BILL VAUGHAN’S TASTY CLIPS: Santana teams with Isleys for landmark album
The fulfillment of a dream pairing musical giants Santana and the Isley Brothers is being rushed to release next weekend to the delight of generations of fans.
Led by the legendary Ronald Isley on lead vocals and Carlos Santana on guitars, percussion and background vocals, “Power of Peace” covers songs first made familiar by the Chambers Brothers (“Are You Ready,” “Love, Peace, Happiness”), Stevie Wonder (“Higher Ground”), Billie Holiday (“God Bless the Child”), Eddie Kendricks (“Body Talk”), Curtis Mayfield (“Gypsy Woman”), Muddy Waters/Willie Dixon (“I Just Want to Make Love to You”), Dionne Warwick/Jackie DeShannon (“What the World Needs Now is Love Sweet Love”), Marvin Gaye (“Mercy Mercy Me – The Ecology”), Leon Thomas (“Let the Rain Fall on Me”) and more.
Quite the family affair, “Power of Peace” also features Carlos’ wife, renowned drummer/vocalist Cindy Blackman Santana; the sensational Ernie Isley on rhythm guitar; and spouses Tracy Isley and Kandy Johnson Isley, respectively on background vocals.
“I feel a deep sense of gratitude, appreciation, and thankfulness,” says Carlos, who served as the album’s main producer/arranger. “There is a spirit of creativity that came knocking and presented itself as a golden opportunity to do something with and for a supreme musician, who I consider to be the best in the world. Brother Ronnie Isley has been in the center of collective unity and harmony on the radio around the world since 1962 with ‘Twist and Shout,’ the song that the Beatles chose to invade America with. Like Michael Jackson, John Lennon and Bob Marley, he’s an iconic supreme of the highest order.”
Adds Ronald: “I hope this record carries the spirit of hope, love, and peace to the world that it brought to me, my brother and Carlos!”
“Power of Peace” will be released on CD, 12-inch vinyl and digital formats July 28, with pre-order now available at https://LegacyRecordings.lnk.to/isley-santana_pop.
TASTY QUIP: “[This is] Jay Z’s new album, The 4:44. I want you to take this and listen to it and learn. Learn how to build and maintain a real empire, not a fake empire. And when you’re done with it, send it off to 50 [Cent].” – CONOR McGREGOR to Floyd Mayweather at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center promoting their fight on Aug. 26.
CLIPPETTES: Kool & the Gang headline two big nights at the Hollywood Bowl on July 21 & 22 with Morris Day & The Time and the Village People …
Also that evening, ChamberSoul cellist/singer-songwriter Shana Tucker returns to the World Stage in Leimert Park Village with her newest project, “Women’s Work: A SisterCentric Musical Collective”…
The 14th annual FYE Fest is in effect July 21-23 at Exposition Park with Missy Elliott (in her only 2017 scheduled show), Frank Ocean, A Tribe Called Quest, Erykah Badu, Solange, Bjork, Nine Inch Nails, Run the Jewels, Flying Lotus, Anderson .Paak and the Free Nationals, Kehlani, Thundercat, Little Dragon, Hannibal Buress, Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, and many more …
The Greek Theatre hosts the Freestyle Summer Festival featuring Lisa Lisa, Jody Watley, Stevie B, Color Me Badd, the Cover Girls and others on July 22 …
Meanwhile, Judy Pace, Richard Roundtree, Pat Cleveland and Shayla Simpson are among the honorees for “An Evening of Hollywood Glamour” at LA Trade Tech College benefiting multi-cultural fashion designers. Visit www.flairinc.org for details …
REDCAT Presents the 14th annual New Original Works Festival (July 27 – Aug. 12) launching nine new works by L.A. artists who confront urgent issues by inventing hybrid artistic disciplines, including Jessica Emmanuel’s response to senseless black deaths: “Witnessing Her” and Vivian Bang’s Korean-American take on the L.A. riots: “Can You Hear Me / LA 92.” Visit redcat.org for info, showtimes and tickets.
TASTY QUIP: “There are no black people on ‘Game of Thrones.’ You don’t see one black person in ‘Lord of the Rings.’ I ain’t paying money to always see one type of person on screen. Because you see different people from different backgrounds, different cultures, every day. Even if you’re a racist, you have to live with that. We can ruffle up some feathers.” – JOHN BOYEGA to GQ
TC ON TV: July 21 – “The View” (ABC): Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, Regina Hall and Tiffany Haddish talk “Girls Trip.” “Under The Influence” (Reelz): Lauryn Hill and Amy Winehouse. “Raven’s Home” (Disney): Raven-Symone reprises her character from the hit sitcom “That’s So Raven.”
July 22 – “The Jury Speaks” (Oxygen): A four-night event reexamining the verdicts that stunned the nation through the eyes of actual jury members, beginning with the O.J. Simpson trial, followed by those with Michael Jackson, George Zimmerman and Robert Durst.
July 23 – “Ballers” (HBO): Dwayne Johnson’s sports agent sitcom returns as they eye business in Vegas with Steve Guttenburg (“Police Academy”) and Emayatzy Corinealdi (“Roots” “Miles Ahead”) joining the cast. “Unsung” (TV1): Switch “Insecure” (HBO): Issa Rae not getting an Emmy-writing nomination was a crime.
July 24 – “Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood” (VH1): R&B singer/reality star Keyshia Cole joins the cast this season. “Somewhere Between” (ABC): Paula Patton stars as a news producer in on the hunt for a serial killer who gets a “Groundhog Day” type chance to change the fate of her family.
July 26 – “Signed” (VH1): Moguls Rick Ross, The Dream and Roc Nation’s SVP of A&R/Artist Management Lenny S work to develop unsigned hip-hop and R&B artists in Atlanta.
July 27 – “Date Nite Live” (Lifetime): From the producers of “Live PD,” this series follows couples from New York City, Atlanta, Dallas and San Diego on live blind dates. Comedian Michelle Collins, Z100’s Bethany Watson and relationship coach Paul Brunson are in-studio hosts providing commentary.
TASTY QUIP: “[Donald Trump] is just a hot, spankin’ mess every day that we wake up. What is it, the 25th Amendment, for impeachment? Whatever is it, please look that up for me, and just say we can’t wait for that day to happen as well.” – VIVICA A. FOX to Us Weekly
As featured in the Los Angeles Wave and Independent, Tasty Clips is one of the leading entertainment newspaper columns on the West Coast, serving nearly one million weekly readers. To reach Bill Vaughan, send email to [email protected] or via Twitter @tastyclips.