Black History Month

February is Black History Month - thus there are many things going on in honor of it. For nstance the library near me is having a free screening of Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman this Thursday at 1 pm. "Yes" I am attending as I have yet to see it and very much want to. 

I also wanted to acknowledge it with an iconic teaming between two of my favorites Ella Fitzgerald & Marilyn Monroe. The image and Ms. Fitzgerald's words that accompany it speak for themselves. 

Thus I leave you with it on this Superbowl Sunday February 3rd 20019. 

Black History Month on Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_History_Month 

Why Take 5? When You Can Take 6?

"When Angels Cry" Available on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play and Spotify

"Believe" on March 25, 2016

You'd better "Believe" Take 6 is back! “When Angels Cry,” the first single from multi-award winning jazz, pop and R&B group TAKE 6’s highly-anticipated album “Believe,” is now available for purchase on iTunes, Google Play and Amazon and streaming on Spotify. The new album will be available worldwide on March 25, 2016 via SoNo Recording Group. Known for working with some of the biggest and most iconic names in music, including Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Celine Dion, Lionel Richie, Justin Timberlake, Al Jarreau, Don Henley and James Taylor, to name a few, Take 6 will delight music lovers with “Believe” a contemporary record filled with exciting collaborations and new material with every hallmark of the classic TAKE 6 sound. Motown Legend Stevie Wonder recently met up with the guys in Nashville to contribute his exquisite harmonica playing to the song “You Know You Are In Love.” “When Angels Cry” iTunes – https://itun.es/us/96Rr- Google Play – https://goo.gl/7R6Utl Amazon – http://amzn.to/1Migrgd Stream on Spotify – http://spoti.fi/1NueQJU Back In Action Take 6 TAKE 6 (Claude McKnight, Mark Kibble, Joel Kibble, Dave Thomas, Alvin Chea and Khristian Dentley), has been heralded by none other than Quincy Jones as the "baddest vocal cats on the planet!” Their uniquely cutting-edge style is comprised of six virtuosic voices united in crystal clear harmony, against a backdrop of syncopated rhythms, innovative arrangements, and funky grooves. All of this bubbles into an intoxicating brew of gospel, jazz, R&B, and pop. TAKE 6 are quintessential a cappella. The group, considered torchbearers for an entire reemergence of a cappella as a musical movement, has been performing together since their days at Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama in 1980. Their debut album scored two 1988 Grammy Awards and landed in the Top Ten Billboard Contemporary Jazz and Contemporary Christian Charts. Twenty seven years later, the most talked-about vocal group of all time, TAKE 6 is in greater demand than ever, selling out shows all over the world. They have performed on Saturday Night Live, the Oscars, the Grammys, had the honor of performing for four sitting U.S. Presidents, and appeared at the Democratic National Convention. The group, which has inspired and been a founding influence to a generation of recording artists including Boyz II Men and *NSYNC, has collaborated with a who’s who of artists – including Stevie Wonder, Gordon Goodwin, Don Henley, Whitney Houston, Al Jarreau, Quincy Jones, k.d. lang, Queen Latifah, Brian McKnight, Luis Miguel, Marcus Miller, Joe Sample, Ben Tankard and Cece Winans. TAKE 6 Tour Dates: Dec 11 Lincoln, NE - Lied Center for Performing Arts Dec 12 University Park, IL - Governors State University Dec 13 Houston, TX - The Fountain of Praise Jan 02 Aspen, CO - Downstairs @ The Little Nell Jan 03 Aspen, CO - Downstairs @ The Little Nell Feb 12 Flagstaff, AZ - Northern Arizona University Feb 14 Chandler, AZ - Chandler Center for the Arts Feb 18 Santa Rosa, CA - The Summit: The Manhattan Transfer Meets Take 6 Feb 20 Bellingham, WA - Mount Baker Theatre Mar 17 Urbana, IL - Krannert Center’s Colwell Playhouse Apr 01 Reading, PA - Berks Jazz Festival (The Summit Show) Apr 06 Red Bank, NJ - Count Basie Theater (The Summit Show) Apr 15 Oceanside, CA - Miracosta College - Oceanside Jazz Festival May 14 Malibu, CA - Smothers Theater - Pepperdine University   take6.com facebook.com/Take6Official sonorecordinggroup.com

Jessi Teich Has A "Twisted Soul"

I had the extreme pleasure of interviewing the mega talented Jessi Teich recently. Her upcoming album which she recorded in Paris, Twisted Soul is due March 3rd and it's amazing!

Not familiar with her? Well let's get acquainted with the Jazz aficionado...it's time to know more about Ms. Jessi Teich!

JT: Hi Michael, this is Jessi Teich

MS: You and I were just in a Twitter frenzy.

JT: Yeah, that's exactly what was happening. (both laugh)

MS: I really loved Twisted Soul and the fact that you were Magna Cum Laude from the Berklee College of Music was not a real shocker.

JT: Awwwwwwww, Thank you. It's such a nice thing putting something out there that people respond to in a positive way. It means so much, it's great!

MS: The music biz is so up in the air it's the more unique artists that seem to be catching on.

JT: I tried to make this album accessible as far as the musicality of it. I know with jazz it's really easy to go into an eight minute solo...Not everyone wants to geek out on jazz. (laughs) People like simple music, I like simple music. I gravitated towards that with the album, I think it's a great marriage between jazz and simplicity. 

MS: Twisted Soul is described as "Poperatic." 

Jessi Hitting The Keys

JT: The story of it is autobiographical. Actually the booklet that is coming with the CD, each song is going to be presented as a chapter in the story and I do a little narration in each song. It's in third person, between a male and female character. This is all based on a previous relationship I was in which was emotionally abusive. The CD talks about how I was in the relationship, how I was able to break free from the relationship and how I was able to succeed in finding my own way, my own voice and emerging victorious. This is a very positive way in dealing with a terrible situation.

MS: I love your quote about "vomiting crazy emotions" out of yourself.

JT: (both laugh) I'm always afraid I'm going to gross people out when I say that, but it's true! It's like I am purging myself of these crazy feelings. It feels like vomiting, it's weird. (laughs)

MS: Yeah, it's like when I write. Something comes out that's so loopy I keep it because it's so cool.

JT: Yeah, it's you, it's unique. I think that is what people graft onto in this day and age. They want you the person, not you this unattainable artist. They want to be able to relate to you somehow. That is part of the reason I chose not to remain silent about my situation, not only does it help me, but I feel like it could help a lot of people, feeling they could live through this and get through something horrible.

MS: What I find interesting when artists do speak about these things is, it's not going to stop it. But it will help people.

JT: If I can benefit one person, I've done my job. When I was going through the worst of it, I really grappled onto who else has been in a similar situation to me. One things I did was I called one of the abuse hot lines. I talked to them about my options and protection and what I could do...because I was very scared. When I was able to reach out to somebody else, people that knew how to deal with situations like that I felt like I had a community. It was an amazing feeling. 

MS: You also had to overcome a cyst on your vocal chord.

JT: That was pretty intense. I was diagnosed with a cyst on my right vocal chord a few years ago. It was something that really kind of jilted me into reality, like oh my gosh! I might not be able to pursue my music career. When I was diagnosed I was teaching forty vocal lessons a week, eating pretty much what I wanted. I questioned myself first, and I asked my vocal therapist: is it me or my technique? She said: No absolutely not, this happens when you overuse your voice. I did everything I could for a while, speech therapy, singing therapy, changed my diet, everything that could be a trigger and the cyst went down about fifty percent, but it didn't go away so that's when I decided to have the surgery. But before the surgery, you're going to laugh at this, I still went to work and carried around a white board and wrote everything down, people did not know what to do with me. People thought I was deaf or mute, they thought I didn't speak English, even though I had a name tag and a white board that said: Hi my name is Jessi Teich and I'm on vocal rest. (both laugh) It really opened my eyes to how important your voice is. The only other universal language other than music is a smile, so I just smiled a lot, people were like: OK she's happy even though she's not talking (both laugh)

MS: It's interesting to me that you covered Justin Timberlake's Cry Me A River.

Jazz Baby

JT: Yes. I grew up listening to Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Janis Joplin...My Dad had this amazing vinyl collection. I still was a child of the 90's and I listened to Justin Timberlake, he was on the radio, he was my guilty pleasure. It seemed to fit the album. I've always liked covering pop in a very different way. 

MS: When I first saw the song on your album, given your background. I thought it was a cover of the Arthur Hamilton version.

JT: Oh yeah the jazz standard. I think I have been throwing a few people for a loop, because they expect that. Then they hear Justin Timberlake  and they're like whaaaaaaat?! (laughs) 

MS: Throwing people for a loop is a good idea I think.

JT: I do too, and I do it on a daily basis anyway, why not do it on my album? 

MS: I loved your poetry on the title track of Twisted Soul. 

JT: Thank you. I could literally sit down with you and go through every line of that song, and really any song on the entire album, it all means something. Every lyric is prepared for a very specific reason. There are long and short stories behind each song. The album was so cathartic and so therapeutic, to write these songs and get them out in the world. I appreciate your compliments, it's so nice for me to get them out of my system. 

MS: You really love jazz, touch on that some before we say goodbye.

JT: Some of my greatest music teachers were Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington...I grew up listening to these women. Here I am this little white girl, so cool, all my friends are like: I listen to Brittney Spears, I listen to Christine Aguilera. I'm like: I listen to Billie Holiday. (both laugh) They would all look at me like: Who's Billie? (laughs) who is he?! I was such a different kind of kid I really walked to my own beat. 

Walk to your own beat with Jessi Teich at:
www.jessiteich.com
www.youtube.com/jessiteich
www.facebook.com/jessiteichmusic
www.twitter.com/jessiteich

Go "White Christmas" With Sandy Zacky

Sandy Sings "White Christmas" @ CSUN

David Letterman has Darlene Love, Rockefeller Center and now The Grove in Los Angeles has it's tree lighting...here at "Entertain Me" we kick off Christmas with our resident Chanteuse, Sandy Zacky.

I had the honor of seeing Sandy with a "Y" not "E" sing "White Christmas" live at her one night only CSUN performance in 2009...she was amazing!

Thus she is my Christmas tradition. So without further adieu on this December 1st 2013 the Christmas Season begins with Sandy with a "Y" 

It's Christmas Time

As this review of Ms. Z states:

 ...Zacky is a cross between Rosemary Clooney and Ella Fitzgerald. She is a truly great singer with consummate phrasing... 

--DON GRIGWARE, GRIGWARE TALKS THEATRE

Go Sandy!

"I wish you all the happiest of Holidays" - Sandy Zacky

Peace.

Sing It Sandy! Listen To "White Christmas" Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueCuT6tB50E

Keep Up With Sandy At: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Sandy-Zacky-Fan-Page/142692019103428

Be Part Of Her Reverbnation: http://www.reverbnation.com/sandyzacky?page_view_source=facebook_app

Sandy Zacky Brings Her Brand Of "Witchcraft" To "Show Me Talk Radio"

Now what would Halloween be without "Entertain Me"s resident chanteuse Sandy with a "Y" not "E" Zacky singing her rendition of "Witchcraft" well it would not be Halloween at all...

But this Halloween is a little different Sandy is giving us another treat this most Haunted of Holidays by bringing her special brand of magic to "Sandy Zacky Part 2" on "Show Me Talk Radio". - and she couldn't be happier "I think it sounds great. Lots of talk and lots of music. I am so happy with it" says Ms. Z.

It's "Witchcraft"

Some of the talk includes Sandy with a "Y" discussing some of her favorite artists that include Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughn.

Give your Halloween Season a little extra bit of "Witchcraft" & Magic courtesy of Sandy and her love of music.

Happy Halloween.

Best Wishes,
Sandy Zacky

Tune In To "Sandy Zacky Part 2": http://www.showmetalkradio.com/zacky.php

Listen to some "Witchcraft" at: http://www.reverbnation.com/sandyzacky?page_view_source=facebook_app

Follow Her On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Sandy-Zacky-Fan-Page/142692019103428

Sandy Zacky's "White Christmas"

Ho, ho, ho & Happy Holidays I thought I would kick off December with a Christmas posting. Yes people it is almost here and Sandy with a "Y" not "E" remember my chat with her in October?

http://mshinafelt.blogspot.com/2011/10/checking-in-with-jazz-chanteuse-sandy.html

is here to make your Holidays brighter with her rendition of "White Christmas"....

Like Darlene Love's cover of "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)"on David Letterman every year
Ms. Zacky's flawless rendition of "White Christmas" has become a tradition on Radio & the Internet for three years now and counting...

Here is a sound bite from Sandy with a "Y" about the song & the season upon us: "The Holiday Season is a time of  friendship, love and most importantly family...the song "White Christmas" reflects all of these things perfectly to me."

Check out the video above of Ms. Zacky performing the song live at her CSUN performance...

you owe it to yourself to give a listen to the singer Don Grigware calls:

...Zacky is a cross between Rosemary Clooney and Ella Fitzgerald. She is a truly great singer with consummate phrasing...--DON GRIGWARE, GRIGWARE TALKS THEATRE

"Happy Holidays Everyone"....Love, Sandy

Join Sandy on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Sandy-Zacky-Fan-Page/142692019103428

Listen to her on Myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/sandyzackymikeclifford

Be sure to request "White Christmas" on Boston Internet Radio: http://www.jhf-website.com/BIR/