(New York, NY) Gospel Superstar Kirk Franklin is featuring gospel's it girl and JDI Records artist Beverly Crawford on his upcoming new CD, to be released March 22nd on Gospocentric/Fo Yo Soul/Zomba. After a nearly 3 year hiatus from recording, Kirk Franklin returns this spring with the most highly anticipated gospel release of the year "Hello Fear".

The top selling gospel artist of all-time, with over 12 million records sold, Kirk Franklin is renown for his collaborations and his selection of Grammy winner Beverly Crawford speaks volumes about the resurgence of her career as one of the top female artists in gospel.

Fresh on the heels of her of electrifying performances at the BET Celebration of Gospel & the Stellar Awards, Beverly Crawford's smash hit single "It's About Time For A Miracle!" continues to burn up gospel radio! Likewise, everywhere you turn on TV, radio & on her 100-city tour, the red-hot Beverly Crawford continues to demonstrate why she is universally regarded as one of the top vocalists in the world!

The #1 Most Added Song at Radio (Billboard),"It's About Time For A Miracle!" is the follow-up to Beverly's #1 chart-topper "He's Done Enough", which dominated the Billboard Charts for over 70+ weeks & garnered 7 Stellar Award nods including CD of the Year, Artist of the Year, etc.

With a legion of ardent fans including Ochocinco, President Obama, Fantasia, Natalie Cole, etc, Beverly Crawford's new CD Live from Los Angeles - Vol. 2 is garnering rave reviews all over the country!

DC-based hip-hop/R&B/rock fusion group CSJQ (www.csjqmusic.com). The duo, comprised of multi-talented musicians Clayton Savage and JayQuan have released a four-track EP, The Life. Their Hollywood Music In Media award (HMMA) nominated single, “F.U.N” is an infectious, provocative bass driven nod to old-school hip-hop and R&B. Prior to joining musical forces in 2006, both artists worked with hip-hop pioneer Melle Mel (Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five). Savage, a member of the Furious 5, also released a self-titled album where his hit single “Palm of Her Hand” became the theme music for BET’s ‘Video Soul.’ JayQuan’s rich musical history includes working with Melle Mel and Grandmaster Caz. In addition, he is the creator and webmaster of The Foundation, a website dedicated to chronicling the history of hip-hop.

Thursday, April 1, 2004; Page B06

Ernesto McKenzie Phillips, 50, a Columbia resident who was a musician in pop rhythm-and-blues groups and then produced a series of local entertainers, including singers Toni Braxton and Kimberly Scott, died March 25 at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore after a stroke. He had hypertension.

Mr. Phillips, a native Washingtonian, was raised in Crownsville and graduated from Arundel High School in Gambrills. He was a self-taught guitarist, and during high school he attended the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore to study trumpet.

He was a graduate of Anne Arundel Community College and attended Howard University, where he intended to study medicine as his father -- a psychiatrist -- had. He decided instead to make music his career.

With his four brothers -- George, Lloyd, Orlando and Gregory -- Mr. Phillips formed Licyndiana, an R&B group named after his mother and his sisters. Ernesto Phillips sang and played guitar. He also wrote songs and did production work.

Singer Renee Diggs, who was Mr. Phillips's longtime companion, and musician-songwriter Kayode "Ky" Adeyemo later joined Licyndiana.

Mr. Phillips had greater success as leader, co-producer and primary songwriter of a successor pop R&B band called Starpoint, which included the same members except for Lloyd.

The band toured nationally, opening for such performers as Luther Vandross, and appeared on "Soul Train," "Solid Gold" and other television programs. Its album "Restless" (1986) sold more than 500,000 copies, according to news reports, and included the hit song "Object of My Desire."

At the 1990 Washington Area Music Awards, Starpoint was named best R&B/urban group. Mr. Phillips, on guitar, was named best instrumentalist.

The group disbanded about 1990 as members went in different directions professionally. Until his death, Mr. Phillips worked as a producer. He owned and operated Longevity Records and Pearl Studios, both in Columbia.

"I pledged that once we made it, I was going to prove there is a lot of talent in this area," he told The Washington Post in 1995.

His best-known find is Braxton, the Grammy Award-winning singer whom he met through a friend.

In recent months, he worked as a counselor for teenagers at Sheppard Pratt psychiatric clinic in Ellicott City.

Survivors include his mother, Ana Phillips, of Columbia; four brothers, George Phillips and Lloyd Phillips, both of Columbia, and Orlando Phillips and Gregory Phillips, both of Annapolis; and two sisters, Diane Laguerre of Elk Ridge, Md., and Lisa Phillips of Columbia.

On BBC Radio 2 a one hour radio documentary on Wilson Pickett will be broadcast. This Documentary features some of the main people in
his life such as Bobby Womack, Steve Cropper, Bobby Eli, Willie Schofield, Eddie Floyd, Sir Mack Rice, Rick Hall, Spooner Oldham and many more as well as
some archive footage that we came across from Wilson himself.
The whole thing is presented by Roger Daltry.

It is broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on Monday 12th March at 10pm and will also be available on their listen again feature on their website for the following 7 days

 SOUL AND FUNK MUSIC.COM wishes you and all your loved ones a very happy and peaceful New Year with lots of peace, love, health and good Soulful, Funky   Music.

Jessie x

Check this site for the Solar history.

SOULBROTHER.COM have just had a couple of great jazz funk collections in, with some great titles in fantastic condition, including some that they have not seen for years.

All items are single copies so please order early to avoid disappointment. Records can be ordered though our site, over the phone on 020 8875 1018 or collected from our shop on Putney open 7 days a week 10- 7  (sun 11-5). Happy hunting.

Click this link to go to the vinyl selection.

Celebrating One Of Music'S Most Successful And Enduringmusical Collaborations -36 Years And Counting!!! Randy and Joe photo Critically Acclaimed Jazz / R&B Recording Artists Pianist JOE SAMPLE and Singer RANDY CRAWFORD To Release Randy Crawford & Joe Sample LIVE Featuring ~ Sample's Son ~ Bassist NICKLAS SAMPLE and Drummer Extraordinaire STEVE GADD In Stores July 31st. Electrifying Performances Recorded On Tour at Various Concert Venues Throughout Europe From October - December 2008

‘SOULED’ (Out) Who keeps Messing with our Music? By  Lamar R. Thomas, Sr. Hello fellow Soul, Rhythm & Blues, and Black Music Lovers, please help me out with this, for I am a bit confused, or perhaps I didn't grow up listening to the right music or the right artists. What exactly is "Northern and/or Modern Soul"? And how does that differs from the original Black Music? Did some else: “Create some new form of Black Music, with its’ own originality? Help me please!

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