July 2007

In this issue

:: Black History - Part 2 - Allen Johnston
:: Edmondson Communications, Inc. - Press Release
:: NABFEME - The Female Factor
:: The Las Vegas Connection - Alice Wilson
:: Boogie Report
:: Next Era Music Group - Las Vegas
 
 
 First, I would like to say..THANK YOU...for the many positive comments that was received regarding the new Peepin' The Scene web site. You may rest assured that changes to this site will be frequent...so...feel free to check it periodically.

Yours truly will have a lot to talk about in the next issue since I will be attending the International Soul Summit in Atlanta, GA from July 25th - 29th...Be sure to go to www.soulsummitonline.com for additional information.

Then on to the Big Apple whereby the talented LIZ McCOMB will be performing at the Summer Stage in Central Park on July 28th at 7PM...So, if you are in "the city" come on by...see the show...and perhaps partake of the refreshments with VIP's. - It is a FREE concert...but please contact me for the reception.

Quintin Salmond of Sweet Music Records produced a "serious" show in Las Vegas featuring the sensational Mike "Violinist Extraordinaire"Ward who has a newly released CD entitled After The Kiss" which is taking off like a wind storm...This man gives "good violin" and his rendition of "Hotel California" I think is to be considered one of the very best of a cover song.

His impromptu highly identifiable repertoire gave the old girl "goose pimples"...AND the brother is TRULY FINE...there I go again!

Coupled with Las Vegas finest...DARCUS (a must see when you come to town) and the talents of David Van Such...added a blend of freedom to the show.

Of course, the real highlight for me was the performance of my fav-o-rite ladies...ELOISE & DEBRA LAWS whose vocal talents only gets better and better!!

Quite a few people from Los Angeles & New Orleans came to support Mr. Ward...A good time was had by all...Just ask...Pat Tobin (looking great!)...Amie Jo (Radio Talk Show Host)...Helen Greer (Greer's Talent Agency)...Kevin Nash (KJLH Radio/Air Personality) as well as a old friend of mine...Cat Lee (Oasis 107.9/LV - Air Personality)

I think I could do that one again!!!!!

STAY TUNED FOR LLOYD PRICE'S... LAWDY MISS CLAWDY - LEN YAP CAFE (Dessert Cafe) FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITIES...HISTORY IN THE MAKING!!!!!!!!!!!

Paulette De Suzia

Several other advents helped Black music's popularity, on May 23, 1921. Shuffle Along, the first of a series of popular musicals featuring Black talent, opened at the 63rd Street Musical Hall in New York and Blacks began to invent Broadway or, at a minimum, Broadway musical culture. Two years later, on October 29, 1923, Runnin' Wild opened at Colonial Theatre on Broadway, introducing America's first dance hit, the Charleston, to the world. In 1925. PAUL ROBESON made his debut as a bass-baritone in the Greenwich Village Theatre singing the first concert consisting solely of Negro spirituals. On December 4, 1927. DUKE ELLINGTON opened at the Cotton Club, Harlem's Jim Crow musical magnet, marking the formal beginning of the Swing Age and the Age of the Big Bands of COUNT BASIE, ERKSKINE HAWKINS, JIMMY LUNCEFORD and, later, BILLY ECKSTINE. Ellington, who was arguably America's greatest composer, extended the harmonic and structural dimensions of jazz, which has been called America's classical music.

The 1930's gave rise to an entire new era of Black Music. New Black urban migrants from the south to the north redefined church music, giving it a rhythm and passion that THOMAS DORSEY, the "Father of Gospel Music," put down on paper and SALLIE MARTIN and, later, MAHALIA JACKSON sang. In addition to inventing a name for the new sacred music of black Americans, organizing its first chorus, its first annual convention, and founding its first publishing house, Dorsey is credited with establishing the tradition of the gospel music concert.

In the 1940's Jazz took another divergence when CHARLIE PARKER and DIZZY GILLESPIE brought their musical groups to New York's 52nd Street, inaugurating the Be-Bop age and changing the structure and harmonic foundations of modern jazz. Still Black music in all of its forms attempted to describe the feelings and spirituality of not only its creators but of its listeners as well.

The 1950's saw an explosion of Black music, RICHARD (LITTLE RICHARD) PENNIMAN recorded "Tutti Frutti," and CHUCK BERRY recorded "Maybelline," followed by other recordings by Black artists (BIG MAYBELLE, WILSON PICKETT and others) who influenced the Beatles and Elvis Presley and played major roles in the development of rock `n' roll. SAM COOKE, a well-known gospel singer, crossed over into what some then called "rhythm and blues," recording "You Send Me," which marked the beginning of soul music. MILES DAVIS recorded "Kind of Blue", "a milestone in jazz history," which changed the directions of modern American music. Motown Records was founded by BERRY GORDY JR., who gave the world the JACKSON 5, the SUPREMES, STEVIE WONDER and MARVIN GAYE, and who helped change the understanding, marketing and promotion of American music

And the biggest phenomenon of the 1950's was FREEDOM MUSIC based on the whoops, hollers and affirmations of the Black Spiritual-gospel-blues-jazz tradition, annealed and transformed African-Americans and their allies in the UNCOUNTABLE mass meetings, marches, vigils and protests of the Freedom Movement, which was the biggest U.S. social movement of the 20th century and which influenced singers in Soweto, Eastern Europe and Tiananmen Square. Major Black singers sang in the chorus or the choir of the Movement, notably MAHALIA JACKSON ("I Been 'Buked and I Been Scorned"), HARRY BELAFONTE ("Matilda"), Aretha Franklin ("R-E-S-P-E-C-T"), SAMMY DAVIS JR. ("Mr. Bojangles"), JAMES BROWN ("I'm Black and I'm Proud"), CURTIS MAYFIELD ("Keep on Pushin'"), SAM COOKE ("A Change Is Gonna Come"), NINA SIMONE ("What are we going to do now, now that the King of Love is Dead?"), BERNICE REAGAN ("Before I'd be a slave, I'd be buried in my grave and go home to my Lord and be free").

Music created for a purpose that touched the spirit and spoke about the injustices of the world.

The 1960's brought us ERNEST (CHUBBY CHECKER) EVANS recording "The Twist," setting off the biggest dance craze since the Charleston craze of the 1920s. The craze changed the patterns of American dance and changed, perhaps forever, the dominant patterns of men and women dancing together. Plus a new gospel music with a more worldly sound and a catchy, pop-flavored beat flowed out of urban Black churches and was given form and passion by JAMES CLEVELAND and SHIRLEY CAESAR, leading to ANDRAE CROUCH and the EDWIN HAWKINS SINGERS and contemporaries like KIRK FRANKLIN, the many WINANS and a new growth industry, White gospel singers.

The 1970's brought us synthesizers and over-dubbing and detailed preparation of albums all epitomized by STEVIE WONDER. The end of the 70's introduced THE SUGAR HILL GANG who produced the first rap hit, "Rapper's Delight," introducing the world of rap and hip-hop with implications that are still reverberating in the music world.

In 1984 MICHAEL JACKSON'S Thriller video premiered on TV, and revolutionized the making and marketing of pop music, leading to MTV and the new pop technology. The 90's popular crossover success of singers like WHITNEY HOUSTON and JANET JACKSON started new merchandising, marketing trends and led to numerous White imitators like Britney Spears.

Success stories abound but the biggest change in Black music has come about in the 2000's. Hip Hop originated as an expression of individuality, a description of anger and distrust against the unjust governmental systems we now live under. Just as Slave work songs, Gospel, Blues, Jazz, Be Bop and the majority of our cultural music had done. Now this new music is made only to make certain individuals wealthy and unfortunately the wealthy are not the artists making the music. This new breed of music is designed to make both Black & White consumers / listeners controllable and ignorant. It is now promoting unbridled loveless sex, drug usage, murder and mayhem. Isn't it time to let your child know WHY they make music?

Allen Johnston - The Music Specia

(Washington, D.C.) -With the merging and closure of gospel labels, it's harder and harder for the aspiring artist to get signed to a major label. Many artists are choosing to take the "independent" road, but run into potential challenges with marketing and distribution. Edmondson Communications, Inc. (ECI), on the cutting edge of the gospel music industry, was created with the independent artist in mind. In addition to marketing, manufacturing and distribution, the company provides promotions, production and public relation services and is the only full service business in the industry. Already representing ten labels - Meridian Music Group, Dmaesto Productions, Abundant Harvest Entertainment, Meltone Entertainment, Jobalva Music, Empact Gospel, We Three Music, Rich Id Records, Five Star Records, and ETL Records - ECI has already found success with many of its artists including the Billboard charting of popular mega-church pastor Bishop David G. Evans with his CD, Healed Without Scars.

Based near Philadelphia and started in 1999, Edmondson Communications, Inc. provides a virtual smorgasbord of services tailored for the independent artist. ECI offers music production as well as manufacturing and distribution. With a vast distribution network, the company can position product into virtually every record store in America including some of the largest retail chains. Also, the company offers radio, television and video production. From the basic radio interview to the full production music video, ECI sources and manages all the technical as well as creative talent that is required. The company also provides Internet marketing and radio promotion using their contacts of over 800 radio stations giving clients weekly tracking reports.

Marketing and public relations are also part of the services that Edmondson Communications, Inc. supplies. As of January 1, 2007, ECI added public relations to its services offering press releases, press kits, media campaigns and promotion of church events, gospel concerts and conferences. Andrea R. Williams joined forces with Edmondson Communications to handle publicity for its artists. As one of the few - if not the only - full-service company for the independent gospel artist - Edmondson Communications, Inc. takes the indie artist and gives them all the tools needed to compete with the majors.

Al Edmondson, CEO of Edmondson Communications, Inc., started the company with decades of recording industry experience. A former record label executive, Edmondson was responsible for guiding the careers of artists such as Quincy Jones, Gino Vannelli, Brothers Johnson, Jeffrey Osborne, LTD, Larry Graham, Atlantic Starr, Herb Alpert, Chuck Mangione and dozens of others. Since that time, he's cut his teeth in the gospel music industry working with artists like Rev. James Cleveland, Wilmington Chester Mass Choir, and Hezekiah Walker & The Love Fellowship Choir. Joining Edmondson in making ECI a success is Director of National Accounts, Nick Torrente and National Radio Promotions Director, Paulette DeSuzia.

Edmondson says, "We all know this is a money-driven industry. Here at Edmondson Communications we give the independent artist the resources to compete. We know there are a lot of great artists out there who don't necessarily have the budgets that the majors do. But we take what an artist has and specifically plan a budget for them." He adds, "Having been in the industry for years now, I've seen artists get burned by companies who don't deliver what they promise. Edmondson Communications is a company founded upon integrity; we deliver the goods. What it all comes down to is we're working for the Kingdom."

Edmondson Communication, Inc

NABFEME - The Female Factor 

THE 2007 INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP SUMMIT

Presented by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLACK FEMALE EXECUTIVE in MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT, INC.

REGISTER NOW - Charlotte, NC - October 3rd - 7th

NABFEMLas Vegas Clark County Urban League