Category: Music

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3/25/18 O&A NYC THEATRE REVIEW: Chicago- Valerie Simpson Takes No Prisoners As Matron “Mama” Morton

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By Walter Rutledge

Songwriter, recording artist, entrepreneur, and restauranteur Valerie Simpson can now add Broadway thespian to her impressive list of accomplishments. On March 12, 2018 Simpson made her Broadway debut as Matron “Mama” Morton in Broadway’s longest running musical Chicago. For her six-week run (through April 22) Simpson is flanked by a talented cast of Broadway veterans including: Amra- Faye Wright as the Vaudeville villainess Velma Kelly, Bianca Marroquin– the murderous ingénue Roxie Hart and Chaz Lamar Shepard as brash barrister Billy Flynn. Continue reading

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8/26/21 O&A NYC THROWBACK THURSDAY CELEBRATING NICHOLAS ASHFORD: Ashford and Simpson – Found A Cure (Live 1979) And More

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Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson, the successful songwriting duo and recording artists, met at Harlem’s White Rock Baptist Church in 1964. Their careers as songwriters, producers and powerhouse performers spanned more than forty-five years. On August 22, 2011 Ashford passed from throat cancer. He is survived by wife of 36 years Valerie and their two daughters Asia and Nicole. Continue reading

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3/21/18 O&A NYC THE MORNING FUNNIES: Shaggy and James Corden Performing It Wasn’t Me- Trump to Robert Mueller-

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Shaggy and James Corden update the lyrics to It Wasn’t Me to reflect Robert Mueller’s investigation into Donald Trump. Continue reading

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3/20/18 O&A NYC WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH SONG OF THE DAY: Dinah Washington At The Apollo- What A Difference A Day Makes and Making Whopee

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 Dinah Washington singing at the Apollo Theater with the Louis Jordan Band on March 8th 1960. Continue reading

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3/19/18 O&A NYC SONG OF THE DAY: Migos ft. Drake – Walk It Talk

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Migos taking over the music world with Culture II, recently teamed up with Drake on a fun-filled Walk It Talk It visual.Jumping onto the retro vibe, Quavo, Offset and Takeoff channeled the energy of ’70s dance tribute to Soul Train for their collab with the 6 God. Continue reading

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3/18/18 O&A NYC GOSPEL SUNDAY- CELEBRATING WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH: Sister Rosetta Tharpe – Didn’t It Rain

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GOSPEL SUNDAYSister Rosetta Tharpe

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, is a pioneer of twentieth-century music. Tharpe attained great popularity in the 1930s and 1940s with her gospel recordings that were a unique mixture of spiritual lyrics and rhythmic/early rock accompaniment.  She became gospel music’s first crossover artist and its first great recording star. Continue reading

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3/17/18 O&A NYC GOINNG BACK TO AFRICA WITH WALESTYLEZ: Yemi Alade – Bum Bum

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Yemi Eberechi Alade is a Nigerian Afro-pop artist. She gained prominence after winning the Peak Talent Show in 2009, and is best known for her hit single Johnny. Continue reading

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3/15/18 O&A NYC THROWBACK THURSDAY: Total – “Can’t You See”

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Can’t You See  by R&B group Total, released as their debut single. The track was released from the New Jersey Drive soundtrack and also later appeared on their debut album Total. Continue reading

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3/15/18 O&A NYC CELEBRATING WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH: Ethel Waters And Lena Horne- Cabin in the Sky (1943)

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Cabin in the Sky is a 1943 American musical film based on the 1940 musical of the same name. Directed by Vincente Minnelli, the film stars Ethel Waters and Rex Ingram, who reprised their roles from the Broadway production, as well Eddie ‘Rochester’ Anderson and Lena Horne. It was Horne’s first and only leading role in an MGM musical. Louis Armstrong was also featured in the film as one of Lucifer Junior’s minions, and Duke Ellington and his Orchestra have a showcase musical number in the film.

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Taking A Chance On Love
Ethel Waters with Eddie “Rochester” Anderson (guitar)
and Bill Bailey (tap)

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Jim Henry’s Club
Ethel Waters, John Bubbles, Eddie’Rochester’ Anderson
and Lena Horne

 

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(REPOST) 3/23/24 O&A NYC DANCE: Rudolph Nureyev: Encore Performance- Afternoon Of A Faun (1981)

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Vaslav Nijinsky choreographed Afternoon of a Faun, using the music of Claude Debussy. In this interpretation, Leon Bakst‘s scenery and costumes have been stunningly reconstructed by Ralph Holmes. The original choreography, designed to evoke the two-dimensional flatness of a Greek frieze, was reconstructed by Elizabeth Schooling and William Chappel. Continue reading