I Ain't Got Nobody - Earl 'Fatha' Hines

Earl Kenneth Hines, universally known as Earl "Fatha" Hines (December 28, 1903 – April 22, 1983), was an American jazz pianist. Hines was one of the most influential figures in the development of modern jazz piano and, according to one major source, is "one of a small number of pianists whose playing shaped the history of jazz". Earl Hines was born in Duquesne, Pennsylvania, 12 miles from Pittsburgh city center. His father, Joseph Hines, played cornet and was leader of Pittsburgh's Eureka Brass Band, his stepmother a church organist. Hines intended to follow his father on cornet but "blowing" hurt him behind the ears - while the piano didn't. The young Hines took classical piano lessons - at eleven he was playing the organ in his local Baptist church - but he also had a "good ear and a good memory" and could re-play songs and numbers he heard in theaters and park 'concerts': "I'd be playing songs from these shows months before the song copies came out. That astonished a lot of people and they'd ask where I heard these numbers and I'd tell them at the theatre where my parents had taken me." Later Hines was to say that he was playing piano around Pittsburgh "before the word 'jazz' was even invented". At the age of 17, and with his father's approval, Hines moved away from home to take a job playing piano with Lois Deppe & his "Symphonian Serenaders" in the Liederhaus, a Pittsburgh nightclub. He got his board, two meals a day and $15 a week. Deppe was a well-known baritone who sang both classical and popular numbers. Deppe used the young Hines as his accompanist for both and took Hines on his concert-trips to New York. Hines' first recordings were accompanying Deppe — four sides recorded with Gennett Records in 1923. Only two of these were issued, and only one, a Hines composition, "Congaine", "a keen snappy foxtrot", featured any solo work by Hines. Hines entered the studio again with Deppe a month later to record spirituals and popular songs. In 1925, after much family debate, Hines moved to Chicago, Illinois, then the world's "jazz" capital, home (at the time) to Jelly Roll Morton and King Oliver. He started in The Elite no. 2 Club but soon joined Carroll Dickerson's band with whom he also toured on the Pantages Theatre Circuit to Los Angeles and back. Then, in the poolroom at Chicago's Musicians' Union on State & 39th, Earl Hines met Louis Armstrong. Hines was 21, Armstrong 24. They played together at the Union piano. Armstrong was astounded by Hines's avant-garde "trumpet-style" piano-playing, often using dazzlingly fast octaves so that on none-too-perfect upright pianos (and with no amplification) "they could hear me out front" - as indeed they could. Richard Cook's Jazz Encyclopedia says: ... [Hines'] most dramatic departure from what other pianists were then playing was his approach to the underlying pulse: he would charge against the metre of the piece being played, accent off-beats, introduce sudden stops and brief silences. In other hands this might sound clumsy or all over the place but Hines could keep his bearings with uncanny resilience. Armstrong and Hines became good friends, shared a car, and Armstrong joined Hines in Carroll Dickerson's band at the Sunset Cafe. In 1927, this became Louis Armstrong's band under the musical direction of Hines. Later that year, Armstrong revamped his Okeh Records recording-only band, Louis Armstrong's Hot Five, and replaced his wife Lil Hardin Armstrong on piano with Hines. Armstrong and Hines then recorded what are often regarded as some of the most important jazz records ever made, most famously their 1928 trumpet and piano duet "Weatherbird". ... with Earl Hines arriving on piano, Armstrong was already approaching the stature of a concerto soloist, a role he would play more or less throughout the next decade, which makes these final small-group sessions something like a reluctant farewell to jazz's first golden age. Since Hines is also magnificent on these discs (and their insouciant exuberance is a marvel on the duet showstopper "Weather Bird") the results seem like eavesdropping on great men speaking almost quietly among themselves. There is nothing in jazz finer or more moving than the playing on "West End Blues", "Tight Like This", "Beau Koo Jack" and "Muggles". The Sunset Cafe closed in 1927. Hines, Armstrong and their drummer, Zutty Singleton, agreed they would be, "'The Unholy Three', stick together and not play for anyone unless the three of us were hired” but, trying to establish their own Warwick Hall Club as 'Louis Armstrong and his Stompers' (with Hines as musical director and the premises rented in Hines' name) they ran into difficulties. Hines went briefly to New York to return to find that in his absence Armstrong and Singleton had re-joined their now-rival Carroll Dickerson’s band at the new The Savoy Ballroom – a fact which left Hines “warm”. Hines joined clarinetist Jimmy Noone at The Apex, an after-hours speakeasy, playing from midnight to 6am, seven nights a week. Hines recorded with Noone, again with Armstrong and late in 1928 recorded his first piano solos, eight for QRS Records in New York then seven for Okeh Records in Chicago, all except two his own compositions. He moved in with Kathryn Perry with whom he had recorded "Sadie Green The Vamp of New Orleans" but Hines had also begun rehearsing his own big band. At 24 his big break was about to come. Arguably still playing as well as he ever had, Hines displayed individualistic quirks (including grunts à la Glenn Gould) in these performances. He now sometimes sang as he played, especially his own "They Didn't Believe I Could Do It—Neither Did I". In 1975, Hines was the subject of an hour-long documentary film for British ATV television channel, out-of-hours at the Blues Alley nightclub in Washington, DC. The New York Herald Tribune described it as "The greatest jazz film ever made". In that film Hines said, "The way I like to play is that ... I'm an explorer, if I might use that expression, I'm looking for something all the time ... almost like I'm trying to talk." He played solo in The White House (twice) and played solo for The Pope - and played (and sang) his last show in San Francisco a few days before he died in Oakland, quite likely somewhat older than he had always maintained. As he had wished, his Steinway had a very much "All Star" Christie's auction for the benefit of gifted low-income music students, still bearing its silver plaque: "presented by jazz lovers from all over the world. this piano is the only one of its kind in the world and expresses the great genius of a man who has never played a melancholy note in his lifetime on a planet that has often succumbed to despair". On his tombstone is the inscription: "piano man" If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, -  ”LIKE” ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorite band!

Hello Little Girl - Ernie Andrews

Ernie Andrews has a raw vitality that communicates instantly, he exudes a "reach 'em by preachin'" energy, influenced by his gospel roots. Born Christmas day in Philadelphia, his early years were spent in his mother's Baptist Church. In his early teens, his family moved to Los Angeles, where he studied drums at Jefferson High School and continued singing. He was discovered by songwriter Joe Greene in 1947, when he won an amateur show at the Lincoln Theatre on Central Avenue in Los Angeles. Greene was so impressed that he immediately took Andrews into the studio to record at age 17. With a 300,000 seller hit, "Soothe Me" with "Wrap It Up And Put It Away" on the flip side, Ernie Andrews became a singer to be reckoned with. In 1953, he had another big record with "Make Me A Present of You" with Benny Carter. By this time, Andrews was working at home and out of town playing clubs, concerts and "after-hours" rooms. In 1959, Andrews joined Harry James' band, touring the U.S. and South America for nine years, which time he considers his most valuable learning experience. In 1967, he recorded the jazz classic "Big City" with Cannonball Adderley on Capital Records. Obviously a fan and admirer, Cannonball Adderley stated, "When it comes down to the real nitty-gritty, there's Ernie Andrews." After the project with Cannonball, Andrews rejoined Harry James in 1968 for one more year before going it alone. In 1969, Baltimore became home base for Andrews, where he worked the East Coast and the Midwest, again scoring big with his hit record of "Bridge Over Troubled Waters." In 1974, he returned to Los Angeles, where he resided with his wife of 50 years, Dolores, who recently passed away, but Ernie continues on, sharing the lives of his five children and grandchildren. Early influences included Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Eckstine, Al Hibbler, Johnny Mercer, Jimmy Rushing and "Big" Joe Turner. Jazz producer Gene Norman said of Andrews, "Ernie is everything an outstanding modern singer should be. His sound and style have been influenced by his predecessors, but he contributes important values . . . uniquely his own." Several years ago Andrews returned to the scene of his prime -- to the Gaiety Club across from the Lincoln Theatre -- as his life was being profiled in an award-winning documentary, available on video, "Ernie Andrews' Blues on Central Avenue," directed by Lois Shelton. Ernie continues to play clubs, concerts and jazz festivals throughout the world, and often performs in Las Vegas. In 1989, he recorded with Gene Harris and the Philip Morris Superband, "Live at Town Hall NYC" for Concord, and subsequently toured with the band for three months covering five continents. Engagements followed in 1991 and 1992 with Ray Brown at the Blue Note. In 1993, 1994 and 1996, he performed in concert at club venues all over the world, including Europe, Asia, Australia, and throughout the United States, Canada and South America. He performed with his own small group at the WBGO Annual New Year's Eve, which was nationally broadcast on National Public Radio. After a two hour stint with his own quartet featuring Aaron Graves on piano, Frank Wes on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums, Ernie then tore the house apart with a big band including the Heath Brothers, led by Jimmy Heath. Los Angeles Times critic Don Heckman said of a recent performance at the Jazz Spot in Los Angeles, "[H]e blends a hard-swinging, outgoing vocal style with a quick-witted sense of humor . . . he does so with a rich timbre, a gift for drama and a singular capacity to stimulate an audience," and "[H]e was a musical whirlwind, bringing life, love, humor and musicality to everything he sang." A four-page discography includes 20+ albums, such as "This Is Ernie Andrews" and "Soul Proprietor," "Travelin' Light" with arrangements by Benny Carter, Gerald Wiggins and John Anderson; "From The Heart," and his recent releases "No Regrets," "The Great City" and "Girl Talk." He is also featured on numerous albums, including "Ellington Is Forever," Volumes I and II with Kenny Burrell; "Juggernaut" and "Juggernaut Strikes Again" with the Capp-Pierce Orchestra; "Paris All-Stars" with Jay McShann; and "You Can Hide Inside the Music" with the Harper Brothers (Verve). Having the ear to improvise and a rich resonant voice, Andrews plays his vocal chords as a musician plays his horn. He must be seen to be fully appreciated. With his special strut, unique mannerisms and a performance that portrays the gamut of emotional experience, he consistently moves audiences to standing ovations. There's only one, and he's the best. If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, -  ”LIKE” ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorite band!

Blues No. 6 - Ray Bryant

Raphael Homer "Ray" Bryant (December 24, 1931 – June 2, 2011) was an American Jazz pianist and composer. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Ray Bryant began playing the piano at the age of six, also performing on bass in junior High School. Turning professional before his age of majority, Bryant accompanied many other leading players such as Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Melba Liston, and Coleman Hawkins, as well as singers Carmen McRae and Aretha Franklin. From the late 1950s, he led a trio, performing throughout the world, and also worked solo. In addition, he was a noted jazz composer, with well-known themes such as "Cubano Chant," "The Madison Time," "Monkey Business," and "Little Susie" to his credit. The musicians Kevin Eubanks, Duane Eubanks, and Robin Eubanks are his nephews. His brothers are the bass player Tommy Bryant (May 21, 1930 – March 1, 1982) and Len Bryant, who plays drums and is also a singer. His niece Jennifer Bryant who is also Len Bryant's daughter is a singer songwriter and producer. Both Tommy and Ray Bryant formed a trio with Oz Perkins as the back-up band for the off-Broadway run of the comedy show Cambridge Circus, at Square East in 1964. The show starred John Cleese, Bill Oddie, Tim Brooke-Taylor, David Hatch, Jo Kendall, Graham Chapman, Jonathan Lynn, and Jean Hart. If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, -  ”LIKE” ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorite band! Please hit Video to watch.

Helpless - Ollie Jones

Combined into one oversized threat of a songwriter, some might call it a "du-ollie-ity," Ollie Jones (b Dec 9, 1929)wrote adorable pop songs for Perry Como but years later choked out titles such as "Impaled" and "Murder in Mind," not to mention the dreaded and presumably messy "Bathroom Autopsy." In actuality, the songwriting phenomena of Ollie Jones must be examined in plural. The guy with roots in early-'50s doo wop and the member of a band whose name itself is a Desecration are different people, from different generations and, as established, representing different points of view. The larger, although less shocking, songwriting catalog belongs to the earlier Ollie Jones. His first professional stirrings were in the Blenders, the combo frothing up out of the more daring members of a New York church choir in the late '40s. Jones was known as the group's leader and was also linked to other vocal groups of the period, including the Ravens and the Four Notes. On recordings, the group began establishing a reputation after signing with Coral. This subsidiary of Decca had a largely deserved reputation for being oh-so-hep with R&B. Jones and bandmates, including Abel DeCosta, continued recording for the latter firm and MGM into the early '50s, then became aligned with producer Joe Davis, by then a recording industry veteran. the Blenders were part of a typical Davis ruse, supposedly recording under other group names even after the actual band had broken up. Jones and DeCosta started a new ensemble, the Cues, and originally intended the project as an in-house accompanying unit for R&B recording stars. Such performers immediately saw the value of such a venture, if not swearing allegiance to its chosen name. As the group went to work it was known under a variety of other monikers, depending on who was in charge: the Rhythm Makers, the Ivory Tones, and so forth. Efforts to score a hit without a frontman and as the Cues were in vain, but the group continued to work as a background unit. Publishing must have become more worthwhile than the weary road, Jones and co-writers such as Tommy Smith coming up with a series of songs that many pop vocalists felt worthy of covering. "Tiger" roared into the international hit jungle; the Latin version was "El Tigre." "Send for Me" has been one of Jones' most recorded works, suggesting that the song's title works as some kind of automatic command when read by a producer. Fans of Elvis Presley may know of Jones as an author of "Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers. If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, -  ”LIKE” ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorite band!

I Wanna ThankYou - Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly

Frankie Beverly (born Howard Beverly, December 6, 1946, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American singer, musician, songwriter, and producer, known primarily for his recordings with the soul and funk band, Maze. Beverly started out singing gospel music in church as a schoolboy in Philadelphia. He has claimed that his first professional concert was a tour with The Silhouettes (famous for their 1958 hit single, "Get a Job") when he was only twelve years old. However, this is disputed by those associated with the group, whose members were never known to mention him while they were alive. As a teenager he formed The Blenders, a short-lived a cappella, doo-wop group that were influenced by The Dells, The Moonglows, and The Del Vikings. After that outfit dissolved, he founded The Butlers, which would be the first group he recorded with in 1963. As time passed, they caught the attention of the record producer Kenny Gamble, who eventually released recordings by the group. It turned out that music performed by The Butlers did not fit into the "Philly Sound", and after some heavy touring, the group relocated to California. The unit was re-christened as Raw Soul and caught the attention of a sister-in-law to Marvin Gaye. Gaye featured them as an opening act at his shows, and also convinced Beverly to change the band's name to Maze. The group's popularity was enhanced considerably in the UK by DJ Greg Edwards in the late 1970s and early 1980s when they performed live at London's Lyceum Ballroom for broadcast on Capital Radio. They are best known there for their UK #57 hit single, "Joy and Pain".Their most popular song here in the States is "Before I Let Go." Beverly's onstage attire (all-white casual clothing, including slacks, long-sleeved shirt, and a baseball cap) has become his signature dress style over the years. His son, Anthony, who has toured as a drummer with Maze, recently organized a tribute to his father, founding the record label Brantera as an homage to the work of Maze. If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

Frank Bey

Frank Bey is a blues singer who grew up in Millen, Georgia, son of gospel singer Maggie Jordan. Frank toured with the Otis Redding Review in the 60's and later with Archie Jenkins & The Incredible Saxons. He rejoined the music business in 1996. He has been performing in the Philadelphia and New Jersey area ever since. His performances include yearly appearances at the Cape May Jazz Festival. His debut CD, which premiered in 1998 was entitled "Steppin' Out". In 2000, he released a single "I Wanna See You Soon." Frank Bey's latest CD released September 2007 is 'Blues in the Pocket." The CD was produced by Kevin Frieson and Jeff Monjack who also provided the original compositions. It was released by jeffhouse records. Frank's current band includes Joe Blong on bass, Joe Novak on guitar, Thomas Jefferson (TJ) on drums, Sam Reed of tenor sax, Kenny Taylor on trumpet, and Bill Levinson on keyboards. If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, -  ”LIKE” ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorite band!

Me And Mrs Jones - Billy Paul

Billy Paul (born Paul Williams on December 1, 1934 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a well known soul singer, famous for his Grammy-winning vocals on “Me and Mrs. Jones”. He is sometimes known as a one-hit wonder, because while “Me and Mrs. Jones” was a No. 1 hit for the last three weeks of 1972, it was his only chart topper on the pop and soul music listings. Paul has been a frequent member and hit maker for the soul music scene in the years before and after his Grammy Award, especially with the use of the consistently popular Philadelphia soul style as his backing. He has, however, recorded much other material of note, including “Am I Black Enough For You?”, “Let’s Make A Baby” and an alternate version of “Let’s Stay Together”. Jones was on the Neptune Records label for many years. Other songs he recorded include “Thanks For Saving My Life”, “Let ‘Em In”, “Your Song”, “Only The Strong Survive” and “Bring The Family Back”. Paul is married, and continues to tour around the world extensively. If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, -  ”LIKE” ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorite band!

Bullfight - Chuck Edwards

Soul shouter Chuck Edwards was born Charles Edward Edwins in Philadelphia on November 29, 1927. According to online funk e-zine Funky 16 Corners, he began playing guitar professionally during the late '40s, and made his recorded debut on the Sonny Thompson Band's "Harlem Rug Cutter." Credited as Charles Edwins & His Orchestra, he made his headlining debut for Duke with 1953's "I Got Loose" before assuming the name Chuck Edwards for subsequent efforts, including "If You Love Me (Like You Say You Do)" and "You Move Me." Moving with each successive release from his formative smooth blues sound to a grittier R&B approach, Edwards frequently changed labels, following 1956's Apollo effort "Just for a Day" with 1959's Alanna single "Lucy and Jimmy Got Married," backed on the latter by the Five Crowns (featuring a then-unknown Ben E. King). None of these records made any kind of commercial impact, however, and by the early '60s Edwards was living in the Pittsburgh suburb of Canonsburg and working in a steel mill; he ultimately saved up enough money to found his own label, Rene (named for his wife, Irene), cutting his own sides as well as lending his unique guitar to back other artists. Edwards' headlining sides from his mid-'60s Rene period include "Shake Baby Shake" and "I Don't Want No Company," each honing a distinctive sound marrying Edwards' gritty vocals and incendiary guitar with backing performances as raw and energetic as anything coming out of garages in Anytown U.S.A. In late 1965 he issued the rocking "Bullfight," a huge local hit picked up for national release on Roulette and a Pittsburgh oldies radio favorite to this day. "Bullfight No. 2," issued in 1966, added a funky Hammond organ to the reworked original. Issued on the Rene subsidiary Punch, 1967's "Downtown Soulsville" remains Edwards' masterpiece -- boasting a truly wild vocal and some brilliantly funky guitar, the record was not a national hit but immediately captured the imagination of die-hard soul and funk aficionados, with a reissue on U.K. tastemaker Dave Godin's Soul City label and an appearance on the 1969 compilation Soul from the City. Back Again Also in 1967, Edwards recorded "Sweet Sweet Love" for major label Kapp -- the circumstances of the recording are not known, but the single was not a hit and he seemed to drop from sight for several years, relocating his family to the San Francisco area around 1972. The family unit soon began performing and recording as a group dubbed the Edwards Generation, releasing the single "School Is In" on Ghetto and the full-length The Street Thang on Tight. the Edwards Generation even appeared on television's The Mike Douglas Show. He continued performing during the decades to follow, resurfacing in 1994 with Back Again, a collection of new material and re-recorded classics. If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

Blind Man's Blues - Katie Crippen

Katie Crippen (November 17, 1895 – November 25, 1929), also billed as Little Katie Crippen or Ella White, was an African American entertainer and singer. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. She performed at Edmond's Cellar in New York City ca. 1920. In 1921 she recorded four sides for Black Swan Records in the classic female blues style, accompanied by Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra. She toured in 1922–23 as the star of a revue, "Liza and her Shuffling Sextet", that included Fats Waller. She subsequently formed a revue, "Katie Crippen and Her Kids", in which she was accompanied by a teenaged Count Basie. In the later 1920s he appeared in revues at the Lafayette Theater in New York City, and toured the RKO theater circuit with Dewey Brown as Crippen & Brown. After a long illness, Crippen died of cancer in New York City on November 25, 1929. She is buried in Merion Memorial Park, in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, outside of Philadelphia If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, -  ”LIKE” ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorite band!

Kevin Eubanks - Live in Seattle

Kevin Tyrone Eubanks (born November 15, 1957 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an

American jazz guitarist and composer who was the leader of The Tonight Show Band with host Jay Leno from 1995 to 2010. He also led The Primetime Band on the short-lived The Jay Leno Show. Eubanks was born into a musical family. His mother, Vera Eubanks, is a gospel and classical pianist and organist. His uncle, Ray Bryant, was a jazz pianist. His older brother, Robin Eubanks, is a trombonist, and his younger brother Duane Eubanks is a trumpeter. Two cousins are also musicians, the late bassist David Eubanks and the pianist Charles Eubanks. Kevin studied violin and trumpet, before settling on the guitar. As an elementary school student, Eubanks was trained in violin, trumpet, and piano at the Settlement Music School in Philadelphia. He later attended Berklee College of Music in Boston and then moved to New York to begin his professional career. Eubanks is a pescetarian and maintains a diet of fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, egg whites, and fish. He is also an avid fan of Philadelphia sports teams. He once lost a bet on the Philadelphia 76ers, and he was forced to eat a corn dog when he lost. In 2007, he was voted PETA's "World's Sexiest Vegetarian Man" After Eubanks moved to New York, he began performing with noted jazzmen such as Art Blakey (1980–81), Roy Haynes, Slide Hampton and Sam Rivers. Like his brother Robin, he has played on record with double bassist Bill Dryden and Dave Holland. In 1983, while continuing to perform with others, he formed his own quartet, playing gigs in Jordan, Pakistan, and India on a tour sponsored by the U.S. State Department. If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, -  ”LIKE” ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorite band!

Clarence Spady and Michael Powers

Clarence Spady returns with the release of Just Between Us on Severn Records, his first studio recording in over ten years. Once described as "the future of the blues" by Bill Dahl (Chicago Tribune), his sound has matured and is now even more distinguishable. Clarence plays with a depth and sensitivity that can't be taught, effortlessly combining blues, jazz, funk, and rock into his own unique sound. As a songwriter Clarence writes 11 brand new originals never being afraid to turn his most private moments into stories that we can all relate to. Constantly touring in places like Hong Kong, Austria, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, and all parts of the U.S., Clarence's rapidly growing fan base is beginning to spread the word of his moving guitar play, rough street-edged vocals, songwriting, and live improvisations. Born, Clarence Sloan Spady on July 1, 1961 in Paterson, NJ. Spady’s dad Clarence “Pops” Sr. moved the family to Scranton, PA in 1966 to a safer suburb and a secure job at the army depot. But that didn’t stop the family from traveling to NJ every weekend to play with Clarence’s Uncle Fletchy’s R & B band. After his Aunt Bea found him playing “High Heeled Sneakers” on his father’s guitar backstage one night, Clarence was called upon to play his first professional gig at the age of 5 at the Elks Club. He’s been startling people with his immense god-given guitar playing ever since. The Jazz Café in Hong Kong touted Clarence “ as a soulful singer and hot guitarist who takes the blues of BB King and Albert Collins, and mixes it with the soul of Ray Charles and some funk of James Brown”… In short, Clarence is one of those artists that can actually move people. He brings out a range of emotions in you throughout his performances and recordings. Clarence continues to wow audience's all over the country….from his annual compelling and emotional benefit performances at Boulder Colorado’s Concert for Planet Earth to his regular appearances at NYC’s Terra Blues, at his home base in Pennsylvania at the River Street Jazz Café, or at a myriad of small jazz and blues clubs and festivals, he pushes forward writing and playing new music. And now finally through the great efforts and talent of our good friend David Earl and Severn Records the world can hear the magical sounds of Clarence Spady once again. If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, -  ”LIKE” ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band!

The Hawks Blues Band

The Hawks are a group of guys who love the blues. Besides getting to play with other musicians who enjoy the blues - the group's primary purpose is to share the blues with others. We would like to pass on the Blue's legacy. It is our hope that we can spread a better understanding of what the blues are, where it came from, how it has affected music up till now, and how it fits into today's music. We want the blues and its progression to have a future. We hope that we can excite a younger generation to the possibilities - just as it did for Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Joe Bonamassa, and other greats. We would hope to further the education of some of the "rockers" out there. And we hope to instill a love for the music for those who don't play - but just love to listen. We want to help the blues gain a bigger following. The Blues must not be forgotten. Help us - to Help you "feel the Blues." The Hawks competed in this years BSWPA Blues Challenge. We didn't win, but we sure got their attention. We did manage to bring the room to a standing ovation for our performance. The Hawks were runners up at the Appalachian Blues Competition in October of 2012 in Charleston WVA. If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, -  ”LIKE” ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band!

Down South Blues - Hannah Sylvester

Hannah Sylvester (c. 1900 – October 15, 1973) was an African American blues singer who performed in the classic female blues style that was popular during the 1920s. She was billed as "Harlem's Mae West". Sylvester was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, and sang and danced from the age of 3. She is thought to have moved to New York City in c. 1920. In the early 1920s she appeared at the Paradise Cafe in Atlantic City, New Jersey. In 1923 she recorded eleven sides with Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra. Thereafter she toured the theater circuit in vaudeville shows throughout the 1920s. In the early 1930s she appeared in numerous revues in New York City, and in 1931 performed with the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra at the Howard Theater, Washington, D.C., for broadcast on WSJV radio. She toured with the Snooky Russell Orchestra in 1940. By the early 1950s Sylvester worked primarily outside music; she tended bar at the Celebrity Club in New York City, but occasionally sang there with the Buddy Tate Band. She appeared in X-Glamour Girls Revue in New York City in 1962. In that year she recorded for Victoria Spivey's Spivey Records. She died in New York City on October 15, 1973. “To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, -  ”LIKE” ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band!

Big Time Bass - Edgar Meyer, Ray Brown and Victor Wooten

Raymond Matthews Brown (October 13, 1926 – July 2, 2002) was an influential American jazz double bassist, known for extensive work with Oscar Peterson among many others. Ray Brown was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and had piano lessons from the age of eight. After noticing how many pianists attended his high school, he thought of taking up the trombone, but was unable to afford one. With a vacancy in the high school jazz orchestra, he took up the upright bass A major early influence on Brown's bass playing was the bassist in the Duke Ellington band, Jimmy Blanton. As a young man Ray Brown became steadily more well known in the Pittsburgh jazz scene, with his first experiences playing in bands with the Jimmy Hinsley Sextet and the Snookum Russell band. After graduating from high school, hearing stories about the burgeoning jazz scene on 52nd Street, in New York City, he bought a one way ticket to New York. Arriving in New York at the age of twenty, he met up with Hank Jones, with whom he had previously worked, and was introduced to Dizzy Gillespie, who was looking for a bass player. Gillespie hired Brown on the spot and he soon played with such established musicians as Art Tatum and Charlie Parker. From 1946 to 1951 he played in Gillespie's band. Brown, along with the vibraphonist Milt Jackson, drummer Kenny Clarke, and the pianist John Lewis formed the rhythm section of the Gillespie band. Lewis, Clarke and Jackson eventually formed the Modern Jazz Quartet. Brown became acquainted with singer Ella Fitzgerald when she joined the Gillespie band as a special attraction for a tour of the southern United States in 1947. The two married that year, and together they adopted a child born to Fitzgerald's half-sister Frances, whom they christened Ray Brown, Jr. Fitzgerald and Brown divorced in 1952. Around this time Brown was also appearing in Jazz at the Philharmonic concerts, organised by Norman Granz. It was at a Jazz at the Philharmonic concert in 1949 that Brown first worked with the jazz pianist Oscar Peterson, in whose trio Brown would play from 1951 to 1966. Between 1957 and 1959, he appeared on Blossom Dearie's first five recordings for Verve Records. After leaving the Trio he became a manager and promoter as well as a performer. In 1966, he settled in Los Angeles where he was in high demand working for various television show orchestras. He also accompanied some of the leading artists of the day, including Frank Sinatra, Billy Eckstine, Tony Bennett, Sarah Vaughan, and Nancy Wilson. He also managed his former musical partners, the Modern Jazz Quartet, as well as a young Quincy Jones, produced some shows for the Hollywood Bowl, wrote jazz bass instruction books, and developed a jazz cello. In Los Angeles he composed music for films and television shows. From 1974 to 1982, Brown performed and recorded a series of albums with guitarist Laurindo Almeida, saxophonist and flutist Bud Shank, and drummer Shelly Manne (replaced by Jeff Hamilton after 1977) under the name The L.A. Four. He also joined up with Milt Jackson again to record the classic Jackson, Johnson, Brown & Company (1983), featuring Jackson and Brown with J. J. Johnson on trombone, Tom Ranier on piano, guitarist John Collins, and drummer Roy McCurdy. In the 1980s and 1990s he led his own trios and continued to refine his bass playing style. In his later years he recorded and toured extensively with pianist Gene Harris. In the early 1980s, Ray Brown met Diana Krall in a restaurant in Nanaimo, British Columbia. According to Jeff Hamilton, in an interview recorded on the "Diana Krall Live in Rio" DVD, he first heard Diana Krall play at a workshop and, impressed with her piano skills (she was not yet singing) introduced her to bassist John Clayton. Hamilton and Clayton both encouraged Krall to move to Los Angeles to study under Ray Brown and others. In 1990, he teamed up with pianist Bobby Enriquez and drummer Al Foster, for Enriquez's album, The Wildman Returns. During 1990 - 1993 the "Legendary Oscar Peterson Trio" reunited, with Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis and Ray Brown, with either Bobby Durham or Jeff Hamilton added on drums. Albums of this group earned no less than 4 Grammy Awards. In May 1993 this group ended, while Oscar Peterson suffered a severe stroke. Ray played for a time with the "Quartet" with Monty Alexander, Milt Jackson and Mickey Roker. After that he toured again with his own trio, with several young pianists like Benny Green, Geoff Keeezer and Larry Fuller. The last edition of the Ray Brown Trio was that with pianist Larry Fuller and drummer Karriem Riggins. With that trio he continued to perform until his death in 2002; he died in his sleep, after having played golf, before a show in Indianapolis. Probably his last recorded show was in Europe, during the Bern Jazz Festival, on May 4, 2002, with Larry Fuller and Karriem Riggins. “To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

Send One Your Love - Gary Walker

Gary Walker ..Vocalist,Songwriter,Producer .... Gary Walker began performing at the age of 7.. it was with his brothers R&B band and at Payne AME Church .. singing gospel music,where He cultivated his love and ear for music. .... In high school he began to develop a interest in classical music Where he began to study vocal training .. under the direction of Mr. Merel Stutzman... After High School he attended Penn State University as a vocal Major... Fresh out of collage he went on tour with a local band.. "Sonlite" along with his brother they toured the east coat... Gary after touring moved to the city of Pittsburgh Pa... It was there that he cultivated her love and ear for jazz. .. Various appearances were made .. He toured with Ringo Star, Ray Charles.. Billy Preston, Richard Groove Holmes,Roger Humpreys,Chick Corea .. including three appearances in the Mellon Jazz Festival. .. After 4 years of just jazz it was time for a big move .. he had his eye set on Los Angeles where he made the move with composer.. producer Keyboardist Chris Pappas Gary and Pappas worked together in a touring band on the east coast for 3 years... In Los Angeles he began studying with world known vocal trainer Seth Riggs.. Gary now divides his time between Los Angeles and Asia, Japan, Korea and the Philippines If you like what I’m doing, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! - ”LIKE”

Am I Blue - Ethel Waters

Ethel Waters (October 31, 1896 – September 1, 1977) was an American blues, jazz and gospel vocalist and actress. She frequently performed jazz, big band, and pop music, on the Broadway stage and in concerts, although she began her career in the 1920s singing blues.

Her best-known recordings includes, "Dinah", "Stormy Weather", "Taking a Chance on Love", "Heat Wave", "Supper Time", "Am I Blue?", and "Cabin in the Sky", as well as her version of the spiritual "His Eye Is on the Sparrow". Waters was the second African American, after Hattie McDaniel, to be nominated for an Academy Award.
Ethel Waters was born in Chester, Pennsylvania on October 31, 1896, as a result of the rape of her teenaged mother, Louise Anderson (believed to have been thirteen years old at the time, although some sources indicate she may have been slightly older) by John Waters, a pianist and family acquaintance from a mixed-race middle-class background, who played no role in raising Ethel. Ethel Waters was raised in poverty and never lived in the same place for more than 15 months. She said of her difficult childhood, "I never was a child. I never was cuddled, or liked, or understood by my family."

Waters grew tall, standing 5'9½" in her teens. According to women-in-jazz historian and archivist Rosetta Reitz, Waters' birth in the North and her peripatetic life exposed her to many cultures.

Waters married at the age of 13, but soon left her abusive husband and became a maid in a Philadelphia hotel working for $4.75 per week. On her 17th birthday, she attended a costume party at a nightclub on Juniper Street. She was persuaded to sing two songs, and impressed the audience so much that she was offered professional work at the Lincoln Theatre in Baltimore, Maryland. She later recalled that she earned the rich sum of ten dollars a week, but her managers cheated her out of the tips her admirers threw on the stage.
Ethel Waters was born in Chester, Pennsylvania on October 31, 1896, as a result of the rape of her teenaged mother, Louise Anderson (believed to have been thirteen years old at the time, although some sources indicate she may have been slightly older) by John Waters, a pianist and family acquaintance from a mixed-race middle-class background, who played no role in raising Ethel. Ethel Waters was raised in poverty and never lived in the same place for more than 15 months. She said of her difficult childhood, "I never was a child. I never was cuddled, or liked, or understood by my family."

Waters grew tall, standing 5'9½" in her teens. According to women-in-jazz historian and archivist Rosetta Reitz, Waters' birth in the North and her peripatetic life exposed her to many cultures.

Waters married at the age of 13, but soon left her abusive husband and became a maid in a Philadelphia hotel working for $4.75 per week. On her 17th birthday, she attended a costume party at a nightclub on Juniper Street. She was persuaded to sing two songs, and impressed the audience so much that she was offered professional work at the Lincoln Theatre in Baltimore, Maryland. She later recalled that she earned the rich sum of ten dollars a week, but her managers cheated her out of the tips her admirers threw on the stage.

Waters inducted into Zeta Phi Eta at University of Michigan

After her start in Baltimore, Waters toured on the black vaudeville circuit. As she described it later, "I used to work from nine until unconscious." Despite her early success, she fell on hard times and joined a carnival, traveling in freight cars along the carnival circuit, eventually reaching Chicago. Waters enjoyed her time with the carnival and recalled, "the roustabouts and the concessionaires were the kind of people I'd grown up with, rough, tough, full of larceny towards strangers, but sentimental and loyal to their friends and co-workers." She did not last long with them, though, and soon headed south to Atlanta, where she worked in the same club with Bessie Smith, who demanded that Waters not compete in singing blues opposite her. Waters conceded and sang ballads and popular songs. Perhaps today best known for her blues voice, Waters then was to sing, dance, play and star in musicals, plays and movies, and later in TV; but, she returned to singing blues whenever opportunity presented. Around 1919, Waters moved to Harlem and there became a celebrity performer in the Harlem Renaissance during the 1920s.

Waters obtained her first Harlem job at Edmond's Cellar, a club that had a black patronage. She specialized in popular ballads and became an actress in a blackface comedy called Hello 1919. Jazz historian Rosetta Reitz points out that by the time Waters returned to Harlem in 1921, women blues singers were among the most powerful entertainers in the country. In 1921, Waters became the fifth black woman to make a record, on the tiny Cardinal Records label. She later joined Black Swan Records, where Fletcher Henderson was her accompanist. Waters later commented that Henderson tended to perform in a more classical style than she would prefer, often lacking "the damn-it-to-hell bass."

She recorded with Black Swan from 1921 through 1923. In early 1924, Paramount bought the Black Swan label, and she stayed with Paramount through 1924. Waters then first recorded for Columbia Records in 1925, achieving a hit with her voicing of "Dinah"—which was voted a Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1998. Soon after, she started working with Pearl Wright, and together they toured in the South. In 1924, Waters played at the Plantation Club on Broadway. She also toured with the Black Swan Dance Masters. With Earl Dancer, she joined what was called the "white time" Keith Vaudeville Circuit, a traditional white-audience based vaudeville circuit combined with screenings of silent movies. They received rave reviews in Chicago and earned the unheard of salary of US$1,250 in 1928. In 1929, Harry Akst helped Wright and Waters compose a version of "Am I Blue?," her signature tune.[citation needed]

Although she was considered a blues singer during the pre-1925 period, Waters belonged to the Vaudeville-style style similar to Mamie Smith, Viola McCoy, and Lucille Hegamin. While with Columbia, she introduced many popular standards including "Dinah", "Heebie Jeebies", "Sweet Georgia Brown", "Someday, Sweetheart", "Am I Blue?" and "(What Did I Do To Be So) Black and Blue" on the popular series, while she continued to sing blues (like "West End Blues", "Organ Grinder Blues", etc.) on Columbia's 14000 race series. During the 1920s, Waters performed and was recorded with the ensembles of Will Marion Cook and Lovie Austin. As her career continued, she evolved toward being a blues and Broadway singer, performing with artists such as Duke Ellington. She remained with Columbia through 1931. She then signed with Brunswick in 1932 and remained until 1933 when she went back to Columbia. She signed with Decca in late 1934 for only two sessions, as well as a single session in early 1938. She recorded for the specialty label "Liberty Music Shops" in 1935 and again in 1940. Between 1938 and 1939, she recorded for Bluebird.

In 1933, Waters made a satirical all-black film entitled Rufus Jones for President, which featured then-child performer Sammy Davis Jr. as Rufus Jones. She went on to star at the Cotton Club, where, according to her autobiography, she "sang 'Stormy Weather' from the depths of the private hell in which I was being crushed and suffocated." She had a featured role in the wildly successful Irving Berlin Broadway musical revue As Thousands Cheer in 1933, where she was the first black woman in an otherwise white show. She had three gigs at this point; in addition to the show, she starred in a national radio program and continued to work in nightclubs. She was the highest paid performer on Broadway at that time. MGM hired Lena Horne as the ingenue in the all-Black musical Cabin in the Sky, and Waters starred as Petunia in 1942, reprising her stage role of 1940. The film, directed by Vincente Minnelli, was a success.
Waters with Count Basie in Stage Door Canteen (1943)

She began to work with Fletcher Henderson again in the late 1940s. She was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award in 1949 for the film Pinky. In 1950, she won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for her performance opposite Julie Harris in the play The Member of the Wedding. Waters and Harris repeated their roles in the 1952 film version of Member of the Wedding'' In 1950, Waters starred in the television series Beulah but quit after complaining that the scripts' portrayal of blacks was "degrading." She later guest starred in 1957 and 1959 on NBC's The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford. In the 1957 episode, she sang "Cabin in the Sky."

Despite these successes, her brilliant career was fading. She lost tens of thousands in jewelry and cash in a robbery, and the IRS hounded her. Her health suffered, and she worked only sporadically in following years. In 1950-51 she wrote the autobiography His Eye is on the Sparrow, with Charles Samuels, which was adapted for a stage production in which she was portrayed by Ernestine Jackson, in which she wrote candidly about her life. She explains why her age has often been misstated, saying that her mother had to sign a paper saying she was four years older than she was, and that she was born in 1896. In her second autobiography, To Me, It's Wonderful, Waters states that she was born in 1900
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I'm A Stranger - Steve Guyger with Filthy Rich

Steve Guyger is one of the finest blues harmonica players and singers in the world today. Born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, Steve still makes his home in Philly and can be seen on a regular basis at clubs in the tri-state area in addition to touring with the New Legends of the Blues All-Stars. If you're located within a 100 mile radius of Philadelphia, PA check out Steve's schedule for dates and times when he's appearing live and in person.
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Rock This Joint - Jimmy Preston

Jimmy Preston (b 18 August 1913, Chester, Pennsylvania – d December 1984, Philadelphia, PA) was an R&B bandleader, alto saxophonist and singer who made an important contribution to early rock and roll.

His first R&B hit was with "Hucklebuck Daddy", but his main claim to fame was to record, as Jimmy Preston and His Prestonians, the original version of "Rock the Joint" for Gotham Records in Philadelphia in 1949. The sax breaks on "Rock the Joint" were the work of tenor player Danny Turner (1920-1995). “Rock The Joint” was re-recorded by Bill Haley and the Saddlemen in 1952.

In 1950 tenor saxophone player Benny Golson and pianist Billy Gaines were added to new line-up and recorded songs like "Early Morning Blues" and "Hayride". [1] Preston moved to Derby Records and had a final R&B hit with a cover of Louis Prima’s “Oh Babe”. He gave up playing music in 1952 without realizing that he would later be identified as one of the founders of rock and roll.
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Railroad Blues - Luckey Roberts

Charles Luckeyeth Roberts, better known as Luckey Roberts (August 7, 1887 – February 5, 1968) was an American composer and stride pianist who worked in the jazz, ragtime, and blues styles.
Luckey Roberts was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and was playing piano and acting professionally with traveling Negro minstrel shows in his childhood. He settled in New York City about 1910 and became one of the leading pianists in Harlem, and started publishing some of his original rags.

Roberts toured France and the UK with James Reese Europe during World War I, then returned to New York where he wrote music for various shows and recorded piano rolls.

With James P. Johnson, Roberts developed the stride piano style of playing about 1919.

Robert's reach on the keyboard was unusually large (he could reach a fourteenth), leading to a rumor that he had the webbing between his fingers surgically cut, which those who knew him and saw him play live denounce as false; Roberts simply had naturally large hands with wide finger spread.

Luckey Roberts noted compositions include "Junk Man Rag", "Moonlight Cocktail", "Pork and Beans", and "Railroad Blues". "Moonlight Cocktail" was recorded by the Glenn Miller Orchestra, and was the best selling record in the United States for ten weeks in 1942.

An astute businessman, Roberts became a millionaire twice through real estate dealings. He died in New York.
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Any Day Now - Chuck Jackson

Possessing one of the most elegant baritone voices in the annals of recorded music, Grammy Award-nominated Chuck Jackson has set a benchmark for aspiring vocalists of all genres. In turn, he's engendered deep respect from contemporaries and aficionados around the globe.

His seductive rasp is emblematic of his inimitable style and is underscored on all levels of his monumental recordings.

Consistent with this, Chuck's rhythmic compositions are truly prolific and speak volumes to his extraordinarily poetic histrionics, coupling evocative lyrics and eclectic instruments with posh studio arrangements.

From his early days at Scepter Records to his Motown Records' productions, Chuck's discography consists of some of the most memorable popular and R&B hits ever arranged: "Any Day Now," his 1962 chart-stopping signature song, is one of the most recognizable crossover tunes in popular music vaults and has been covered by countless artists since.

By contrast, "I Don't Want To Cry," an alluring and rapturous piece that he co-wrote and recorded in 1961, was his first hit single and forever etched his imprint onto the record industry's shifting landscape.

Raised in Pittsburgh, PA, Chuck spent his formative years honing the craft that would launch him into the international spotlight and expose his talent to national television audiences such as The Tonight Show, Soul Train and American Bandstand.

Along with this, his extraordinary gifts can be witnessed at live concerts in select venues planet-wide, where he often shares the stage with other superlative vocalists like songstress Dionne Warwick and the soulful Smokey Robinson. Other well-known productions have included Michael McDonald, Boyz II Men, Ben E. King and a plethora of other household names.

Ms. Warwick was Chuck's partner in the 1997 Grammy-nominated duet "If I Let Myself Go" (Grammy nominated for Best Duet) from his well-orchestrated CD I'll Never Get Over You. Thus far he has 23 charted songs to his credit.

He appreciates the value of the creative aspect of the business, but he also realizes the importance of the business side of the music industry: Financing the production of concerts and special events requires an intricate knowledge of contracts and budgets.

In addition to his professional commitments, he organizes and produces events for New York's world-famous Apollo Theatre. Inclusive in these productions are exemplary performers like Smokey Robinson, Dionne Warwick, Tom Jones, Paul Shaffer (The Late Show) and Ashford & Simpson, to name a few.

Chuck knows the struggles new artists face and therefore has donated time and personal resources to the development of the careers of many of our top stage performers in music, theater and comedy: Flip Wilson, at one time the most popular comedian in the world, got his big break when Chuck took him on the road to open shows for him.

The superlative Dionne Warwick sang backup for Chuck on many of his stellar recordings, and Britain's Tom Jones was heavily influenced by Chuck when he touched down on American soil with the smash that was originally written for Chuck, "It's Not Unusual."

Chuck's versatile background permits him to vocalize in different styles: from R&B and pop to gospel and blues. And his trademark adlibbing is second to none as he continues to release new material with potent lyrics sporting dynamic arrangements.

His latest project, Chuck Jackson: The Motown Anthology, is a United Kingdom release (available on-line), and it will be distributed domestically in the future. This disc contains 48 tracks of incredible ballads interspersed with up-tempo grooves, which chronicle his fascinating career from some of his earlier studio recordings till now.

Chuck has received so many awards that it would take a book to list them all. However, a noteworthy one is the Apollo Theatre's Hall of Fame Award and tribute for headlining more shows there than any artist in the history of the historical Manhattan venue.

He's received additional commendation from the following: Anheuser Busch, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey, Motown Heroes & Legends and The Harlem Jazz & Music Festival, etc. Chuck is also a permanent member of New York's famous Friars Club.

Working closely with civic leaders such as key political figures, including Representative Charles B. Rangel, enables Chuck to network a collective to achieve some of his many community goals.

As a humanitarian, Chuck continues to donate time and revenue to further creativity in the inner-city, performing in concerts and organizing events that impact the lives of millions of citizens, junior and senior.

From his first major success with Bacharach and David to his present studio enterprises, Chuck Jackson continues to create wonderful music. And with new gospel and secular projects on the horizon, this is just the beginning of the next phase in the career of Smithsonian Institute's certified 'national treasure' and one of the most exciting entertainers of our time.

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