soul / rhythm and blues

Video Comentary

Celebrated vocalist Jaimee Paul will present At Last, a concert paying tribute to great women singers, Thursday, March 21 at 7 p.m. at John A. Logan College’s O’Neil Auditorium.

A Southern Illinois native, Paul attended Herrin and Marion schools before leaving the area to attend Belmont University in Nashville. After college she began singing jazz standards at Nashville restaurants and doing session work for various musicians before getting signed to Green Hill Music in 2008. Paul has travelled around the world with Wynonna Judd and Kelly Clarkson, and now resides in Nashville where she is actively performing and recording.

Paul’s major influences include more modern female vocalists Céline Dion and Whitney Houston as well as classic soul singers Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, and Tina Turner. She says musicals White Christmas and Guys and Dolls introduced her to jazz and swing standards, but Paul also cites her mother as a major influence on her early musical development.

“My mom was a music teacher when I was growing up,” Paul told Nightlife. “I did go to the public-school system here in Southern Illinois. We had a great music program, both at Herrin High School and Marion High School. I played French horn from the third grade all the way through college. My mom would always introduce new music in the house, and me being a band person was just really attracted to the swing bands and things like that. So I just really fell in love with this music back in high school.”

Paul has released six albums since 2009, including a Christmas record and her newest, Bonded, a tribute to the most famous James Bond film themes. She says the project came about as a way of celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of James Bond.

“To our knowledge, no one has recorded an album like it,” Paul said. “So they just kind of approached me and said, ‘Hey, how would you feel about doing a James Bond tribute record?’ I said ‘Sure!’ So that’s where it came from. It was the label’s idea and we ran with it.”

The John A. Logan concert will feature Paul and her jazz combo paying tribute to Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Rosemary Clooney, and will also include some tracks from the new Bond album.

Paul says audience members can expect “a lot of fun, laughs, some romance, and just a night full of really great music.”

For tickets or more information, call (800) 851-4720 extensions 287 or 369 or visit the Student Activities link at <http://jalc.edu>.

For more information about Paul, visit <http://www.JaimeePaul.com>.

who: Jaimee Paul

what: At Last (vocal jazz)

where: John A. Logan College O’Neil Auditorium

when: Thursday, March 21

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Video Comentary

When he was sitting in the emergency room a few weeks ago, two thoughts ran through local musician Mike Alderfer’s mind almost simultaneously.

“One was how much I was going to miss playing and how much that sucked, and two was how I was going to pay for it-- I’m uninsured, and how much that it was going to ruin me financially to have to pay these bills,” Alderfer told Nightlife.

Alderfer, however, will get by with a little help from his friends. A team of local musicians have banded together to set up a benefit show Friday, February 22 at Tres Hombres. The event features a few groups with whom Alderfer has played. Proceeds from the show will help Alderfer pay his medical bills.

Musical entertainers performing at the benefit include the Well Well Wells, King Juba, the Mudsills, Soul Glo, the Rural Kings, and Bosco and Whiteford.

Alderfer said he was carrying band equipment when he tripped and fell over some stairs. His arm broke in three places, and the accident has effectively put him out of commission until at the least the middle of March.

“There were nurses coming over and checking out the X-rays,” he said. “I guess it was pretty bad.”

Alderfer said he was taken aback when he heard what many of his bandmates and his friends had decided to do for him.

“It was very surprising to hear,” he said.

Alderfer is a well-liked, highly diversified, and heavily employed bass player in Southern Illinois. The groups in which he plays range from blues and Latin music to rock ‘n’ roll and soul. Before his accident, in fact, he played with eight local bands, including Soul Glo, King Juba, Hot! Sauce, the Blarney Stones, the Mudsills, the Timmy Whiteford Band, the Well Well Wells, and the Raw Flesh Eaters.

Alderfer said he is looking forward to watching many of his bands from a different perspective.

“It’ll be interesting to see everyone play from the outside,” he said.

Billy Dan Langley, guitarist and harmonica player for the Well Well Wells, said he first met Alderfer when they were playing together in the Ivas John Band. Langley became involved in the benefit after Tres Hombres’ booking manager and Soul Glo and Mudsills guitarist Dan Goett asked for bands to play on Alderfer’s behalf. Langley has since helped to organize the show.

“[Goett] put it out there and asked who all could help,” Langley said. “It was something that we wanted to do to help [Mike] out.”

Langley described Alderfer as a “very funny and very serious musician.” He added that the weekend benefit is a terrific opportunity to hear a great night of local music.

“It is definitely a good night to come out for everyone involved,” Langley said. “There are a lot of good bands playing and it is for a good cause.”

The benefit proves again the tightness of the music community in Carbondale. Alderfer said he is very grateful to have so many people think of him during his time of need.

“I appreciate the camaraderie of the musicians,” Alderfer said. “It’s good to have a lot of friends and musicians in town.”

who: Soul Glo / Mudsills / King Juba / Rural Kings / Bosco and Whiteford / Well, Well, Wells

what: Mike Alderfer benefit

where: Tres Hombres

when: Friday, February 22

Video Comentary

What would summer in Southern Illinois be without a heavy dose of soulful blues? Look no further than the James Leg, who will perform Tuesday, June 5 at Tres Hombres. The James Leg is lead by keyboard player John Wesley Meyers of the Black Diamond Heavies, whose voice would please fans of Howlin’ Wolf. Here is Nightlife’s interview with Meyers:

How would you describe your sound and live performance for someone who has never heard it or been to one of your shows?

We were callin’ it punk-ass blues-- urgent, raw blues and soul. For the most part, it’s urgent, raw blues.

Where did the name James Leg come from?

It’s been a nickname for twenty years. There's a local street character in Tennessee-- he had known my name for years but always called me James. I dunno if you know what a Jimmy leg is, but it’s a leg that quivers. Jimmy Leg-- I’ve been using that for over twenty years.

Do you ever get confused for the band Jake’s Leg?

No. I didn’t even know there was one.

Who/what are your biggest creative influences?

Howlin’ Wolf, Ray Charles, Captain Beefheart, the Stooges.

What do you write about?

Life. I’m not a storyteller, like a fiction writer. All of my songs come from stories that happen to me. It’s all biographical. I write about life-- love, the lack of it, women, drugs, jail, piece-of-shit cars.

How do you like the Fender Rhodes keyboard? Classic!

I love it. That’s all I play, it’s all I have played for fifteen years. I have seven of them right now. The airplanes won't carry them so I have to get them [and] stash them around.

There are only two people in the band. How does that influence the sound?

It gives us a lot of freedom. It frees up the drums as a solo instrument.

What is your spirit animal?

I’m not really sure. My Chinese zodiac is tiger.

Who are your independent bands to listen to?

Lee Bains and the Glory Fires. They just put out their first record, the live show is amazing, and the record’s great. Left Lane Cruiser from Fort Wayne, Indiana. Scott H. Biram from Austin, Texas.

How is the tour going?

Good, long, fun. We’ve been out on the road for three months.

Do you have a favorite show?

I like them all. Paris was great, and Bourdeaux, France.

What can people expect to see at the show?

People can expect to come and have a good time. It’s dance music. Even if they don’t dance, it’s a good time.

What do you have to say to aspiring musicians?

Stay in school. It’s a lot of hard work.

What should one do when one gets the blues?

I normally buy a bottle of whiskey. Put on a John Lee Hooker record and buy a bottle of whiskey.

who: James Leg featuring John Wesley Meyers

what: urgent, raw blues and soul

where: Tres Hombres

when: Tuesday, June 5

Video Comentary

The world got their first look at rhythm-and-blues singer Nikko Smith in 2005 on Fox’s immensely popular American Idol. The young singer from Saint Louis (whose father is Cardinal great Ozzie Smith) sang classics on the program like Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On,” Ray Charles’s “Georgia on my Mind,” and the Jackson Five’s “I Want You Back.” Smith made it to the third round of the semi-finals, and he is still making a name for himself as an independent artist. Smith will perform Thursday, August 25 at the Copper Dragon.

After the American Idol television season and the subsequent American Idol tour, Smith released his first full-length album, Revolution, in 2008. While Smith had nothing but good things to say about the show, it is refreshing to see the artist independently release his records, the most recent of which is Speakaz Blow Radio. While American Idol is watched by millions of viewers, the word independent isn’t usually kicked around with the TV music machine.

“Sometimes when you sign with a label, you don’t get freedom to do what you want to do,” Smith tells Nightlife. “Everybody’s got a direction for you. That’s why we wanted to do [Speakaz Blow Radio] independently-- so I could do what I want and how I wanted to do it.”

Recorded in his hometown, Speakaz Blow Radio encompasses the same spirit of rhythm-and-blues heavyweights as R. Kelly and Maxwell. For Smith, the creation of Speakaz Blow Radio, and his music in general, is something he’s always wanted to do.

“It’s like any other job, whether you’re a painter or a race-car driver,” Smith says. “It doesn’t seem like work if you love doing it. I always wanted to be an entertainer since I was young. I’d watch Purple Rain and Moonwalker all the time, so it never feels like work-- it’s fun. You can create a whole new world when you write and perform music. It gives you a window into other people’s lives.”

After Idol and the musical maelstrom surrounding it, Smith said he kept getting producers and execs who claimed they loved his music, but they would love it even more if he sounded like Usher. “Why would you want something that sounds like Usher when you already have Usher?” Smith asks.

Smith is also mindful that the mainstream-music industry isn’t interested in making quality full-length albums anymore, instead focusing attention on radio singles. Smith also cites rhythm-and-blues singer Donell Jones’s album Where I Wanna Be as a full-length that inspired him, among others.

“I like the old Snoop Dogg stuff where he’s telling stories, or L.L. Cool J. back in the day,” Smith says. “It was all about telling stories. Now it’s not so much like that anymore. We all want to kick it at the party and have a good time, but if you’ve got a story to go along that you’re willing to put out there, people will be more likely to like it and gravitate towards it and understand you as an artist.”

Smith says he’s a fan of all musical genres, and each performance illustrates his drive to hit every note and put on a great show. It’s only natural for this idol, who says he feels blessed to perform for people.

“A lot of people asked, after American Idol, if I was going to keep singing,” Smith says. “It kind of upset me, but at the same time I understood that people really don’t know me. With my season there were people like myself, Bo Bice, Carrie Underwood, Scott Savol, Anthony Fedorov, we were all singing before we got on the show. So it’s only natural for me to keep it going.”

Find out more at <http://NikkoSmith.com>.

who: Nikko Smith

what: soul, classic rock

where: Pinch Penny Pub Beer Garden / Copper Dragon Brewing Company

when: Friday, August 26

Video Comentary

The thirty-third annual Sunset Concert Series will kick off next week with the rhythm-and-blues / jazz / funk fusion of Space Capone. The band's eponymous frontman has made a name for himself in his adopted hometown of Nashville, Tennessee through improvisational and highly danceable live shows that combine soulful vocals with horns, guitars, synths, and percussion. Space Capone will perform Thursday, June 16 at 7 p.m. on the steps of SIU's Shryock Auditorium.

As a funk band in the country capital of the world, Space Capone is used to defying people's expectations. Along with the band itself, lead singer Aaron Winters assumes the name Space Capone and has crafted a stage persona that is equal parts Prince, George Clinton, and Beck-- the latter another funky white boy who must be green with envy at Capone's soaring falsetto.

"I definitely don't mind getting compared to Prince, but people have this urge to make us something simple and to give us a label," Capone recently told Nightlife. "I just want to say to them, 'Stop talking about it and just listen!' Anyone who wouldn't give us a shot because of what someone else wrote isn't in this for the right reasons."

Originally from Indiana, Capone moved to Nashville years ago, having already adopted a steady diet of funk, jazz, soul, and rhythm and blues. And while the city remains most famous for its country stars, Capone said the funk scene is burgeoning and that the regional distinctiveness of their sound has allowed them more exposure.

"It's not a novelty act. It's just me," he said. "But I do think that we've benefited from the fact that we're more different in Nashville than we might be in New York or L.A. In Nashville, there are a lot of people who are so sick of the whole woe-is-me, singer / songwriter kind of country. There aren't many shows to dance to in Nashville, and most of them are techno, house, and trance, so a lot of people come to our shows not really knowing what to expect.

"I get to see the shock on peoples' faces when we first start playing," Capone said with a laugh. "A lot of people seem to think that they have to decide really quickly whether they like something or not, but I think it takes longer with us, because there's a little period of surprise first."

And when the surprise ends, the dancing begins. Space Capone's two full-length albums-- 2008's Volume I: Transformation and 2010's Volume II: Arrival, Arousal-- reveal a deceptively mature approach to songwriting that juxtaposes complex jazz syncopations and horn progressions with lyrics like "She's got me feeling how I look, which is very, very sexy." (Also, from a ridiculously catchy posterior tribute called "Booty": "With an ass like that, it's be a sin to dance all alone.")

"Rick James was never serious, and you don't have to be if the songs are strong enough," Capone said. "Some of my peers in Nashville will go to shows, and it's a room full of people with their arms crossed, not smiling, not dancing, not looking like they're having fun at all. That vibe, it's gotta change! And I'm going to need some help with that."

This refreshing lack of pretension allows Space Capone to take accessible, commercial songs like "Booty" and "I Just Wanna Dance"-- two of the band's singles that both have excellent videos available online-- and transform them into freewheeling improvisational whirlwinds live.

"The live shows are always jazzier and the albums are always poppier," he explained. "You take a lot of performers, like a [Lady] Gaga, and their goal with the live show is to recreate the album. We don't want to do that. The live shows are all improvisation, completely on the spot. We have a couple links in each song that can go in different directions, and I'll yell out one of them when we're playing live, and then the trumpet player and the horns just look at each other and start making faces to figure out who's going to take the next solo."

Capone-- who has spent the first weeks of June in the studio in Nashville working on his third full-length release-- also said that he has to resist the impulse to overload the recordings with all the tricks the band has in their live arsenal.

"I was just having a conversation with my producer about this yesterday.... and he said that you have to leave some of it behind for the live show, so you can give people something new," Capone said. "If there's no third harmony on the album, then they can sing it in their car, or be surprised by a new horn line at the live show."

Sunset Concert attendees may also be surprised at how comfortable Space Capone is in an open outdoor setting-- but even if the whole city of Carbondale comes to the show, it still won't be close to their biggest crowd. The band was one of the winners of the 2010 Road to Bonnaroo contest and was rewarded with a spot on the epic festival's lineup.

"I love playing outside, and we've never had a problem getting our sound out outdoors," Capone said. "Some of our best shows have been at festivals, definitely, and I like playing on larger stages."

When asked about the band's experience playing in front of tens of thousands of people, Capone laughed. "Bonnaroo was... hectic. It's a refugee camp, but the people aren't refugees. We were all ready to pass out at the end of it, so we knew it was good."

Since the festival last year, the group has focused on stage choreography, modernizing their sound within Nashville's burgeoning funk scene-- and sax solos.

"I love sax solos!" Capone enthused. "I love them and I want to bring them back. I've also been consciously trying to make our sound newer. So many people comment that we sound like we're from the seventies or eighties, and there's a lot to like about that, but I also want the band to have a sort of technology to it. I want to experiment more with effects like Autotune, not for the lead but for the background vocals.

"We're a totally different live band than we were the last time we were in Carbondale," he added. (They were one of the many Sunset Concert rain casualties in 2009.) "We're going to have three synths this time. We've really been doing a lot with synth bass lately, and last time we had no synths."

Capone estimated an eight- or nine-person lineup for the Sunset Concert. Core players Capone, Neal Dahlgren (lead guitar), Sam Farkus (guitar), Drew Wilson (bass), and Mikey Martel (horns) will be joined by drums, synths, and backup singers.

Capone also said that the band hopes the show will be a launching point for a fan base in Southern Illinois. "I really want to be playing in Carbondale more often," Capone mused. "We're so close, and I hear a lot about what a great music scene you guys have. So I'm starting a campaign right now for Space Capone to play at the Hangar 9. Give us your support and help us make this happen!"

For more about Space Capone, log on to <http://www.SpaceCapone.com>.

The 2011 Sunset Concert series is sponsored by the city of Carbondale, the Carbondale Park District, the SIU Student Center, and the SIU Student Programming Council. While glass bottles, pets, and kegs are prohibited, the concerts are free and open to everyone.

who: Space Capone

what: Sunset Concert Series (funk, rhythm and blues)

where: Steps of Shryock Auditorium

when: Thursday, June 16