The combo is composed of David Sanborn on sax, Joe Sample on piano, Brian Blade on drums and Richard Bona on bass. Bona is presented here in a jamming context. He is featured on “Eyala,” the last of the four selections.
From Breath of Life Blog
RICHARD BONA / “Richard Bona Mixtape”
Source: Breath of Life – (BoL Mixtape – August 30, 2010)
02 Richard Bona Mixtape.mp3 (58.06 MB)
It’s the usual musical African musical genius story: born in the rural area, moved to the city; went to a European metropolis and made it big, eventually even moving to the United States; absorbed all the music around him and investigated music he had never heard before; had a talent not just for performing but also for composing; was chameleon-like in his ability to adapt to widely divergent genres.
In the case of Richard Bona the country was Cameroun in West Africa. The rural area was Minta. The city was the capital Douala and the European metropolis was Paris. The major influence he had never heard was Jaco Pastorious, whose record inspired Richard to seriously take up bass. The move to New York City installed Richard on the music scene.
The combo is composed of David Sanborn on sax, Joe Sample on piano, Brian Blade on drums and Richard Bona on bass. Bona is presented here in a jamming context. He is featured on “Eyala,” the last of the four selections.
Read what you will; and here’s what I say: Spike Lee & J. Period. Thank you! Great move. Awesome & FREE. Yippe Kia Yay. I’m listening now. Beyond NICE!
J.PERIOD & SPIKE LEE PAY TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL JACKSON WITH EXCLUSIVE NEW MIXTAPE, “MAN OR THE MUSIC (40 ACRES EDITION)”
From Breath of Life Blog
MICHAEL JACKSON / “J Period MJ Tribute”
Source: J Period MJ Tribute: Man Or The Music – (JPeriod.com – 2010)
03 JPeriod MJ Tribute Mixtape.mp3 (72.30 MB)
My man J. Period is on the case once again, actually I don’t think he ever climbs down out of the saddle. He’s a DJ/producer who is always up to something significant, plus, my man, has mad skillz and all kinds of access to interesting odds and ends. When all those attributes are skillfully mixed together the results inevitably is a delightful dish with special sauce. And this MJ Tribute is no different.
Michael Jackson is near universally considered the “King of Pop.” He’s sold more records than any other individual—and, at one point, even owned The Beatles catalogue. No other artist or entertainer is even close to his commercial accomplishments. Additionally, due in part to starting out professionally as a pre-teen, Michael had a longer active recording career than any of his peers and nearly all of his predecessors.
Even if you are only an ordinary music fan, this Mixtape belongs in your collection. For those who hold MJ near and dear, this tribute tape is essential. On behalf of music fans worldwide, I say: thank you J. Period.
Here is the text of the press release announcing this Mixtape:
J.PERIOD & SPIKE LEE PAY TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL JACKSON WITH EXCLUSIVE NEW MIXTAPE, “MAN OR THE MUSIC (40 ACRES EDITION)”
Brooklyn, NY (August 26, 2010) – The story of Michael Jackson made famous in tabloid headlines tells a tragic tale of stardom: adulation and perversity, reclusiveness and rumor, pain and pathos. Raised onstage from the age of 11, Michael spent his entire life under the scrutiny of the spotlight—and much of his adulthood in search of the childhood he never had. For the media, this was a story of sadness, as epic as it was bizarre.
But listen closer. His music tells a different tale.
This Sunday, August 29, 2010, the mixtape world’s master storyteller, J.Period, joins Spike Lee & 40Acres.com to pay tribute to the music of Michael Jackson with a Limited Edition mixtape, “Man or the Music (40 Acres Edition),” available exclusively at the 2nd Annual “Brooklyn Loves MJ” celebration in Prospect Park’s Nethermead Field! Attendees who sign up for 40Acres.com will receive a FREE copy of the mix (while supplies last). For MJ fans unable to attend: DOWNLOAD HERE
Mixing Michael’s classic hits with rare demo versions, remixes, and behind-the-scenes interview clips, J.Period weaves together an 80-minute musical documentary that pays tribute to The King of Pop’s staggering catalog of songs, and reminds us why Michael’s true legacy will always be his music. Conceived on the eve of Michael’s untimely passing, “Man or The Music (40 Acres Edition)” revises, remixes and re-masters J.Period’s original MJ tribute, released on June 26, 2009 to rave reviews—and over 30K downloads in 24 hours. “Man or the Music (40 Acres Edition)” reminds us why—regardless of what you may think of the man—the power and appeal of his music are undeniable.
“It is a tremendous honor to join a storyteller like Spike Lee in celebrating the legacy of Michael Jackson’s music with an exclusive mixtape for this incredible event,” says J.Period. “Crafting the tape was a labor of love and a learning experience. Digging through hours of interview material and music, I have definitely gained a new respect for Michael’s life and legacy, and I’m excited to share that with my fans—and over 25K fellow MJ fans in attendance on Sunday!”
Not long after Michael’s passing last year, Spike Lee shared his thoughts with Katie Couric: “You can go down the line, [Mozart], Jimmy Hendrix, Elvis—people with that much talent, they’re not going to be normal. […] If they were normal human beings, they wouldn’t be the great artists that they are. […] But for me, I hope people remember the joy, the love, the entertainment that Michael brought to their lives. That’s going to be his legacy. People can focus on the other stuff if the want to, but for me, [his legacy is] his music. It’s his music.”
In only its second year, Spike Lee’s “Brooklyn Loves MJ” event is already poised to become a long-standing tradition—and one of New York’s hottest annual events. Celebrating Michael’s birthday with over 25K fans in 2009, Spike Lee (along with DJ Spinna on the wheels of steel) made Prospect Park the epicenter of all things Michael with a six-hour celebration of music and dancing that earned press, and praise, from around the globe.
This year, celebrate The King of Pop’s 52nd birthday when “Brooklyn Loves MJ” takes place Sunday, August 29th, 12 Noon – 6PM at Prospect Park’s Nethermead Field. This event is brought to you by Spike Lee, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, Spike DDB & the Republic of Brooklyn, and features exclusive artwork by acclaimed graphic artist, Fuse Green, as well as music by DJ Spinna.
J.Period’s “Man or the Music (40 Acres Edition)”: FREE DOWNLOAD
And be sure to watch out for upcoming J.Period releases with John Legend & The Roots, DJ Jazzy Jeff & Skillz, Q-Tip and more coming soon!!
Let me hit the pause button a second: This Mixtape is available as a free download on J. Period’s website. Why free? Well, mainly because copyright restrictions prevent J. Period selling the Mixtape—whether the restraints against sampling and mixing is fair or righteous is not the practical question. Selling such stuff is illegal and the industry got hound-dog lawyers who work 24/7 to stop ‘illegal’ activity.
Regardless of how much work J. Period or any other DJ might put into a project, the law is against them. So the only way around the legality issues is to give away the material for free. I remember an issue with a Miles Davis outdoor concert in Atlanta. I happened to be in the backstage area when the conflict came to a head.
This was in the late eighties and someone was in the audience, right down front with a portable dat digital recorder and a professional boom mic, set up to record the concert that was being held in a public park. Miles’ management demanded that the guy cease and desist or Miles wouldn’t perform. The guy was not unimpressed and undaunted by their threats to have him arrested and/or removed from the park. The bootlegger not only stood his ground, he argued back at them citing the ins and outs, ups and downs of the law.
The back and forth got a bit heated and city police were summoned in addition to the park security. The upshot of the whole incident was that the guy did record the concert (at one point as they threat to arrest him was nullified when the police checked with their office because the guy threatened not only to sue them but also threatened to make a bunch of digital copies and give them away if the authorities did anything at all to deter him).
So, back to J. Period, my man is giving away his work and thankfully there’s no stopping him. This tribute tape is a follow-up to his previous MJ Mixtape, which I thought was the best of a slew of Mixtape tributes, and this one is better than the preceding one.
I don’t know the provenance of all those demo-tapes and behind-the-scene sound snippets, nor do I know how J. Period collects and catalogues all the radio interviews and airplay samples, but I do know that the extensive and adroit interplay of all those diverse elements produces a Mixtape of unparalleled interest.
Companies approach J. Period to hire him to put together Mixtapes, which is ironic when you consider that not to long ago some of those same companies were trying to extinguish Mixtape production. My how things change when you need the help of someone you tried to crush.
So, yall got the picture. I don’t have to say anymore, except ENJOY!
And, oh yeah, go here to download your own copy of the 42-track, J. Period MJ Tribute Mixtape.
Aug 10
31
There Was Nothing Good About Katrina
Mourners at an Aug. 2010 healing ceremony at the site of the Lower Ninth Ward levee breach. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Read what you will; and here’s what I say: When I first read the headline, I wanted to add a few bolded !!!! at the end. There Was Nothing Good About Katrina!!!! This morning, as I watched Spike Lee’s lastest Katrina documentary, God Willin’ and the Creek Don’t Rise; perhaps the saddest of all is the mental health wreckage left in Katrina’s wake. We, as Black folk have a tendancy to not seek mental health services; but when we do and there are little to no services in place, oh what sad days indeed.
The only mental health facility in New Orleans, the government shut down which left one facility across the river in another city. The only treatment facility in New Orleans now, is a part of the jail system. Oh, the creek is rising indeed and people’s mental well-being seems not important to make the services available. All I can do is pray, God I know you’re willing, touch the hearts of the powers that are supposed to be and open the floodgates of hope and help for the men, women and children who are so desperately in need. I ask this in Your Son’s Matchless Name. Amen. So be it.
Article by Brentin Mock, From The Root
There’s no way I can reflect on the future of New Orleans without starting with the lives of the displaced. Not all of those lives shared the same fate or destiny, but what has happened in the city while they’ve been away is, I believe, a telling story of how federal policymakers feel about the poor and vulnerable.
Five years after the flood, recovery remains complicated. Watching Luisa Dantas’ documentary Land of Opportunity, about the lives of people affected by Katrina, I was charmed by the character Tr’Vel Lyons, a teenager who lost his home in the floods and ended up in Los Angeles. Forced to finish his education there, he seemed to have assimilated well into the vast, carbonated metropolis and a much larger school. Propelled by his own confidence and strong initiative, Tr’Vel excelled academically and athletically.
At one point, he wonders aloud whether Katrina was a good thing. It’s one of those statements that make everyone back in New Orleans wince, no matter who says it. But it makes a difference who says it. When policymakers armed with scalpels and demolition balls say the same thing — and they have — it reeks of the political and financial benefit they stand to gain by convincing us that is true.
Yet Tr’Vel, who graduated with honors and will now attend college on scholarship, said in the movie that he doesn’t believe the same opportunities would have been available to him had he stayed in New Orleans. Does Tr’Vel’s story prove the policymakers right?
Before answering that, keep in mind that not every displaced New Orleanian has lived Tr’Vel’s triumphant story. More than 100,000 people who were displaced by the floods have not come back. Many of them would like to return but can’t because they don’t have a home or a school for their children. Less than half of the schools before Katrina are open today, and four housing projects — more than 5,000 living units — were razed. Add the closing of Charity Hospital, which served the poor and uninsured unconditionally, and many have even less of a reason to return — though they have the right to.
Posted in WOW Zone by .
Please come out and lend your support! I’ll be speaking at this pivotal kick-off event on Saturday, September 18 at Potomac Mills Mall. The cause – to raise awareness surrounding domestic violence. Listen to SAVING_PROMISE – Final – 30_SEC.
On August 18, 2010, L.Y. Marlow, author of Color Me Butterfly and Founder of domestic violence awareness organization, Saving Promise, sets out on a ten city tour in order to promote Saving Promise and raise awareness surrounding this serious and social issue.
I feel blessed to have been asked to speak at this pivitol kick-off event at Potomac Mills Mall in Virginia on Saturday, August 7th. Time and other details forthcoming. But for now, listen to the mark your calendar, while you listen to the 30-second service announcement; then watch the video.
Release of paperback version of Color Me Butterfly: A Novel Inspired by One Family’s Journey from Tragedy to Triumph published in August 2010.
To Book Stanice Anderson for your live event, contact Mike Tucker 202-904-4955 or mike@TryWalkingOnWater.com
Posted in WOW Zone encouragement by .
Come on. Get your FAITH wet! FREE! The WOW Zone newsletter and BONUS story from Stanice Anderson's book, WALKING ON WATER WHEN THE GROUND AIN'T ENUF.
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Skimming the Waters
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