Pop Life

Even though I acknowledged the awful news in April, I hadn’t shed a single tear over Prince’s death until last night.   The magnitude of the loss finally hit home as the There Stands the Glass favorite Bilal delivered a libidinous version “The Beautiful Ones” on the broadcast of the BET Awards.  By performing with lust rather than grief, Bilal’s effort was the only one of the many tributes I’ve seen in the last ten weeks that caused me to crack.


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I reviewed a free Public Enemy concert.

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I reviewed a concert by Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo.

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I discussed the late Little Hatch and the return of the Kansas City Kansas Street Blues Festival on KCUR last week.

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I scrutinize a pet peeve at Plastic Sax.

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Ralph Stanley has died.  I last saw the pioneer at Starlight Theatre in 2002. 

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Chips Moman has died.

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Amjad Sabri was murdered.

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Freddy Powers has died.  (Tip via BGO.)

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Wayne Jackson of the Memphis Horns has died.

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Bernie Worrell has died.

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Katy Guillen & the Girls’ Heavy Days is RIYL: Mountain, boogie, Foghat.

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Dâm-Funk’s entry for the !Z7 label’s DJ-Kicks series is my jam.  George Clinton, DJ mix tapes, Reggie B.

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The New Breed, the new album by the Tortoise guitarist Jeff Parker is RIYL: the Lounge Lizards, anti-jazz, Marc Ribot.

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DJ Shadow's The Mountain Will Fall doesn’t disappoint.  RIYL: possibilities, Pimp C, space.

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It seems quaint that albums like the Bill Charlap Trio’s Notes From New York are still being made.  I’m charmed in spite of myself.  RIYL: Barry Harris, anachronisms, Tommy Flanagan.

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YG’s Still Brazy is RIYL: Dr. Dre, 1993, Tha Dogg Pound.  Here’s ”Gimmie Got Shot”.

(Original image of Sheila E. by There Stands the Glass.)