All I Need To Get By Is Music!

"You know it's funky, funky, funky 'cause you heard it from hearsay, a jam that you love that be gettin' no airplay..."  LL Cool J - Booming System

Yesterday was a day of HTML, writing and most of all studying for my upcoming exam on Saturday.  Ahhh the perils and incredulity of school–thank god it will be over in 4 days.  So since my brain was slowly turning into silly putty and every second word looked like "the", I decided to treat myself and get my mind off of school and other things.  I FINALLY took my tail to Harlem's Shrine World Music Venue and visited my ladies from One Nation Under The Soul Shack (ONUTSS)–Pam and Detrel.  Last night they had a listening party for 3 great soul acts that, as my friend LL said above, don't be getting no airplay.  And it's a damn shame too, because these artists are phenomenal in their own right. The Triple Threat bill consisted of Heston, Taniq and Rahbi (pronounced Robbie). Don't fret, I didn't forget you!  I have plenty of pics and goodies to share.

Heston, who made it here on Saturday I believe, without his luggage (we know how unpredictable airlines can be), was very happy to receive the delivery of his belongings before he went on stage.  Heston's music has become one of my new favorite things.  This man's voice is quite reminiscent of Maxwell, with the haunting veracity of Bob Marley.  Sensual, sexy, calm yet packs a punch lyrically just like Marvin Gaye.  Not to mention he is a sweet humble dude with a beautiful smile.  He reminds me of family really, and it cannot get any more comfortable than that.  His song, "Good Morning America" is a poignant track on his album Storyteller that he shared with us last night.  Here is a little clip:

  

My favorite track from the album is "Brand New U", a killer song that captures the pure essence of missing the person who you thought you once knew.  You will find many tracks on his MySpace page.  Check it out!

Taniq, which is a combination of the words 'talent unique',  is the husband and wife duo Miko and Carolyn who exude love, positive vibes and love to have a good time.  Carolyn and Miko complement each other in every way.  Both are simply beautiful and judging by the few minutes that I spent with them, they are clearly on the right path.  They love what they do, which shows in their performance and they are just all around cool people.  Love just emanates from these two when they are together or apart.  And their vocals?  Pure harmony.  They blessed us with a sexy live version of "Everything About You".  I do not want to say too much about any of the artists, since I will have upcoming entries on each of them.  However, in the meantime do check for their album The Life And Times Of Love.  Just yesterday I was told that it was sold out on CD Baby (way to go!).  I did hear the album yesterday and it is a must have!  If you hurry, you will be able to find one of my favorite tracks from the album, "Breakin' The Rules" as a free download from Soultracks.  I unfortunately did not get any video from their performance to share because I was truthfully grooving a bit too hard, but I promise there will be more coming in the near future on this talented newlywed duo.

Taniq and I

And lastly, my new sugar dumpling Rahbi (pronounced Robbie) hit the stage with sheer fabulousity.  The Prince Of Glam Soul did the damn thing and was NO JOKE.  With his insane level of intensity and energy, gold beads, lace glove, charming character and vocals galore, he had the house in an uproar.  Rahbi took over the stage and proved to everyone that he was born to perform.  His opening track "Bittersweet Dreams" is a killer rendition of the Eurythmics' stellar track "Sweet Dreams", with a twist.  I wish I got a little more, but my video card ended up being full.  Here's a taste:

After his second song, he was asked to do an encore to satisfy the masses.  It was my first time hearing and being exposed to Rahbi and it become a memorable evening indeed.  As I sat in front of the stage taking in his set, he zeroed in on me for a little chair dance if you will.  And as my new found friend Walter said, "Look at you, your first show...", all I could respond was, "Well, I have now been christened haven't I?"  

So my soiree was a lot of fun and a chance to de-stress and take in some wicked tunes.  I met new friends and...Oh wait!!  How can I forget to mention the MC?  Pam and Detrel asked Fiona B from The Bloom Effect to host the show.  She became one of my first friends on Soul Commune, so it was great to see and meet the person behind the name.  Good lord, what a firecracker that one is!!  If you ever need someone to host a show for you–Fiona should be your first choice.  She is spunky, full of personality, like fiyah on the mic and who can resist an English accent?  I don't have video, even though in hindsight, I should.  But trust me, I love me some Fiona B or Miss B as I dubbed her last night.

Below is a little ensemble of the pics I took last night, at a previous show and a mix of a few family pics as well–hope you enjoy!

 

And lastly, the flashback of the day.  Today the song chosen is for myself and my girl Vivrant Thang, who just saw Lalah Hathaway in concert.  We both love this song and like her, it happens to be my favorite Lalah track.  I just happened to stumble on the remix, that I heard and fell in love with before I heard the original:

See y'all soon...

Tha Connoisseur