Filmwerk :: Down The Rhodes – The Fender Rhodes Story

A much-needed look at one of our favorite instruments ever – the irreplaceable Fender Rhodes keyboard! The Rhodes has a sound that's unlike anything else – and has become a favorite of musicians over decades of use – as you'll hear in the film's interviews with Deodato, George Duke, Stanley Clarke, Patrice Rushen, Ramsey Lewis, Dave Grusin, Rodney Franklin, Joe Sample, Jerry Peters, Les McCann, Maurice White, Ronnie Foster, D'Angelo, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, and other jazz and soul legends – an incredibly large roster for a project like this! The film was partially put together by Gerald McCauley – a keyboardist himself – and it shows a love and respect of the Rhodes that really comes through. Almost 2 hours long, in color, with a special "Rhodes Scholars" feature. © 1996-2012, Dusty Groove America, Inc. DustyGroove

Bookwerk :: The One: The Life and Music of James Brown by RJ Smith

The definitive biography of James Brown, the Godfather of Soul, with fascinating findings on his life as a Civil Rights activist, an entrepreneur, and the most innovative musician of our time

Playing 350 shows a year at his peak, with more than forty Billboard hits, James Brown was a dazzling showman who transformed American music. His life offstage was just as vibrant, and until now no biographer has delivered a complete profile. The One draws on interviews with more than 100 people who knew Brown personally or played with him professionally. Using these sources, award-winning writer RJ Smith draws a portrait of a man whose twisted and amazing life helps us to understand the music he made. The One delves deeply into the story of a man who was raised in abject-almost medieval-poverty in the segregated South but grew up to earn (and lose) several fortunes. Covering everything from Brown's unconventional childhood (his aunt ran a bordello), to his role in the Black Power movement, which used "Say It Loud (I'm Black and Proud)" as its anthem, to his high-profile friendships, to his complicated family life, Smith's meticulous research and sparkling prose blend biography with a cultural history of a pivotal era. At the heart of The One is Brown's musical genius. He had crucial influence as an artist during at least three decades; he inspires pity, awe, and revulsion. As Smith traces the legend's reinvention of funk, soul, R&B, and pop, he gives this history a melody all its own. Amazon

Don't Forget About The Fifth Annual Record Store Day Saturday April 21, 2012

We're always looking forward to National Record Store Day every April. This Saturday is the Fifith Annual Record Store Day. Although we buy vinyl and support our local record stores frequently throughout the year, there is always something special about that one Saturday in April where independent record stores and crate diggers around the world come together to celebrate the unique culture surrounding over 700 independently owned record stores in the USA, and hundreds of similar stores internationally. So grab your list and get to diggin'. Below are a few vinyl records that we'll be diggin' for this Saturday at our local record store. Happy Record Store Day!

Bookwerk :: The Tanning of America: How Hip-Hop Created a Culture That Rewrote the Rules of the New Economy

When Fortune 500 companies need to reenergize or reinvent a lagging brand, they call Steve Stoute. In addition to marrying cultural icons with blue-chip marketers (Beyoncé for Tommy Hilfiger's True Star fragrance, and Justin Timberlake for "lovin' it" at McDonald's), Stoute has helped identify and activate a new generation of consumers. He traces how the "tanning" phenomenon raised a generation of black, Hispanic, white, and Asian consumers who have the same "mental complexion" based on shared experiences and values. This consumer is a mindset-not a race or age-that responds to shared values and experiences, rather than the increasingly irrelevant demographic boxes that have been used to a fault by corporate America. And Stoute believes there is a language gap that must be bridged in order to engage the most powerful market force in the history of commerce. The Tanning of America provides that very translation guide. Drawing from his company's case studies, as well as from extensive interviews with leading figures of multiple fields, Stoute presents an insider's view of how the transcendent power of popular culture is helping reinvigorate and revitalize the American dream. He shows how he bridges the worlds of pop culture, brand consulting, and marketing in his turnkey campaigns offers keen insight into other successful campaigns-including the election of Barack Obama-to illustrate the power of the tan generation, and how to connect with it while staying true to your core brand. Amazon

In The Making :: Generations Of Go-Go - A Film by K. Dene Mitchell

Just found this amazing 8 minute trailer for a documentary that is still in the making about Washington, DC's Go-Go music culture. For forty years, the sound of the DMV has been go-go music. Now filmmaker K. Dene Mitchell and writer Deidre Gantt have set out to uncover the love affair Washingtonians have with the go-go. How does go-go mirror our identity as DC residents, youth and adults? How have the musicians, business people, and the fans kept the culture alive all these years? How is go-go changing and being preserved from generation to generation? What is the future of go-go music, especially in a changing city? These are all questions that Generations Of Go-Go will seek to answer in the hour long documentary. We'll be keeping an eye out for the arrival of the finished project.

Featured Video :: Esperanza Spalding feat. Algebra Blessett :: Black Gold

Postal Service to Issue Miles Davis Stamp

More than 20 years after his death, jazz legend Miles Davis is being honored by the U.S. Postal Service with his very own stamp. read more