Sly Johnson, not to be confused with Syl Johnson, is a artist we learned about via our love for the music of Ayo. Ayo's vocals are featured on this Sly Johnson song titled I'm Calling You released by Universal Music's Decca Records division in France.
Please press the play button on the video below and choose the high
resolution & full screen options. At the conclusion of this song,
over one hour of handpicked music videos will continue to play
automatically.
Sly Johnson with Ayo - I'm Calling You (Music Video)
The Wattstax music festival took place on August 20, 1972, at the Los Angeles Collusium on the seven year anniversary of The Watts Riots. The festival was organized by the legendary Memphis record label, Stax Records and tickets were priced at $1.00 each. Nearly the entire Stax artist/band roster performed at the festival. 100,000 people showed up for what had been dubbed by some (at least the producers) as the "Black Woodstock".
In 1973, the documentary film titled Wattstax screened at the Cannes Film Festival. It was nominated for a Golden Globe award for Best Documentary Film in 1974.
Something I noticed is that the film production it that it was all credited to white producers: David Wolper Productions, Larry Shaw and Mel Stuart. Were there no black TV producers back then who could have secured those positions? In that regard, we have come a long way 40+ years later, in that there are some serious black film, TV and music producers who have broken down the doors and changed the landscape of opportunity.
Regardless of those observations, watching this historic film footage and hearing the music from this festival is like entering some sort of funky soul heaven. Enjoy!
Rufus Thomas performs Breakdown at Wattstax Festival (1972)
Movie trailer for Wattstax
Buy the DVD of the entire festival at Wattstax.Com
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A Happy Birthday greeting to Herb Alpert. Herb's own music, along with the record company he founded with partner Jerry Moss known as A&M Records (Alpert & Moss) as well as the song publishing powerhouses the two created created, had changed the face of the music industry long before they were eventually sold to growing conglomerates during the consolidation era in the music industry. In 1994, Alpert & Moss started Almo Sounds, a boutique record label which continues until this day. Herb has also gone on to expose his wonderful gift as a abstract painter and visual artist. And, as many know, he is a a great humanitarian and philanthropist via the Herb Alpert Foundation. One of the coolest things he has going is a phenomenal restaurant/jazz club called the Vibrato Grill, a superior top notch West Coast jazz music venue. And... he is so much more to many fans and friends.
Herb Alpert - Rise (1979)
Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass - A Taste of Honey (1966)
Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass - The Lonely Bull (1962)
Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass - Greatest Medley Live (1969)
The songs below are by a gifted girl who can sit down at the piano and sing her ass off with no pomp or circumstance and deliver the goods with exceptional perfection. Her sensitive and emotionally driven angelic voice is mind alteringly beautiful.
"Without A Word" by Birdy from her self titled debut album
