s but he recorded for Reprise until 1998. Despite some health problems in recent years like an 2002 aortic aneurysm and a 2006 stroke, Lightfoot continues to tour regularly. His latest CD All Live was released by Rhino in 2012. He is also a member of the Order of Canada and he is in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Here's Gordon Lightfoot performing If You Could Read My Mind on The Midnight Special 1975.

Four Horsewomen grudge match booked for UFC 176 in Los Angeles

Bethe Correia, Shayna Baszler

Last night the UFC announced that Brazilian Bethe Correia will face Shayna Baszler at UFC 176 Aug. 2 at Staples Center in Los Angeles. This is all based on the perception that after her recent win over Jessamyn Duke, Bethe disrespected the Ronda Rousey led Four Horsewomen group. As a huge pro wrestling fan, it's not surprising that Shayna would buy into this feud. The hysterical overreaction to Bethe's actions was pretty funny. But she got their attention and that's what she and her trainers The Pitbull Brothers wanted for her. What if she hadn't done that? And there are fighters who would never do what she did. But it gave her a boost up the ladder and Ronda is talking about her as a possible title contender if Bethe wins this fight. But is she really a title contender? She isn't yet and I don't know if winning this fight will make her a title contender. It not only depends on if she wins this fight but how she wins. Bethe is 2-0 in the UFC but neither win was impressive. Like I said a couple of weeks ago, Jessamyn lost that fight through ineffectiveness more than Bethe won that fight. If Bethe wants to be a bonafide title contender then she not only has to win this fight but win impressively. A squeaker won't cut it. Ronda would kill her anyway but that's besides the point. Bethe needs credibility that she doesn't have yet. Shayna was supposed to make her UFC debut last month against Sarah Kaufman but dropped out due to a back injury. She's been around a long time and there are those who believe time has passed her by and she is over the hill. I'm not prepared to say that but Shayna has a lot to prove especially after her performance in The Ultimate Fighter. She needs to win this fight. I think if she takes Bethe down she should be able to submit her. And she is motivated by the disrespect of the Four Horsewomen. It should be interesting.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Marc Cary

Artist:Marc Cary
Song:Minor March
Album:Focus Trio Live 2009




Jazz pianist Marc Cary started out as a teen in the Washington Go Go scene and he had the opportunity to move into hip hop when he moved to New York. But instead he went on tour with Betty Carter and started leading his own trio in the 90s. He was born Jan. 29, 1967 in New York City but he grew up in Washington, DC. As a teen, he was in a Go Go band The High Integrity Band and was also in The Dizzy Gillespie Youth Orchestra. Cary went to high school at The Duke Ellington School of the Arts. After studying music for two years at the University of the District of Columbia, Cary moved to New York City in 1988. He befriended Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest and worked on his album The Renaissance. But then Cary went on tour with legendary jazz singer Betty Carter and then joined Roy Hargrove's band in 1991. But Cary has said that his biggest influence and person who convinced him to stick to jazz was legendary jazz singer Abbey Lincoln. Cary has recorded as a leader since 1995 and has recorded for Motema Music since 2006. His main band is the Focus Trio with David Ewell on bass and Sameer Gupta on drums. This cover of the Jackie McLean classic Minor March is outstanding and Live 2009 is worth checking out. Cary recorded an Abbey Lincoln tribute album For The Love Of Abbey last year and the trio released Four Directions Oct. 2013. Cary is touring with his trio in the fall. Here's Marc Cary and the Focus Trio performing Minor March at the Healdsburg Jazz Festival in Healdsburg, CA 2008. Cary is returning to that festival on May 30 for a solo tribute to Abbey Lincoln.

Review of WWE Total Divas season 2 episode 7

This week's episode of WWE Total Divas isn't quite as stupid as last week. But it's still very stupid. We have three storylines. Like a lot of women, Brie Bella is obsessing about her upcoming wedding. When fiancee Bryan Danielson tells her that most guys don't care about the wedding, she says it's sad. So that's where her head is. Meanwhile, Summer Rae is upset that one of her ex-boyfriends is getting married. She seems a little desperate for a significant other. Someone suggests she try Fandango. But if you watched the show last year, you'll know that Fandango doesn't seem like boyfriend material. It almost seems like Summer Rae is being pranked. The third story has Trinity not wanting to get pregnant. But she forgets to take her birth control pills and husband Jon doesn't like condoms. Eva Marie suggests a birth control implant that is inserted into the arm and lasts for three years. For some reason, Trinity chooses not to tell Jon she is getting the implant. She says it is because it's her body. She can do what she wants with it. I like Trinity but I will call BS on her. The real reason is to create phony drama for the show. It doesn't have to be this phony. Jon is upset when he finds out she didn't tell him. But they make up and all is well. So Brie goes to pick out a wedding dress and Nikki no shows. Then they go to pick out a bridesmaid dress for Nikki and Nikki wants to show too much cleavage. Then she wants Nikki to help her with the invitations but Nikki isn't interested. So Brie gets mad and kicks her out of the maid of honor slot. Remember that as long as Nikki is with John Cena, she ain't getting a wedding. So it could be perceived that Brie is throwing that in her face. They make up too and because the twins are always bickering, this is likely based on a real argument. So Summer Rae asks Fandango out for a date. So where does he take her? He takes her to his favourite bar to have shots. What kind of a date is that? She's a good sport about it but she should have seen red flags and just went home. Instead she goes to his place and jumps on him and starts to make out. But when she kisses him, she finally realizes that something is off and she retreats. Is she that desperate for male companionship? It's hard to believe she could be that dumb which is why I think the second half of this date was created for the show. Welcome to reality TV. Enjoy the video.

Paige vs Tamina is pretty good despite lame WWE booking

Here's the match video of Paige defending the WWE Divas Championship against Tamina from last night's WWE PPV. The match is pretty good but there there are a couple of problems. They weren't given enough time and were placed in a bad spot on the show so fans didn't care about the match. The WWE always does this with women's matches. But they are going to have to knock off that crap if they want Paige to get over. And I am also not a big fan of the underdog champion booking they are doing with Paige. It reminds me of 2008 when NEO booked Haruka Matsuo as champ to keep her from retiring and they booked her as an underdog champ. It didn't work. Paige needs to be booked stronger. She was a ring general when I saw her at age 17 a few years ago. And I actually like her better as a heel. But they are obviously going to have her do a program with AJ Lee when AJ returns. I guess that leaves Naomi out in the cold. It's too bad but Paige has star potential if they will book her properly. The match is fine. Paige takes some good bumps especially outside the ring. I'm not crazy about her Scorpion Crosslock finisher. You'll notice she had trouble applying it on Tamika. I think the Paige Turner is a better finisher. I like Paige a lot but I do not trust that the WWE will book her properly. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Chris de Burgh

Artist:Chris de Burgh
Album:Lady In Red
Album:Lady In Red: The Collection





British singer songwriter Chris de Burgh had his biggest hit with his signature song Lady In Red in 1986. For some reason he has always been a bigger draw in the US than in England. He was born Christopher John Davison Oct. 15, 1948 in Venado Tuerto, Argentina. His father was a British diplomat so the family moved around a lot. de Burgh is his mother's maiden name. They settled in an Irish castle owned by his mom's family. They turned it into a hotel and young Chris sang for guests. After college, de Burgh signed with A & M Records in 1974 and toured with Supertramp. But he had problems establishing himself. The 1982 single Don't Pay The Ferryman was the first to chart in the US and England. Lady In Red was his breakthrough hit in 1986. It topped the British charts and reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album Into The Light was certified Gold. The song is about what his wife Diane was wearing the first time he met her. Many fans mistakenly assume the song was in the film The Lady In Red. It wasn't in that film but it did appear in the 1988 film Working Girl starring Harrison Ford and Melanie Griffith. Though de Burgh never had another big hit single, the success of Lady In Red was enough to sustain his career over the years. You can get all his A & M hits on this British budget comp. de Burgh left A & M in 2002 and currently records for his own label Ferryman Productions. His new CD The Hands Of Man is set for release in Sept. 2014. He is touring Europe this summer. Here's the video for Lady In Red by Chris de Burgh.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Lester Flatt and Bill Monroe

Artist:Lester Flatt and Bill Monroe
Song:Will You Be Loving Another Man?
Album:Live At Vanderbilt





Of course Bill Monroe basically invented bluegrass music. He even named it "bluegrass". Lester Flatt was a member of Monroe's band The Blue Grass Boys in the mid-40s. Will You Be Loving Another Man? was a song the two wrote together and it was on the B-side of the 1946 hit Blue Yodel No. 4. Flatt left The Blue Grass Boys in 1948 to form The Foggy Mountain Boys with Earl Scruggs. They were very popular and are probably best known for the theme of the TV series The Beverly Hillbillies. By the late 60s, Scruggs was looking to do more than bluegrass and Flatt was a traditionalist and didn't like the direction Scruggs was going. So they split up in 1969. Scruggs started The Earl Scruggs Revue. Flatt started The Nashville Grass. Monroe was inducted into The Country Music Hall of Fame in 1970. He also ran his own Bean Blossom Festival. Flat and Monroe reconciled when Flatt appeared at the festival in the early 70s. The result was that Flatt and Monroe started doing the occasional show together. This CD was recorded at Vanderbilt University in Nashville in 1974. The band is The Nashville Grass including 15 year old Marty Stuart on guitar along with guys like Curly Seckler, Charles Nixon and Kenny Baker. It's unclear if Flatt's record company CMH released this concert on LP at the time. But it didn't turn up on CD until the German label Bear Family released it as part of the Lester Flatt box set Flatt On Victor. Then in 2002 they released Live At Vanderbilt as a single CD. Monroe and Flatt performed together occasionally until Flatt's 1979 death. I think bluegrass fans will be interested in this CD of the two performing together. Here's Lester Flatt and Bill Monroe performing Will You Be Loving Another Man? on The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville in the mid-70s.

Jessica Aguilar vs Emi Fujino set for June 21 WSOF show

Jessica Aguilar

Last night the WSOF finally confirmed what a lot of us have known for a while. Jessica Aguilar will defend her title against Emi Fujino at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas June 21. We knew this fight would happen the moment the WSOF signed Fujino. It was supposed to be on the first WSOF Japan show in May. But that show has been postponed until August so the WSOF had to figure out something else. Until last night, a date and location had not been confirmed. And the way they announced it seemed like an afterthought. Look, these guys do a lot of stupid things. Jessica made her WSOF debut with a win over Alida Gray in January. It was an obvious mismatch but they chose to make it a title match. They could have waited but they are idiots. So you want to know if Emi Fujino can beat Jessica Aguilar. She has a chance if Jessica is either off her game or she has terrible strategy. That's a very slim chance. Fujino is a good but not great fighter. Her record is 13-7 but all her losses were to fighters who were favoured to beat her. She has never won as an underdog. And I don't expect it here. Fujino has never fought outside Japan. Most Japanese women's fights are two five minute rounds in a ring though Valkyrie fights were three rounds in a cage. So lately she hasn't gone three rounds she has never gone five rounds. And this is relevant because most of Fujino's fights go to a decision. Does she even have five rounds in her gas tank? I think we will find out because I think Jessica's strategy will be to gas her out. I don't expect a finish. Oh, I do have one warning for Emi Fujino. Beware of eye pokes.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Gal Costa

Artist:Gal Costa
Song:Que Pena
Album:Novo Millennium





Gal Costa has been one of Brazil's most popular singers since the 60s. And she's still going strong today. She has had a long association with the legendary Caetano Veloso. Her cover of Jorge Ben's Que Pena is one of her biggest hits. She was born Maria da Graca Costa Penna Burgos Sept. 26, 1945 in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. As a teen she got interested in Bossa Nova and met Caetano Veloso when she was 18 years old. She was introduced by Veloso's future wife and Gal's best friend Andrea Gadelha. She also performed and recorded with Veloso's sister Maria Bethania. Then she met Gilberto Gil and started performing with him. Veloso signed with Philips Records and his 1967 debut album Domingo was a duet album with Gal. She recorded for Philips/PolyGram for many years. Gal's breakthrough album was the 1969 album Gal Costa with guest appearances by Veloso and Gil. Her cover of Jorge Ben's Que Pena would turn out to be one of her biggest hits. This comp CD is a good intro to her music. Though unknown elsewhere, Gal Costa continues to be a musical force in Brazil. She left PolyGram for RCA in 1983 and recorded there for several years. Her long association with Caetano Veloso continues as he wrote and produced Gal's latest CD Recanto which was released in 2011. Here's Gal Costa performing Que Pena on Acustico MTV 1997. This performance is available on DVD.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Nat King Cole

Artist:Nat King Cole w/The Count Basie Orchestra
Song:The Late, Late Show
Album:Welcome To The Club/Tell Me All About Yourself



Of course Nat King Cole was a pioneer of black music and one of the most popular singers of the 50s. But people tend to forget that before that he was a very successful jazz pianist with his trio. By the late 50s, the rise of Rock & Roll meant that Cole's success as a pop singer was likely at an end. He had top ten hits with Send For Me and Looking Back and the very successful 1957 album Love Is The Thing. But Cole was a smart guy and he knew he had to try other things. He tried Rock & Roll with mixed success and played W.C. Handy in the 1958 film St. Louis Blues. The other thing that happened is arranger Nelson Riddle had left Capitol for Frank Sinatra's new label Reprise. Cole had success with the 1957 jazz album After Midnight. So he approached Capitol house arranger Dave Cavanaugh and Cavanaugh's idea was to have Cole record with The Count Basie Orchestra. Of course Cole loved that idea. The problem was Basie was under contract to Roulette Records and would not be able to appear on the album. He was replaced by pianist Gerald Wiggins. But the rest of the band is the real Basie band featuring guys like Thad Jones, Snooky Young, Al Grey, Frank Wess, Frank Foster, Freddie Green, Eddie Jones and Sonny Payne. So those interested in hearing Cole in a big band setting might want to check out Welcome To The Club. The Late, Late Show was written by Roy Alfred and Murray Berlin. Alfred was a veteran songwriter best known for writing The Hucklebuck. Murray Berlin is a pseudonym for Dave Cavanaugh. The song was first recorded by jazz singer Dakota Staton in 1957. Cavanaugh was the arranger. Also, Basie recorded the song on the 1958 album The Atomic Mr. Basie but it wasn't on the original album. The instrumental and vocal recordings of The Late, Late Show are bonus tracks on the 1994 CD release. Joe Williams was the singer. Obviously Cavanaugh knew the Basie band was familiar with the song. The best way to get Welcome To The Club is on a twofer CD released by the British label Collector's Choice. The other album on the CD is Tell Me All About Yourself which was recorded a month after Welcome to The Club. Musicians include Harry "Sweets" Edison on trumpet, John Collins on guitar, Charlie Harris on bass and Lee Young on drums along with an unidentified orchestra. Both albums are short so the twofer is the best option. Cole returned to the pop top ten with the 1962 hit Ramblin' Rose and he continued his success until his 1965 death. Here's a video for The Late, Late Show by Nat King Cole with The Count Basie Orchestra.

Germaine De Randamie vs Milana Dudieva added to UFC 174 in Vancouver

Milana Dudieva

Last night MMA Junkie reported that Germaine De Randamie will face UFC newcomer Milana Dudieva on UFC 174 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. This fight will air on the prelims on Fox Sports 1 and Sportsnet 360 in Canada. The UFC is looking at Russian fighters as they plan to run a show there in 2015. They signed Aleksandra Albu last fall but she got hurt before she could debut. There is talk now that Aleksandra will drop to 115lb and fight in the Strawweight division. Milana has a lot more experience than Aleksandra. She has fought mostly for the Russian company Pro FC. Her record is 10-3 and six of her wins have been by submission. The thing I noticed about her is that as the level of competition rises, she seems to have problems. Her loss in Apr. 2013 to current UFC fighter Jessica Andrade had to be very deflating and then in October she lost to Swedish fighter Pannie Kianzad. Her two latest fights were both wins against less experienced fighters. Germaine is a championship caliber kickboxer who is very vulnerable on the ground. If she can keep the fight standing, she can win. But as we saw in her last UFC fight, she has no ground game. Amanda Nunes took her down and pounded her and it was over. So if Milana can take Germaine down, she has a good chance to win. I haven't seen anything from Germaine to indicate that she has improved enough on the ground to handle a fighter who has a good ground game. This will be Milana's first fight outside Europe and the UFC is a big stage. The UFC jitters could be a factor. If Milana can handle that, she could win this fight.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Les Nubians

Artist:Les Nubians
Song:Makeda
Album:Princesses Nubiennes





Considering they sing in French, Les Nubians has had a lot of success in the US R & B market. Makeda was their biggest hit in 1999. They are sisters. Helene Faussart was born in 1975 and Celine Faussart was born in 1979 in Bordeaux, France. Their father is French and mom is from the African country Cameroon. The family moved to the African country Chad and then returned to France when the girls were teens. They sang in local clubs as Les Nubians. A chance meeting with legendary jazz singer Abbey Lincoln encouraged the girls to sign with Virgin Records in Europe and Higher Octave in the US. Princesses Nubiennes was released in 1999. The single Makeda did very well on the R & B charts and in clubs despite the fact that the girls sing in French. The album was nominated for a Grammy and Les Nubians won the 1999 Soul Train Lady Of Soul award for Best New Artist. On their 2003 album One Step Forward, they worked with rapper Talib Kweli and Manu Dibango. They attempted to sing in English which I don't think was all that successful. Les Nubians left Virgin and now record for their own label Nubiatik with distribution by Shanachie Records. Their latest CD Nu Revolution was released in 2011 and features guest appearances by Eric Roberson and Manu Dibango. It looks like Les Nubians are now living in the US. Neo soul fans should check them out. Here's the video for Makeda by Les Nubians.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Patrick Sky

Artist:Patrick Sky
Song:Many A Mile
Album:Patrick Sky





Not everyone who hung around Greenwich Village in the 60s became as famous as Bob Dylan. Patrick Sky was a respected singer, songwriter and producer who never broke through to the mainstream. Many A Mile has been frequently covered by other artists. He was born Patrick Lynch in Liveoak Gardens, GA in 1943 and he grew up in the LaFouche Swamps of Louisiana. He learned to play guitar as a child and played local clubs as a teen. After attending college and serving for a couple of years in the US Army, Sky started performing and settled in Greenwich Village in New York in the early 60s. Of course this was the hotbed of folk music. When Bob Dylan became famous, record companies searched Greenwich Village for guys that they thought could be just as famous. Vanguard Records signed Sky and he released the album Patrick Sky in 1965. Many A Mile became popular when Buffy Sainte-Marie recorded it in 1965. Sky also produced some of her albums and also produced albums by Mississippi John Hurt and Eric Andersen. Many A Mile was also recorded by John Kay, New Grass Revival, The Country Gentlemen and Dave Van Ronk. Like Andersen and Van Ronk, Sky never had much mainstream success. He recorded two albums for Vanguard and then two more for Verve Forecast. Sky's songs became political with the album Songs That Made America Famous. But no record company would release it until he licensed it to Adelphi in 1973. Adelphi sold it as the album no one wanted you to hear. Since then, Sky has owned his own record company and released his own music and music by others. Today Patrick Sky is an expert on uillean pipes which is the bagpipe of Ireland. He's written books about them. In 2009, Sky released a CD of traditional Irish music with wife Cathy on violin called Down To Us. The two continue to perform and Sky also makes and repairs uillean pipes. So even if he wasn't famous in the 60s, Patrick Sky has found his niche. Here's a video for Many A Mile by Patrick Sky.

Ledisi concert review

Last night I went to see R & B singer Ledisi and The Robert Glasper Experiment at the Danforth Music Hall. For some reason, they decided to take the seats out of the hall and have everyone stand. I guess they were hoping it would turn into a dance floor. Normally I wouldn't go to a concert with that kind of seating because I can't stand and visibility could be a problem. But I really wanted to see Ledisi. I don't know how the hall feels about this in retrospect but the show was not sold out and nobody danced. They should have left the seats in. I probably won't go to shows with that kind of seating arrangement in the future. But I did enjoy the show. Houston born jazz pianist Robert Glasper opened the show with his neo soul group The Robert Glasper Experiment. He also tours with a jazz group. Glasper has become a big deal since his 2012 CD Black Radio won a Best R & B Album Grammy. His latest CD Black Radio 2 features guest appearances by singers like Jill Scott, Marsha Ambrosius and Anthony Hamilton. none of them are on this tour. The band is Robert Glasper on keyboards, Casey Benjamin on sax and vocals, Derrick Hodge on bass and Mark Colenburg on drums. I liked the solos by the individual musicians but Benjamin's vocals went through electronic altering like auto tune. I can take that in small doses but not for 45 minutes. I guess the problem is Glasper has all these guest vocalists on his albums and he can't reproduce it on stage. It's a little bit of a disconnect but Glasper has talent. Ledisi is on tour to support her new CD The Truth. There's no question that she has gotten more commercial since I first heard her in 2007. Back then she was singing in small clubs. Now she has dancers and Ledisi changes costumes several times. Though I really enjoyed Ledisi's performance, I can't help but think that I would enjoy her more in a small club singing jazz. Success can be a double edged sword. Ledisi is still one of the best singers around. But maybe she's losing some of the things I liked about her when I first heard her. And as I said, the show wasn't sold out. So maybe in Canada, she would be better off doing smaller shows.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Manhattans

Artist:The Manhattans
Song:Kiss And Say Goodbye
Album:Kiss And Say Goodbye: The Best Of The Manhattans




The Manhattans started out in the 60s. But they had their biggest success and their only number one hit with Kiss And Say Goodbye in 1976. What's interesting is they had most of their success after original lead singer George Smith died in 1970, a tragedy that would have killed most groups. The Manhattans started out in 1962 as Jersey City, NJ high school students. George "Smitty" Smith was lead singer. Winfred "Blue" Lovett sang bass and wrote a lot of the songs with Edward "Sonny" Bivins. Other members were Kenny "Wally" Kelley and Ricky Taylor. The Manhattans recorded for Carnival Records and had modest success on the R & B charts with songs like I Wanna Be (Your Everything). A 1969 switch to King Records owned label Deluxe didn't seem to help much. Then George Smith fell down a flight of stairs and was unable to perform. He died on Dec. 16, 1970. They looked for a new lead singer. A couple of years earlier, they had seen Gerald Alston perform with his gospel group. They asked him to join at the time but he declined. This time he did join. The Manhattans signed with Columbia Records and the new version of the group seemed to perform better on the R & B charts. Lovett wrote Kiss And Say Goodbye with the intention of selling it to Glen Campbell. But Philadelphia International producer Bobby Martin heard the demo and thought it could be a big hit for The Manhattans. Martin was drummer for MFSB and he also produced The Three Degrees. Kiss And Say Goodbye topped the pop and R & B charts in 1976. The Manhattans other top five pop hit was Shining Star in 1980. You can get all their hits on this budget comp. The Manhattans remained with Columbia until 1986. Alston left to go solo in 1988. Lovett and Kelley left in 1990. Bivins continues to lead a version of The Manhattans today. In 1995, Lovett formed his own version of The Manhattans featuring Alston. They have recorded and appeared on a couple of PBS specials. Both groups are active which is very confusing for fans. Here's The Manhattans performing Kiss And Say Goodbye.

Review of WWE Total Divas Season 2 Episode 6

Most episodes of WWE Total Divas have a level of stupidity. But this week's episode goes way overboard. Most of it concerns Nattie Neidhart and husband TJ Wilson going to New York and the Nattie's terrible decision to allow Ariane to housesit. A lesser story has The Bella Twins bickering over chicken. Nikki is buying chicken in the supermarket and Brie is giving her a hard time for buying factory chicken instead of free range chicken. Nikki doesn't care until Brie shows her the conditions factory chickens are raised in. Nikki gets the message but won't eat chicken anymore. So Brie takes Nikki to a chicken farm to show how chickens are properly raised. The whole thing comes across like a public service announcement no doubt inspired by Brie's real beliefs. But I didn't think it was very entertaining. Back to the main storyline. Nattie Neidhart is excited about a feature spread in Flex Magazine. The WWE is sending her to New York City to promote it. I know what you're thinking. What the hell is Flex Magazine? It's for bodybuilding enthusiasts. Legendary bodybuilder Joe Weider started it in 1983. The main purpose of the magazine is to sell supplements. Most of the content is paid for and there's enough of a crossover that the WWE will pay to have Nattie and other wrestlers appear in the magazine. But I don't know if anyone actually would buy the magazine just to see Nattie. She thinks it's a big deal but it isn't. And the WWE knows this and have Summer Rae point it out. But Nattie gets a trip to New York to promote it and she decides to turn it into a romantic getaway with TJ. That's when things go off the rails. Normally when she goes on a trip, Nattie has her mom housesit and take care of the cats. But her mom isn't available and somehow Ariane talks Nattie into letting her and idiot boyfriend Vincent housesit. That is obviously a bad idea that contradicts common sense. Then TJ invites his sister to come on the New York trip. I guess he didn't get the memo about the romantic getaway. When TJ gives his sister an expensive spa treatment and the five thousand bucks for an inflatable castle, Nattie is upset because he didn't discuss it with her. He says that when she gave her parents a car, she didn't discuss it with him. So they are fighting during the whole trip. Meanwhile Ariane and Vincent host a drunken party and one of the cats gets out of the house. While searching for the cat, they come across Nattie's neighbour who calls Nattie and blows the whistle on them. Nattie and TJ stop fighting and pack to go home. Fortunately the cat is found and disaster is averted. But you don't have to be a rocket scientist to see that this stupidity could have been avoided. Ugh! Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Benny Carter

Artist:Benny Carter f/Oscar Peterson
Song:Laura
Album:Cosmopolite: The Oscar Peterson Verve Sessions




This CD is a compilation of recordings by two of the all time greats of jazz. Sax player Benny Carter started out in the 20s. Pianist Oscar Peterson was an up and comer in the early 50s. The two got together when Carter appeared on Norman Granz' Jazz At The Philharmonic concert series. They first recorded together in Sept. 1952. Some of the recordings were with an orchestra led by Joe Glover. Only the small group recordings are on this CD. They recorded together again in Sept. 1954. Laura was recorded at this session. Musicians were Bill Harris on trombone, Herb Ellis on guitar, Ray Brown on bass and Buddy Rich on drums. Some of the recordings from this session were released on the Benny Carter LP New Jazz Sounds and another one called Moonglow. But Laura looks like it was an orphan track that turned up on the 1955 LP Benny Carter Plays Pretty. That's why this CD is so useful. Granz would spread the recordings out over different LPs. Now you can get all of them on one CD. It's a must for fans of these two jazz legends. Carter and Peterson recorded one more session in 1954. And they reunited for the 1987 album Benny Carter Meets Oscar Peterson on Pablo Records. Here's a video for Laura by Benny Carter featuring Oscar Peterson.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Bethe Correia vs Jessamyn Duke

Here's the fight video of Bethe Correia vs Jessamyn Duke from last night's UFC show in Baltimore. The big deal about this fight is Jessamyn's height and reach advantage and also that she has been training at Ronda Rousey's camp in Los Angeles. So how would Bethe neutralize that advantage. I wasn't impressed with her win over Julie Kedzie. In the first round, Bethe used leg kicks to force Jessamyn to keep her distance and set up other things. Jessamyn never seemed to have a response for the leg kicks and she just didn't do much. Bethe won round one 10-9. A fighter has three five minute rounds to win the fight. To win the fight, the fighter needs to be proactive. If a fighter waits around like Jessamyn did in the first round, the fight will get away from her. And it sets a tone for the judges. Bethe never hurt Jessamyn. But she was busier and that was enough to win the fight. So it could be said that Jessamyn beat herself by inactivity. So trainer Edmond Tarverdyan told Jessamyn she could win the fight if she threw more jabs and followed it up. Well, she threw more jabs in round two but Bethe responded with several punches each time along with the leg kicks. Jessamyn scored a couple of takedowns but Bethe reversed the first one and got side control. She didn't do anything except show control. And she got up immediately after the second takedown. Bethe wins round two 10-9. But I guess Tarverdyan thought Jessamyn won the round and told her she could win the fight. He again told her to be busier. I don't think the takedowns were enough for Jessamyn to win the round. I didn't see anything different in round three. Bethe continued to get the best of most exchanges. And it was all set up by those leg kicks. I scored the fight 30-27 for Bethe and she won a unanimous decision. I liked her better in this fight as opposed to the Kedzie fight. She had a game plan to neutralize Jessamyn's height and reach advantage and it worked. Jessamyn's response was disappointing. She beat herself and that's the one thing a fighter wants to avoid. She needed to be more aggressive and she wasn't. There was some controversy afterwards when Bethe made The Four Horsewomen sign and indicated one down three to go. You'll see it on the video. Geez, people sure are touchy these days. Everything offends someone. I have no problem with that kind of gamesmanship because it sets up rivalries and fights. Take it easy folks. Enjoy the video!