Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings are currently touring in Europe and coincidentally Sharon celebrated her 50th birthday on Thursday live on stage in Berlin.
There are a few gigs left she’ll do in Europe next week:
09/05 Hannover at “Palo-Palo”
10/05 Köln at “Gloria Theater”
11/05 Helsinski at”Tavastia”
12/05 Goteborg
13/05 Stockholm at “Berns

For more info visit thejazzshack.de. And also have a look at marioaldente.de where you can see three videos of Sharon doing The Way It Is (my favourite!), How Long and This Land live in performance.

Ah, shock, horror…finally I’ve become infected by the youtube plague as well. Here’s a video in a rather good quality of Curtis Mayfield singing Keep On Keeping On from his Roots album.

video url

Marcus Strickland whose music I discovered only a few months ago has just released a new album called Twi-Life.
There’s also a record release party on May 19th at the Jazz Gallery (290 Hudson St., New York, NY 10013 Tel:212.242.1063 or info@jazzgallery.org). And like Marcus says “Bring your smiles, your ears, & your energy for a great night of music” (and actually 15 bucks). So don’t miss it when you’re in NYC.
Meanwhile you can listen to samples of Twi-Life on cdbaby.com. And for more uptodate info visit Marcus Strickland’s own website.

When you listen to a record after quite some time and you find yourself remembering all the lyrics by heart, this album was/is surely one of your favourite albums. And Drama According To Bernadette Cooper by - guess who - Bernadette Cooper is such an album for me. While the music itself may sound a little bit dated in 2006 this album is still burried somewhere deep inside my best of lists. Bernadette herself was never the best singer out there (well, compared to the Arethas, Sandra St. Victors, Carmen Lundys or even Whitney Houstons out there).

But that was never important even at the times when Bernadette was an integral part of Klymaxx, the all american girl group that pleased us with such funk corkers like Meeting In The Ladies Room, The Men all Pause, Divas Need Love Too, Sexy or Fashion. She made more than up for it with her attitude and originality. And let’s not forget she was one of the few women who produced a wide range of artists like Klymaxx, Mazarati, Madame X, Alisa Randolph, Nia Peebles or Altitude and even appeared on two Teena Marie albums (Crocodile Tears on Naked To The World and Sugar Shack on Ivory).

Her 1990 released masterpiece marked a highlight in her career and an at that time unusal creative freedom granted by a major label (MCA). Bernadette wrote, produced, co-executive produced, co-engineered, co-mixed, co-edited the whole album and even created the album concept with Glen Wexler. And if you have a closer look at the cover you see a woman in a straight jacket in front of a movie theatre showing her own flick Drama According To Bernadette Cooper. The whole CD booklet is made up as a movie with twelve short cuts split up in two acts. Fans of Bernadette already knew from her Klymaxx days that she was a little bit spaced out. Who else could sing Don’t slap me, ‘Cause I’m not in the mood and name her production company Slap Me One! Productions and get away with it? So the straight jacket on the album’s cover may be quite appropriate. Regarding the roles she plays on this album it is surely an apt clothing.

She’s the self-conscious woman in I Look Good (An Interview With Bernadette Cooper), the willing love slave in Stupid, who disconnects her telephone to hear no more lies about her lover and who gives everything to him although she’s not so sure about giving him his Aretha Franklin collection. She’s the woman from the agency (The Agency Sent Me), the down-to-earth woman who knows that love and sex are two different things and that bills have to be paid, so why not hook up with a millionaire from Textas (The Howard Hughes Sitcom [Christmas everyday!]) and she will work out a masterplan to get her former lover back (Nothin’ You Can Do). Back in the late 80s/early 90s Bernadette was really hot as in everybody liked to work with her. So she’s supported by a cast of thousands. There’s Loreena ‘Lungs’ Shelby, Pennye Ford, Alisa Randolph, Chuckii Booker, Thia Austin, Phineas Newborn III, Amp Fiddler, Teena Marie and John Patitucci to name but a few.
In my opinion this is still, sixteen years after its release, quite an amazing album especially if you listen closely to it to discover all the goodies Bernadette has put into it.
And what is she doing now? According to klymaxx.org she owns a vintage clothing store with clothes dating back to the 1900’s, that she also operates. And in 2006 Bernadette has finally reunited with Joyce ‘Fenderella’ Irby to record a new Klymaxx album, which should be finished in a few weeks.

Tracklisting of Drama According To Bernadette Cooper: 1. I Look Good (An Interview With Bernadette Cooper)/ Do You Really Know What Love Is/ 3. Stupid/ 4. The Underground/ 5. The Agency Sent Me/ 6. Let’s Be Discreet/ 7. Drama According To Bernadette Cooper/ 8. I’m That Girl/ 9. The Howard Hughes Sitcom/ 10. Straight Jacket (Love Affair)/ 11. Nothin’ You Can Do/ 12. Movie Produce Her | released 1990 MCA Records

For more infos visit myspace.com/bernadettecooper and myspace.com/therealklymaxx.

In conjunction with radio42.com and rautemusik.fm jazz-not-jazz presents two hours of simply great music every Friday 19:00-21:00 UTC+2 (you don’t have to convert it for Germany…that’s Friday 13:00-15:00 in NYC, Friday 10:00-12:00 in San Francisco and Saturday 04:00-06:00 in Sydney). The links of the audio stream can be found on radio42.com or global24music.com/rautemusik (look for Lounge there). If you have a DSL/broadband connection you can also open this url directly in your mediaplayer: http://rautemusik.g24m.net:14000/ otherwise try http://rautemusik.g24m.net:14050 for ISDN connections.

Here’s the playlist for today Friday, 21th:

Karen Bernod: Dreamer (from Life @ 360 Degrees)
Nina Simone: The Pusher (from It Is Finished)
Angela Bofill: People Make The World Go Round (from Angel Of The Night)
Teena Marie: You Make Love Like Springtime/(reprise) (from Irons In The Fire)
Russell Taylor: How Deep (from Soulstar Vol. II)
Curtis Lundy: Blue Woman (feat. Carmen Lundy) (from Against All Odds)
Miki Howard: Kiss Of A Stranger (from Three Wishes)
Sandra St. Victor: Chocolate (from Mack Diva Saves The World)
Carl Hancock-Rux: Elmina Blues Opus (from Rux Revue)
Kellylee Evans: Who Knows (from Fight Or Flight?)
Ola Onabule: Alive Tonight (from In Emergency, Brake Silence)
Davina: So Good (from Best Of Both Worlds)
Jon Lucien: This Is All I Ask (from A Time For Love)
Bernadette Seacrest & Her Yes Men: Smoking Cigars (from Live)
Walter Smith III: Cyclic Episode (from Casually Introducing)
William Scott: Repetition (from Who’s Afraid of William Scott?)
Lynden David Hall: One Hundred Heart Attacks (from Medicine For My Pain)
Carleen Anderson: Sweetness (from Soul Providence)
Five Point Plan: Sign Your Name (from Rare)
Mass Order: I Wonder Why He’s Sweatin’ You (from Maybe One Day)
Postmodern Jazz: Darkness Into Light (from Love Not Truth)
Osunlade: Circles (from Aquarian Moon)
3 Generations Walking: Glory (from 3 Generations Walking)

After many years of being a independent artist Ledisi has now leaped into a new phase of her career and has signed to a major label.

So that’s the reason why the once announced Ledisi album on Expansion record never ever saw the light of day?
According to Ledisi’s myspace site she’s now with Verve/Universal. Well, let’s hope she still can record the music the way she likes and not the way Universal’s A&R people like.

Ah, Noel McKoy one of the unsung heros of UK soul. In my opinion he’s one of the voices of British soul music who really should get wider recognition. He has released one album with his family as McKoy (Full Cirlce) and two solo albums (Mind Is The Keeper and Please Take This Personal), recorded with the James Taylor Quartet and appeared on numerous songs as session singer, he even recorded a song with Elisha La’Verne (I Remember Summer). The good news is that he’s finally back with a new song (this one reviewed here) and a new album called Cut From The Same Cloth that’s due for a release in June 2006.
Yam Who?, who are more famous for their remix works for the likes of N’Dambi, Alison Crockett, Amp Fiddler or Incognito, finally make their Papa Records debut with a cover of Summertime, originally recorded by A High Frequency in 1980 and released on Nia Records.
This new version is an uplifting feel good house song with inspiring organ, piano and strings solos. Well, just what one needs when the temperature’s rising. With only a Main Mix and an Instrumental Mix available here this is just like in the good ol’ days when you didn’t suffer from a remix overkill.
So don’t look any further for the summer anthem of 2006. Yam Who? and Papa Record have released it already.

Tracklisting of Summertime: 1. Main Mix/ 2. Instrumental Mix | released 2006 by Papa Records

For more infos visit paparecords.co.uk, yamwho.com and myspace.com/yamwho.

[If you want to discuss Yam Who’s music, you can leave your comment below and also use the forum]

Free To Fly, the first single by Malena Pérez, released by Divine Recordings, written and recorded with Atlanta producer Michael Johnson and remixed by JustOne (KemeticJust) somehow created a little buzz in the house music scene in 2004. Malena, born in Atlanta, Georgia to a Cuban father and German mother, has been busy establishing her own label Cubanita Records and working on her debut album Stars (to be released in June 2006) since then. As an appetizer Giant Step releases the first single, Chase The Butterflies. They spared neither costs nor efforts and engaged Kenny Dope to remix the song. The Kenny Dope Remix is the best mix here, it’s a deep soulful house mix something like Everything But The Girl meeting Naked Music in a Latin club with just the right amount of uptempo vibe to make it a dancefloor filler. The K-Dope Rubber Dub gives the song a harder edge with some electro effects. The Beats and Instrumental are nice to play around for the DJs but discerning listeners should head straight to the first remix for maximum pleasure.
According to Malena’s myspace site the next single release will be Praise The Day, her collaboration with Osunlade.

Tracklisting of Chase The Butterflies: 1. Kenny Dope Remix/ 2. Kenny Dope Beats/ 3. K-Dope Rubber Dub/ 4. K-Dope Rubber Inst. | released 2006 by Cubanita Groove Records/Giant Step

For more infos visit cubanitagroove.com, giantstep.net and myspace.com/malenaperez.

[If you want to discuss Malena Perez’s music, you can leave your comment below and also use the forum]

Courtesy of Jon Freer (mosoul.co.uk) here are 22 reviews of released and soon to be released 12″es (sorry no cover shots or tracklistings this time):

Moses McClean feat. Nedra – Dream (Still Music)

Still Music take a slight diversion from their usual sound with this gorgeous vocal House effort from Moses McClean aka Mitch Moses and Vince McClean. The original is a day brightening vocal number, with darting guitar work, life loving keys and high-flying synths. Normal business is resumed with Isoul 8’s moogified mood deepener and Patchwork’s understanding chord touched retouch. DJ 3000 presents a startling technoid remix, where spiralling chords, focused beats and satisfying stabs pull the punches.

Voice – Know Rhythm / Guerilla Hustlin’ (Public Transit)

Scorching lyricsmith Voice makes her thoughts known on this spiky rhythm driven EP, which features production work from Alister Johnson and Moonstarr. “Know Rhythm” is Johnson’s tune, where beautiful keys, clappin’ percussion and brass blasts team up behind Voice’s Rucker esque suitor slaying delivery. On Moonstarr’s “Guerilla Hustlin’”, Voice comes through with a diatribe against those that make her feel claustrophobic, backed by a strengthening flute and clap slap beats. Moon’s instrumental is home to heavily fractured beats and an ear catching flute.

Max Cole – Star Charts Sampler (Wah Wah 45s)

Wah Wah continue to their run of excellent form with this rather ear catching EP from broken jazz magician Max Cole. “Wall Flowerin’” is an apologetic number, with slippery synths and keys that are careful where they step. Flashing keys, a squidgy bass and walking pace beats line up behind the yearning vocals on “Who Got The Keys?”. Synthy goodness coats those fascinated vocals on “Ay Calor”, whilst a flute from the heavens lets rip on “Silver Linings”.

V/A – Blueprints # 01 (Dealers Of Nordic Music)

DNM release distinctly Scandinavian future jazz, broken soul and organic techy tunes, which demand repeat listens. The highlight of this sampler EP is Hird’s “Running Low”, where stooped in concentration strings and closely held keys lose themselves in melancholia. Quant gives us a shocking string display and acid key washes on a track called “The Shadow”, whilst Solar Sound’s “Things We Do (Nils Krogh Edit) is all dinner jazz love and butt swinging beats. A bright synth display and gorgeous bass work dominates Tennis Hero’s “Alone”.

Rasiyah – U Better Run (Antipodean)

Neo Soul newcomer Rasiyah shows promise on this EP, which has been produced by future soul and broken jazz don Mark de Clive-Lowe. Rasiyah’s positive vocals are backed by slippery keys and strolling beats on “U Better Run”. Rasiyah tries to be strong on “Untitled (My Love)”, but gooey keys and serous strings block her path.

SUMO – The Danceband / Unlove Me (Heya Hifi)

Stockholm’s hefty SUMO twosome team up with Swedish MC Aaron Phiri for some straight-talking, posterior shaking House action. Determined beats, high reaching strings and dance praisin’ vox meet on “The Danceband”. “Unlove Me” is a thoroughly frustrated vocal number, with crazed keys and familiar cowbells.

Candidate – Anticipation (Arcobaleno)

Serge Santiago and Chris Bones hook on this release, which is more about the immediate thrill of losing yourself in music than foreseeing the future. A hypnotic bassline, angular beats and pondering synths combine on the magical “Anticipation”. Forceful beats and a pounding bassline hit home on the ‘Beatapella’.

Mister Leisure – The Bitching Hour (Genericide)

Matt Corwine goes for a slightly left of centre House attack with the premier release on his Genericide imprint. “The Bitching Hour” is a charming number, with business meaning drums, nervous synths and cheeky key work. Prodding beats, funny keys and spacey vocoders create “My Perfect Little World”

Jol – Life In The Sun (Dealers Of Nordic Music)

Jol thanks nature on this ear glowing EP for DNM. The title track is a lazy guitar touched and key kissed number, whilst Embee’s remix calls on electric guitars to enliven the mood. “Psycholude” is a weird keyed intermission, as “Spaceman” looks to the outer reaches of the galaxy for string driven inspiration.

Hansel The Unicorn - £5 an hour EP (HID Productions)

Jazz fiend HTU is probably not a unicorn, but he creates some fun little ditties under his fairytale guise. “That’s Killing” is all falling down stairs keys and thrown at wall percussion, whilst “£5 An Hour” wiggles courtesy of madcap percussion and a jiggling sax. “Milla and Margarita” is more sax horseplay, as a fun poking croon attempts to woo the “Rat Faced Girl” and the delusionally keyed “The Situation Is This” completes the tale.

V/A – House Invaderz EP 2/5 (HY:BR)

This EP of jacked up acidiness might be retro in focus, but the tunes have been programmed in a way to make them relevant today. The pick of the bunch is A Jackin’phreak’s “Pong Jacks”, where jolting digital keys and foghorn synths are put through their paces by rough kit percussion and manipulated scratches. Another quality track is Fafa Monteco’s “Bleepnotize”, with reliable percussion and a supple bass falling victim to all the usual acid trappings.

V/A – House Invaderz EP 1/5 (HY:BR)

The House Invadorz treat another quartet of production outfits to an acidious House bath. Arcade game keys, an evil bassline and filthy synths meet on Mazi’s great “Protons For Toddlers”, as waterful synths and no good keys colour Sam Karlsson and Gaffy’s “Invader’z Crazy Funk”. Jacked keys and scowling synths make their thoughts known on Alexkid and Chloé’s “Afterblaster”, with computerised synths and filed beats getting their way on Catwash’s “Nine Tendons”.

Cosmic Groove Transmission – It’s Not Blue EP (Phono Graffiti)

CGT get down for more jumpin’ funked out House business on the Leeds based crew’s own Phono Graffiti imprint. The choice mix comes from David Duriez, with breezy synths and a squelchy bass taking centre stage on his revision.

Alex Smoke – Never Want To See You Again (Soma)

The talented Smoke drops “Never Want To See You Again” and the original is accompanied by some tasty remixes. Smoke’s own ‘Floor Mix’ sprinkles thin vocal slices over mind losing keys and a moody bass. Ada’s remix sees synths pour out their feelings, whilst drummed percussion rouses heartbroken vocals. Slam’s revision is a heady mix of bleeping keys, jagged synths and powering beats.

Joseph Arthur – Can’t Exist (Remarkables RMX) (14th Floor)

Chris Tubbs of Atlantic Conveyor fame and the Next Men’s Brad Ellis have given NY singer-songwriter Joseph Arthur a simple House up. Feel good synths and sturdy kit percussion provide a great foundation for Arthur’s getting on with life vocals.

The Black Dog – Riphead EP (Soma)

The Black Dog is a revered name in electronic circles. Now comprising original member Ken Downie alongside Martin and Richard Dust, the trio have opened a new chapter in the musical canine’s history. “Ripheadv” is a distressing number, with melancholic keys, probing beats and a tearing bass. “Gawble Vianag” is an eerie number, where bass fuzz obscures kickin’ electroid percussion and creepy strings. Water drips into the “Mental Ward Sleep Machine”, which is powered by a petrifying bass and oddly shaped synths.

GarcyNoise and Davomat – Vending Machine (Justified Cause)

Spanish Housers GarcyNoise and Davomat team up for some dark teched up House business on Barcelona’s Justified Cause imprint. “Vending Machine” places nagging synths, well-shaken keys and a powerful bass in front of the listener. Brett Johnson and Tres Manos’ remix gives the track an energy injection, courtesy of some vigorous beats, stumbling vocals and wobbly synths.

V/A – House Invaderz EP 3/5 (HY:BR)

Not content with previous attacks, the House Invadorz return for another instalment. D.R.D’s “Motoracer (Jon Georgsson Remix)” is a skippily beaten digitised synth driven number, whilst Da Fresh’s “Hi Score” is all blinding keys and keen percussion. “Mind Your Head” from DJ Linus sees a bass attack tambourined percussion and stuttering synths, with Mr Barcode’s “Electronik Invadorz” pitting trilling keys against gargling acid.

John Stammers – The Fridge (Gardensticks)

Tender folkified compositions are the order of the day on this EP from John Stammers. “The Fridge” is a tale of heartache, backed by affectionate guitars and rather pretty strings. “Lonely Bird” gazes at nature, as “My Reply” sends sweet guitars over rough percussion.

Simian Mobile Disco – Hustler (Kitsuné)

Simian Mobile Disco turn up on the angular Kitsuné imprint with a pulsating floor batterer. Head straight for “Clik”, where vulgar synths jostle mind elevating keys for attention.

E-The-Hot pres. Franchising – The People (Distinctive)

Chic electronic button pusher Cagedbaby does the business here, giving E-The-Hot a mind twisting overhaul. Sprawling synths and messy keys spew their guts over steady beats and an unflinching bass on ‘baby’s retouch.

Timmy Vegas & Barbara Tucker – Dutty Funk (We Can Do) (MN2S)

The only mix worth the time of day here is Johnny Fiasco’s bumped up acied revisitation. On this overhaul, Barbara’s chewed up and spat out vocals are laid between sharp beats, a biting bass and dirty keys.

Like mentioned recently there was a little technical problem with radiopellenera’s server. Meanwhile this has been solved and you can catch the show Friday 12:00-14:00 (UTC+2) and Sunday from 13:00-15:00 (UTC+2). For more info and playlist click here.

Is it really some sixteen years ago when Tribal House released Motherland? That was actually the first time I’ve heard Karen Bernod sing. Together with Pierre Salandy she also appeared one year later in 1991 on the house corker Mainline. Then it took some eight years until I heard Karen again on lead vocals [she did some background vocals on tracks like Beautiful People, Stay Together (both by Barbara Tucker) or on Erykah Badu’s Live album though], this time as a session singer on Incognito’s No Time Like The Future album (on Marrakech and More of Myself). And in 2000 she finally released her first solo album Some Othaness For U on her own Natively Creative imprint. Unfortunately this meant it was an hard to get album with almost zero promotion and distribution. Luckily I bought a copy while I was visiting London around that time. And just when I thought that would’ve been everything I could hear by Karen she finally surfaces with her sophomore album Life @ 360 Degrees. And thanks to Peter and Santosh at Dome Records in the UK, who licensed the album for a release from Karen’s Natively Creative Music Inc., there will be some promotion this time and folks in Europe should be able to buy this release in a normal record store.
Six years are a long time, almost an eternity in a world that becomes more and more fast moving where almost everyone just looks for the next thrill without demanding some realness and depth. But Life @ 360 Degrees is really worth the wait and it’s good to have Karen back as a solo artist. Although there have been thousands of new soul artists and albums since the release of Some Othaness For U (and this website, which started in late 2000 by the way, just shows you a small selection) there’s still enough room for Karen’s unique blend of real soul music.
The whole album has a welcome uplifting, cheerful vibe with no fillers in sight. The midtempo winners Love Is and Hair I Am set the mood and are a good indicator of the rest of the album. The metropolitan and funny Subway Love Game with tight background vocals by Carlos Ricketts, Shelene Thomas, John James and Keith Fluitt is a good example of an infectious midtempo Karen Bernod song and somehow Karen’s homage to public transport in NYC. The aptly titled African Chant (Roots Of Nature) is a fine percussive song with percussions by Bashiri Johnson.
One of my favourite songs is the smooth ultra soulful Dreamer. Never since Saturday Love by Cherrelle (& Alexander O’Neal) has a mentioning of the seven weekdays sounded so good. Actually the encouragement of dreaming appears every now and then in art. Langston Hughes for example states in his poem Dreams: “Hold fast to dreams/ For if dreams die/ Life is a broken-winged bird/ That cannot fly.” And the late Nina Simone once sang in The Pusher “And lord knows we need lots a sweet dreams.” So Karen is obviously in good company as a dreamer.
Another highlight is Family, a great and personal ode to the family as safe harbour and place to feel loved and understood. With Shelene Thomas and Carlos Ricketts on background vocals this song has an inspiring gospel tinged ending. One of the best songs Karen wrote with Greg Spooner on this album!
Add to this other exquisite songs like Comfort Zone, Tell ‘Em Let ‘Em know or the house remix of Spirit, which originally appeared on Some Otheness For U, and you have another strong album by Dome Records and a more than welcome return of Karen Bernod.

Tracklisting of Life @ 360 Degrees: 1. Love Is/ 2. Hair I Am/ 3. Subway Love Game/ 4. Comfort Zone/ 5. You/ 6. Ma, Renee & Me (Interlude)/7. African Chant (Roots Of Nature)/ 8. Tell ‘Em Let ‘Em Know/ 9. Truth Iz/ 10. Dreamer/ 11. Family/ 12. Spirit (Deeper Remix) | released May 15th, 2006 by Dome Records

For more infos visit nativelycreative.com, domerecords.co.uk and myspace.com/karenbernod.

[If you want to discuss Karen Bernod’s music, you can leave your comment below and also use the forum]

Just in case you’ve missed something last month, here are some highlights that were featured last month on jazz-not-jazz: