Wednesday MidDay Medley
Produced and Hosted by Mark Manning
90.1 FM KKFI – Kansas City Community Radio
TEN to NOON Wednesdays – Streaming at KKFI.org

Wednesday, July 8, 2020

Sam Platt talks about Ondist + Nina Songs
+ New & MidCoastal Releases

1. “It’s Showtime Folks”
from: Orig. Motion Picture Soundtrack All That Jazz / Casablanca / Dec 20, 1979
[WMM’s theme]

2. Calvin Arsenia – “Experience”
from: Catastrophe / Calvin Arsenia / February 14, 2017
[Calvin Arsenia premiered these songs in a live show at recordBar in November 2016 in a stage show that involved a company of 50 people, dancers, stilt walkers, special lighting, back up singers, guest artists. Born in Orlando, Florida, Calvin’s creative journey really began when he moved to the KC suburb of Olathe, teaching himself the guitar, and eventually the harp. He learned his signature instrument at the age of 20 after he couldn’t find a harpist as determined as him to meld folk, rock, classical, rap and R&B into the irresistible fusion which has become his calling card in the Kansas City music scene and beyond. His passion for stretching the boundaries of musical expression saw him transform a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland’s Fringe Festival early in his career into a life-changing music mission, with an Edinburgh church offering him a role as musical liaison between the church and the city that would change his life. Two years and 300 shows later, Calvin returned to Kansas City reborn as a humanistic songwriter/performer whose impassioned and conceptual stage shows (regularly sold-out in Kansas City, currently catching fire on the West Coast with a diverse following across Europe), are collaborative, costumed-culture-bridging spectacles which In KC Magazine has hailed as ‘equal parts opera, symphony, musical theatre, rock show, all built around its creator: a charismatic 6-foot-6-inch harpist with a natural stage command and knack for gilding gold and painting lilies.’ Since Calvin Arsenia came home to KC after living in Edinburgh, Scotland, he has released thr EP, Moments, in 2014, the EP Prose in 2015, the Folk Alliance exclusive EP Catastrophe in 2016, the full length album Catastrophe on February 14, 2017, the EP Caviar in Novenber 2017, the 2018 national debut, Cantaloupe, released September 15, 2018 on Center Cut Records. On June 28, 2019 Calvin released Honeydew, an EP including a remix of three songs from Cantaloupe. On September 20, 2019 Calvin released LA Sessions. On December 13, 2019 Calvin released his full length Christmas album “all is calm.” Calvin is also a graduate of Artist INC. Since 2014 we have been celebrating the music of Calvin Arsenia. He has played Folk Alliance International, Kansas City Fringe Fest, The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, The Kauffman Center For The Performing Arts, The Middle of the Map Fest., The Folly Theatre.]

[Congratulations to Calvin and his fantastic team of co-conspirators and creators: Khitam Jabr, John P. Beatty, Ignacio Galarza III, Ashlee Fairchild Jones, production assistants, and crew. The Toxic music video earned its sixth set of laurels as an official selection of the L.A. Music Video Awards, where they were nominated for Best Music Video, Best Cover Song and Best Male Vocalist.]

3. X.WILSON – “Nobody Safe”
from: Troost Story / Intelligent Sound / June 19, 2020
[X.Wilson is a non-binary composer, producer, DJ, and story teller. Troost Story was mastered by JPINO of Intelligent Sound. Troost Story is available at http://www.xwilson.bandcamp.com. 100% of the proceeds from the sales of this recording are being donated to NAACP legal defense fund.]

4. The Black Creatures – “D’umm”
from: “Wild Echoes / The Black Creatures / September 30, 2019
[Darkpop hip-hop musical pulling elements from sci-fi to tell an inter-dimensional story. Xavier Martin and Jade Green have made an impression of the KC music community with their videos and songs, live shows in clubs, art galleries, record stores, area music festivals and shows in surrounding areas. They’ve released an EP, an album, several singles.]

5. Logan Richardson – “American Mirror (feat. Kadesh Flow)”
from: American Mirror – Single / Logan Richardson/ June 19, 2020
[Lyrics By Kadesh Flow. Music by Logan Richardson. Logan Richardson on alto saxophone, and synth keyboards. Produced by Logan Richardson. Logan Richardson was born in 1980. He is a native son of Kansas City, Missouri born, and raised. Logan Richardson is considered by top critics as a breath of fresh air for the future of music. A young star pushing the boundaries of modern improvised music, carrying the torch of vitality for improvised music as a premier alto saxophonist, composer, producer, and educator. One of several singles being released this year from Logan Richardson who is also releasing a new album, AFROFUTURISM in September, 2020.]

10:21 – Underwriting

10:26 – Nina Songs

6. Bettye LaVette – “I Hold No Grudge”
from: Blackbirds / Verve Records / August 28, 2020
[“I Hold No Grudge” was from Nina Simone’s 1967 album, High Priestess of Soul. The songs are accompanied by a large band directed and arranged by Hal Mooney. The album contains pop songs and African American gospel and folk related songs written by Simone herself. After this album title –an attempt to broaden her appeal by management executivess– Nina Simone was sometimes titled “the high priestess of soul”, although she completely rejected the title herself, because it placed a label on her as an artist. However, according to her daughter, Simone, she never hated that moniker. The song “I Hold No Grudge” was co-written by Andy Badale, the pseudonym of Angelo Badalamenti, who later became known as the composer of the soundtracks for the films of David Lynch.] [For Bettye LaVette’s Blackbirds Steve Jordan served as producer. Blackbirds features songs primarily popularized by peers-other iconic women in music-who she respected and admired. This is the 11th studio album from Bettye LaVette, born Betty Jo Haskins, on January 29, 1946. She is an American soul singer-songwriter who made her first record at sixteen, but achieved only intermittent fame until 2005, with her album I’ve Got My Own Hell to Raise. Her eclectic musical style combines elements of soul, blues, rock and roll, funk, gospel, and country music.LaVette was born in Muskegon, Michigan, and raised in Detroit. Unlike many of her contemporaries, she did not begin singing in the church, but in her parents’ living room, singing R&B and country and western music. She was signed by Johnnie Mae Matthews, a local record producer. In 1962, aged sixteen, she recorded a single, “My Man — He’s a Lovin’ Man”, with Matthews, which became a Top Ten R&B hit after Atlantic Records bought distribution rights. This led to a tour with rhythm and blues musicians Clyde McPhatter, Ben E. King, Barbara Lynn, and then-newcomer Otis Redding. She next hit the charts with “Let Me Down Easy” on Calla Records in 1965. This led to a brief stint with The James Brown Revue. After recording several singles for local Detroit labels, LaVette signed to the Silver Fox label in 1969. She cut a handful of tracks, including two Top 40 R&B hits: “He Made A Woman Out Of Me” and “Do Your Duty”. The Memphis studio musicians on these recordings have since become known as The Dixie Flyers. In 1972, she signed once again with Atlantic/Atco. She was sent to Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama to record what was to be her first full-length album. Titled Child of the Seventies, it was produced by Brad Shapiro and featured the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, now known as The Swampers, but Atco chose not to issue the album. The mid 1970s saw a brief stint and two 45s with Epic, and in 1978 she released the disco smash on West End Records “Doin’ The Best That I Can”. In 1982, she was signed by her hometown label, Motown, and sent to Nashville to record. The resulting LP (her first album actually issued), titled Tell Me A Lie, was produced by Steve Buckingham. The first single, “Right In The Middle (Of Falling In Love)” hit the R&B Top 40. She briefly gave up recording for a six-year run in the Broadway smash Bubbling Brown Sugar, appearing alongside Honi Coles and Cab Calloway. After LaVette had played her own personal mono recordings of Child of the Seventies for Gilles Petard, a French soul music collector, he sought the master recordings at Atlantic, whose personnel had previously thought they had been lost in a fire some years back. In 1999, he finally discovered the masters and then licensed the album from Atlantic and released it in 2000 as Souvenirs on his Art and Soul label. At the same time, Let Me Down Easy — Live In Concert was issued by the Dutch Munich label. Both albums sparked a renewed interest in LaVette and in 2003, A Woman Like Me (produced by Dennis Walker) was released. The CD won the 2004 W. C. Handy Award for “Comeback Blues Album of the Year”. In an interview, LaVette identified A Woman Like Me as the first album in the second phase of her career and said her 2012 autobiography was named after the album.]

7. Meshell Ndegeocello – “Please Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”
from: Pour une ame sourveraine – A Dedication To Nina Simone / Naive / October 12, 2012
[“Please Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood. Ndegeocello’s soulful, blues-inflected rendition of the pop standard opens her tribute album to Nina Simone, Pour Une Âme Souveraine. Known for her refusal to adhere to genre conventions, her progressive approach to pop music, and her fierce political activism, Simone is a clear artistic forbearer for Ndegeocello, and Pour Une Âme Souveraine both honors Simone’s legacy while allowing Ndegeocello to build on her own.” – Slant Magazine (Oct. 8, 2012). Michelle Lynn Johnson, better known as Meshell Ndegeocello was born August 29, 1968. She is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, and bassist. She has gone by the name Meshell Suhaila Bashir-Shakur which is used as a writing credit on some of her later work. Her music incorporates a wide variety of influences, including funk, soul, jazz, hip hop, reggae and rock. She has received significant critical acclaim throughout her career, and although she has never won a Grammy Award, she has been nominated ten times. She has been credited for helping to have “sparked the neo-soul movement. Pour une Âme Souveraine: A Dedication to Nina Simone is the 10th studio album. “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” is a song written by Bennie Benjamin, Horace Ott and Sol Marcus for the singer and pianist Nina Simone, who first recorded it in 1964 from the album, Broadway, Blues, Ballads. “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” has been covered by many artists, most notably by The Animals, whose blues rock version of the song became a transatlantic hit in 1965. A 1977 four-on-the-floor disco rearrangement by disco group Santa Esmeralda was also a hit, while a 1986 cover by new wave musician Elvis Costello found success in the British Isles]

8. David Bowie – “Wild Is The Wind (2010 Harry Maslin Mix)”
from: Nothing Has Changed / Parlophone Records / November 17, 2014
[“Wild Is the Wind” was written by Dimitri Tiomkin & Ned Washington for the 1957 film Wild Is the Wind. Johnny Mathis recorded the song for the film and released it as a single in November 1957. Mathis’ version reached No. 22 on the Billboard chart. It was nominated for an Academy Award. The song has been recorded many times, by many performers. The best known versions are one by Nina Simone in 1966, and one by David Bowie released in 1976 as a tribute to Simone. Nina Simone first recorded “Wild Is the Wind” live in 1959, this version appearing on the album Nina Simone at Town Hall. Her most famous interpretation of the song was a studio recording released on the compilation album Wild Is the Wind (1966), made of songs recorded for two earlier album projects. Simone reworked the song with slow, sparse instrumentation, stretching the vocal delivery to express soulful, hopeless loss. Simone’s 1966 version appeared on the trailer for the 2008 movie Revolutionary Road. David Bowie recorded”Wild Is the Wind” for his 1976 album Station to Station. Bowie was an admirer of Simone’s style, and after meeting her in Los Angeles in 1975, he was inspired to record the song for his album. Bowie later said that Simone’s version “really affected me… I recorded it as an hommage to Nina.” This was the only cover song released by Bowie during this period of his career; he wrote or co-wrote the other songs on his albums. Bowie took special care with the contemporary rock arrangement and production of “Wild Is the Wind”, committing to an emotional and romantic vocal performance, the words drawn out more slowly and with a greater sense of loss, following the 1966 Simone version rather than the Mathis original Station to Station is the 10th studio album by English musician David Bowie, released by RCA Records in 1976. Commonly regarded as one of his most significant works, Station to Station was the vehicle for his performance persona, the Thin White Duke. The album was recorded after he completed shooting Nicolas Roeg’s The Man Who Fell to Earth, and the cover artwork featured a still from the film. During the sessions, Bowie was heavily dependent on drugs, especially cocaine, and later claimed that he recalled almost nothing of the production. Musically, Station to Station was a transitional album for Bowie, developing the funk and soul music of his previous release, Young Americans, while presenting a new direction influenced by German bands such as Neu! and Kraftwerk. The album’s lyrics reflected his preoccupations with Friedrich Nietzsche, Aleister Crowley, mythology and religion. Drawing on funk and krautrock, romantic balladry and occultism, Station to Station has been described as “simultaneously one of Bowie’s most accessible albums and his most impenetrable”. Bowie himself said that Station to Station was “a plea to come back to Europe for me”.Preceded by the single “Golden Years”, Station to Station made the top five in both the UK and US charts. The musical styles explored on the album would culminate in some of Bowie’s most acclaimed work with the “Berlin Trilogy”, recorded with Brian Eno in 1977–79. In 2012, the album was ranked No. 324 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. It has since been reissued multiple times and was remastered in 2016 as part of the Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976) box set.]

9. Nina Simone – “Feeling Good”
from: I Put A Spell On You / Phillips / June, 1965
[Feeling Good” was written by English composers Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse for the musical The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd. It was first performed on stage in 1964 by Cy Grant on the UK tour and by Gilbert Price in 1965 with the original Broadway cast. Nina Simone recorded “Feeling Good” for her 1965 album I Put a Spell on You. The song has also been covered by Traffic, Michael Bublé, John Coltrane, George Michael, Victory, Eels, Joe Bonamassa, EDEN, Muse, Black Cat Bones, Sammy Davis Jr., Bassnectar, and Avicii, among others. Nina Simone’s version, arranged and produced by Hal Mooney, was recorded in New York in January 1965 and appeared on her album I Put a Spell on You. It was not released as a single at the time. In 1994, Simone’s recording was used in a British TV commercial for Volkswagen, and became popular. Released as a single, it reached no. 40 on the UK Singles Chart in July 1994. Simone’s recording was used in the film Point of No Return, and it appears on soundtracks for the movies Repo Men (2010), Last Holiday (2006), Professor Marston and the Wonder Women (2017), and the TV soundtrack Six Feet Under, Vol. 2: Everything Ends. The Bassnectar/Simone cover was used in “Chapter 6”, a first-season episode of the television series Legion.] [Born Eunice Kathleen Waymon; February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003) was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music. Simone aspired to become a classical pianist while working in a broad range of styles including classical, jazz, blues, folk, R&B, gospel, and pop. Born the sixth child of a preacher’s family in North Carolina, Simone aspired to be a concert pianist. Her musical path changed direction after she was denied a scholarship to the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, despite a well-received audition. Simone was later told by someone working at Curtis that she was rejected because she was black. When she began playing in a small club in Philadelphia to fund her continuing musical education and become a classical pianist she was required to sing as well. She was approached for a recording by Bethlehem Records, and her rendering of “I Loves You, Porgy” was a hit in the United States in 1958. Over the length of her career Simone recorded more than 40 albums, mostly between 1958—when she made her debut with Little Girl Blue—and 1974. Her musical style arose from a fusion of gospel and pop songs with classical music, in particular with influences from her first inspiration, Johann Sebastian Bach, and accompanied with her expressive jazz-like singing in her characteristic contralto. She injected as much of her classical background into her music as possible to give it more depth and quality, as she felt that pop music was inferior to classical. Her intuitive grasp on the audience–performer relationship was gained from a unique background of playing piano accompaniment for church revivals and sermons regularly from the early age of six years old. In the early 1960s, she became involved in the civil rights movement and the direction of her life shifted once again. Simone’s music was highly influential in the fight for equal rights in the United States. In later years, she lived abroad, finally settling in France in 1992. She received a Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 2000 and was a fifteen-time Grammy Award nominee over the course of her career.]

10. Special Interest – “Young, Gifted, Black, In Leather”
from: Spiraling / Records DK / February 28, 2018
[Produced By Quintron. Mastered by Will Killingsworth at Dead Air Studios. Special Interest is a four piece punk band emerging from New Orleans, Louisiana. Combining elements of No-Wave, Glam, and Industrial Special Interest create a frenetic and urgent revisioning of punk and electronic music for a modern world gone mad. Propulsive drum machines, a swirling layer of detuned samples, and a driving bass line create the foundation across which angular guitar work and dissonant synth lines glide. Front and center are Alli Logout’s commanding vocals and razor sharp lyrics moving from high camp satire to insightful political imperatives often within the course of one song. Special Interest initially formed in 2015 to play one show in a basement. Originally a two-piece with Alli Logout and Maria Elena playing guitars and power tools over the beat of a 70’s Univox drum machine. Soon after they ditched the power tools and were joined by Ruth Mascelli on electronics and Nathan Cassiani on bass. Special Interest quickly gained a reputation for their intense and energetic live shows. A dense wall of sound oscillating from aggressive and noisy to joyous and danceable punctuated by the no holds barred on stage persona of their vocalist. Special Interest have embarked on several short tours of the southeast and have traveled to play festivals such as Suoni Per Popolo, Slut Island, and Not Dead Yet. Their debut album Spiraling w as recorded in New Orleans in 2017 by organist, inventor, and fixture of the local underground music scene Quintron. The first new release on Brice Nice’s Raw Sugar label since 2011, Spiraling is perhaps the sum of its members influences. Which is, to say, everything. They are currently working on a follow up LP to be released in the US on Thrilling Living and in the UK/Europe on Night School Records.]

11. Special Interest – “All Tomorrow’s Carry”
from: The Passion Of / Thrilling Living / June 19, 2020
[“But would you bat an eye waiting for war machines to pass you by? But aren’t we going out tonight? Aren’t we going out? “ Special Interest have returned with their sophomore LP. A dual release from Night School (EU) and Thrilling Living (US). The Passion Of… combines elements of glam rock and no wave pushed through a mangled filter of contemporary electronic forms. Special Interest present a precise and deranged vision of punk, an apocalyptic celebration, a step forward into a perverse and uncertain landscape. Recorded & mixed by James Whitten. Mastered by Rashad Becker. Cover painting by Tamara Santibañez. Special Interest is baed in New Orleans and is made up with: Alli Logout on vocals & lyrics, Nathan Cassiani on bass, Maria Elena on guitar, and Ruth Mascelli on electronics

12. BLACKSTARKIDS – “Wigs”
from: SURF / Bedroom Records / February 28, 2020
[Second album from, BlackStarKids, a pop/R&B/hip-hop group based in Kansas City, Missouri. Members include: TheBabeGabe, Deiondre, and TyFaizon (of the Drop Dead XX collective). The group released its first album, Let’s Play Sports, in 2019. Blackstarkids,recently caught the attention of The 1975’s frontman Matty Healy and now they’re signed to The 1975’s management company, Dirty Hit Records and they were just featured in Clash Magazine,]

13. Ondist – “Gather Up The World”
from: No Coincidence / Bikiniwax Records / June 12, 2020
[Corbin Dooley, Nick Poortman, and Maya Coppola are Ondist. With divergent backgrounds rooted in Arkansas, New Zealand, and New York, the trio connected in Los Angeles. Recording in Malibu, Dallas, Kansas City, and Las Vegas brought environmental influences to the center of the Ondist sound, which is united by its cinematic vision of hope. Ondist is a recording project created by Corbin Dooley with singer songwriter Maya Coppola (Imani’s sister) and Nick Poortman. Corbin Dooley signed Nine Inch nails to TVT Records in 1990. He managed Blur, and Tekronic.

11:00 – Station ID

14. Ondist – “Interstate Love Song”
from: No Coincidence / Bikiniwax Records / June 12, 2020
[“Interstate Love Song” is a song by Stone Temple Pilots, released in 1994, from the band’s second studio album, Purple.Corbin Dooley, Nick Poortman, and Maya Coppola are Ondist. With divergent backgrounds rooted in Arkansas, New Zealand, and New York, the trio connected in Los Angeles. Recording in Malibu, Dallas, Kansas City, and Las Vegas brought environmental influences to the center of the Ondist sound, which is united by its cinematic vision of hope. Ondist is a recording project created by Corbin Dooley with singer songwriter Maya Coppola (Imani’s sister) and Nick Poortman. Corbin Dooley signed Nine Inch nails to TVT Records in 1990. He managed Blur, and Tekronic. Kansas City based drummer, producer and engineer Sam Platt told us about how he grew up in Carthage Missouri where Corbin Dooley would visit during summers, staying with is grandparents. Sam explained that recently Corbin with Ondist has been traveling around the country, recording songs. Corbin asked Sam to put a band together for some Kansas City sessions. It was such a success that Corbin has been back twice to record. Corbin flew in producer Nadir Omawale from Detroit and Luke John from Memphis. Recordings took place at Weights and Measures with Duane Trower. For this track: Claire Adams on lead vocals, Sam Platt on drums, Eddie Moore on keyboards, DeAndre Manning on bass, Jamie Anderson on guitar. Sam Platt told us that over 20 songs were recorded, 14 originals, 6 covers. Corbin Dooley narrowed down a few for Claire Adams to sing. From these recordings and others 14 songs ended up on No Coincidence. Sam Platt flew to LA to record and played on tracks with Nick Gaffeney a drummer from New Zealand. Sam said the rest of the albums sounds like it mostly features the Kansas City musicians, or played/programmed by Corbin, Nick and Maya.

11:04 – Interview with Sam Platt

KC based drummer & producer Sam Platt joins us to talk about the new album No Coincidence, from the L.A. based band Ondist. No Coincidence was recorded in Malibu, Dallas, Kansas City, and Las Vegas. Ondist is Corbin Dooley, Maya Coppola, and Nick Poortman. Corbin Dooley asked Sam to put a band together for KC sessions. Recordings took place at Weights & Measures with Duane Trower. The KC band included: Sam Platt on drums, Eddie Moore on keyboards, DeAndre Manning on bass, Jamie Anderson on guitar, and Claire Adams on vocals. More info at http://www.ondistmusic.com

Sam Platt, Thank you for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley.

Corbin Dooley, Nick Poortman, and Maya Coppola are Ondist. With divergent backgrounds rooted in Arkansas, New Zealand, and New York, the trio connected in L.A.

Recording in Malibu, Dallas, Kansas City, and Las Vegas brought environmental influences to the center of the Ondist sound, which is united by its cinematic vision of hope. Ondist is a recording project created by Corbin Dooley with singer songwriter Maya Coppola (Imani’s sister) and Nick Poortman.

Corbin Dooley signed Nine Inch nails to TVT Records in 1990. He managed Blur, and Tekronic.

Kansas City based drummer, producer and engineer Sam Platt told us about how he grew up in Carthage Missouri where Corbin Dooley would visit during summers, staying with is grandparents. Sam explained that recenlty Corbin with Ondist has been traveling around the country, recording songs.

Corbin asked Sam to put a band together for some Kansas City sessions. It was such a success that Corbin has been back twice to record. Corbin flew in producer Nadir Omawale from Detroit and Luke John from Memphis. Recordings took place at Weights and Measures with Duane Trower. For this track: Claire Adams on lead vocals, Sam Platt on drums, Eddie Moore on keyboards, DeAndre Manning on bass, Jamie Anderson on guitar. Sam Platt told us that over 20 songs were recorded, 14 originals, 6 covers. Corbin Dooley narrowed down a few for Claire Adams to sing.

From these recordings and others 14 songs ended up on No Coincidence. Sam Platt flew to LA to record and played on tracks with Nick Gaffeney a drummer from New Zealand. Sam said the rest of the albums sounds like it mostly features the Kansas City musicians, or played/programmed by Corbin, Nick and Maya.

Sam Platt is from Carthage Missouri School, graduated 1986, and spent that summer playing tympani and throughout Europe with the United States Collegiate Wind Ensemble. After 3 years at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, he moved to Boston to finish his degree at the Berklee School of Music. In 1991 he moved back to Kansas City, and received his Master of Arts in Music at the UMKC and started playing 3 nights a week with Billy Meynier and James Albright at the Majestic Steakhouse. Moves to Laguna Beach in 1995. Recording Internship at Future Post. Taught at Capistrano Valley high school and music stores in Orange County and Burbank. Taught jazz and toured in the summers at the Chopin School of Music in Warsaw Poland. In 1996 bought Redhouse Recording in Lawrence Ks, and began recording music, commercials, and audio for video. Sold studio to Getupkids in 2003.

Platt currently playing with RSS Trio, Jeff Shirley Trio, Ken Lovern’s Organ Jazz Trio, performed with Bob Brookmeyer, Bobby Foster, Gary Foster, Micheal Urbaniak, Matthew Garrison, Chris Cheek, Seamus Blake, Doug Talley, Milt Abel, Nathan Granner, and Gerald Trottman. Rock bands include: Pendergast, Ricky Dean Sinatra, Expassionates, Kristie Stremel, The Naughty Pines, The Sunflower Colonels, Kasey Rausch, Fred Wickham Hadacol Caravan, the Billybats, duo with Jason Vivone went to IBC finals in Memphis. Currently head of audio at the American Jazz Museum, just finished 6 weeks of streaming bands 6 nights a week.

His recording clients include: The Bach Aria Soloists, James Clay, Sequira Costa, Micheal W. Smith, Anhauser Busch, all audio recorded, edited and mastered over 10,000 files for the Liberty Memorial World War I Museum, FedEx, Second Story Productions, the Speed Channel, the History Channel, the Discovery Channel, the Outdoor Channel, Disney, John Deere, Dairy Queen, University of Kansas, Washburn University, Baker University, and Southwest Airlines.

He has composed music for Slim 4 Life, Frontier Broadband, Dish Network, John Deere, Grundfos, Seimans, and Liquid 9 Advertising Agency

Sam Platt, Thank you for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley.

The new Ondist album No Coincidence was recorded in Malibu, Dallas, Kansas City, and Las Vegas. Corbin Dooley asked Sam Platt to put a band together for KC sessions. Recordings took place at Weights & Measures with Duane Trower. The KC band included: Sam Platt on drums, Eddie Moore on keyboards, DeAndre Manning on bass, Jamie Anderson on guitar, and Claire Adams on vocals. More info at http://www.ondistmusic.com

11:19

15. Ondist – “No Rain”
from: No Coincidence / Bikiniwax Records / June 12, 2020
[No Rain” is a song by American rock band Blind Melon. It was released in 1993 as the second single from the band’s debut album Blind Melon. Corbin Dooley, Nick Poortman, and Maya Coppola are Ondist. With divergent backgrounds rooted in Arkansas, New Zealand, and New York, the trio connected in Los Angeles. Recording in Malibu, Dallas, Kansas City, and Las Vegas brought environmental influences to the center of the Ondist sound, which is united by its cinematic vision of hope. Ondist is a recording project created by Corbin Dooley with singer songwriter Maya Coppola (Imani’s sister) and Nick Poortman. Corbin Dooley signed Nine Inch nails to TVT Records in 1990. He managed Blur, and Tekronic. Kansas City based drummer, producer and engineer Sam Platt told us about how he grew up in Carthage Missouri where Corbin Dooley would visit during summers, staying with is grandparents. Sam explained that recenlty Corbin with Ondist has been traveling around the country, recording songs. Corbin asked Sam to put a band together for some Kansas City sessions. It was such a success that Corbin has been back twice to record. Corbin flew in producer Nadir Omawale from Detroit and Luke John from Memphis. Recordings took place at Weights and Measures with Duane Trower. For this track: Claire Adams on lead vocals, Sam Platt on drums, Eddie Moore on keyboards, DeAndre Manning on bass, Jamie Anderson on guitar. Sam Platt told us that over 20 songs were recorded, 14 originals, 6 covers. Corbin Dooley narrowed down a few for Claire Adams to sing. From these recordings and others 14 songs ended up on No Coincidence. Sam Platt flew to LA to record and played on tracks with Nick Gaffeney a drummer from New Zealand. Sam said the rest of the albums sounds like it mostly features the Kansas City musicians, or played/programmed by Corbin, Nick and Maya.

16. Lava Dreams – “Catch A Vibe”
from: “Good Energy + Focus / Lava Dreams / June 13, 2020
[Written by Lava Dreams and produced by Duncan Burnett. Solo artist Lava Dreams aka Julia Hamilton writes songs influenced by pop, soul, RnB, jazz, trap, house, funk, reggae, rock, and world music. Hailing from Kansas City, MO, her guitar-based music is both dreamy & electric. Lava Dreams began writing lyrics and melodies as a young child. Growing up, she learned to play her first guitar chords from her father – who played around the house and in local bars. After playing guitar and singing in several Kansas City bands as a teenager, she set out to become a solo artist in 2018. Julia Hamilton is also a film maker who received her Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Film from Avila Unversity. You can listen to Lava Dreams on Spotify, iTunes, Tidal, Deezer, Google Play, YouTube Music, SoundCloud, Bandcamp, or at LavaDreamsMusic.com ]

11:26 – Underwriting

17. Krystle Warren – “Sunday Comfort”
from: Circles / Because Music / March 13, 2009
[Originally from KC, Krystle learned to play the guitar by listening to Rubber Soul & Revolver from The Beatles. Krystle graduated from Paseo Arts Academy in 2001 and began her musical career in collaborating with area jazz and pop musicians. After living in San Francisco and NYC, Krystle was signed to a French label, Because Music, and moved to Paris to release “Circles” in 2009. Krystle played French and British television programs, including Later with Jools Holland, garnering critical acclaim and traveling all over the world with Rufus Wainwright, Nick Cave, Norah Jones, and Joan As Police Woman. Krystle created, Parlour Door Music, to release “Love Songs: A Time You May Embrace” a recording from a 13-day session in Brooklyn, where she recorded 24 songs live with 28 musicians including her band, The Faculty, alongside choirs, horn and string sections. Krystle followed up Love Songs with her 2017 album Three The Hard Way, Produced by Krystle Warren and Ben Kane (D’Angelo, Emily King, PJ Morton). Recorded, engineered, and mixed by Ben Kane. Written & performed by Krystle Warren. Mixed at The Garden, Brooklyn. Mastered & cut by Alex DeTurk at Masterdisk. Last year in Krystle Warren premiered this song and her other new songs from this album at the Middle of the Map Fest in a packed room at Californos in Westport and later at The Polsky Theatre for the Performing Arts Series of Johnsons County Community College. For this record Krystle decided to play every instrument and vocals & back up vocals, “playing bass, drums, lap steel, piano, guitar, and vocals directly to analog tape. She and Ben Kane recorded in Villetaneuse, France, a small town on the outskirts of Paris in a vintage 70s era studio that offered just the right, rich sound to suggest the musical foundation for the record, and to do justice to the duo’s carefully balanced arrangements.” On the radio show last year Krystle shared inspirations for this record, early gospel recordings, that crossed over into Jazz from Pharoah Sanders, Edwin Hawkins, and The Swan Silvertones.]

18. Aretha Franklin – “Don’t Play That Song”
from: 30 Greatest Hits / Atlantic Records / January 1, 1985
[Don’t Play That Song (You Lied)” is a song written by Ahmet Ertegun and the wife of soul singer Ben E. King, Betty Nelson. It was first recorded by King and was the title track on his third album Don’t Play That Song! (1962). The song reached number 2 on the U.S. R&B singles chart and number 11 on the pop chart when released as a single on Atco Records in 1962. // Aretha Franklin covered the song for her nineteenth studio album, Spirit in the Dark, released on Atlantic Records in 1970. Her version, performed with the Dixie Flyers, was released as a single in 1970 and peaked at number 1 for five weeks on the R&B singles chart and number 11 on the pop chart. Franklin’s version was certified gold with sales over a million copies. It reached number 13 on the UK Singles Chart. This was the first of two covers Franklin did of songs made popular by King. The other was her cover of “Spanish Harlem” in 1971. // Aretha Louise Franklin (March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter, actress, pianist, and civil rights activist. Franklin began her career as a child singing gospel at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan, where her father C. L. Franklin was a minister. At the age of 18, she embarked on a secular-music career as a recording artist for Columbia Records. While Franklin’s career did not immediately flourish, she found acclaim and commercial success after signing with Atlantic Records in 1966. Hit songs such as “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)”, “Respect”, “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”, “Chain of Fools”, “Think”, and “I Say a Little Prayer” propelled her past her musical peers. By the end of the 1960s, Aretha Franklin had come to be known as the “Queen of Soul”. // Franklin continued to record acclaimed albums such as I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (1967), Lady Soul (1968), Spirit in the Dark (1970), Young, Gifted and Black (1972), Amazing Grace (1972), and Sparkle (1976) before experiencing problems with her record company. Franklin left Atlantic in 1979 and signed with Arista Records. She appeared in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers before releasing the successful albums Jump to It (1982), Who’s Zoomin’ Who? (1985), and Aretha (1986) on the Arista label. In 1998, Franklin returned to the Top 40 with the Lauryn Hill-produced song “A Rose Is Still a Rose”; later, she released an album of the same name which was certified gold. That same year, Franklin earned international acclaim for her performance of “Nessun dorma” at the Grammy Awards; she filled in at the last minute for Luciano Pavarotti, who canceled his appearance after the show had already begun. In a widely noted performance, she paid tribute to 2015 honoree Carole King by singing “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” at the Kennedy Center Honors. // Franklin recorded 112 charted singles on Billboard, including 77 Hot 100 entries, 17 top-ten pop singles, 100 R&B entries, and 20 number-one R&B singles. Besides the foregoing, Franklin’s well-known hits also include “Ain’t No Way”, “Call Me”, “Don’t Play That Song (You Lied)”, “Spanish Harlem”, “Rock Steady”, “Day Dreaming”, “Until You Come Back to Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do)”, “Something He Can Feel”, “Jump to It”, “Freeway of Love”, “Who’s Zoomin’ Who”, and “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” (a duet with George Michael). She won 18 Grammy Awards,[5] including the first eight awards given for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (1968–1975). Franklin is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 75 million records worldwide. // Franklin received numerous honors throughout her career. She was awarded the National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1987, she became the first female performer to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She also was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005 and into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2012. In 2010, Rolling Stone magazine ranked her number one on its list of the “100 Greatest Singers of All Time” and number nine on its list of “100 Greatest Artists of All Time”. The Pulitzer Prize jury in 2019 awarded Franklin a posthumous special citation “for her indelible contribution to American music and culture for more than five decades.”]

19. George Jackson – “Aretha, Sing One For Me”
from: The Blues Sessions / Hi Records – Fat Possum Records / May 28, 2013
[George Henry Jackson (March 12, 1945 – April 14, 2013) was an American blues, rhythm & blues, rock and soul songwriter and singer. His prominence was as a prolific and skilled songwriter; he wrote or co-wrote many hit songs for other musicians, including “Down Home Blues,” “One Bad Apple”, “Old Time Rock and Roll” and “The Only Way Is Up”. As a southern soul singer he recorded fifteen singles between 1963 and 1985, with some success. // Jackson was born in Indianola, Mississippi, and moved with his family to Greenville at the age of five. He started writing songs while in his teens, and in 1963 introduced himself to Ike Turner. Turner took him to Cosimo Matassa’s studios in New Orleans to record “Nobody Wants to Cha Cha With Me” for his Prann label, but it was not successful. Jackson then traveled to Memphis to promote his songs, but was rejected by Stax before helping to form vocal group The Ovations with Louis Williams at Goldwax Records. Jackson wrote and sang on their 1965 hit “It’s Wonderful To Be in Love”, which reached no.61 on the Billboard Hot 100 and no.22 on the R&B chart. He also wrote for other artists at Goldwax, including Spencer Wiggins and James Carr, and recorded with Dan Greer as the duo George and Greer. After the Ovations split up in 1968, he recorded briefly for Hi Records, and also for Decca using the pseudonym Bart Jackson. As a singer, he had a versatile tenor that was influenced by Sam Cooke, and released many records over the years, for a host of different labels, but his recordings never made him a star. // At the suggestion of record producer Billy Sherrill, Jackson moved to Rick Hall’s FAME Studios at Muscle Shoals in the late 1960s, Alabama, where he wrote for leading singers including Clarence Carter – whose “Too Weak To Fight” reached no.13 on the pop chart and no.3 on the R&B chart in 1968 – Wilson Pickett, and Candi Staton. Some of Jackson’s songs for Staton, including her first hit in 1969, “I’d Rather Be An Old Man’s Sweetheart (Than A Young Man’s Fool)”, are “widely regarded as examples of some of the finest southern soul ever recorded by a female artist, with lyrics that were full of meaning and innuendo, a hallmark of Jackson’s best work.” Jackson also recorded for Fame Records, and had his first chart success as a singer in 1970 with “That’s How Much You Mean To Me”, which reached no. 48 on the R&B chart. The Osmonds visited the FAME studio in 1970, and heard and liked Jackson’s song “One Bad Apple”, which he had originally written with The Jackson 5 in mind. The Osmonds recorded the song, and it became the group’s first hit, rising to the top of the Hot 100 in February 1971; it also reached no.6 on the R&B chart. // In 1972 he briefly rejoined the Hi label, and had his second and last solo recording success with “Aretha, Sing One For Me”, an answer song to Aretha Franklin’s “Don’t Play That Song”; Jackson’s song reached no.38 on the R&B chart. He then released several singles for MGM Records, while continuing to write for other artists. In the early 1970s he began working as a songwriter for the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio and, with Thomas Jones III, wrote “Old Time Rock and Roll” which Bob Seger recorded in 1978; Seger’s version reached no.28 on the pop chart. While with Muscle Shoals Sound, he also wrote “Down Home Blues”, recorded by Z.Z. Hill, which became a theme tune for Malaco Records in the 1980s; “Unlock Your Mind”, recorded by the Staple Singers and a no.16 R&B hit in 1978; and “The Only Way Is Up”, originally recorded by Otis Clay in 1980. A version of “The Only Way Is Up” by Yazz & The Plastic Population reached no.1 on the UK singles chart, and no.2 on the Billboard dance chart, in 1988. // In 1983, Jackson formed his own publishing company, Happy Hooker Music, before joining Malaco Records as a staff songwriter. There he wrote hits for Johnnie Taylor, Bobby Bland, Latimore, Denise LaSalle, and Z.Z. Hill. He recorded an album of his own songs, Heart To Heart Collect, in 1991 for Hep’ Me Records. In 2011, a compilation CD of his FAME recordings, Don’t Count Me Out, was released. // Jackson died on April 14, 2013, at his home in Ridgeland, Mississippi, from cancer at the age of 68. He left a son and two grandchildren.]

20. They Call Me Sauce – “Be Real Black For Me”
from: Be Real Black For Me – Single / NuBlvckCity / June 23, 2020
[Produced by Mike Dupree. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Royce “Sauce” HandyOne of three new singles released by They Call Me Sauce this year, so far. Sauce writes, “Be Real Black for Me is inspired by Donny Hathaway & Roberta Flack’s 1972 duet of the same name. This is also the song that producer Mike Dupree uses as a sample in the song. Dupree, a multi-platinum music producer and more (Kendrick Lamar, T.I. Trey Songz, and more), released a series of free instrumentals for the fight against racism and directed artists to use them as they please.” Royce “Sauce” Handy is a rapper, a songwriter, a beat maker, a designer, a teacher, an MC, a business owner, a social media manager, a husband, a father., a community organizer. He has worked with the AdHoc Group Against Crime, Teens in Transition, Storytellers Inc., Arts Tech, Mid-America Regional Council, UMKC, Representative Brandon Ellington, Mayor Sly James. He is co-owner of The Rap Asylum, We are RAP, and owner of Melanin Connoisseur. Sauce has collaborated with visual artists, and the hip hop community. In 2017 Sauce released his EP, Summer Sauce which was part of WMM’s 117 Best Recordings of 2017. In 2018 Sauce released Soul Food 4. In 2019 his collective NuBvckCity with Kartez Marcel, Mae C, and VP3 released the single “All Night” / “Alive”.]

21. Stephonne Singleton – “Want Me”
from: “Want Me” – Single / Glory Blue Music / April 26, 2019
[Co-produced by, Justin Mantooth, and recorded at Westend Recording Studios. Johnny Hamil on bass, Ben Byard on guitar and Adam McKee on drums. Stephonne grew up in KCK. He released his debut album, “Caged Bird Sings Songs About Red Beard.” The album was one of WMM’s 118 Best Recordings of 2018. Stephonnewas born and raised in Wyandotte County, Kansas. He has performed in mutiple shows for Late Night Theatre. Stephonne told John Long of Camp Magazine “I was surrounded by records, and my parents always had music on.” A special video for “Want Me” was just released. “Want Me” is part of a new 4-song EP to be released laterthis month]

[Stephonne Singleton will be our guest nest week on WMM]

22. Aimee Mann – “Wise Up”
from: Magnolia: Music from the Motion Picture / Warner Music / December 7, 1999
[Magnolia: Music from the Motion Picture is the soundtrack album to the film of the same name. Largely composed of works by Aimee Mann, enough such that she receives a title billing on the album, it features tracks by Gabrielle, Supertramp and Jon Brion. The album has been received positively by critics.
Paul Thomas Anderson stated that Magnolia was inspired by Mann’s music. Many of the songs feature prominently within the film, with “Wise Up” even being sung by the cast at one point, but only two of the songs were written expressly for the film, those being “You Do” and “Save Me”. “Save Me” would garner Mann an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song, losing to Phil Collins’s song “You’ll Be in My Heart” from TarzanAimee Mann (born September 8, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter. In the 1980s Mann was the bassist and a vocalist for ‘Til Tuesday, and wrote their top-ten single “Voices Carry”. She released her debut solo album, Whatever, in 1993, and has released many albums since. In 1999, Mann recorded songs for the soundtrack to the Paul Thomas Anderson film Magnolia, which earned Academy Award and Grammy Award nominations for the song “Save Me”. She has won two Grammy Awards and was named one of the world’s ten greatest living songwriters by NPR in 2006. She negotiated a contract release from David Geffen and founded her own label, SuperEgo Records.]

23. Billy Preston – “Blackbird”
from: Ultimate Collection: Billy Preston / Universal Music / January 1 10, 2000
[Often referred to as the fifth Beatle, Prestin covers the song written by Paul McCartney originally for the Beatles White Album. “Blackbird” was recorded by Billy Preston for his 7th studio album Music Is My Life, released October 8, 1972 on A & M Records. // William Everett Preston (September 2, 1946 – June 6, 2006) was an American musician whose work encompassed R&B, rock, soul, funk, and gospel. Preston was a top session keyboardist in the 1960s, during which he backed artists such as Little Richard, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, Reverend James Cleveland, and the Beatles. He went on to achieve fame as a solo artist with hit singles such as “That’s the Way God Planned It”, the Grammy-winning “Outa-Space”, “Will It Go Round in Circles”, “Space Race”, “Nothing from Nothing”, and “With You I’m Born Again”. Additionally, Preston co-wrote “You Are So Beautiful”, which became a #5 hit for Joe Cocker. Preston was one of five musicians credited on a Beatles recording other than the group’s four members. Preston continued to record and perform with other artists, notably George Harrison after the Beatles’ breakup, and Eric Clapton, and he played keyboards for the Rolling Stones on many of the group’s albums and tours during the 1970s. ” Preston first met the Beatles as a 16-year-old in 1962, while part of Little Richard’s touring band, when their manager Brian Epstein organized a Liverpool show, at which the Beatles opened. The Washington Post explained their subsequent meeting. // They’d hook up again in 1969, when the Beatles were about to break up while recording the last album they released, Let It Be (they would later record Abbey Road, which was released prior to Let It Be). George Harrison, a friend of Preston, had quit, walked out of the studio and gone to a Ray Charles concert in London, where Preston was playing organ. Harrison brought Preston back to the studio, where his keen musicianship and gregarious personality temporarily calmed the tension. // Preston is one of several people referred to as the “Fifth Beatle”. At one point during the Get Back sessions, John Lennon proposed the idea of having him join the band (to which Paul McCartney countered that it was difficult enough reaching agreements with four). Preston played organ and electric piano for the Beatles during several of the Get Back sessions; some of these sessions appeared in the film Let It Be and on its companion album. Preston also accompanied the band on electric piano for its rooftop concert, the group’s final public appearance. In April 1969, their single “Get Back” was credited to “The Beatles with Billy Preston”, the only time such a joint credit had been given on an official Beatles-sanctioned release (as distinct from an unsanctioned reissue of some Hamburg-era recordings on which they were the backing group for Tony Sheridan). The credit was bestowed by the Beatles to reflect the extent of Preston’s presence on the track; his electric piano is prominent throughout and he plays an extended solo. Preston also worked, in a more limited role, on the Abbey Road album, contributing organ to the tracks “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” and “Something”. // In 1978, he appeared as Sgt. Pepper in Robert Stigwood’s film Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, which was based on the Beatles’ album of the same name, and sang and danced to “Get Back” as the penultimate song. // Although the details did not become fully known to the general public until after his death, Preston struggled throughout his life to cope with his homosexuality, and the lasting effects of the traumatic sexual abuse he suffered as a boy. Although his sexual orientation became known to friends and associates in the music world (such as Keith Richards), Preston did not publicly come out as gay until just before he died: partly because he felt that it conflicted with his deeply held religious beliefs and his lifelong association with the church, he was in the closet until shortly before his death. Keith Richards in his autobiography, Life, mentioned Preston’s struggles with his homosexuality. // In an interview for a 2010 BBC Radio 4 documentary on his life and career, Preston’s manager Joyce Moore revealed that after she began handling his affairs, Preston opened up to her about the lifelong trauma he had suffered as the result of being sexually abused as a child. Preston told Moore that at about the age of nine, after he and his mother moved to Los Angeles from Houston to perform in a touring production of Amos ‘n’ Andy, he was repeatedly abused by the touring company’s pianist. When Preston told his mother about the abuse, she did not believe him, and failed to protect him. The abuse went on for the entire summer, and Preston was also later abused by a local pastor. // Another traumatic incident, which reportedly affected Preston deeply, occurred in the early 1970s, while he was engaged to actress/model Kathy Silva. At this time Preston had become close friends with musician Sly Stone, and made many contributions to Stone’s recordings of the period (including the landmark album There’s a Riot Goin’ On). According to Moore, Preston was devastated when he came home one day to find Stone in bed with Silva (who later famously married Stone on stage at Madison Square Garden). According to Moore, Silva’s affair with Stone was the trigger that led Preston to stop having relationships with women. It was after this incident that he began abusing cocaine and having sex with men, and Moore has stated that she saw his drug abuse as his way of coping with the internal conflicts he felt about his sexual urges]

24. Noel Coward – “The Party’s Over Now”
from: Noel Coward in New York / drg / 2003 [orig. 1957]

11:58 – Community Voices

Next week on Wednesday, July 15 – Stephonne Singleton joins us to talk about his new EP and the New Video for his song “Want Me.” We will also talk with KC based singer songwriter Heath Church about his new song “The Stranger.” Plus, we will feature music included in a new compilation titled Black Lives Matter, from KC based label French Exit Records with all proceeds from this release being donated to One Struggle KC‘s Liberation Fund. One Struggle KC is a Black-led coalition of Kansas City activists seeking to connect the struggles of oppressed communities, locally and globally. Learn more about the Liberation Fund here: actionnetwork.org/fundraising/it-aint-over-legal-fund

Our Script/Playlist is a “cut and paste” of information.
Sources for notes: artist’s websites, bios, wikipedia.org

Stephonne Singleton photo by Paul Andrews Photograph
Calvin Arsenia photo by Jenny Wheat Photography
Krystle Warren photo by Manu Noyon
Nina Simone photo by Jack Robinson – Getty Images

Wednesday MidDay Medley in on the web:
http://www.kkfi.org,
http://www.WednesdayMidDayMedley.org,
http://www.facebook.com/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1FM

Show #845