Monday, November 14, 2022

FOLLOW ME 87.6 Ep. 300


 

Playlist:

Ed Calle – Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) (Ft. KC)
Les Sabler – New Bossa
Darryl Walker – Ribbon ln The sky
DW3 – Sweet Baby
David P Stevens – After Party
Ron Bosse, Jeff Lorber – Kiss The Sky
Gordon James – Drivin’
Bryan Anderson – Smokin’
Tom Browne – Cupid Shuffle

Monday, November 7, 2022

ALAN AND LITA BLAKE · FRIDAY NIGHT (TRIBUTE TO AL JARREAU)


 
Alan and Lita have always enjoyed the iconic jazz vocal legend Al-Jarreau. “Friday Night” is
a tribute to Jarreau and was originally sent to Al-Jarreau via his long-time keyboardist  Tom Canning. Although the song was never recorded by Al-Jarreau, Alan and Lita continued to perform the song live at various venues and received positive  Responses and requests to release it one day. Here it is and many have said that Alan’s vocal texture, is very similar to Al-Jarreau’s.

Alan and Lita Blake have recorded, toured or written for the likes of Grover Washington Jr.,
Eddie Holman, George Howard, John Blake Jr., Gerald Veasley, Jasmine Guy (Raisin’ Cane), Bob Baldwin (For Grover and George), Darren Rahn and were early mentors for Rachelle Ferrell. They have appeared on  albums with musicians such as Mark Snow, Omar Hakim, Kevin Eubanks, Billy Johnson, Ron Smith (both formerly with Maze feat. Frankie Beverly, Seidah Garrett, Gwen Guthrie and a host of others.



Sunday, November 6, 2022

FOLLOW ME 87.6 Ep. 299


 

Playlist:

Jestofunk – The Ghetto
Valentino Maltos – Don’t You Worry ‘bout a Thing
Brown, Sturgis & Brown – Every Time l Close My eyes
John W. Hudson – About Last Night ( Ft. Kill Bill)
Leo P – Cold Duck Time
Eric Valentine – Let’s Move (Ft. Richard Elliot)
Doctor X – Magneto
Lemek – Co-Motion
Dennis Taylor – Could lt Be

Thursday, October 27, 2022

FOLLOW ME 87.6 EP. 298



Playlist:

CFM Band – My Baby
Paul Brown – Wolfpack
Kirk Whalum – All l Do (Ft. Wendy Moten)
A. Ray Fuller – A Coastal Breeze
Dee Brown – Tie The Knot ( Ft. Lin Rountree)
Rebecca Jade - Insane
Jason Jackson – Wolkin’ lt Out (Ft. Gino Rosaria)
Jeff Ryan – we Can Work lt Out

Saturday, October 22, 2022

REBECCA JADE · A SHADE OF JADE

For years, she’s been performing with the likes of Sheila E., Sir Elton John and at jazz festivals throughout the world, but never before has neo soul vocalist Rebecca Jade recorded a collection of her own songs until now. The ten-track “A Shade of Jade” dropped Friday, which Jade coproduced with keyboardist and frequent songwriting partner Carnell Harrell (Boney James, Andra Day). The LadyJade Music release arrived as Jade’s “Show Me,” a vintage R&B cut driven by a hard-hitting hip hop beat, layers of sophisticated vocal tracks and modern jazz nuances, hits Billboard's Top 30 chart.


Always a singer, Jade didn’t consider herself a songwriter although she had written lyrics and poetry in an ever-present notebook that she carried for years. But she didn’t have the confidence to share or fully explore that side of her artistry. Teaming with Harrell changed that. Finally opening up the pages containing intimate thoughts, feelings, reflections and experiences, Jade turned those journaled writings into resonant lyrics, often composing vibrant melodies for songs that deftly incorporate R&B, jazz, hip hop and pop. Anchoring the aural alchemy illumined by lush harmonies and soul-powered grooves is Jade’s richly expressive voice, commandingly delivering substantive stories of hope, inspiration and romantic ardor. Her lyrics empower strength, courage and fortitude; get vulnerable and fantasize about unabashed love; and relish life with a full and grateful heart.

Friday, October 21, 2022

FOLLOW ME 87.6 RADIO SHOW Ep. 295


Playlist:

Gary Little – Tonights the Nite
Herb Alpert – Tickle Time
Slow - 
Grasshopper
Charles A Kelly – l Know You
Gordon James – Smooth Sunshine
Shawn Raiford – Man with A Horn (Ft. Lecsi Tomorrow)
Justin Klunk – Thunder (Ft. David Benoit)
Demetrius Nabors – Shine
Mo Louis – Georgy Porgy
Bach & A. Killian. l Do

Friday, September 30, 2022

FOLLOW ME 87.6 RADIO SHOW EP.294




Playlist:

Jeremy Sean Hector – Night Flight
LaShawn D. Gary – Transitions
D`Sal – Late At Nite
Deepak Thettu – Forever (Without A Doubt)
Elan Trotman – Passport to Paradise ( Ft. JJ Sansaverino)
Kim Scott – Off The Top
Mariea Antoinette – So Amazing

Friday, September 9, 2022

LINDSEY WEBSTER · REASONS


“Everything is energy,” exclaims the stunning, charismatic Billboard #1 singer/songwriter Lindsey Webster. “Atoms make up everything, and they are only made of 0.0001% matter. That leaves 99.9999% space – aka energy! This simple fact is how I remember to take my focus off of this physical world and tune into my spirit.” Webster who studied cellular and molecular biology in college with the intentions of becoming a researcher adds, “The more we tune into our own energy, the better our lives become.” The amiable and earthy singer, has managed to shake up the cliquish male and instrumental dominated – Contemporary Jazz scene, forging a path that is uniquely her own. Amazingly in 2016, Webster became the first vocalist to hit #1 on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz charts since Sade. “For the first time, I think I made an album for myself,” she confides. “I’ve come a long way. On my first album, little 21-year old Lindsey was singing those songs the way I thought Mariah (Carey), Amy Winehouse or Adele would do it. I had no idea who I was as a person, let alone as an artist. This album speaks to what I want and in return I think that it will connect with my audience in a deeper way.”

Reasons features several major special guest collaborators including bassist Nathan East, trumpeters Nicholas Payton and Randy Brecker, pianist Brian Culbertson (who plays trumpet and trombone on the album) Kev Choice who raps on a track and drummer Lil John Roberts, among others. At the heart of Lindsey’s collaborations is her long-time musical partner and former husband, pianist Keith Slattery. “I think our shared vision for the potential of what our music is capable of keeps the dream alive,” confides Lindsey. “Keith is an amazing example of understanding and compassion. I can speak for the both of us when I say that relationships are given to us to learn from whether they are romantic or not. I find it trivial and petty to throw away a great friendship and partnership over differences. Life is too short!” The winning combination of Webster and Slattery has resulted in two Billboard #1’s and eight Top 10’s on the Billboard charts.

The highly anticipated Reasons is an intimate and introspective portrait of Lindsey Webster’s epiphany about herself and her relationships. It has all the makings of a career-defining album as she steps forward as one of the best singers of her generation, a promising songwriter and rarity in the world of Contemporary Jazz. The cathartic album explores not only the joyful side of love but also the heartbreak and growth from disappointment. Although Lindsey has always prided herself in maintaining a level of honesty in her music, she has only recently become comfortable delving into the darker side of her feelings. “I used to shy away from my negative emotions and felt guilty about being one of those ‘toxic positivity people’ who fake smile through things, telling myself and others to ‘just be positive,’” explains Webster, who meditates daily. “This attitude got me through a certain time in my life but it took sitting with myself and being curious about my negative emotions. It’s scary territory, but once you become friends with your demons, it’s like the Wizard of Oz, and it’s not as scary as you once thought it was.”

Reasons is a sublime showcase of Lindsey Webster‘s metamorphosis as an artist, shining a spotlight on her precise, effortless and ethereal vocals. At times her voice calls to mind such iconic singers as Mariah Carey, Anita Baker and Roberta Flack. There is an authenticity that permeates the songs featured on the album. “There has never been another option for me, other than honesty,” reveals the former EMT and firefighter. “The better I get to understand myself, the better my expression and music seems to get and this makes music truer, and people feel that.” Reasons was recorded during three different sessions, starting August 2021, with a second session at the end of January 2022 with the final session wrapping in May 2022. “I think that the pandemic really forced me to look inward, giving me deeper insights into who I am, which made it easier for me to say what I was feeling in these songs,” shares Lindsey, who was first cellist in High School and continues to play to this day. “I reached a new level of not caring if what I said might offend someone.”