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

SO much cool stuff to listen to...It's relevant now music (just made by over 40 and 50 and 60 people who are not connected to the twitter/instagram/pitchfork/fader/bbc/npr world)

Wow, Denise Lasalle is still performing. She and Bobby Rush are gonna be in New Orleans at a free event:

2014 CRESCENT CITY BLUES & BBQ FESTIVAL

Los Lobos, Bobby Rush, Ana Popovic, Denise LaSalle, Valerie June, Joe Louis Walker, Mel Waiters, Selwyn Birchwood, Papa Mali, Walter “Wolfman” Washington, Little Freddie King, Vasti Jackson, Mia Borders, Luke Winslow King, Marc Stone, Brother Tyrone & the Mind Benders, Leo “Bud” Welch and King James & the Special Men will be the performers at the ninth annual Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival.

This free event takes place Oct. 17-19, 2014, in New Orleans’ Lafayette Square Park.

And Mel Waiters on the bill too!

Its probably easier to convince stereotypcal old-school blues fans of the merits of Southern soul, than it is to convince stereotypical Americana fans

Hey there, folks -- this is David Whiteis, author of "Southern Soul-Blues." Glad to be here . . . saw a mention of my book; many thanks! I'll be in Memphis on the weekend of December 19; on that day, I'll be on Marybeth Conley's "Live @ 9" show on WREG (CBS, Channel 3), along with Mr. Sam, who'll do two or three songs. We'll talk about my book and about the music. The next day, by the way, Bobby Rush will be at Minglewood Hall, 1555 Madison, in Memphis. I plan to be there as well! Anyone who wants to chat and/or learn more about the book (it's won a couple of awards already -- I'm very gratified), please talk back to me . . .

p.s. Saw Denise and Bobby in Gary, Indiana a few weeks ago. Bobby was his usual high-energy/explosive self; Denise is in a lot of physical pain these days (legs and back -- arthritis, if I'm not mistaken), and it showed somewhat in her performance -- but bless her heart (and I mean that!) she pulled it off like the Queen she is. Let's all send her our deepest blessings and best wishes. . .

I gotta get you to come to DC and do a bookstore appearance here, and go on Dr. Nick's southern soul show on WPFW.

I'd certainly love to do it . . . actually, my schedule is not terribly flexible; I teach at two different colleges, and classes are almost always in session. During the summer months, though, I have little more free time, so if it's possible, maybe something could be planned for next year.

Give me the names of the best bookstores in the area, and I'll pass them on to my publisher.

DGW

Politics and Prose Bookstore in DC

Awww man, gonna miss Nellie Tiger Travis gig in northern virginia in November

x-post--I think Kramerbooks in DC does readings (and various Barnes & Noble locations too; plus the Smithsonian at various museums and the Library of Congress)

Okay, I'll pass the word on about those bookstores . . . B&N hasn't been too receptive about readings/signings here in Chicago; maybe they're more so in DC. I'd love to do something as prestigious as the Smithsonian or the Library of Congress, but I confess that I'd have no idea how to go about trying to set something like that up.

If you want to correspond further about this, why not try to e-mail me personally rather than having both of us clutter up this board . . .

Will do. Politics & Prose Bookstore is the best bookstore option.

J-WONN: I Got This Record (Savior Music) Five Stars ***** Can't Miss. Pure Southern Soul Heaven.

I gotta check out this Daddy B Nice fave. Listening to another one now--Sir Charles Jones new one--Portrait of a Balladeer...It's real polished but soulful

I am not as wowed as Daddy B by that Charles Jones comeback effort

I do like this fave of his: Big John Cummings' song "Here in the South" from the Ecko label comp Blues Mix #11:Sweet Soul Blues

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoQiMfQcDbQ

I gotta listen to that Millie Jackson song mentioned in the Spin top 40 country songs of the year list

http://worldmusiccentral.org/2014/11/29/southern-soul-blues-by-david-whiteis-receives-blues-book-of-the-year-award/

I wonder if that was actually from last year

Young J-Wonn has the southern soul lyrics and ballad approach down

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICu8NJGqdWw

Nellie Tiger Travis' "Mr Sexy Man" may be the best southern soul linedance song of 2014

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcAq72j0AUM

I heard her Dc area gig was great. I wasn't able to go

Belated thumbs-up to the last two tunes posted here.

Thanks. Feel like I am usually talking to myself on this thread lately.

Dig Deeper is honored to present soul legends Joshie Jo Armstead & Lonnie Lester – both backed by the Brooklyn Rhythm Band!

Not current Southern soul, but old-school style going on in NYC tonight

Southern Soul singles(or songs in the very close vicinity) on my year-end top 100 list:

5. Millie Jackson – Black B_tch Crazy*
6. Xavie Shorts – Get Enough
10. Klass Band Brotherhood – My Angel
12. Wendell B. – Celebrate Cho Day
21. Grady Champion – South Side
22. LGB – Country Woman, Pt. 2
25. Big Jay Cummings – Can We Ever Go Home Again*
30. Pat Brown – I’m Taking Out The Trash
33. Raw Shaw – Ghetto Tactics
38. TK Soul – Caught Up In Doing Wrong
42. Jr. Blu – She’s Been Good
66. Lenny Williams – Didn’t I
77. Stevie J – I Know That I Love Her
87. Simeo – Hard On A Brotha
94. Avail Hollywood – Rehab Ain’t Working
97. Black Zack feat. the Force MDs – Row Row
100. Bobby Rush feat. Dr. John and Blinddog Smokin’ – Another Murder In New Orleans

* - Voted for these on my Nashville Scene country critics poll ballot, too.

Also like Raw Shaw's album, Feeling Soulful; didn't hear many others this year, for some reason.

I liked Grady Champion's soul songs (more than his bluesy ones)

Putting this here, for lack of a better place: RIP Popsy Dixon, drummer and astounding falsetto vocalist of The Holmes Brothers. I had the chance to chat with him at a few shows, and he was a really nice guy. RIP.

http://mailman.305spin.com/view/?cid=5&sid=6832&uid=130715&lid=5703

Oh, that's terrible news. I've never chatted with him, but have seen them several times and he always impressed me.

Saw Eddie Jones and the Young Bucks live last night in DC. While they covered ZZ Hill's "Downhome Blues", they're more oldtimers still into the soul that wowed them growing up -- songs like "Rainy Night in Georgia" and the Chi-lites "Oh Girl." Eddie can still climb octaves with his voice, and the band is tight and can harmonize. Eddie often adds unique lefthanded on a righty guitar turned upside rhythms, but he left it to the band last night.

http://www.southernsoulrnb.com/corner2015.cfm

Big Daddy Nice's overview of 2014. He likes Grady Champion and Sir Charles Jones and more, and mourns those who passed away

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/2015/01/pazz_jop_2014_the_comments.php

For all of the ease in finding music on the internet, it still seems like if some music is not marketed to critics or the masses, it gets ignored. Southern soul, of the slightly-raunchy-lyric and synth-rhythm variety, continues to generate new songs by the likes of Nellie "Tiger" Travis and others, but since it's not pushed in a crossover manner, this line-dance-friendly sound for a largely older African American audience gets ignored. Similarly, Afrobeats (with an S), the African dance music style, is huge for the African diaspora, but with no major-label American releases and no PR marketing to critics, it's largely been neglected by the music critic media.

― curmudgeon, Wednesday, January 14, 2015 5:12 AM (7 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Daddy B. Nice voted in P&J though! (Was this his first time? I think so.)

http://www.villagevoice.com/pazznjop/critics/2014/5123154/

Yes. Awhile back, I forward the P & J folks the link to his website and his email address.

I ended up bumping OB Buchana and Grady Champion from my album ballot at the last minute.

Isn't the below act (described by stat gure Glenn McDonald) NPR loved, blue-eyed retro soul:

The lowest enthusiasm score for any album with at least five votes is Half the City by St. Paul and the Broken Bones, whose 5.8 average means that all five voters went way out of their way to skew the point-distribution so that this album could get close to the minimum allowed by the rules.

"forwarded"

guru...

Sharon Jones latest retro soul album got 13 mentions.

And as I once said here, I think some of those folks would like some southern soul if they ever heard it. "Some," while others would dislike the synths or the lyrics

x-post--I want to find that J-Wonn album that Big Daddy Nice put as his number 1 album. Not on Spotify US. I posted a youtube upthread

do you guys like those Tre Williams/Revelations records?

Never heard of him/them. When I quickly googled I saw references to attempts to sound like a combination of Stax and Motown. If that's the case here, like with Sharon Jones (whose musical approach may differ and be more single-mindedly deep soul), I respect the skill involved and like songs here and there, but I doubt I will be wowed.

I prefer the southern soul approach that draws from the Bobby Bland on through 80s era ZZ Hill/Denise Lasalle to 2014 Mel Waiters and Ms Jody song structure and that is unafraid to use current tech, and is less deliberately retro.

i only became aware of them through the Ghostface album with the same backing band, checking this out now though and it sounds good without overly reverential:

https://therevelations.bandcamp.com/album/concrete-blues

Thanks. Oh, haven't heard latest Ghostface. Intended too

So I realize Southern soul can be formulaic, and changing the subject and pointing out other genres can be as well is just dodging the question, but I'm gonna do it anyway and say that new Bettye Lavette kinda follows its own standard formula. She takes baby-boomer rock songs (Stones, Beatles & Dylan this time) and slooooooows them down. She has got a great gritty soul voice, but I wish she'd vary the tempos. I need to hear that ep she did where she covered Sam Cooke and Billie Holiday. I wonder if the arrangements are any better.

do you guys like those Tre Williams/Revelations records?

I thought Concrete Blues, from 2011, was really good. That's the only one I've heard, though.

I am so behind in catching up on certain 2014 albums in this genre.

Now Mr.Sam's 2009 "Picking Up Pieces" is my kind of ballad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpOKOa8xqNY

Not as wowed by some of the catalogue of Baton Rouge or New Orleans based Stephanie McDee as Daddy B. Nice is, but she's got a decent voice and maybe I just haven't heard all the right songs. It is kinda fascinating to me that her zydeco cut "Call the Police" has been covered by both Quintron & Miss Pussycat and by Neneh Cherry when she recently worked with jazz group That Thing (I think that's what they are called. Saw it on Youtube).

Aww man, the DC leg of the Blues is Alright southern soul tour got cancelled. Knucklehead promoter was overcharging $60 to $160 for the gig. It would have been great though to see Mel Waiters again, plus Clarence Carter, Shirley Brown, and this thread's namesake Theodis Ealey.

The Mighty Sam McClain Fan Page on Facebook reported that he had a stroke and is still hospitalized. The left side of his body has been affected but his voice has not been. He can be contacted:Mighty Sam McClainRoom 407Northeast Rehabilitation Hospital105 Corporate RdPortsmouth, NH 03801-6825

old-school soul more than Southern, but wasn't sure where else to put this. He also did an awesome one-off album and tour with an Iranian singer Mahsa Vahdat

He covers "Members Only" the song Bobby Bland did
http://shorefire.com/releases/entry/at-71-jerry-lawson-original-lead-singer-of-the-persuasions-releases-his-deb

It's not as good as Bobby's by the way. The Lawson album is nice, and he's not singing a cappella, but in a retro lets recreate soul music manner with Nashville alt-country folks and others. Even though he is no new guy trying to embrace an old style, it just feels a bit stiff at times. Maybe it will grow on me, or I should be more tolerant as he has a wonderful voice still