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Joe Sample

Born Joseph Leslie “Joe” Sample on February 1, 1939 in Houston Texas, he is a pianist,composer and bestselling part of jazz history for more than four decades. He is a foundingmember of the Jazz Crusaders the band which became simply The Crusaders in 1971. Helearned to play the piano at age five and was firmly rooted in gospel, soul, bebop, blues, latin,and classical music. Joe is one of many jazzmen who started out playing hard bop but wentelectric during the fusion era. Soon after attending Texas Southern University for three years,Sample founded the Jazz Crusaders along with trombonist Wayne Henderson, tenor saxmanWilton Felder, and drummer Stix Hooper. The band relocated to Los Angeles and patternedthemselves after Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, only without a trumpet and became renownedfor their unique tenor/trombone front line. Sample focused on the acoustic piano during theCrusaders’ early years, the late 50’s-early 60’s but began to place greater emphasis on electrickeyboards when the band turned to jazz/funk in the early 70’s and dropped the “Jazz” from itsname. After garnering numerous gold and platinum albums over the course of nearly threedecades The Crusaders last recording was in 1987. Since that time Sample has enjoyed asuccessful solo career which includes over 19 recordings one with Lalah Hathaway and two withRandy Crawford.

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Motions of Love, is Maysa’s fourth Shanachie compact disc and her ninth solo compact disc. Stevie Wonder who gave Maysa her first music industry gig as a member of his Wonderlove backing group in 1991, wrote and guests on harmonica and background vocals on “Have Sweet Dreams.” “Twenty years ago I was singing backgrounds for Stevie Wonder and now he’s singing background for my song.” Neo soul crooner Dwele, is also featured on “Flower Girl.” Maysa’s remake of Angela Bofill’s 1979 classic, “I Try” is another special moment. “I’ve been on tour with her the last couple of years,” she says of Bofill who suffered severe strokes in 2006 and 2007 that have left her unable to sing at her prior standard. “She narrates her life story and asked me to sing her songs for her in the show.” “It’s been a great experience.” The compact disc features 14 tracks of R&B, funk, jazz, and disco primarily produced by Chris “Big Dog” Davis who has also produced Will Downing and Kim Waters. She first gained fame as the featured voice in the British acid jazz band Incognito in 1992 with Tribes Vibes and Scribes. A cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Don’t You Worry Bout A Thing” was a hit. The third album Positivity featuring “Deep Waters” was the group’s biggest hit. She recorded 8 projects with Incognito and launched a concurrent solo career. Her degree is in classical performance. “If I wanted to, I could go into opera if I put my mind to it.” The songbird studied music at Morgan State University. With a sultry alto she’s earned a loyal underground audience. Maysa is happy to say “I’ve been working 20 years straight.”

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Urban Health Beat
Wednesdays, 7- 8pm

Latest Podcast 2-13-2013

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The Urban Health Beat program is a weekly one hour radio show exploring the physical, psychological, social and economic issues that impact personal and public health. The shows objectives are to identify and discuss healthcare prevention, best practices resources, treatment, access and policies as a means of informing, educating and empowering listeners. Each program will highlight several topics through dialog and interviews with practitioners, experts, policy makers and healthcare administrators that will offer advice, insight and perspectives of interest to the listening community.

Urban Health Beat will cover a broad range of health related issues including health care disparities and the implementation of Health Care Reform initiatives. Other topics covered will include those conditions and diseases which disproportionately affect minority communities and some which universally affect the broader population.

Podcast Archive

7-18-12

6-27-12 podcast-“Child Safety Asthma” - TOTAL HEALTH CARE, INC.

6-20-12 podcast – (CESH) - Center for Emotional and Social Health - TOTAL HEALTH CARE, INC.

5-23-12 podcast-“Substance Abuse” - TOTAL HEALTH CARE, INC.

5-16-12

5-09-12

5-02-12

George Benson

Grammy Award winning legend George Benson delivers his second offering on Concord Records - “Guitar Man.” In a career that spans five decades, more than 30 recordings, and ten Grammy Awards Benson has used his jazz roots as the foundation for an engaging mix of pop and R&B. The 12 song collection includes a mix of jazz and pop standards some in a combo setting and some solo guitar. “Guitar Man” includes eight instrumentals and four vocals all tied together by Benson’s soulful, stellar, and signature sound. This set includes the beautiful solo rendition of standards “Tenderly,” and “Danny Boy,” and exciting covers on the Beatles “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” as well as the classic Coltrane composition “Naima.” The vocal rendering of the classic “My One And Only Love” is a favorite. The Latin-tinged Ronnie Foster composition “Fingerlero” is a standout. Led by keyboardist /musical director David Garfield, is a solid team of musicians on the recording including – pianist Joe Sample, bassist Ben Williams, and drummer Harvey Mason. This is a most enjoyable offering from George Benson.

Check out the promo video for this new release on WEAA-TV.

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