Updated 26.6.14
Home Page: Dionne /Jonathan Butler / Richard A. Brookes / A.T. Toombs / Lee Fields / Lionel Cornelius / 'Prince' Phillip Mitchell / Extra Rich In Soul / Lee Mays
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Dionne
Singer, songwriter and producer Dionne Kirby (professionally known as Dionne), is a contemporary soul-singing recording artist, whose songwriting skills caught the attention of Billboard, with her first EP release “Living In The Music”. Dionne has performed in various major cities throughout the U. S. including: New York, Chicago, Washington D.C., Philadelphia and Atlanta and has graced the stage with respected entertainers in the industry, such as Jennifer Holliday, Jillian Michaels, Tanya Blount and Niecy Nash. With her upcoming new album being released independently, Dionne will captivate audiences with her signature melodic vibrations and uplifting lyrical content.
A native of Dallas, TX, Dionne attended the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (also known as Arts Magnet), where former incomparable alums, singer Norah Jones and Erykah Badu attended. An avid writer, she earned the Editor-in-Chief role at Arts Magnet, where she was chosen for studio recordings with the acclaimed Dallas Black Dance Theater. Her classical training and vocal technique made her one of the sought-after upperclassmen at her school, where she acquired her first professional gig as a background singer, which steered her in the direction to perform at the prestigious Fairmount Hotel’s Venetian Room and invitation to sing at Carnegie Hall with her high school choir.
After graduating high school, Dionne attended Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, majoring in English and Education. Although she was an astute academic student, her desire to pursue her love for music increased. Following graduating from Lincoln University with her Bachelor’s degree, Dionne received opportunities to sing background for gospel star LaShun Pace and was lead vocalist for The Odyssey Big Band, singing jazz arrangements of Aretha Franklin, Natalie Cole and Norah Jones. For Dionne, music is the essence of her being as she states, “I wake up every morning singing—whether I’m excited, furious, confused or whatever else I might feel. There is music in my head, coming out of me all of the time.” Along with following her passion in music, Dionne has worked extensively with young girls as the Deputy Director of an arts and academics program in Washington D.C.; to help young girls with their self-image, leadership skills and sense of purpose. She was also a teacher for many years working in the Baltimore area. Her musical pursuits have helped catapult her to continue her educational outreach in helping young girls to follow their dreams whether in music or academics.
Dionne’s gift is the ability to express thoughtful themes in simple yet poetic terms. In 2010, she developed her own publishing company, Lyrics First Music to help fulfill her gift of songwriting. “The words and thoughts you share are very important, especially the way they are received by young people. Whether I’m 53 or 93 – writing for myself or someone else – lyrics as a priority is never going to change for me,” expressed by the songstress. Also in the same year she was signed by BLG Music Group’s 111 East Records, where her EP “Living In The Music” was released and debuted #1 on Amazon’s soul charts. The EP received consistent radio rotation on more than 20 radio and internet stations in both the U.S. and International markets. Her sound was recognized by those in the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Japan. In 2011, she was recognized in the Washington D.C. tri-state area by former founder and CEO of Uptown Records, Andre Harrell, for his soul superstar search, where she was a finalist in the competition.
She also was a finalist the same year as well in the Budweiser’s Opening Act competition in Philadelphia. Both competitions helped catapult her career in the music industry.
Currently, Dionne is in preparation for the release of her highly anticipated new album entitled Helium, which in relevance means expanding the possibilities – as this is the focal point for creating this album. As she states, “That’s what this project is doing for me personally and musically. It pushed me to extend myself. My first project was an experiment of being ‘unrealistic’ and ‘living in the music’ that brought surprising dividends. With Helium, I’m maneuvering this musical hot air balloon to all the places I want to go, and also trusting it to guide in concert with the Universe.” Her lead single from the album is “Swim Around”, which describes her resolution when faced with life’s greatest challenges. “I hope it inspires people to see their challenges and move through them,” says Dionne. Helium features notable producers: Ty Macklin (India Arie, Noel Gourdin and Erykah Badu), Maurice “MoDigga” Randolph (Raheem DeVaughn and Cheryl Pepsii Riley), Tony Ballard (CommonFolk, Rickey Smiley Show Theme), Ahmed Sirour (Eric Roberson and DJ Spinna) and David P. Stevens (Frank McComb, Gerald Albright and Carol Riddick). Musicians featured on this album include: King Robinson, Jr. (on drums), Kevin Arthur (on bass), Drew Zaremba (on saxophone), Michael Campagna (on trumpet), Alan K. Green (percussion) and Allen Cato (on guitar). Helium will be released June 27, 2014, and will be available on Amazon and iTunes.
Jonathan Butler presents Living My Dream, the new 11-track collection featuring
George Duke, Marcus Miller, Elan Trotman, and others.
Available at
George Duke, Marcus Miller, Elan Trotman, and others.
Available at
South African singer-songwriter-guitarist Jonathan Butler is tending to his herb garden at his suburban Los Angeles home. Growing tomatoes, bell peppers, rosemary, sage and thyme, his new pastime that he says gives him “a new sense of heaven,” is part of a mindset he has cultivated that he has dubbed “the season of me.” The musical counterpart to this harvest season in the two-time Grammy® nominee’s life is Living My Dream, a bountiful feast of all original songs that he produced and tracked live in the House of Blues studio in Los Angeles.
Called "an essential Jonathan Butler recording" by AXS, Living My Dream provides an honest and revealing soulfully-inspired songbook probing the artist’s life and loves.
“Each album is a page of your life and this is the season of Jonathan Butler, the season of me. It took years for me to be able to use the term ‘living my dream.’ I had to grow in my confidence and comfort and security first,” says Jonathan. “It’s one of those albums that I really didn’t think I had in me. I had been struggling, going through this emotional period. Last year was a transitional period. Once I got my wind and got back to a place of focus, it turned out to be the best experience for me. I had to be vulnerable to the songs. It was magical tracking the album and I felt surrounded by the positive vibes from everyone in the studio... When others believe in you, it’s nothing to take lightly. These are all original compositions that came from the heart.”
Find out more, and preview tracks at Jonathan's artist page at Mack Avenue!
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Richard A. Brookes was born and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee. While attending
The Howard High School he formed a vocal group known as the Pleasures this was a short lived affair with Richard later joining his brother Arthur’s group
The Howard High School he formed a vocal group known as the Pleasures this was a short lived affair with Richard later joining his brother Arthur’s group
‘The Four Roosters And A Chick’ (later becoming just ‘The Roosters’).
Both Richard and Arthur came to the same conclusion that they stood a greater chance of success if they moved north so with fellow Chattnoogan Sam Gooden they migrated north relocating to Chicago. Upon their arrival in the Windy City they enrolled at the Washburn High School where they first met Jerry Butler and Curtis Mayfield. In 1957 with the addition of Butler and Mayfield they recorded the Richard Brooks penned “For Your Precious Love” under the group name of “Jerry Butler And The Impressions” for the local Abner label. Due to the popularity of FYPL and the help of their manager Eddie Thomas (of Thomas Records fame) they signed up to the nationally distributed Vee-Jay label. Following Jerry Butler’s departure and further moderate releases Vee-Jay decided to drop them in 1961, only for ABC Paramount to sign them up. Securing a R&B hit with “Gypsy Woman”, but following their sixth ABC release ‘Sad, Sad Girl And A Boy’ in 1963 The Brooks Brothers suddenly left The Impressions.
After briefly forming their own Impressions, Richard and Arthur then moved to Detroit where amongst other production projects they recorded the northern soul classic ‘Looking For A Woman’ as the ‘Brooks Brothers’, Tay (501). Tay being a subsidiary of the Detroit Sound label where Richard also composed The Sequins ‘Try My Love’ (503) a subsequent Detroit Sound release. Into the 70’s Richard pitched up at Nasco Records in Nashville as the lead singer of the group Bits And Pieces. For whom he wrote four excellent tracks, ‘Did I Scare You/Smoke Stream’ (Nasco 031) and ‘Sinner (Have You Been There)/Keep On Running Away’ (Nasco 033).
In 2009 Richard in collaboration with blues man Oliver Johnson, (Albert King’s former band leader) formed their own production company. One of their most recent projects is Richards own cd project ‘I Am Back’ which has never really got past the promotional stage.
Fate then intervened courtesy of Dave Thorley and Malayka Erpen. Malayka whose job involves making regular trips to Chattanooga struck up a friendship with a local taxi driver. Malakya’s enquires regarding any local soul artists he might know led to a meeting with the aforementioned Richard Brooks, with whom she discussed his performing career over a game of cards. As they parted company Richard pushed a cd into her hands which eventually arrived at Soul Junction HQ. It is from this cd that the Impressionesque ‘I’ll do Anything To Make You Happy’ and ‘With All My Heart’ have been taken for this excellent 45 release.
For further information please contact Soul Junction at:
Tel: +44 (0)121 602 8115 – E-mail: sales@souljunctionrecords.co.uk
Release Date: Monday May 19th 2014
Soul Junction would like to introduce you all to Mr Anthony Toombs an exceptionally talented singer/songwriter who performs under the show name of A.T. Toombs.
Anthony has honed his own performing talents through working with several different ensembles firstly in his native Milwaukee, Wisconsin and then during his short lived residence in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Since returning home to his family roots in Milwaukee, Anthony who’s daytime occupation is that of a Maintenance Engineer at the U.S. Bank. Has spent whatever spare time he could find between his day job and performing live shows on creating the nine outstanding songs included within this album. The title of the album is “Veteran Of Love” and is Anthony’s debut project with hopefully more to follow. All the songs have been composed and arranged by Anthony himself under the tutelage of respected local producer Johnny Mills.
Anthony’s work was brought to the attention of Soul Junction by his cousin Mr David Bursey, himself a veteran of the Milwaukee black music scene from the late 1950’s to the present day. David has been a guiding influence on Anthony’s career often sharing the stage with his younger protégé , passing down the knowledge he gained from his time as a member of several notable Milwaukee vocal groups, such as the Esquires, Candi-Bars and Brother By Choice.
Anthony would like to acknowledge all the help and support that he has received from his family and friends especially wife Ellen, grandson Sincere, cousin David, his partner Ruby White and Johnny Mills. He would also like to give thanks to his mother for giving him the desire and inspiration to follow his dreams.
Lee Fields
There aren't too many artists making soul music today who had a release in 1969, back when R&B was first beginning to give the drummer some. Lee Fields, however, is one such artist--or maybe he's better labeled a phenomenon. Since the late sixties, the North Carolina native has amassed a prolific catalog of albums and has toured and played with such legends as Kool and the Gang, Sammy Gordon and the Hip-Huggers, O.V Wright, Darrell Banks, and Little Royal. With a career spanning 43 years, releases on twelve different record labels, and having toured the world over with his raucous-yet-tender voice, it's mind-blowing that the music he's making today with Brooklyn's own Truth & Soul Records is the best of his career.
With a catalogue that ranges from James Brown-style funk to lo-fi blues to contemporary Southern soul to collaborations with French house DJ/producer Martin Solveig, Lee Fields has done it all. Today, with The Expressions--Truth & Soul's house band, Lee Fields continues to evolve, enmeshed into the group's sweeping, string-laden, cinematic soul sound. Their first full-length together, My World, released in June 2009 on Truth & Soul, was called "one smoking mother of an old-sound soul record" and a "throwback done right" by Pitchfork.
While drawing comparisons to groups like The Moments, The Delfonics, The Stylistics, and--of course--James Brown, My World has been able to create a space of it's own due to the group's desire to interpret and further the formulas of good soul music rather then parrot and imitate them. Chalk that up to Truth & Soul producers and co-owners Jeff Silverman and Leon Michels, as well as the high level of musicianship of everyone involved. These are the same individuals that wrote, produced, and played on Aloe Blacc's global smash hit LP Good Things for Stones Throw Records, and have provided the back drop for records by El Michels Affair, Adele, Liam Bailey, Ghostface Killah, and Jay-Z to name a few.
"In a curious case of musical evolution, the older Fields becomes, the closer he gets to perfecting the sound of soul that he grew up with as a young man," so said music writer, scholar, and DJ Oliver Wang about Fields in a piece for NPR in July 2009. The latest LP from Lee Fields and The Expressions, titled Faithful Man, is the next step towards this perfection. A step that may find Fields, The Expressions, and Truth & Soul as a label, finally being bestowed the contemporary soul music crown.
Lee Fields Special Guest on Soul Discovery
Lionel Cornelius
Bold with an elegant stye and outright sensuous vocal quality describes him best. Producer, songwriter, instrumentalist & actor Lionel Cornelius is the youngest member of the multi-talented Cornelius family which includes the 70’s performing artists Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose.
Lionel began singing and playing the trumpet and piano at the age of five at which time he also begin performing in local talent shows. Lionel was discovered and hired as an extra for the TV series Miami Vice. After working two episodes as an extra, Lionel was interviewed and cast by Michael Mann to work alongside Clarence Williams III in the "Tale of the Goat”, his first supporting role. Lionel's passion for the stage still exists today as he returns to the music industry with his debut single “Seriously in Love.”
In 2012 Lionel won the the NAR Realtors® Got Talent contest followed by his nomination for a 2013 Carolina Music Award for Best Male R&B Vocalist. Lionel has also held the #1 spot on the Charlotte, NC ReverbNation’s Singer Songwriter chart.
Lionel is the owner and CEO of Lionel Cornelius Entertainment, a subsidiary of Lionel Cornelius Enterprises, Inc founded in 2001. LC Entertainment provides multimedia entertainment services including recording, production, post-production (music, video, film), artist management, and digital music sales.
Soul 4 Real is proud to present "PRINCE" PHILLIP MITCHELL's brand new 7', his new recording after 23 years.
This true legend of Soul music has recorded 2 special songs for this limited release.
"Just The Beginning" is a killer version recorded for the first time with real strings, percussion and plenty of horns (featuring Fame gang members Charles Rose and Harvey Thompson) while the flipside it's his own interpretation of "Something New To Do", which he originally wrote in the 70's.
RECORD WILL BE AVAILABLE FIRST WEEK OF JUNE. You can pre-order your copy right now!
Contact & Paypal email:
soul4realrecordlabel@gmail.com
Contact & Paypal email:
soul4realrecordlabel@gmail.com
Success can be measured in so many ways, but over the years this man has created some of the most compelling, inspiring and distinctive music ever committed to wax.
‘Prince’ Phillip Mitchell is a genius, a man able to craft a song from emotions dragged from the deepest depths and finely hone them to perfection. His list of writing credits graces the good and the great of our music, while his own recordings and poignant lyrics are steeped in the very essence of Soul. Impassioned ballads or funky grooves, Muscle Shoals, Memphis or L.A. . . . it made no difference as the ‘Prince’ simply took the word majestic to another level.
We are very proud to present to you the comeback recordings of a true legend of Soul music and really do hope that this is ‘Just the beginning’ . . . but we can assure you that it’s most definitely ‘Soul4Real’!
Paul Thrower, Alex Subinas
From left to right: Bill Spoon, Jesse James, Eltonez Salton (August Heat) and Oliver Cheatham.
Extra Rich In Soul is a various artists cd compilation which features some of Soul Junction’s most popular and now long deleted releases from the last 7 years. Such as Bill Spoon’s “I Can’t Wait (Until The Weekend)”, Jesse James’s original version of “I Feel You Love Changing” and the late Oliver Cheatham’s biggie from 2012 “Don’t Pop The Question (If You Can’t Take The Answer)”.
Also featured is Natural Impulses dance floor favourite “We’re Gonna Make It Through” which is also accompanied by their previously unissued mid tempo offering “Thank You Baby” which gets its debut outing as part of this compilation.
Add to that two previously unissued tracks from Clayton Hooker formerly of the Detroit group ‘Citation’ entitled “Have You Had Enough” and “Say It Again” respectively. Both tracks coming out of brother’s Ivy Jo Hunter and John Maxey’s Probe 1 Productions studio.
Vince Bromfield of ‘Audio’ fame is represented with his modern soul favourite “Won’t Somebody” plus a really cool smooth instrumental entitled “Remember September” which show cases Vince prowess as a jazz saxophonist to perfection.
Chapter 8’s main man David Washington is also featured via his own rendition of the song he originally composed for Jimmy Scott “Games’ a dance floor winner during 2013.
Soul Junction also continues with it’s commitment to support today’s current contemporary output by featuring three recent releases by way of August Heat’s mid tempo delight “Fly Away” , Detroiter Darold Gholston’s “Love That’s Real” and former Wall Street banker Eric Harris’s recent internet radio hit “Backstage”. To compliment the package we have included two brand new releases from the Motorcity, One Nation’s “I Like Your Style” and from former Magic City and United Sound Studio session singer Janet Wright, who under her stage name of Pix’y comes up trump’s with her excellent and unique cover version of Rose Royce’s classic “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore” (Please check out Janet’s Biography on the Soul Junction Artist Bio page.
Hopefully through this compilation we have provided something for everyone’s soulful palette, Enjoy.
Please contact us at: sales@souljunctionrecords.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 121 602 8115
Description
In 1976, Lee Mays released the legendary "Shine Your Love" album which has since become a collector's item for record vinyl enthusiast from around the world.
Tel: +44 (0) 121 602 8115
Lee Mays (a.k.a. Percy Mays), has a soft, rich baritone voice and a jazzy style of songwriting. The style is smooth and popular and provides easy listening music for everyone. In the seventies, Lee has appeared with several nationally-known artists and has traveled quite extensively throughout the United States. His legendary "Shine Your Love" album was released in 1976 and the album’s title song was a regularly requested song on Christian radio stations in Texas and Oklahoma.
In 1977, Lee had several offers from record companies to re-release his 1976 debut album. An offer to re-release the "Shine Your Love" album nationally on Greentree Records of Nashville, Tennessee was made and signed by Ed Benson, who was Vice President of Artist and Writer Relations at The Benson Company. However, Mr Mays did not sign the agreement as he was in "hold-out" for a better record deal. But as fate would have it, that "better record deal" never materialized - at least not during that century.
In 1978, "Shine Your Love" was released as a single by The Cruse Family on Word Records. That song contributed to the family's 1978 album entitled, "Transformation", which won the Dove Award for "Best Inspirational Album of the Year". In 1992, "For the Good", co-written with Don Wallace, was recorded by Commander Kellie and the SUPERKIDS, a Kenneth Copeland Ministry. In 1996, The Dietz Brothers recorded Mr. Mays’ song “Boys & Girls” on their custom release. In 2000, "Let Your Love Flow" and "Where Would I Be Without Your Love" were both recorded by Lee himself and released on Jaelius Records.
In 2000, the song "Where Would I Be Without Your Love" won the Best Inspirational Award at the prestigious Austin Songwriting Contest. Mr. Mays' songwriting abilities also include the genres of adult contemporary, R&B pop, and smooth jazz instrumentals.
In April 2010, that "better record deal" was finally offered to Mr. Mays. Better late than never and 34 years after its initial release, Lee signed a licensing agreement with Bandiera Records of Seoul, Korea, to re-release the "Shine Your Love" LP in compact disc form.
Today, the "Shine Your Love" album is a much sought-after collector's item by vinyl record collectors from Sweden, Japan, and the United States. One copy of the album was recently sold on the Internet auction site, Yahoo Japan, for more than 20,000 Yen, which is equal to about $216 U. S. dollars.
Description
In 1976, Lee Mays released the legendary "Shine Your Love" album which has since become a collector's item for record vinyl enthusiast from around the world.