7/2/15 O&A Throwback Thursday: Aretha Franklin- Chain Of Fools Live (1968)

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Chain of Fools is a song written by Don Covay. Aretha Franklin first released the song as a single in 1967 and it appeared on many of her albums. It reached number one on the U.S. R&B chart, staying there for four weeks, and went to number two on the pop chart in January 1968. It won the Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, and later a Grammy Hall of Fame Award.  Continue reading

6/27/15 O&A Its Saturday- Anything Goes: Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga- LIVE!

It is Saturday

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Cheek to Cheek, a collaborative album Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, consists of jazz standards by popular jazz composers, such as George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, and Irving Berlin. The album, inspired by Bennett and Gaga’s wish to introduce the songs to a younger generation, they believe the tracks have universal appeal. Continue reading

6/22/15 O&A Picks Of The Week June 21- June 27: Art, Dance, Film, Music, and Theatre

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Summer is finally here! And it has ushered in a whirlwind of arts events. We have fine art, dance, film, music and theatre; something for everyone. Here are a few of the many events happening in the city that never sleeps guaranteed to keep you Out and About. Continue reading

6/20/15 O&A Its Saturday- Anything Does: The Billie Holiday Story

It is Saturday

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Billie Holiday, jazz singer and songwriter, had a seminal influence on jazz and pop singing. Her vocal style, strongly inspired by jazz instrumentalists, pioneered a new way of manipulating phrasing and tempo. Lester Young Holiday’s friend and musical partner nicknamed her Lady Day.  Continue reading

6/18/15 O&A Throwback Thursday: In da Club- 50 Cent

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In da Club performed by rapper 50 Cent from his debut studio album Get Rich or Die Tryin (2003). The song was written by 50 Cent, Dr. Dre, and Mike Elizondo and produced by Dr. Dre with co-production credit from Elizondo. The song’s music video won Best Rap Video and Best New Artist at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards.  In da Club has since sold over 2,000,000 copies.  Continue reading

(REPOST) 6/11/15 O&A THROWBACK THURSDAY: Missing You- Diana Ross (For Chadwick Boseman)

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Missing You, written, composed, and produced by Lionel Richie as a tribute to Marvin Gaye, who had died earlier that year. The video includes, as well as still photographs and tribute clips of Gaye himself, tribute clips of former Supremes singer Florence Ballard and of Paul Williams of The Temptations, both Motown artists who had died in the 1970s. Continue reading

Throwback Thursday: Labelle- Lady Marmalade (1975) Plus Encore Performance

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Patti Labelle and the Bluebells changed their name and their musical style and reinvented themselves as Labelle in 1971. The group is remembered as a trio featuring Patti LaBelle, Sarah Dash and Nona Hendryx, but originally the group also included Cindy Birdsong.  Their funk rock recordings of that period were cult favorites and gained notoriety for their brash interpretation of rock and roll and for dealing with subject matter that was not touched by black groups. Continue reading

5/31/15 O&A Gospel Sunday: It’s Not Over- Israel And New Breed featuring Yolanda Adams

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Israel & New Breed featuring Yolanda Adams sings “It’s Not Over (When God Is in It)” from the album “Jesus At the Center” at Lakewood Church in Houston, TX. (2012) Continue reading

5/30/15 O&A Its Saturday – Anything Goes: Nina Simone- The Legend

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Nina Simone,  singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist, the High Priestess Of Soul was born Eunice Kathleen Waymon; 21 February 1933, Tryon, North Carolina. Her musical style arose from a fusion of Gospel and Pop songs with Classical Music, in particular with influences from her first inspiration and father of all modern music, Johann Sebastian Bach, and accompanied with her expressive Jazz-like singing in her characteristic contralto.

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 Nina Simone, candid interview from the legendary Singer plus concert footage.

The Legend- Nina Simone