What The Music Club is Listening To

Erykah Badu - New Amerykah
Duffy - Rockferry
John Legend - Evolver
Daddy's Little Girl Soundtrack
Sergio Mendes - Encanto
Saturday Night Music Club - January
Goapele - Change It All
The Black Keys - Attack and Release
Sade - Soldier of Love

Saturday Night Music Club for February

It's hard to get 20 people in my apartment. On Saturday night, we crammed 34 music listeners into apartment 178 in Natomas. The theme was "Groups That Should Have Stayed Together", a tricky category, yet the perfectly capable members of the S.N.M.C. were able to come through with 16 tracks for the mix.

Our travelers came from all areas of Northern California; from Lathrop to Dublin to even San Francisco showing that a good thing is hard to pass up. We also had our friend Tommie Webb bring some products from the Luxury Bathhouse located in Davis for display. All in all, another successful event. Next month? On to Anthony and Marosi's in the south area.

Make Up To Break Up

Its inevitable sometimes. A group or band come up together from a young age, go through the trials of tribulations of fame and success, only to break up like high school sweethearts.

Music is littered with tales of broken up groups. As common as it is for groups to form, its just as true that they will break up eventually, leaving devoted fans shocked and dismayed, longing for one last "reunion".

Quick, name three groups or bands who have stayed together for longer than 10 years. Without the assistance of iTunes or the ability to phone a friend, you'd be hard pressed to answer this pop quiz (you coulda named De La Soul, Aerosmith or Metallica, but its too late now). There are different types of 'break-ups'; those that occur and one or two individual artists emerge triumphant or the break ups that destroy the entire formula leaving members to regret ever thinking of it.

When Destiny's Child first came on to the scene, it was pretty clear to even a blind man that Beyonce` Knowles was the "Michael" of the group. Of course, the group was a wise marketing choice in the end; begin as a group, hit it big with several hits, laying the foundation for Beyonce's inevitable solo career. Even her former bandmates have managed to stay relevant in the industry (except LaTavia, ouch). Some talents are just too big to be confined in a group where the roles and fame are supposedly egalitarian (we'll call this the "Diana effect"). Chaka had to break away from Rufus, Patti took her LaBelle from the LaBelles and even Tito wasn't mad at Michael for going solo.

On the other hand you have Digable Planets. Now for casual hip hop observers you might remember their one mainstream hit "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)", which hit the charts in 1992. However, their second album, Blowout Comb was a groundbreaking combination of jazz and hip hop not yet seen on that level before. The proverbial "creative differences" is the cause of the group's breakup and neither of the trio has really been heard from since (save Ladybug who appears on Snoop's "Candy" video). One could also argue that New Edition (above) was never quite as good solo as they were as a collective (obviously Bobby would firmly disagree with that statement).

Band breakups are a toss up. Sometimes you are left with the next great solo artist or the next candidate for a milk carton.

Album of the Month - Encanto

A couple of years ago, I was put on to Sergio Mendes by a friend of mine who recommended his 2006 album, Timeless, a collaboration between the Brazilian pianist and notable singers/MCs such as india.arie, John Legend, Pharoahe Monch and Erykah Badu.

A vastly underrated musician in the States, Mendes is lauded in his native Brazil as being the pioneer of Bossa Nova music, a combination of samba rhythms and jazz. His former band, Brazil 66' were globetrotting trailblazers who preached the gospel of bossa nova to worldwide audiences.

Encanto features more collaborations with the Black Eyed Peas (most notably Will .i. Am) as well as guest appearances from Ledisi ("Waters of March"), Natalie Cole ("Somewhere In the Hills") and numerous Brazilian artists. Standout tracks include "Funky Bahia" featuring the voice of Seidah Garrett. The album typifies the best characteristics of Mendes' music, up tempo rhythms with an emphasis on Mendes' piano playing and the cross continental voices of soul singers.

Business Spotlight: Luxury Out House Company

Established in April 2005 by the Webb Family, the Luxury Out House Company specializes in all-natural bath and body care products. The products contain no chemicals, no preservatives and are safe for all skin types.

Located on F Street in Downtown Davis, the store features everything from natural soaps to scented candles and massage oils. The Luxury Out House will also be celebrating "Diva Night" at their store on Thursday, February 11th at 7:00pm. Jazz music, wine and cheese and a shoe contest will be on the menu as well as an opportunity to purchase products. Products from the store will also be on display at the next Music Club on February 20th.

Products can also be purchased at the company website, www.luxuryouthouse.com

Artist of the Month: Esperanza Spalding

Who says Jazz is dead. Although we're some forty years after the heyday of the genre, when Miles and 'Trane reigned supreme, there are a host of artists taking jazz in exciting and new directions.

Esperanza Spalding is just one of those artists.

Known as the "baddest lady of bass", Spalding has been somewhat unknown to mainstream audiences due to her niche genre and absence of major radio airplay. But make no mistake about it, the multi-talented artist is here to stay much to the delight of music fans and lovers of jazz music.

Her style can best be described as serenity, the combination of beauty and grace mixed in with raw musicianship. You would think in her past life she was the inspiration for A Love Supreme. Her two albums as a leader, Junjo and Esperanza display her range of talents and her musical virtuosity. Ms. Spalding's talents are here to stay.

Neo Soul: A Love Story, Part 2

The truth is, soul music never left. What people usually define as "soul music" originated out of the Doo Wop era of the 1950s, followed by the Motown/Stax sound and Philly Soul. Artists like the Tempations, Supremes, Otis Redding and Marvin Gaye came of age during the burgeoning Civil Rights movement that sparked not only a new direction in music, but society as a whole.

However, it was the 1970s that a true "golden age" was born. Leaving the standard, 3-minute long, Motown-influenced single behind, the soul music of the 70s was characterized by an expansion, not only in the length a song could be specifically, but an entirely new direction in general. Whereas the artists of the 1960s indirectly spoke to social injustice, artists like Curtis Mayfield and James Brown grabbed society by the throat. Songs like "Ain't No Stoppin Us Now" and "What's Goin On" were songs that served to inspire.

From a mainstream perspective, the music of the 1980s was a different animal altogether. The 70s featured protest songs from artists across genres, from soul to Rock n roll. The 80's were less rigid and direct. Soul music in the 80's, according to the purists, went through a period were electronically-enhanced music was the norm. Artists like Luther Vandross and Anita Baker seemed to be artists without a genre at times, but were situated within the "Quiet Storm" playlists of radio programmers. But make no mistake about it, the 80's were not a lost decade by no means. From England there came Sade Adu (above) with her band of the same name. Part Nina Simone, part Roberta Flack, Sade` was able to garner a significant buzz both in mainstream and underground circles with their brand of jazz-soul. She became that bridge from the heyday of the 70s and the neo-soul movement of the present day.

Where does that leave us today? Neo-soul's general fanbase, are extremely loyal to their artists. With any genre, past or present, neo-soul suffers from lack of exposure on a mainstream level, causing word of mouth to sometimes be the main avenues of knowledge. But soul music is in good hands and is converting fans everyday. It will continue to go through changes, mostly positive. True soul music has never left us and probably never will. .