Dianne Reeves

In the news this week...Michigan police say the father of multi-platinum-selling singer Mary J. Blige was stabbed and critically injured. Police say his ex-girlfriend is in jail on an attempted murder charge.
Battle Creek police say the attack happened about 7 a.m. Thursday at the apartment of 63-year-old Thomas Blige. Police say he had a neck wound and was taken to Kalamazoo's Bronson Methodist Hospital, which says it has no information on his condition. Detective Sgt. Jim Martens tells the Battle Creek Enquirer (http://bcene.ws/1dzw7cO ) that officers recovered the knife and found Blige's ex-girlfriend with blood on her clothing. She's in the Calhoun County jail and is expected to be arraigned Friday.
Information from: Battle Creek Enquirer, http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com

Anita Baker is 56 today, born in 1958 and is an American singer-songwriter. Starting her career in the late-1970s with the funk band Chapter 8, Baker eventually released her first solo album, The Songstress, in 1983. In 1986, she rose to stardom following the release of her platinum-selling second album, Rapture, which included the Grammy-winning single "Sweet Love". To date, Baker has won eight Grammy Awards and has four platinum albums and two gold albums to her credit. Baker has an alto vocal style.

This Weeks Play List (26-01-14)



Hour One
Brandy - Missing You
Donny Osmond - Breeze On By
George Benson - Breezing
Eddie Holman - It's All In The Game
Jodeci - Get On Up
Joe - Closer
Noel - Gourdin - Foxy
Algebra Blessett - U Do It For Me
Coise - Love 2 Love
Avant - Toast To Love
Urban Mystic - I Refuse
Dylan Janet Colins - Could It Be
Jea Mason Boogie With Me Baby

Hour Two
Three-Inna-Row: Diane Reeves
1 Dreams 2 Better Days 3 Waiting In Vain

Maze - While I'm Alone
Alex Lattimore - Keep Risin' To The Top
Kenny G - Hi How You Doin'
Shabazz - Glad You're In My Life
Cherrelle - Saturday Love
Glen Goldsmith - Dreaming
Quincy Jones - I'll Good To You
The Sunburst Band - Everyday

Dianne Reeves Biography:

At the age of 16, Reeves was singing at the George Washington High School (Denver) in Denver, in a high school big-band. That same year, the band played at a music festival (Convention of the National Association of Jazz Educators). Her band won first place, and it was there she met the trumpeter Clark Terry, who became her mentor.

A year later, Reeves began studying music at the University of Colorado before she moved in 1976 to Los Angeles. While there, her interest in Latin-American music grew. She began experimenting with different kinds of vocal music and finally decided to pursue a career as a singer. She met Eduardo del Barrio, toured with his group Caldera, and sang in Billy Childs' jazz band Night Flight. Later, she toured with Sérgio Mendes.

From 1983 until 1986, Reeves toured with Harry Belafonte as a lead singer. This period saw her first experiences with world music. In 1987, Reeves was the first vocalist signed to the re-activated Blue Note/EMI label.[2]

Reeves moved from Los Angeles in 1992, back to Denver where she still lives. She sang at the closing ceremony of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, in Salt Lake City.

Reeves' musical director and arranger, Peter Martin, regularly tours with her.

Driza Bone

In the news this week... Faith Evans closed out the week with a visit to “The Arsenio Hall Show” to perform “Tears of Joy” off her album R&B Divas, which is nominated for ‘Best R&B Album’ at the Grammys. Dressed in a black dress, the R&B veteran belted out the emotional single with conviction. During her chat with Arsenio she also opened up about the death of her late husband, the Notorious B.I.G.

Seventeen years after his murder, the case is still unsolved. “We basically stopped spending our money on trying to hope that the LAPD was gonna do their part,” said Faith. “It’s not closed. It’s just a matter of when they really feel like they wanna do the right thing ’cause we in our hearts kinda feel like we know what happened and we believe they know what happened.” (ThisisR&B.com)

 London-based jazz guitarist, Ronny Jordan died on Monday, 13th January. He was just 51. Details of the sad passing are scant. The news was simply announced on his brother's Facebook page. Ronny (real name Ronald Laurence Albert Simpson) was born in London in November 1962 and became a pioneer of the capital's Acid Jazz scene... though he preferred to call his style "Urban Jazz". (soul&jaz&funk.com)

Playlist for Sunday 19th. January 2014



Hour One
Angie Stone - Do What U Gotta Do
Whitney Houston - Exhale (Shoop Shoop)
 [Steel Pan - Pump Me Up (chat-over)]
Ann Nesby - In The Spirit
Teddy Pendergrass - When
                 Somebody Loves You Back
Randy Brown - We Oughta Be Doin' It
Thelma Jones - Salty Tears
Kenny Lattimore - What Must I Do
Jaheim - Finding My Way Back
Nat King Cole -Let There Be Love*
Manhattans - Reasons
Sharon Jones & Dap-Kings - We Get Along
Debra Debs - Caught Up
* watch his new video a foot of the page

Hour Two
Three-Inna-Row: Driza Bone
1 Woman & Man 2 Girfriends 3 Brightest Star

Lisa Stansfield - You Can't Deny
Soulsupersona & Princess Freesia - You Did It Again
Tyrone Lee - Hot 2 Nite
Chaka Khan - Everywhere
Curtis Mayfield - Your So Good To Me
Jucy - Sugar Free
Kashif - I Just Gotta Have Yo
Patrice Rushen - Number 1

Driza Bone Biography:

Driza Bone is an international dance music / remixing musical ensemble, led by the record producers / musicians, Billy April and Vincent Garcia. They used various female vocalists to provide the vocal element to their output. Driza Bone (sometimes billed as Drizabone) were primarily popular in the early 1990s. They were named after the Driza-Bone brand of waterproof riding coats
The most successful remix single was of the American R&B singer Shanice's 1991 single, "I Love Your Smile". It surpassed the success of the original track, reaching #2 on both the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart.

Driza Bone's most popular track, as an artist, was the song "Real Love", which reached #16 on the UK Singles Chart in June 1991 At the time of the single, Drizabone were mainstays April and Garcia, plus vocalist Sophie Jones. Jones had performed the original demo versions of the song, but was not really interested in a musical career, and Dee Heron (b. Jamaica, West Indies) gave up her secretary's job to take over her role.

Prince

In the news...Independent soul singer Algebra Blessett is gearing up for the release of her sophomore album, Recovery. Set to be released at the end of this month, the album has been on the radar of fans for quite some time now.
Following the lead single, “Nobody But You,” the gifted songstress has released her follow-up entitled, “Right Next To You.” Sure to make you feel like you need to open the windows and blast it high, the song is one of those cuts that makes you feel all warm inside – which helps with this freezing weather outside. (r&bnews)

Nice album from the versatile Singer, Bassist and multi instrumentalist Quentin Moore. This independent album has the fuller sound of a much bigger label production. On the excellent catchy ‘Paper’ and ‘My way’ Quentin’s voice and the songs have a mid 70′s Curtis Mayfield feel. On other songs his voice is deeper , other standouts being the rare groove-ish ‘Y.O.L.O’ , finger snapper ‘I Miss You Baby’ , laidback grooves ‘Black Sugar’ and ‘Natural Sista’. ‘You Forgot Your Heart’ is a good beat ballad.  (soul brother records)

Tracklisting for 12th January 2014



Hour One

Shirley Brown - Woman To Woman
Earth, Wind & Fire - Guiding Light
Gerald Alston - Guiding Light (inst)
Algebra Blessett - U Do It For Me ('08)
Seek - Talk To It
Jeniqua - Making Love
Justin Timberlake - That Girl
SOS Band - Weekend Girl 
Yemi Marie - Saturday
Lisa Taylor - Wake Up To You
Maxi Priest - One More Chance
Jon B - Isn't It Scarry

Hour Two
Three-Inna-Row : Prince
1 The Ballad Of Dorothy Parke
2 Future Baby Mama 3 Breakfast Can Wait

Big Brooklyn Band - Taking It Too Far
Musiq - If I Would A Knew
Charlie Wilson - I Still Have You
Ledisi - My Sensitivity
Luther Vandross - Better Love
Michael Cooper - Steppin' To A Love Song
Keni Burke - Hand Tonight
The Sunburst Band - Everyday



Prince Biography:
Prince was born Prince Rogers Nelson on June 7, 1958, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He later changed his name four times. Prince's early music career saw the release of Prince (1979), Dirty Mind (1980) and Controversy (1981)—all of which created controversy due to their fusion of religious and sexual themes. Prince later released the albums 1999 and Purple Rain, cementing his superstar status.
Early Life
Famed singer, songwriter and instrumentalist Prince was born Prince Rogers Nelson on June 7, 1958, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Named after the Prince Roger Trio, a jazz band his father performed with as a pianist, Prince was signed to Warner Brother Records as a teenager.
Career Highlights
In 1978, Prince released his debut album, For You, which was followed by Prince (1979), Dirty Mind (1980) and Controversy (1981)—all of which created controversy due to their fusion of religious and sexual themes. The singer found international success with the release of his 1982 album, 1999, and went on to create the film and album Purple Rain (1984). By the time he released his 11th studio album, Batman, in 1989, Prince had become one of America's most commercially successful pop artists.

Prince changed his name to the unpronounceable glyph O(+> in 1993, which he used until 2000. During that time, he was more frequently referred to as "the artist formerly known as Prince," and his new symbol was not embraced by most fans.
In Recent Years

In 2004, after several years of relative obscurity, Prince returned to the limelight to perform at the Grammy Awards with Beyonce Knowles. That spring, he released Musicology with a tour that became the top concert draw in the United States. The album won two Grammys. His next album, 3121, was released in 2006. That year, he wrote and performed "Song of the Heart" for the animated film Happy Feet, and won a Golden Globe (best original song) for the composition.

Prince is said to be a perfectionist who is highly protective of his music. He writes, composes and produces the majority of his music, and plays most of the instruments on his albums.