AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Grandpa Jones

Artist:Grandpa Jones
Song:Mountain Dew
Album:28 Greatest Hits





Louis Marshall "Grandpa" Jones was probably best known for his comedy shtick on the long running TV series Hee Haw and as a long time member of the Grand Ole Opry. Of course there's much more to him than that especially his banjo picking. He was born Oct. 20, 1913 in Niagra, KY the youngest of ten children. His parents were sharecroppers. His father played fiddle and his mother sang. Jones loved old time country and gospel songs and especially The Singing Brakeman Jimmie Rodgers. That got him into yodeling and on 1929 he appeared on the radio as the Young Singer of Old Songs. Then he moved to Chicago and teamed with Bashful Harmonica Joe on the Lum and Abner Show. In the mid-30s, he worked a morning show with Bradley Kincaid. Jones was so grouchy in the morning, Kincaid called him Grandpa. And Jones liked the gimmick so much, he started wearing makeup to look like Grandpa Jones. Then he learned to play the banjo at a time when the banjo was not popular. So Jones was a big part of popularizing the banjo. His stage act was old time country on the banjo and comedy. Jones worked for WLW in Cincinnati in 1942. That's where he met Merle Travis. They started working together first as part of the Brown's Ferry Four and then both signed with King Records. After serving in the US Army during WWII, Jones married Ramona Riggins in 1946 and she was an accomplished fiddle player so she toured with him and Travis. So that was a great band. Jones recorded Mountain Dew in 1947. Though today Mountain Dew is a soft drink, this song about moonshine was written by lawyer Bascom Lamar Lunsford in 1928. He defended moonshiners. When his friend Scotty Wiseman of Lulu Belle and Scotty were looking for a song to record, Wiseman rewrote the lyrics and recorded it in 1935. Jones popularized the song in 1947. You can get the original version of Mountain Dew on this comp CD. Jones moved to Nashville to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry. In the 50s, he recorded for RCA and Decca. And then in the 60s, he recorded for Monument and had his only top ten country hit with T For Texas in 1962. Then he joined Hee Haw in 1969. And that's where most people would know about him. Grandpa Jones was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1978. He continued to perform on the Grand Ole Opry. And it was after a January 1998 Opry performance that Jones suffered two strokes and he died on Feb. 19, 1998 at age 84. Here's Grandpa Jones performing Mountain Dew on the Pet Milk Grand Ole Opry 1961.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Aug. 24, 2018

UFC Fight Night 135 preview and new fight announcements.

Ayaka Hamasaki vs Mina Kurobe added to Sept. 30 RIZIN show

RIZIN held a press conference today to announce several matches for RIZIN 13 Sept. 30 at Saitama Super Arena. Two women's matches were announced. I would say one is important. The other is a time waster. The important match will have Ayaka Hamasaki facing Mina Kurobe. The winner of this match will probably face Kanna Asakura on RIZIN's NYE show. They haven't announced an Atomweight title yet but I hope they do and that match is for that title. Most fans should be familiar with Ayaka. She is 36 years old. Her record is 15-2. Ayaka was trained at AACC by Megumi Fujii. Since Megumi left to join her husband at Burst, Ayaka has taken over the women's program at AACC. For the last year, Ayaka put her own fighting career on hold to train RENA. But she returned with a win over Alyssa Garcia on the May 6 RIZIN show. Of course she is also a former Invicta Atomweight Champion. Mina is the current DEEP JEWELS Atomweight Champion. She is 41 years old. Her record is 15-3. She trains at Master Japan. The problem with her is the talent level at DEEP JEWELS is so low, I think it gives a false impression of her talent level. She's probably better than anyone in DEEP JEWELS. But when she went to Road FC in Korea, Ham Seo Hee beat her by TKO. So I guess the bottom line is Ayaka is an elite fighter and Mina isn't an elite fighter. Ayaka is still very quick and I doubt Mina will be able to handle that. The other women's match will have Miyuu Yamamoto vs Andy Nguyen. I don't care about that one.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Antonio Carlos Jobim

Artist:Antonio Carlos Jobim f/Joe Henderson
Song:Desafinado
Album:Carnegie Hall Salutes The Jazz Masters: Verve At 50




One of the most notable things about Verve Records was that it really came out of the concert series Jazz At The Philharmonic in the 1940s. So it's not surprising that Carnegie Hall decided to celebrate Verve's 50th anniversary with an all star concert that aired on PBS. This concert was on Apr. 6, 1994. Needless to say, this has a who's who of jazz participating. One of the most notable things about this concert is it is legendary Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim's final live appearance before his Dec. 1994 death. Jobim performs his classic Desafinado with Joe Henderson on sax. This is the only time they had ever worked together but Henderson had just released a Jobim tribute album. Other musicians are Pat Metheny on guitar, Charlie Haden on bass and Al Foster on drums. Jobim also performs How Insensitive with Metheny. Other musicians appearing include Ray Brown, Kenny Burrell, Herbie Hancock, J.J. Johnson, Christian McBride, Hank Jones, Roy Hargrove, John McLaughlin, Jackie McLean, Jimmy Smith, Jeff Lorber and Don Alias. Vocalists are Vanessa Williams, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Betty Carter. This concert is available on CD. As I said, it aired on PBS. It has not been released on DVD. But you can watch the PBS special on Youtube. Obviously this is a must for jazz fans and especially Jobim fans as it was his final appearance. Here's Antonio Carlos Jobim with Joe Henderson on sax, Pat Metheny on guitar, Charlie Haden on bass and Al Foster on drums performing Desafinado from the PBS special Carnegie Hall Salutes The Jazz Masters: Verve At 50.

Cris Cyborg vs Amanda Nunes added to Dec. 29 UFC show

It's finally official. UFC Welterweight Champion Cris Cyborg will face UFC Bantamweight Champion Amanda Nunes at UFC 232 Dec. 29 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main reason this fight is even happening is the welterweight division is always going to be weak and not even The Ultimate Fighter 29 will improve the division. Since she has been in the UFC, Cris has fought bantamweights moving up to welterweight. So of course she has a competitive advantage which she would lose if she dropped to bantamweight. But at least Amanda started out as a welterweight. That was a long time ago so I don't know what she will be like as a welterweight now. When this fight was first proposed to Cris, she didn't want to fight another Brazilian. But after she beat Yana Kunitskaya in March and then Holly Holm beat the only other UFC welterweight Megan Anderson, even Cris was forced to admit that Amanda was the best opponent for her. Meanwhile, Amanda defended her UFC Bantamweight Championship with a win over Raquel Pennington in May. The problem was she broke her foot during that fight. Cris keeps wanting to do the fight sooner rather than later. First she wanted to do it in July at International Fight Week. Then she wanted to do it  in Sept. When Amanda agreed to Dec. 29, Cris whined publicly that it was too long to wait and she wanted another fight in the meantime. The UFC wasn't going to risk an injury in a meaningless fight. It didn't make sense. Besides that, Amanda needed enough time to recover from the broken foot. And she wanted a full camp. So finally this fight is happening on Dec. 29 as proposed. So the whining didn't do Cris any good. Cris is probably going to win anyway because she's much bigger than Amanda. I don't see Amanda overcoming that. Who knows after that? One name that has come up recently is Olympic Gold Medal judoka Kayla Harrison. When her name first came up a few years ago, I had my doubts that Kayla could make 145. I still believe that because her PFL fights have been at 155. Let's see her make 145 and beat someone decent. That second part could be a problem too. And I am not hopeful that anyone decent will come from TUF 29. I'm keeping my expectations low so maybe I will be pleasantly surprised.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Grace

Artist:Grace f/G-Eazy
Song:You Don't Own Me
Album:FMA





This cover of the Lesley Gore classic You Don't Own Me was a worldwide hit for Australian singer Grace Sewell in 2015. It was originally released on an EP. And then the album FMA was released in 2016. She was born Apr. 8, 1997 in Brisbane, Australia. Her grandparents toured with The Bee Gees. And her brother Conrad Sewell is also a singer. After performing on a Dropout Live UK Youtube video, Grace signed with RCA. She went to Atlanta to record her debut album. Most of her album was written and produced by British producer Parker Ighile. He records for Nicky Minaj but he has also produced other artists. The interesting thing is they got Quincy Jones to produce Grace's cover of You Don't Own Me. Of course Jones produced the 1963 original. When Jones explained to Grace about how You Don't Own Me was a feminist anthem, Grace decided to record it as a tribute to the recently deceased Lesley Gore. And that's why RCA decided to release You Don't Own Me in Mar. 2015 as part of an EP. It charted worldwide but it did particularly well in Australia and England. Other than the rap by Gerald "G-Eazy" Gillum, Grace is faithful to the original version. The album FMA was released July 2016. FMA=Forgive My Attitude. Grace toured with Ed Sheeran. I don't see any news about a second album but I assume Grace is working on it. Her next album should tell us if she has any staying power. Here's the video for You Don't Own Me by Grace featuring G-Eazy.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Rene Marie

Artist:Rene Marie
Song:It Might As Well Be Spring
Album:Live At Jazz Standard




Rene Marie Stevens was a 42 year old mother of two when she became a professional singer. Today she is a popular jazz singer and a regular on the festival circuit. She was born Nov. 7, 1955 in Warrenton, VA and she grew up in Roanoke. Her main influence is Betty Carter. She was married with two sons. She sang at family functions but she thought she was too busy to sing professionally. By 1995 her sons were in college and they convinced her to try singing professionally. When her husband wasn't happy about this, she kicked him to the curb. She got a regular gig at Washington's Blues Alley club. Pianist Bruce Barth saw her and he signed her to MAXJAZZ. Rene's version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic It Might As Well Be Spring from the 1945 film State Fair is from the 2003 album Live At Jazz Standard recorded at the New York club. Musicians are John Toomey on piano, Elias Bailey on bass and T. Howard Curtis III on drums. In 2009, she performed her one woman show Slut Energy Theory and she released a soundtrack. Rene signed with Motema in 2011. They have allowed her to produce her own albums. Her latest CD Sound Of Red was released in 2016. She has been touring the festival circuit. Here's Rene Marie with Sergey Pron on trumpet, Alex Titov on piano, Alex Bulatov on bass and Artem Ivanov on drums at the 2013 PROJAZZ Festival in Russia.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-John Travolta

Artist:John Travolta
Song:Let Her In
Album:The Best Of John Travolta: Let Her In





Before John Travolta became a movie star, he appeared on the sitcom Welcome Back Kotter. While on that show, he recorded a couple of albums aimed at teenage girls. Let Her In was a top ten hit in 1976. Then Travolta starred in Saturday Night Fever and Grease. Though he scored hit singles with Grease, Travolta never recorded another album after that. He was born Feb. 18, 1954 in Englewood, NJ. His mother Helen was an actress. All the Travolta kids went into show business. After appearing in a couple of touring musicals, Travolta moved to Los Angeles. His first big role was as a bully tormenting Sissy Spacek in the 1976 film Carrie. But the ABC sitcom Welcome Back Kotter aired before Carrie was released. So that's where most of us saw him first. The other movie that gave Travolta a big boost was the TV movie The Boy In The Plastic Bubble. Meanwhile, Travolta signed a record deal with Midland International owned by veteran producers Bob Reno and Eddie O'Loughlin. These guys were riding high because of disco hits by Carol Douglas (Doctor's Orders) and Silver Convention (Fly Robin Fly). Travolta auditioned and O'Loughlin had a song by British songwriter Gary Benson called Let Her In that no one wanted to sing. Travolta recorded Let Her In and it reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was not long after this that Travolta signed to star in Saturday Night Fever. So he only recorded two albums for Midland. This comp covers those recordings. Of course Travolta's other hits were from Grease and they aren't on this CD. He has never recorded another album. He didn't need to as a big movie star. Here's John Travolta performing Let Her In on American Bandstand 1976. The source for part of this is from an interview with Eddie O'Loughlin from the 2016 book Legends Of Disco: Forty Stars Discuss Their Careers by James Arena.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Aug. 20, 2018

NXT Takeover and SummerSlam review and UFC fight announcement.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Dirty Dozen Brass Band

Artist:Dirty Dozen Brass Band
Song:Unclean Waters
Album:Buck Jump





The Dirty Dozen Brass Band was one of the first bands to modernize traditional New Orleans brass band music with jazz and funk. It started in 1972 as a youth music program at Fairview Baptist Church in New Orleans. At first they were called Hurricane Brass Band and then Tornado Brass Band. At the time, brass bands were not popular in New Orleans. The musicians decided to incorporate jazz and funk elements. The name came from a social club where sax player Benny Jones was active. He didn't stay in the band. The band leader is trumpeter Gregory Davis. They started getting a following when radio station WWOZ owner Jerry Bock recorded them and played them on the station. Their big break came when legendary promoter George Wein booked them to tour Europe. And that led to Dirty Dozen signing with Concord and the 1984 album My Feet Can't Fail Me Now. They played the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1986 and that was released as an album by Rounder. They signed with Columbia in 1987 and the album Voodoo featured guest appearances by Dr. John, Dizzy Gillespie and Branford Marsalis. Dirty Dozen recorded four albums for Columbia. They signed with Disney owned Mammoth Records in 1996. Unclean Waters is from the 1999 album Buck Jump which was produced by John Medeski. Unclean Waters was written by sax player Kevin Harris. The album is available as a digital download. Since then they have recorded for Ropeadope, Shout! Factory and their latest CD Twenty Dozen on Savoy in 2012. Dirty Dozen plays plenty of clubs and jazz festivals. This fall they will headline the Take Me To The River national tour of New Orleans music including Ivan Neville, Ian Neville and George Porter Jr. Check them out if they are coming your way. Here's the Dirty Dozen Brass Band performing Unclean Waters at the 2010 West Oak Lane Jazz & Arts Festival in Philadelphia.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Kairi Sane vs Shayna Baszler

Here's the match video of Shayna Baszler defending her NXT Women's Championship against Kairi Sane from last night's NXT Takeover Brooklyn show. If you didn't see this match, be sure to watch it as these two stole the show. The story is that Shayna is the bully trying to intimidate cute little Kairi. Shayna keeps saying that Kairi has no killer instinct. But as the match progresses, Shayna realizes that she is getting more than she bargained for. Instead of folding like a cheap suitcase, Kairi comes roaring back. So now Shayna has a fight on her hands. That's a great story to tell. Early in the match, Shayna hurts Kairi's knee. Kairi shows the effects for the rest of the match. The end result is Kairi had trouble getting up to the top rope. But then she lands the Insane Elbow. But Shayna kicks out. The WWE needs to be careful not overdo kicking out of finishers. They did overdo that last night. Every match seemed to have a kickout of a finisher including this one. Then Shayna got her choke finisher but Kairi got to the ropes. Kairi again went for the Insane Elbow but Shayna got her feet up. She went for the choke but Kairi got the win with what is commonly known in the WWE as the Bret Hart pin because he won a couple of big matches with it. It's a flash pin. Kairi Sane is your new NXT Women's Champion. She was crying in the ring afterwards. That was a great match. Kudos to Kairi and Shayna. Shayna is probably heading to the main roster by The Survivor Series. But I think this feud will continue. In an interview last night, Shayna said "She didn't win. I lost". So I expect a rematch on NXT TV in the near future. Congratulations to Kairi Sane and enjoy the match.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Keith Burns

Artist:Keith Burns
Song:Superstar
Album:Highlights From Jesus Christ Superstar: The 20th Anniversary London Cast Recording




British actor Keith Burns mostly appears on the London stage. He appeared in the original productions of Les Miserables and Miss Saigon. He also appears in this 20th anniversary tribute to Jesus Christ Superstar. Burns studied at Mountview Theater School and he was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. He appeared in the 1985 production of Les Miserables as Montparnasse. And then as Thuy in the 1989 production of Miss Saigon. For the 20th anniversary of Jesus Christ Superstar, Andrew Lloyd Webber reunited as much of the original cast as he could find for a studio album. This included Paul Nicholas who starred in the original production. Burns played Judas. He appeared in an early 80s production of the show. The full album is out of print but you can get a CD of highlights as a budget CD. Burns continues to appear in London shows like Cats and Blood Brothers. He also appears occasionally on British TV and he has produced a couple of shows. Here's a video of Superstar by Keith Burns. There wasn't much info about Burns so thanks to the Golden Throats Wiki.

Cynthia Calvillo vs Poliana Botelho added to Nov. 17 UFC show

Globo in Brazil reported yesterday that Cynthia Calvillo vs Poliana Botelho has been added to UFC Fight Night 140 Nov. 17 at Luna Park in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Both fighters confirmed the fight on Instagram and Twitter. This fight is at Strawweight. Cynthia is 31 years old originally from San Jose but she trains at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento. Her record is 6-1 and 3-1 in the UFC. She looked great winning her first three UFC fights. Then she beat herself in her loss to Carla Esparza. She won the first round and then decided to spar with Carla. She was stupid to do that. Then she got a nine month suspension for testing positive for weed. And on her return, Cynthia has drawn a very tough opponent. Poliana is 29 years old. She trains at Nova Uniao in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Her record is 7-1 and 2-0 in the UFC. The big thing is Poliana is big for a Strawweight at 5'8". She fought at Flyweight before she came to the UFC. She has a big size advantage over any of the other Strawweights. We saw that in her last fight when she beat Syuri Kondo by TKO in 31 seconds. Like Syuri, Cynthia is 5'4". I think this is a tough fight for her though Cynthia is better than Syuri. She's just outside the rankings. I think she is #16. A win for Poliana gets her a boost in the rankings which is where Cynthia was before she lost to Carla.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Groove Collective

Artist:Groove Collective
Song:I Want You (She's So Heavy)
Album:(I Got No Kick Against) Modern Jazz: A GRP Artists' Celebration of the Songs of The Beatles



Groove Collective was an attempt to market Acid Jazz in the US. Though the attempt was unsuccessful, a couple of the band's songs charted including this cover of The Beatles classic I Want You (She's So Heavy). They were formed in 1990 at the New York club Giant Step. Members included Itaal Shur on keyboards, Richard Worth on flute and Gordon "Nappy G" Clay on percussion. Clay was also an MC so the idea was to mix jazz and hip hop elements. This got the attention of Steely Dan producer Gary Katz and he signed Groove Collective to Reprise Records. The 1994 album Groove Collective did OK on the jazz chart. But I think Katz wanted it to cross over to mainstream and it didn't do that. Groove Collective then signed with GRP and producer Tommy LiPuma. By this time Clay left probably because LiPuma was looking to produce something similar to The Crusaders. Again the 1996 album We the People did OK on the jazz chart. But a couple of songs crossed over to the dance chart including this cover of I Want You (She's So Heavy). But that song was only released as a single. It did not appear on We The People. It appeared on this various artists Beatles tribute album. Groove Collective left GRP and have recorded for Shanachie and Savoy. They last recorded in 2007 so I don't think they are around anymore. Here's a video of I Want You (She's So Heavy) by Groove Collective.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tricky

Artist:Tricky
Song:Overcome
Album:Maxinquaye





Adrian "Tricky" Thaws is a British producer who started out as a member of Massive Attack and he went solo with the 1995 album Maxinquaye. He has been successful in England. He was born Jan. 27, 1968 in Bristol, England. His father was a musician. Thaws was raised by his grandmother who let him do what he wanted including petty crimes that landed him in jail. When he got out, Thaws joined The Wild Bunch which soon became Massive Attack. Thaws appeared on the 1991 Massive Attack album Blue Lines. Then he met teen singer Martina Topley-Bird. He recorded the song Aftermath with her. When Massive Attack wasn't interested in the song, Thaws pressed a few hundred copies and that led to a record deal with Island's 4th & Broadway label. Thaws produced the 1995 album Maxinquaye with recording engineer Mark Saunders. The connection is one time Wild Bunch member Neneh Cherry who was known for helping her friends record. The album was certified Gold in England. Overcome is one of several singles that charted. Thaws' music will remind you of trip-hop groups like Portishead. Thaws' 1996 album Nearly God featured guest appearances by Neneh Cherry and Bjork. Thaws continues to record as Tricky. He released an album last year. But he deliberately keeps a low profile as his initial fame made him uncomfortable. He prefers to remain behind the scenes as a producer. Thaws now lives in Germany and he's just finishing a tour to support his 2017 album Ununiform. Here's the video for Overcome by Tricky.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Aug. 16, 2018

Kairi Sane vs Aliyah, NXT Takeover and SummerSlam preview and podcast exclusive GLOW review.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Kairi Sane vs Aliyah

Here's the match video of Kairi Sane vs Aliyah from this week's episode of NXT. This is supposed to set up Shayna Baszler defending the NXT Women's Championship against Kairi on NXT Takeover Brooklyn this Saturday. The match is besides the point. The angle is Shayna is a bully who has intimidated the NXT women's locker room. And she is trying to intimidate Kairi too. She says Kairi has no killer instinct. Kairi may not speak much English. But she excels at using body language and facial expressions to sell an angle. When Shayna comes out to do commentary, Kairi stares her down. At the end of the match, Kairi spears Aliyah to set up her Insane Elbow. She hits it and instead of pinning Aliyah, she hits a second elbow. She again gives Shayna the evil eye and goes up for a third elbow. Shayna's facial expression changes. Kairi pulls Aliyah up at two and then applies her Anchor submission while pointing at Shayna. The whole thing ends with a staredown. See ya on Saturday. I will talk about this on my podcast. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bjork

Artist:Bjork
Song:Army Of Me
Album:Greatest Hits





Here in North America, Bjork Guomundsdottir is probably best known for that swan dress she wore to the 2001 Oscars. Her music is successful mostly in the dance market and in England in the 90s. A change in musical direction hasn't caught on. She was born Nov. 21, 1965 in Reykjavik, Iceland. Bjork studied classical piano as a child. Her stepfather was a musician. She had several bands as a teen. She became famous as a member of Sugarcubes. Most of their success was in England. Bjork moved to London when she left Sugarcubes in 1992. She produced her 1993 album Debut with Nellee Hooper who had produced Soul II Soul and Massive Attack. Play Dead and Big Time Sensuality were hits in England and Big Time Sensuality topped the dance chart. The album was certified Platinum. Again she worked with Hooper on the 1995 album Post. But she wrote and produced Army Of Me with Graham Massey of 808 State. He added the industrial rock sound. Army Of Me reached #10 on the British chart. The album was certified Platinum. The video was directed by Michel Gondry and got her a lot of attention. The song appeared in the film Tank Girl. When Bjork went experimental with the 1997 album Homogenic, it wasn't as well received as her first two albums. And I guess that is where she has been ever since. Bjork continues to experiment with different kinds of music. But fans want her to go back to what she did on her early albums. This budget comp is a good intro to her music. Her latest CD Utopia was released last year. Here's the video for Army Of Me by Bjork.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Deee-Lite

Artist:Deee-Lite f/Bootsy Collins and Q-Tip
Song:Groove Is In The Heart
Album:The Very Best Of Deee-Lite





Groove Is In The Heart was a top five hit in 1990. It was the only big hit for Deee-Lite and though they are considered to be a one hit wonder, a couple of their other songs charted so they aren't technically a one hit wonder. But Groove Is In The Heart is their only memorable song. Deee-Lite was formed in New York in 1986 by lead singer Lady Miss Kier (real name: Kierin Kirby) and Supa DJ Dmitry (Dmitry Brill). Kierin was an aspiring fashion designer who met Brill when she made him a pair of shoes. The third member Jungle DJ Towa Tei (Doug Wa-Chung) joined in 1988. Brill was from the Ukraine and Wa-Chung was from Japan. So you have a singer with a fashion sense and a couple of DJs which is why Deee-Lite's music was so sample heavy. Those two guys weren't musicians. Deee-Lite generated enough buzz in New York clubs to get a record deal with Elektra. Groove Is In The Heart was the first single from their 1990 debut album World Clique. The song reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. It includes guest appearances by Bootsy Collins and a rap by Q-Tip. There are plenty of samples but the main one is from the Herbie Hancock song Bring Down The Birds from the Blow Up soundtrack along with Get Up by guitarist Vernon Burch which is the source of the slide whistle. The intro is from the 1969 album The Art of Belly Dancing. The album was certified Gold. It was all downhill from there. Deee-Lite was unable to score another big hit. By the time their third album Dewdrops in the Garden came out in 1994, Wa-Chung had left and then Deee-Lite disbanded. This comp covers all three albums. All three members of Deee-Lite continue to DJ and produce. Wa-Chung has recorded albums for the dance market. Here's the video for Groove Is In The Heart by Deee-Lite.

Irene Aldana vs Lucie Pudilova added to Sept. 8 UFC show

Milenio in Mexico reported yesterday that Irene Aldana vs Lucie Pudilova has been added to UFC 228 Sept. 8 at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas. The UFC confirmed the booking. This fight will be at Bantamweight. I expect this to air on the UFC Fight Pass prelims. Irene is 30 years old from Mexico. She trains with Alexa Grasso at the Lobo Gym in Guadalajara. Her record is 8-4 and 1-2 in the UFC. Irene was supposed to fight Bethe Correia a couple of weeks ago but Bethe was pulled as "unfit to fight". Irene is a striker with no ground skills. I haven't liked her going back to her Invicta days. She can't beat anyone good. She lost her first two UFC fights to Leslie Smith and Katlyn Chookagian. Neither are elite fighters. She beat Talita Bernardo in her last fight. So I guess the UFC found someone so bad that even Irene could beat her. The UFC has to have fighters from Mexico on the roster for when they go there. But otherwise Irene shouldn't be in the UFC. Lucie is 24 years old from the Czech Republic. Her record is 8-2 and 2-1 in the UFC. She came to the UFC as a late replacement last year. In her latest win over Sarah Moras, Lucie was the beneficiary of a terrible standup call by the ref. She was losing at the time. Lucie is very similar to Irene. Both are strikers with no ground skills. So I'm expecting three rounds of light sparring. Neither is very good so I don't know who will win.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Grandaddy

Artist:Grandaddy
Song:A Lost Machine
Album:Last Place




Grandaddy is an example of something we have seen a lot in recent years. Jason Lytle is a solo artist hiding behind a band name for anonymity. He forms a band for touring. Lytle was born Mar. 26, 1969 in Modesto, CA. He was on his way to a pro skateboarding career when he blew out his knee. While recovering, he recorded music in his home studio. He called himself Grandaddy. He turned it into a band so he could perform live. They performed mostly at skateboarding competitions. After releasing a couple of cassettes followed by a 1997 CD, Grandaddy signed with the V2 label Big Cat Records with the help of producer Howe Gelb. Lytle continued to record as a solo artist but now Grandaddy was able to tour internationally because of the record deal. Though Grandaddy was critically acclaimed, they had modest commercial success. And after three album on V2, Lytle decided to end the band in 2005. Lytle admitted that he hated touring. He moved to Montana in 2009 and released a solo CD. He recorded and toured with the band Admiral Radley. Grandaddy reunited to play some shows in 2012. Lytle continued to record solo but he acknowledged that one of those albums could turn into a Grandaddy album. And the 2017 album Last Place was released as a Grandaddy album. Lytle says he might release another Grandaddy album but he also says that Grandaddy and his solo albums are interchangeable. He records everything himself so it makes no difference. Here's the video for A Lost Machine by Grandaddy.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Anika Noni Rose

Artist:Anika Noni Rose
Song:Almost There
Album:The Princess and the Frog: Original Songs and Score




Anika Noni Rose is a black actress who sings occasionally on stage and in films. She has never released an album and I don't think she has plans to do that. Her two most notable singing performances were in Dreamgirls and the 2009 Disney film The Princess and the Frog where she played the lead character. She was born Sept. 6, 1972 in Bloomfield, CT. She earned a degree in theater at Florida A&M University. Her big break on Broadway was in the 2003 musical Caroline, or Change for which she won a Tony. That led to the 2006 film of the hit Broadway show Dreamgirls. That was a supporting role but it was enough to get a call from Disney to voice the lead character of Tiana in the 2009 film The Princess and the Frog. So she was the first black princess in a Disney animated film. The film is set in 1920s New Orleans. Randy Newman composed the music. The soundtrack included appearances by Ne-Yo, Dr. John and Terence Blanchard. Almost There was nominated for an Oscar. Anika was named a Disney Legend in 2011. Since then she has had success mostly on TV in The Good Wife and more recently the Starz series Power and the BET series The Quad. She is currently starring in an off-Broadway revival of the musical Carmen Jones. Here's Anika Noni Rose performing Almost There in the 2009 film The Princess and the Frog.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Animotion

Artist:Animotion
Song:Obsession
Album:20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best Of Animotion




You probably all remember Obsession when it was a top ten hit in 1984. The video was all over MTV. But you probably don't know anything about Animotion. They had a second top ten hit with a completely different lineup. Animotion was formed in Los Angeles. Most of the group was in the band Red Zone. That band was Astrid Plane on lead vocals, Paul Antonelli on keyboards, Charles Ottavio on bass and David "Frenchy" O'Brien on drums. Red Zone was an attempt at space rock. When that didn't work out, Animotion was formed with the addition of lead singer Bill Wadhams and guitarist Don Kirkpatrick. Antonelli wanted to record synth pop which was becoming popular. They signed with Mercury Records and released their 1984 album Animotion. The album was produced by John Ryan who had produced Styx among others. Obsession reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. Though Wadhams wrote most of the songs on the album, Obsession was a cover. It was written and recorded by Holly Knight and Michael Des Barres for the 1983 film A Night In Heaven. Holly was lead singer of Spider. But she has had a lot of success as a songwriter usually with veteran producer Mike Chapman. Her hits include Love Is A Battlefield and Warrior. Des Barres started out as lead singer of the 70s group Detective and he replaced Robert Palmer in the Duran Duran spinoff group Power Station. But he would go on to have success as an actor especially as Murdoc in the series McGyver. A second single Let Him Go reached the top 40. Antonelli and O'Brien left and were replaced by Greg Smith and Jim Blair for the 1986 album Strange Behavior. When the album didn't do well, Animotion split up. Wadhams left because PolyGram wouldn't let him write songs anymore. Ottavio and Plane had married and they left. That left Kirkpatrick and Smith. Actress Cynthia Rhodes was brought in. She was in Dirty Dancing. Paul Engemann who was lead singer of Holly Knight's band Device was also brought in. When the single Room To Move from the 1989 film My Stepmother Was An Alien reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100, Animotion recorded an album produced mostly by Steve Barri. Then Animotion split up. You can get all their hits on this comp. Plane, Wadhams, Smith and Kirkpatrick reformed Animotion in 2001. They continue to tour and an album was released last year. Here's the video for Obsession by Animotion.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Crash Test Dummies

Artist:Crash Test Dummies
Song:Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm
Album:The Best Of Crash Test Dummies





The 1993 single Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm was the biggest international hit for the Canadian band Crash Test Dummies. They are a much bigger deal at home and Superman's Song was a bigger hit in Canada. Crash Test Dummies are from Winnipeg led by lead singer, guitarist and songwriter Brad Roberts. The formation of the band came out of the Winnipeg club scene. At first they were called Bad Brad Roberts and the St. James Rhythm Pigs. A friend of the band who was a medical student suggested the name Crash Test Dummies. It looks like Roberts sent demos to record companies as a solo artist but he decided to leave it as a band when they signed with BMG Canada in 1991. The rest of the band was Benjamin Darvill on harmonica, Ellen Reid on keyboards, Roberts' brother Dan Roberts on bass and Mitch Dorge on drums. Their 1991 debut album The Ghosts That Haunt Me was produced by Steve Berlin of Los Lobos. Superman's Song reached #4 on the Canadian charts. The album was certified 4XPlatinum. There was enough interest that Arista picked them up for the US release of the 1993 album God Shuffled His Feet. That album was produced by Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads. Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm was a worldwide hit. It reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified 2XPlatinum. That turned out to be Crash Test Dummies' biggest hit though they continued to have success in Canada. They released four albums on Arista/BMG and this budget comp covers those recordings. Darvill left in 2000. The band wasn't getting along with BMG. So they left and released an album on their own label. It was around this time that Roberts was in a serious car accident. He recorded while recuperating and that became the 2001 album I Don't Care That You Don't Mind. Ellen Reid released a solo album. The band was on hiatus and Roberts began projects solo and then turned them into Crash Test Dummies albums. He actually released a solo album in 2011. And then he toured solo with Stuart Cameron who he worked with after the split. Crash Test Dummies reformed and they have been touring for the last year. They released a couple of singles but it is not clear of they plan to record an album. Here's the video for Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm by Crash Test Dummies.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Aug. 10, 2018

UFC fight announcements and Tegan Nox injured at MYC.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-LeToya

Artist:LeToya
Song:Torn
Album:LeToya





Most music fans should know LeToya Luckett as one of the two members of Destiny's Child who were unceremoniously dumped in 1999. LeToya went on to have solo success with her 2006 debut album and hit single Torn. She was born Mar. 11, 1981 in Houston. She grew up singing in church. She went to school with Beyonce. LeToya was a founding member of Destiny's Child. We know how successful they were. In 1999, LeToya and LaTavia Roberson hired a manager to keep an eye on Beyonce's dad and manager Matthew Knowles. He proceeded to throw them out of the group without telling them. They sued and it was settled out of court. LeToya and LaTavia formed the group Anjel with two other girls. They recorded a demo and appeared in a Jagged Edge video. Then they split up due to management problems. LeToya recorded a demo and got a deal with Capitol Records. LeToya was her 2006 debut CD. Torn reached #2 on the R&B Singles chart and #31 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified Platinum. LeToya worked mostly with producers Jermaine Dupri and Bryan Michael Cox. Torn was produced by former LaFace house producer Teddy Bishop who had success with Toni Braxton and Aaliyah. Torn heavily sampled the 1971 Stylistics hit You Are Everything. Unfortunately she ran into problems when Capitol merged with Virgin and they weren't allowed to spend her promotion budget. Her 2009 CD Lady Love did not sell and LeToya left Capitol. At this point she got into acting. She had a recurring role on the HBO series Treme. She also starred in the 2010 film Preacher's Kid which was aimed at the gospel market. Though LeToya released the 2017 CD Back 2 Life on eOne, she seems to be concentrating on starring in several films aimed at the gospel market. She has recurring roles on the Fox series Rosewood and the OWN series Greenleaf. And she is playing Dionne Warwick in an upcoming biopic to be directed by Mario Van Peebles. So it looks like LeToya is more actor than singer these days. Here's the video for Torn by LeToya.

Raquel Pennington vs Germaine De Randamie added to Nov. 10 UFC show

The Denver Post reported today that Raquel Pennington vs Germaine De Randamie has been added to UFC Fight Night 139 Nov. 10 at the Pepsi Center in Denver. Also added in a Strawweight bout, Ashley Yoder vs Amanda Bobby Cooper. Raquel is 29 years old from Colorado Springs. Her record is 9-6 and 6-3 in the UFC. She lost a Bantamweight title shot to Amanda Nunes in May. I didn't think she deserved a title shot. She's an OK fighter but she's not an elite fighter. At least she gets to fight at home. Germaine will forever be known for one of the most shameful episodes in UFC history. She is 34 years old from Utrecht, The Netherlands. She's 7-3 in MMA but a kickboxing legend. The last time we saw her she won the UFC Welterweight Championship with a win over Holly Holm. Then she refused to fight Cris Cyborg for the title. She didn't get fired because Dana White was mostly to blame for rushing into a Welterweight title match when Cris was unavailable and he needed a main event for a PPV. The fight was awful. Meanwhile, Germaine had a hand problem and eventually needed surgery. That's why we haven't seen her lately. I don't think Germaine is a very good fighter anyway. Ashley and Amanda were both on TUF 23 and like most of the fighters on that show, they aren't very good. Ashley is 30 years old. She trains at Team Quest in California. Her record is 5-4 and 0-3 in the UFC. She didn't sign with the UFC after TUF 23 but they signed her last year. Obviously she needs a win. Amanda is 26 years old from Bath, MI but she now trains at team Alpha Male in Saceamento, CA. Her record is 3-4 and 2-3 in the UFC. She's very popular with WMMA fanboys because of her looks. But she isn't a good fighter. I don't think either fighter should be in the UFC.

Felice Herrig vs Michelle Waterson added to Oct. 6 UFC show

Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Journal review reported today several matches have been added to UFC 229 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. There are two women's matches. In a Strawweight bout, Felice Herrig will face Michelle Waterson. And in a Bantamweight bout, Yana Kunitskaya will face Lina Lansberg. Felice is 33 years old from Schaumberg, IL. Her record is 14-7 and she is 5-2 in the UFC. She trains with former UFC fighter Jeff Curran. Felice went on a four fight winning streak and it looked like she might be able to get into the title picture. But she lost in Apr. to Karolina Kowalkiewicz by split decision. It probably should have been a unanimous decision. Felice just didn't do enough. Karolina is a notorious points fighter and Felice wasn't aggressive enough. Michelle is 32 years old. She trains at Jackson Wink in New Mexico. Her record is 15-6 and she's 3-2 in the UFC. She's a former Invicta Atomweight Champion. Michelle is undersized at Strawweight and that's been obvious in her losses. If Felice is aggressive, her size advantage should help. She must win to get back into the title picture. Yana Kunitskaya and Lina Lansberg both came to the UFC as members of the Cris Cyborg sacrifice club. Now both fight at Bantamweight. Yana is 28 years old from Saint Petersberg, Russia. Her record is 10-4-1NC and she is 0-1 in the UFC. She is a former Invicta Bantamweight Champion. I've seen her over the years and she was heavily protected when she fought at home. She's an OK fighter but nothing special. Lina is 36 years old from Malmo, Sweden. Her record is 8-3 and 2-2 in the UFC. She trains with former UFC fighter Akira Corassani. Lina is a kickboxer with zero ground game. I don't believe she is a UFC caliber fighter. BTW, this will be Lina's first ever fight in the US. So I don't like either of them but Yana is a bit better.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Aug. 9, 2018

UFC fight announcements and Mae Young Classic preview with no spoilers

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Gerald Albright

Artist:Gerald Albright
Song:Bermuda Nights
Album:Bermuda Nights





Sax player Gerald Albright is one of the most durable Smooth Jazz artists. He started out as a session musician and he has recorded as a leader since the late 80s. He was born Aug. 30, 1957 in Los Angeles. His piano teacher gave him a sax and Albright learned to play while attending Locke High School. He continued to play while earning a business management degree at University of Redlands. Albright started playing sessions. He got his big break when he joined Patrice Rushen's band for several years. He seemed to play on a lot of Motown albums with Rick James, Teena Marie and DeBarge. He also toured with Teena Marie, Jeff Lorber and Phil Collins. Albright signed with Atlantic Records in 1987 and his albums there are what made him a Smooth Jazz staple. Bermuda Nights was released in 1989. On the song Bermuda Nights, Albright plays most of the instruments himself with Paul Jackson Jr. on guitar and Chuckii Booker on synthesizer. After Albright left Atlantic in 1997, Albright recorded for GRP, Concord's Peak label, Telarc, Heads Up and his latest CD 30 is on his own label Bright Music. Albright is currently on the Dave Koz and Friends Summer Horns Tour also featuring Rick Braun and Richard Elliot. Here's Gerald Albright with Jeff Lorber on keyboards, guitarist Marlon McLain and bassist Nathaniel Phillips from the group Pleasure and Ricky Lawson of Yellowjackets on drums at the 2006 Java Festival in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Sarah Moras vs Talita Bernardo added to Oct. 27 UFC show

In a Bantamweight bout, Sarah Moras will face Talita Bernardo on UFC Fight Night 138 Oct. 27 at the Moncton Events Centre in Moncton, NB. Talita announced the fight on her Instagram. Sarah is 30 years old from Kelowna, BC. Her record is 5-3 and 2-2 in the UFC. Sarah was on TUF 18. She's a better fighter than her record. But I think injuries have slowed her down. She was off for over two years. Talita is 31 years old from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Her record is 4-3 and 0-2 in the UFC. She trains at PRVT with Jessica Andrade. She came to the UFC as a late replacement last year. Based on her two fights, she's not a UFC caliber fighter. If she loses this fight, she could be headed for Palookaville.

Maycee Barber vs Maia Stevenson added to Nov. 10 UFC show

It was announced on last night's season finale of Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series (DWTNCS) that Maycee Barber vs Maia Stevenson has been added to UFC Fight Night 139 Nov. 10 at the Pepsi Center in Denver. This fight is at Strawweight. Maycee earned a UFC contract when she beat Jamie Colleen on DWTNCS. She showed plenty of potential. Maycee is 20 years old from Fort Collins, CO. Her record is 5-0. She fought previously in the LFA. Maia is 36 years old from Victorville, CA. Her record is 6-5. She is trained by her husband Joe Stevenson. Maia lost in the first round of TUF 26 which was for Flyweights. She lost her UFC debut to Polyana Viana. I had seen her before she came to the UFC. I don't think she's a UFC caliber fighter. I don't expect Maycee to have much trouble with her as long as she fights with the kind of poise that she showed on DWTNCS. I guess they want her to make a big splash in her official UFC debut in her home state with her family in attendance.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Patricia Morison

Artist:Patricia Morison
Song: I Hate Men
Album:Kiss Me, Kate: Original Broadway Cast





Patricia Morison started out on the stage, moved to Hollywood in the 40s, and then returned to Broadway and had her greatest success in Cole Porter's 1948 production of Kiss Me, Kate. She was born Mar. 19, 1915 in New York City. Her father Norman Rainey was an actor and playwright. Her mother worked for British Intelligence during WWI. Patricia studied acting and dance as a teen. She appeared in a few shows and she was spotted by a Paramount Pictures talent scout. She moved to Hollywood in 1939. Patricia's big problem at Paramount is she was too similar to Dorothy Lamour who at the time was Paramount's biggest star. So she did a lot of supporting roles and B movies. She left Paramount in 1942 to freelance. Her more notable roles include the 1943 film The Song Of Bernadette, the 1945 film Lady on a Train and the 1946 Sherlock Holmes film Dressed To Kill. She usually played femme fatales. Meanwhile, Cole Porter saw Patricia sing and thought she would be perfect for his new Broadway show Kiss Me, Kate. The show was a huge success. Patricia played Lilli Vanessi from 1948-1951 and she also appeared in the London production and the 1958 TV production and a 1964 production for the BBC. The original cast album is available on mp3. And the 1958 TV show is available on DVD. Patricia also appeared in the Broadway production of The King And I in 1954. In the 50s, Patricia worked a lot of live TV shows. And in the 60s she returned to the stage sometimes on Broadway but usually in touring productions. She moved to Los Angeles in 1961. After a 1989 appearance on the TV show Cheers, Patricia retired though she made occasional appearances until her death on May 20, 2018 at age 103. Here's Patricia Morison performing I Hate Men on the 1958 TV production of Kiss Me, Kate.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Steve Earle

Artist:Steve Earle
Song:Copperhead Road
Album:The Collection





For most of his career, Steve Earle has transcended the traditional country music market. He's had a lot of success in the rock market. Copperhead Road is one of his early classics and one of his signature songs. He was born Jan. 17, 1955 in Fort Monroe, VA where his father was working as an air traffic controller. His family moved to Texas and Earle grew up in San Antonio. He learned to play guitar and he ran away from home at age 14 to travel around Texas with his hero and main influence Townes Van Zandt. Earle moved to Nashville in 1974 and played with Guy Clark. For the next few years Earle was a staff songwriter at a publishing company. After a couple of his songs were recorded, Earle got a record deal with Epic. He recorded an album but it was never released. So he left Epic and signed with MCA Records and producer Tony Brown. His debut album Guitar Town was released in 1986 and the single was a top ten country hit. Copperhead Road was released in 1988. The album was a big success. It was certified 3XPlatinum. That's because it crossed over to rock. The song Copperhead Road and the video is about moonshine runners. While this was happening, Earle was addicted to drugs and this led to MCA not renewing his contract in 1992. This budget comp covers his MCA recordings. Earle recorded three albums for Warner Bros. in the 90s. They weren't as successful as his earlier albums. He recorded for his own label for several years. Today he's back with Warner Bros. His latest CD So You Wannabe An Outlaw was released last year. Earle is currently on tour probably performing new anti-Trump songs. He has always expressed his political beliefs in his music. Here's the video for Copperhead Road by Steve Earle.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Juan Gabriel

Artist:Juan Gabriel f/Rocio Durcal
Song:El Destino
Album:El Divo Canta a Mexico





For over 30 years, Juan Gabriel was one of Latin America's most popular singers. He wrote and produced much of his own music. El Destino topped the Latin American charts in 1997. It is from a duet album he recorded with the popular Spanish star Rocio Durcal. He was born Alberto Aguilera Valadez Jan. 7, 1950 in Paracuaro, Michoacan, Mexico. His parents were farmers and Gabriel was the youngest of ten siblings. When his father was put in a psychiatric hospital, his mother moved the family to Chihuahua and Gabriel was placed in a boarding school. He escaped and moved in with his teacher at age 13. That's when he started writing songs and Gabriel learned to sing in church. After appearing on the 1965 TV show Noches Rancheras, Gabriel was given the name Adan Luna. He worked in clubs for the next few years. He was hired by RCA as a backup singer. When that didn't work out, Gabriel was homeless and then falsely accused of robbery and thrown in jail. When he showed his songs to the warden, singer La Prieta Linda was brought in. She got him out of jail and she got him a record deal with RCA. That's when he became Juan Gabriel. In the 70s, Gabriel became one of Mexico's most popular singers. And he also started writing and producing for other artists including Rocio Durcal, Lola Beltran and Paul Anka. Gabriel's popularity continued through a copyright dispute with BMG. He refused to record from 1986-94 though he continued to perform live. After the dispute was resolved, Gabriel picked up where he left off. El Destino is from the 1997 album Juntro Otra Vez. It's a duet with Rocio Durcal and it topped the Latin American singles chart. The album has 2CDs. There are eight duets on the album. It was certified 2XPlatinum. It was also turned into a live DVD. Both are available but I recommend this budget CD as a good intro to Gabriel's music. Gabriel's success continued until his death from a heart attack on Aug. 28, 2016 at age 66. Here's the video for El Destino by Juan Gabriel featuring Rocio Durcal.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Aug. 5, 2018

UFC 227 review and WWE rumor.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Weili Zhang vs Danielle Taylor

Here's the match video of Weili Zhang vs Danielle Taylor from last night's UFC show in Los Angeles. This aired on the UFC Fight Pass prelims. When Danielle came to the UFC, she was a former King Of The Cage champ supposedly with punching power. In the UFC, she has become a points fighter because of her height. She keeps her distance looking for that one big punch that never happens. Weili comes to the UFC with a 16 fight winning streak mostly in Chinese companies like Kunlun. The fight is boring mostly because Danielle is a boring fighter. In round one, Weili uses kicks and some punches to win the round 10-9. A lot of this fight was Weili chasing Danielle around the cage. The big difference is that Weili throws combinations and kicks and Danielle is looking for that one big punch. She could use combinations to set that up and her corner even tells her to do that...but she doesn't. So it wasn't a great fight but I scored it 30-27 for Weili. The judges all scored it 29-28 for Weili. They all scored round two for Danielle as she landed a big punch at the end of the round. Fortunately Weili didn't take things for granted and she won round three. But I thought the fight wasn't as close as the scores. Weili said she was happy she won but she wasn't happy with her performance. We'll see how she does in her next fight. The UFC is going to Beijing on Nov. 24. That's Weili's home town. As for Danielle, she doesn't belong in the UFC. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-JJ Aldrich vs Polyana Viana

Here's the match video of JJ Aldrich vs Polyana Viana from last night's UFC show in Los Angeles. This fight was on the main card but it should have been on the prelims. Polyana won her UFC debut easily. She is obviously a BJJ whiz. But I don't think we saw enough of her to know what else she can do. JJ is a points fighter using a keep away strategy. The good thing about her is she has good coaching and unlike other fighters, she does what she is told. What this fight told us about Polyana is if she can't get a quick takedown, she will have problems. Her striking and especially her defense is below par. She needs to work on that because there are plenty of UFC Strawweights very similar to JJ. BJJ is king in Brazil but she needs to improve in other areas. The judges scored this fight 2X29-28 and 30-27 for JJ. the 30-27 was announced as 29-27  but I saw the scorecard and it was 30-27. I thought the first two rounds were a wash. But judges are encouraged to not score tie rounds. Most of round one was an endless clinch. And you'll notice Joe Rogan questions why JJ initiates the clinch because it's not what she usually does. Should Herb Dean have broken up the clinch? It was just active enough that he wasn't going to do that. But neither of them did anything in the clinch. It was a lot of nothing. So I scored the round 9-9. The only thing we saw in round two is Polyana getting tired which led to JJ winning round three and the fight. So I also thought round two was 9-9 and JJ won round three 10-9. So I scored it 28-27 for JJ. That's the kind of score a crappy fight deserves. It still doesn't make me think JJ can beat anyone good. JJ didn't dominate Polyana. She just outpointed her. Points fighting will catch up to her. And Polyana needs to keep her hands higher among other things. She needs to learn how to use strikes to set up her BJJ. At age 24, she has potential if she can improve her striking. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Tedeschi Trucks Band

Artist:Tedeschi Trucks Band
Song:Midnight In Harlem
Album:Revelator




Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks have been married since 2001. Both have had successful solo careers and they tour constantly. They decided to join forces musically mostly so they could spend more time together. Tedeschi Trucks Band is currently one of the top concert draws in music. Susan has recorded and toured since 1993 for labels like New West and Verve Forecast. Of course Trucks uncle Butch Trucks was a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band. He led The Derek Trucks Band since 1997 and he joined The Allman Brothers Band in 1999. They married in 2001 and they have two kids. In 2007, they started touring together as Soul Stew Revival. In 2010 they decided to make the band permanent and renamed it Tedeschi Trucks Band. The band is mostly guys who have toured with Trucks. They signed with Sony Masterworks for the 2011 album Revelator. Susan is lead singer. Trucks plays slide guitar. Other members are Oteil Burbridge on bass, Tyler Greenwell and JJ Johnson on drums, Kofi Burbridge on keyboards, Kebbi Williams on sax, Maurice Brown on trumpet, Saunders Sermons on trombone and Mike Mattison and Mark Rivers on backup vocals. Trucks wrote most of the songs. He wrote Midnight In Harlem with Mattison. The album was a big success. It reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 200. And it won a Best Blues Album Grammy. That's pretty good for music that is not mainstream. After three albums with Sony, Tedeschi Trucks Band moved to Concord's Fantasy label for the 2016 album Let Me Get By. Live From The Fox Oakland was released last year. Bassist Oteil Burbridge was replaced by session musician Tim Lefebvre. Ephraim Owens replaced trumpeter Maurice Brown and Elizabeth Lea replaced Saunders Sermons on trombone. Tedeschi Trucks Band is currently on tour with Drive By Truckers. I guess the merger experiment turned out pretty well. Here's Tedeschi Trucks Band performing Midnight In Harlem in Atlanta 2011.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Aug. 4, 2018

UFC 227 preview and Invicta FC 31 analysis

Invicta FC 31 analysis

Invicta announced the full card for Invicta FC 31 Sept. 1 in Kansas City. This will air on UFC Fight Pass. As usual, I will analyze the card. As has been the case with most Invicta shows, the top of the card is weak. Kansas City is not a good MMA town anyway. Weak cards don't help. The main event will have Virna Jandiroba defend her Invicta Strawweight Championship against Janaisa Morandin. Virna is 30 years old from Bahia, Brazil. Her record is 11-0. She beat MIZUKI to win the title. Janaisa is a questionable title challenger. She's 23 years old from Santa Catarina, Brazil. Her record is 10-1 and 1-1 in Invicta. She lost to Livia Renata Souza and then she beat Kinberly Novaes. As I have said before, sometimes it seems like Invicta pulls a name out of a hat and gives that fighter a title shot. That's not how it should be. It's weak. The co-main event has Pearl Gonzalez vs Daiane Firmino. Right now the Invicta Flyweight Championship is vacant. Pearl went 0-2 in the UFC as a Strawweight. She has won two Flyweight bouts in Invicta over mediocre fighters. Daiane is an Invicta newcomer. She is 29 years old from Sao Paulo, Brazil. She is 9-2 in the Brazilian circuit meaning she is unproven and doesn't belong this high on the card. A win will probably give Pearl a Flyweight title shot. They seem to be propping her up. That's the only reason to bring an unproven fighter in. In a Bantamweight bout, Raquel Pa'aluhi will face Shanna Young. Raquel is a fan favorite originally from Hawaii but she now trains in Vegas. Her record is 6-6. Her history is she comes up short in big fights. Shanna is making her Invicta debut. She is 27 years old from Knoxville, TN. Her record is 4-0 mostly in King Of The Cage. But she hasn't fought in over two years. Not only is she unproven but she has been inactive. She shouldn't be this high on the card. In a Strawweight bout, Mallory Martin will face Ashley Nichols. Mallory is 24 years old from Colorado. She is 3-2 and 1-1 in Invicta. Her last fight was a win in LFA. Ashley is 31 years old from Cambridge, ON. Her record is 3-2 and 0-1 in Invicta. In a Strawweight bout, Kelly D'Angelo will face Lindsey VanZandt. Kelly is 31 years old from St. Louis. Her record is 2-2 and 0-1 in Invicta. She may have a local following. Lindsey is 24 years old from Jacksonville, FL. Her record is 3-0 mostly in King Of the Cage. Her previous fights were at Atomweight. So not only is this her Invicta debut but her first fight at Strawweight. In a Strawweight bout, Helen Peralta will face Kay Hansen. Helen is 30 years old from Iowa. Her record is 2-0 and she has looked good in both of her Invicta fights. Kay Hansen is 18 years old from Whittier, CA. Her record is 1-1 and she lost in her Invicta debut. In a Welterweight bout, Audrey Drew will face Holli Salazar. Both fighters are making their Invicta debuts. Both are 1-0. Audrey is from Dallas. Holli is from Pueblo, CO. You have to beat the bushes to find decent Welterweights. They will add one more match. Like I said, the top of the card is very weak.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Masada

Artist:Masada
Song:Beeroth
Album:Live In Savilla 2000





Sax player John Zorn is probably the most prolific musician in history. He records a lot. One of his more significant projects was Masada. The music is a mix of jazz and klezmer music. The idea was to modernize klezmer. Oh, you don't know what klezmer is? I guess the best way to describe it is Jewish jazz. It was brought to North America by Eastern European Jewish musicians. My uncle was one of those musicians and my cousin Morris based much of his film compositions on klezmer. Of course as a Jew, Zorn grew up listening to klezmer. His parents were European immigrants. Klezmer is the music of our past. Zorn started Masada to bring it into the present. Masada recorded ten albums from 1994-97 on the Japanese label DIW. The band is Zorn on alto sax, Dave Douglas on trumpet, Greg Cohen on bass and Joey Baron on drums. You'll notice there is no piano. This was deliberate because Zorn wanted the structure of Masada to be similar to Ornette Coleman's pioneering free jazz band of the late 50s. Beeroth is from the 1995 album Hei which is the fifth album in the series. That album is out of print. But Beeroth appears on the CD Live In Sevilla 2000 which is on Zorn's own label Tzadik. And you'll notice in the video that Joey Baron is the featured soloist. After the original Masada albums, Zorn recorded several live albums and spinoff groups like Masada String Quartet. He disbanded Masada in 2007 but Zorn continues to record all kinds of other music. Here's Masada performing Beeroth at Warsaw Summer Jazz Days 99 in Warsaw, Poland.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Hawthorne Heights

Artist:Hawthorne Heights
Song:Saying Sorry
Album:If Only You Were Lonely





Hawthorne Heights had some success with their early albums. But a long legal battle with their record company killed their momentum. They're still around but they could have been bigger. Hawthorne Heights are from Dayton, OH. They were called A Day In The Life when they started out in 2001. They released an album and a couple of EPs. The name change came when they signed with Victory Records in 2003. Band members were JT Woodruff on lead vocals, Micah Carli on lead guitar, Casey Calvert on rhythm guitar, Matt Ridenour on bass and Eron Bucciarelli on drums. Their 2004 album The Silence In Black and White was produced by recording engineer Sean O'Keefe. The singles Ohio Is For Lovers and Niki FM did well on the Alt Rock charts and the album was certified Platinum. The video for Ohio Is For Lovers was in heavy rotation on MTV. The 2006 album If Only You Were Lonely was produced by David Bendeth to give them a more commercial sound. Saying Sorry turned out to be their biggest hit. Things went south when Victory sent a letter to fans telling them to help Hawthorne Heights outsell Ne-Yo whose album was being released the same day. The band didn't know about this. When they found out, Hawthorne Heights announced they were leaving Victory and they launched a lawsuit. Meanwhile, Casey Calvert died on Nov. 24, 2007 at age 26 apparently due to prescription drug intoxication. The band continued but did not replace Calvert. Hawthorne Heights patched things up with Victory and released the 2008 album Fragile Future. This didn't do as well as previous albums. They left Victory for Wind-up for the 2010 album Skeletons. After that they started their own label for the 2013 album Zero. Their latest album Bad Frequencies was released on Pure Noise Records Apr. 2018. Woodruff still leads the band with Ridenour. Guitarist Mark McMillon replaced Carli in 2015 and Chris Popadak replaced Bucciarelli. Hawthorne Heights will tour England in October. Here's the video for Saying Sorry by Hawthorne Heights.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Xavier Cugat

Artist:Xavier Cugat
Song:Brazil
Album:A Proper Introduction To Xavier Cugat: Say "Si Si"




I'm pretty sure that Xavier Cugat is just a name to most music fans. But he was an important figure in the popularization of Latin music in the 40s. Brazil was one of his biggest hits. He was born Jan. 1, 1900 in Girona, Catalonia, Spain but he grew up in Cuba. Cugat was a classically trained violinist and a child prodigy. At age 13, he played with the Orchestra of the Teatro Nacional in Havana. His family moved to New York in 1915. Cugat accompanied opera singers and he was involved in the tango craze. He even worked as a cartoonist for the Los Angeles Times. But his road to musical fame came when he became the leader of the house band at New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel. And that led to appearing in films and a long recording career. He led the Waldorf Astoria band for 16 years. He recorded for RCA in the 30s and Columbia in the 40s. Brazil was his biggest chart hit. It reached #2 on the hit parade in 1943. That song is a standard today and Cugat popularized it. This budget comp from the British label Proper is a good intro to Cugat's music. He also appeared in several films in the 40s. The best of these was the 1942 film You Were Never Lovelier starring Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth. He also appeared in several Esther Williams films at MGM. Cugat continued to perform in the 50s usually with his wife Abbe Lane. And of course most folks should remember Cugat from his 70s appearances with wife Charo. After Cugat divorced Charo in 1978, he retired and moved to Spain. Xavier Cugat died on Oct. 27, 1990 at age 90. Here's a video for Brazil by Xavier Cugat.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Spill Canvas

Artist:The Spill Canvas
Song:All Over You
Album:No Really, I'm Fine





The Spill Canvas started as a solo recording project for Nick Thomas. He turned it into a band when he signed with Sire Records for the 2007 album No Really, I'm Fine. Thomas is from Sioux Falls, SD. He was a member of Nodes of Ranvier. Thomas was interested in recording pop music similar to Dashboard Confessional. So he started recording as The Spill Canvas and he released a couple of albums on 111 Records. He recorded the first album himself. But for the 2005 album One Fell Swoop, he brought in Dan Ludeman on guitar, Scott McGuire on bass and Joe Beck on drums. He did this mostly for touring. 111 suggested to Sire Records that they should sign the band. The 2007 album No Really, I'm Fine was The Spill Canvas' major label debut. It was produced by Everclear producer Neal Avron. McGuire was replaced by Landon Heil. They toured to support the album. But there were no hit singles. So things didn't work out with Sire and The Spill Canvas seemed to disband. The album Gestalt was released in 2012 on Thomas' own label. And it looks like Thomas returned to recording solo. Thomas released a solo album in 2014 and he toured as The Nick Thomas Band. That is how he is known today though he has revived The Spill Canvas recently. A new EP has just been released and they are touring to support it. Here's the video for All Over You by The Spill Canvas.