Kickmag 2007 Album of the Year-Chaka Khan-Funk This

Once upon a time Gladys Knight had the Pips, Anita Baker had Chapter 8, Luther Vandross had Change, Patti Labelle had The Bluebelles, Diana Ross was a Supreme before she became the Boss, and Chaka Khan had Rufus. Critics try to break her career up into three sections; lead singer of Rufus; singer of the best version of “I Feel For You” and hot ’80s commodity of a fixed reputation in no need of improving itself. Her backlog of classic tunes are so deep in collective memory they have become assumptions of pop culture. But Kanye West who chipmunked “Through The Fire” and “Miss The Water” collaborator Meshell Ndegocello plus a score of soul singers from Vesta to Fantasia bear out the gravity of Ms.Khan’s voice beyond any frozen museum of ’80s hits.

Funk This comes after 2004’s jazz standard collection Classikhan and 1998’s funk originals Come 2 My House. She played it straighter among the brassy arrangements of film songs and jazz classics. Those renditions had none of the Stevie Wonderized funk of her “A Night In Tunisia” tribute to the song’s author Dizzy Gillespie. The Prince-produced Come 2 My House was a critical success for its visceral grooves and epic song structures that fused Miles Davis, Quincy Jones, hip-hop and funk, but the album’s commercial potential stunted because of their unwillingness to tour. Ironically some 10 years later it is Prince’s former employees Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis working as producers of her newest funk odyssey. Their chemistry makes fire out of 13 songs that Khan’s voice manipulates like a horn, a gospel choir and perfect-pitched winds of a storm. Her lungs are almost supernatural in their strength and technique that can own the long-winded demands of a victory song like “Angel” or “Back In The Day” where she mellifluously scats over her own choruses. Divine covers of Jimi and Prince delightfully surprise as “Castles Made Of Sand” and “Sign Of The Times” get Chakdafied. She riffs, moans and enunciates the words of both songs in her searing contralto that burns up the notes of her “Hail To The Wrong” trademarked vocal run. A mighty duet with Mary J.Blige threatens to stop the offending male subject of the song from disrespecting them by their double team sistah shouts. All that soulful hollering exorcises all the bad feelings from the relationship leaving Chaka and Mary standing as two winners in the he-done-me-wrong school of singing. Love is better on a different vocal pairing with Michael Mcdonald, the classic “You Belong To Me” is a sassy but classy homage to a tireless song. She even makes time to re-do her benchmark material with Rufus and brings Tony Maiden back for volcanic versions of “Packed My Bags” and “You Got The Love.” The seasoned richness of all that fortified funk is hedonistic aural satisfaction and a bona fide attestation of why Khan’s voice will always matter.

Four Time Grammy Winning Jazz Diva,Dianne Reeves, Releases Stunning Set Of “New” Standards April 15 With When You Know

Dianne Reeves, the preeminent jazz vocalist the New York Times described as, “The only jazz singer with a voice big enough to rival Sarah Vaughan’s,” is about to release a gorgeous album of songs celebrating the different stages of love in a woman’s life. When You Know, coming out on Blue Note Records April 15, showcases Reeves’ alternately honey velvet and soaring voice in her own interpretation of “new” standards from The Temptations to Minnie Ripperton to Shawn Colvin. The four-time Grammy winner, and the only singer to win the vocal category for three consecutive recordings in any singing category, won a whole new legion of fans in recent years with her prominent onscreen role in the film “Good Night, And Good Luck.” Her last Grammy was for this soundtrack.

Reeves inspiration for When You Know came from an unexpected place. “There is a Gustav Klimt painting I had seen at the Belvedere in Vienna of a young woman moving through life. I remember loving the various depictions of the phases of her life from innocence to increasing maturity. In a similar way, this album progresses through songs which celebrate different phases of love, in much the same way our notions of love change as we move through time.” The songs ultimately chose themselves, she said, ranging from her youthful and dreamy interpretation of the Temptations’ “Just My Imagination” to the seasoned perspective of the Cy Coleman/Peggy Lee classic “I’m In Love Again.”

“Dreamy is right,” emphasized Reeves. “It’s that time in high school when you’re looking at that cute guy on the other side of the classroom, lost in the daydreams of a life together.” She adds, “As you grow older, you begin to question what love really is and your perspective takes in the nuances of a more mature love.” The track, “Over The Weekend,” first sung by Mabel Mercer and then Nancy Wilson – the latter encouraged Dianne to record it – reflects the loneliness Reeves has, herself, experienced in a life on the road, while the groove infused “Midnight Sun” taps into the magic of love, Dianne’s voice reminiscent of the best of Ella.

The album concludes with Reeves’ sole original offering, honoring where love for her begins – her 83-year old mother, Vada. “Today Will Be a Good Day,” is a rollicking blues track, delivered with a heap of bounce and boogie. Despite her battle with breast cancer and emphysema, Vada is a sparkplug of life and, says Reeves, “My biggest inspiration. If you don’t call her by 8:30 a.m., you’re not going to catch her. She’s so independent yet so giving–a wonderful example of living in grace.” The philosophy of life that has carried Vada through her health challenges with her zest for living intact is best summed up in her own words: ‘I don’t entertain illness, depression or boredom. I may feel them sometimes, but I don’t entertain them!” The lyrics to “Today Will Be A Good Day” are her mother’s words of wisdom and how she lives her life.

When You Know emerged following a period of intense touring for Reeves. Creatively revitalized during a break at home in Denver, she suddenly announced a desire to get into the studio right away, teaming once again with producer George Duke (Natalie Cole, Anita Baker), Reeves’ cousin and producer of two of her Grammy-winning albums: 2001’s In the Moment and 2002’s The Calling.

The vocal textures and colors Reeves’ employs on this album can be attributed to having performed in an unusual musical context over the past year: two guitars and voice, a setting which enabled her to discover new ways for her voice to both soar and seduce. Guitar masters Russell Malone and Romero Lubambo joined Reeves for the tour and the result was magical. The 25-date European “Strings Attached” tour is still being talked about. In addition to Lubambo and Malone, joining Reeves on When You Know are a cast of familiar faces from past albums, including pianist Billy Childs and saxophonist Steve Wilson as well as new collaborators pianist Geoffrey Keezer and drummer Antonio Sanchez. Veterans of Reeves’ bands who appear include bassists Reuben Rogers and Reginald Veal and drummer Greg Hutchinson.

Vanity Fair has said Dianne Reeves demonstrates, “…terrific jazz stylings” and USA Today called her “The celebrated jazz diva…” but perhaps Essence said it best, when it described, “”Dianne Reeves proves she’s still a premier mistress of jazz…” When You Know, you know.

Mary J. Blige and Jay-Z Heart of the City Tour

LOS ANGELES, CA (February 7, 2008) At long last, with over 70 million combined albums sold worldwide and 12 Grammy wins together, Mary J. Blige and JAY-Z announced today that they will embark on a historic 25-date North American co-headlining tour. The “Mary J. Blige & JAY-Z: Heart of the City” tour marks the first time in more than 15 years that an African American male/female bill of this stature have co-headlined a national concert tour.

The Live Nation and Haymon Events produced tour kicks off on March 22nd at Miami’s American Airlines Arena and will hit major markets along the eastern seaboard as well as New Orleans, Houston, Las Vegas and Oakland. The “Mary J. Blige and JAY-Z: Heart of the City” tour will also make a special stop at L.A.’s Hollywood Bowl on April 16th. More dates will be announced in the coming weeks.

Tickets go on sale for the first shows beginning February 15th and are available through www.livenation.com. Citi cardmembers will also have access to purchase presale tickets through Citi’s Private PassÂ® Program, available to all Citi cardmembers at www.privatepass.citi.com beginning Wednesday, February 13th at 10AM. Confirmed dates are listed below.

The “Mary J. Blige & JAY-Z: Heart of the City” tour is the pinnacle of Mary and Jay’s long-time collaboration which began in 1996 with the classic “Can’t Knock The Hustle.” The multi-Grammy award winning powerhouses are two of the most successful artists of our time whose influence stretch far beyond any musical borders.

This will be JAY-Z’s first arena tour since his successful JAY-Z and Friends Tour in 2004 and the first to feature material from his 2006 Kingdom Come album and 2007’s critically acclaimed American Gangster album. A multiple Grammy, American Music Award and VMA award winner, JAY-Z has continued to set the bar for all artists and entrepreneurs. Co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records, he currently is the president of Rocawear, part owner of the New Jersey Nets and co-owner of the successful 40/40 chain. Most recently, Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter held the title of President of Def Jam Records where he helped guide the careers of superstar artists and multiple Grammy nominees such as Rihanna, Ne-Yo, NAS, Kanye West and Young Jeezy.

Mary J. Blige is a truly iconic artist whose longevity in the music business is a rarity. Her 8th and current studio album, Growing Pains (released 12/18 on Matriarch/Geffen), reached platinum in three weeks and is grabbing the hearts of the critics and fans alike. People magazine says “There are three things you can count on: death, taxes and good Mary J. Blige albums.”

A six-time Grammy Award winner, Mary has won more than 25 awards in all, including NAACP Awards, American Music Awards, Billboard Awards, BET Awards, MTV’s Video Music Awards, Soul Train Awards and more. Over the span of her 15-year career, Mary has blessed us with 8 platinum and multi-platinum studio albums (she released a live album in 1998 and a greatest hits album in 2005 both to critical acclaim and incredible sales) selling more than 40 million copies worldwide. With every album she has proven that hers is a voice of healing; a voice of reckoning.

MARY J. BLIGE & JAY-Z: HEART OF THE CITY TOUR

DATE CITY VENUE

March 22 Miami, FL American Airlines Arena

March 26 Baltimore, MD 1st Mariner Arena

March 27 Uniondale, NY Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum

March 28 East Rutherford, NJ Izod Center

March 30 Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Center

April 2 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre

April 3 Boston, MA TD Banknorth Garden

April 5 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum

April 6 Washington, DC Verizon Center

April 16 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl

Allhiphop Interview With Pete Rock

If you’ve been wondering where your favorite producer has been hiding, he’s right here! Pete Rock has been one of Hip-Hop’s most revered musicians since the early ’90s. His melodic beats layered with thick basslines and distinct horns along with once partner CL Smooth was a breath of fresh air to consumers who were being smothered by more aggressive forms of music.

While the two parted ways musically, Pete forged on producing countless records and remixed for artist like 50 Cent, Brandy, Red Man, and Ghostface Killah. In addition to lacing other artist’s albums, Rock also released a string of solo albums that incorporated some of Hip-Hop’s most elite lyricists while flexing his own rhyming abilities.
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