Sunday January 16th, 2005
New CD's this past week:
- Otis & Shugg - We can do whatever (UK release)
Music news headlines this week:
R&B Artist D'Angelo Charged With Drunken Driving,
Drug Possession
Police in suburban Richmond have arrested
R&B artist Michael Eugene
Archer, better known as D'Angelo, on a charge of driving under the
influence of alcohol.
Chesterfield County police arrested the Grammy Award-winning singer
after a traffic stop.
A subsequent search yielded "what we believe to be cocaine and marijuana,"
said Capt. Karl Leonard of the Chesterfield police, adding that the
substances will be analyzed at state laboratories.
Along with the drunken-driving charge, a misdemeanor, the artist was
charged with a misdemeanor charge of possession of marijuana and a felony
charge of possession of a controlled substance.
Archer, 30, a Richmond native, is due in Chesterfield General District
Court next Tuesday.
Archer received the Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance in 2000 for
"Untitled (How Does it Feel)" from the album "Voodoo." That compilation
also won a Grammy for Best R&B Album.
D'Angelo has not released an album since "Voodoo."
Gerald Albright, Norman Brown, Ronnie Laws On EW&F
Tribute Album
Saxophonists Gerald Albright and Ronnie
Laws, guitarist Norman Brown,
keyboardist Herbie Hancock, and drummer Terri Lyne Carrington are among
the artists who will appear with former EWF members on the forthcoming
album Devoted Spirits, a tribute to Earth, Wind & Fire. The album is due
February 8th on Thump Records.
The driving force behind the CD is producer and former EWF guitarist
Sheldon Reynolds, along with EWF alumni including keyboardist Larry Dunn
and multi-instrumentalist Morris Pleasure. In addition to the special
guests listed above, personnel on Devoted Spirits includes drummer Ricky
Lawson, guitarist Bobby Watson, saxophonist Kenny Olso, Minneapolis vocal
ensemble Sounds Of Blackness, and many others.
Reynolds says: "The CD is called Devoted Spirits. We’ve put together a
group that includes myself, Larry Dunn and Morris Pleasure. Our guests
artists include Gerald Albright, Norman Brown, Sounds of Blackness, Teri
Lyn Carrington, Herbie Hancock, John Blackwell, Ronnie Laws, who was the
original sax player for EWF, Kenny Olso, who is the guitar player for Kid
Rock, former EWF member Johnny Graham, Gary Bias, Ricky Lawson, Bobby
Watson, and Shakiah, an amazing new talent being produced by rapper David
D, plus there will be more surprises.
It's a wonderful tribute to the original sound that Maurice created. Those
who love EWF will be touched by some of the moments on it. Larry Dunn
brings liquid love and celebrated what he helped create. Morris Pleasure
plays keyboards, bass and trumpet solos. He's just amazing on the project,
and I wanted to capture the essence of my former band with vocals and
production. We all thank God and give all respect to the genius of Maurice
White for allowing us to have played such important roles in the best band
of all, and to have touched the world with love."
Sheldon Reynolds was also one of the producers of the fine Power Of Soul:
A Tribute To Jimi Hendrix album of 2004. A track from that CD, Musiq's
version of "Are U Experienced?" has been nominated for a Grammy.
Lenny Kravits Wants To Collaborate With Joss Stone
And Alicia Keys
Lenny Kravitz is itching to collaborate
with other musicians. People.com
reports that the 40-year-old rocker says he would like to team up with
Joss Stone or Alicia Keys.
In others news, Kravitz, who's often making headlines for dating Hollywood
women, is actually on the market. At a recent Q&A session in Miami , he
revealed that he doesn't have a particular love interest at the moment.
When one fan asked about Nicole Kidman, who Kravitz dated in 2003, he
joked, "Where have you been?"
Kravitz is among the celebrities performing at Tsunami Aid: A Concert of
Hope that aired on NBC Saturday, January 15th.
Kravitz is reportedly working on his creating his own designer clothing line.