To read more about the lineup, download a sample mp3, see a video etc, and show times & details read more here @ the complete entry

If you’ve ever heard 1969′s epic track “The Creator Has a Master Plan” that Thomas co-wrote with saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, you’d know the singer I’m talking about. Thomas was close to Babatunde Lea and is probably best known for his stint with Pharoah Saunders, but he also sang with Carlos Santana and Freddie Hubbard’s bands.

The vocal sound of Leon Thomas, who as Lea says, “colored outside the lines” with his voice, was a distinctive and unique presence in 70′s jazz. Thomas, who also toured as Santana’s vocalist in the early 70′s, had solo albums out on Bob Thiele’s infamous Flying Dutchman label, and employed techniques that took from American Indian and African vocal traditions, and was even called a jazz “yodeler”.

According to biographer Gary Graff, Lea’s heartfelt tribute was a decade in the making. He brought in Saxophonist Ernie Watts, whom he’d met in 2002 while playing in Bill Cosby’s ‘Cos of Good Music’ ensemble at a Playboy Jazz Festival. Pianist/singer Patrice Rushen is an associate from LA whom Lea had long wished to record with, while bassist Gary Brown was an old Bay Area friend with whom Lea had played with for nearly 30 years. The lynch pin, for Umbo Weti, though, is vocalist Dwight Trible, whose voice and delivery “just screams Leon Thomas,” according to Lea, and who worked with Lea on a recorded suite and soundscape for the opening of San Francisco’s Museum of the African Diaspora (MOAD). “It was a no-brainer to bring Dwight in for Umbo Weti because, his sound comes directly out of Leon and all that innovation Leon was doing.”

“My idea was to have this group that would have the spirit be able to go wherever the muse would take us,” Lea explains. “Basically, all I was asking everybody to do was play. A lot of times now things are so arranged and over-produced — throw a 16-bar solo there, an eight-bar solo here and keep it under six minutes…I wanted people to do it like Pharoah and Leon used to do it. They used to “play,” and if some of the stuff went 12 minutes, 15 minutes, longer, then fine.

Here’s a video about the new album
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0HV-8G_zRg&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Download their version of John Lee Hooker’s ‘Boom Boom’

Babatunde Lea
“Boom Boom” (mp3)
from “Umbo Weti: A Tribute to Leon Thomas”
(Motema Music)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at Amazon MP3
More On This Album

To hear additional previews or purchase the mp3 or CD of the music visit Amazon here.

Show is $15 in adv, $20 @ Door
Thursday March 18, 2010 at 8PM
Yoshi’s, San Francisco
1330 Fillmore Street
San Francisco, CA

Fortunately, you still have time familiarize yerselves with his saga, and a musical legacy that was obscured by bad business breaks, pride, and deep prejudice, the kind that was not only racial, but sexual & medical …

Almost strangled to death by the umbilical cord at birth in 1925, Jimmy Scott was soon orphaned by a car crash, along with his 9 other siblings in depression era Cleveland. If the odds against him were not bad enough, they were further stacked by a strange genetic pituitary hormonal defect known as “Kallman’s Syndrome”. This medical disorder accounts for his somewhat effeminate looks & unnaturally high singing voice. Basically Scott’s pubescent development was stunted, causing his arms to appear longer than the rest of his torso while the diminutive singer never developed facial hair.

Finding solace away from the bleak foster homes on stages, he sang in combos of the post war R&B era, notably as a featured singer with band leader Lionel Hampton, with whom he made his recorded debut in 1950 (although his name did not appear on the label). After the chart making & touring stint with Hampton ended, Scott began dividing his time between night spots in Cleveland, New York and Newark, New Jersey.

Unable to secure proper record deals, or even respect on the road from fellow musicians due to his androgynous appearance, Jimmy Scott’s show biz career was a hard road. That road hit a brick wall by the late 1960′s when tight fisted Herman Lubinsky of the Savoy label refused to release Scott from a long dormant contract, and legally prevented comeback albums for Atlantic & Ray Charles’ Tangerine label from being released purely out of spite.

Jimmy’s numerous shots at stardom had been so hampered by fiscal mismanagement & bad business dealings, it lead to failed relationships, drinking and drugging, and a career ending downward spiral that took him away from the limelight for decades, until a break finally occurred when he was well into his 60′s.

Strangely enough, it appears death is something he won’t take sitting still, and is actually the catalyst that has brought Jimmy Scott’s career back to life…

read more about the show, plus detailed info on his life & career accomplishments below the fold
more on little-jimmy-scott

Career:

Jimmy Scott tried his luck on a smattering of labels, working notably with producer Fred Mendelsohn in the early 50′s. They got some interest going with a tune released on the Roost label called “I Won’t Cry Anymore”, it eventually became a big hit, but for another larger label, called Columbia, and the singer who got the hit, was actually a white Italian guy named Tony Bennett. Other labels Scott flipped obscure sides for included Coral & Regal.

It is said that 50′s singing sensation Johnny Ray, stole the stage act after seeing “crying” Jimmy Scott perform. Ray went on to great acclaim, while Scott ended up humbly opening for the crooner who grew famous by imitating Jimmy’s heartfelt & teary eyed performances. Ray committed suicide at the peak of his career, but not before turning on a Georgia raised singer who made the 3rd generation appropriation of Scott’s shtick a big part of his stage act, that guy was James Brown….

Jimmy Scott outlived them all…but he never got the notoriety.

Even after a late career renaissance brought him to new audiences around the world, Scott copes with the fact that his type of fame is fleeting. He has duly noted this phenomena when he sang onstage in the 1990′s with the Grateful Dead to an arena crowd of thousands in his hometown of Cleveland, the local daily paper still referred to him as an “unknown female singer”.

Since the quirky career kickstart given to the 67 year old Scott after an appearance at Doc Pomus’ funeral, he has continued touring, recorded some 8 or so albums on half dozen labels since hitting retirement age, made a movie about his life called “Jimmy Scott, If You Only Knew”, and added a 5th wife in 2003 to his bio as well.

Now with his aged infirmities creeping in, ever dapper, Scott is performing while even restricted to moving around via wheelchair…

but dammit, he just won’t quit…

Music is his life, once saying “I love performing. You live with reality every day. You can’t miss it. We can try to avoid a lot of trials in life, but it’s better to overcome than avoid. That’s what music has been for me. It’s been my opportunity to overcome.”

All Hail The Tough & Tender Little Jimmy Scott whose motto is :

“It’ll work out in the end. You gotta believe” – Jimmy Scott!

Strangely enough, it appears death is something he won’t take sitting still, and is actually the catalyst that has brought Jimmy Scott’s career back to life…

By the late 70′s and early 80′s Scott was reduced to playing low rent bars and seedy nightclubs for pocket money. Eventually, some of his only gigs were occasional charity appearances at senior citizen homes. Scott’s humble menial day jobs at Bob’s Big Boy and in a Cleveland Sheraton hotel gave him a mindset that was set far from keeping abreast of the changing tastes of a fickle record buying public at the tail end of the 20th century.

In 1985, at age 60, he returned to the eastern seaboard, and for the first time in over a decade started working small clubs in New York and Harlem, perhaps getting occasional nostalgic write ups in the NY Times or Village Voice. Despite thin crowds at first, he kept at it, no matter how hopeless or slow going it seemed. Soon little bright spots would appear. Things like getting invited onstage by blues vet Ruth Brown or old friend Milt Jackson would liven up his schedule & sagging fortunes.

Scott’s subsequent shift back into the public eye ironically began to truly gather momentum at The Riverside Funeral Home on St.Patrick’s Day 1991. The sad/happy occasion was legendary rock n roll songwriter and old friend Doc Pomus’ funeral. Pomus ( aka Jerome Felder ) was a remarkable songwriter, whose library of classic early rock & roll classics include “Save The Last Dance For Me”, and “This Magic Moment”.

Said Jimmy of meeting Doc: “I met Doc Pomus when he came to see my show at the Baby Grand in Harlem around 1945 or ’46. Doc showed me how to get around on the New York Subway system, then took me home to have dinner with his mother, father, and little brother, Raoul Felder (Raoul was so stuffy, snooty, and studious at the time; he later became one of the country’s top celebrity lawyers)… bringing me home and having dinner with his family was my most cherished memory of Doc.

Ever since Jimmy had met Pomus back in the 40′s, they had stayed in touch. In fact, in 1987 Doc even wrote a letter to trade publication Billboard extolling Scott’s virtues, decrying the hard times he was going through, and warning the record industry not to sleep on a chance to catch the long overdue second coming of Little Jimmy Scott.

Now a few years later, Scott sat Shiva and was asked by Doc’s family to perform “Someone To Watch Over Me” at the funeral, along with backing from fellow old timers Dr. John on piano and Fathead Newman on sax. Scott arrived early and sat unasumedly with hands folded in the back with his 4th wife Earlene. After the colorful eulogies, Jimmy’s haunting voice overthe tinkling keys stunned the room, with many so far back they could barely see his tiny head over the crowd. The room was filled with dozens of music biz luminaries, like Ahmet Ertegun, Jerry Wexler, and the aforementioned Seymour Stein of Sire who felt it was almost his spiritual duty to Doc to simply offer Scott a dignified deal.

Jimmy later told a reporter in 2000 of the bittersweet good fortune coming from his friend’s death, ” The next day, this cat from Warners comes over with a contract. It was like Doc’s hand reaching out from the grave.”

He went on to many new career highights ranging from appearing on television shows & sold out shows across the US & Europe to even performing onstage at Bill Clinton’s inaugural ball gala in DC. Said Scott in a 200 era interview of his new found glory, “…if you dance long enough, somebody hear you tapping your toe.”

A favorite of performers ranging from Billie Holiday & Dinah Washington, to Frankie Lymon & Frankie Valli. Amongst his admirers include Stevie Wonder, Bill Cosby and John Lennon, all whom knew of and expressed respect of his work. Some more of Jimmy Scott’s long list of fans and admirers have also included amongst them Red Foxx, Bill Clinton, Marvin Gaye, Ossie Davis and Amiri Baraka.

Said Quincy Jones once of the time he spent backing Jimmy,
‘Night after night, I’d be sitting back there in the trumpet section, listening to this man cry his heart out. He’d just tear you up, you could sense Jimmy taking us all to an emotional level that was high and deep at the same time…Jimmy would tear my heart out every night with his soul-penetrating style”…

Even Madonna has said “Jimmy Scott is the only singer who makes me cry,”

to get tickets for this week’s rare San Francisco performances of the legendary Jimmy Scott, click here:

There is only 1 8pm set per night, tickets are $18

http://www.yoshis.com/sanfrancisco/jazzclub/artist/show/1122

Jimmy Scott’s Official Bio Webpage: http://www.jimmyscottofficialwebsite.org/biography.htm

Mac's Latest Release on his Maniac imprint "Never Say Never"

His latest indie album is a solid & sincere effort from a veteran rocker, and of course he’ll likely spice up the live set with old faves, possibly dating back to his first chart topping days circa 1966 with Steve Marriott & Ronnie Lane in The Small Faces.

On Thursday night, while Bimbo’s in North Beach features Cake, meanwhile the deep down underground will possibly be sucked into the Vortex Room with Mr. Lucky and the Ramshackle Romeos. Others may be down on Harrison @ The Eagle Tavern. Bands playing there include former Nice Strong Arm bandleader Kevin Thompson’s new project “bun bun bun” and Sunward Spike. Ruby Howl hits the stage in the middle slot, a band featuring the talented alterna-chanteuse Laurie Hall who has played in numerous local combos over the past couple decades. Maybe you saw her with her mom in the Hall Flowers, or with her sis in Ovarian Trolley, or perhaps opening for the Pixies reunion at The Greek with Knife + Fork. She knows her craft and has a new band called Ruby Howl plying their trade with her husband Pat and a somewhat shy drummer who wishes to remain anonymous. More info on Ruby Howl at
http://www.myspace.com/rubyhowl

Pat & Laurie

Friday night , two soul music legends hit the stage on a double bill at the Independent, Booker T. Jones of the MG’s preceded by Detroit’s own Bettye LaVette, both of whom are promoting new albums on the Anti label, an Epitaph offshoot.

On Saturday night @ Annie’s Social Club, old school punkers will be in force catching Social Unrest, and Ribzy as well as the debut of Jello Biafra’s latest unnamed musical project. Before leaving on a reunion tour with his old band, Faith No More bassist Billy Gould will be backing Biafra alongside drummer Jon Weiss and guitar wizard Ralph Spight of Victim’s Family. If you get bored of the jurassic punks onstage at this Alcoholocaust, head to the backroom and be yer own D.I.Y rock star via the punk schlock karaoke set up…

the ongoing War the US started in Iraq some six years ago was the main impetus for the demonstration.

Unlike recent splintered demonstrations in Oakland, a fairly large contingent of dozens of overtime collecting SFPD officers on foot and motorcycles seemed prepared to quell any possible property damage or disturbances from the bandana’d few who tend to ignite trash cans and engage in the more annoying and disruptive behaviors.

The march assembled near Justin Herman Plaza circa 11am and ended with a rally at Civic Center Plaza at about 1:30 , where a contingent of pro-Palestinian marchers were met with pro-Israeli occupation demonstrators stationed in front of City Hall.

Other marches took place concurrently in locations such as the Pentagon just outside of Washington DC, and in LA, while another protest is scheduled for tommorrow in Fresno.

Bringing up the rear, just behind the infamous Bay Area Women in Black, was this masked lone wolf demonstrator.

Thou Shall Not Kill My Hope

new Alcatraz film : The Black Rock

Fascination with Alcatraz permeates pop culture and the crumbling prison ranks high amongst San Francisco’s most popular tourist attractions, attracting more visitors than the city’s total population each year. Epps’ new film approaches the prison from a very different socio-political angle than the usual Hollywood fare, and pulls together tales that are unique amongst the plethora of prison videos, books and memorabilia that already clutter local gift shops.

For More, Including A Peak At The Trailer, Read On…

Epps’ documentary was created over a five year period of research, interviews, and editing, and mainly tells the stories of three different individuals, all deceased African Americans who spent time in the isolated windswept Maximum Security prison during periods of forced racial segregation and prejudicial discrimination. While Al Capone and “The Birdman” have long had their infamy assured, approximately a third of the Alcatraz prisoners were black, and more were people of color, about whom little has been previously documented.

Despite the film’s obvious historical perspective, considering California’s ongoing correctional crisis within our tax payer funded prison industrial complex looming larger each day, and a society still grappling with racial dialogue, this film and the issues it looks at remain acutely relevant for numerous reasons.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io85Cyarwio[/youtube]

CEO Jim Buckmaster told the NY times some of the ads were “crossing the line,” and that “We resolved to see what we could do to get that stuff off the site.”

Craigslist’s legal travails don’t end there, as the site has lawsuits flying between itself and eBay, who were able to buy a chunk of the biz from a former partner of Craig Newmark’s and they announced plans last week to sue several companies that provide services which help users circumvent the site’s abuse protections. They’ve been involved in blocking and/or prosecuting the offenders by enlisting the aid of ISPs and police.

The LA based CIM group initially took a giant toehold when it bought Oakland’s largest downtown hotel the 20 story City Center Marriott and it’s sister property The Courtyard in 2007. CIM Group in an effort to drink it’s own kool-aid, will move it’s Bay Area HQ from SF to Oakland in 2009, and run it’s operations which specialize in urban properties, including revitalized icons like Grauman’s Chinese Theater and the adjacent Hollywood & Highland complex.

Scene Outside City Hall during last Minutemen protest on 7/31/08 ( pic by Bill Hackwell of IndyBay.org )

I imagine an afternoon filled with local news camera crews capturing loud & pointless shouting matches between the Minutemen and left wing activists and Mission District “community organizers” ( insert hearty Giuliani-esque guffaw here). Could be fun for people watchers & those with an interest in colorful signs, chanting & loud bullhorns.

The last time the Minutemen assembled here in July, there were far more counter demonstrators than the dozen-ish flag waving border sealing patriots. To see photos of the mob from IndyBay.org, click here.

I’m sure Mayor Newsom will make a point of not being there…
but for everyone else, the fun starts circa 11 am for the amusement of bureaucrats on break and those forced to come to City Hall to plead for a permit or tithe more taxes to the city.

The theme of the two hour Minutemen photo op is

“Protesting innocent American Victims of Illegal Aliens in Illegal Sanctuary Cities!”

Huh? Why are they protesting the innocent victims? What did they do?

This week, Marjorie Knoller, was back in court and sentenced, yet again. Knoller was the strange little woman whose giant dogs attacked and killed her neighbor, a college lacrosse instructor named Diane Whipple, back in 2001. The trial stirred up plenty of sordid details, including the pet owners’ “adoption” of an adult white supremacist convict they represented as attorneys, whose dogs they were apparently raising on his behalf.

The case was always controversial, and since a judge threw out the original jury’s second-degree murder conviction in 2002, an odd and continuing legal tug of war has existed between competing benches. In 2007, The California Supreme Court had ruled Knoller’s eventual 4 year sentence for a lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter was inadequate. She would need to return to jail.

Knoller, who completed a four year stint (living in Florida and apparently estranged from her former husband who was paroled in 2003) has been brought back to California for re-sentencing that occured this morning. Little Marjorie is now expected to finish a “15 Years to Life” sentence, with eligibility for parole in 10 years when she’ll be 63 years old. The judge reportedly admonished Knoller and fined her as well, including almost $7000 in prison earnings…

Knoller’s attorney, Dennis Riordan, said they plan to file an appeal.

Bow Wow Yipee Yo Yippe Yay!

Potential citizens though, (i.e non-voters), will find out this weekend who their Congressional rep is, as House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi invites them to UC Hastings in the Civic Center area for a workshop designed to prepare them to make successful citizenship applications. The event is geared for permanent residents who are eligible to apply for citizenship but do not know where to begin the process, or cannot afford to hire someone to assist them with the complicated forms and applications. This is particularly relevant, since starting October 1st, the USCIS will begin administering a new redesigned naturalization test to new applicants (meaning an old cheat sheets might not help ya).

Apparently the 8 year process of redesigning the exam was meant to underpin American values and thematic concepts inherent in the Constitution. This new test, which has been criticized by some as being harder, is designed to end the rote memorization of facts & dates, and moves toward a more meaningful drill. Said the program’s director last year when plans were announced

“when you raise your hand and you swear allegiance to the U.S. you really ought to know what you’re swearing allegiance to.”

(To see a comparison PDF of the new test vs the old test, clickee here

New requirements include the English reading test, where applicants will be given up to three sentences and must be able to read one sentence correctly in order to pass. They also must answer 6 out of 10 civics/US History type questions correctly. Applicants also must form a conclusive sentence correctly after a topical question is dictated to them such as, “Who was the first President?” and then be expected to write an answer like, “Washington was the first President.”

A study list of vocabulary words that will be used in the dictation sentences is available at: http://www.uscis.gov/files/nativedocuments/writing_vocab.pdf.

A mp3 podcast summary of the test info here courtesy US Citizenship Podcast

Wanna see if you could handle the questions?

100 Naturalization Questions”
Naturalization Test MP3 Download

Speaker Pelosi’s Citizenship Workshop will take place on Saturday, September 20 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at UC Hastings, 198 McAllister Street, in San Francisco.

For additional info, call the Speaker of the House’s office at
415-556-4862 ( after all it’s your phone too, you pay for it.)

As a longtime citizen, taxpayer and voter, years may go by without ever noticing exactly what your Congress-person does for you in their district. There are few, if any, neighborhood events, or seminars focused on small business (the supposed backbone of the city), with any sort of Congressional support, presence or representation that I’m aware of. In fact most of the time I rarely receive any word from elected officials unless they send something out when they want a vote in an upcoming election.

I suppose it’s nice to see the government reaching out to such a vulnerable community, but the cynic in me wonders why they do so little for those who are already here, like small business people who are supporting the system for decades and trying so hard.