Viewing entries tagged with 'music'
An Ode to International Women's Day
Today, March 8, marks International Women's Day, which is dedicated to celebrating Women's achievements and calling for greater equality. Whenever I think about my experiences growing up in the 1990's and 2000's, I feel thankful that I not only had strong female role models in my own life, but also in popular culture. Around the time that I became attune to popular music, the airwaves were flooded with hit after hit addressing female liberation and empowerment. When you grow up singing along to tunes with such strong statements, the message sinks in before you fully realize it. Below are five of my favorite female empowerment jams from my adolescence.
Jam Sessions
I was looking through some of my older blog entries, when I came across a few great stories I wrote way back when. I will do this from time to time when I feel like a story bears repeating since the content is pertinent. In this case, I am a big advocate for the music scene in Chicago. Jam sessions have a particular role amongst musicians since they began doing them many years ago. Chicago has a robust jam session scene and the tradition continues. I wrote this story a while back. Many of the artists I mention in story, still continue to participate in those sessions. I wanted to bring this story back since Rose Colella who now has a new album called "Cocktail". I hope to review the CD and interview her soon. You can get your copy here at rosecolella.com or on iTunes. Enjoy!
Eight Holiday Gift Ideas for the Music Lover
The holidays are upon us and whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or you simply enjoy buying gifts for your loved ones, Rhythm Section One has some ideas for the music lover in your life. While an iTunes or Amazon gift card is always nice, consider these fun suggestions instead.
Country Music Association Awards Play by Play
The 48th Annual CMA Awards happened tonight in Nashville, TN. Below is our live play by play of the show.
Taylor Swift: The Best Friend I've Never Met
Without a doubt the strongest pop album of 2014 is 1989 by Taylor Swift. This comes as no surprise to me- I'm a diehard Taylor Swift fan. Over the past six years, Taylor inspired many hairbrush karaoke sessions for me. Her songs boast thousands of plays on my iPod. And I've seen her four times in concert, including once on every one of her headlining US tours.
Panic! At The Disco Get Crowd Off Their Feet in Chicago
I received Panic! At The Disco's first full length album, "A Fever You Can't Sweat Out" as a sixteenth birthday present and then proceeded to bury some teenage angst between the lines of their witty lyrics with every listen. Now, nine years later, the make up and sound of the band has shifted throughout the years, but one thing's for sure- Panic! still turn every live performance into an infectious dance party.
Love is the Answer – The Frankie Knuckles Tribute at Millennium Park
The music. The laughter. The hugs. The joy. For one night, Millennium Park became the epicenter of arguably Chicago’s greatest musical pioneer. The Frankie Knuckles Tribute Party was one of the best outdoor events of the year that transcended its purpose, bringing thousands of people together in memory of Frankie Knuckles.
Brad Paisley Kicks Off Outdoor Concert Season to Packed Crowd
Cars clog the Tinley Park exit ramps on I-80 all the way to the highway, gravel in the parking lot crunches under cowboy boots and the moon shines down on a crowd dotted with cutoff jeans and cowboy hats. It must be the first big country music concert of the summer in Chicagoland.
The Death of Evolution – Straight Ahead
A few days ago, I was checking my newsfeed on my Facebook page, when I stumbled across a posting from musician and composer Christopher McBride. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting him on several occasions. Christopher is a young and talented alto saxophone player who released an album a year or so ago called Quatuor De Force. (Available for sale at CDBaby.com) It’s has primarily new music, written and arranged by Christopher himself, with the exception of two songs. (I’m ashamed to admit that I didn’t get around to listening to the full album until a few weeks ago. Hey, cut me some slack! I’ve been really busy.!) It is lively and exciting music. Fresh and innovative in it’s delivery. It’s music that you can groove to. There’s nothing wrong with that, right?
First Things First!
Welcome to the Rhythm Section One Blog! I am so excited to finally get this project off the ground! It took a year of planning, pushing, and going crazy, but it is finally here! First of all, a lot of you may remember my original company, Smooth Jazz Entertainment LLC. That was my first foray into the music business acting primarily as a promoter. It was a tumultuous journey that took me into the bowels of club management, marketing and promotion. Though, I wouldn’t say I hated the entire experience, I quickly realized that wasn’t where my strengths were. I enjoyed putting on events, and promoting my own shows, however, my skills and talents were better utilized around managing people. That’s not to say I won’t do any events (a lot of you have been asking!) but I would rather focus my energy on developing artists and their careers and writing stories that people want to read.
