Interviews

      Sonically unique, Philip Bailey's celestial falsetto voice, with its unmistakable haunting quality has been a key component of Earth, Wind & Fire's sound for  47 years now. For a long time it was the yin to the yang of the late Maurice White's smooth baritone and helped define some of the R&B supergroup's biggest hits, including 'Fantasy,' 'Reasons' and 'After The Love Has Gone.' From time to time, though, Bailey has expressed himself as a solo artist away from the group. He first recorded on his own in 1983, when he released his debut LP 'Continuation,'  and up until 2002, when he released his ninth solo LP, 'Soul On Jazz,' he was recording solo albums on a fairly regular basis. Since that album, though, he's been silent for 17 years. Now, though, the Colorado-born singer and percussionist returns with a brand new solo offering called 'Love Will Find A Way,' which was initially a self-funded project but is now being released by Verve Records on June 21st. 

"It was actually sparked by my working with my 'night gig' a few years ago," reveals Bailey, whose natural talking voice is surprisingly much deeper than his high-pitched singing tone. "I call Earth, Wind & Fire my day gig," he laughs, then adding:  "I was doing stuff with (jazz keyboardist) Ramsey Lewis, and later on I decided I wanted to do some recording of that kind of music. So my daughter and my son plus my art director came up with a concept to work with using people who I had already established relationships with, such as (pianist) Chick Corea and (bassist) Christian McBride."

Last Updated on Friday, 14 June 2019 14:51

     "It's kind of like spin the bottle," laughs veteran funk saxophonist Maceo Parker, "and wherever it lands, it lands." He's attempting to describe how he decides what to serve up in terms of music and entertainment for the British public when arrives in London's Roundhouse venue on Friday July 5th as part of the UK capital's Innervisions Festival. "It will be a little bit of this, a little bit of that, like I do always when I perform. And maybe some surprises, too... but it will all be Maceo."

Originally from a small town called Kinston in North Carolina, Maceo Parker is 76 now (he was born on February 14th 1943) but talks with the energy and enthusiasm of a much younger man. "I was born into music," he says, casting his mind back to his formative years back in the 1950s. "We had a piano at home and because of that, the adults - my mother and father, and friends in the choir - would come and have rehearsals, which as little kids we'd stand around and listen to."

It also turned out that his mom's brother, his Uncle Bobby, led a professional big band called Bobby Butler's Mighty Blue Notes. "We would go to their rehearsals and see all the music stands and different instruments like the trombone, trumpet and guitar," he says. Inspired by seeing their uncle's band  in action up close, Maceo took up the saxophone while his older brother, Kellis, opted for the trombone. Younger brother, Melvin, was drawn to the drums. They joined forces and formed their own rhythm  and blues group as youngsters in high school.  "We called ourselves the Junior Blue Notes, trying to pattern ourselves after my Uncle's band," says Maceo, who also reveals that the siblings were earning money doing gigs while still in school.  "We gave the bulk of the money to mom, but then we would keep a little bit and would buy albums and 45s that we liked that we heard on the radio."

Last Updated on Friday, 24 May 2019 18:26

     Emilio Castillo, co-founder of the long-running funk institution, Tower Of Power, clearly recalls the band's maiden trip to the United Kingdom. "In 1974 we went over there with the Warner Brothers music show," reveals the 68-year-old tenor saxophonist who co-founded the band in 1968. "I remember Keith Richards and Elton John came to see us. It was exciting. We were young and the band was hitting really hard. We were playing with Little Feat, Graham Central Station,  Doobie Brothers, Montrose, and a little band called Kimberley. Every night, each band was trying to outdo the others and some nights we won, and other nights, someone else won. It was just really a great time."

Fast forward to 2019 and the long-running soul and funk institution originally from Oakland California, are about to return to the UK to embark on a three-date tour  at the end of May (with dates in Birmingham, Manchester, and London) as part of the 10-piece band's ongoing 50th anniversary celebrations. "In the past, we usually just came to do one gig in London," says Castillo, "but we've always been baffled because we haven't been able to play other cities in the UK. Then in the last couple of years, we hooked up with this agent and told him in no uncertain terms, we want to play other cities in the UK. So by God's grace, we've started to do that. And everywhere we go we get a large, excited crowd, and a great response. So we just love it."

Given the band's huge back catalogue - eighteen studio and six live albums, not forgetting numerous compilations - it must be difficult to decide what songs to include and what to leave out. Emilio Castillo's solution is to vary the set gig-by-gig so that he keeps the fans happy - by including the hits and classic songs - but also makes it interesting for the band. "I try to keep three 90-minute sets that we revolve," he explains. "There are a few songs in there that we have to repeat in all the sets but for the most part, the bulk of the set is different each night. It makes it fresh and a little more challenging too. It's an exciting show, like a James Brown or Prince kind of show in terms of audience excitement. You should leave tired and sweaty."

Last Updated on Friday, 26 April 2019 18:06

Australian singer CHELSEA WILSON won plenty of plaudits with her 2015 long player, 'I Hope You'll Be Very Unhappy Without Me'. Despite the odd title, the set was voted "Best Soul/Funk Album Of The Year" at the Victoria Music Awards in the land down under! It's taken a little while but busy Ms Wilson has just released the follow up –a concise 9 tracker 'Chasing Gold' which like its predecessor is winning great reviews.... even earning "album of the week" status on some top soul sites. So what better time to find out more about Chelsea....

I'm a vocalist, songwriter, DJ, event producer, festival director, board director and broadcaster from Melbourne Australia. I'm obsessed with music and have been writing and recording songs since I was 9 years old. I used to knock on the neighbours door as a kid with my ghetto blaster in one hand and money box in the other and ask if they would like to pay to see my 'show'. I've always loved the stage, mum calls me a born 'show girl'. Mum played classical piano when I was a kid and tried to teach me how to play but I was never disciplined enough to read the dots and become a classical player. I could play by ear much to mum's frustration so she gave up trying to instruct me so I'm self taught. She put me in dance classes at my request but I always preferred my own moves and so I was always the rebel at the back of the room making up my routines! I studied contemporary music and audio engineering at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, so I'm not properly jazz trained. But my first love was jazz, I learned the great songbook on the road. After my study I completed six international residency gigs singing jazz standards in 5-star hotels – I did three six month stints in Japan, I worked in Thailand, Dubai and also spent some time at sea singing on a cruise ship. Some people feel embarrassed to talk about doing gigs like this but I'm not – singing 280 shows a year, six nights a week, four sets a night for a couple of years gave me my performance stripes, enabled me to learn stage craft plus I got to have some amazing adventures!

When I returned to Australia I went back to study and completed a Masters Degree of Arts and Entertainment Management and worked in music licensing for a bit while I started focusing on my own music. I then landed a fabulous role as Music Manager of iconic Melbourne station PBS106.7FM and started my own radio show Jazz Got Soul. While I was in this role I released my debut album "I Hope You'll Be Very Unhappy Without Me". The album was lauded #2 album of the year on ABC radio national and led to me performing at Glastonbury Festival and supporting Macy Gray on her Australian tour. I was then offered the position of Artistic Director of Stonnington Jazz Festival so I made the move to Festival directing after seven years in radio. I've now directed seven different festivals and next month my fourth jazz festival kicks off. I love the creative side of festival directing and producing new shows, it's a different way for me to express ideas.

'Love Bless America' is the latest single from US blue eyed soulster ISAAC ARAGON. if you read the savvy soul media you'll know all about it; if you listen to the better soul stations, you'll have heard it.... it's been critically acclaimed and winning plenty of airplay. Surprisingly, maybe, nobody knows too much about Mr Aragon. So, to find out more we hooked up with him and he started by telling us a little something about himself....

I'm 29 years old, and I was born in a small, mountainous area in the northern part of New Mexico, USA. Most of my adult life has been spent in Albuquerque, NM. New Mexico is a crossroads for many very strong and distinct cultures and the music I was raised on was a reflection of that. I was raised with the sounds of Spanish flamenco guitar, Native American drums, Mexican mariachis, Depression era Delta Blues, Rock and Roll, and of course the music that CHOSE me...Soul Music.

Growing up, then, who were you musical heroes and influences?

First I must say that I was brought to music by my parents. They played/sang old Spanish Catholic songs at church every Sunday, and it was they who put a guitar in my hands in the first place. But I didn't quite take to it, not even a little bit...there was no purpose, no incentive. I wasn't spiritually moved by music...until I heard Bill Withers. Bill Withers changed, forever, the trajectory of my life. Simplicity. Raw, sincere human emotion. I never knew how powerful the human voice could be, and how one could say so much with so few words. My discovery of Bill led me on an inevitable journey to Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye. Equally powerful musicians and songwriters in their respective ways. These 3 true artists taught me how to speak to the world about society, about politics...and turn it into a palatable, beautiful experience. And it has since been my goal to carry that torch (making soulful, socially conscious music), while defining a voice and sound distinctly my own. A few other notable influences of mine are Donny Hathaway, Gregory Porter, and Allen Stone.

Last Updated on Monday, 08 April 2019 17:10