The Ohio Players

Yoshi's Oakland
 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland, CA 94607 (510) 238-9200

Thu, Jul 7 Fri, Jul 8    8:00 pm /

www.yoshis.com/

With their slinky, horn-powered grooves, impeccable musicianship, and eye-popping album covers, the Ohio Players were among the top funk bands of the mid-'70s. Emerging from the musical hotbed of Dayton in 1959, the group was originally dubbed the Ohio Untouchables, and initially comprised singer/guitarist Robert Ward, bassist Marshall "Rock" Jones, saxophonist/guitarist Clarence "Satch" Satchell, drummer Cornelius Johnson, and trumpeter/trombonist Ralph "Pee Wee" Middlebrooks. In late 1961, a relative of Ward's founded the Detroit-based Lupine Records, and the group traveled north to the Motor City to back the Falcons on their hit "I Found a Love"; the Ohio Untouchables soon made their headlining debut with "Love Is Amazing," but when Ward subsequently exited for a solo career, the group essentially disbanded.

At that point, the nucleus of Middlebrooks, Jones, and newly added guitarist Leroy "Sugarfoot" Bonner returned to Dayton; there they recruited saxophonist Andrew Noland and drummer Gary Webster, the latter a somewhat elusive figure whose true involvement in the group's convoluted history has never been definitively answered — some sources credit him as a founding Untouchable, others even as the band's early leader. In any case, by 1967, with the subsequent addition of singers Bobby Lee Fears and Dutch Robinson, the newly rechristened Ohio Players were signed as the house band for the New York-based Compass Records, backing singer Helena Ferguson on her lone hit, "Where Is the Party," before issuing their solo debut, "Trespassin'," which hit the R&B charts in early 1968. 

Although the Players' trademark bottom-heavy, horn-driven sound was already blossoming, their follow-up, "It's a Cryin' Shame," flopped, and as Compass teetered on the brink of bankruptcy they exited the label. (Their early Compass sides were later packaged as First Impressions.) The Players then landed on Capitol, where 1969's "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow" was a minor hit; an LP, Observations in Time, soon followed, with covers of "Summertime" and "Over the Rainbow" offering a strong hint of the stylistic detours to follow. In 1970 the group disbanded, however; Fears and Robinson both mounted solo careers, while the remaining members again decamped to Dayton, eventually re-forming with keyboardist Walter "Junie" Morrison, trumpeter Bruce Napier, and trombonist Marvin Pierce.

Influenced by the groundbreaking funk of Sly & the Family Stone — and with the nasal, cartoon-voiced Bonner assuming vocal duties — the new Ohio Players lineup made their debut with the single "Pain," issued on the small local label Rubber Town Sounds; it was soon picked up for distribution by the Detroit-based Westbound label, reaching the R&B Top 40 in late 1971. An LP, also titled Pain, appeared that same year, and was followed in 1972 by Pleasure, which launched the absurdist smash "Funky Worm." Ecstacy appeared in 1973, and after 1974's Climax, the Players signed to Mercury; the label change also heralded yet more lineup changes, with keyboardist Billy Beck replacing Morrison (who later signed on with Parliament) and drummer Jimmy "Diamond" Williams taking over for Webster. 

At Mercury, the Ohio Players enjoyed their greatest success; not only did their sound coalesce, but they became notorious for their sexually provocative LP covers, a tradition begun during their Westbound tenure. Their 1974 Mercury debut, Skin Tight, was their first unequivocal classic, launching the hit title track as well as "Jive Turkey." Its follow-up, Fire, remains the Players' masterpiece, topping the pop charts on the strength of its bone-rattling title cut, itself a number one hit; "I Want to Be Free," one of the band's few attempts at social commentary, was also highly successful. 1975's Honey — which featured perhaps the Players' most controversial and erotic cover to date — was another monster, generating the chart-topping masterpiece "Love Rollercoaster" in addition to the hits "Sweet Sticky Thing" and "Fopp."

The insistent "Who'd She Coo?" from 1976's Contradiction, was the Players' last number one R&B hit; "O-H-I-O," from 1977's Angel, was their last major hit on any chart, and as the 1970s drew to a close, the band's fortunes continued to decline. 1979's Jass-Ay-Lay-Dee was their final Mercury effort, and upon signing to Arista, the Players returned with Everybody Up, followed by a pair of dismal releases on Boardwalk, 1981's Tenderness and 1982's Ouch! After 1984's Graduation, four years passed prior to the release of their next effort, Back; no new material was forthcoming, although various lineups continued performing live well into the following decade. Founding member "Satch" Satchell died in late 1995, while "Pee Wee" Middlebrooks passed on in late 1996.

Aretha Frankln Oakland Oracle Arena Aug 10th 2015

Ticket Link: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1C004E5ADA46945B

Aretha Franklin schedules Oakland concert, first Bay Area show in 30 years

Legendary vocal diva Aretha Franklin, who is famously afraid of flying, will be performing her first show in the Bay Area since the 1980s when she plays Oakland's Oracle Arena on August 10. According to a press release, tickets for the show start at $42.50 and go on sale on Friday, March 13.

Franklin's shows will feature an A-list opening act in R&B producer and singer Babyface. The concert will support the Queen of Soul's latest album, Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics, which features covers of Adele's “Rolling in the Deep,” Sinead O'Connor's “Nothing Compares 2 U,” Etta James' “At Last” and Gladys Knight's “Midnight Train to Georgia.”

The Oakland concert is her third on the West Coast planned for the month of August, following shows in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara earlier in the week. Expect more dates to be announced in the future, since it would make sense for Franklin to perform as many shows as possible while she's out there.

Though Franklin refuses to fly, she does travel around the country frequently via bus. A few years ago, when there was speculation that she could become a judge on American Idol, Franklin insisted that she could take the gig despite her refusal to fly. “I’ve been to California from Detroit four times this year and Florida,” she said at the time. “I go wherever I choose to go comfortably on my custom bus.”

Franklin has performed at the Grammys and other functions in Los Angeles many times over the years, so she doesn't seem to have a problem getting around in America. She did miss out on an opportunity to perform at Queen Elizabeth's 50th Jubilee years ago because she wouldn't fly to England.

Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics was the singer's highest-charting album since 1985's Who's Zoomin' Who? Her remake of “Rolling in the Deep” reached the Top 50 on the R&B chart, giving Franklin her 100th career hit on that survey, the most ever among female artists. The dance remix of that track went all the way to No. 1, marking her first chart-topper on that countdown in 16 years.

Franklin has always been a great live performer and has made a remarkable comeback since her unspecified illness in 2010 had some tabloid outlets reporting that she was near death. She came back with a strong performance the next year at the Chicago Theatre, firmly establishing that she was back at the top of her game.

Log Onto www.EMoneyPresents.com

Michael Jackson’s Former Chef Hosts Aug. 29th Birthday Dinner For the King of Pop By Shelah Moody Photo by Livonn Adam

Who: Chef Mani Niall hosts a birthday dinner in honor of Michael Jackson, with surprise guests!

When: 7 p.m., Thursday, August 29^th.

Where: Sweet Bar Bakery, 2355 Broadway, Oakland, CA

Info: www.sweetbarbarkery.com, 510-788-4997.

            As a teenager and devout Michael Jackson Fan, I made a pilgrimage to his favorite hangouts, the Golden Temple vegetarian restaurant in Hollywood, CA. One blazing summer day, my best friend and I caught several busses just to catch a glimpse of the exotic building with the gleaming pointed dome where our idol regularly dined, but we never went in. Ironically, decades later, I had the privilege of meeting Mani Niall, who studied under chef Akasha Richmond at the Golden Temple, and later became Michael Jackson’s private chef during the time he was recording his iconic “Thriller” album in the early eighties.

            I spoke with Niall during the grand opening of his Sweet Bar Bakery (located in downtown Oakland, a few blocks from the historic Paramount Theatre) in December as the hands on chef waited on customers and pulled his delicious creations from the oven. Niall shared fond and poignant memories of Jackson, who would have turned 55 this year.

 In honor of the King of Pop’s birthday, Niall will host a birthday dinner at the Sweet Bar Bakery, featuring a variety of Jackson’s favorite entrees and desserts on Thursday August 29, creating magic with his food as Jackson did with his music.

Shelah Moody: As an award winning chef to the stars, what made you decide to open a bakery in the Bay Area?

Mani Niall: Well, I owned a bakery in Los Angeles for many years, and after moving to the Bay Area, I took a break from that world. But in the back of my mind, I wanted to own my own bakery again. I sold the bakery in LA to my partners, and it kept going for about another 10 years. If you open a good bakery in the right neighborhood, it has a life. I think bakeries are less competitive than restaurants. Bakeries are very heart and soul; they are very neighborhood. I was always on the lookout for finding the right place at the right time.

SM: When and how did you meet Michael Jackson?

MN: I was working at a little restaurant (the Golden Temple) in Hollywood, where Michael was eating when he was recording “Thriller.” He really liked the food. I came to work one day and the manager told me that Michael Jackson had been eating there and he loved the food and he wanted food brought to the studio. Since we were launching a catering department, the job fell in my lap. The next thing I knew, I was bringing food to the studio, and Michael would still come into the restaurant once in a while. When I would bring food to the studio, I would bring food to Michael and Quincy Jones and one day, Paul McCartney. I think Michael was very comfortable with me. It was an easy fit, an easy connection. He liked my food, and I wasn’t pushing it in his face. I was very comfortable feeding Michael and his guests, whether they were celebrities or his friends from his church.  From there, Michael asked me to do more and more catering.

SM: Tell us about some of Michael Jackson’s favorite foods.

MN: Spicy, New Mexican enchiladas. That was a dish that we had on our menu that he loved. Occasionally, we did Moroccan shish kabobs. We did a vegetarian version of a Chinese chicken salad with tofu and roasted Portobello mushrooms, almonds and cashews and a miso lime dressing—very similar to something that we make here at Sweet Bar. Michael had a big sweet tooth! He liked his spicy ethnic foods and he liked his desserts. His favorite desserts were ice cream, sweet potato pie and cookies. I used to make these maple, almond and pecan shortbreads that we called “ookies.” Michael’s bodyguards teased him;  here was no  sugar or white flour, so they weren’t cookies, they were “ookies.”

SM: When was the last time that you saw Michael Jackson?

MN: Let me tell you the story--it is really amazing. I hadn’t worked for Michael for a couple of years. I used to have a long beard and long hair and I had shaved it all off. One of Michael’s bodyguards recognized me at a concert on the “Bad” tour. The bodyguard didn’t recognize me at first, but when he realized who I was, he yanked me out of the audience and we went backstage and he brought me right to Michael. Michael didn’t recognize me, and his bodyguard started laughing, and said, “Michael, this is Mani!” Michael ran his hand over my chin and said, “your beard is gone, your face is so smooth!” Michael gave me a big hug and said “it’s so good to see you!” We chatted for a minute. Then, Michael ran onto the stage, because the concert had started. I floated back to my seat, feeling like a million bucks!   I got to see Michael performing on his own. When I was working with him, he was with his brothers on the “Victory” tour. This was Michael, doing Michael’s music, with his dancers, doing the video (routines) from “Thriller”  “Beat it” and “Smooth Criminal.” I was on cloud nine. I had that connection with him backstage; that was the last moment.

SM: What do you think of the Michael Jackson fan community in the Bay Area?

MN: They are amazing! They are insane in a wonderful way! They’ve created these flash mobs, and they have the dances down to the very last moves. It’s nice that they are not just motivated by Michael; they are motivated to learn and share and bring that joy.

Larry Graham and GCS Raise Up

Larry Graham’s first solo album was in 1998’s “GCS 2000”. On October 1, 2012 Larry Graham legendary bassist is back after 14 years with his second solo album “Raise Up”.  Graham was the deep-voiced bass player for the funky Sly and the Family Stone band in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. After that he formed Graham Central Station, releasing a string of successful albums throughout the remainder of the ‘70s. In the 80s as a solo artist he had an R&B chart-topper “One in a Million You”.  Larry Graham’s “Raise Up” album was produced by Prince. Graham and Prince have shared a longstanding personal and professional relationship.  This album has Graham bringing the funk with “Throw-N-Down the Funk.” This tune features full slap bass the Larry Graham famous sound.  Graham has Price singing and playing on “Raise Up”, “Shoulda Woulda Coulda”  and “Movin”. Raphael Saadiq is featured on “One Day”. My favorite tunes on this album are “Throw - N - Down The Funk”,  “It's Alright”,  “Welcome 2 Our World”, “It Ain't No Fun To Me”, “No Way”, “Hold You Close” and “Now Do U Wanta Dance”. For all you Larry Graham fans I give this album gets 4 out of 5 stars.  Larry Graham is one of the masters, of Funk! This album is good music to ride with. Tune into Streetwise Radio and listen to Larry Graham and GCS “Raise Up” album.  You can also listen to Streetwise Radio on MyGen365, Athena365, Live365 and ITunes.

LM

http://consequenceofsound.net/2012/10/album-review-larry-graham-graham-central-station-raise-up/