Ministers of Soul

Here is a remix I did on the pop classic How Will I Know by Whitney Houston
How Will I Know remix [Mix 5]

i had a very nice conversation with a legendary musician who is part of a family dynasty (not one of the jacksons thank you bery much LOL and yes i know i said “bery”). he expressed an interest in possibly participating on a show if he was available. because its all so vague, no point in throwing names around.  but it will be amazing when it happens!

hopefully there will be some gig updates soon! stay tuned.

even though this site isn’t updated regularly, there is much going on behind the scenes. trying to figure out how to do this in an intelligent manner is challenging to say the least. but we’re getting there. slowly.

the show in LA was amazing. i am a bit travel drained right now but i wanted to post the set lists for both shows before i lay down to sleep.

FIRST SET

love the life you life

pick up the pieces

get previous (original piece by me and nona hendryx for the soul men film)

feel like breakin up somebody’s home

your mess

forget me nots (instrumental-feat. fernando harkless)

my forbidden lover

good times

stay with me tonight

SECOND SET

love the life you live

keep on running (from my love)

i cant stand the rain

pick up the pieces

SOUL MEN SOUNDTRACK BAND DEBUTS AS “MINSTERS OF SOUL” Studio Hit-makers Join New Soul-Funk-70s Super Group

LOS ANGELES (November 14) – In the new film SOUL MEN (Dimension/MGM) starring Samuel L. Jackson and the late Bernie Mac and the late Isaac Hayes, estranged former band mates take to the road bringing their Stax-era sound with them.

When producer/arranger/pianist Raymond Jones (Chic, Jeffrey Osborne, Whitney Houston, Talking Heads) assembled the musicians to record the film’s soundtrack, he realized this powerhouse unit needed to be heard on its own, too.

So, he blessed the studio clan with the name Ministers of Soul as the elder statesmen and shamen of the soul genre that still propels popular music today with the likes of Amy Winehouse, Raphael Saadiq and Sharon King & The Daptones celebrating that era’s seminal style.

The Ministers of Soul will be holding service and performing music of the soul and funk music eras of the late ’60′s, 70′s, as well as some of the massive hits they have written and performed, at their debut at the legendary Los Angeles mecca the Catalina Jazz Club on Wednesday, December 3, 2008, at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., located at 6725 West Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, 90028. Admission is $15 (plus two-drink minimum or food).

The band members are a conclave of veteran studio and touring musicians who have played on over 100 million records like “Good Times”,” We Are Family”, “Forget Me Nots”, “Stay With Me Tonight”, and a repertoire of hits and underground classics from the works of Kool and the Gang, Cymande, Betty Davis, Ann Peebles, Albert King, Jimi Hendrix, Isaac Hayes, Chic, Average White Band, Stevie Wonder (circa mid-seventies before he called to say, “I Love You”) and Jeffrey Osborne.

Ministers of Soul features Raymond Jones on keyboards, bassist Freddie Washington (Steely Dan, Patrice Rushen), Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee drummer Steve Ferrone (Average White Band, Tom Petty), guitarist/vocalist Randy Hall (Ray Parker, Miles Davis), guitarist Fred Clark (Isaac Hayes, Teena Marie,), keyboardist Hense Powell (Bobby Womack, Bloodstone,) and vocalist Will Wheaton (Michael Jackson, Anastacia,), along with an all-star horn section. The Ministers of Soul will be recording a collective studio album with new material but in the old reliable soulful style that defines the group to be released in 2009. For more information please go to www.ministersofsoul.com and www.uegmusic.com

my buddy geoffrey is writing a press release for the LA gig. i will post it on here over the weekend. we have been going back and forth over the info to make sure it is succinct and accurate. i want to make sure folks know this aint no top 40 gig. but we want folks to know its a good time party. that is why i love having randy hall involved. he lives in vegas and does those types of gigs (and i am not mad at him at all-he is a great musician who brings joy and integrity to any music he is involved with). my job is to make sure his worlds touch but don’t overlap.

in the meantime i have been cranking out charts for the rehearsal. i want to make sure the charts have enough information to give what a musician needs from it without feeling hampered by it.

as i mentioned on my myspace blog, i have been living in betty davis land lately.  she was putting it down back in the day.  we are planning on doing one of her songs on the 3rd. i am not telling which one, if you can’t make it down, you better pray somebody has a cell phone LOL.  actually, i think we will pull some footage from the rehearsal.

here is a link to an article featuring Sharon Leal. she is in the film soul men as the character Cleo.

i was in nyc for the premiere of the film soul men. it was at the apollo theater and everyone seemed to have a great time. the movie is very very funny. the music was well chosen, placed and performed all around. stanley clarke did a great job with the scoring, the musicians who performed incidental music and the work we did all sounded great.  i am very proud of this project but dont bring the kiddies.  there is more cussing and fuc*in goin on than one would think from a couple of retirees.

the director and my mom (who was looking for waiters with snacks)

this is the official blog for the Ministers of Soul project.  hopefully as things evolve, so will this website.