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November 2015
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COOL UNCLE feat. Bobby Caldwell & Jack Splash

Cooluncle

Bobby Caldwell might quite possibly be one of R&B's best-kept secrets…a true soul gem. Well known to most R&B aficionados and tucked ever-so-softly in between every hip-hop heads' Earth Wind & Fire and Hall and Oats record collections. Known around the world for his 1978 international classic “What You Won’t Do For Love”, most of the rest of his wildly diverse & impressive catalog was just waiting to be discovered....that is until J Dilla intervened. Right at the turn of the millennium, with one genius move, Dilla re-introduced an entire generation to the brilliance that is Bobby Caldwell. In what might possibly be the best hip hop 'love song' of all time (“The Light”), Common raps the verses with grace & virtuosity, but it's Bobby Caldwell on the hook that brought everything together. Dilla did that.

About 10 years later, Jack Splash was following a similar path as Bobby…disregarding trends and making his own special brand of soul music for the music-lovers. Critically acclaimed worldwide as the front man for his 15-piece funk band Plantlife, Jack pulled a 180 and stopped touring entirely. He began writing and producing for Cee-Lo Green, Alicia Keys, Kendrick Lamar, John Legend and several more. Grammy Awards & platinum plaques came next. In interviews though, instead of talking about himself and his commercial success, Jack was talking about HIS idols. He was talking about Earth Wind & Fire, Sly Stone, Steely Dan, Prince & BOBBY CALDWELL.....It just so happened that Bobby was listening.

To make a very long & weird story short, Bobby Caldwell's wife reached out to Jack Splash directly via a Facebook page that the Caldwell family had set up for their dog named Stella (true story). Jack thought it was a hoax so he had his assistant intervene to vet out the impersonator. Much to Jack’s surprise, his assistant reported back to him that it WASN'T a joke, Bobby actually DID want to meet with Jack. They set a date, met in Miami, shared several glasses of whiskey, decided they were musical soul mates & formed a new band…they called it Cool Uncle.

Just like both Bobby and Jack's catalogs, the music they make together as Cool Uncle isn't that easy to define. It definitely has roots in classic soul, but also includes elements of funk, hip hop, rock and all sorts of electronic subtleties. Bobby and Jack called some of their friends and musical co-conspirators to come join the party. Cee-Lo, Mayer Hawthorne, Eric Biddines, Jessie Ware, JD8 and even the legendary Deniece Williams came through for the pot-luck. The end result is a wild ride steeped in soul and groove, but peppered with exciting and unexpected twists and turns. The types of twists and turns that future Dilla's might end up sampling.

Jack explains, "We really have a tremendous amount of fun working together. It's kind of like we're both kids in this great big candy shop constantly exploring...I guess that's REALLY where our common ground is, we both get inspiration from EVERYTHING beautiful, regardless of it's supposed genre or era."

The end result is quite special and just might end up bringing Bobby's unique brand of soul music to an entirely new generation. Bobby doesn't seem phased though, as he explains, “I lived in Miami in the 1980's man, if you can make it out of there alive, trust me, everything else is easy.” A cool uncle indeed.


Wendy Webb "This Is The Moment"

Wendywebb

American singer-songwriter Wendy Webb releases her 4th album, ”This Is The Moment”.

Reminiscent of classic records by Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell and Norah Jones, Webb takes you on a journey with her poetic lyrics by fusing elements of folk, pop, jazz and blues while creating her own style. Webb’s debut album, ”Morning In New York”, won critical acclaim in 2003 and was followed by recordings of live solo performances on her first vinyl album, ”Moon On Havana”, in 2010. 2 years later she released ”Edge Of Town” along with her first music video, “Has To Be My Birthday”. ”This Is The Moment” was produced by Danny Morgan and John McLane, and was mastered by Chris Bellman, who has worked with artists such as Neil Young, Carole King, Elton John, Ricky Lee Jones, Van Halen and many more.



Wendy Webb has received honors in the ’John Lennon Songwriting Contest’ as well as the ’Lilith Fair Songwriting Competition’. In November 2013, Webb played to a sold out crowd at Herb Strauss Theatre in Florida and returned recently to celebrate the completion of her latest album, ”This Is The Moment”, released in the US in 2015. Originally from Iowa, Webb now resides in Florida and has also performed in Cuba, Paris, and New York.



Webb has produced 3 videos for ”This Is The Moment”, beginning with the single "Venus Is Rocking In The Cradle Of the Moon”, followed by "Florida" with live concert footage and photography. ”Long Day In The Sun" images come from a trip to the old walled city of Cartagena, Colombia. In her recent video, Webb combines elements from her trips to Cuba in 2007 and 2008 where she first recorded the song "Moon On Havana". Visiting Cuba inspired her to write and record her second album, ”Moon On Havana”.



In March 2015, Webb was invited by the US Florida House on Capitol Hill in Washington DC to perform her song "Florida" for members and distinguished guests. Webb received a standing ovation following her performance at the historic Decatur House in Washington April 30th, 2015. Webb returned to Herb Strauss Theater, Sanibel, Florida on November 15th, 2015 for her ’November Moon’ concert. She is currently working on her next album, ”Step Out Of Line”, to be released on Spooky Moon Records in 2016.

Thanks to Peter Holmstedt at HEMIFRAN


Scott Krokoff "Realizations & Declarations"

Scott

With a rich and melodic sound drawn primarily from his love of 60's and 70's music, New Yorker Scott Krokoff (pronounce Crow-Cough) weaves elements of folk, rock and country pop into confessional and compelling americana. He is an evocative and introspective songwriter, and a deft finger-picker in the vein of James Taylor and Paul Simon with “an edge of Replacements styled alt rock to his strum” (Hiplanta).



While he has supported his young family as an active lawyer, Scott is adamant that one should never put a shelf life on his or her dreams. As such, many of Scott’s songs are about not giving up and pursuing what you love. 2007’s 'A Better Life' and 2012’s 'Realizations and Declarations, Vol 1' both brimmed with lovely and tuneful revelations that proselytized the art of taking risks in life.



Scott’s latest record, 2015’s 'Realizations & Declarations Vol 2', has thus far received rave reviews praising Scott’s “terrific imaginative powers” (Bearded Magazine), and his “graceful tales of morality and perseverance” (The Vinyl District), with “melodies that'll have you humming for days” (Nooga), and “music in the vein of 60's and 70's songsmiths, but also recalling hot up-and-comers like Father John Misty” (PopDose).



One of Scott's favorite experiences was when his biggest fan flew him from New York to Belgium at his expense to play his 10th year wedding anniversary. That fan later explained to Scott that he was so inspired by his music, he felt compelled to revive his own musical dreams. Scott’s situation is proof positive that if you really want to, you’ll find a way.

Thanks to Peter Holmstedt at HEMIFRAN