AUGUST 2006:
"PARTY WITH THE STARS TOUR"
Hello Blues and Southern Soul fans.After working hard for the man all day long I was able to "Party With The Stars Of JEA/RIGHTNOW RECORDS".Anybody thats a fan of the Memphis Music scene can recall the glory days of Stax records with artists such as Otis Redding,Johnnie Taylor,Albert King,Rufus Thomas,William Bell,Sam & Dave,Carla Thomas,The Soul Children and Booker T & The MG'S just to name a few.
Last night I was able to be in the midst of some of that soulful history.Thanks to LeVonne Sampson and Larry Dodson I was able to sit backstage and be in the presence of James Alexander(Orignal Bar-Kay) and J. Blackfoot(Soul Children).These artists were creating this magical music before I was born but I can remember my uncles and aunts playing their old 45's and this brand of soul music has always been a part of me.The orignal Bar-Kays were the spiritual sons of "The Mar-Keys".The original group consisted of Phalon Jones, James Alexander, Jimmie King, Carl Cunningham, Ronnie Caldwell and Ben Cauley.Doing their first record in March 1967, most of them died tragically in the same airplane crash with Otis Redding in December of 1967.This year "THE LEGENDARY BAR-KAYS" will be celebrating their 40th year anniversary in the music business.It is truly a BLESSING to have this much longevity in the entertainment business and thats why I was truly humbled and honored to be in the presence of this Legendary Band and J. Blackfoot.
The Washington County Civic Center in Greenville,Mississippi was the place and the lineup for this soulful gathering were the artists of the JEA/RIGHTNOW RECORDS LABEL.This awesome lineup included Lacee',Archie Love,J. Blackfoot and The Bar-Kays.Also on last nights show were Soul & R&B crooners Tony Terry,Glenn Jones and new and upcoming r&b sensation "TEMMORA".I arrived at the show early and was greeted by Larry Dodson(lead singer and front-man for the Bar-Kays)and he allowed me to settle backstage to take photos and just chat with some of the JEA/RIGHTNOW RECORDS artists.I knocked on the dressing room door and a rapy voice said ,"come in".I would recognize that voice anywhere it was the original lead singer for The Soul Children and present day southern soul legend,J. Blackfoot.I introduced myself and to my suprise he opened his arms and embraced me and this allowed me to settle down and relax.The other artists hadn't arrived yet so J. Blackfoot and I were able to sit and talk for a few minutes.He was actually born in Greenville and still has relatives here and some were in attendance for tonights show.
The rest of the JEA family arrived including Lacee',Archie Love,SAM FALLIE(got it right boy),James Alexander,Darrell Stanley,Ducthess and their events coordinator,LeVonne Sampson.After taking a few photos and chatting,it was now showtime.I left to sit with the best group ever assembled,the fans of this blues and southern soul thang.It was a BYOB affair so the atmosphere for tonight's show was a festive one.So sit back good people and let me take you on this blues and southern soul ride.
The first performer on the night was "The Songstress",Lacee'.I saw her perform a couple of months ago and I was very impressed with her performance to be a newcomer to this southern soul thang.I wasn't sure if the people in Greenville were familar with her music so I had to sit back and see what type of reception she would receive.She walked out on stage and received a huge ovation from the people of Greenville.She opened her performance with a rendition of Cheryl Lynn's "Got To Be Real" and the crowd jumped to their feet.A seventies(70's) disco hit was moving the crowd.Her next song was "No Pain No Gain" and the ladies down front by the stage were all into Lacee's performance.She was able to ad-lib with the ladies and this made the fans feel like they were a part of her show.Her next song was a rendition of Aretha Franklin's "Dr. Feelgood" and she did the Queen of Soul justice on this one.She gave a very moving and gut wrenching performance and the women down by the stage was cheering her on big time.She closed her performance with her biggest hit to date,"You-Gon-Make-Me"(Clown About My Man) and again she was able to ad-lib with the crowd and they simply loved it.She closed her show with the people up and dancing to her smash hit.The best way to describe Lacee' is sultry,soulful and sexy.She is becoming one of my favorite southern soul divas.For people who haven't heard this soulful diva please purchase her debut cd "The Songstress" and I promise you that you will not be disappointed.She set the tone for a very soulful evening.Great performance.
The next performer was "The Amazing",Archie Love.I saw him perform for the first time about a year ago in Greenwood,MS.On that night his show was limited so it was hard for me to determine just what kind of artist he truly was.Well last night I found out that he is truly "AMAZING".He opened his performance with Frankie Beverly & Maze's "Joy And Pain" and immediately the people of Greenville were feeling Archie Love.He had the crowd up and dancing.I didn't ask him if Frankie Beverly & Maze were his musical influence but he kept their theme going with his next song "Southern Girl".This nice uptempo song kept the crowd up and dancing and then toward the end of the song Archie along with his backup singers SAM FALLIE and Dutchess went into a tight dance routine and they received a nice ovation from the crowd.His next song,"Loving On Borrowed Time",allowed Archie to display his vocal range as he slowed down his performance with a nice silky ballad. He closed his performance with his smash hit "Should've Been There For You" and the ladies down by the stage who were beginning to be the life of the party were all loving this cut.He asked all the single ladies to come to the stage and did they ever.Several young F-I-N-E women flocked to the stage as Archie had a dozen long stemmed roses and he serenaded the ladies with Eddie Holman's "(Hey There)Lonely Girl" and he had the ladies swooning.Other women began to flock to the stage but only a lucky dozen received a rose from the "Amazing One".Archie Love is a terrific entertainer.His smooth soulful voice to go along with a strong stage presence was a joy to watch.I've seen my share of performers the last couple of years and Archie Love is truly among the best.Excellent performance.
The next performer in my opinion is a living legend.Greenville,Mississippi's very own J.Blackfoot hit the stage and he received the biggest ovation of the night.Everyone in attendance were on their feet and the stage area began to get crowded.He opened his performance with "Just Got Paid" and the opening lyrics are,"its Friday night and I just got paid" and several of the people in attendance said,"damn right".I got a big chuckle from that.A dance floor had formed on the side of the stage and it was packed with people getting their groove on.Greenville's native son had the place rocking.His next song was a personal favorite of mine.He was joined on stage by JEA recording artist Lacee" for "Just One Lifetime".The original duet is with Ann Hines but Lacee' did her proud on this night.The chemistry between J. and Lacee' was terrific.They had several couples in attendance slow dancing to this cut.I was just blown away by Lacee's abilty to sing this song just as equal to Ann Hines.His next song he was joined on stage by JEA recording artist Archie Love."Same Woman" also provided some good chemistry between J. and Archie.They were able to ad-lib with the crowd and with themselves which made this a very entertaining cut.The higlight of the song was when Archie left the stage area and chose a woman from the crowd to be the theme for this song.Archie remained on stage to help J. with the song that propelled him to superstar status as a solo artist."Taxi" received a thunderous ovation from the crowd and it was like a bomb had went off.He closed his performance with a sample of his song from his new cd titled,"It Ain't Over Til Its Over" and the crowd loved it.As he walked off stage the people in Greenville wanted more of the living legend and believe me he wanted to go back out there but as we all know that these shows are on a schedule.Damn good show.
R&B crooners Tony Terry,Temmora and Glenn Jones all performed in sucession.Tony Terry performance was highlighted by his song,"Look To The Hills" which was his testimony song.He stated that he once was a drug addict but now he's not."In The Shower" and "With You" were very popular with the ladies in attendance. Glenn Jones also received a big ovation from the people in Greenville.The ladies down front were his biggest support base for his performance."We've Only Just Begun" and "Baby Come Home" highlighted this soulful crooner's performance.
The biggest suprise of the night for me was new and upcoming sensation,Temmora.I had never heard of her before but now all of that has changed.One of the most beautiful and sexiest ladies that I've ever seen walked out on stage and myself and the rest of the guys in attendance just melted.She opened her performance with Erica Badu's "Tyrone" and she got the crowd on their feet.She was able to get the crowd really hyped with her rendition of The Pussy Cat Dolls,"Don't Cha".She performed Chaka Kahn's,"Ain't Nobody" and this kept the crowd dancing.Her next two songs were Donna Summers' "Bad Girls" and "She Works Hard For The Money" and these two disco songs had the people up and dancing.She closed her performance with two of her own songs,"Catch You On The Flipside" is a nice R&B cut and I hate to compare artists because I know an artist want their own identity but she sounds very similar to R&B recording artist Chante' Moore.She closed her performance with a nice quiet storm cut titled "There's No Me" and her angelic voice filled the civic center.Pretty,sexy, and talented makes her a very good recording artist.A sultry voice with eye popping sexy dance moves makes her a complete artist.I don't follow mainstream R&B like I use to but I know that I can expect bigger things from this gifted young lady in the future.You won my heart.A breath-taking performance.
The final performers of the night were "THE LEGENDARY BAR-KAYS".I remember seeing them as a little kid at a fund raiser back in my hometown of Mound Bayou,Mississippi.I was only about 10 or 11 years of age at the time and I still remember that performance.Fast forward some twenty five(25) years later and I am still excited about seeing this group perform again.The Bar-Kays on this night consisted of James Alexander(Original Bar-Kay),Larry Dodson,Archie Love and Darrell Stanley.When they hit the stage the place erupted.They opened their performance with "Boogie Body Land" and fans alike young and old now made the whole damn civic center a dance floor.The stage was flocked by female and male fans who all wanted to get a close-up look at the legends performing."Shake Your Rump To The Funk" kept the Civic Center grooving to the P-Funk sound from the seventies that made this band so unique.With background vocals from Archie and Darrell,the electrifying sounds coming from James Alexander's bass guitar and the smooth but funky vocals from lead singer Larry Dodson The Bar-Kays were bringing the house down.They continued the P-Funk groove with "Do It/Let Me See You Shake" and "Certified True".Larry Dodson's was able to display some slick and dynamic dance moves with these classic hits.They slowed the party down with a cut I hadn't heard in years,"Anticipation" showcased Larry's laid back soulful vocals.Much of The Bar-Kays sound is a hard hitting,funky vibe but this song allowed them to display their abilty to make you want to dim the lights down low and make your family grow,if you know what I mean.It was getting late and I guess the local law enforcement were ready to go but The Bar-Kays and the people in attendance weren't ready to leave just yet.They did portions of their other classic hits such as "Too Hot To Stop","Holy Ghost","Move Your Boogie Body", and "Freakshow On The Dance Floor".After forty(40) years in the game The Bar-Kays are still able to deliver big time.Larry Dodson is one of the bestshowman in the world and James Alexander skills on bass guitar are second to none.Throw in the perfect vocals of Archie Love and my man Darrell,the Bar-Kays are still show-stopping performers.Before they left the stage they brought back the whole JEA/RIGHTNOW family on stage.This was a solid display of unity and the people at JEA Records are truly one big happy family.
"The Party With The Stars Tour" is a must see show for fans of all varieties.It was an honor for me to witness this talented group of entertainers.I would like to thank again my girl LeVonne Sampson and Larry Dodson for allowing me to cover this show from backstage.To be in the presence of this collective group will be something that I will cherish always."The Party With The Stars Tour" will be coming to a city near year.For more information about this tour and artists for JEA/RIGHTNOW RECORDS please call (601)540-1130 or (601)368-9766.Temmora you have a BIG fan now so please keep in touch and let me know about future shows.Good people I had a great time last night and as always I just wanted to share it all with you.Take care and MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALWAYS.
Big K9
"PARTY WITH THE STARS TOUR"
Hello Blues and Southern Soul fans.After working hard for the man all day long I was able to "Party With The Stars Of JEA/RIGHTNOW RECORDS".Anybody thats a fan of the Memphis Music scene can recall the glory days of Stax records with artists such as Otis Redding,Johnnie Taylor,Albert King,Rufus Thomas,William Bell,Sam & Dave,Carla Thomas,The Soul Children and Booker T & The MG'S just to name a few.
Last night I was able to be in the midst of some of that soulful history.Thanks to LeVonne Sampson and Larry Dodson I was able to sit backstage and be in the presence of James Alexander(Orignal Bar-Kay) and J. Blackfoot(Soul Children).These artists were creating this magical music before I was born but I can remember my uncles and aunts playing their old 45's and this brand of soul music has always been a part of me.The orignal Bar-Kays were the spiritual sons of "The Mar-Keys".The original group consisted of Phalon Jones, James Alexander, Jimmie King, Carl Cunningham, Ronnie Caldwell and Ben Cauley.Doing their first record in March 1967, most of them died tragically in the same airplane crash with Otis Redding in December of 1967.This year "THE LEGENDARY BAR-KAYS" will be celebrating their 40th year anniversary in the music business.It is truly a BLESSING to have this much longevity in the entertainment business and thats why I was truly humbled and honored to be in the presence of this Legendary Band and J. Blackfoot.
The Washington County Civic Center in Greenville,Mississippi was the place and the lineup for this soulful gathering were the artists of the JEA/RIGHTNOW RECORDS LABEL.This awesome lineup included Lacee',Archie Love,J. Blackfoot and The Bar-Kays.Also on last nights show were Soul & R&B crooners Tony Terry,Glenn Jones and new and upcoming r&b sensation "TEMMORA".I arrived at the show early and was greeted by Larry Dodson(lead singer and front-man for the Bar-Kays)and he allowed me to settle backstage to take photos and just chat with some of the JEA/RIGHTNOW RECORDS artists.I knocked on the dressing room door and a rapy voice said ,"come in".I would recognize that voice anywhere it was the original lead singer for The Soul Children and present day southern soul legend,J. Blackfoot.I introduced myself and to my suprise he opened his arms and embraced me and this allowed me to settle down and relax.The other artists hadn't arrived yet so J. Blackfoot and I were able to sit and talk for a few minutes.He was actually born in Greenville and still has relatives here and some were in attendance for tonights show.
The rest of the JEA family arrived including Lacee',Archie Love,SAM FALLIE(got it right boy),James Alexander,Darrell Stanley,Ducthess and their events coordinator,LeVonne Sampson.After taking a few photos and chatting,it was now showtime.I left to sit with the best group ever assembled,the fans of this blues and southern soul thang.It was a BYOB affair so the atmosphere for tonight's show was a festive one.So sit back good people and let me take you on this blues and southern soul ride.
The first performer on the night was "The Songstress",Lacee'.I saw her perform a couple of months ago and I was very impressed with her performance to be a newcomer to this southern soul thang.I wasn't sure if the people in Greenville were familar with her music so I had to sit back and see what type of reception she would receive.She walked out on stage and received a huge ovation from the people of Greenville.She opened her performance with a rendition of Cheryl Lynn's "Got To Be Real" and the crowd jumped to their feet.A seventies(70's) disco hit was moving the crowd.Her next song was "No Pain No Gain" and the ladies down front by the stage were all into Lacee's performance.She was able to ad-lib with the ladies and this made the fans feel like they were a part of her show.Her next song was a rendition of Aretha Franklin's "Dr. Feelgood" and she did the Queen of Soul justice on this one.She gave a very moving and gut wrenching performance and the women down by the stage was cheering her on big time.She closed her performance with her biggest hit to date,"You-Gon-Make-Me"(Clown About My Man) and again she was able to ad-lib with the crowd and they simply loved it.She closed her show with the people up and dancing to her smash hit.The best way to describe Lacee' is sultry,soulful and sexy.She is becoming one of my favorite southern soul divas.For people who haven't heard this soulful diva please purchase her debut cd "The Songstress" and I promise you that you will not be disappointed.She set the tone for a very soulful evening.Great performance.
The next performer was "The Amazing",Archie Love.I saw him perform for the first time about a year ago in Greenwood,MS.On that night his show was limited so it was hard for me to determine just what kind of artist he truly was.Well last night I found out that he is truly "AMAZING".He opened his performance with Frankie Beverly & Maze's "Joy And Pain" and immediately the people of Greenville were feeling Archie Love.He had the crowd up and dancing.I didn't ask him if Frankie Beverly & Maze were his musical influence but he kept their theme going with his next song "Southern Girl".This nice uptempo song kept the crowd up and dancing and then toward the end of the song Archie along with his backup singers SAM FALLIE and Dutchess went into a tight dance routine and they received a nice ovation from the crowd.His next song,"Loving On Borrowed Time",allowed Archie to display his vocal range as he slowed down his performance with a nice silky ballad. He closed his performance with his smash hit "Should've Been There For You" and the ladies down by the stage who were beginning to be the life of the party were all loving this cut.He asked all the single ladies to come to the stage and did they ever.Several young F-I-N-E women flocked to the stage as Archie had a dozen long stemmed roses and he serenaded the ladies with Eddie Holman's "(Hey There)Lonely Girl" and he had the ladies swooning.Other women began to flock to the stage but only a lucky dozen received a rose from the "Amazing One".Archie Love is a terrific entertainer.His smooth soulful voice to go along with a strong stage presence was a joy to watch.I've seen my share of performers the last couple of years and Archie Love is truly among the best.Excellent performance.
The next performer in my opinion is a living legend.Greenville,Mississippi's very own J.Blackfoot hit the stage and he received the biggest ovation of the night.Everyone in attendance were on their feet and the stage area began to get crowded.He opened his performance with "Just Got Paid" and the opening lyrics are,"its Friday night and I just got paid" and several of the people in attendance said,"damn right".I got a big chuckle from that.A dance floor had formed on the side of the stage and it was packed with people getting their groove on.Greenville's native son had the place rocking.His next song was a personal favorite of mine.He was joined on stage by JEA recording artist Lacee" for "Just One Lifetime".The original duet is with Ann Hines but Lacee' did her proud on this night.The chemistry between J. and Lacee' was terrific.They had several couples in attendance slow dancing to this cut.I was just blown away by Lacee's abilty to sing this song just as equal to Ann Hines.His next song he was joined on stage by JEA recording artist Archie Love."Same Woman" also provided some good chemistry between J. and Archie.They were able to ad-lib with the crowd and with themselves which made this a very entertaining cut.The higlight of the song was when Archie left the stage area and chose a woman from the crowd to be the theme for this song.Archie remained on stage to help J. with the song that propelled him to superstar status as a solo artist."Taxi" received a thunderous ovation from the crowd and it was like a bomb had went off.He closed his performance with a sample of his song from his new cd titled,"It Ain't Over Til Its Over" and the crowd loved it.As he walked off stage the people in Greenville wanted more of the living legend and believe me he wanted to go back out there but as we all know that these shows are on a schedule.Damn good show.
R&B crooners Tony Terry,Temmora and Glenn Jones all performed in sucession.Tony Terry performance was highlighted by his song,"Look To The Hills" which was his testimony song.He stated that he once was a drug addict but now he's not."In The Shower" and "With You" were very popular with the ladies in attendance. Glenn Jones also received a big ovation from the people in Greenville.The ladies down front were his biggest support base for his performance."We've Only Just Begun" and "Baby Come Home" highlighted this soulful crooner's performance.
The biggest suprise of the night for me was new and upcoming sensation,Temmora.I had never heard of her before but now all of that has changed.One of the most beautiful and sexiest ladies that I've ever seen walked out on stage and myself and the rest of the guys in attendance just melted.She opened her performance with Erica Badu's "Tyrone" and she got the crowd on their feet.She was able to get the crowd really hyped with her rendition of The Pussy Cat Dolls,"Don't Cha".She performed Chaka Kahn's,"Ain't Nobody" and this kept the crowd dancing.Her next two songs were Donna Summers' "Bad Girls" and "She Works Hard For The Money" and these two disco songs had the people up and dancing.She closed her performance with two of her own songs,"Catch You On The Flipside" is a nice R&B cut and I hate to compare artists because I know an artist want their own identity but she sounds very similar to R&B recording artist Chante' Moore.She closed her performance with a nice quiet storm cut titled "There's No Me" and her angelic voice filled the civic center.Pretty,sexy, and talented makes her a very good recording artist.A sultry voice with eye popping sexy dance moves makes her a complete artist.I don't follow mainstream R&B like I use to but I know that I can expect bigger things from this gifted young lady in the future.You won my heart.A breath-taking performance.
The final performers of the night were "THE LEGENDARY BAR-KAYS".I remember seeing them as a little kid at a fund raiser back in my hometown of Mound Bayou,Mississippi.I was only about 10 or 11 years of age at the time and I still remember that performance.Fast forward some twenty five(25) years later and I am still excited about seeing this group perform again.The Bar-Kays on this night consisted of James Alexander(Original Bar-Kay),Larry Dodson,Archie Love and Darrell Stanley.When they hit the stage the place erupted.They opened their performance with "Boogie Body Land" and fans alike young and old now made the whole damn civic center a dance floor.The stage was flocked by female and male fans who all wanted to get a close-up look at the legends performing."Shake Your Rump To The Funk" kept the Civic Center grooving to the P-Funk sound from the seventies that made this band so unique.With background vocals from Archie and Darrell,the electrifying sounds coming from James Alexander's bass guitar and the smooth but funky vocals from lead singer Larry Dodson The Bar-Kays were bringing the house down.They continued the P-Funk groove with "Do It/Let Me See You Shake" and "Certified True".Larry Dodson's was able to display some slick and dynamic dance moves with these classic hits.They slowed the party down with a cut I hadn't heard in years,"Anticipation" showcased Larry's laid back soulful vocals.Much of The Bar-Kays sound is a hard hitting,funky vibe but this song allowed them to display their abilty to make you want to dim the lights down low and make your family grow,if you know what I mean.It was getting late and I guess the local law enforcement were ready to go but The Bar-Kays and the people in attendance weren't ready to leave just yet.They did portions of their other classic hits such as "Too Hot To Stop","Holy Ghost","Move Your Boogie Body", and "Freakshow On The Dance Floor".After forty(40) years in the game The Bar-Kays are still able to deliver big time.Larry Dodson is one of the bestshowman in the world and James Alexander skills on bass guitar are second to none.Throw in the perfect vocals of Archie Love and my man Darrell,the Bar-Kays are still show-stopping performers.Before they left the stage they brought back the whole JEA/RIGHTNOW family on stage.This was a solid display of unity and the people at JEA Records are truly one big happy family.
"The Party With The Stars Tour" is a must see show for fans of all varieties.It was an honor for me to witness this talented group of entertainers.I would like to thank again my girl LeVonne Sampson and Larry Dodson for allowing me to cover this show from backstage.To be in the presence of this collective group will be something that I will cherish always."The Party With The Stars Tour" will be coming to a city near year.For more information about this tour and artists for JEA/RIGHTNOW RECORDS please call (601)540-1130 or (601)368-9766.Temmora you have a BIG fan now so please keep in touch and let me know about future shows.Good people I had a great time last night and as always I just wanted to share it all with you.Take care and MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALWAYS.
Big K9