P age B5
BLACK MUSIC MONTH
Rhythm & Blues Foundation Announces 1994 Pioneer Awards
Little Richard Honored For Lifetime Achievement
The Rhythm and Blues Founda­
tion, dedicated to the celebration and
preservation o f one o f America’s most
im portant art forms, is pleased to
announce the recipients o f the Fifth
Annual Pioneer Awards. An official
p a r t o f G ra m m y w e e k , th e
Foundation’s M arch 2nd award cer­
emony will present awards totalling
$ 190,000 to ten seminal vocalists and
instrumentalists, and two performance
groups at the Roseland Ballroom in
New Y orkC ity. In addition, the Foun­
dation will bestow its Ray Charles
Lifetime A chievement Award on one
o f the m ost irrepressible talents o f all-
time, Little Richard. Through the
Pioneer Awards the Foundation hon­
ors the women and men who created
an art form that is a w ellspring for
contem porary popular music and is
deeply reflective o f American lifeand
culture. The Foundation has previ­
ously recognized the work of such
diverse and brilliant artists as Ruth
B row n, A reth a F ra n k lin , Jam es
Brown, Hank Ballard, Bobby “Blue”
Bland, Nellie Lutcher, Doc Pomus,
“H o n k y Tonk" D o g ett
Jerry Butler - Known as the “ Ice­
m an,” Butler gained prom inence as a
member o f the Chicago-based vocal
achieved a major
crossover hit with
“Patches.”
Don Covay -
Singer, songwriter
C ovay’s approach
d ra w s lib e ra lly
from th e b la c k
Baptist gospel tra­
dition. He wrote
“ S ee S a w ” and
“Chain of Fools” -
- both big hits for
Aretha Franklin in
the 6 0 s. C o v ay
h im s e lf c h a rte d
with “Pony Time,”
“ M ercy, M ercy,”
and
“I
W as
C heckin’ O ut She
W as C heckin’ In.”
Bill Doggett -
- D oggett’s career
as a pianist, organ­
ist, and arranger
represents the nexus o f jazz and
rhythm and blues music. In the 30s
and 40s, Doggett worked with Lucky
T h e C o a ste rs
H a d d a B ro o k s, M a rth a & T h e
V andellas, Little A nthony & The
Imperials and Jimmy Scott.
T he re c ip ie n ts o f the 1994
Rhythm and Blues Foundation Pio­
neer Awards are:
Otis Blackwell - Influential, yet
obscure, Blackwell contributed sig­
nificantly to the last40ycars of Ameri­
can music as a songw riter and pianist.
His works fueled the careers of artists
Little Willie John/” Fever,” DeeClark/
” Hey Litde G irl,” Jerry Lee Lew is/”
G reat Balls o f Fire,” and El vis Presley/
’’D on’t Be C ruel,” “All Shook Up,”
“Return to Sender.”
group, The Impressions with the 1958
hit, “For Your Precious Love.” A
dom inant solo artist in the 60s and
70s, Butler charted with “M ake it
Easy on Y ourself,” “ Mr. Dream M er­
chant,” and “Hey W estern Union
M an.”
Clarence C arter -- Carter has
long been noted for his soulful song
styling and story-telling as well as for
a deep, old-time blues feeling which
infuses all of his recordings. His hits
read like admonishments to lovers
and the lovelorn, “ Slip Away.” Too
W eak to Fight,” and “M aking Love
(At the Dark End o f the Street) and
M illinder, Lionel H ampton, C ount
Basie,The Ink spots, Louis Armstrong,
and Louis Jordan among others. Doggett
became a major R&B instrumentalist in
the 50s with “Honky Tonk (Parts 1 & 2)”
and “Ram-Bunk-Shush.”
M abie John - Like her more
famous brother, Little W illie John,
John’s first musical inspiration came
through Christian sing-a-longs led by
her mother. A vocalist o f resonant
sensuality, John’s solo work is fea­
tured on “Your Good Thing (Is About
to Com e to an E nd)” and “ Able
M abie.” Before joining Stax Records
as a soloist, John recorded for Berry
The S h ire lle s
Gordy, Jr. on Tamla and was the lead
singer for the Raelettes.
Ben E. King -- Among K ing’s
career achievem ents are his work as
the lead singer for the legendary Drift­
ers (“There Goes My Baby,” “This
Magic M oment,” and “Save the Last
Dance for M e.” As a solo artist, King
became a true giant o f rhythm and
blues music with the charted works
“Spanish Harlem ,” “Stand By Me,”
and “D on’t Play That Song.”
Jonny Otis - A major force in the
Los Angeles musical cauldron o f the
40s and 50s. Otis commands a dizzy­
ing and multifacted career as a drum ­
mer, band leader, talent scout, com ­
poser, music publisher, w riter and
historian, recording executive and
more. His successes as a performer
include “Double Crossing Blues,”
Harlem Nocturne,” and most o f all,
“W illie and the Hand Jive.” He was
instrumental in the careers of Mel
W alker, Little Ester Phillips, and Etta
James among others.
Earl Palm er - As much as any­
one, New O rleans-bred drum m er
Palmer is responsible for the rhythm
in Rhythm & Blues and the roll in
Rock & Roll. His Crescent City back
beats, bass drum accents and snare
drum spice have provided vigor to
hundreds of recordings In the great
Dave Batholomew Band he was the
power behind Fats Domino, and his
other associations include Lloyd Price,
Little Richard, Larry W illiams, Pro­
fessor Longhair, and Shirley & Lee.
Irma Thom as - Having earned
the consensus title of the “Soul Queen
o f New O rleans,” Thomas has a vocal
style noted for its soul-searing nuance
and earth-shaking power. Thomas
made “Pain in My Heart” before Otis
Redding and “Time Is On My Side”
before the Rolling Stones. Her hits
also include “D on’t Mess W ith My
Man” “Good to Me.”
The C oasters/R obins - W ith
impish humor, topical content, first-
class musicianship
and quality pro­
duction values, the
repertoire o f the
Coasters/Robins is
without precedent
o r e q u a l. T h e ir
work set an envi­
able standard with
hits like “Yakety
Y ak,” “C harlie
Brown,” “Poison
Ivy,”as well as“Riot
In Cell Block #9,”
and “Bad Blood.”
The Shirelles
- Both the proto­
ty p ic a l
“ g irl
group” and one of
the most durable.
The Shirelles have
the distinction of
being one of the
few such groups to
w rite th eir own
material. “I Met Him On A Sunday”
reached the top 50 in 1958 and is
credited in most quarters with initiat­
ing the “ girl group” genre. The
Shirelles’ other hits include “Tonight’s
the Night” and “Will You Still Love Me
Tomorrow” as well covers by the Beatles
on “Baby It’s You” and “Boys.”
Little Richard Penniman - Ray
C h a rle s L ife tim e A c h ie v e m e n t
Awardee - After Little Richard was
formed the mold m ust have been
IV lilc i H o w a r d
Miki H ow ard
respect and camaraderie o f jazz leg­
ends such as Lester Young, Teddy
W ilson, and Benny Carter. Joel E.
Siegel recently w rote,“Threedecades
after her death, her music is more
precious to us-more influential and
more revered-than at any point in her
lifetime. Few would now dispute that
she is one o f the essential artists o f our
century.”
No stranger to the Holiday reper­
toire (Howard was cast as Holiday
singing “I Cover The W aterfront” in
Spike L ee’s M alcolm X), Miki has
made a study o f H oliday’s genius
since she discovered a dog-eared copy
of Lady In Satin in her parents’ record
collection at an early age. As an im ­
pressionable youngster, M iki was
awestruck by lady
D ay’s beauty as
well as “how dif­
ferent h er voice
sounded than any­
thing else in my
p a re n ts’ library.
A lth o u g h L ad y
D ay’s range was
lim ite d ,
she
brought lyrics to
life in a way no
othcrsingcrcould.
Lady alw ays ap­
p ro a c h e d
her
songs on an em o­
tional level, and
people say I do
too!”
Miki brings to
this project a re­
spect for Lady Day
and a voice capable
o f ig n itin g the
Holiday song book
w ith c h a r is m a ,
c o n v ic tio n , v i ­
b ra n t p h ra s in g ,
and strong lyrical impact. Passion
shines through in any lyric M iki ex ­
plores. Her molten energy is imbued
with gleeful elegance and wit.
Even in her teens, M iki’s radiant
voice drew accolades from her peers.
M iki’s singing captured theattention
o f established jazz figures including
Roy Ayers and Ronnie Laws. Early
session work with masters such as
Chico Hamilton, Stanley Turrentine,
and Billy Cobham deepened M iki’s
understanding of the jaz.z genre.
P ro d u c e rs L em el H um es and
D avid F o ste r w ise ly p a ire d M iki
w ith v e te ra n a rra n g e rs Jo h n n y
M andel and H .B . B arnum , thereby
en su rin g a rra n g e m en ts th at w ould
e m b ra c e M ik i’s p a ssio n a te vocal
in n o v a tio n s.
After sifting through all o f the
Holiday classics, Miki came up with
ten evergreens which she felt would
best display her love for Billie, while
sim ultaneously allow ing her to bring
her sense of originality to the musical
equation. M andel’s exem plary ar­
rangem ent o f “W hat A Little M oon­
light Can D o” fits M iki’s radiant
voice like a glove. Johnny shows both
an awareness o f B illie’s classic '3 5
recording with Teddy W ilson as well
as the acum en to frame M iki’s voice
in a more contem porary context. “I
love the lyrics to this tune, “enthuses
Miki. “To me, m oonlight is a m eta­
phor, symbolic o f anything that can
enhance a relationship and make the
magic happen!”
M iki’s infectious, soulful lyri­
cism again shines on the smoky,
haunting reading o f “I ’m A Fool To
W ant You. On “ My M an,” M andel’s
lush signature stringsem brace M iki’s
sensual interpretation.
Jazz radio will surely welcome
M iki’s styling o f Duke E llington's
“In My Solitude.” H ow ard’s em o­
tionally m oving reading displays her
aw areness o f both H oliday’s and
Jimmy Scott’s ways with a phrase.
W hen M iki beckons “ D ear Lord
Above,” you know she’s learned how
to bring the lyrics alive from the best.
Miki brings the blues alive on
“now or Never” and swings hard with
dramatic flair on “T ’Ainl Nobody’s
Business.” Barnum ’s unmistakable
arrangem ent o f "yesterdays” recalls
the classic “Soulin” ’ sessions he ar­
ranged and conducted for Lou Rawls
some 30 years ago. Miki opens “D on’t
Explain” with a seductive monologue,
prefacing a phenom enal reading,
again featuring a Barnum arrange­
ment.
B illie H oliday c lo se d a ll o f
h e r se ts a t C a fe S o c ie ty w ith
“ S tra n g e F r u it,” L ew is A lle n ’s
a n ti-ly n c h in g p ro te s t so n g . It b e ­
cam e H o lid a y ’s sig n a tu re song,
sig n ify in g her in to le ra n c e to w ard
racism and o p p re ssio n . “ B illie a p ­
p ro a c h e d all her so n g s on an e m o ­
tio n a l le v e l, b u t e s p e c ia lly
'S tr a n g e F r u it,” ’ say s M ik i. “ I
piano-but playing just the right set­
tings for his music. W hooping and
hollering-but providing ju st the right
readingorhis lyrics. L itde Richard is
genius sui generis...oh, his hits in­
clude “Tutti Frutti,” :Long Tall Sally,”
“ Slippin’ And Slidin’ (Peepin’ and
H id in ’)," “ R ead y T e d d y ,” “ A ll
Around The W orld,” and “Lucille.”
Rhythm and Blues was never quite the
same af ter him. And for sure, there would
have been no Rock & Roll without him.
Smoothe Sylk
Destined To Follow
In Footsteps Of
Legendary Duo
Performers
Miki Sings Billie: A Tribute To Billie Holiday
W ith firm gospel roots and a
most impressive track record in the
urban arena (including six Top-5 R&B
hits and the recent No. 1 single, “A in’t
Nobody Like You”), Miki Howard
felt ready to broaden her musical ho­
rizons and explore her roots by inter­
preting music popularized by the jazz
legend she grew up idolizing-Billie
Holiday.
Holiday has been acknowledged
as the preem inent female jazz vocal­
ist o f all time-a singer who used her
voice as an instrum ent and won the
thrown away. There was no one like
him before he came on the scene, and
there has been nothing like him to
emerge since. In terms o f his dress,
performance style, and the content of
his m aterial-outrageous is a supreme
understatement. Flailing away at the
w an ted the a rra n g e m e n t to b rin g
the sc e n a rio a liv e v isu a lly - a l­
m o st in a “ P e te r A nd T he W o l f ’
m an n er, m any have su ffe re d and
w e sh o u ld n e v e r fo rg e t."
M iki’s collection closes with
“ Your M other’s Son-In-Law, a light
hearted rem em brance of B illie’s first
recording with Benny Goodman in
1933. The period arrangem ent is the
perfect setting for M iki’s timeless
wit, joy, and charm. Swing, swing,
swing!
With the release of Miki Sings
Billie, Miki Howard affirms her sta­
tus as a world class singer. It’s obvi­
ous M iki’s not trying to recreate or
mimic Billie on this collection. “ I’ve
got way too much respect for Lady
Day as a cultural icon,” says Miki. I
just wanted to pay her tribute with my
gifts as a vocalist and hope that my
efforts will bring both awareness and
joy to those who listen."
Triple B Records is gearing up
for the release of “one o f the hottest
new duo acts to appear on the music
scene in over 10 years” according to
CEO, Bobby Brown. Triple B re­
cording artist Smoothe Slyk will
officially debut when they perform
at “Bobby Brown’s Birthday Bash”
on Friday, February 4th in New
York City. The group will perform
four songs in honor o f B row n’s 25th
Birthday.
Smoothe Sylk is an Atlanta-
based duo that has been perform ing
together for the past year. T heir
plan is to follow in the tradition of
legendary duo artists Ashford &
S im pson, R ene & A ngela and
Peaches & Herb by recording and
performing music that epitom ize
the glamour elegance and sophisti­
cation of these music legends. T h e i r
e x h ila ra tin g p e rfo rm a n c e at the
Jack T he R ap p er co n v e n tio n la st
year a ttra c te d a le g io n o f m u sic
in d u stry e x e c u tiv e s, re c o rd in g
a r tis t and ra d io p ro g ra m m e rs
w ith th e ir u n iq u e b le n d o f v o c a l
sty lin g and h a rm o n ie s. T rip le
B /M C A re c o rd s p la n s to m a x i­
m ize the ta le n t o f S m o o th e S y lk
by h eav ily p ro m o tin g an d p u b li­
c iz in g th e ir d e b u t r e le a s e , J u s t
W h e n . L a b e l P r e s id e n t N a te
S m ith h o p e s th a t, “ S m o o th e r
S ylk w ill be ac c e p ted by p e o p le
w ho listen to a ll ty p e s o f m u sic
sin c e th e ir d e b u t a lb u m h a s
so m e th in g for e v e ry o n e -a little
r& b , a little po p and a w h o le lo t
o f lo v e so n g s.”
Smoothe Sylk’s first single,
“Slow,” will be released in early
March with their debut album . Just
W hen, following in M ay.
W
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