London Calling

Hey Soul Mates,
big news to announce. Our date in London has been confirmed. We will be storming the stage at the Bedford, (77 Bedford Hill in southwest London) on Weds. June 7, showtime is 9 pm. More details to follow. Visit their website and check out the venue. It's a gorgeous house.

This will be a spectacular opportunity to cap our run of dates with a slamming show in the Capital city. Make your plans to be there. It's before the World Cup starts so all you footie fans can make it without having to set the TiVo. Shoot, it's before Wimbledon, too, so Doug will be there.

How's this? One of our promoters in the UK describes what we do as "Californian Sunshine Funk." I like it.

Got my hair did by our girl Monica tonight. Bry got his locks tamed last night. We both get puffy hair going when we aren't careful. Now we'll look really clean for our shows in Cali Saturday and Wednesday.

Have a great Friday everyone.
Love, Power, Peace

Meeting People Is Easy

Hey Soul Mates,
I must tell you I'm really looking forward to meeting all of our new Mates in the UK. So many fresh faces have joined us via MySpace. Too cool. Thanks for all the comments and wit. We're closing in on a month until our departure. There's lots going on.

We've just put the finishing touches on a special tour edition of our EP that has two bonus tracks and brand new artwork. Very stylish. Oh, that reminds me. If you haven't downloaded the free MP3 of Everything My Heart Desires, grab it! On May 1, there will be a brand new free track to download at RHS.com. It will be a scorching live version of Fall Out.

We're also prepping for our Earth Day concert up north. That will be fun. It will give us a chance to go "casual." Ha Ha. No coats and ties. Hope the fans won't be disappointed.
Back to business.
Love, Power, Peace

His Momma Named Him Cassius

**This blog was amended and a portion was added to correct the earlier post. NK, April 17, 2006

Hey Soul Mates,
Up to now my favorite arranger/orchestrator for pop music has been pianist Clare Fischer. He's done brilliant arrangements for Prince, McCartney, The Family, Tony Toni Tone and the Jacksons. Mr. Fischer's stamp is all over the score for Under The Cherry Moon. Sweeping strings and suspended counterpoints. Shoot, do I know what I'm talking about? Not really, it's just the feel. I've often told myself that I wanted Mr. Fischer to do arranging for Rush Hour Soul.

Well, I discovered another very talented arranger, named Cassius Richmond. He's a saxophonist associated with fellow Detroit jazzman James Carter. Richmond did some very lush orchestrations for Carter's disc Gardenias For Lady Day, a tribute to Billie Holiday. His work is very tasteful, yet full of unexpected strokes like Fischer's. Thanks to Bryan for my iTunes gift card, I've downloaded a couple of tracks from the CD and they are spectacular.


The Elusive Cassius Richmond.

I first heard a cut from Gardenias driving around Atlanta with my Dad a couple Christmases ago. It really stood out to my ears and I scribbled down the artist's name. The disc had just been released at the time or was about to be, so I just filed the info into the back of my mind. So this week, I was surfing iTunes and there was (most) of the record. Which brings up my beef with iTunes: license a whole damn album. Not just some of the tracks. Anyway, I've given repeated listenings to Sunset and Where Our Love Has Gone and Richmond's arrangements are breathtaking. Sunset is particularly evocative of a romantic, mid-20th Century that probably never existed. There's something of Gershwin, Bernstein and Strayhorn in his work, yet it has a modern sensibility.

**Credit for the string conducting and some of the arrangements must go to bassist Greg Cohen. Further research pointed me toward Mr. Cohen's contribution to the record. I've gotten several of the tracks and the strings are hot on all of the cuts, regardless of the arranger. Gotta give props to both of these wonderful talents.

There is virtually no info on line about Mr. Richmond and his listed credits are sparse. Mr. Richmond, if you are out there, I'm feeling you. We have some arranging we'd like you to do. Mr. Cohen, if you'll handle the baton...

Of course, the dream is still to hear Mr. Fischer's handiwork with our songs.

Happy Easter.
Love, Power, Peace