Tijdens dit bijzondere live concert van Lonnie Liston Smith wordt de zanger begeleid door de band die the man himself in de jaren ’70 oprichtte: the Cosmic Echoes. Onlangs werd het album Cosmic Funk & Spiritual Sounds uitgebracht, een compilatie van de 5 albums: Expansions, Astral Travelling, Golden Dreams, A Chance For Peace en Visons of a New World.

 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.

The artist Rick James has died. He was 56.

He was found at his home at 9.45 a.m., and apparently died from natural causes reports state.

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.

TRACKLIST

1 FROM E TO U
2 TAKE YOUR TIME FEAT. CARMEN
3 BABY C'EST LA VIE
4 MISS PERFECTION
5 BOOGIE IN MUSKOGEE
6 SHAKE YOUR BODY FEAT. LLOYD POPP
7 GET FUNKY TONIGHT
8 SET ME ON FIRE FEAT. NICOLE « MARSHEL » WILLIAMS
9 NO INSECURITIES FEAT. TEREZA LA QUEEN
10 SUNNY DAYS
11 THANKS TO MUSIC FEAT. 4TRE
12 BUMP IT UP FEAT. CASUAL & DYNAMITE D
13 WEST COAST BOMB TONY G & ENOIS SCROGGINS FEAT. KOKANE, DRE'STA, B.G KNOCC OUT, DIRTY RED
14 DESPAIR FEAT. QUICTAMAC
15 ON POINT FEAT. AUGUSTUS THE MAC
16 TICK TOCK FEAT. SLIP CAPONE & DYNAMITE D
17 I GOT THAT FIRE FEAT. ECAY UNO, C-BAND & DON-IS
18 PRAY FEAT. TWEED CADILLAC
19 UNDER THE SUN FEAT. XL MIDDLETON & DYNAMITE D
20 THE DOG'S IN TOWN FEAT. DELAGODO

Hereby two promotional clips of Lamar Thomas brand new singles 'Dry Water Wet Tears' and 'Someone (Lay it Down)'. These singles are taken from his forthcoming album. Please check this out press readmore to view the clip on youtube

Extending a tradition that stretches from Aretha Franklin to Sarah Vaughn, singer, songwriter, Vesta Williams contributed to the soulful mix of musical era and genres during her career. Simply put, Vesta Williams is a musical legend.   Before her death in September 22, 2011, Vesta released 6 studio albums that has produced the hits “Congratulations” “Sweet Sweet Love” “4U” and “Special”.  Her upcoming studio release “Seven” is completed and contains the wonderful vocals and arrangement that we have expected from her over the last 25 years. Vesta has sold over 2 million albums in her career that this effort will please all her fans.

Today, Vesta’s new single “Better Days” is available on Itunes. From Executive Producers Edwin Nicholas, Devon V. Collins and  Kahlil I. Pedizisai, Vesta’s Album