Chantel Sawyer (Atkins) (CEO/Owner) I started The Rhythmic Lounge in December 2010. At its start, it was a fairly simple website with the purpose of giving people a place to promote their talents and network. I had no idea that less than two years later it would transform into something much bigger. The website then underwent a complete revamp in July 2011, with a brand new look and the addition of many new features, including the creation of The Rhythmic Lounge Radio. Following suit, the radio started out as merely a 24/7 stream of hand-picked music submitted by talented musicians from the website but is now an integral part of the company. Listeners from all over the world tune in regularly to hear the wide variety of music, as well as the educational, musical and talk-radio shows that we now host. The radio’s success has only made me realize The Rhythmic Lounge could take me in new directions everyday rather than the other way around, which is why a digital magazine seemed like the next step. I’m incredibly proud to present to you hardworking artists and entertainers in this magazine and on the site, so enjoy! Be sure to go to www.therhythm iclounge.com to see the profiles for the great talent displayed in this issue and take a look at our new magazine site at http://w w w .trlm agazine.com Thanks for the support, and happy reading!
Contributors Special thanks to the individuals who have contributed to this issue of The Rhythmic Lounge Magazine! dB Hear d w ww .n o ton lystre et.com
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n oto nlystr eet ar@ g m ail.co m Am anda Craig, W riter http://w w w .snappycopyw riting.com http://w w w .m urderandintrigue.com
Ross Guity, W riter
www.facebook.com/Ross.Guity21 Aaron W ilson, W riter !!!!!!http://aaron+wilson.strikingly.com
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W illiam Kryjak, W riter, Reviewer www.film -book.com
Patrick Ross, W riter! www.reverbnation.com /m cbigrub m cbigrub.hubpages.com
Essince, Interviewer http://w w w .Essince.com http://w w w .RoyalHeirEnt.com !
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Jan. 2017 magazine cover photo taken by The Joshua Terrell Jan. 2017 magazine cover Graphic Designer: Everett Z. Sanders II
The Rhythmic Lounge company is always looking to promote new talent, so don’t forget to join at www.therhythmiclounge.com and take a look at our magazine site at www.TRLmagazine.com
If you would like to be in the magazine, contact the email below.
magazine@therhythmiclounge.com
The Rhythmic Lounge Magazine
2
Royal Heir Ent.
16
Michael Karr
6
A Team Music Ent.
19
Jerome Pullen
10
Constant Battle
20
Crystall Babii
12
Rease Kirchner
22
Charles Moorer
The A team was founded in 2012 by Damon Smalls who's in the military. While on deployment Damon Smalls met three young guys with dreams to not just be a MC but to be one of the greatest MCs ever. The three MCs are Jerzey, Young Skillz and King roc. Since then the Label have signed up and coming artist Crystall Babii, Graffiti, and Smoke Colione. In the 5 years the A team ENT has won numerous awards, rank #1 on number one music charts, Unsigned top charts. Has their fan base grows so do the notices by their peers. With multiple talent on the A Team roster there's no telling from Hip Hop to R&B The A Team has it covered. You can find A Team music ENT Music on ITunes, Tidal, Google play etc. With releases from King Roc Great Dreams, Jerzey's Drive and Crystall Babii Crystal Clear you will see why they're next up. Rodney Daniels aka King Roc 26 years old from Columbia South Carolina started his career as a rapper in 2003. King Roc feel he's what the game is missing his flow and style is old school mix with new school. www.must.com/ateam www.SoundCloud.com/ateam www.Facebook.com/ateam www.a-team-ent.com
where creativity lives
JANUARY / / 7
Bughouse Entertainment Presents MRJUNBUG born and raised in Nashville, TN. He was recently nominated as SEA AWARD'S IMPACT ICON! His music career started with the group Capital Punishment klik in 1993 with the release of Return From The Dead, selling 1,500 copies of cassettes only. In 1995 Capital Punishment released Ghetto Stories selling 4,100 copies. In 1997, Capital Punishment released Shadow Of Death, selling 10,000 copies. Shadow of Death has over 50,000 downloads over the Internet to date. Sales in Germany and Japan have catapulted Mrjunbug to successful stardom and in 1999 Capital Punishment released Different Levels of The Game nationally through select-ohits, selling 3,000 copies scanned and 5,000 copies from hand to hand. In 2000 the group split and Mrjunbug released Karma vol.1. The single Whatcha workin wit attracted lots of attention in Georgia and Florida. Orpheus Entertainment, and Slip-n-slide records showed a lot of interest but could never reach an agreement. Mrjunbug has opened shows for some very established artists, such as The Ying Yang Twins, Young Jeezy, DMX, Ludacris, CoCo Cal, Eightball and MJG. In 1996, he opened for Tupac in Nashville, TN and St. Louis, Mo. Nathan (Mrjunbug) Clayborne also does all of his productions! Mrjunbug also known as DJ Trixx runs his own live Internet radio station called Cashville Radio. The stage is now set for the Nashville native to make positive noise in the music industry!
Twitter - @MRJUNBUG615 !!!!!!!!!!facebook.com/mrjunbug IG- mrjunbug38 !!!!!!!!!!reverbnation.com/mrjunbug !!!!!!!!!!youtube.com/mrjunbug615 Booking and Features: bughousemusicpromo@gmail.com
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!615.625.8448
The Rhythmic Lounge: Please introduce yourself and give the readers a brief background for those who aren’t familiar with you! Nathan Clayborne: Nashville TN. Some of you know it as Cashville. With very little popularity in the Small town called Antioch, TN. There were 2 young men playing high school football together. Nathan (MRJUNBUG) Clayborne and Brian (SUPREME) Smith. Together they would form the Rap Group Capital Punishment Klik. The Group was made up of 2 Producers/Rappers/Djs that released rappers off of there own label ETERNAL RECORDS. From there the group wrote and produced 5 albums. Return from the Dead, It Ain't No Mystery, Ghetto Storiez, Shadow Of Death, Different Levels Of The Game.
TRL: Who have been your biggest musical influences? NC: Well first and foremost it's God Rest his Soul PIMP C hands down if you really know me. Just say that I learned a lot from him while he frequently visited Antioch and Brentwood I'll leave it at that. We had 2Pac, 50 Cent, Ice Cube, Eric B n Rakim, Too Short, Biz Markie, Keane, Dr.Dre, Eminem, Outkast, KRS 1, Public Enemy, T.I, Magic Mike, Pistol. Shannon Sanders, Biggie, Trick daddy, Pastor Troy, Triple 6 Mafia, Gangsta Pat, E40, Alcapone, Dayton Family, Brotha Lynch Hung, Kool Daddy Fresh, Indo G n Lil Blunt, WC and the Mad Circle, Mack 10, Keith Sweat, Al B Sure. R Kelly. Master P, Scarface, Geto Boys, Jay Z, WU Tang Clan, 8Ball n MJG, 2Live Crew, and Snoop Dogg. NWA, Spice 1, Mac Eiht, but my favorite rap group of all times is UGK. We had some REAL ARTIST.
TRL: What has been your greatest career accomplishment so far? NC: My greatest career accomplishment this far has been being able to stay in the game. I've been nominated for several underground award shows in different categories. I won a STAXX contest on LOUD.COM with a signed microphone from DJ KHALID. I’m being presented with the IMPACT award at The SEA AWARDS in Miss. In 2017. That's a very big accomplishment for me. Because that means out of all these years I haven't been unnoticed. 9 albums. Capital Punishment Klik 5. And I’m still going. I produce and manage artists as well. Bughouse ENT. My label is on its uprising. So stay tuned.
TRL: Are there any upcoming events or projects that you’d like to mention? NC: I have a few shows lined up in NY, Cali, and Down South. I have BUGS LIFE (MY DAYS ON EARTH) EP that’s out now. My next project is titled BEYOND DREAMS (ANGELS PLAYGROUND). Then there will be only 2 more projects after that. I will then focus on releasing artist on Bughouse Ent. PAC WEEZY will be the first artist to come out on the imprint. Also my partner in NY, KING ROGUES the creator of the DRR (Dark Rein Royalty) and I will be releasing a project in 2017 a compilation of all the artists we have coming. The stage is set and now it’s time to take off like a rocket. My photographer GO DADDY is an up and coming artist that we are proud to have on board here at BUGHOUSE ENT.
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Constant!Battle! ! !
Born!and!raised!in!Buffalo,!NY,!Constant! Battle!(CB)!was!in!a!search!to!do!something! it!seemed!no!one!else!around!him!was! doing.!!At!the!age!of!14!he!found!that!niche! in!hip!hop!and!by!the!age!of!15!he!was! honing!that!gift!to!use!for!the!glory!of! God.!!16yrs!later!he!seems!to!be!achieving!that!goal!to!the!best!of!his!God!given!ability.!! A!former!member!of!Direct!Impact!Gospel!Music!Youth!Events!(sept!’06Ksept!’12)!!which! holds!free!events!every!month!to!minister!to!people!of!all!ages!who!normally!may!have! never!come!through!the!doors!of!a!church,!CB!has!won!awards!for!both!his!music!and! evangelical!contributions!here!in!Buffalo.!He!has!also!worked!with!many!local!artists!here! in!Buffalo!and!has!been!involved!in!and!even!coKdirect!videos.! CB!also!has!had!the!chance!to!open!for!national!recording!artists!such!as!Young!Josh,!and! KKDrama!and,!has!had!to!opportunity!to!perform!in!places!such!as!Chicago,!Il,!Detroit,!MI,! Hartford,!Ct!and!NYC!to!name!a!few.!!CB!is!the!coKhost!of!!The!Shout!Out!which!is!a! syndicated!radio!show!through!various!internet!radio!stations/sites!through!out!the!U.S,! Trinidad,!and!Europe.!In!2009!he!has!released!his!first!studio!album!entitled!“!R!U!Ready! pt1"!and!a!number!of!mix!tapes!since.
www.constantbattle.net FB - constantbattle1 Twitter - @constantbattle1 IG - @constantbattle1 Soundcloud - constantbattle1
The Rhythmic Lounge: Please introduce yourself and give the readers a brief background for those who aren’t familiar with you! Constant Battle: Well, my name is Constant Battle and I am a Christian/gospel hip-hop artist from Buffalo, NY. I started at the age of 14 as a hobby, started taking it serious at the age of 16 and just never looked back. The more I perfected my craft, the more I fell in love with it. The more I did that, the more I wanted to know so I even went to school for music business so that I could know what I was getting myself into. Most artists just want to sing/rap but, don't take the time to learn about the business so that's how a lot of 360 deals happen, I wasn't willing to be one of those artists. Also as you would imagine, I'm active with my church and community as far as giving back. Interesting side note, I like to do volunteer work and, most places I go to, I almost always get asked am I there for court ordered community service and I tell them no, I just wanted to help out. The look on people's faces every time I give that answer is hilarious to me LOL. Also I do things such as saving my bottles and cashing them in and then I give that money to a local homeless shelter that has a sign up that says you could feed someone for just $1.98. I usually save up a good $50+ dollars before I cash in/donate to them.
TRL: Growing up in Buffalo, NY would you say that the overall culture supported and nurtured your passion for Hip-Hop or was it a challenging place to carryout what you were trying to accomplish? CB: Realistically, I've learned that in every city they don't really support you until they know that you've made noise in other cities. Every artist that I talk to about that topic has had that experience no matter what city they're from. That being said, with me doing Christian/gospel music it's way more challenging because most people don't want to hear the gospel message to begin with. They're comfortable living how they live, doesn't matter if they feel it's good or not, most people don't like hearing they gospel or that they're not living "right" doesn't matter that there's a message of hope or a solution in the song (of course I’m talking about giving your life to Christ). Also Buffalo is more of a rock-n-roll town, yes this is the home of Rick James and Brian McKnight (although he doesn't like to claim Buffalo as his hometown) but, it's also the home of The Goo Goo Dolls, Route 66 and a few other big name rock groups so, as a hip hop artist, a Christian/gospel hip hop artist at that, it's undoubtedly more challenging.
TRL: What has been your greatest career accomplishment thus far? CB: Honestly, this is a tough question for me because I appreciate the baby steps. I'm kind of rattling my brain as I think about this but if I absolutely had to pick something, I'd say it was successfully booking/headlining my own tour last year. As an independent artist it could sometimes be hard just to get shows in general so, to book/headline an entire tour was pretty big for me and, that was just last year (2016) that I did it. As much as most people say that last year sucked, for me to pull off a tour in a "down" year is pretty amazing. Yeah, I would definitely have to go with that tied with placing two different songs as number one songs on a top 10 countdown in back to back months on yeshour radio out of NYC. That's a countdown of national artists both independent and signed (minor or major labels) and it's based strictly on fans votes and, if I'm not mistaken which I'm pretty sure that I'm not, I'm the first artist to have two different songs place number one in back to back months.
TRL: Your first studio album “R U Ready Pt. 1 was released in 2009. How has your musical style changed from that first studio album to the music you put out now? CB: For me, what's changed isn't so much my style but, my delivery and cadence. I was very wordy early on in my career and it showed on that first album, my words ran together so it made my lyrics hard to understand at times and I was heavier (i weighed about 395 lbs.) so my breathing made it hard to understand as well. I'm not so wordy anymore and after going up to 409 in weight in 2014 and being diagnosed with diabetes I had to lose weight, I'm currently as of this morning 325 and I have a goal of being down to about 250 by the end of this year (2017). My breathing is much better so, it's a lot easier to hear and understand my lyrics now.
TRL: Are there any upcoming events or projects that you’d like to mention? CB: Wouldn't this just be a fine interview if there wasn't lol. In all seriousness, absolutely. I have a single out now called "On Our Job" and I'm working on my next studio album which will be called "We fight Daily" which I'm looking to release in the third quarter of this year so, definitely check out the single on my website, www.constantbattle.net, soundcloud, YouTube or, whatever outlet you typically like to hear new music from and also be on the lookout for “We Fight Daily” towards the second half of this year!
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Rease Kirchner You often hear of people "catching the travel bug" but Rease Kirchner has exemplified that phrase. From international living and learning foreign languages, to developing a fun, musical way of teaching Spanish to adults and kids alike. We discuss foreign living, funny travel stories, how to become a travel blogger and more! Essince (TRL): Everyone wishes he could travel and share his story like the people on TV but you actually do it. How did you get into travel blogging? Rease Kirchner: I kind of abruptly moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2010. I quit a job I loved (Bilingual Preschool Teacher) to chase my dream of living abroad. When I told people about my impending move, no one really believed me, so when I actually did it, my friends and family were a bit in shock. I decided to start a small blog called “Mi Vida en Buenos Aires” just so that my friends and family could keep up with me, but it quickly grew into a much bigger site. I realized that people I didn’t know personally were reading my site and asking me for advice, so I worked to create a site that is both a place for stories and travel tips and advice. Essince (TRL): You've done more than visiting places and you actually LIVED in a different country. What is that experience like? Is it hard to adjust to a different language? RK: It’s amazing, frustrating, scary, and exhilarating all at once. I moved to Argentina without a job or any friends. I already spoke Spanish fluently, but the truth is, every Spanish speaking country has their own version of Spanish, so there was plenty of miscommunications and frustrations along the way. There were definitely days when I would long to hear my native language, but most of the time I loved immersing myself in a language and culture that felt very right for me. I grew up feeling awkward and out of place in the suburbs. In Buenos Aires, I felt very much at home. When I moved to Puerto Rico, the shock was more intense, perhaps because I expected it to be so easy. After going through the headache of getting a work visa and navigating Immigrations in Argentina, I figured moving to a US territory would be simple. I was very wrong! The culture in Puerto Rico is nothing like that of Argentina, and I found that I didn’t mesh with it as easily as I did with Argentine culture. At first, my accent was still heavily marked as Argentine, so people didn’t always understand me. I’ve written a lot about how much I loved living in Argentina and also quite a bit at how heartbroken I was because I didn’t fall in love with Puerto Rico. Travel writing often idealizes life on the road, so I strive to tell all my stories, even if they aren’t all happy ones. Essince (TRL): Can you remember any embarrassing 'lost in translation' stories? RK: I have witnessed several pretty terrible mistakes, but I’ve been very fortunate to not have embarrassed myself too badly. I did, however, use the word “ridiculoso” for years before a Colombian friend of mine finally told me that “ridiculoso” is not a word at all, the correct way to say “ridiculous is “ridículo.” When I thought back to how many times I had used “ridiculoso,” in my life, I was pretty mortified. In Puerto Rico, I made a not too embarrassing but pretty hilarious mistake. In Puerto Rico, you’ll often hear church music and hear people yelling “Alábalo que vive!” which translated to “Praise him, he lives!” However, I misheard it, so once while in a group of Puerto Rican friends, I was making a joke and said “Al lado de que vive!” They all stared at me and verified what I had said. My translation roughly means “Next to he who lives” It made a lot of sense to me, like Jesus was always at your side, but once my mistake was pointed out to me, I felt pretty silly. To this day my friends love teasing me by yelling “Al lado de que vive!” at me.
Essince (TRL): If someone wants to be a travel blogger what should he/she do? RK: I get this question constantly. The easiest answer is: just start writing. I do always warn people that you shouldn’t expect to make your living as a travel blogger. It has become a very competitive market and building a website, online presence, and brand takes a lot of time and hard work. Too many people think that they can just launch a website and start getting paid to travel. The truth is, most travel bloggers are freelancers that supplement their income with lots of other projects. Travel writing is a labor of love. You do it first and foremost for yourself, not for the money. That being said, I encourage anyone who wants to travel more and write about their experiences to do so. I started with a small online journal and had no idea that I would make traveling and writing my main focus in life! Is the process of getting a passport difficult? RK: Not at all! It’s seriously so easy. You can go to any US Post office to pick up an application. You can even save some money by going to Walgreens for cheap passport photos. After you fill out the short application, bring it back to the Post Office with an original birth certificate and a check for the cost of the passport. Within a few weeks, you’ll get the passport in the mail. I truly believe that everyone should have a passport. Stop putting it off! IS learning a foreign language really more difficult for adults or is that a myth? RK: It’s not a myth, it’s definitely easier to learn as a child, but that shouldn’t stop you from starting, no matter how old you are. The reason it’s easier for children is that their minds are still developing. Children accept differences in languages more easily because they haven’t gotten stuck in their own yet. They have an easier time learning pronunciation for the same reason. I’ve taught English and Spanish to adults and children and I’ve noticed that adults are quick to say “That’s weird” or “That doesn’t make sense” when you teach them something that is different in another language. For example, in Spanish, you don’t say, “I am 20” you say, “I have 20 years.” Adults reject this grammar structure, while kids accept it pretty easily. Kids are also less self-conscious. I’ve seen adults who have studied a language for years clam up when a native speaker tries to talk to them simply because they are terrified of making mistakes. I’ve seen kids who barely spoke a second language try their best to communicate with another child about how to build a castle with blocks; they don’t care if they make mistakes, they just want to communicate. I didn’t start learning Spanish until I was 13, and it took me years to learn how to roll my Rs, but I’ve seen kids master it in months. So yeah, it’s easier as a kid, but adults who are dedicated to learning a language can absolutely master it. Tell me about your Spanish Smartypants program! RK: I created Spanish Smartypants because I tutored two incredible little girls who loved music but had outgrown all the simple educational songs out there. Educational music in Spanish seems to be targeted only at preschool age children. It focuses almost solely on vocabulary. The girls I taught were too advanced to listen to songs about the colors and numbers, so I started writing new songs for them. I focused on more complex lessons such as the difference between Ser and Estar, the two words that mean “to be” in Spanish. I covered lessons about how to conjugate verbs in the present tense, how to give directions, and how to talk about where you and other people are from. After seeing how effective the songs were, I decided to create an entire album for other teachers to use in their lessons. Music is an incredibly powerful educational tool, and children of all ages should be able to use music in their lessons. Catchy songs don’t just make learning more fun; they make it easier. I even sent the “Ser and Estar” song to my high school Spanish teacher because Ser and Estar is one of the most difficult lessons for beginners of all ages. Where can we learn more about you and your adventures online? RK: You can check out my travel blog at IndecisiveTraveler.com. You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook (@IndecisiveTraveler) and Twitter & Snapchat (@IndecisiveRease). I love hearing from readers, so hit me up on any of those channels and say hi!!
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Hailing from the Garden State, Joshua Terrell AKA
is the next big thing
in Hip-Hop and R&B. He has dedicated countless hours writing and studying music. His music tells you exactly who he is. JERZEY is the definition of creativity and will be the new face for a long awaited rejuvenation of Hip-Hop. His plan to takeover the game is in full swing as he has already developed a strong fan base through hit performances of his smash hit titled “I’m On.” JERZEY has released 3 more singles, which have been played and requested on notable radio stations. His music has created a buzz, gaining the attention of well-known radio hosts Shaggy and DJ Jack of Spades. He has an appetite for success and the drive not to stop until he reaches “Icon Status.” JERZEY has also released one of the hottest mixtapes “JERZEY DRIVE” and he’s currently working on his debut album “JERZEYS FINEST.”
The Rhythmic Lounge: Who is “JERZEY,” for those who have yet to hear of you? JERZEY: IM THE NEW FACE FOR NEW JERSEY RAPPERS. IM FROM MT. HOLLY NEW JERSEY AND IM GONNA SHOW THE WORLD HOW TO BE CREATIVE WITH MUSIC AND HOW TO TAKE IT SERIOUSLY, IV BEEN RAPPING FOR 4 YEARS AND IM BETTER THAN 90 % OF THESE NEW RAPPERS OUT NOW. IM GOING TO CHANGE THE WAY PEOPLE LOOK AT NEW JERSEY ARTIST!
TRL: Who have been your musical influences? JERZEY: MY MUSIC IS INFLUENCED BY CASSIDY, MEEK MILL, FREEWAY AND PAPOOSE.
TRL: Is there anything that you feel hip-hop music has been lacking, that you can bring to the table? JERZEY: HIP-HOP HAS BEEN LACKING CREATIVITY, MOTIVATION, AND ORIGINALITY. I BRING EVERYTHING REQUIRED TO KEEP THE CULTURE ALIVE. I RAP AS IS I AM HIP-HOP.
TRL: Do you have any upcoming news that you’d like to mention to our readers? JERZEY: I HAVE A NEW ALBUM DROPPING NEXT YEAR TITLED “JERZEY’S FINEST,” AND A MIXTAPE TITLED “JERZEY FLOW.”
Mixtape is available on datpiff.com http://www.datpiff.com/mixtapes-detail-2015.php?id=774308 Instagram.com/jerzeyateam Facebook.com/jerzeyateam Soundcloud.com/jerzeyateam soundcloud.com/ateammusicent facebook.com/ateamentrecords ! !
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Michael(Karr(
is a formally trained,
award winning, critically acclaimed trumpet player, skilled keyboardist, composer, arranger, lyricist, engineer and producer and has been featured on close to 45 records. After losing a lifetime of work and memories in a fire, Michael is reestablished in his new Manhattan studio, recording and producing several original projects and playing jazz with the Michael Karrtet™. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, Michael’s debut in music came at age 11, recording his first two albums as a trumpet soloist with the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony. In the 9th grade, Michael caught the eye of the great Randy Purcell (lead trombonist with Maynard Ferguson) who assisted Michael is getting a music scholarship for trumpet and piano to Carnegie Mellon University, which he began the following year. He continued his education at Duquesne and Pitt Universities, where he played under the direction of Nathan Davis and his Pitt University Jazz Assemble. After completing two Bachelor Degrees by age 19, Michael left Pittsburgh and went on the road, touring across the United States and in Europe. Michael’s extensive performance experience includes national tours and playing with The Whispers, The O’Jays, Billy Price and the Keystone Rhythm Band, After 7, Billy Joel, The Human League, Jimmy Ponder, The Tommy Dorsey Band, Modern Man, The Jets, The Gap Band, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, The Drifters, George Benson (in the line-up at the Newport Jazz Festival), Houston Person, Roy Buchanan, Maynard Ferguson, Freddie Hubbard, Dennis Williams, B.B. King, Mary Wilson, Stanley Turrentine, Russ Freeman, Alex Blake, Arnie Lawrence, Cecil Brooks III, Dave Budway, Eddie Henderson, Dennis Irwin, Joe Harris, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Eric Lewis, Essiet O. Essiet, Grady Tate, Grover Washington Jr., James Moody, Jay and Marty Ashby, Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts, Joe Cohn, Joe Negri, John Benitez, Kirk Lightsey, Mark Murphy, Marian McPartland, Ned Gold, Seleno Clarke, Randy Johnston, Rodney Jones, Ray Brown, Rhoda Scott, Roger Tucker, Roger Humphries, Ron Affif, Russell George and Victor Jones. Michael is also a veteran session musician, signed under numerous labels, including 3C, Laurie, Antenna Records and Corona Rounder. Michael hit the Top Ten on Billboard’s R&B charts as a producer with the Stanley Fields cover of “You, Me & He” (3C Records). He was the first musician to record live for WDUQ’s Tony Mowad and Chuck Leavens with whom he recorded with for several years. Michael wrote and produced music for the popular radio show Top 30 USA with Donnie Simpson with Sheridan Broadcasting Network WAMO, which aired every Saturday on 169 stations and in Europe and Japan. He has worked with many production, mixing, mastering and engineers of note, including the Grammy-winning Phil Nicolo of Studio 4 Recording. Records of note include one of Michael’s CDs featuring the legendary Houston Person and several of Michael’s live CDs featuring Claudio Roditi. Michael’s Karrtet™ features a rotation of top musicians including Ron Affif, Victor Jones, John Benitez, Randy Johnston, Alex Blake and Essiet O. Essiet. As a bandleader, Michael is listed as a Jazz Improv Magazine “Noteworthy Performance“. He has held several residencies at notable jazz venues in NYC including St. Nick’s Pub, Cleopatra’s Needle, Arturo’s, Blue Water Grill, the Bell Cafe, De Lounge, and Mannahatta. Michael has performed in almost every club east of the Rockies – he has played in settings from “after-hours” clubs to stadiums, for the former Mayor of New York City, Rudy Giuliani to two Presidential Inaugural Balls.
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http://www.michaelkarr.com
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Jerome Pullen
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Jerome!Pullen!was!born!in!Memphis,!TN,!home!of!Beale!
Street!and!rhythm!and!blues.!!He!began!playing!music! professionally!at!the!age!of!17!and!in!1988!he!formed!the!duo! P.M.,!releasing!his!first!single,!“You”!later!that!year.!!After!the! release!of!“You”,!the!group!had!the!opportunity!to!tour!across!the! country!and!overseas,!including!stops!as!far!and!wide!as! Greenland!and!Japan,!with!popular!R&B!group!Kool!&!the!Gang.! In!1996,!seeking!a!new!creative!venture,!Pullen!founded!a!new!group,!Project!Inc.!(featuring! Mac!RHedd).!!Mac!RHedd!served!as!a!new!solo!endeavor!for!Pullen,!backed!by!a!group!of!top!tier! musicians.!!The!band!began!to!grow!in!popularity,!as!they!performed!with!major!artists!like!Outcast! and!J.!Blackfoot.!!Their!single,!“Playing!Ain’t!EZ”!gained!them!more!notoriety!as!their!touring! schedule!intensified.! Now!an!established!artist,!Pullen!has!continued!to!build!on!his!decades!old!musical!friendship! with!the!legendary!Barkays,!performing!with!them!whenever!possible.!!He!has!recently!opened!his! own!label,!W.E.K.!Entertainment,!to!support!the!release!of!his!single,!“Make!Me!Say!Ooh”!from!his! debut!solo!album!My#Life.!!The!album!also!features!Barkay!lead!singer!Larry!Dodson!on!“Forever!and! Ever”!as!well!as!Pullen’s!own!twist!on!the!Barkays!classic!“Your!Place!or!Mine.”!!Original!Barkays! bassist!James!Alexander!will!be!handling!promotions!to!radio!for!the!record.!!Pullen!feels!the!new! album!will!give!him!a!chance!to!showcase!the!full!range!of!his!talents,!saying!“The!sky!is!the!limit!”! In!addition!to!his!career!as!a!recording!and!touring!artist,!Jerome!also!leads!one!of!the! meanest!party!bands!in!Memphis.!!Having!headlined!the!2012!Africa!in!April!Festival,!his!band!is! among!the!most!in!demand!in!the!club!party!scene.!!Their!range!extends!from!classic!hits!from!soul! men!like!Stevie!Wonder,!Luther!Vandross!and!Al!Green!to!rock!acts!such!as!ZZ!Top,!Journey!and! Foreigner,!to!modern!pop!stars!like!R.!Kelly,!Madonna,!Michael!Jackson!and!more.!!If!you!need!a! party!band,!you!need!The!Pullen!Project.!
For$more$information$on$Jerome$Pullen,$please$visit$wekentertainment.biz$
With the release of Crystall Babii’s Singles F.W.U. and Back and I'm Better, Crystall has been climbing the charts on numberonemusic.com. Crystall's song Hot Boys is #1 for Dance in New York and # 13 world wide, with the release of two more singles in MID October and the release of her debut album Back and I'm Better just in time for Christmas. She is taking the music industry by storm! To listen to Crystall Babii music, please go to soundcould.com/lover_4_kicks ! !
& THE FAITHFUL FEW We Praise You (Radio edit) – Run time: 4:30 We Praise You (Remix) - Run time: 4:30 From the Album: Divine Direction
O
ne of the first things to keep in mind when you’re listening to Charles Moorer & The Faithful Few and their debut album Divine Direction is their disclaimer that they’re “not a group of entertainers, but a ministry full of love for God and concerned about doing His will by spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ through music.” The message, delivered by the powerhouse, soulful vocals of Chuck and his other singers, is the focus – but that doesn’t mean that this isn’t some of the liveliest, funkiest gospel, coolest jazz and greatest songwriting you’ve ever heard from an independent group. The groove is anchored by Chuck himself on bass. The 7-track set kicks off a question: “Are You Ready?” The song has a deep grooving jazzy gospel vibe, with soulful female vocals, trumpet and sax harmonies, some rockin’ electric guitar edges and Chuck’s supremely soulful lead vocals. For the first single, there are two versions of the hands in the air old school jazz gospel jam “We Praise You”, and the second, “We Praise You, The Remix”, which features a spirited rap vocal over soaring female vocals and Chuck’s lead voice. It’s a tune about how God can change us. It affirms, in wildly musical terms, “When Praises Go Up, blessings come down!” The title track “Divine Direction” points us to God via an easy flowing vocal urban jazz groove, with a smooth and silky sax taking the emotional harmony role behind Chuck’s silky lead vocals. While that song is about finding our way, the next two tracks are instrumental and vocal versions of a gospel/soul-jazz/laid back funk tune urging us to “Make A Change”. While the vocal version features Charles on regular bass, he plays the fretless on the instrumental version which shows his deep Marcus Miller influences on his instrument. The dedication track, “Why Should I Fear”, starts with a bang, a dramatic rock jazz intro with sax and electric guitar, which eases into an uplifting, slow simmering sax-enhanced vocal ballad. It’s gospel-jazz at its finest.
RADIO CONTACT:
The ALJ Agency Arvetra Jones / 910.988.4614 thealjagency@gmail.com
CONNECT HERE:
Bookings: 317-733-1068 info@charlesmoorerpraise.com
www.charlesmoorerpraise.com
REVIEW:
Divine Direction
CHARLES MOORER
“One thing that anyone who knows the story behind Charles Moorer & The Faithful Few must acknowledge is that their hearts are in the right place. Yet it’s their musical soul that’s bound to get people excited as they groove and tap along and hear the life changing Gospel conveyed through Pastor Chuck’s instantly infectious urban jazz influenced gospel tunes. The group’s sound brings to mind the great Grammy winning gospel-jazz work of Kirk Whalum, and will inspire jazz, R&B and gospel fans alike. Dynamically produced with exciting instrumentation, explosive vocal textures and driven by the vision and the heart-tugging vocals of Chuck himself, Divine Direction provides a roadmap to great music that feeds your soul!” – Jonathan Widran, Music Journalist
Available now on iTunes, Amazon, CDBaby and Life Way Christian Book Store.
Download Charles music here: Password: cmdownloads
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CHARLES MOORER AND THE FAITHFUL FEW !
Over!20!years!ago,!Chuck!Moorer!left!his!native!Ohio!and!moved!to!L.A.!to!pursue!his!musical!dreams.! Considering!that!the!talented!singer!and!bassist!was!raised!up!in!church,!and!sang!at!gospel!concerts!as! a!kid!everywhere!from!Akron!University,!Kent!State!University,!Prayer!Tower!Church!of!God!In!Christ,! and!a!host!of!other!churches!and!events,!!!it!surprised!some!that!he!was!pursuing!secular!music.! Exploring!his!passion!for!R&B/funk!and!jazz,!he!was!in!several!of!those!kinds!of!bands!throughout! college!and!beyond.!It!took!a!lot!of!soul!searching,!a!bunch!of!hard!knocks!and!closed!doors,!and!some! definitive!signs!(which!all!came!with!wild!stories)!to!bring!him!back!to!the!Lord.!Once!he!felt!that!God! “pricked”!his!heart!and!he!headed!back!home!musically!and!physically,!his!sense!of!purpose!became! much!clearer.! ! While!attending!the!NAACP!Image!Awards! one!year!in!L.A.,!Chuck!met!legendary! Grammy!winning!gospel!singer!and!pastor! Donnie!McClurkin,!who!kindly!remembered! an!email!Chuck!had!sent!him!a!few!years! earlier!about!their!mutual!love!for!Donnie’s! major!inspiration,!Andrae!Crouch.!McClurkin! told!Chuck!how,!for!him,!pastoring!and!music! ministry!came!together!perfectly,!like!a!hand! in!a!glove,!with!one!complementing!the!other! to!uplift!people’s!lives!and!draw!their!souls! closer!to!God.!Chuck!was!attentive!as!the! singer!told!him!how!while!his!music!is! blessing!the!church,!his!preaching!in!turn! blessed!his!music!ministry.!McClurkin’s!words,!combined!with!a!rededication!to!the!Lord!and!Chuck’s! rediscovery!of!gospel!via!contemporary!genre!superstar!Fred!Hammond!and!his!ensemble! Commissioned,!inspired!a!whole!new,!incredible!double!life!for!Chuck!as!a!pastor!and!singer.! ! For!over!12!years!now,!every!Sunday!morning,!the!congregation!at!Divine!Direction!Christian!Church!in! Indianapolis,!an!affiliate!of!the!Indiana!Wesleyan!Church,!come!to!hear!“Pastor!Chuck”!sing!and!preach.! He!says!“Singing!calms!me!and!helps!me!focus!on!the!message!I’m!about!to!share.”!Chuck!also!leads!a! band!of!musical!ministers!called!the!Faithful!Few!Music!Ministry,!whose!original!lineup!he!formed!in! 2000.!The!Faithful!Few’s!primary!mission!has!been!to!expand!beyond!the!four!walls!of!the!church!and! outreach!to!all!people!across!the!world.!The!group,!now!releasing!their!7\track!debut!album!Divine! Direction!under!the!name!Charles!Moorer!&!The!Faithful!Few,!plays!a!dynamic!mixture!of!traditional! and!contemporary!gospel!styles!with!a!touch!of!jazz!and!funk!that!ministers!to!all!age!groups.! Although!it!is!Chuck’s!desire!and!that!of!his!band!and!singers!that!the!music!be!used!to!encourage! people!to!meet!God!in!Christ!all!around!the!world,!a!portion!of!the!proceeds!from!Divine!Direction!will! go!to!the!Indiana!Make\A\Wish!Foundation,!which!was!supportive!of!Chuck!and!his!family!when!his!son! Chadwin,!then!16,!was!battling!renal!sickle!cell!carcinoma,!a!form!of!cancer!that!gave!him!a!10%! survival!rate.!The!wish!they!provided!turned!into!a!celebration!of!life!when!Chadwin!was!miraculously! healed.!Charles!himself!was!healed!of!cancer!just!a!few!years!later.!Another!unique!element!of!the! recording!is!the!fact!that!it!has!seven!tracks!–!just!as!Pastor!Charles!promises!all!future!Faithful!Few! albums!will.!“In!the!Bible,!starting!with!the!creation!story,!the!number!seven!is!God’s!number!for! completion,”!he!says.!“If!it’s!good!enough!for!Him,!it’s!good!enough!for!us!”!
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