Month: October 2015
Fantastic Four Star Review of Bekah Barnett’s “RISE”!
Bekah Barnett – RISE
Urban Minstrel 2015
BEKAH BARNETT –
Rise
Higher and higher, San Fran chanteuse ups the ante on album number two.
She calls herself urban minstrel and folk diva and, thus, gravitates down to earth but, be it physical or metaphorical, BB embraces both connotations of her new record’s title on a set of songs that marry matters celestial and mundane to their common emotional denominator. And while in the very heart of it flutters “Fly” that calls for a solemn ascension, the real spiritual uplift lies in the second and the penultimate tracks of “Rise”: the vaudevillian “Rhyme Or Reason” and “Love Will Come Back” with their organ ride. It comes quite unexpected, given the vigorous waltz of “I Don’t Believe In Love” and the elegant reggae of opener “Grace” whose confessional skank is colored with a red-hot trumpet which so nicely supports Bekah’s velvet voice.
Her operatic training might be well-hidden here, yet that’s the root of slightest vibrato inflections on “Fame & Fortune” where Barnett, backed by orchestral sway, expresses her frustration following the attempt to catch the “America’s Got Talent” glitterball. Still, although “See You Soon” catches onto the main theme with its “I’m too high to come down” refrain and the middle part of “Beautiful Girls” steps on a stairway to the stars, it’s not all stately piano here, and the game gets humorous for “Butter Your Toast” to project a handclaps-helped smile and for the brisk “Get Outta Park” celebration. So while some of the pieces tend to be monotonous, there’s a great promise in the most introspective of those, such as “Jesus & Judas” which betrays a Joni Mitchell influence. There’s a sure way up for BB.
****
Check out this great new interview with Narada Michael Walden about EVOLUTION!
More ORGY Tour Dates Announced!
Tue, Dec 29 CLUB RED MESA, AZ Thu, Dec 31 18th STREET PIER BAR & GRILL SAN LEON, TX Fri, Jan 01 TREES DALLAS, TX Sat, Jan 02 DIRTY DOG BAR AUSTIN, TX Thu, Jan 07 THE GRAMERCY THEATER NEW YORK, NY Fri, Jan 08 THE BRIGHTON BAR LONG BRANCH, NJ Sat, Jan 09 FETE BALLROOM PROVIDENCE, RI Sun, Jan 10 JEWEL NIGHT CLUB MANCHESTER, NH Wed, Jan 13 THE ROCKPILE TORONTO, CANADA Thu, Jan 14 THE OUTPOST CLEVELAND, OH Fri, Jan 15 ADELPHIA MUSIC HALL MARIETTA, OH Sat, Jan 16 HARPOS DETROIT, MI Sun, Jan 17 THE TREE JOLIET, IL Mon, Jan 18 POVS LAKE PARK, MN Wed, Jan 20 MARQUIS THEATER DENVER, CO Fri, Jan 22 EL CORAZON SEATTLE, WA Fri, Jan 29 WHISKY A GO GO W. HOLLYWOOD, CA Sat, Jan 30 NEVADA LVCS LAS VEGAS, NV
| Tue, Dec 29 | CLUB RED | MESA, AZ |
| Thu, Dec 31 | 18th STREET PIER BAR & GRILL | SAN LEON, TX |
| Fri, Jan 01 | TREES | DALLAS, TX |
| Sat, Jan 02 | DIRTY DOG BAR | AUSTIN, TX |
| Thu, Jan 07 | THE GRAMERCY THEATER | NEW YORK, NY |
| Fri, Jan 08 | THE BRIGHTON BAR | LONG BRANCH, NJ |
| Sat, Jan 09 | FTE BALLROOM | PROVIDENCE, RI |
| Sun, Jan 10 | JEWEL NIGHT CLUB | MANCHESTER, NH |
| Wed, Jan 13 | THE ROCKPILE | TORONTO, CANADA |
| Thu, Jan 14 | THE OUTPOST | CLEVELAND, OH |
| Fri, Jan 15 | ADELPHIA MUSIC HALL | MARIETTA, OH |
| Sat, Jan 16 | HARPOS | DETROIT, MI |
| Sun, Jan 17 | THE TREE | JOLIET, IL |
| Mon, Jan 18 | POVS | LAKE PARK, MN |
| Wed, Jan 20 | MARQUIS THEATER | DENVER, CO |
| Fri, Jan 22 | EL CORAZON | SEATTLE, WA |
| Fri, Jan 29 | WHISKY A GO GO | W. HOLLYWOOD, CA |
| Sat, Jan 30 | NEVADA LVCS | LAS VEGAS, NV |
More ORGY Tour Dates Announced!
| Tue, Dec 29 | CLUB RED | MESA, AZ |
| Thu, Dec 31 | 18th STREET PIER BAR & GRILL | SAN LEON, TX |
| Fri, Jan 01 | TREES | DALLAS, TX |
| Sat, Jan 02 | DIRTY DOG BAR | AUSTIN, TX |
| Thu, Jan 07 | THE GRAMERCY THEATER | NEW YORK, NY |
| Fri, Jan 08 | THE BRIGHTON BAR | LONG BRANCH, NJ |
| Sat, Jan 09 | FETE BALLROOM | PROVIDENCE, RI |
| Sun, Jan 10 | JEWEL NIGHT CLUB | MANCHESTER, NH |
| Wed, Jan 13 | THE ROCKPILE | TORONTO, CANADA |
| Thu, Jan 14 | THE OUTPOST | CLEVELAND, OH |
| Fri, Jan 15 | ADELPHIA MUSIC HALL | MARIETTA, OH |
| Sat, Jan 16 | HARPOS | DETROIT, MI |
| Sun, Jan 17 | THE TREE | JOLIET, IL |
| Mon, Jan 18 | POVS | LAKE PARK, MN |
| Wed, Jan 20 | MARQUIS THEATER | DENVER, CO |
| Fri, Jan 22 | EL CORAZON | SEATTLE, WA |
| Fri, Jan 29 | WHISKY A GO GO | W. HOLLYWOOD, CA |
| Sat, Jan 30 | NEVADA LVCS | LAS VEGAS, NV |
Fresh from the Catch A Fire Tour Morgan Heritage Keeps on Jammin with Shaggy
Summer 2015 witnessed an historical moment, as the Catch A Fire tour saw three of Reggae’s legendary families share a nightly stage. Morgan Heritage, Damian Marley, Stephen Marley, and Tarrus Riley, along with special guests, Jo Mersa Marley, Jemere Morgan, Skip Marley and Black Am I, delivered stellar performances from Philadelphia, New York, Washington, Virginia, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Nevada and California among other North American states.
Night after night fans came out and were fully rewarded with high energy familiar reggae sounds. From traditional reggae and roots, to up-tempo dancehall, the intensity and passion translated to the fans as they sang in unison. By all accounts Catch A Fire surpassed expectation, It was a tour to remember!
“No one can deny the Catch A Fire Tour went down in history as a powerful statement about Reggae music out of Jamaica. What made it really special for us on the road was the atmosphere that surrounded the tour. It didn’t feel like work. It felt like we were hanging out with family each and every day. This tour should be an example of the unity we need to take our music to larger audiences. Not only for Jamaican based Reggae artist but Reggae artist around the globe.” – Morgan Heritage
Haji Mike & The Breadwinners – Midnight Stories at 3 a.m. – Interview with DJ Jahmon on Versionist Radio
Live Haji Mike Interview with DJ Jahmon Selector on Versionist happening now on www.versionist.net
6-8pm GMT – Talking about the new release ‘Midnight Stories at 3 a.m‘
Independent Distribution Collective Blog 