Chitlin Circuit Double-entendre -filled Soul 2004 (and onward) Theodis Ealey's "Stand Up In It" is a song of the year

My Saturday radio station Southern soul show only plays a few of those I think. I need to find that online southern soul station I posted about about a long time ago.

I think I heard that Sir Charles Jones song off the Boogie Report and liked it, but I don't remember specifics. Too busy with the rest of my daily life and other writing these days to find time to listen to all of the above.

Maybe this weekend I can try to catch up some.

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/general/2010/03/12/live-saturday-soul-triple-bill-with-barbara-carr-at-the-solar-eclipse/

"Pop A Pill" by Ghetto Cowboy appears to be about Viagra. ("Girl you make me want to a pop a pill, so I can give you a thrill...I ain't no young buck just runnin' around, but every now and then I need some help to get down.") 3:49 is too long for the joke though. Version on youtube says "feat. Bigg Robb," but Robb just grumbles backup hypeman stuff, never raps. For most of the song, I barely even noticed he was there.

Youtube says "I'm Sorry" by Lenny Williams is from 1981. Midtempo sort of post-disco smooth-jazz strut. Apparently he was the lead singer in Tower of Power, born in Little Rock but raised in Oakland. No idea why he's #1 on that Boogie Report chart; doesn't seem to have died lately.

"Somebody" by Mr. Sam -- Whoooooeeee, okay, this is kind of a beaut; grown-folks quiet-storm soul ballad of the year so far, not that I've actually heard any other ones I can think of, but still. "She don't need to have no Ph.D./Just smart enough to know what she has with me." Still, five minutes is long -- just imagine it's a luxurious bubble bath. Probably too generic a bubble bath, but a bubble bath nonetheless.

Not finding many others on youtube yet, but I'll hunt more when I can.

Most of Daddy B. Nice's March top 10 is not on youtube. I did find Unckle Eddie "Guitar Cry With Me" that is a droll recitation of tragic incidents--terrorist attacks, earthquakes, etc. It's ok but doesn't wow me.

RIP Rockie Charles, the New Orleans "President of Soul". He rarely ever toured and his records were not widely distributed but he could sing

Early New Orleans Rock N Roll/R&B

There may be 2 zillion acts from multiple genres (but mainly indie) down in Austin for SxSW but I have yet to read about a single Southern/Chitlin Circuit soul group being there. Labels like Ecko and CDS and Malaco are silly not to try to crossover, and if they're waiting for an invitation that's likely never to happen as this genre flies under the mainstream radar. But if you're reading this thread you know that, I guess.

Well, there is a New Orleans Bounce Street Party Sissy Rap Showcase Saturday night w/ I believe DJ Jubilee and Katie Redd and Magnolia Shorty, which is at least on the oustkirts of Southern Soul. But otherwise, yeah, I think you're right.

There's a publicist handling that one who is also representing the great Ponderosa Stomp event in New orleans that brings old school soul artists and rockers onstage in New Orleans, and to Lincoln Center and in years past SxSW. Perhaps that publicist should seek out Southern soul labels.

Someone gave me a free ticket to see harpist/vocalist Joanna Newsom last night in a sold-out show. Eh, I was not wowed. I will take Denise Lasalle and Miss Jody over Newsom. I'd also settle for those 2 soul vocalists getting even half the media attention Newsom gets.

RIP New Orleans singer Marva Wright.

Damn, hadn't thought about Marva in a while. Knew she hadn't been well in recent years.

Hey Curmudgeon, have you (or anyone here) seen Bobby Bland recently? He's coming to town, nice intimate jazz club show. Tix are expensive, though, and I've heard he can be pretty hit or miss. (The only time I saw him was at Jazzfest, in 2002, and he was weathered but wonderful.)

I don't think Marva was that old, but yes she was ill for several years.

Booby Bland's last DC area appearance (maybe billed as an 80th birthday tour I think) was cancelled because of illness. I have not seen him in a long time-- he was doing that snorting thing on the high notes, but I think he's been doing that for quite awhile.

Ha ha, yeah he was doing that "snnnnnooorkkk" a lot when I saw him.

Heard Bland's "Members Only" on the radio a little while back. Luv that one.

Wish I had seen live way back when, during one of those tours with BB King he used to do.

When I was in Grand Cayman in '86, "Members Only" was pretty recent; radio played it every few hours, bands in clubs covered it. It was like a HUGE hit.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postmortem/2010/03/marva-wright-blues-singer-dies.html A Marva Wright tribute

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100323/ap_en_mu/us_obit_wright

I saw her in New Orleans once. When she was living up my way after Katrina I always missed the various benefit shows for her somehow.

Heard a decent but not amazing song from Miss Jody's latest cd on WPFW yesterday. I need to quiti procrastinating and buy the thing and review it somewhere (even if it came out 2 months ago or whatever)

Hmmm, wonder if Ecko has downloads? Will check later tonight.

Roy C.'s gonna be back in the DC area on 4-17 at Lamont's in Pomonkey.

Reviews of the new Sharon Jones cd are everywhere in the 'mainstream media' but alas, until I buy and review Miss Jody's new one, there are none for her. And yes I know that their styles are a tad different.

Some interesting back and forth views last week on the Yahoo Southern Soul e-mail group regarding the late Johnnie Taylor's son Floyd's new cd. I have not heard it yet. Some folks liked it, others dismissed it in that soul purist manner that causes some people to avoid this thread and others to only like Sharon Jones and obscure 1967 reissues.

http://www.amazon.com/All-Me-Jewl-Floyd-Taylor/dp/B0039208ZS/ref=sr_1_1

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I missed that recent Roy C. show but caught part of an interview with him on WPFW where he got more political in the subject matter he wanted to talk about than I expected.

folks might want to see original DC soul and funk singer Sir Joe Quarterman tonight (heard a great song on youtube--his 1973 r'n'b top 30 number) at the U. Street Musical Hall along with Milwaukee's Kings Go Forth (10 piece retro-soul group just signed to David Byrne's label). Mingering Mike is emceeing (he designed the cover for Kings Go Forth's new cd) and Kevin Coombe is dj'ing along with that guy who discovered Mingering Mike- D. Hadar. NPR is taping this. And don't get me started on why they are taping this but did not tape Roy C. at Lamonts in Pomonkey this past Saturday

As my son would say, "I need to step up my game" and do some writing about this stuff. Sharon Jones is everywhere and yet there's not a single google hit for Miss Jody.

I am totally losing touch with this stuff this year, which is sad.

Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .

MAY 2010

1. "If She's Cheating On Me, I Don't Wanna Know"-------------Luther Lackey

The lullaby-like melody and the gospel-drenched choruses have the familiar feel of a childhood nursery rhyme. The brilliant lyrics end with:

"If she's with Marvin Sease,
He's a candy-licker.
If she's with Theodis,
He's standing up in it.
But I'm in trouble
If she's with my brother.
If she's with O. B.
He ain't playin' with it."

Bargain-Priced The Preacher's Wife CD, MP3's

2. "Birthday Suit"--------------Certified Slim

An emotionally-true, mid-tempo outing in the classic mold of William Bell. The carnal lyrics--

"I'd like to see you
In your birthday suit.
Nothing else but
Your high-heeled shoes."

--are delivered with a lover's reverence.

3. "Everybody Knows (It's A Small Town)"---------------------Tre' Williams & The Revelations

As much as I liked it, I'll admit I suspected Tre' Williams' soulful breakthrough "I Don't Wanna Know" would be a fluke by a northern band. Not only are the Revelations touring the chitlin' circuit and giving its audiences love, the band more than proves its Southern Soul mettle with this awesome follow-up reminiscent of Gene Pitney's "A Town Without Pity."

4. "P's & Q's"----------------Reggie P. and Sir Charles Jones

Once you adjust--that is--once you're comfortable with the snippet of a melody, the in-your-face rhythm track and the wash-of-strings mix--you can sit back and listen to two of the most exciting vocalists in Southern Soul trading stanzas like the greats of old.

5. "Reality Slowly Walks Us Down" -------------LGB

One of those special debuts that makes you wonder, "Why wasn't this niche ever filled before?" LGB is a huskier-voiced Barbara Lewis sound-alike. The odd title masks an incredible song done in the Lewis style that must be heard to be believed. At times LGB outdoes her influence.

Bargain-Priced Reality Slowly Walks Us Down CD, MP3's

6. "Outside Man" ---------------John Cummings

This song. I presume, is by old friend and venerable Southern Soul songwriter John Cummings, and it's good for the same reasons as the songs of songwriter-slash-performer George Jackson or the Floyd Hamberlin (Will T.) version of "Mississippi Boy"--it's raw, direct and vulnerable.

7. "Got A Good Woman" ------------Lee "Shot" Williams

Leeeshaaaaaad ventures into B. B. King territory and triumphs with an authentic delivery. He sounds like he's singing through a broken bottle in a dark and twisted, sticky-countered, butts-on-the-floor dive.

Bargain-Priced I'm The Man For The Job CD, MP3's

8. "Don't Give Up On Our Love"---------Latimore

The romantic and dreamy atmosphere reminds me of Clarence Carter's poignant "What Was I Supposed To Do?"

Bargain-Priced All About The Rhythm & The Blues CD

9, "Sorry, I Didn't Know It Was Your Momma" -----------Lenny Williams

It's not "Can't Nobody Do Me Like You," but it's hooky. And it'll have to do until Lenny breaks out the next big one.

Bargain-Priced Unfinished Business CD

10. "You Won't Miss Your Water"-----------Falisa JaNaye'

An impressive debut from a singer whose diminutive frame launches a big punch.

Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . .

APRIL 2010

1. "Everybody Makes Mistakes" ------------Bigg Robb

From Bigg Robb's upcoming album, Grown Folks Gospel: Songs Of Encouragement, "Everybody Makes Mistakes" is the big man's greatest song since his cover of "Good Lovin' Will Make You Cry," and as with that tune, Robb's synthesizer-enhanced vocal on the memorable chorus makes you forget you ever cared about the human voice.

2. "If They Can Beat Me Rockin'" --------------Vick Allen

When I heard this on the radio, I was blown away by the surprising hootenanny style. "Beat Me Rockin'" sounds like it was written by label-mate Omar Cunningham with a Vick Allen-style bridge. Yet another hit from last year's Truth Be Told album. Great rhythm section.

Bargain-Priced Truth Be Told CD, MP3's

3. "No Ordinary Pussycat" by Ms. Jody w/ J. Blackfoot

It's just the kind of Top 40-style song I wish Ms. Jody had put on her Ms. Jody's Back In The Streets Again album. "No Ordinary Pussycat" is actually an under-played version of the "Meow" song from J. Blackfoot's Woof Woof Meow CD in which Ms. Jody contributes 95% of the vocal.

4. "The Preacher's Wife"---------------Luther Lackey.

The brash, musically-sophisticated title cut from what might be the first great Southern Soul CD of 2010: The Preacher's Wife. Luther's back, baby.

5. "Be A Man"---------------------Pat Cooley

Really love the acoustic, Latin-flavored sound of this record, anchored of course by the authentic Southern Soul singing of Pat Cooley, without which it would fall apart. It's a new and viable direction for Southern Soul, and it reminds me of the affecting version of "Ain't No Sunshine" by Sir Charles Jones on his most recent album. Both songs showcase the strength of Southern Soul--its singers--against minimal backgrounds with stunning results.

6. "All Of You, All Of Me"-------------Floyd Taylor

What can you say about Floyd? He's as consistently dependable as the old masters like Willie Clayton and Marvin Sease and Mel Waiters. On this classic slow jam he curls his voice around the lyrics with typically sensitive care. The background chorus is to die for.

Bargain-Priced All Of Me CD

Comparison-Priced All Of Me CD

7. "Mississippi Girl"------------Wendell B.

One of the new cuts from Wendell B.'s still hard to get pair of new LP's.

8. "The Bop"-------------Ms. Jody.

This one IS from Ms. Jody's Back In The Streets Again. "The Bop" is a throwback--almost like a line dance from the late fifties or early sixties. And if you like your great soul divas negotiating dance tunes (as I do) it'll quickly grow on you.

9. "My Old Man & Mrs. Jones"-----------------Pat Brown

The new and long-anticipated album by Pat Brown is due soon.

10. "Cheating On The Back Street"----------Adrena

Adrena has all the tools--and a better-than-average song on which to showcase them.

Have heard the LGB song and like it. I need to track down and splurge on some of these others--Lackey, Floyd Taylor, and Lee Shot Williams to name a few. I have heard Floy and Lee songs that I've liked.

My Top 15 Southern Soul singles of the year so far. (Been catching up on the Boogie Report and Daddy B. Nice tracks that I can track down on Rhapsody -- which is a lot of them, but not all. Anxious to check out Luther Lackey's entire album, and probably a couple other ones.)

1. Robert Banks – Alvaretta’s Night Out (Banx Music Productions – Actually, Daddy B. Nice listed this as a single this March, so I'll take his word for it, though the album seems to have come out in 2004.)
2. Luther Lackey – It Ain’t Easy Being The Preacher’s Wife (Ecko)
3. Bigg Robb – Everybody Makes Mistakes (Over25Sound/Robbmusic)
4. Luther Lackey – If She’s Cheatin’ On Me I Don’t Want To Know (Ecko)
5. BB Queen – I Ain’t Your Lady (Hearon)
6. Jeff Floyd – Shake Somethin’ Loose (Wilbe)
7. Archie Love – I Take It Back (JEA)
8. The Revelations featuring Tre Williams – Everybody Knows (Decision)
9. J. Blackfoot feat. Ms. Jody – No Ordinary Pussy Cat (JEA/Right Now -- actually Daddy B. Nice lists Jody's version, which apparently gives her more vocal time, but I've only heard the mix on Blackfoot's album)
10. Bobby Rush – People Don’t Do (Deep Rush)
11. Lenny Williams – Sorry I Didn’t Know (Lentom Entertainment)
12. J. Blackfoot – Mr. Bus Driver (JEA/Right Now)
13. Mel Waiters – I Ain’t Gonna Do It (Waldoxy)
14. Latimore – Don’t Give Up On Our Love (LaStone)
15. Latimore – Every Day I Have The Blues (LaStone)

Luther Lackey, fwiw, is from Claksdale, Mississippi, and has 45 Myspace friends, and also no songs on his MySpace page, which therefore seems somewhat pointless to link to. Here is Daddy B Nice's page for him:

http://www.southernsoulrnb.com/artistguide.cfm?aid=126

Bigg Robb is 42 years old and from Dayton, Ohio (so not technically Southern, probably.) His album is called Jerri Curl Muzik!

http://www.myspace.com/biggrobblove

Okay, Bigg Robb also used to be in Zapp, which probably explains why he dresses sort of like T-Pain and sometimes sings through a Vocoder:

http://www.soulbluesmusic.com/biggrobb.htm

Robert Banks comes from Tyler, Texas, according to the bio on this CDBaby page:

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/robertbanks/from/daddybnice

I heard this great song on 88.7 at around 8am on Saturday. Yes.com says they didn't play it (hmmm). DJ said he just HAD to play this song by Uncle Eddie. I googled and came up with Uncle Eddie and Christy Delight: "Stop Talking Too Much." But I can only find one page on it. Here's a decent description of the song from that page:

"a child is saying something like, "I'm telling momma" and the daddy is telling her to "stop telling everything you know" I might not be correct on the words but the child is in the car with her daddy (I assume that's her dad) and she sees him up to no good and she says that she is telling."

What is this song??

I talked about that song way upthread, Kevin! But couldn't figure out who did it either. Definitely heard it on 88.7 a couple times since:

Real funny mostly-talked song on the Southern Soul show today: Krystal (or Crystal?) Somebody, "Stop Telling Everything You Know." Girl who sounds like the girl in "MyBabyDaddy" (B-Rock? The Bizz? whoever) catches her dad kissing a woman who isn't her mom; her dad, who sounds like Snoop's dad asking him for five dollars in the "Gin and Juice" video, claims he was just helping the woman get something out of her eye. Daughter asks then how come her lipstick was messed up when Dad finished with her eye. (End of song, he helps her with her dress, too.)
― xhuxk, Wednesday, April 15, 2009 10:00 PM (1 year ago)

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I think that great Jeff Floyd song "Shake Something Loose" may be from last year but it is still getting radio single play impact this year.

Yeah, a bunch of those tracks are clearly from '09 albums (maybe even late '08 in some cases), but especially with singles, I go with the Pazz & Jop Year of Impact rule. Maybe even with albums -- Bigg Robb's Jeri Curl Muzik apparently came out in April '09, but I'm loving it and may well consider it for my Pazz & Jop ballot this year (somehow T-Pain-era AutoTune now makes Zapp-style electro-funk seem oddly un-anachronistic, and he does a song or two -- the least likeable things on the album, I'd say so far -- that are clearly meant to sound more like up-to-date r&b for young folks anyway. Either way, I really don't think T-Pain's made any album half this fun. May take me awhile to suss out what's so great about individual tracks -- there are a lot of them; it's a long album -- but hopefully will eventually. Incidentally, if Robb is in fact just 42, and my math is right, he couldn't have been in Zapp in their and Troutman's prime, unless he was barely a teenager. So probably in a later edition of the group? Haven't researched that yet.)

Luther Lackey album is also good, though so far I'm wishing he stuck to the emotive countryfied soul prettiness of those two singles and didn't try to get funny and funky, which (unlike lots of these guys) he seems less good at; that is, I'm not really loving "I Got Caught Butt Naked."

Also should mention that Zapp-style vocoder funk is only one trick in Bigg Robb's bag, but hardly the only one; helps that he seems to be a way better singer than either Roger Troutman or T-Pain.

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Ok xhuxk (or curmudgeon), if you ever find out, lemme know. I'll call the station too.

Highlights of Latimore's mostly just okay and seemingly covers-heavy September '09 All About The Rhythm And Blues, fwiw, appear to be "Obama And The Fat Man," where said fat man is never named but I'm guessing it's John McCain, and the probably dirty "Around The World," probably about whatever R.E.M.'s "Roam" was probably about, and definitely preferable in its eight-minute "Club Mix" at album's end.

(B-52s' "Roam", I mean.)

A lot of Sam Cooke and gospel in Luther Lackey's ballad inflections, actually -- and I'd say "Your Change Will Come" and "Man Up To It" and the recession processional "Mister Can I Shine Your Shoes" are at least close to the level of "It Ain't Easy Being The Preacher's Wife" and "If She's Cheatin' On Me I Don't Want To Know." Enough country in there for me to maybe consider it for my Nashville Scene ballot at year's end, too. "I Got Caught Butt Naked" (on the album in two versions, not an uncommon practice in this genre apparently -- Part 2 where he's pulled over by a dumb redneck cop is funnier, and ends with Luther chanting "Brick House") is clearly an anomaly for him, and I like his other obvious comedy cut "Meat Man". So -- another really good album.

seems to be a way better singer than either Roger Troutman or T-Pain.

Uh, less sure about this now -- seeing how other people (Carl Marshall, Floaters reviving "Float On", Bar-Kays, Shirley Murdock, Sir Charles Jones, some blues guy named I think Mississippi Redd who doesn't want to hear no more hippity hop) seem to be doing most of the great singing on the album (which is actually spelled Jeri Curl Muzic not Muzik). But there's a lot of great singing on it, either way. Bigg Robb himself is more a talker, in and out of AutoTune/Talkbox mode (get the idea he uses both), though I'd still say he sings at least well enough to get by, when he does. Topics: advice to family and friends who mess up (including an ex-flame who mistakingly has a lesbian one-night stand she regrets); needing a designated driver to get him home; stuff you can buy if you have money like for instance a new Blu-Ray player (w/ guest rap from Kurtis Blow); wanting to get together with a single mom and maybe help her raise her kids ("Can I Get To Know You Girl", recommended by Daddy B. Nice above and spiritually related to "I Can Help" by Billy Swan); keeping up with the kids and their blame-it-on-the-alcohol lil-mamas-with-lipgloss popping-bub-in-the-club music ("Sexy Lady," which is growing on me); what Bigg Robb wants in a woman (basically she needs to a churgoing sex maniac who knows how to cook greasy soul food though he doesn't eat pork anymore and have money he can borrow if he needs some); good fathers including ones who have to pay child support and ones who take care of children "you didn't even biologically make" ("Any Man Can Make A Baby": "you got issues with the mama, it's what the streets call baby mama drama.") There's also a five-minute track where a lady journalist interviews him about his old school influences, and a token blues for his fans out in the country, where they're probably cooking chicken and pork chops in the same grease (even though he already gave up pork a few songs before!)

Also, end of album, a "Bass Mix" of "Grown N Sexy" feat. Sir Charles Jones," "Bass" in this case I guess meaning Miami, given all the fat cavernous echo. Sounds pretty cool. (By the way, lots of his talk of women on the album also requests that they be mature as well. He's got a funny metaphor for that at one point; maybe I'll grab it next time. I love how, in this kind of music, getting older is a good thing.)

Btw, on a more neo-soul/half-competently ripping off early '70s Marvin and Mayfield tip, I've actually been enjoying the new album Whereimat by this L.A. fellow Darryl Moore -- especially "Jamie" (a probably cliched but nonetheless intriguing life lesson where a good girl goes bad) and "805 Sundaze"/"Family Funday" (two differently titled versions of what's basically the same song, about taking his kids to the park):

http://www.myspace.com/darrylmooremusic1

Previously unmentioned-here songs in Boogie Report's current Top 20 Southern Soul countdown

4.A Womans Worth Jeff Floyd /William Bell
6.All Of You All Of Me-Floyd Taylor
Juke Joint Jam Move Your Body Terrell House
8.Sick and Tired BJ Miller
13.Broke Azz Living Out Loud
14.Mind Your Business Heart 2 Heart
15.Baby Daddy Bobbye Doll Johnson
16.Can You Drop It Hog Pen
19.It Aint A Party Bigg Robb (though it's on the album I talked about)

From Wiki:
In January 2009, Burke joined legendary record producer Willie Mitchell at Mitchell's Royal Studio in Memphis to work together on a new recording - an album titled "Nothing's Impossible" which was released on April 6th, 2010. It was the first time Burke and Mitchell had worked together in their careers

I just saw mention of this on the Yahoo soul e-mail thang. They said it was Solomon Burke's best cd in ages. I am guessing it is more memorable than what he did with Joe "I'm overrated as a producer but NPR types like me" Henry.

Aww man, I just found out Jeff Floyd is gonna be at WPFW dj the Gator's Party at Lamont's in Pomonkey, Maryland (Near W. DC) June 12 with Big G from Richmond, but I'm gonna be at my son's doubleheader

From my WPFW listening today: Carl Sims "I Like this Place" is such a catchy song. Plus I heard a Bigg Robb song that sounded funky in an almost DC go-go way. Several guest vocalists on the song too I think.

Okay, I've got more catching up to do, apparently:

Daddy B. Nice's Top 10 "BREAKING" Southern Soul Singles For. . . JUNE 2010

1. "I'm Going Solo"-------Narvel

No one beats the bushes for that country talent like your Daddy B. Nice. DJ Mighty Burner, who hosts an early-Saturday-morning show at Jackson's WMPR, caught my ear with this raw, energetic cut by a young performer out of Greenville, Mississippi, where muddy water runs out of the taps and (say the natives) makes everyone live longer.

"I'm going solo,
For the meanwhile.
I'm going soooo-loooooo
For the meanwhile."

Narvel, who sings the socks off of this song--who sings it like he really means it--has a 3-song CD which came out last winter--no distribution yet. A previous 2-song set is available at CD Baby, where you'll discover Narvel's last name is Echols!

2. "I'm The Man For The Job"-------------Lee Shot Williams
You either love or hate that stinging rhythm guitar lick. Once you "like" it, it's all over. The vocal is one of Shot's best and wildest, and the female chorus is funny and deliciously salacious. I still don't know what half of it's about (other than sex), and I don't care. I just love the Lee "Shot" sound: both the nostalgic but caustic vocals and the bizarre but apt arrangements.

3. "That Girl Belongs To Me"---------------------Willie Clayton & Charles Wilson
This notable collaboration provokes many thoughts. One is. . . Willie Clayton singing background? How can you lose? Another revelation is how much Charles Wilson's vocal tone, which on "lightish" tunes can be cloying, is enhanced by the bubbling-brook-of-soul stylings of Clayton. Both stars shine, and this song is undoubtedly headed for the top of the charts.

4. "Baby Daddy"----------------Bobbye "Doll" Johnson
Wonderful, mid-tempo ballad in the best tradition of Gladys Knight, Dianna Ross & The Supremes and Carole King. Bobbye's previous album, Rocking This Boat, is highly recommended, and it's good to see Bobbye coming into her own.

5. "What Do The Lonely Do When The Lights Go Out"------------Joy
Joy finally breaks through with a song that, while not the equal of her one-of-a-kind My Name Is $$$ , is at least in the same ballpark.

6. "(At Midnight I Get Lonely) I Gotta Get Next To You"-----------Ric E. Bluez
"I know that voice," I thought when I heard this tune out of the blue, but it wasn't somebody famous. My guess it's by an artist whose debut, Sexy Soul (2007), was very good. His name is Ric E. Bluez.

7. "All About You"--------B. B. Queen
Cabaret music meets Southern Soul. A simple lead guitar intro leads into B. B. Queen's heartfelt vocal, whereupon an even more intense guitar solo closes it out. B. B. Queen should have a business card made up: Diva: Have Guitar, Will Travel.

8. "Mister Can I Shine Your Shoes" ---------Luther Lackey
Another accomplished ballad from the The Preacher's Wife album--Luther's third top-ten single from the disc in as many months.

9, "I Won't Be Back"--------------Ms. Jody
Ms. Jody meets Dionne Warwick. Interesting and catchy. And also her third top-ten showing in as many months.

10. "Southern Soul Lover"---------Black Zack
It ain't "Sho' Wasn't Me," (Black Zack's recent cover of the Ronnie Lovejoy classic) but it's so enthusiastic it's infectious.

STILL CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF:

"I'm Stuck On Stupid"----------Chandra Calloway
"I'm With You Baby"----------Nellie "Tiger" Travis
"Get Out"--------------Pat Cooley
"I Had A Dream"-----------Charles Blakely

Okay, I've got more catching up to do, apparently

me too