Singer-songwriter Jay Clifford dropped by on May 8th as part of his nationwide Spring Acoustic Tour. Jay performed songs from his recent debut Driving Blind.
Jay Clifford owns one of rock's supreme voices: a silky-smooth, soulful tenor that never sounds forced or ugly. He can belt it out at need (even unmiked), but there's none of that gravelly bellowing that often passes for pop singing. And he gives you as refined and totally original a product as you can find in his genre: tender, poetic lyrics; gorgeous melodies; and sophisticated harmonies." - Lindsay Koob, Charleston City Paper
Singer/songwriter Jay Clifford released his debut solo album Driving Blind on Sept. 4, 2007 on 33 and 1/3 Records. Full of emotionally evocative vocals and intriguing lyrics, Driving Blind showcases the maturation of a truly gifted artist. Jay makes his nest in Charleston, but his hauntingly ethereal voice and pitch-perfect compositions have flown around the world — as he once sang, "in the cathedrals of New York and Rome" — since his band, Jump Little Children went on hiatus in 2006. Jay's former band, Jump Little Children, had a deal with Breaking/Atlantic Records. In 2000, they released a record with the single "Cathedrals," which was a Top 10 AAA single that year (Elton John personally contacted the band to express his admiration of the song).
In 2002, Jump toured with Howie Day, who had just signed his deal with Epic Records. Although Howie had never co-written a song before, he was encouraged to try- Howie's first choice of co-writers was Jay Clifford. In their first session together, Jay co-wrote what materialized into 5 songs that were recorded on Howie's debut album, Stop All the World Now. Jay also traveled to London for the entire recording session for Stop All the World Now to contribute guitar and vocals. He then toured with Howie, playing guitar, on two international tours.
Jay has also co-written songs with Sean Lennon (Capitol), Robert Randolph, Mandi Perkins (Sony/BMG), and Peter of Peter, Bjorn and John (independent- Almost Gold). Australian Recording Industry Award winner Missy Higgins co-wrote her single "Ten Days" with Jay, and it peaked at number 12 on the ARIA charts. "Ten Days" was on Missy's The Sound of White, which won 7 ARIA awards that year, including Album of the Year. Jay has also worked with Sadler Vaden of Leslie (independent), Joel Hamilton of Working Title (Universal), and Michael Flynn of Slow Runner (independent).
In February 2007, Clifford set out for Los Angeles to record Driving Blind at Swing House Studios with producer Warren Huart, whom he'd met while working on Howie Day's upcoming Epic Records release. The impressive crew of musicians on Driving Blind include drummer Travis McNabb (Better Than Ezra, Sugarland), bassist Dan Rothchild (Beck, Fiona Apple), and guitarists Dave Levita (Alanis Morissette, Daniel Powter) and Greg Suran (Sunny Day Real Estate, Jewel). After three weeks in Huart's studio, plus a few additions in Clifford's own home studio, the record was mixed by Mark Needham (The Killers, Chris Isaak).
On Friday May 16th at 3:35 p.m. EST, The Wood Brothers performed live at the FYI studio.
Oliver and Chris Wood grew up in Boulder, Colorado. Sons of a Poet and a Microbiologist, they both took up music. Oliver moved to Atlanta and became a southerner. Chris moved to New York City and became a Yankee. Now, after years of musical and geographical separation they have reunited.
While in Atlanta, Oliver soaked up the roots of blues, the soul of the south, and found he had a talent for writing and singing songs. His band, King Johnson (named after Freddy King and Robert Johnson) toured mostly in the southern states. Meanwhile, Chris was living in Manhattan playing everything from free jazz to rock and roll. This is where he met his band mates to form Medeski Martin & Wood.
Now The Wood Brothers have begun a collaboration that combines their shared childhood influences with everything they've learned since leaving home. Their music has a rootsy feel that blends blues, folk, and rock music in a guitar/bass duo.
The brothers’ new album, "Loaded" produced by John Medeski, was released on Blue Note Records, April 1, 2008.
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Few performers are as versatile a Singer/Songwriter as Walter Christopher. Mr. Christopher can slide effortlessly from playing an R&B gig to a sanctified gospel church to a swinging jazz club. A Harlem native, Walter is affectionately known by his fans, as “Walt Chris.” He is well respected for his performance skills and trademark vocals, Walter has opened for LL Cool J, Kem, Lyfe Jennings, Vivian Green, Gladys Knight, En Vogue, Destiny’s Child, Fat Joe, Diahann Carroll, Boys II Men, Keith Sweat, Kenny Lattimore, Allyson Williams, Mikki Howard, Jon Lucien, Marion Meadows, Donald Harrison, Dietra Hicks and many others. His amazing talents have taken him on many tours nationally and internationally. Walt’s signature vocals have also been showcased on several TV and Radio Commercials.
He was recently featured on the HBO special “Back in Da Hood,” where he wrote, performed and produced the song “Yesterday.” One listen to Walter Christopher and you will hear the voice of a legend. He is a Balladeer by choice and sings and writes with the soul that has been missing in today’s music. On his upcoming (third) CD, Walt Chris is working with producer extraordinaire Rhemario “Rio Beats” Webber of Lyfe Jennings fame. Together they wrote and produced the first single, “So Amazing,” which is currently heating up Urban Adult Contemporary Radio. His music will also be featured on Northwest and American Airlines in-flight radio and is currently available on iTunes. His upcoming CD entitled, “Walt Got SOUL” will be released FALL 2010.
]]>On Wednesday, June 4th at 7:30 p.m. EST, independent hip-hop sensation Blitz The Ambassador took the LIVE@FYI stage.
Born and raised in Accra, Ghana, Blitz the Ambassador grew up to the sounds of Afro-Beat, Highlife, Jazz, and Motown. But when his older brother introduced him to Public Enemy’s classic album, It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, as a young boy, he was changed forever. “I had never heard young Black people express themselves in that way before,” recalls Blitz.
After moving to the U.S. to attend college, Blitz continued to hone his musical skills, releasing several mixtapes as an undergrad at Kent State University. After graduation, Blitz moved to New York City to pursue his dream. In NYC, Blitz began to record, Stereotype, a live-instrument-heavy musical exploration, that tests the limits of Hip Hop. Drawing from his diverse musical background, he dove into the project with explicit intent of changing Hip Hop forever. In order to achieve the live sound he was looking for, he formed a band, The Embassy Ensemble, and brushed off his own djembe skills.
After three long years of recording, Blitz took the album to several major labels. Getting the major label run around one to many times, Blitz decided go it alone.
“One day I just said, ‘Fuck it’,” recounts Blitz. “I was tired of record labels telling me I had to be like somebody else. So I came home and wrote, Rememebering the Future,” Blitz explains. This epic, instrument-laden, track illustrates Blitz’ refusal to be a Stereotypical rapper. The chorus of the song is, ‘I am who I am / and you can never change me / Reaching for the sun / remembering the future.’
Now, his label, Embassy MVMT is proving that Hip Hop fans are ready for the future. Hungry for a change, and sick-and-tired of the juvenile radio hits, Blitz the Ambassador is here to give the people what they want.