My thoughts and prayers are with the family of r&B/southern soul singer, Fred Bolton.I'm still shocked.He wanted so much for me to come and cover one of his shows and I told him that I would see him down by the stage.I hate that I never got the opportunity to see him do his thing but I know GOD had better plans for him.Soul Heaven just got a lil bit more soulful. R.I.P. FRED BOLTON

 MY GOOD FRIEND HAZEL a.k.a. "MUSIC LADY" FROM TALLAHASSEE,FLORIDA IS A BIG FAN OF THE BLUES AND SOUTHERN SOUL MUSIC.SHE SHARES WITH US HER CONCERT REVIEW FROM A RECENT BLUES FESTIVAL HELD IN BILOXI,MISSISSIPPI.

4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS IN BILOXI MS

                           MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND BLUES FEST


Hello Blues and Southern Soul fans.This is the Big Dawg bringing you my most recent concert review.This is only my second one for 2009 but on this Memorial Day weekend this was one that I will surely always remember.

My man Rico Owens presented his annual Memorial Day Blues Fest.For the second straight year the attendance for this show wasn't a large turnout but you know with this genre of music the smaller the crowd the bigger the party and for all of us in attendace we had one wang dang doodle of a time.The V in Greenville,Mississippi played host to this southern soul party.I was joined in "Da Dawg Pound" by fellow members G-Money,Rico Owens and Octavious Pates a.k.a. O-Dawg and the newest young southern soul band in the industry "DA GRAN BOIZ".The lineup for this show was Terry Wright(Anytime Man),Booker Brown,Sweet Angel,Ricky White and Jeff Floyd.So with my gin and juice on hand chased with some ice cold Bud Light,sit back good people and let me take you on this blues and southern soul ride.

The first performer was Terry Wright and this was my first time actually seeing him perform live.I met him back in 2008 at Sir Charles cd release party and the "King Of Southern Soul" allowed him to come on stage and do a medley of a few of his songs.I was really glad to see him added to this show.He didn't have his band with him so he had to perform tracks.I wish he could have had his band with him because you can really see an artist shine better when they have their live band playing at shows.He came on stage and got a nice reception from the small crowd in attendance.He opened his show with "Party" and thats exactly what got kicked off at this show.A few of the sexy women down stage jumped to their feet and they helped to get this party started for real.His next song was "One Way In,One Way out" and this also got a very good response from the crowd.His next selection really caught my attention.His southern soul hit "Two Women" is da bomb for real.I hadn't heard it in awhile but he really had the crowd going on this jam.This ballad is definetly a freeway to a listners heart.His smooth and immaculate voice made me ask one of the women down stage to dance?The way we slow danced on this song could easily rivaled that of President Obama and his wife Michelle being serenaded by Beyonce at the president's inauguration gala.This song has already been added to my current playlist.He closed his performance with his latest single "On The Back Roads" and this song has garnered major airplay throughout the southern region of the United States.Not new to the Southern Soul Scene, and a force to be recognized,Terry Wright is definetly one of the new voices of Southern Soul. Bringing a smooth style to the table and a voice that makes the women scream his name. Terry has worked with some of the best known acts in the business and now he's spreading his wings to bring you a sound like none other. Former music director for the Great Marvin Sease, Terry Wright has a vocal style that is ready for the airwaves, CD's and live performances.I hope the promoters will begin to add this talented brother to their shows.He has a new cd titled "How Sweet Is Your Candy" on Mac Wright records and I've already listen to it and fans this is a must buy.This was an awesome performance.Terry Wright,welcome to the club man!For more information on Terry Wright please contact him personally at terry966@aol.com

The next performer was Booker Brown and this is no disrespect to him but it was just awfully hard to follow Terry Wright and I wasn't very familar with his music.He was just put in a bad situation for this show.It would have been hard for anyone to follow Terry Wright on this night.His songs "Love Is Blind" and "Stir It Up" did catch my ear.

Up next was my girl,Ecko recording artist,Sweet Angel.I've known her for awhile now but this was actually the first time that I've had the opportunity to see her perform and anytime there is a diva on a male dominated show I always look forward to watching them perform.She must be a popular diva in this area because the small crowd on hand gave a big ovation for her as she hit the stage to "I'm Every Woman".With this genre of music I can honestly say that the women all stick together because the women down stage were feeling her as she did this intro.Her first song was "Oops' and she had the women testifying when her verse said,"You thought the grass was greener on the other side and now your ass is in for a bumpy ride",even me and O-Dawg gave a big bark on that one."Guilty As Charged" was her next song and this mid-tempo head bobber got the dance party started.In a day and time when women are always blaming the men about something,her next song "I'm Sharing Your Man" went over very well with the women.She is telling another woman that she can't give up her man and the women in attendance was up and singing along with approval,I got a big chuckle because I thought this was the damnest thing I've ever seen.Now I know why I don't watch LIFETIME CHANNEL!Her next song was my personal favorite "I Must Be Crazy",whew I just love this song.I made my way to the stage area to get up close and personal and then I closed my eyes and just imagined that she was singing this song especially for me.Her raspy sultry voice on this jam truly sounded angelic to me.I love this song for real.She continued her lifetime theme with a song called "I'd Rather Have A Cheatin Man".Now this woman gave a sassy performance on this song and the women all agreed in unity that they would rather have a cheating man than no man at all.Only at a grown folks party can this type of song get an AMEN from a group of women.Personally I think they all need to stop watching the Lifetime channel so damn much.Most divas performing now sound more like soul..r&b artist than a blues artist but on her next song "Another Man's Meat On My Plate" she had a true,deep,down-home blues vibe going.This southern soul party turned straight into a juke joint on this cut.She closed her performance with "Sweet Angel Blow That Thang".Before your minds get into the gutter she displayed her versatility as she broke out her saxaphone and blew the roof off the building.If she weren't a singer first she could easily be a part of any big time jazz band.She was that damn good!I've followed the career of this talented diva since her debut album "Handle Your Business" her manager..husband the legendary Mike Dobbins is to be commended on the developement and the maturation of this beautiful and talented diva.She is among the most sought after divas on the southern soul circuit.I'm glad to see her reaping all the much deserved recognition that she is obtaining.Her career will only grow bigger and brighter with Mike Dobbins in her corner.She has a new cd titled,"Bold Bitch".Is that grown enough for you?For all the latest news from Sweet Angel please visit her website at www.sweetangel.org and at www.eckorecords.com

The next performer was Ricky White and my honorary Dawg Pound members "Da Gran Boiz" were backing him tonight.Ricky White is a native son of Greenville and I know he was happy to be performing in front of the hometown folks.He opened his performance with "Fire" and thats exactly what he begin to do to the stage and the crowd was doing on the dance floor.Now Greenville is the hometown of Tyrone Davis and his next song,"So Good To You" is an ode to the late great Tyrone Davis.Anytime the hometown folks can groove with Tyrone you know its on and popping as the young folks like to say.He went back to his debut cd with his next selection,"Candy Man" as he let the women know,"in the world of love they call him the king and he can make them moan and scream because he is the Candy Man".It was his band,the "Gran Boiz" time to shine on his next song "Weekend".I watched these young cats grow as a band when they were backing for local artist Jessie Clay and Missippippi Slim since that time they've gone on to back Betty Padgett and now they were on stage with Ricky White and cutting up on the weekend.He closed his performance with my personal favorite,"I Still Love You".Me and O-Dawg were down by the stage with our hands in the air swaying left to right like a scene from the movie Purple Rain(May have been the gin kicking in).The women were also loving this one too.This ballad has dominated the southern soul airways and I know two people who have personally used it as a wedding song.I can honestly say that this song will become his signature song.This was a great performance and it was even more special for me because "Da Gran Boiz" really shined on this performance.Ricky White has a new cd out on Brimestone records titled "Fully Loaded" including the smash single "I Still Love You". Please go out and buy this cd to help support this hardworking artist.

The last performer on the night was jamming Jeff Floyd.O-Dawg had never seen him perform before so he was down stage for this one.He opened up his performance with "I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love" and for anyone who has seen Jeff Floyd perform already know that he has the most P-O-W-E-R-F-U-L live vocals in the industry,hands down.Whew!His voice echoed through the building like rolling thunder.All the fans in attendance were on their feet by now.I stood in awe as Jeff begin singing "I Got My Woman Upset".He next performed songs from his new cd including "Hand On It","Planning My Weekend" and "Shake Something Lose".It was now 2:00 am but Jeff still had everyone's full attention.The next song was "Lets Get It On" and I tell you people,the more Jeff sang the more powerful his voice sounded to me.His next song was a rendition of Solo's "Heaven" and if you remember this song you know you got to have some strong pipes to pull this one off and my man didn't disappoint at all.His next song was "Somebody's Gonna Lose A Good Woman Tonight" I wish William Bell could have been here live to perform this duet but Jeff did a hell of a job in his absence.The highlight of his performance was when he performed "King Size Bed".I've seen a lot of props being used in shows but Jeff has topped them all with a replica king size bed brought out on stage.Jeff was able to simulate to the women in Greenville how he could handle his business in bed.Grown folks stuff for real.He gave a Teddy Pendergrass like performance on his new single "Lock My Door" just as Teddy screamed "turn'em off" in his song "Turn Off The Lights",Jeff equaled that moment when he screamed "lock it up" toward the end of this song.He closed his performance with my personal favorite "I've Found Love On A Lonely Highway" and once again he displayed his POWERFUL vocals.Jeff Floyd has a strong stage presence that puts him in the same class with T.K. Soul,O.B. Buchana,Omar Cunningham and Sir Charles.If you are a big Jeff Floyd fan he has a new cd titled "Keeping It Real" on Wilbe records.For all the latest Jeff Floyd news please visit his website at www.jazzijefffloyd.com

I would like to thank my man Rico Owens and his entire staff for making it possible for me to cover this show.I hate it wasn't a bigger crowd to help support him for bringing such a spectacular show to Greenville.I believe its too many activities such as reunions,graduations and folks just going out of town on Memorial Day weekend that is the real cause for small turnouts at some these shows.Rico keep ya head bro!

In closing I would like to thank Terry Wright,Sweet Angel,Ricky White and Jeff Floyd for taking the time to meet,greet,converse and pose for tons of photos at this show.Your time is truly appreciated.I would like to give special shout outs to Sweet Angel's personal assitants,Linzy Dorsey and Tamika Ivy,the legendary Mike Dobbins,my sweet friend Peaches(who by the way arrived toward the end of the show),my honorary Dawg Pound members Da Gran Boiz.To my fellow Dawg Pound members G-Money,Rico and O-Dawg it was a blast for real and I can't wait to do it again.KSOUL I know you were suppose to be on this show and I hate I didn't get the opportunity to see you do your thang but bro its coming just hang in there.I had a great time at this show and I just wanted to share it with the greatest fans in the world.Take care and MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALWAYS.I'll see you down by the stage.

BIG K9
www.bigk9.net

TO VIEW ALL PHOTOS FROM THIS SHOW,PLEASE VISIT MY WEBSITE AT www.bigk9.net AND BLESS MY GUESTBOOK WITH YOUR PRESENCE.


 

"THEODIS EALEY,O.B. BUCHANA & MS. JODY"

Hello Blues and Southern Soul Fans.Many of you already knew but for those who didn't know,due to personal reasons I had to take a break from doing something that I love and hold so true and thats bringing you the fans all the latest blues and southern soul news,concert reviews and tons of photos from some of the biggest artist in the industry.First of all allow me to say thank you to each and everyone of you for your genuine and sincere concern about me.I know a lot of you really felt shutout and believe me it was hard for me to withdraw from all of you but it was best for me to deal with these personal issues this way.It was so heartfelt to see how much you all were concerned about me.Let me say that GOD IS GOOD AND HE IS ALIVE AND ABLE TO MAKE THINGS BETTER IN OUR LIVES.LETS LIFT HIM UP AND MAGNIFY HIS NAME.

I recently attended my first show in the last nine months.Just like when I was a young country boy learning to ride a bike,I may have fallen off but I was able to pick myself back up and ride that bike again.When I stepped into the venue at this show it was just like riding a bike again.The Washignton County Civic Center in Greenville,Mississippi played host to this blues and southern soul gathering.The lineup included local artists,Mississippi Slim and Jessie Clay.Then there was plenty of star power in the house including the likes of Ecko recording artists Ms. Jody and "The Gentle Giant Of Southern Soul",O.B. Buchana and last but not least "Mr. Stand Up In IT",Theodis Ealey.I was joined in Da Dawg Pound with "Mr. Bagg It Up",Nathaniel Kimble,fellow member Timothy Edmond a.k.a. T-Dawg and newcomer Octavious Pates a.k.a. O-DAWG.Also joining us were Da Dawg Pound Divas Roni,Claudette,Melissa and Kela.There were other notable faces in attendance,from "The Kitty,Kitty, Club there was Bluz Queen,Act-N-Bad,Lady Red,Teresa and Evelyn.To my suprise it wasn't a large crowd on hand but fans of this genre of music already know the smaller the crowd the bigger the party and thats exactly what was happening in the civic center on this night.So sit back good people and allow me to take you on this blues and southern soul ride.

This won't be a long drawn out review because I spent most of my time conversing at this show.Mississippi Slim opened the show and Greenville's native son has always been a favorite of the hometown folks.He was backed by his band "Da Young Guns" also known as his Grandkids.They are all good friends of mine and it was good to see them doing there thing again.Mississippi Slim gave the crowd a good opening performance with his rendition of "Mississippi Boy" and my personal favorite "I Was Checking Out,She Was Checking In."

Up next was Jessie Clay and he will always let the crowd know that he wrote the classic southern soul hit "Mom's Apple Pie" for our beloved Tyrone Davis.His show was brief but he gave the crowd a big laugh when he pulled his shirt off(not sure exactly why,brother was poor as hobo).If you gonna pull your shirt off at least be able to let the women get a thrill,in this case he allowed everyone to get a hell of laugh.

I don't know what the promoters were thinking when they allowed "The Gentle Giant Of Southern Soul" to perform next.O.B. Buchana is definetely one of the top performers in the industry and he can headline just about any show that he is on and I wouldn't want to be one of the artist that had to follow him.He performed "I'm In Love",displayed some great dance moves to be such a large man on "Booty Scoot",he took the crowd to church with "Love & Happiness" and poured crown royal to the fans on "Lets Get Drunk".He and the band went one on one with females from the crowd on "Backup Lover".He left the stage and serenaded the women with his new single,"Just Because He's Good To You".He made me nervous when he stood on top of one of the tables though.The highlight of his performance was when O.B. and his road manager,William were joined on stage by a female fan,they lifted her up in the air and O.B. spreaded her legs over his shoulder and begin to simulate his version of "Candy Licking" my newest dawg pound member O-Dawg couldn't believe what he just witnessed and I simply told him welcome to a grown folks party.He told me right then and there that he was a big O.B. Buchana fan so I can tell you now O-Dawg will be a regular in the Dawg Pound for sure.The mc for the show had already tried to cut his performance short but the gentle giant wouldn't be denied on this night.I can honestly say that O.B. Buchana was definetely the fan favorite tonight.Awesome performance!

Ecko recording artis Ms. Jody was up next.She opened her performance with Peggy Scott Adams "I'm Getting What I Want".Her next song was a rendition of Shirley Brown's"Too Much Candy"can't no one sing a Shirley Brown song like Shirley Brown but anytime fans can hear one of her songs you know that there will be some love shown.She kept her Shirley Brown theme going with her next selection "I've Got To Sleep With One Eye Open".Her next two songs were from her debut cd, "Sugar Daddy" and "I Never Take A day Off".Her next song went over well with the ladies"What You Gonna Due When The Rent Is Due" got a nice ovation and a lot of the women were feeling this cut.Her next song,"You Dog Is About To Kill My Cat" had the crowd singing and laughing.She got the crowd dancing with "You Got To Know How To Work It" as she also started to shake a lil tail feather.She closed her performance with "Big Daddy Don't You Come" and some lucky guy was able to get a freak dance from this sultry diva.Ms. Jody has risen to one of the most hardworking and in demand divas in the industry.Her shows are always pleasing to the fans.Great performance!

The last performer on the night was Theodis Ealey and I was looking forward to his performance because he doesn't get to perform in this area often.It was very late when he walked out on stage.His band sounded so good as he joined them with his guitar licks.If anyone has ever seen Theodis perform then you already know that he is a wiz with his guitar.He went into a routine that was made famous by fellow Mississippi Bluesman Charlie Patton.He raised the guitar behind his head and continued to jam without missing a beat.Right then and there he made it known that Theodis Ealey is a BLUES MAN.He started to perform some deep traditional blues and when I say deep I mean foot-stomping and hand-clapping blues.I'm not sure if it was Charlie Patton or Howlin Wolf but the BLUES was alive and kicking in Greenville,Mississippi.He told the crowd that he was proud to be a Mississippian and it appears as soon as he said that the lights in the venue all popped on and I was so disappointed.He asked the promoters if this meant it was time for him to go.He was just getting started and by him not wanting to disappoint he continued into a brief medley of some of his classic hits including "Move With The Motion" and "Do You Want To Party"..He closed his performance with "Francine" and the song that shot him to superstardom "Stand Up In It".Even though his performance was very brief I still enjoyed being able to see him perform.It was very late but he was still gracious enough to take the time to converse with me briefly after the show.Theodis Ealey you are "THE MAN".

In closing I just want to say that it was so good for me to return to my safe haven.I've missed covering these hardworking artist and I've missed being able to provide you wonderful fans with my concert reviews and photos.Its been a tough road back and I still have to limit myself but I will try my best to be back on the job full time very soon.I want to thank Ms. Jody,Theodis Ealey and especially my homeboy O.B. Buchana for taking the time to meet,greet,converse and allowing me to provide you fans with some wonderful photos from this show.I want to give a shout out to honorary dawg pound member Nathaniel Kimble,IFGAM recording artist Willie Hill(thanks for the cd,I got your number man).I also would like to thank one of the promoters for this show Connie Cannon.To Da Dawg Pound Divas Roni,Claudette,Melissa and Kela I had a blast getting my blues on with you all and thanks for bringing sexy to some of these photos for real.To my Dawg Pound members T-Dawg and O-Dawg it was fun and I look forward to doing it again in the very near future.I had a great time at this show and I just wanted to share it with the greatest fans in the world.Take care and MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALWAYS.Hopefully I'll see you down by the stage.
BIG K9
TO VIEW ALL PHOTOS FROM THIS SHOW PLEASE VISIT MY WEBSITE AT www.bigk9.net  AND BLESS MY GUESTBOOK WITH YOUR PRESENCE.

MY GOOD FRIEND RONI FROM CLARKSDALE,MISSISSIPPI IS A BIG FAN OF THE BLUES AND SOUTHERN SOUL MUSIC.SHE SHARES WITH US HER CONCERT REVIEW FROM A RECENT BLUES FESTIVAL HELD IN CLARKSDALE,MISSISSIPPI.



"21st ANNUAL SUNFLOWER RIVER BLUES AND GOSPEL FESTIVAL"

Hello everyone this is your girl Roni and I was asked by my good friend Big K9 to do a review for "THE 21st ANNUAL SUNFLOWER RIVER BLUES AND GOSPEL FESTIVAL" held in my hometown of Clarksdale,Mississippi.He notified me that he wasn't going to be able to make it but he wanted you fans to experience this show.After just recently being dubbed a "Da Dawg Pound Diva" it is a pleasure for me to share with all of you blues fans the fun I had at this show.

When I arrived it was a very diverse crowd on hand.There were black,white,latinos and even a group from Germany and Switzerland among the thousands that had gathered for today's show.I believe one sponsor said it was an estimated 7,000 fans packed into what is now called "blues alley".People had their tents,lawn chairs,ice chest and there were plenty of vendors on hand cooking every type of food that you can imagine and yes this made me very hungry.It was also very hot and it was around 7:00 pm.I was joined at this show by my girl Keelah who is also a new member of "Da Dawg Pound Divas".I spotted my friend,recording artist Nellie Travis and I told her I was doing a concert review for Big K9,she was so gracious to me and she allowed me to go backstage so I could really be closer to tonight's show.While backstage I saw my friend Vickie who is one of my friends on myspace.The mc for the show was Steve"Dude"Ladd Jr. and yes he is the son of the late Steve Ladd.One of the sponsors informed me that the elder Ladd had hosted this festival the last five(5) years and now the show will go on with his son taking over the mc duties.He was a very nice guy and I although he appeared to be kinda of nervous I thought he handle the duties very well.

He introduced Ms. Jody first and the crowd moved closer to the stage.She entertained the crowd well but it wasn't one of her typical performances,due to small children being present I saw a more subdued and laid back Ms. Jody.She blessed the crowd with "I'm Getting What I Want","Its The Weekend" and "Your Dog Is About To Kill My Cat".I really enjoyed her show even though I'm use to seeing a more freakier Ms. Jody.I believe the sponsors of the show really wanted a good clean show because I know Ms. Jody can talk s**t with the best of them and I didn't hear it at this show.She was nice enough to take a couple of photos of me while I was backstage.

My girl Nellie was up next and she is one of my favorite artist.Before she went on she asked me to hold her purse,now that is some serious love and trust.She was backed on this show by Guitar Mikey and a few other local musicians.I want to say that Guitar Mikey is one cool guitar player.I was able to talk to him backstage before they went .. Nellie came on stage Guitar Mikey and Daddy Rich performed "Clarksdale" and this had the hometown people very excited and full of pride.As Nellie walked out on stage the guys were all going crazy.They even pushed all the women out the way as they made there way front and center.A lot of the guys were reaching their hands out to just touch her.She blessed us with some of her hits including "You Gone Make Me Cheat" which is my favorite Nellie Travis song.She ended her performance with a song that I know K9 wish he was there to hear her sing."I Rather Go Blind" was the highlight of her performance to me.Her beautiful voice just filled the air and everyone begin to slow dance off this song.Both the young and old,the black and white were all down stage dancing.As she left the stage one guy reached out his hand and almost pulled my girl off the stage.I want to thank her for being so nice to me at this show.I really enjoyed being in her presence and making me feel so comfortable when I was standing backstage.Thank you Nellie.Love ya girl!

Nathaniel Kimble was up next.Now it was time for the ladies to move the guys out the way as he came to the stage.He performed "Lets Party" and Tyrone Davis song "It Sho Wasn't Me".The best part of his show was his new song and dance he called "The Bagg It Up Slide".He briefly showed the crowd how to do it.Me and Keelah begin to slide and when I looked around it appeared that the entire crowd was also doing the slide and loving every minute of it.Me and Keelah had so much fun learning this dance.I guess people everywhere will soon be doing the "The Bagg It Up Slide" in clubs and at other blues festivals.His last song was "Can You Bagg It Up".I want to thank Nate for allowing me to take some photos of him while we were backstage.

Latimore was the last performer and everyone was down front.This was my first time seeing him perform.He performed "Nana Pudding","Take Me To The Mountaintop" and "My Give A Damn".His voice was so smooth to me and I just fell in love with him.Everyone was singing along with him and really having a nice time.Throughout his performance everyone was telling him to sing "Lets Straighten It Out".He kept telling them he was going to do it but he wanted to sing some other songs too,this was kinda of funny to me.When the time came for him to end his show I looked around and you couldn't see anymore tents, lawn chairs or anything else but thousands of fans waiting on him to sing "Lets Straighten It Out".I was happy to have taken a photo with such a legendary performer.I don't have any with Johnnie Taylor,Little Milton or Tyrone Davis so I'm going to treasure my photo with him and show this to my mom who is also a big blues fan but wasn't able to make it.I want to thank him for taking the time to take a photo with me.


Big K9 thanks for having faith in me to do this.I tried to do just like you said.I went to the show and enjoyed myself and just told everyone about it through my eyes.Your presence was definetly missed by all and you know how everyone just love to chill with Big K9 at a show.Ms. Jody,Nathaniel Kimble, and Latimore thanks for being so nice to me.I want to especially thank Nellie Travis the most,you are simply the best.I love you like my sister and I can't wait to see you again,thanks for the dvd also.I want to extend a birthday greeting to my friend Guitar Mikey.HAPPY BIRTHDAY GUITAR MIKEY and you do play one mean guitar.I want to let Keelah and Vickie know I really enjoyed you all at this show and I hope we can get our blues on together again.Well I hope you all enjoyed my review.I know K9 will post this review and photos on his website at www.bigk9.net


Love,
Roni

I'VE POSTED SOME OF HER PHOTOS ON MY WEBSITE FROM THIS SHOW.IF YOU ARE A FAN OF THE BLUES AND SOUTHERN SOUL MUSIC PLEASE EXTEND RONI A FRIEND INVITE AT www.myspace.com/155149452

Hello Blues and Southern Soul Fans,with the dog days of summer upon us the weather isn't the only thing thats hot in Mississippi.I just recently attended one of the best southern soul events ever and let me tell you it was sizzlin hot,so hot I thought I saw the devil doing the cupid shuffle.The Central City Complex in Jackson,Mississippi played host to the double cd release party for "THE KING AND PRINCE OF SOUTHERN SOUL MUSIC",Sir Charles Jones and Reggie P.The staff from Foxy Productions led by the lovely Levonne Sampson were the ones who were responsible for one of the most memorable shows that I've attended over the last five(5)years.It was a who's who among the guest that were in the house on this night including my godfather and mentor,"The Boogie Man" himself,Jerry"Boogie"Mason from the Boogie Report,WGNL radio personality,Cyerio Hughes and my man from Vicksburg "Mr. Too Sweet" himself from Too Sweet Productions just to name a few.I also was joined in the Dawg Pound by original members Carnez Parris(Sir Cap),Timothy Edmonds(Mane) and the newest Dawg Pound member OKT 23 from Starkville,MS.Also on hand were the Clarksdale Divas,Roni,Claudette and Keelah and since we have been getting our blues on together so much here recently,on this night I officially dubbed them "DA DAWG POUND DIVAS".They welcomed three new members on this night,a couple of friends of mine from myspace joined us in Da Dawg Pound,Tina(Ms. Fabulous),Keitha(Kee-Kee) and Chandra(Pure Seduction) all were in the house for this spectacular event.

The room was decorated from wall to wall.The tables had candles,ballons,flowers and to my suprise free champagne and hor'd oeuvres I thought that I was just going to another blues show so when I entered the room it just took my breath away.The atmoshpere was a very festive one.Even with free champagne and hor'd oeuvres on hand it was still a byob affair.The sounds of T.K. Soul,Kenne Wayne,O.B. Buchana and Omar Cunnigham allowed the crowd to get their groove .. the show started.The mc's for tonight's show were WMPR radio personalities DJ Outlaw and The Ragman.So withDa Dawg Pound" and Da Dawg Pound Divas" on hand and me sipping on my gin & juice chased with some cold bud light good people allow me to take you on this blues and southern soul ride.

"The Prince Of Southern Soul",Reggie P hit the stage first and what an entrance he made.I've seen several of his performances before and if you're like me you know he will work his way around the room before he hit the stage and tonight was no different.He danced,he pranced,he walked,hell I even think he ran at times as he floated around the Central Complex.He began his performance with Johnnie Taylor's classic hit "Still Called The Blues".His next song was "Come On Girl" and this is when the party really started.He brought a young lady from the crowd and placed a chair front and center on the dance floor and like a VIP participant at a strip club(I wouldn't know I heard this how they do it at a strip club)Reggie P sat there and got a lap dance from the young lady(who by the way should have her strip dance license revoked).He said he had enough and he allowed my man Brotha X(Sir Charles brother) to get in on the act.This was no small young lady but Brotha X picked this woman up like she was a piece of paper and first he begin to stroke it,then he begin to poke it and finally he licked it like it was,well I think you get the picture and this got a big laugh and a huge ovation from everyone in attendance.He continued his performance with Johnnie Taylor's "Running Out Of Lies" and Bobby Womack's "Nobody Wants You" and "Your Love Is A Bad Habit".His next song was my personal favorite "Hold On" and believe it or not the dance floor was empty so me and my good friend Roni got the dance party started on this song.He got the crowd juking with Z.Z. Hill's "Down Home Blues" and this was another show stopper as he was joined by a woman from the crowd who gave Reggie P a suprising rendition as she chased him around the dance floor trying to give him some of her funky good time loving,again this got a big laugh from the crowd.His next song,"I Got That Feeling" has garnered massive airplay on southern soul radio stations.He closed his performance with the southern soul classic "Why Me" and everyone was up and dancing as he once again worked the crowd.Reggie P is truly a living testimony,he has suffered in the past three strokes and just a couple of months ago a mild heart attack.This is no knock on him but this was by far the BEST Reggie P performance that I've ever seen.I believe the friendship he shares with Sir Charles has been a blessing and its also his motivation to deliver a high powered performance.I never realized in the past how good his live vocals were.He is a great singer and he looks so comfortable entertaining the crowd.Also I have to give props to his band because they kept the sounds tight all night long especially his bass player who displayed some mean guitar licks on several of his songs.If you haven't purchased his cd "Your Love Is A Bad Habit" please do so.If you want to hear some quality soul blues ballads you are going to love this cd with "No More Tears" and "Unforgettable Dreams" being a couple of my favorites.I became a big Reggie P fan on this night and I can't wait to see him do his thing again.Damn good show bro!

His royal highness,"The King Of Southern Soul",Sir Charles Jones was up next and its so amazing to see the impact that one performer can garner from a crowd.The ovation that came from the crowd was so surreal.There were women screaming and even the fellas were up on their feet as he made his way to the stage.Just his mere presence I believe would have been enough to satisfy some of these women who by now had flocked to the stage area led by "Da Dawg Pound Divas".He hadn't sang one lyric and already the place had erupted.Thats some big time s**t!He opened his performance with "Friday" and although it was Saturday night the boy sounded so good he made you feel like it was actually Friday."Natural Woman" was his next song and my girl Roni was definetly feeling this cut.He said he was feeling good tonight and he was ready to please all the women in attendance and he did just that as he performed his classic hits "Better Or Worse","Just Can't Let Go" and "Hang On".The highlight of his performance was when Brotha X joined him on stage and along with his band members did their popular sychronize dance routine on the classic hit "Slow Roll It".This has always been a crowd pleaser and it was no different on this night as they slid to the left and then to the right and just slow rolled it for the women in attendace and they loved every minute of it."Just Like Fire" was his next selection and again "Da Dawg Pound Divas" were ripping up the dance floor.He performed one of his newest singles "Pop That Coochie" and this is going to be another bona fide hit from Sir Charles.This cut had the dance floor jumping for real as the lovely women in attendance were popping on the dance floor.He closed his performance with "Is There Anybody Lonely" and just like vintage Sir Charles he allowed another artist to share the stage with him.There isn't another artist in the industry with probably the exception of J. Blackfoot that allows a singer to share their spotlight.Every Sir Charles performance I've seen he has graciously allowed other artist to share the stage with him.Southern soul singer Terry Wright(Anytime Man) joined him on this classic hit and let me tell you fans the boy can wobble.I was very impressed with his vocal prowess.Also Reggie P joined him on stage and they begin to ad lib about their brotherly friendship.My man Omar Cunningham has the best live vocals,my friend T.K. Soul is the best showman but when it comes to charisma there is none better than Sir Charles.He is a terrific singer and dancer with a strong stage presence.Its always a pleasure to see him perform.I've got his new cd titled "My Story" and soul blues fans this is another masterpiece by "The King Of Southern Soul".Please go out and buy a copy of this cd and yes I said buy not bootleg.For all the latest Sir Charles news please visit his website at www.sir-charles-jones.com and on his myspace page at www.myspace.com/sircharlesjones747

In closing I would like to say to all the true die hard fans of this genre of music,please continue to come out and show your support to these hardworking artist,promoters and others who try to provide us with this real music that we all can honestly relate too.There is a lot of politics in this industry and I won't deny that,I just hope and pray that the day and time will come that all the record labels,artist,promoters and radio jocks will unite and stop all the negative politics in this industry and make this genre of music more mainstream.I share my concert reviews and photos with fans of this genre of music because they can't turn on BET,MTV and VH1 and see or hear any news about these hardworking artist.I try to make fans who don't attend shows to want to get out the house and see for themselves what I experience at these shows.I receive tons of emails from fans thanking me because they say after reading my reviews they look forward to attending shows and festivals in their surrounding areas.That alone is one of the reasons why I continue to do what I do.I want to thank Reggie P and Sir Charles for taking the time to meet,greet and converse with me at this show.Your time is appreciated.I want to thank Levonne Sampson,CEO of Foxy Productions with providing me and Da Dawg Pound with the best seats in the house.Love you babe.I want to give a few shout outs to my godfather Jerry"Boogie"Mason(How the hell we didn't take a picture together?),to my man Too Sweet,Brotha X,DJ Outlaw,DJ Ragman,Sweet Mama(myspace friend) and Yankan(myspace friend).To "DA DAWG POUND DIVAS"Claudette,Keelah,Roni(my photographer),Pure Seduction,Ms. Fabulous and Kee-Kee(You sweated your hair down) I had a blast getting my blues on with all of you.You all are a lovely addition to Da Dawg Pound.To my Dawg Pound members Cap,Mane and OKT 23 it was fun fellas and I look forward to us doing it again.Hands down this was one of my best shows,I had a great time at this show and I just wanted to share it with the greatest fans in the world.Take care and MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALWAYS.I'll see you down by the stage.

BIG K9

www.bigk9.net

 

TO VIEW ALL PHOTOS FROM THIS SHOW AND ALL THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE BLUES AND SOUTHERN SOUL INDUSTRY PLEASE VISIT MY WEBSITE AT www.bigk9.net AND BLESS MY GUESTBOOK WITH YOUR PRESENCE.

HINDS COUNTY PRE-4TH OF JULY BLUES FEST

Hello BLUES AND SOUTHERN SOUL FANS.What can be hotter than the temperature in Mississippi in July?How about the start of all the outdoor blues festivals that are so popular.I just love this time of the year.I just recently attended "The Hinds County Pre-4th Of July Blues Festival" in Edwards,Mississippi.I was really looking forward to this outdoor event.Don't get me wrong I like the settings of a civic center and I just love the vibes that an old fashion juke joint provides but there is nothing like the atmosphere of an outdoor blues festival.The lawn chairs,the tents,the coolers,the delicious southern cuisines being cooked on a grill and the thousands of fans assembled like a big family reunion.Yes this is truly the best of times for the loyal blues and southern soul fans here in the magnolia state.

The lineup for this blues and southern soul gathering included Rick Lawson,Ms. Jody,David Brinston,Lebrado,Robert"Duke"Tillman and T.K. Soul.When I arrived I saw a couple of familar faces in attendance.There was producer and songwriter Bruce Billups,southern soul recording artist Kenne Wayne who made a brief special guest appearance and my good friend Roni a.k.a. "The Clarksdale Diva" and Melissa(Myspace friend).I also had the pleasure of meeting Duke Tillman's business manager,Chestine Jackson who made it all possible for me to cover this show exclusively for you fans.I didn't know the promoter for this event but Chestine introduce me to the man everyone simply referred to as Eddie and he extended me VIP acess so once again the big dawg was able to bring another blues show to life.

The mc for the show was The Ragman(WMPR 90.1 radio personality).There were plenty of vendors on hand and the air was filled with the smell of bar-b-que,hot wings and fried fish.The weather was hot but with all the coolers I saw I know the cold beer was very refreshing.I was joined in Da Dawg Pound by Kenne Wayne,Roni and a few local divas who were truly getting their blues on all night long.So with my cold bud light in hand and my man Kenne Wayne chilling in Da Dawg Pound good people allow me to take you on this blues and southern soul ride.

I arrived at the end of the first performer on the show,Rick Lawson.I haven't seen him perform in awhile but from the reaction the crowd gave him he must have put on a decent show.I hate I didn't have the opportunity to see his entire performance so to all you Rick Lawson fans maybe I can see him perform again in the near future.

The next performer was Ecko recording artist,Ms. Jody and those of you who have been following my concert reviews have probably noticed that she has been included in several of them.She has been the busiest diva on the southern soul circuit by far.She received a nice ovation as The Ragman introduced her to the crowd.It was two guys in attendance(they look like the alcohol had gotten the best of them)that stood front and center down by the stage and they both appeared to be competing for her attention during her performance.She opened her show with "I'm Getting What I Want".She followed that with a rendition of Shirley Brown's "Too Much Candy".The crowd enjoyed "Sugar Daddy" and "Sleep With One Eye Open".She continued to thrill the crowd with "It's The Weekend" and the very popular "Your Dog,About To Kill My Cat".She closed her performance with "Big Daddy Don't You Come" and for those of you who have seen her perform this song know she brings a male fan from the crowd to join her.Well this time Ms. Jody said she was feeling freaky so she brought the two guys that were down front and the two of them were like nymphos who hadn't seen a woman in twenty years(I think you get the picture).I thought she had bit off more than she could chew but Ms. Jody was able to handle her business and give these two guys a freak dance that they will never forget.The crowd loved it and she received a big ovation as she left the stage.For all the latest news on Ms. Jody please visit www.eckorecords.com

The next performer was my homeboy David Brinston.He had just got in from North Carolina and he had his blues band from Florida with him.The crowd showed him a lot of love as he hit the stage.His band was sounding good as they started his set with Johnnie Taylor's "Still Called The Blues".His next song was "Hit & Run" and this was a nice upbeat song that got the crowd up and dancing.He kept the crowd dancing with "Work That Thang" and one of the local divas in Da Dawg Pound was doing just that as she was turning heads with her very seductive rump-shaking grown folks dance(I'll just say that there was a whole lot of shaking going on)."Let Me Hit It One More Time" was his next song and this once again had the folks getting their groove on.He slowed it down with the nice ballad"Somebody's Cutting My Cake" and I love to hear him sing this song.His voice is very unique and it has a soulful sound that isn't replicated by any other artist.He received a big ovation as he did several synchronize pelvis thrusts as the band did a pop and stop medley."Hardworking Lady" was his next song followed by the southern soul classic "Party Til The Lights Go Out".He was about to close his performance with "Two Way Love Affair" when The Ragman(mc) told him he had to end his performance due to time restraints.I don't allow myself to get upset at shows but I got mad at The Ragman this time.The fans were enjoying his performance and he only wanted to do one more song,with him making it in from North Carolina you would have thought they could have allowed him another four minutes to close his performance on his own terms but none the less David showed a lot of class and thanked the crowd and exited the stage.I really enjoyed his performance and I hope to have an opportunity to see him perform again real soon.For more news on David Brinston please visit his myspace page at www.myspace.com/davidbrinston01

The next performer was IFGAM recording artist,Lebrado.For those of you not familar with him he is the younger brother of r&b singers K-Ci & JoJo.As he was introduced,the stage area quickly became packed with female fans who all were screaming profusely as he hit the stage.He opened his performance with "Coffee" and this one was definetly for the ladies.He makes no secret about the kind of woman he perfers-hot,black and strong.His next song was "Sure Wasn't Me" and I was blown away by his vocals on this song.He gave a superb renditon that probably had our beloved Tyrone Davis and Ronnie Lovejoy looking down smiling.He paid another tribute to Tyrone Davis with "Banging The Headboards" and the women loved it as he banged and banged toward their direction.He got everyone up and steppin with "Dancin" which is a nice dance(steppin) groove.His show quickly took on a r&b vibe with his next two songs "First Lady" and "Come Back Love"."Try Me" and his new southern soul hit "Fire" kept all the women down front screaming and he allowed a few of them to join him on stage and this really set the stage on fire.He closed his performance with my personal favorite and the hit that established him as a southern soul artist,"I'm Missin You Babe" and the crowd gave him a big ovation as he exited the stage.Lebrado is truly one of my favorite newcomers.He has really matured as a performer and has also become very popular especially with the female fans.For all the latest news on Lebrado please visit his website at www.lebrado.com

The next performer on the show was Robert"Duke"Tillman.This was a much anticipated performance for me.We've been in contact the last several months and I've been trying to catch one of his shows but each time I was unable to see him perform.For those of you not familar with Robert"Duke"Tillman let me first of all say he is no newcomer to the industry.He is a former lead singer for The Drells(formerly known as Archie Bell & The Drells),he has shared the stage on venues with a who's who in the industry including The Temptations,Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes and The Manhattans just to name a few.He has collaborated with the likes of Rue Davis,Frank-O Johnson and the late Mckinely Mitchell.His soulful tenor and falsetto has put him in the same breath as Smokey Robinson and Eddie Kendricks.He received a big ovation as he was led to the stage.He opened his performance with "Coochie Whipped" and immediately he begin to showcase his abilty as a true entertainer.His body movement was pure electric and his soulful vocals came across very well as he ripped the stage and this was just his opening selection."Love Ya Tonight" is a nice song with a tempo that allowed the couples in attendance to do a swing dance.His next song was the silky ballad "I Found Love" and the couples in attendance went from swinging to slow-dancing.He was able to showcase his sugary but sweet and sexy vocals on this jam."Can't Do Without You" is another sleek soulful jam with a Jackie Wilson vibe to it.He received a thunderous ovation as he did an amazing rendition of William Bell's "I Forgot To Be Your Lover".He closed his performance with the uptempo dance groove "Drop" and the crowd again went wild.It was time to get the boogie on and boogie is what the crowd did.I was a lil disappointed because I was hoping that he would perform my personal favorite "Doggone Right".I had the opportunity to meet him right before he went on stage and just let me say that this is the coolest cat that I've ever met.When I say cool I mean "Mr. Zero Below".Right here and now I'm dubbing Robert"Duke"Tillman "THE KING OF COOL".He is'n't a blues singer at all.Duke Tillman is a soul singer cut from the same cloth as the legendary Jackie Wilson and Smokey Robinson.He is truly a gifted artist and I am looking forward to seeing him perform again very soon.For all the latest news on "THE KING OF COOL" please visit his website at www.robertduketillman.com and his myspace page at www.myspace.com/robertduketillman

The last performer on the night was T.K. Soul and it was very late and everyone was still in attendance.I've covered his show probably more than any other artist and it never gets old.Like always the stage area was packed with the ladies as he performed his classic hits "Cheating And Lying","Meet Me At The Spot Tonight","Try Me" and "It Ain't Cheating Til You Get Caught".The highlight of his performance was his "T.K. Soul Cruise Step".Everybody got a thrill out of that.T.K.Soul still remains one of the top performers in the industry.For all the latest news about "The T.K. Soul Cruise" and all other T.K. Soul news please visit his website at www.mrtksoul.com and his myspace page at www.myspace.com/tksoulmusic

In closing I would like to thank Eddie who was the promoter for this show and Duke Tillman's business manager and his PR Agent,Chestine Jackson and Diane Neal who allowed me plenty of acess to cover this show.I also would like to thank Ms. Jody,David Brinston,Lebrado,Robert"Duke"Tillman and T.K. Soul for all taking the time to meet and converse with me,your time is deeply appreciated.I want to also give a shout out to Bruce Billups(Thanks for the love man),Kenne Wayne,Melissa and The Clarksdale Diva,Roni.I had a great time at this show and I just wanted to share it with the greatest fans in the world.Take care and MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALWAYS.I'll see you down by the stage.

BIG K9

www.bigk9.net

 

TO VIEW ALL PHOTOS FROM THIS SHOW AND ALL THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE BLUES AND SOUTHERN SOUL INDUSTRY,PLEASE VISIT MY WEBSITE AT www.bigk9.net  AND BLESS MY GUESTBOOK WITH YOUR PRESENCE.