Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson The Revolution Will Finally Be Televised By Jay S. Jacobs “The revolution will not be televised.” When recording artist and poet Gil Scott-Heron first wrote that line in 1970, he probably wasn’t thinking of the Harlem Cultural Festival, which had been run the summer before. Or perhaps he was, as he was … Continue reading
MARY J. BLIGE’S MY LIFE (2021) Featuring Mary J. Blige, Sean Combs, Taraji P. Henson, Alicia Keys, Tyler Perry, Method Man, Nas, Andre Harrell, Big Bub, Chucky Thompson, Anita Baker, LaTonya Blige-DaCosta and Jeff Redd. Directed by Vanessa Roth. Distributed by Amazon Studios. 82 minutes. Rated R. This documentary pretty much specifically focuses on Blige’s … Continue reading
Jackie’s Boy From Being a Street Performer, Carlos Battey Transforms and Becomes a Record Mogul and World-Class Artist by Brad Balfour When the pandemic hit, musicians were blessed and cursed at the same time. On the one hand, it shut down opportunities for live performance before paying audiences. On the other hand, it freed up … Continue reading
J Balvin You Can’t Take Medellín Out of the Boy By Jay S. Jacobs In recent years, Reggaetón has become the world music of Latin America. Perhaps the greatest ambassador for the musical style is international superstar José Álvaro Osorio Balvin, better known by his stage name of J Balvin. Balvin has sold over 35 … Continue reading
Mozzy, Ry, Rubi Rose, Kendyx, Day Sulan, Stunna Girl, 1TakeJay, Whitney Reign & Singer Slime – Rose Festival – Oak Canyon – Silverado, CA – April 24, 2021 Photos by Camille Jessie © 2021 Wow, our first live concert photos in over a year! The world is finally getting close to being back to normal. Continue reading
Ken Sharp – Miniatures (Jet Fighter) Miniatures couldn’t be a more apt title for the latest album by singer/songwriter power pop artist Ken Sharp. None of these 32 (count ‘em, 32!) songs clocks in at even two minutes long, and the shortest is the album-closing title track which clocks in at 37 seconds. However, just … Continue reading
On the Outside How Beautiful We Are By Kayla Marra How beautiful we all are. The world is full of unappreciated loveliness and untapped potential. We’re being reminded of that fact by the new pop/country boy band On the Outside. The group is comprised of young singers Dawson Huckabee, Jon Klaasen, Devin Hayes, Andrew Bloom, … Continue reading
Blackmore’s Night – Nature’s Light (earMusic) Although guitarist and songwriter Ritchie Blackmore is undoubtedly best known as an original member of classic rock staples Deep Purple and as the leader of the early metal band Rainbow, he has been in this band – together with his wife, singer Candice Night – longer than he was … Continue reading
Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. Not So Silly Love Songs – Taking ‘Blackbird’ to New Heights By Mark Mussari Fifty years ago, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. did something they’d never done before. As the de facto lead singers of the legendary 5th Dimension, the couple covered Paul McCartney’s “Every Night” on the … Continue reading
A Supreme Legacy: Remembering Mary Wilson (1944-2021) By Mark Mussari A funny thing happened on the way to Diana Ross becoming a superstar. Mary Wilson became the Supremes. Even though Ross sang lead on all the hits the Supremes had in the 1960s – hits that resulted in 12 number ones and often saw them … Continue reading
