Jeff Bradshaw

Ahh, yes! What a breath of fresh air this CD is! For starters, it's about time a trombone (bone) soloist steps from behind the back to the front, to take this instrument to new directions. And that's just what Jeff Bradshaw does on his debuting CD, "Bone Deep." From the intro teaser and skits, to collaborations with Jill Scott, Glenn Lewis, and the incredible Bilal, this CD sings from beginning to end. My favorite cuts are "Lookin" and the James Brown remake "Make It Funky." I also especially like the effects Bradshaw employs on his trombone, it gives it an almost synthesized sound. Trust me, this is definitely not the usual trombone sound associated with jazz, and that's a good thing.
That said, if you're strictly a jazz purist, this CD probably won't satisfy you. But for everyone else on planet earth, who enjoy jazz fusion or smooth jazz, "Bone Deep" should be in your collection!!!

01 The Bone Is Back Reprise
02 Slide
03 Lookin
04 Guess Youll Never Know
05 The Bone Is Back Interlude
06 Ill Always Think of You
07 Beyond the Stars
08 Soul of the Bahia
09 Can You Come Over
10 Beautiful Day
11 Smooth Soul
12 Miss Celies Blues Sister
13 Make It Funky
14 On My Way
15 The Bone Is Back

Jeff Bradshaw..In His Own Words

My story begins at a dusty floored church in North Philly, where brass bands are the main attraction. I was born and raised in church and that is where I had my first musical experience. The first instrument I began playing was the snare drum. Following that I began playing the baritone horn, and sousaphone. I recall one very powerful day in high school, we where asked to stand in front of the instrument we would like to play.

Of course, there was a crowd surrounding the drums, guitars, saxophones, trumpets, percussion, and woodwinds, but not one person was standing near the stack of trombones in the corner. That day was the day, I believe, the trombone was to begin its trek to becoming the coolest instrument in mainstream music, not just jazz!!! I was going to make the trombone hip, and not just an instrument for nerds in the high school band! As I transitioned from high school into adulthood, I began altering the plans for my future, realizing I wouldn’t be afforded the opportunity for college.

The finances weren’t there for me to continue my education, so I bounced from job to job trying to buy time, until my (right time, right place) moment came. Unfortunately that moment wouldn’t come for another 7 years. In 1994 I began to meet the who’s-who of what is now the hierarchy of the Philly music community. People like James Poyser, Andre Harris, Vidal Davis, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Ahmir ”Quesluv” Thompson, Tarik “Black Thought” Trotter of the Legendary ROOTS CREW, DJ King Britt, Keith Pelzer, Darren Henson, Ivan Barrius, Carvin Higgins, and many others!!! It was because of these people I arrived into the real world of major recording, with artist like Eryka Badu, Jill Scott, Floetry, Darius Rucker, Musiq, The Roots, Earth Wind & Fire, and Michael Jackson, just to name a few.

It wasn’t until one night at a popular live music spot in downtown Philly called Wilamina’s, that I got my chance to step to the front of a very popular band that I played “side man” in. The leader of the band was my dear friend, trumpet master, Jafar Barron. This particular evening Jafar was having personal difficulties and the band would not have had a leader for the rest of the night, BUT, guess who stepped up to the front with a trombone and begin to lead this hip hop soul band as if he had been waiting for that opportunity all his life!!! ME LOL!!! A few years after that experience, the beautiful Jill Scott had begun to record her first album and I was invited to become a part of that.

I enjoyed every bit of recording on that record, and before you knew it, we where on the road showing the world Who Jill Scott Was! It wasn’t until the launch party of “Hidden Beach Recordings” (which was full of celebs like Bill Duke, Carl Payne, Lenox Lewis and many others) where I met the man who would forever change my life, Steve Mckeever (HBR CEO)!!! He was a bright smiling music lover of epic proportion, but it wouldn’t be until 2002 when I took advantage of a break taken by Jill. I had begun to record some original material with a producer that I met at Wilamina’s, named Will Brock (Can You Come Over, Little One). This marked the beginning of a 9-song demo c.d. that landed me my record deal with HBR!!! (Including about 50 follow-up calls). That’s Right, Major Recording Deal!!!

I explained to Steve that if he believed in me, with God’s help we could change what people thought should be a lead instrument in mainstream music! Steve expressed with his friends laughing in disbelief, that he wasn’t scared and one of the most musical bodies of work was born, (BONE DEEP)! So now, in my first year being married to my best friend Jameelia Drinks Bradshaw, I would like to share my next body of work with you. It’s all of me, my love of God, my wife, my children and a few surprises!!! So,“Boneapetite".


Edie Antoinette

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Introspection

Entr'acte

  1. play Norman Brown — Night Drive
  2. play Norman Brown — Feeling
  3. play Norman Brown — Still
  4. play Miles Davis — miles 1
  5. play miles 2
  6. play miles 3
  7. play miles 4
  8. play miles 5
  9. play Marvin Gaye — I Met A Little Girl
  10. play Santana — 01 Singing Winds, Crying Beasts
  11. play Santana — 02 Black Magic Woman-Gypsy Queen
  12. play Mongo — 02. Afro Blue



The history of the Butlers/Raw Soul is dense, but for all of us music nerds, that's normal. It is not totally clear what year the Butlers actually formed but they released their first single in 1963 on Liberty Records. That single was "She Tried To Kiss Me" and another single followed on Guyden entitled "Lovable Girl." After the Guyden single the Butlers took a break not recording another record until the single "Laugh, Laugh, Laugh" was released on the Phila label in 1966. The group also backed Charles Earland and Jean Wells on one Phila single ("I Know She Loves Me"). 


As you might be noticing, the Butlers were doing a fair amount of recording but not achieving much success. The group's recordings sold regionally but never had the promotion to make an impact on the national scene. After the single with Phila, the Butlers moved to the Fairmount label (part of the Cameo-Parkway family) and released a handful of singles, some being reissued singles of the past. The Butlers were with Fairmount for 1966-67 and then moved to Sassy Records. Sassy released the group's greatest single (in my opinion) "Love (Your Pain Goes Deep)" b/w "If That's What You Wanted." A copy of that 45 sold for just under $500 last summer on eBay. Even though that isn't that much in the world of record collecting--it's still a hefty sum. The Butlers released another single on Sassy ("She's Gone" b/w "Love Is Good") that appears to be even 
harder to come by then the "Love (Your Pain Goes Deep)" single.

 

The true history become a bit blurred here as the AMG biography states that the Butlers last record was released on C.R.S. in 1974 (". However, between 1971 and that single, Frankie Beverly formed a group called Raw Soul and released a number of singles. Some of the songs recorded by Beverly during this period are "While I'm Alone," "Open Up Your Heart," (both on the Gregor label) and "Color Blind." "Color Blind" was released by the Eldorado label and rerecorded by Maze. Beverly's big break came when Marvin Gaye asked Raw Soul to back him on a tour. Gaye helped Beverly/Raw Soul get a contract at Capitol. Beverly decided to take the group in a different direction, a name change occurred, and Maze was created. 

The above isn't the most complete history of Beverly but hopefully someone will know a way to get in touch with the man or his management because a comprehensive pre-Maze history needs to be done on Frankie Beverly (his real name is Howard, by the way). Below you'll find every Frankie Beverly (pre-Maze) song available to me right now ("Color Blind" will be up soon). 

If you have a song that is not included below, shoot it over to funkinsoulman (at) yahoo.com and it will go up in the next Frankie Beverly post (later this week--highlighting Maze). Also, if you have any more information please share your knowledge. The Butlers material has been comp-ed sporadically (usually imports) but the entire Maze catalog has been reissued and is available. 

Enjoy.  "She Kissed Me" (Fairmount, 1966 or 1967) 
 
 "I Want To Feel I'm Wanted" (not sure which label or year) "Laugh, Laugh, Laugh" (Phila, 1966) "Because Of My Heart" (Fairmount, 1966 or 1967)
   
 "Love (Your Pain Goes Deep)" (Sassy, 1967)
   
 "If That's What You Wanted" (Sassy, 1967)
 



Frankie Beverly is one of those cats that has lasting power. He started in the music business doing a tour with doo wop group the Silhouettes and then formed his own group called the Blenders. The Blenders never recorded a single, Beverly wouldn't appear on wax until forming the Butlers a few years later. Along with Beverly, the Butlers included Jack "Sonny" Nicholson, Joe Collins, John Fitch, and Talmadge Conway.

Beverly would later enjoy great success fronting Maze and Conway would become a
well-known penning Double Exposure's
"Ten Percent" and the Intruders' "Memories Are Here To Stay." 
 While Maze is a phenomenal group, Beverly's work before that group will always stand out as his best (imo).

The Butlers produced tunes that most Northern Soul fans would kill for and Raw Soul gave the funksters something to pursue. If, by chance, you know of a way to get in touch with Frankie Beverly or his management, please drop me an e-mail. It would be absolutely great to do an interview with him about his pre-Maze work. He's still playing out, most recently doing a New Year's Eve show in Atlanta.
:: Funkinsoulman ::

Power...Through Simplicity ♪♫♪

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