Legend has it that, on a Wednesday night in 1942, the 18-year-old Sarah Vaughan went to the Apollo Theatre in Harlem to compete in an amateur talent contest for the chance to win $10 and a week-long engagement. Although the events leading up to this are uncertain, there is no doubt that Vaughan sang ‘Body And Soul’ and won. Vaughan was contracted by the Apollo in spring 1943 to open for Ella Fitzgerald.
Chris Montez started out in the early '60s as a Ritchie Valens-influenced, fairly gritty rock & roller. But upon signing with A&M in the mid-'60s, he changed to a much smoother style that crossed easy listening pop, bossa nova, and the lightest of pop/rock touches. This 22-track compilation focuses on his 1966-1968 recordings for the label, which did bring him a fair amount of pop success, a far cry though they were from the days of his raucous 1962 smash "Let's Dance."
The most known drummer of Hard lock legends SCORPIONS is back in town. Herman Rarebell, the man behind the German band's kit during their most 'classic' period, releases his newest solo album and - while listening to the CD for the x-th time - he seems rather in good mood to deliver some plain hard rockin' 'n' rollin' tunes that will surely not 'drive' some either crazy or bored…
"Micah" is a very little-known American progressive rock band from early 70s. Their music is a great blend of American hard/psychedelic rock style (like "Ford Theatre") and art/symphonic rock of such British formations like "Cressida", early "Deep Purple", "Beggar's Opera" or "Rare Bird"…
It was much to soul singer Spanky Wilson's surprise – she didn't realize she had had such an impact – when British multi-instrumentalist/producer Will Holland contacted her in her Los Angeles home in 2004, professing his love of her music and wondering if she'd collaborate with him. Still, she agreed to go the studio, and together they did two songs, "Don't Joke with a Hungry Man" and "When You're Through," for Holland's solo project, Quantic, on the album Mishaps Happening. That collaboration worked out so well that they decided to make an entire record together, this time with Holland's full band, the Quantic Soul Orchestra. Wilson's lovely voice is the centerpiece of I'm Thankful, and it does show a bit of its age, but only in the best of ways, deepening it and giving it an added measure of credibility and authenticity while still preserving its expressiveness and strength.