Roy Ayers & Ubiquity

West

In this weeks news...Rapper Kanye West doesn't want his children to follow his footsteps as far as their career was concerned. He says he would prefer if they study seriously and launch a business career thereafter.West, 35, is to become a father for the first time with his partner Kim Kardashian."Kanye wants his son or daughter to be educated at a top US university such as Harvard or Yale before embarking on a career in business," a source told dailystar.co.uk."He doesn't want the child to become a pop star," added the source.West has even banned rap music in his house ahead of the birth. He believes listening to classical music will make his baby more intelligent.

While he may not want his toddler to become a rapper, it was earlier said West had booked a studio and was planning to record a track with Kim while she is pregnant, as a memento for when their child grows up."Kanye's really soppy. He wants Kim to lay down some vocals while she's carrying his child. He thinks it will be cool for his son or daughter to listen to the track when they're older," the source said.

Prince

Prince will become the third recipient of the Icon Award at this year's Billboard Music Awards, joining Stevie Wonder and Neil Diamond. Prince will be honoured with an Icon Award at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards. The ceremony is seen as one of the most prestigious in the world behind the Grammys, and it will honour the 'Purple Rain' pop star at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on 19 May. Prince, 54, will mark the occasion with a rare live televised performance on the show, which will be produced by Don Mischer. The legendary musician will become only the third artist to be honoured with the award, joining inaugural winner Neil Diamond (2011) and last year's recipient Stevie Wonder. Before the 'Superstition' singer was presented, he was joined by Alicia Keys for a set featuring 'Higher Ground' and 'Overjoyed', and a  stripped-down version of 'Empire State of Mind', Alicia's hit with Jay-Z. At the event, Stevie paid tribute to the late Donna Summer, who died 17 May last year, and Bee Gees Robin Gibb, after news of his passing broke hours before the awards. At the time, he said: ''We live in a world with changes happening more rapidly. We won't see them ever again. ''That's a heartbreak. The blessing is we're able to feel the pain, which means we were able to feel some love from that person; feel the experiences the music gave us.''

Obama

President Obama has released the official playlist for his inauguration in an effort to hype up expectations for the star performers.The list, released via his Inauguration-focused Twitter account, include well-known group of Obama favorites like Beyonce, Stevie Wonder and Katy Perry, all of whom have attended multiple fundraisers for the President in the past, the Daily Mail reported.Newer acts like the band fun. and Far East Movement were also included, with their songs 'Carry On' and 'Turn Up The Love' singled out respectively.The list of Grammy Award-winning acts has already been publicized, Thursday was the first day that the President's tech-friendly staff have released a playlist using Spotify.All of the singers featured on the playlist- from James Taylor and Brad Paisley to Smokey Robinson and Nick Cannon- will perform in one of the two parties being held for 35,000 revelers. (info: ContactNews/RNBNews)

The inauguration playlist in full:
Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)- Stevie Wonder
I Was Here - Beyonce
Mi Gente - Marc Anthony
Carry On - Fun.
New Day - Alicia Keys
Mud On The Tires - Brad Paisley
Turn Up The Love - Far East Movement
Edge of Glory- Glee Cast Version
Your Smiling Face - James Taylor
Ordinary People - John Legend
Firework - Katy Perry
Breakaway - Kelly Clarkson
My Mic featuring Biz Markie - Nick Cannon
Something Special - Usher
Higher And Higher - Walt Whitman
Get Ready - Smokey Robinson and The Miracles
Future - Mindless Behavior (ANI)

Impressive...Don't forget you can catch myself and my recent studio guests, The Notebenders at  the Symphony Hall this Saturday (full details, bottom of the page) ..Onto this weeks show...


Sunday  20th January 2013 Playlist
Hour One
Leon Ware - Rockin' You Eternally
Dionne  Warwick - So Amazing
Boney James - Sweet Thing [welcome bed]
Gerald Levert - String, Strings
Dexter Wansel feat: Jones Girls - The Sweetest Pain
Jerry Woo - Help Yourself
The Whispers - Is It Good To You
Bobby Womack - How Could You Break My Heart
Patti Austin -  Your Too Much Apart Of Me
Gerald Levert - Greater Later
Magic Lady - Misty Eyed
John Legend - Stay With You

Hour Two
'Three-Ina-Row' - Roy Ayers & Ubiquity
1 - For Real 2 - Everybody Loves The Sunshine 3 - Love Will Bring Us Back Together
Womack & Womack - Tear Drops
Ben E. King - Street Tough
LJ Reynolds - Key To The World
Yarborough & Peoples - Special
80's Ladies - Turned On To You (Roy Ayers produced)
Randy Crawford - Endlessly
Yvonne Elliman - Love Me
The Jacksons - Blues Away
Maze feat: Frankie Beverly - While I'm Alone


Roy Ayers & Ubiquity Biography

Born 10 September 1940, Los Angeles, California, USA. A popular jazz vibraphonist and vocalist, Ayers reached the peak of his commercial popularity during the mid-70s and early 80s, crossing over into the mainstream charts. He is also justly celebrated as an important influence on the latter decade's acid-jazz movement.

Ayers played piano as a child and took an interest in the vibes after meeting Lionel Hampton. In high school he formed his first group, the Latin Lyrics, and in the early 60s began working professionally with flautist/saxophonist Curtis Amy. Ayers' first album under his own name was West Coast Vibes on United Artists Records, a 1963 recording session which featured Amy. He also worked with Chico Hamilton, Hampton Hawes and Herbie Mann, with whom he first gained prominence between 1966 and 1970. After recording three albums for Atlantic Records in the late 60s, Ayers formed Roy Ayers Ubiquity and signed to Polydor Records, incorporating funk and R&B styles into his jazz. Using a number of prominent sidemen such as Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Sonny Fortune, George Benson and Billy Cobham, Ubiquity's albums helped to popularize the jazz funk crossover style. The group reached the R&B charts with several albums and singles during this period, including the Top 20 disco-influenced R&B hit "Running Away". The album track "Everybody Loves The Sunshine" remains a perennial club favorite into the new millennium.

Ayers dropped the Ubiquity group name in 1978 and continued to have chart success with both his solo albums and singles into the late 80s. After touring Africa, Ayers recorded Africa, Center Of The World with Fela Kuti and also set up the Uno Melodic Records label with the Nigerian musician. He switched to Columbia Records in 1984 but released records less frequently as the 80s came to a close, concentrating on composing and producing for other artists. Since the late 80s, Ayers and the resurrected Ubiquity have enjoyed a successful collaboration with Ronnie Scott's jazz club in Soho, London, acting as the official house band. In 1993, Ayers guested on the first installment of Guru's Jazzmatazz project, a self-styled "experimental fusion of hip-hop and jazz'. Two years later Ayers secured a contract with RCA Records and the Groovetown label, for whom he recorded 1995's well-received Nast‚. He has subsequently appeared on albums by Masters At Work (1997"s sublime Nuyorican Soul project), Erykah Badu and Eric Ben‚t, and re-established his own record label under the name AFI CDs.

 SYMPHONY HALL SAT 27th. JAN 

Join Mr Merry and The Notebenders Big Band

In The Foyer Lounge

Kick Off 1.30pm

Free admittance for all!

Come One Come All