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Goin’ Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino recognizes the great music of Fats Domino and his donation to the Tipitina’s Foundation of New Orleans. He had donated money from his Alive and Kickin’ album, which hit the music scene in 2006.

The Tipitina’s Foundation is a non-profit organization whose goal is stated below. The quote is from their Mission Statement.

The foundation works to support childhood music education, the professional developmentof adult musicians, and the increased profile and viability of New Orleans music as a cultural, educational, and economic resource.

The tribute album is a 2 disc CD, which came out in September of 2007. The funds from its sale will be given to public school music programs in New Orleans and will go to help rebuild N.O. from the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, especially a community center in the Lower 9th Ward, which is still a devastated area.

The tribute album project was organized by The Tipitania’s Foundation and is loaded with lauded musicians.

Here is a list of the musicians from Billboard:

“Ain’t That a Shame,” John Lennon
“Don’t Leave Me This Way,” Dr. John
“I Want To Walk You Home,” Paul McCartney
“I’m Walkin’,” Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
“Blueberry Hill,” Elton John
“Blue Monday,” Randy Newman
“Don’t Leave Me This Way,” Dr. John
“Let the Four Winds Blow,” Toots and the Maytals
“When I See You,” Olu Dara with Donald Harrison
“Trombone Shorty,” Lenny Kravitz with the Rebirth
Brass Band,
“Whole Lotta Lovin’,” Troy Andrews, Fred Wesley,
Pee Wee Ellis and Maceo Parker
“I’m in Love Again & All by Myself,” Bonnie Raitt
& John Cleary
“It Keeps Rainin’,” Robert Plant with the Lil’ Band
O’ Gold
“Goin’ Home,” BB King with Ivan Neville’s
Dumpstaphunk
“My Girl Josephine,” Taj Mahal with The New Orleans
Social Club
“Please Don’t Leave Me,” Art Neville
“I Hear You Knockin’,” Willie Nelson
“I Just Can’t Get New Orleans Off My Mind,”
Irma Thomas and Marcia Ball
“I’m Gonna Be a Wheel,” Herbie Hancock with
George Porter Jr., Zigaboo Modeliste and Renard Poche
“One Night (Of Sin),” Corinne Bailey Rae
“Don’t Blame It on Me,” Bruce Hornsby
“I Live My Life,” Lucinda Williams

Hear Fats Domino:

http://www.rhapsody.com/fatsdomino

Hear cuts from tribute album:
http://www.rhapsody.com/album/goinhomeatributetofatsdomino

References
http://www.billboard.com/
Music Legends Crowd Fats Domino
Tribute Album
June 28, 2007, 7:00 PM ET
Katie Hasty, N.Y.
http://www.tipitinasfoundation.org/about/mission.asp
http://www.p2pnet.net/story/13418
Fats Domini Tribute
Sept, 29,2007
Larry LeBlanc

Presenting, Beverly Jo Scott originally from Bay Minette, AL with Texas accent (lived in Texas of course) and the most soulful female voice, in the Janis Joplin tradition since Janis…she is worth your musical ear checking her out.

She has lived in Brussells for most of her adult life, she left the States on a whim with a friend and found a new home and learned French and sings some of her songs in French. The emotional power in her voice and her writing has made her a favorite performer in Europe.

Beverly has worked as a studio artist, in clubs, and has rerleased her own singles and albums. In concert she is extremely energetic.

She has recorded with Dani Klein on Vaya Con Dios and she had a hit single with”C’est Extra” by Frenchman Leo Ferré in 1990.

You can hear her music from time to time on Radio Avalon.

References:
http://www.bluesweb.com/p_artiste.php3?id_rubrique=126
http://houbi.com/belpop/groups/scott.htm

Hear Beverly Jo Scott at:

http://www.bluesweb.com/

Useful Information From Bluesweb Below:

You need flash player 7 installed to listen audio samples. Please visit www.macomedia.com to download and install flash player. Flash is a free player. Once installed you will see a “play” button on the left of the track names

Discography:Albums :
- Honey & Hurricanes (Columbia - 1991)
- Mudcakes (Columbia - 1993)
- TheWailing Trail (Sony - 1995).
- Beverly Jo Scott Coming Home (1997)
- Amnesty For Eve (Arcade-CNR, 1999)
-Divine rebel (DixieFrog-2003)
-Cut & Run - live (2005)

Radio Avalon
http://www.radioavalon.com/
Artist: Beverly Jo Scott
Song: Nights In White Satin
Album: Divine Rebel

Beverly Jo Scott at myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/beverlyjoscott

You Tube
See Beverly Jo Scott and Arno
http://www.youtube.com/skalie

The first time I heard Lil Greenwoods voice, I knew it was the very best singing voice, I had heard in ages. Wow! You can hear the class and experience of a giant artist in her performance. She first sang publicly at her father’s Baptist Church.

This fantastic singer is from Prichard, AL in Mobile county. She has recently released a new album entitled Back to My Roots, with David Amram who is a legend in his own right.

She says she learned to dance at a Holiness church in Prichard, according to her interview with Ravi Howard in the June 2007 issue of Zalea. She goes on to say that the first club she sang at was a local club owned by Mr. Crouch.

In 1948, she made her way to San Fransico and some friends took her to a club, where she was hired at a substantial rate for that time. So Duke Ellington saw her at The Purple Onion and his ears were agog with delight.

Here is the quote by Ellington in the April 1960 issue of Ebony:

“This girl has a voice that’s a mixture of Marian Anderson, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington and Mahalia Jackson; and I don’t know but what she’s better on spirituals than when she’s walking and singing the blues.”

Ellington invited her to sit in at a recording session and nicknamed her “One Take Lil.” After this, she toured with the Ellington Orchestra in Boston and at the Newport Jazz Festival and beyond. She and Ellington performed their last concerts in cathedrals around the world. She is featured on Ellington’s album My People.

As an aspiring jazz diva, Lil quickly learned many more secular songs because unfortunately the hymns and spirituals she knew weren’t popular with the San Fransico jazz fans. She also started writing her own songs such as Walkin’ and Singin’ the Blues included on her new CD Back to My Roots, which features Jazz, spiritual/gospel, and blues tunes.

During her long career she performed and socialized with Ray Charles, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughn, and others. She never smoked, drank, or did drugs because of respect and love for her father. She sang on the album Cryin Time by Ray Charles.

Lil recorded many R&B sides for Modern and Federal in the early 1950’s. Richie Unterberger of All Music Guide reports that “Greenwood was one of many California-based singers in these years recording in a style intersecting jazz with blues and a bit of gospel, forming a dominant part of post-war R&B before that gave way to doo wop and rock’n'roll.”

She also recorded for NRC, Reprise, and Tangerine. She appeared on The Tonight Show, Good Times, and The Jeffersons continues Unterberger.

When asked by Ravi Howard of her opinion of younger artist today she said:

“I notice that they are getting into so much trouble. They’re making more money than I had made in those years. Yet their lifestyle is just unbecoming to what their artistic values are, and that bothers me quite a bit. The thing I detest most is the lyrics most people put in their songs. This talking about women is nothing that has anything to do with the culture of our life.”

I couldn’t agree more with Lil Greenwood’s assessment of some of the song lyrics written today and for quite a few years passed. That is why when I review an artist I don’t write about the songs with objectionable lyrics, if I review that artist at all.

The song Cry As Children Do, has a wonderful fifties ballad sound, Hello Little Boy is a jazzy tune with bopping piano, jumpin’ sax, shimmering cymbals, and great organ sounds… of course Lil is hoppin’ on the tune too. You’ve Changed is classic piano bar music with nice lead guitar licks softly played.

For a great bossa nova sound listen to Keep a Light Showering Down. A classic spiritual theme and sound is heard in God Is My Candle…it runs chills through the body. The organ, and the hi-hat dominate the music is a fine way, but Lil’s voice is powerful throughout…and the sax blows like the notes of soul…while the piano rings out New Orleans flavor.

With That’s the Truth Daddy, Lil gets sassy and the sound is pure jazz greatness. The call and response back up vocals have a jivin’ swing thing happening.

Her rendition of Summertime recalls the “American Folk Opera” Porgy and Bess by George Gershwin, from which the song originated. Her performance is rich with drama and emotion..she strongly belts the song out. Lil is accompanied by moving piano work that is perfect for the mood her voice sets.

I Laughed At Love is opened with groovin’ flute work that reminds me of where Jethro Tull and The Marshall Tucker Band got their flute playing inspiration from, that being in jazz.

The drums and flute rock–I mean really roll in I’m Blessed and I’m Proud. It starts with a commanding statement by Lil Greenwood, then the flute and drums kick in and the cowbell jams. This a song to make your soul sing. Lil does this howl, howl, howl routine that you just have to hear to know what I’m talking about.

She sounds wonderful singing I’m In A Holiday Mood… a good Christmas song.

Last, but still good is Going Down to Mobile sung by David Amram and is a grand tribute to Lil Greenwood and her ability to inspire with postive feelings, thoughts, and actions.

Do yourself a favor and listen to Back to My Roots and buy it for future listening pleasure.

References:

Zalea, Mood Music, Ravi Howard, June 2007
http://www.lilgreenwoodmusic.com/
About The Album, Harold (Buz) Rummel, January 2007
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porgy_and_Bess
http://www.mmguide.musicmatch.com/
All Music Guide, Biography, Richie Unterberger

Hear Lil Greenwood at:

http://cdbaby.com/cd/greenwoodamram1

Burn Lil Greenwood MP3’s at:

http://www.mmguide.musicmatch.com

At last Hip-Hop gains style, soul, and jazz overtones. I’m talking about Amber Ojeda. You’ll dig the piano melody in Here I am…and the synth string sound adds a dramatic tone.

So Lovely has a smooth jazzy touch. Ambers voice–textured like liquid emotion draws the listener into her music. Love From The Band another jazzy tune has a good beat. Amber is distined to be in the R&B annals of music.

Amber hails from Los Angeles, CA. and is classed in the top 100 artists of My Space. She is frequently on Kick Radio’s Global Top 40 Show. They awarded her as the Best of the Best on the Internet.

She hosted the National School Program for MADD, and had a recurring role on “Veronica Mars”. The new show on Style Network, “Dress My Nest” will feature her songs.

Live Shows:

June 30, 2007 Tanger Los Angles, CA
Sept.08, 2007 Kava Lounge San Diego, CA

Hear Amber Ojeda at:
http://www.myspace.com/amberojeda

It is surprising how classical music keeps popping up in our quest to learn about popular music or is it? Arlene Smith the lead of the Chantels was trained as a classical singer and had performed at Carnegie Hall at age twelve.

Anyway, The Chantels, originally The Chantelles (name taken from rival school, St. Frances de Chantal) were versed in the Gregorian Chant and classical music at St. Anthony of Padua school located in the Bronx. Changing notes and parts became simple to them because of this excellent training. They sang classical music and Latin hymns in the choir.

They practiced in the girls lockeroom a lot and after each game they sang. Girls didn’t hang out on street corners practicing in those days as the male doo-wop groups did. It wasn’t suitable behavior.

The Chantels started performing at talent shows at the PS 60 Community Center and elsewhere.

They became a national success before many other female R&B groups did. In 1956 they were on Broadway and Richard Barrett, who sang lead for The Valentines saw them and recorded them on the Goldner’s End label.

Their first recordings were He’s Gone and The Plea. Next they recorded Maybe (#15 Pop, #2 R&B, & Top 40 three months, in 1958).

Other songs flew on the charts like Every Night (#39), I love You So (#42), Whoever You Are, How Could You Call, and Will I Told You (# 29).

When 1959 came around, Arlene Smith went solo. Annette Smith became the new lead and in 1961. Look In My Eyes (#14 pop, #6 R&B) blasted out on Carlton Records their new label. They released their final single in 1970.

The original group members were Arlene Smith (lead soprano), Sonia Goring (second soprano), Rene Minus (lower alto and bass), Jackie Landry Jackson (second alto) and Lois Harris (top soprano). The Chantels changed personnel over the years.

The original Chantels did a one song reunion for the R&B Foundation Awards in Hollywood in 1996 and they sang Maybe for a Pittsburg PBS Show.

In 2002 The Vocal Group Hall of Fame inducted them.

References:
http://www.history-of-rock.com/chantels.htm
http://www.thechantels.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chantels
http://www.electricearl.com/dws/chantels.html

Hear The Chantels:

http://www.rhapsody.com/thechantels

“Music is our witness and our ally. The beat is the confession which recognizes, changes, and conquers time.”

–James Baldwin

The Merseybeat takes a sharp turn and vibes with its voice…a capella. The Chants hailed from Liverpool 8, a black district that esteemed their own cultural influences in music. They are considered the first British Doo-wop group according to SoulPool.

They had outstanding vocal harmony and listened to the future r&b brought over by American GI’s like the Del Vikings (doo-wop), Johnny Otis, Little Richard, and The Miracles. They also were influenced by American fifties groups: The Ravens, The Flamingos, The Drifters, and The Coasters.

Joe and Edmond Ankrah started a vocal group called The Shades, later renamed The Chants because a rock n’ roll group in London had the same name.

The members of The Chants changed over the years. Nat Smeda and Alan Harding were members. By 1964, the members were Rob Eccles, Brendan McCormick, John Bedson, and Bob Gilmore.

Joe first met Paul McCartney at The Tower Room where The Beatles had a gig. The Beatles played backup for The Chants several times, including their debut at The Cavern, in 1962. They then found a regular backup band called the Harlems.

Soon, in 1963 Brian Epstein spread his managing wing over the group, but it didn’t work out and The Chants then signed with Ted Ross. He got them a recording agreement with Pye Records during the 1963-1964 Merseybeat eruption of musical creativity.

They released quite a few singles, two of them are Trying, Trying, and Man Without a Face. Their first single, I Don’t Care impressed Bessie Braddock, an MP of Merseyside and she added her voice to their supporters.

The chants were well into the cabaret circuit when the 1970’s rolled around. In 1975 they broke up. Joey and Edmond Ankrah, joined with Ashanti and appeared on lTV’s New Faces and Eddie and Chris Amoo joined The Real Thing, which was a Liverpool soul group and in June 1976 they topped the UK charts with You Are To Me Everything.

SoulPool says that, “Yet it is forgotten that as the Beatles and other groups went global, kids locally started to listen and dance to the “gut-bucket” soul music pouring into the city from Detroit, Chicago and Memphis, and local favourites were binned accordingly.”

Again, SoulPool notes that the contribution made to the Merseybeat by black groups and artists aren’t yet given due recognition. Though the documentary Who Put the Beat in Merseybeat? (1996) does give some credit to the black groups. Let’s hope that trend continues.

Note: a capella

1876, earlier alla capella (1847), from It., “in the manner of the chapel,” lit. “according to the chapel,” from cappella “chapel.” Originally in ref. to older church music (pre-1600) which was written for unaccompanied voices; applied 20c. to unaccompanied vocal music generally.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper

For More Information:

http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Villa/9500/chants.htm
http://www.nostalgiacentral.com/music/chants.htm
http://www.geocities.com/soulpooluk/cityblues.htm
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20000707/ai_n14327504
http://www.kinemagigz.com/’r’.htm#The_Real_Thing_
http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/544772?view=synopsis
http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/544772

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