by Jacob Blickenstaff

On Saturday (7/30), Lincoln Center Out of Doors in partnership with the Ponderosa Stomp, put on a remarkable day of music and music history under the name of "She's Got The Power, a Girl Group Extravaganza." Within its 10 (free) hours, the event included a 3-part, 4-hour panel of "Girl Talk" that presented Lesley Gore, members of the Angels and the Exciters, Seymour Stein (co-founder of Sire Records) and many studio musicians who worked closely with (r'n'r hall of famer) Ellie Greenwich.

The concert was organized into 3 parts covering 5 hours. First was a revue of girl group singers. Arlene Smith, of the Chantels, performed magnificently from her motorized wheelchair, commanding the stage by zipping back and forth. Then there were extended sets from headliners La La Brooks of the Crystals, Lesley Gore and Ronnie Spector (the Ronettes), and finally a tribute by the evening's artists to girl-group-godmother Ellie Greenwich.

This was not your father's PBS Doo-Wop special. Although the passing of Amy Winehouse was noted by Ronnie Spector, who performed part of 'Back to Black', it was more of a (tragic) footnote to the larger spirit of survival, brilliance, toughness and female chutzpah on parade. Many performers commented both publicly and privately that the spirit of Ellie Greenwich was the guiding force of the day. As stellar performance after performance dredged up tingly globs of our collective memory, the realization grew of just how much we owe to these artists, producers and songwriters who had just as much influence on the Beatles, Stones and other British Invasion bands as did the blues.

More about the show with lots of pictures, below...

Continue reading "it was all about the girls @ Lincoln Center's 2011 Ponderosa Stomp (pics & review)"

On Sharon Jones' birthday this year [May 4th], the band will release I Learned the Hard Way, their fourth full-length on Brooklyn's independent Daptone Records. The record marks a bold step forward for a band who almost singlehandedly stewarded today's return of soul music to its more traditional sound.

I Learned the Hard Way was produced by Bosco Mann and recorded on an Ampex eight-track tape machine by Gabriel Roth in Daptone Records' House of Soul studios, the record drips with a warmth and spontaneity rarely found since the golden days of Muscle Shoals and Stax. Sharon's raw power, rhythmic swagger, moaning soulfulness, and melodic command set her firmly alongside Tina Turner, James Brown, Mavis Staples, and Aretha as a fixture in the canon of soul music. From the lush Philly-Soul fanfare that ushers in "The Game Gets Old" at the top of the record, to the stripped down Sam Cooke-style "Mama Don't Like My Man" at the tail, the Dap-Kings dance seamlessly through both the most crafted and simple arrangements with subtlety and discipline.

Continue reading "Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings announce 'I Learned the Hard Way' - their 4th studio album "

Eli Paperboy Reed @ The Bell House (more by Jacob Blickenstaff)

Tickets are on sale for the recently-added Neon Indian show at Brooklyn Bowl.

Soul man Eli "Paperboy" Reed is playing a show at Brooklyn Bowl on Saturday night (11/21). Tickets are on sale for that too. Eli, who also plays in Salem, Massachusetts tonight (11/20), was supposed to hit DC on the 22nd, but that's been cancelled "due to some logistical problems".

Jacob Blickenstaff took the picture of Eli you see above. If you happen to be in Memphis, check out his pictures on display at the Stax Museum of Ameican Soul Music.

Speaking of BV photographers with cool other projects, Justina Villanueva just released the first issue of her own magazine. Check out her recent photos from Jesus Lizard at Irving Plaza too.

Sunday is the Talib Kweli show at Brooklyn Bowl. Tickets are still on sale. It's one of three shows Talib will play in the city before the end of the year.

Other shows coming up at Brooklyn Bowl with tickets on sale include Julian Plenti, Dr. Dog, and Dangerous (All Metal Tribute to Michael Jackson). Dangerous also opened for Deer Tick there on Halloween.

It's been a year since Eli performed on Jools Holland. The video from that performance is below...

Continue reading "Eli Paperboy Reed playing Brooklyn (Bowl), but not DC, Neon Indian tix on sale, Talib Kweli & other upcoming shows"