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Return to Forever IV/Zappa Plays Zappa
Greek Theatre
Tuesday, September 20, 2011

by A. Scott Galloway

The mere prospect of a concert double bill starring the latest incarnation of Chick Corea’s endlessly malleable Return to Forever (RTF) concept along with opening act Zappa Plays Zappa (ZPZ) – the ultimate tribute band to rock impresario Frank Zappa led by his honorable son Dweezil Zappa – was enough to send a music head’s mind racing back to the thrill of “school days” when such a show would blow your mind while simultaneously expanding your musical consciousness. Such was the case under the stars at Griffith Park’s beautiful Greek Theatre as these two ensembles delivered the masterful musical goods making good – no great – on the bill’s promise as the stellar chops hit of the summer. To continue, please click “MORE”!

Album Review: Jill Scott, Hidden Beach Presents the Original Jill Scott, Vol. 1
by Brent Faulkner

Hidden Beach Recordings was the home to R&B singer/poet Jill Scott
up until her 2007 LP The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3; latest
studio effort The Light of the Sun was released on Scott’s own Blues
Babe Records and distributed through Warner Brothers Records. The break
between Scott and Hidden Beach was not without its disputes and
controversy, however the result is a somewhat of a win for both parties –
the release of unreleased cuts from the singer which profits both
entities. Hidden Beach Presents the Original Jill Scott, Vol. 1 is by no
means a new studio album from Scott and ultimately, it falls short of
the quality that her studio releases have come to be characterized by.
That said, the compilation does show how marvelously talented, soulful,
and creative Jill Scott is. To continue, please click “MORE”!

Album Review: Deitrick Haddon | Anthology: The Writer & His Music
By Peggy Oliver
 
As contemporary gospel presented many important influential voices to the landscape throughout the seventies and eighties like the Crouches, the Hawkins and the Winans, the following decade would prove no exception. When Deitrick Haddon hit the nineties decade — and hit it radically hard — another chapter would soon be written as his ‘gospel soul’ imprint has heavily influenced the way most people hear gospel to this day. Coming from one of gospel’s landmark cities Detroit, Michigan, Haddon feeds his progressive praise and worship with R&B, soul and funk and everything else in between. His mix of Biblical inspiration with shadings of Prince, Michael Jackson and others have intrigued both fans, critics and the industry especially when he launched his solo career in 2002 with Lost & Found. To continue, please click “MORE”!

Album Review: Joss Stone | LP1
by Brent Faulkner

Joss Stone’s recent career has seemed to be a bit less stable than when
the neo-soul singer first bowed in the U.S. On 2007’s Introducing,
Stone tried to position herself as recharging or reinvigorating a career
that had already been solidified by two critically acclaimed efforts
(not to mention Grammy-nominated). Her exclusive Colour Me Free
suffered from only being available at Target, not to mention the lack of
a distinct promo single to stir up the buzz. To continue, please click “MORE”!