Sunday, December 20, 2015

THANK YOU ESSENTIALS! Saturday - 12-19-15



Greetings!

I trust this e-letter finds you in good health and happiness!    I want to give deep and sincere thanks to Mr. X and Ceasar for inviting me to play some music this Saturday at the Essentials party.  These brothers are among the coolest and most humble kats I have ever known. Not only are they true music connoisseurs, but they are good people and that is sooooooooooooooooooooooo damn rare in these “end-of-times” days to find.   Mr X and Ceasar, I love y’all and thank you!     I want to thank my FIDA members & guests who came out: Polo (I tried to get to the Player’s Association), Vanita (Wow! We miss you my love),  Kyeatta (My sis! My ThinkSoul right-hand! How could I forget you!  Thanks for the ride home!), FIDA DJ, Rahbu (he is Essentials too!), Jamison (The true music guru!), Steven (you and that Cowboys jacket, SMH!), Carlton (Don’t touch the pitch while any DJ is playing, tell them J) and his wifey, my lil’ sis Edie, Tony (my brother for life), Yaminah (I love it, I love it), all the way from NYC, the lovely Mia (Much love and respect, you are next on the decks, very soon) and friend, Cliff (U made it, Wow!  Good to see you), Shay (You betta shake girl), Laveka (Wow???), Lottie & Tracy (My fam from way back in the day), Naimah (Much love), Rasmir & Tia (Love to see ya dancin’), Kim & Phyllis (I love ya, thank you, y’all betta sing those songs), My Humble Beginnings family, Anetra, Kendall, the two of the Beat Brotha’s, Stacy and Dre (You guys got my love always), and our Ms. Deidre, Connie Constance (You are fabulous, check your iPod for those tunes played!), Mr. Cassio (who walk in just as “So In Love” was playing! What a coincidence!), Hilary and uncle (OMG! So honored, thank you), Erbi (Don’t be a stranger), the Jeudys’ (Indeed, werk! Thanks guys), Debbie & hubby (Wow, y’all gotta stay a little longer next time), to the Essential regulars, thank you for just being you and the kats that assist Ceasar & Mr. X, I don’t know your names but thank you for everything.   If I forgot anyone, my bad, sorry and thank you too!

Peace & blessings one and all,
Christopher

My Playlist (somewhat in sequential order, maybe missing 1 or 2 tunes)
1.       Children Of The Ghetto – Courtney Pine
2.       This Terrible Planet – Ahmed Jamal
3.       I’ll Play The Fool – Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band
4.       Space Princess – Lonnie Liston Smith
5.       Let’s Get It Together – El Coco
6.       Introduce Me To Love – Absolute
7.       Don’t Let It Show On Your Face – Adeva
8.       For Me (Honeycomb CD mix) – Dawn Tallman
9.       My Beat – Blaze
10.   Illusions – Angela Johnson
11.   The Real Thing – Sergio Mendez & the Brazil ‘77
12.   Where Is The Love – Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway
13.   Let’s Sing A Song Of Love – Patrice Rushen
14.   Say A Prayer For Two – Crown Heights Affair
15.   The Magnificent Dance – The Clash
16.   Brother’s Gonna Work It Out (Remix) – Willie Hutch
17.   I Have A Dream Speech – MLK played over E2 –E4 – Manual Gottishing
18.   The Bed’s Too Big Without You – The Police
19.   Nature Boy – George Benson
20.   Come Get To This – Marvin Gaye
21.   If You Really Love Me – Stevie Wonder
22.   Peg – Steely Dan
23.   Reach In – The Jackson 5 (Third Album)
24.   The Tornado – Charlie Smalls
25.   Living On The Frontline – Eddy Grant



Thursday, November 26, 2015

The Jazz Soul of Jazmina!

This is an article that I wrote on one of my favorite dance music vocalists, who, at the time was going by the name of Jazmina.   Unfortunately the magazine that I was writing for, The Underground News  never published it.  It was written back in 1994.

The Jazz Soul of Jazmina!
by Christopher Flowers

Blessed with the Creator's gift of lyrical beatitudes, the tepid, spiritual essence of this songbird emanates from her sleek frame and steel-lined lungs.  Just listen to her "R&B-downtempo-jazz-hip-hop-with-a-house-twist" KULT Records (a Hourglass Records original pressing) smash hit, "Good Time", or her mood-soaked classic on AceBeat Records, "I See You" topped with the Shelter Records release of the gospel strong "High On Hope", and you'll know why Jazmina is known in underground dance music circles as the prolific "Duchess of Downbeat House Soul".



Leslie Oliver was just a blossoming teen upon discovering her vocal skills, inter-fused with her innate ability to scribe insightful proverbs of self confidence and perseverance born during her tender "crayola" years; Leslie, then later Jazmina, developed into a talented master lyricist and percussionist.  An alumni of the famed Newark's Arts High School that produced many future Jersey dance music vocalists, she later became a graduate of Rutgers University with a BA in English; Jazmina persists in her vision-quest to become a college professor and novelist.
Snuggled in an extremely humble warm coat that offers her prophylactic protection from the consumptive "I'm-A-Diva" disease that afflicts a few (if not many) of her underground dance music female (and male) contemporaries, she sheepishly accepts her accolades, says Jazmina. "I'm not really moved about the money and where my place should be in this business.  I've done more than I thought I would in five years.  "High On Hope" reached the number one spot in the UK...I don't need the tour or whatever...It's about using those gifts that God has given you...if nothing else happens...I'll be satisfied," says Jazmina.


This Garden State, Newark exclusive, glucose shrill queen was born into an ancestry of gospel singers and musicians, peeled her shyness away after being mesmerized by the then teen sensation Desiree Coleman in the Broadway production of "Mama, I Want To Sing".  Within two weeks of a tearful catharsis behind her, in praise of Desiree's showstopping performance; Jazmina, this sepia twigling, stood in front of the pulpit on one of those santified, God-fearing Sunday afternoons wailing the gospel classic, "God Has Smiled On Me" as a stunned church gazed in awe!  That echoing, fervent femme falsetto made her devotional leader mother to drop the microphone!  "The whole congregation turned around and the pastor looked out of his office and gagged!," Jazmina remembers.

Her "rites of passage" into R&B dance underground took root at AceBeat's legendary Campsite Studios on North 6th Street.   AceBeat's campsite and label launched the careers of such dance music stars as Jomana, Charvoni, Joey Washington, The Voices of 6th Avenue and Brothers Of Peace (BOP).  It was Bill Watkins who caught a whiff of Jazmina's feathery vocal texture while she was rehearsing with her university's choir and later set up an audition with his cousin, producer/musician Tyrone Payton and his empirical con-flux, Intense.  Also sitting in at the audition was the cashmere-throat "Intense" imminent lead vocalist Khison, and AceBeat Records President/Founder, Ace Munchin.  After the audition, although Ace was wary of her style; with Tyrone's insistence, Jazmina joined Intense completing the musical triad.   

She was given a rough draft of "Can't Treat Me This Way" to demo that would later be her first recorded lead song as a member of Intense.  This tune was actually a part of an EP entitled the Garage Movement released on AceBeat Records in 1989.  However, the initial breakout cut championed by DJ Tony Humphries at Club Zanzibar was a lead song by Khison called "Let The Rain Come Down".   It was their first smash hit song off the EP that grasped dance floors from the US to the UK to Tokyo, reaching worldwide underground cult status when Movin' Records re-released a remixed version by Tony Humphries whose foresight included an ample solo breakdown by Jazmina.  That cameo performance was monumental making her the capstone of the trio. 

As Intense ascended the ladder of underground musical prominence, irreconcilable differences sent Khison to debut an uncertain solo career reducing the trio to a duo, Jazmina and Tyrone were left to wing on their own.  Though they had a Chester draw full of quality material, the releases weren't forthcoming.  Taking advantage of this release dry spell, Jazmina took a stab at producing, thus birthing the 1991 AceBeat house jam, "Lock It Up" by the CRJ Project (Charvoni, Ruby and Jazmina).  She continued to "keep up her skills" doing cameo appearances on songs for other AceBeat campsite producers on cuts such as "Call Him Up" by the Voices of 6th Ave and the unreleased, explosive Tony Humphries tribute, "What's On His Mind".  Both tunes featured 18 of the Jersey's reigning underground dance music celebrities. 

A lack of solid distribution and major promotion plagued Intense's follow up, The Movement Soul EP containing three powerful contenders for worldwide success, "Holding On" feat Khison on lead vocals, "Mighty Love" and the strongest of them all, the emotion drenched, "I See You" penned by Eddie Stockley and Kenny Bobien featuring them on backing vocals along with Charvoni both songs led by Jazmina.  "I See You", her "pet tune" she says, "It'll have it's time...I'm going to put it out again". 

"I See You", and the Hourglass (later licensed to KULT Reords) original pressing of "Good Time" produced by left field DJ/Producer guru, Johnny Dangerous are two jazz, hip-hop soul dance cuts that managed to squeeze through the major/indie label's bobbed wire of predetermined 120 beats per minute House tracks.  Jazmina parades in those downtempo, swingbeat R&B hip-hop slippers with a Jersey swagger, tearing a small opening in that "fence" for others with BALLS to follow suit.   Ultimately, she sees herself extending beyond the realm of underground R&B 4/4 dance music, but the rhythm of her heart beats incessantly for the down reaching, deep house material, "I don't think I'll leave dance music...I love it too death!

Slated for their second release on the Shelter label around mid September or October is the socially relevant battle cry, "Life Is Special", produced by Tyrone Payton.  About the lyric, Jazmina says, "You have these young boys and girls thinking that they have to do all of this craziness to survive...it's not necessary.  I like to speak the truth.  It's alright to dance, get sweaty and have fun...but I want the dancer/listener to go home with something in their head...to learn something."


Jazmina Live @ The ThinkSoul Experience Show 2008
DISCOGRAPHY

Garage Movement EP - AceBeat Records (1989)
Let The Rain Come Down (Remix) - Movin' Records (1990)
Movement Soul EP - AceBeat Records (1991)
High On Hope  - Intense feat. Jazmina - Shelter Records (1993)
Good Time - Johnny Dangerous feat. Jazmina - Hourglass/KULT (1994)
Love Me For A Day - Jazmina - KULT Records (1995)
Stormy Weather (I Don't Mind) - Johnny Dangerous feat. Jazmina - Nervous Records (1998)
Soul Of The Music - Jazmina Oliver - Imani Records (1998)
Rescue Me (Y Don't You) - Willy Washington - Dance Tracks (2000)
I'll Be Watchin' - Catalan FC/Sven Love feat. Jazmina - What's Up Records (2002)
It Ain't Easy - Willy Washington feat. Jazmina- Defected Records (2004)
I'm Happy/I Won't Complain - Blaze feat. Jazmina - AceBeat Records (2004)



FIDA TRACKLIST FOR SUNDAY 11-22-15



FIDA TRACKLIST FOR SUNDAY 11-22-15 – Mr. Flowerz  4:00pm – 7:30pm

(Not totally in sequential order)

1. Don’t Leave Me Starving For Your Love – Holland Dozier (Invitcus) 1st track played
2. Hold Onto Your Dreams – Jah Wobble
3. Rolling Down The Mountainside – Main Ingredient
4. Una Esta – Bobbi Humphrey
5. Dancing For Your Love – Rufus & Chaka Khan
6. Things Are Gonna Get Better – Bunny Sigler
7. Stop On By (Live) – Rufus & Chaka Khan
8. Trouble Don’t Last – Incognito ft. Ramsey Lewis & Carleen Anderson
9. That’s The Way The Cookie Crumbles – Odia Coates
10. Gypsy Moths - Labelle
11. Windy City Theme – Carl Davis and the Chi-Sound Orchestra
12. Come Go With Me - Pockets
13. Phoenix (45 rpm Version) – Aquarian Dream
14. Star Love (KF Edit) – Three Ounces of Love
15. Contusion – Stevie Wonder
16. How Do You Like It – Player’s Association
17. You’re A Star – Aquarian Dream
18. Share That Beat Of Love – C & C Music Factory feat. Audrey Wheeler
19. I Think Of You – Blaze feat. Amira
20. Do U Love Me (KF Edit) – Lil’ Louis feat. Joi Cardwell
22. This Time – Chante Moore
23. Living In Ecstasy – Fonda Rae
24. Brighter Days (trancemental) – Dajae
25. Diverse Shyt (remix) – Rahbu
26. Imagination (KF Extended) – Earth, Wind & Fire
27. Everytime I See You I Go Wild – Brainstorm
28. I Want You For Myself (Mike Maurro Remix) – George Duke
29. What Can I Do For You (KF Edit) – Labelle
30. Hot For You (KF Hotness Edit) – Brainstorm
31. Freddie’s Dead (KF Edit) – MFSB
32. The Session  (Kuniyuki’s Piano Mix) – Henrik Schwarz
33. Redhanded – Bugz In The Attic
34. I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun (4Hero Mix) - NuYorican Soul
35. Welcome To Our World (Joey Negro Remix) – Mass Production
36. Love Has Come Around – Donald Byrd & the 125th Street Band
37. Fool’s Paradise – Rufus featuring Chaka Khan
38. I Want You – Marvin Gaye
39. Strawberry Letter #23 (KF Berry Edit) – Brothers Johnson
40. You Make Love Like Springtime /w reprise (KF Edit) – Teena Marie
41. Everybody Loves The Sunshine (demo) – Roy Ayers w/Ubiquity

RAHBU’S LIST TO FOLLOW – 7:30PM – 10:00PM

THANK YOU FROM FIDA - One Of Fifty FIDA Sessions - 11/22/2015



FIDA (Flowerz In Da Attic) would like to sincerely thank all the members and guests who came out to our “One of Fifty” Sessions this past Sunday.   You seemed to be having a wonderful time and it was great to see people smiling at each other and being happy for a change, listening and dancing to eclectic Black Music.   The songs were filled with messages, whether it was love (romantic, intimate, unrequited, brotherly, sister love, family, love of the Most High, etc.) hope, peace, joy, “shake yo ass & stomp yo feet” ditties, sadness, hurt and anger, songs that examined the Hue-Man experience which are priceless stories.   It has been said that one can tell where a people are spiritually and mentally by their music.  Given the spiritual, mental and physical state of our people today, those antique dusties are like unearthed jewels valuable and precious containing the keys to the colors.
Those members and guests who couldn’t make it, you were missed, there in spirit and we thank you and love you.    We hope to see you very soon.     We would like to thank the music technicians, Rahbu (My Brother) for his myriad musical bag of goodies.  It’s not easy to play a certain tempo and groove, staying there and keep the vibe going.   Mr. Flowerz, well, you just do what you do and he thanks you all.  Mecca, our door person (thank you my love, right on time and professional), Mr. Ceasar Kelly (My brother) & Rahbu for supplying the sound, it was awesome in that space.  Thanks Renita  (My sista) for getting us to and fro, gathering the necessities and your contributions, and for collecting the apps and membership renewals, and hugs and much love to all who contributed to the bounty with snacks and refreshments, even the Jell-O shots!   Thanks to members Stephanie Baker (My sister) and Steven Grate (My brother-in-crime) who brought the “clean-up” with the quickness.   To the Humble Beginnings family…love you Anetra (la familia) much, much love and appreciation, thank you, a big THANK YOU to Mr. Marco Hall for graciously allowing FIDA to host our event in your work space, you are the best!   And to the rest of you, DAMN…ya’ll da shyt!  Thank you, thank you, thank you, and thank you!
Just a friendly reminder, this is a PRIVATE event, invitational only, please be mindful and respectful of that.   Not everyone understands, but a few overstands and you, our FIDA members and guests are the overstanding kind and we love you for overstanding the diversity in music.   That, it’s not one beat, one tempo, one groove, no melody, no instrumentation, no arrangement, no singing, Black Music and its derivatives are as vast as the sand on the beach and as unique as a snowflake.    Stay tuned to your inbox.

“THE ONE OF FIFTY FIDA SESSIONS”



“THE ONE OF FIFTY FIDA SESSIONS”

On November 22nd, 2015, FIDA is hosting the “One of Fifty FIDA Sessions” at 29 Halsey Street, Downtown Newark, NJ Sunday from 4pm sharp to 10pm.   You are one of fifty chosen for your diverse taste in Soulful Music and you are special to me.  I love ya!  As a reminder, this is a PRIVATE event; you must present this invite to gain admittance. Any number over fifty will NOT gain admittance; the capacity of the space is 50 maximum.   We at FIDA are about our brand of music, the oddities, rare grooves, and our favorite sing-a-longs in every tempo, danceable, yet soulful and funky tunes in any genre.  However, it’s also about the vibe, the energy between us, the fellowshipping, and generating positivity.   We must help, heal, uplift, chastise (if we say we love and love unconditionally those who we say we love) and cherish one another.   Life is too short, so, let’s live, love and dance together in peace in the light of the Most High God!  Selah!    Music by: Mr. Flowerz (4:00pm – 7:30pm) and the notoriously eclectic music maestro, FIDA DJ member Rahbu (7:30pm – 10pm).     It’s BYOB, but we will have some light refreshments and goodies.   Print this letter and bring it with you or show us the e-mail at the door.   Also, give the door person your FIDA number as well.   RSVP when able.   We love you, why? Because…YOU ARE SPECIAL, never ever stop loving and being good to yourself.   We’ve all we’ve got in this thing we love!    Keep Dancin’!