Nadir Omowale
Artist – Producer – Creative Strategist
Kelly Beckett of G4’s Attack of the Show features the Beat Thang and a few other great products at NAMM 2012 in Anaheim, California. As she mentions, Beat Thang won DJzone DJ Magazine’s Crystal Disc Award for Best DJ Innovation of 2011-2012. Congrats, guys!!
I was honored to meet Jimmy Castor at the 2007 Soul-Patrol Convention. After that brief conversation, I was compelled to go back and listen to his music which I had loved as a kid.
As Soul-Patrol’s Bob Davis said to me when we were talking about the man later, Jimmy Castor’s genius is often overlooked. He’s dismissed as a “parody” artist. But when you really get into the music, you’ll feel the depths of the grooves. You’ll be impressed by the musicality and the arrangements. And you will laugh your behind off.
I was really sad to hear that Mr. Castor passed away on January 16, 2012, at the age of 71. I hope there will be a long line of tributes for this man, though he deserved so much more attention during his life.
Here are a couple of my favorite Jimmy Castor joints.
What we do NOT need right now is another war. If Iran strikes first, it will be as a result of provocation, or another Gulf of Tonkin incident.
My fellow Americans: Do not be fooled by this madness.
CNN EXCLUSIVE: U.S. harassed by Iranian boats
At a time of heightened tensions with Iran, U.S. military officials told CNN Friday that U.S. military and Coast Guard ships had two close encounters earlier this month with high-speed Iranian boats in the Strait of Hormuz and Persian Gulf that exhibited provocative behavior.
“The stage is my sanctuary,” says Ebony Neco Washington, also known as Neco Redd. “I turn into a completely different monster on stage. I’ve been blessed with the gift to work backstage as well, and I don’t have a problem with it. But if you’re gonna put me out front, expect Neco to act a damn fool!”
A native of Detroit’s west side, Redd seized the solo spotlight for the first time in 2010 with “No Discipline,” an eight-song EP of raw, bluesy soul. A year later, rather than watch a collection of songwriting demos languish in the dustbin, she offered an exciting and diverse 15-track mixtape as a free download through NecoRedd.bandcamp.com. October 2011’s “The Full Disclosure” shows off Redd’s powerful pipes, her versatility and her funky attitude.
Still, Redd promises that the real heat will arrive this spring with the release of her first full-length album, “Still Trippin.” She describes it as a “bass heavy, guitar heavy,” horn-driven album with live instrumentation provided by Tony Ozier’s West Coast band The Doo-Doo Funk All-Stars.
FISHBONE RULES!!!!
https://youtube.com/watch?v=EX1foEFWHUo%3Fversion%3D3%26%23038%3Bhl%3Den_US%26%23038%3Brel%3D0
“There’s more profit in pretending that we’re stopping it than selling it.” – Some medicine from Dr. Funkenstein.
“There’s more profit in pretending that we’re stopping it than selling it.” – Some medicine from Dr. Funkenstein.
Common Breath is about the changing globe – art, human rights and people making a difference. Here’s their article about the Cosmic Slop festival held, Sept. 17 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. – Nadir
Detroit Rock City, a haven for the musically misbehaving, breaks all the rules and bounds of the unspirited masses, sending its groove through the instruments of the chosen Godchildren of soul.
The Cosmic Slop Festival, held on September 17 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, was a celebration of the music of the city, bringing light and attention to the Afro-rock torch bearers of today. Rock, funk and soul music under the wide night sky for the universe to vibe with.
Organized by Detroit’s own Deekah Wyatt, the Cosmic Slop Festival’s biggest challenge was to remain within the city limits of Detroit, in the spirit of giving the music back to the city from which it came. In the face of so many hurdles from club venues and city officials, Wyatt was forced to compromise by having the festival at the Elks Lounge in Ann Arbor, a venue that welcomed the show with open arms.
“Partying and peace,†Wyatt states as the mission of the festival. “To party in peace, and to preserve the legacy of music that we have in this town. This is Motown, this is Rock City.â€
Read More at Common-Breath.com
Efforts to promote Saxappeal’s 2009 debut album “Stay Saxy” were often rebuffed by smooth jazz radio programmers who judged it “too urban” for their stations. That was good news.
That first album by Saxappeal, also known as LaDarrel Johnson, blends hip hop and new soul sensitivities with a sultry contemporary sax sound that is meatier and more adventurous than typical smooth jazz fare. The prominence of the horn, however, ensures that Saxappeal’s music won’t be played on most R&B, urban contemporary or hip hop stations, where all songs must feature singing or rapping.
He could have bowed to the pressure and churned out a second album that conformed to the dictates of the almighty programmers. Instead, he stayed true to his art, titled his new disc “Unmarketable” and set about creating an album of music that he describes as “delicious jambalaya.”
