Finally, a Zappa album that's safe for the whole family! Frank Zappa's pair of 1972 releases, Waka/Jawaka and The Grand Wazoo, stand as two of the most impressive and unusual in his sprawling catalogue. Forced to abandon live performing as a result of a crazed "fan" charging the stage and heaving him into an orchestra pit, the composer-bandleader spent nearly a year recovering from injuries to his face, head, ribs, arm, and leg. A wheelchair and a leg brace couldn't stop Zappa's prodigious
Band break-ups can be traumatizing, no matter how they happen. Philip Bailey, whose high falsetto vocals were a key part of Earth, Wind & Fire during their most commercial years in the '70s and '80s, has frequently described the band's (temporary) dissolution, brought up during a 1983 band meeting by founder Maurice White, as one of the lower points of his career. Bailey's next moves could shape his trajectory as an artist for better or worse. Of course, what happened over the rest of the
On the evening of December 10, 1971, Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention had just encored with a performance of The Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand" at London's Rainbow Theatre when a so-called fan jumped onto the stage and pushed the bandleader some twelve feet into the orchestra pit. With injuries to his face, head, ribs, arm, and leg, Zappa was lucky to survive. He was forced into a near-yearlong period of convalescence in a wheelchair and leg brace, but he didn't stop creating or
George Duke (1946-2013) wore many hats throughout his career: keyboardist, composer, producer, arranger, singer. His solo discography encompassed 40 albums while his collaborations included LPs with such jazz luminaries as Jean-Luc Ponty, Billy Cobham, Stanley Clarke, and Dexter Gordon. He produced records for A Taste of Honey, Sister Sledge, Barry Manilow, Melissa Manchester, Miles Davis, Al Jarreau, and Smokey Robinson. Jazz was only part of the George Duke story, as his music fused the
Let's hear it for Deniece Williams. Since making her first big splash 45 years ago with debut album This is Niecy, the daughter of Gary, Indiana has scored 27 Billboard R&B hits and 14 Pop successes including two crossover Number Ones, won four Grammy Awards (and amassed another nine nominations), and recorded over fifteen albums blurring the lines between soul, pop, and gospel. Between 1976 and 1988, Williams made Columbia Records her home, both with Maurice White's ARC imprint and with
It's been a busy few years for Phil Collins. Most recently, he wrapped up the U.S. leg of the successful Not Dead Yet Live! Tour. He released the recent compilation, Plays Well With Others, which saw him dipping into his archives to find his session appearances and collaborations. He also released The Singles and oversaw the remastering of his studio work with the "Take A Look At Me Now" reissue series. Now, the campaign continues with the February 1 release of two remastered live albums
Phil Collins' live album A Hot Night In Paris features instrumental performances of songs from across Collins' solo discography, as well as select tracks from his time in Genesis. Credited to The Phil Collins Big Band and featuring Collins on drums, the album also includes covers of Miles Davis's "Milestones" and The Average White Band's "Pick Up the Pieces." The latter features George Duke on keyboards. The remastered album will be available on CD February 1 from Atlantic/Rhino.
Melissa Manchester announced her independence from Arista Records when she signed to MCA Records after nearly a decade with Clive Davis' famous label. At Arista, Manchester had established herself as one of the finest singer-songwriters of her era (or any other!) as well as a first-class pop interpreter. At MCA, she reinvented herself further by jumping headfirst into the world of dance-oriented synthpop, Hi-NRG, and new wave. 1985's Mathematics bore the period's hallmark of multiple big-name
Bassist Stanley Clarke has long been one of jazz's leading lights. The Philadelphia-born musician and composer's career, which flourishes to the present day, has recently been anthologized by Cherry Red's Robinsongs label. The Definitive Collection concentrates on the period of 1975-1990 during which time he was recording for the Nemperor and Epic labels as a solo artist. Philadelphia-born Clarke first rose to prominence showcasing his bass wizardry as part of Chick Corea's fusion jazz
SoulMusic Records, in association with Cherry Red, has recently launched a series of new 2-CD anthologies designed to give a comprehensive look at one period of an artist's career. The initial group of releases is dedicated to three artists whose talents span multiple genres - Melba Moore, George Duke, and Ramsey Lewis. Melba Moore's Standing Right Here: the Anthology - The Buddah and Epic Years devotes one disc to each one of those labels. Moore's first major-label contract was actually