Ron Levy's Wild Kingdom (Ron Levy Related)

Ron Levy's Wild Kingdom - Greaze Is What's Good - 1998 - Cannonball Records

"A Hammond B-3 organ should be funky, soulful, power packed, dynamic, roof-raising and greaZy. Most of all, the greaZy part. A Hammond should drip with hot licks, and no one knows that better than Levtron.com's Records master blaster Ron Levy. He's studio saavy Svengali of greaZy organ, a guy who knows about grits, gravy, greens and grooves. Long before pork became the 'the new white meat,' Levy was playing fatback organ and taking sizzling solos. His blues credits - sessions with Charles Brown, Roomful of Blues, Ronnie Earl, Champion Jack Dupree, Lowell Fulson, Ann Peebles, Otis Clay, Jimmy McCracklin, and seven years touring & recording with his excellency, B.B. King - are impeccable. After just one listen to "GreaZe is What's Good", you can add 'acid jazz master' and author to Levy's bulging resume. Look for his new 'web-book' "Tales of a Road Dog" on his website (Levtron). It describes these experiences noted above.” – from Album Notes @ http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/ronlevyswildkingdom18

On Greaze Is What's Good, Ron Levy is joined by trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, guitarists Melvin Sparks and David T. Walker, drummer Idris Muhammad, and trombonist Steve Turre, plus Memphis blues guitarist Preston Shannon, for a solid set of grooving, bluesy soul-jazz. © Steve Huey © 2013 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved
http://www.allmusic.com/album/greaze-is-whats-good-mw0000617346

Great uptempo soul jazz/blues album with a stellar line-up including Melvin Sparks and Preston Shannon on guitar, Stanley Banks on bass, Idris Muhammad on drums, and Freddie Hubbard on trumpet. CDbaby says the album is “GreaZy, funky, soulful and delicious featuring a who's who of world class A-rated musicians playing Levy's groovin' grooves. If you love blastin' Hammond B-3 organ, this is for you!” The album is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Killer keyboards, great guitar, and not a dud track. Buy Ron Levy's Wild Kingdom's "Green Eyed Soul" album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 143 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. Can I Change My Mind - Barry Despenza / Carl Wolfolk
2. Greaze Is What's Good – Ron Levy
3. One People - Ray Greene
4. Mr. Mr. Blasta from the Past'da – Ron Levy
5. What d'Freak – Ron Levy
6. Big Fine Lil' Lass – Ron Levy
7. What's Going On - Renaldo Benson / Al Cleveland / Marvin Gaye
8. Long Time Ago – Ron Levy
9. In the Middle / The King - unknown
10. J-J-Jazz It Up – Ron Levy
11. Gangsta's to Blame - Ron Levy's Wild Kingdom

MUSICIANS

Darby Hicks, Jr. - Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Fender Rhodes, Voices
Melvin Sparks , David, T. Walker, Preston Shannon – Guitar
Stanley Banks, W. Zimmermann – Bass
Ron Levy - Hammond Organ, Fender Rhodes
William F. Zimmerman – Piano
Idris Muhammad, James Gadson – Drums
Greg Morrow - Drums, Percussion
Carol Steele – Percussion
Ralph Dorsey – Congas
Gordon "Sax" Beadle - Tenor Sax
Jim Spake – Tenor & Baritone Sax
Crispin Cioe - Alto & Soprano Sax
Freddie Hubbard, Scott Thompson - Trumpet
Steve Turre - Trombone, Conch Shell
Ray Greene, Michelle Wilson – Vocals

BIO

b. Reuvain Zev ben Yehoshua Ha Levi, 29 May 1951, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. Levy played clarinet during his childhood and, inspired by a Ray Charles concert, started playing piano at the age of 13. He soon took up organ too, and, influenced by Billy Preston and Jimmy Smith, was a quick learner. Two years later he was backing up blues artists performing in the Boston area. At 17 the young musician was discovered and hired by blues legend Albert King. Still in high school, Levy worked with King, who had become his legal guardian, for 18 months. From December 1969 to February 1976 he played piano and organ in B.B. King’s band. The period from that time until 1980 saw him work with the Rhythm Rockers, led by Johnny Nicholas and featuring the young Ronnie Earl on lead guitar. As the house band of the Speakeasy in Cambridge they honed their skills backing up great blues musicians, among them Walter Horton, Johnny Shines and Roosevelt Sykes. After working with Luther ‘Guitar Junior’ Johnson for three years, Levy played with Roomful Of Blues from 1983-87. In addition to recording with his own band, Ron Levy’s Wild Kingdom, he has played on numerous recordings by other artists, and since 1985, has produced a steady stream of albums for labels such as Black Top and Bullseye Blues. He became an in-house producer for the latter. © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/ron-levys-wild-kingdom-mn0000287470

Cornell Dupree

Cornell Dupree - Can't Get Through - 1991 - Amazing Records

Cornell Dupree's classic guitar sound has been pervasive in popular music for the past four decades, having graced more than 2500 albums by a dazzling array of artists. His work with the superstar session band Stuff was highly praised. More recently, he played on Return to the Wide Open Spaces with saxophonist James Clay and others, drawing uniformly rave reviews. Can't Get Through, recorded in New York City last year, contains nine tracks, most of them instrumental, done with his regular working band in a soul/jazz/funk vein. Titles include "Double Clutch," "Sweet Thing," and "Duck Soup." © Roundup Newsletter © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved
http://www.allmusic.com/album/cant-get-through-r65785

Great album from the late and highly respected saxophonist and jazz guitarist Cornell “Uncle Funky” Dupree. As well as recording a few solo albums, Cornell was an in-demand session musician. Perhaps best known as a R&B guitarist, accompanying artists like B. B. King and Wilson Pickett, Cornell also performed or recorded with artists that included Miles Davis, Joe Cocker, Laura Nyro, Bonnie Raitt, Paul Simon, Ringo Starr, Aretha Franklin, and the late, great saxophonist, King Curtis. His name may not be familiar to many people, and Cornell, himself once said that “Not many people read the back of albums". "Can't Get Through" is a great example of top class '90's soul jazz and R&B guitar. Listen to his great "Bop 'n' Blues" album and/or his "Mr.2500 Live At Birdland" album

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Can't Get Through - Kenny Smith 5:20
2 Southern Comfort - Cornell Dupree 4:01
3 Double Clutch - Cornell Dupree, Skip Vanwinkle 3:56
4 Sweet Thing - Gary Sieger 5:03
5 Slippin' In - E.Parker, D.Waldo 4:32
6 Let the Sun Shine on Me Again - E.Parker, D.Waldo 4:23
7 Duck Soup - Cornell Dupree 4:28
8 Could It Be - Cornell Dupree 5:35
9 "7" - Cornell Dupree 7:39

MUSICIANS

Cornell “Uncle Funky” Dupree - Guitar RIP
Frank Canino - Bass
Mitch Margold - Piano
Eric Parker - Drums
Barry Danielian, Randy Andos - Horns
Steve Greenfield - Horn, Sax (Alto)
Scott Kreitzer - Horn, Arranger
Windell Capel - Vocals

SHORT BIO

A veteran of over 2,500 recording sessions, guitarist Cornell Dupree worked most prolifically in R&B and blues, but he was equally at home in jazz, particularly funky fusion and soul-jazz. Dupree was born in Fort Worth, TX, in 1942, and by the age of 20 was playing in King Curtis' R&B group. He became a session musician soon after, playing on Brook Benton's "Rainy Night in Georgia," as well as records by stars like Lou Rawls, Paul Simon, Barbra Streisand, Harry Belafonte, Lena Horne, Roberta Flack, Joe Cocker, Michael Bolton, Mariah Carey, and countless others. Dupree was also a member of Aretha Franklin's touring band from 1967-1976, and during that time also became a presence on many jazz-funk recordings, the sort that would find favor with rare groove and acid jazz fans in the years to come. Dupree's first jazz session as a leader was 1974's Teasin', which was followed by Saturday Night Fever in 1977, and Shadow Dancing in 1978. During the same period, Dupree was a member of the studio-musician fusion supergroup Stuff, which signed with Warner Bros. in 1975 and recorded four albums. They also reunited periodically in the '80s and spawned a mid-'80s spin-off group called the Gadd Gang, which Dupree also belonged to. Some of Dupree's most rewarding jazz albums came in the late '80s and early '90s; 1988's Coast to Coast was nominated for a Grammy, and funky sessions like 1991's Can't Get Through, 1992's live Uncle Funky, and 1993's Child's Play received positive reviews. 1994's Bop 'n' Blues was his most straight-ahead jazz album, also ranking as one of his best. © Steve Huey © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/cornell-dupree-p70447/biography

BIO (WIKI)

Cornell Luther Dupree (December 19, 1942 – May 8, 2011 was an American jazz and R&B guitarist. He worked at various times with Bill Withers, Donny Hathaway, King Curtis and Steve Gadd, appeared on David Letterman, and wrote a book on soul and blues guitar: Rhythm and Blues Guitar. He reputedly recorded on 2,500 sessions. Dupree began his career playing in the Atlantic Records studio band, recording on albums by Aretha Franklin (Aretha Live at Fillmore West) and King Curtis as a member of Curtis's band "The King Pins" (having grown up with King Curtis in Fort Worth, Texas). He appeared on the 1969 Lena Horne and Gábor Szabó recording, and on recordings with Archie Shepp, Grover Washington, Jr., Snooky Young and Miles Davis. He was a founding member of the band Stuff, which featured fellow guitarist Eric Gale, Richard Tee on keyboards, Steve Gadd and Chris Parker on drums, and Gordon Edwards on bass. Dupree and Tee recorded together on many occasions. Notable albums include the aforementioned Aretha and King Curtis records, plus Joe Cocker's Stingray and Luxury You Can Afford, plus Cornell's solo albums Teasin', Saturday Night Fever (instrumental), Shadow Dancing, Can't Get Through, Coast to Coast, Uncle Funky, Child's Play, Bop 'n' Blues, and Unstuffed. He played on Brook Benton's "Rainy Night in Georgia" and "Please Send Me Someone to Love", and is featured on two tracks of Peter Wolf's 1998 album, Fool's Parade. He is also known for playing the opening guitar riff on Aretha Franklin's "Respect". In December 1972, the UK music magazine, NME, reported that Dupree, along with Roberta Flack and Jerry Jemmott, had been injured in an auto accident in Manhattan. Dupree used a Fender "red-knob" Twin Reverb and played a Yamaha signature guitar called the Dupree Super Jam (it used to be a model similar to the SJ-550 HM, but now is closer to a three-pickup Pacifica with a maple neck). Dupree died on May 8, 2011 at his home in Fort Worth, Texas. He had been waiting for a lung transplant as a result of suffering from emphysema.

Laura Nyro

Laura Nyro - Stoned Soul Picnic: The Best of Laura Nyro - 1997 - Columbia

A double-CD, career-spanning retrospective that offers little in the way of surprises: it's a tastefully selected overview of her career highlights, heaviest (and justifiably so) on her late '60s albums. There's the inevitable feeling of letdown as disc two progresses; her post-early '70s material is far less interesting than her earliest work, even if it's inoffensive. All of the first five albums (through 1971's Gonna Take a Miracle) are now on CD, so this is most suitable for the fan who isn't passionate enough to be a completist. Includes a couple of previously unreleased live tracks from the 1990s; the version of "Sweet Blindness," unfortunately, is not the original late-'60s recording, but from a late-'70s live album. © Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide © 2010 Answers Corporation http://www.answers.com/topic/stoned-soul-picnic-the-best-of-laura-nyro

Stoned Soul Picnic: The Best of Laura Nyro is the second retrospective album by Bronx-born musician Laura Nyro and the most comprehensive overview of her work to date. It was the last album Nyro released during her lifetime, and she died from ovarian cancer less than two months after its release. The two-disc set combines highlights from all of her studio albums, as well as some rarities and previously unreleased live songs recorded in 1993 and 1994. Music journalist Paul Zollo's interview with Nyro makes up the liner notes, along with a Nyro biography and song details. Stoned Soul Picnic: The Best of Laura Nyro came about in 1996 when the Legacy imprint of Columbia Records requested a single-disc overview of Nyro's work. However, that would have concentrated on her earlier material, and Nyro was adamant that a full career overview should be achieved. Nyro oversaw the production of the album, and made the track selection her final artistic project. The first disc collects some of her finest and most well-known material from 1966 to 1970, while the second disc concentrates on her later career. [from Wikipedia]

Entertainment Weekly (3/21/97, p.74) - "Fans of today's visionary female popsters would profit from a good listen to Nyro, the shamefully overlooked singer-songwriter who paved the way for them 30 years ago. Nyro's passion still cuts like a glistening blade on this well-stocked two-CD set..."
- Rating: A

"Stoned Soul Picnic" is a fabulous collection of the late, great Laura Nyro's songs. This lady was an incredible vocalist and songwriter. She encompassed all styles of music including jazz, blues, and soul. She was Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Maria Muldaur and many more great artists all rolled into one. Her lyrics and melodies are wonderful. This is the first Laura Nyro post on this blog, and thanks to DJ Mike Pell for reminding me about Laura, and just how great and influential this incredibly talented Bronxite was and still is. "Stoned Soul Picnic: The Best of Laura Nyro" is VHR by A.O.O.F.C. Listen to her brilliant "More Than a New Discovery","New York Tendaberry", "Eli and the Thirteenth Confession", and "Laura: Laura Nyro Live at the Bottom Line" albums

"Give me my freedom for as long as I be. All I ask of livin' is to have no chains on me. All I ask of livin' is to have no chains on me, and all I ask of dyin' is to go naturally. And when I die, and when I'm gone, there'll be one child born and a world to carry on" - Laura Nyro from her song "And When I Die"

DISC ONE

1."Wedding Bell Blues"
2."Blowin' Away"
3."Billy's Blues"
4."Stoney End"
5."And When I Die"
6."Lu"
7."Eli's Comin'"
8."Stoned Soul Picnic"
9."Timer"
10."Emmie"
11."The Confession"
12."Captain Saint Lucifer"
13."Gibsom Street"
14."New York Tendaberry"
15."Save the Country" [mono single version]
16."Blackpatch"
17."Upstairs By A Chinese Lamp"
18."Beads of Sweat"
19."When I Was a Freeport and You Were the Main Drag"

All songs composed by Laura Nyro

DISC TWO

1."I Met Him on a Sunday" (Doris Coley, Addie Harris, Beverly Lee, Shirley Owens)
2."The Bells" (Marvin Gaye, Anna Gordy Gaye, Iris Gordy, Elgie Stover)
3."Smile"
4."Sweet Blindness" [live version]
5."Money" [live version]
6."Mr. Blue"
7."A Wilderness"
8."Mother's Spiritual"
9."A Woman of the World"
10."Louise's Church"
11."Broken Rainbow"
12."To a Child"
13."Lite a Flame (The Animal Rights Song)"
14."And When I Die" [live version]
15."Save the Country" [live version]

All songs composed by Laura Nyro except where stated

CREDITS

Chet Amsterdam Bass
Wayne Andre Trombone
Ron Baker Bass
Barry Beckett Vibraphone
Jay Berliner Guitar
Hal Blaine Drums, Tambourine
Randy Brecker Percussion
John Bristo Guitar (Electric)
Bob Bushwell Bass
Pat Calello Trumpet
Dave Carey Percussion
Ralph Casale Guitar (Acoustic)
Roland Chambers Guitar
Gary Chester Drums
Jimmy Cleveland Trombone
Carter Collins Conga
Sarah Dash Vocals
Mike Deasy Sr. Guitar
Ray DeSio Trombone
Cornell Dupree Guitar (Electric)
Joe Farrell Saxophone
Lawrence Feldman Horn
Stan Free Piano
David Friedman Guitar
Ashad Garabedian Oud
Bernie Glow Trumpet
Norman Harris Guitar
Roger Hawkins Drums
Jim Helmer Drums
Nona Hendryx Vocals
Eddie Hinton Guitar (Electric)
David Hood Bass
Jack Jennings Percussion
Bashiri Johnson Percussion
Patti LaBelle Vocals
Bill Lavorgna Drums
Charles Loper Trombone
Buddy Lucas Harmonica
Julie Lyonn-Lieberman Violin
Lou Marini Flute, Percussion
Nydia Mata Percussion
Lou Mauro Bass
Hugh McCracken Guitar (Electric)
Mike Melvoin Piano
Vince Montana Percussion
Laura Nyro Piano, Vocals, Vocal Harmony
Joe Osborn Bass
Lenny Pakula Organ
Ray Pohlman Guitar
Chuck Rainey Bass
Don Randi Piano
Roger Rosenberg Percussion
Todd Rundgren Synthesizer
Buddy Saltzman Drums
Artie Schroeck Drums, Vibraphone
James Sedlar Flugelhorn, Horn
Stuart Sharf Guitar (Acoustic)
Tommy Tedesco Guitar
John Tropea Guitar
Freddie "Ready Freddie" Washington Bass
Larry Washington Conga
Nisako Yoshida Koto
George Young Saxophone
Jimmy Zito Trumpet
Gary Katz, Milt Okun, Charlie Calello, Laura Nyro, Roy Halee, Bones Howe, Arif Mardin, Felix Cavaliere, Gamble and Huff, Roscoe Harring - Producers

BIO
Laura Nyro was one of pop music's true originals: A brilliant and innovative composer, her songs found greater commercial success in the hands of other performers, but her own records — intricate, haunting works highlighting her singularly powerful vocal phrasing, evocative lyrics, and alchemical fusion of gospel, soul, folk, and jazz structures — remain her definitive artistic legacy. The daughter of a jazz trumpeter, she was born Laura Nigro on October 18, 1947, and composed her first songs at the age of eight. After attending Manhattan's famed High School of Music and Art, she began performing in area clubs, drawing on influences as diverse as Bob Dylan and John Coltrane. In 1967, Nyro issued her first LP, More Than a New Discovery; though commercially unsuccessful, the album was a treasure trove of material for other artists — the Fifth Dimension scored with "Wedding Bell Blues" and "Blowin' Away," Barbra Streisand covered "Stoney End," and Blood, Sweat & Tears tackled "And When I Die." In 1967, Nyro made just her second major live appearance to date at the Monterey Pop Festival, where her idiosyncratic performance baffled the crowd. However, David Geffen — a music agent at the time — caught her set and was so impressed that he quit his current position to become her manager. He also won Nyro a contract with Columbia, and in 1968 she returned with the extraordinary Eli and the Thirteenth Confession. While the album earned vast critical acclaim, she again found commercial success not with her own recordings, but with covers of Eli's songs, as the Fifth Dimension reached the charts with renditions of "Stoned Soul Picnic" and "Sweet Blindness," while "Eli's Comin'" became a major hit for Three Dog Night. New York Tendaberry, released in 1969, fared better thanks to the strong word of mouth now trailing her work; the record's "Time and Love" and "Save the Country" soon emerged as two of her most well-regarded and popular songs. With 1970's Christmas and the Beads of Sweat, she continued her exploration of soul music, enlisting Muscle Shoals staples like Barry Beckett, Roger Hawkins, and Eddie Hinton; "Beads of Sweat" also featured guitar work from Duane Allman. Gonna Take a Miracle, recorded with Labelle and the production team of Gamble & Huff, marked a dramatic left turn in 1971; Nyro's lone album of non-original material, it featured her tributes to Motown ("Jimmy Mack," "Nowhere to Run"), doo wop ("The Bells," "Spanish Harlem"), and the girl group era ("I Met Him on a Sunday"). At the age of 24, Nyro announced her retirement; she married, severed her industry connections, and moved to a small community in New England. However, the marriage ended in divorce, and in 1976 she resurfaced with Smile; a subsequent tour yielded the 1977 live set Season of Lights. However, the long layoff derailed whatever chart momentum her music had accrued, and after the dismal sales of 1978's Nested, she again retreated from the music business. When Nyro finally returned from her self-imposed exile in 1984 with Mother's Spiritual, her music had grown more reserved and introspective; as the title indicated, her own motherhood provided considerable inspiration for her new work, as did her rustic New England lifestyle. While she did not make any overt declarations of retirement, Nyro waited another five years before issuing her next LP, Live at the Bottom Line, recorded at the legendary New York club; Walk the Dog & Light the Light, her first collection of new material in nearly a decade, followed in 1993. Four years later, Nyro died of ovarian cancer, on April 8, 1997. A posthumous album, Angel in the Dark, was issued in 2001, and several additional live recordings also surfaced. © Jason Ankeny © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:fiftxqr5ld6e~T1