The 2016 BET Awards Show and The Prince Tribute

On Sunday May 22nd, 2016, Billboard Magazine held their annual awards show, a mere thirty (30) days after the sudden and tragic death of Prince Rogers Nelson. 

Somehow, Madonna (along with Stevie Wonder) was selected or invited to be the conduit for expressing all our grief over this loss. It was a highly-questionable selection that played out to a dubious, if not predictable result. For although Madonna and Prince collaborated back in the 80's on her album "Like a Prayer" (he played uncredited guitar on the title track, and they co-wrote and performed the middling "Love Song"), many observers and fans, myself included, felt there were MANY other choices to handle the duties of paying tribute to Prince. Some of the choices posed were right-on-target, including The Time, The Revolution, NPG, Chaka Khan, Larry Graham, and of course Sheila E. Now imagine a tribute performance where ALL these artists collaborated?

Adding depth to the consternation and agitation was Linda Perry of 4-Non-Blondes fame. She appeared on "The Talk" and tried to convince Prince-lovers everywhere that Madonna was the most appropriate choice, because no true Prince collaborator was relevant anymore, at least (in her warped mind) not as "relevant" as Madonna. This idea is so amusing because Madonna hasn't been relevant since Vogue in 1991.....THAT'S TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO!!
See the footage here:

The anti-Madonna fervor rose to such heights, there was actually a petition started to prevent the disaster before it happened ( https://www.change.org/p/billboard-awards-stop-madonna-from-tributing-prince-during-the-billboard-awards)

Yet, Billboard did it their way, and the result was a disaster. Madonna was so flat and off-key, not even the legendary Stevie Wonder could save the effort as it unfolded on-stage, note after agonizingly off-key note.
Here's the performance for those that wisely missed it!

Enter BET with timing that is innate to only a select few.
Not much description needed here, just check-out the add that floated across our TV screens after the Madonna/Prince Tribute fiasco:

Ultimate Shade, no?
Well, I liken it to The Kid, himself.
Never one to back away from self-elevation, but ALWAYS one to walk-the-walk, not just talk-the-talk, Prince could say anything, because he could do ANYTHING!!
In that vein, BET called their shot, and this past Sunday night (6-26-16) they delivered the goods to a world-wide audience.

Rather than an isolated moment in the awards show, BET wisely (and compassionately for the fans) chose a different route in paying tribute to this once-in-a-lifetime artists. Performances were woven organically, and throughout the show. Here are some things I think about the night, as well as the order of the tributes throughout the night.

Erykah Badu, Bilal and The Roots: 
"The Ballad of Dorothy Parker" and "The Beautiful Ones"
This was likely my personal favorite (with a humble nod to Maxwell and Sheila E). Not only am I a great lover of Badu and The Roots, but "Dorothy" is one of my favorite songs from my #1 FAVORITE Prince album, Sign 'O' the Times.  All kinds of off-beat lyrical references to cultural touchstones such as the American Poetess in the title, or the live sample and reference to American singer-songwriter, Joni Mitchell. The original song has incredible production values with all kinds of vocal-multi-tracking going on, plus plenty of musical nuance. 
Here's a version from rehearsals that preceded the '87 tour.

As you can hear, it wasn't an obvious choice for the average Prince fan, which is why it was so special to hear, ESPECIALLY in the context of a loving tribute. 

Now here's the Badu/Roots version from the 2016 BET Awards show. It's got all the texture, funky swing, and panache that a fan would have NO business hoping for. 
http://www.bet.com/video/betawards/2016/performances/the-roots-erykah-badu-bilal-prince-tribute.html

So, for those of you at home who were keeping score:
2016 BET Awards 1 
2016 Billboard Awards 0

Then, as Badu's song ended, there was an amazing, but brief transition between the two singers as they passed each other on/off stage. Was it planned? Or was it just an organic moment where Bilal had to stop Badu on her walk-off stage in order to light the spark of inspiration for his 100%-invested take on this sensuous and dripping ballad from "Purple Rain", the seminal 80's album by Prince & The Revolution?

It felt tender, spontaneous and sincere. 
How could someone NOT feel romantically inspired by "FatbellyBella", aka "Serra Bellum", aka "Maria Mexico",
aka "DJ Lo Down Loretta Brown"....especially after watching her perform?

As for Bilal's performance itself? It was tremendous.
I also think it's a funny, and funky coincidence that awards show opener, Beyonce has been covering "The Beautiful Ones" on her tour, and doing it pretty well.
However, I think the Roots have better chops than Bey's band, which is what gave Bilal the jumping-point to deliver a rendition of a song that MUST reach a certain emotional pitch, in order to be credible.

Not only did he hit the falsetto notes that Prince put into this song, not only did Bilal capture the emotional pitch, but he gave himself over to the performance so-much-so, that he even seemed to channel His Royal Badness.  It was evocative and a clear nod to Prince's performance of "The Beautiful Ones", as seen in the seminal movie "Purple Rain"; writhing around on the ground and shrieking for his lover to commit themselves to the same depth of emotion that he had reached in covering this classic, Prince staple. 

All of this analysis of Bilal's performance, takes on even greater interest, when you put it in the context of his Prince fandom. All the OkayPlayer crew (which includes everything from The Roots to Bilal to Badu to Talib Kweli to D'Angelo) are passionate and inspired Prince fans like the rest-of-us, and Bilal was no different.  
Read the following article for a hilarious account of his four (4) meetings with The Purple One.
http://www.okayplayer.com/news/bilal-on-prince.html

So, for those of you at home who were keeping score:
2016 BET Awards 2 
2016 Billboard Awards 0

Stevie wonder, Tori Kelley, & Jennifer Hudson: 
"Take Me With U" & "Purple Rain"
Still unsure who the band was, but I think it was the BET Awards house band for the night. They did a TREMENDOUS job, and Stevie and Tori Kelley did a great job together, too. Sure they had some subtle moments where their individual phrasing was a bit off, but overall, it was worthy of all the other tribute performances throughout the night. 
If I'm being honest, I think Stevie needed this moment.  His voice sounded great at the Billboard Awards, it was really Madonna, and the decision-makers who produced the show, that made her tribute a train-wreck. There was nothing more Stevie could've done. Here, he was heart-felt as always, and soulful with such Stevie-esque phrasing and embellishments.
The horns had pop in them and both singers traded some great vocalizations at the end. 
For the full performance, watch here:

As for Jennifer Hudson's Tear-The-Roof-Off-The-Mutha-Sucka, spiritually-steeped and soul-stirring rendition of "Purple Rain", was widely talked about as THE highlight of the night. It certainly reached a near-epic crescendo with J.Hud unleashing her mighty instrument, but I had trouble getting past the rough start. It might be a modest criticism, but it felt like she really struggled to get things started. Almost as if she couldn't find the right tempo. If you listen carefully at the very beginning of her performance, it sounds like she's rushing and not paying attention to the musical cues that let the singer know when to come in. Maybe it was nerves, which would be natural, even for a seasoned and accomplished performer like her.

Still, it was instantly worthy of "All-Time" status as it was the anthemic spectacle it can be.  In fact, the emotional performance seemed like one giant exhale, where the entire world and our collective grief over Prince's death was stuck in her diaphragm, and this was her chance to get it all out.
Not just for herself, but for all of us collectively.
It was a tear-jerker and a highlight of the tribute show.

So, for those of you at home who were keeping score:
2016 BET Awards 4 
2016 Billboard Awards 0

Janelle Monae: A Prince medley:"Delirious", "Kiss", "Pop Life", "Eye Would Die 4U"

Prince, as an admirer of upcoming talent (especially for nurturing female talent), had been in Janelle Monae's corner from early on. This not only spoke to the synergy between these two uniquely stylish artists, but also must have inspired Janelle to higher heights as a performer.  You're that early into your career, and you have Prince advocating and agitating for you? That's as reliable a sign that you're on the right track, as any sign you could look for. Prince would say that "Game recognize game".
You'll find that Monae's version of "Let's Go Crazy" was a staple of her touring set in 2013 & 2014.

Her performance at the BET Awards show proved that not only was she up to the task of performing in a Prince tribute, but that it was a natural choice having her participate.
Janelle Monae was just like Prince; a tiny physical form that belies a MASSIVE ability as a show-stopping-star. She physically covered so much ground, running and dancing all over the stage, that Prince, at his advanced age might have had trouble just nipping at her heels. Her song choices were great relative to covering Prince's biggest hits. They even aped the original "Kiss" video in her stage performance. It was a great combination of excitement and splash, with gritty musical chops by the band. Wholly on-point and well-enjoyed.

So, for those of you at home who were keeping score:
2016 BET Awards 5
2016 Billboard Awards 0


Maxwell: "Nothing Compares 2U"

In a crowded field, this also might have been my favorite Prince-tribute of the night. After the usually-reclusive singer offered one of his new tunes, Maxwell turned his attention to this wonderful yet aching ballad that Prince wrote back in the 80's. In fact, this selection was intended for another Prince off-shoot group called The Family. 
However it was ultimately Sinead O'Connor who had the greatest chart and commercial success, with the song, taking the Prince-penned hit to Number 1. But I digress....

Maxwell's voice was in fine form, and he added a few lyrical wrinkles too, like changing the opening lyrics from 
"It's been 7hours and 13 days", to a precise detail of how long it's been since Prince's passing (7hours and 66days). Maxwell also changed some of the lyrics in the 3rd verse to convey a specific feeling about how we have all felt in losing such an iconic artist that we've all been following annually since our formative days of youth. His performance struck me like a velvet hammer. So much so, that I'd surely purchase Maxwell's live version of "Nothing Compares 2U", if it was ever released. I was in tears, again, and really feeling now sad at the elegant and poignant reminder that he's gone. 
There may be hundreds of thousands of unearthed music in the infamous, possibly soon-to-be-opened Vault at Paisley Park, but his mind was still agile and a creative well spring and it's sad knowing there will never be that next Prince project. 

For those of you at home who are still keeping score:
2016 BET Awards 6
2016 Billboard Awards 0


And now for the finale.......
Sheila E: "Housequake", "Erotic City", "Let's Work", "You Got The Look", "A Love Bizarre", "The Glamorous Life", "America", "Baby I'm A Star"

Sheila Escovedo and her crack band included many connection points from the Prince arc. There was the great Morris Hayes from the NPG, holding down the keys. There was Jerome Benton from The Time, The Family and from all three Prince movies (Purple Rain, Under The Cherry Moon, and Graffiti Bridge). There was Mayte Garcia, a dancer from the NPG-era and Prince's ex-wife, from Prince's present singers Liv Warfield & Shelby J, and from Prince's past singer Elisa Fiorillo, plus latter-day dancers The McLean Twins, and the NPG HORNZ......whew!


Not to be lost in the excitement and tremendous result, was the fact that D'Angelo was supposed to close the BET Awards alongside Sheila E and as part of this ad-hoc unit of former Prince collaborators, but as noted on Roots drummer Questlove's Twitter feed, (@questlove), and only a few hours into the show, that which we'd all hoped for was "Not gonna happen".

Of all the nights' participants for the various Prince tributes (and Linda Perry can forget about how SHE defines "relevance"), Sheila E was the MOST qualified to do a proper tribute... She knew Prince's live music style from performing on stage with him for so many years. 
She knew what he respected, and what he expected.


She kicked off a seven-minute medley by smashing the drums during "Housequake", wailing that classic Prince call, almost like a wailing cry to all who are funky and want to get down. Like a traditional Muslim call-to-prayer by a Muezzin from a minaret, she inserted them in all the right spots that Prince himself would likely have chosen to. It was a great selection from Sign 'O' The Times, and a Prince funk masterwork. She then jammed through "Erotic City", a real treat from their earliest work together. All the sexy slink and slithering sleaze was there in the dance floor classic. 

Staying in the 80's Sheila took us through "Let’s Work" from the Controversy album. She followed with a snippet from another Sign 'O' The Times classic with "U Got The Look", originally a Prince duet with Sheena Easton. 
That tasty morsel transitioned into the Prince and Sheila E collaboration "A Love Bizarre," one of Sheila E's most popular solo cuts. By the time this tour-de-force turned to her other biggest smash, "The Glamorous Life", she had given a lot and covered many fan favorites. She could've stopped there and I would've still cheered at the TV from my bed....but she kept on, just like Prince would.

Next up was the lone representative from Prince's follow-up album to Purple Rain, Around The World In A Day, and the up-tempo, rock-funk workout, "America". Jerome Benton was there on stage, kind of sashaying right up next to her as they invoked that classic dance that Morris Day and Jerome are known for their work as The Time. Then, wrapping up this marathon she pummeled the drums a little more (as if they hadn't been through enough already), strummed a guitar and slid across the stage just like Prince at the 1985 Grammy Awards. Closing with "Baby I'm a Star", it might be the closest thing we'll see to one of His Royal Badness and one of his performances, ever again. She even had one of Prince's classic guitars as a totem, maybe representing all that he hath bequeathed unto us. All the glorious soul. All the FUNk and spiritual and sexual awakenings. The sense of belonging as an outsider. The commitment to craftwork and excellence. The efforts to mentor and collaborate. The way we turn to music, in order to process the abundance of emotion that is the human experience; This Thing Called Life.

Click here to view Sheila E's performance:
http://www.bet.com/video/betawards/2016/performances/sheila-e-medley-prince-tribute.html

I also LOVED the post-performance interview that Sheila gave, especially the insight on how they picked which songs, and the choice of arrangements. 

And the final score for those at home, and who bet on the over/under?
2016 BET Awards 7
2016 Billboard Awards 0

Special note to "Trap Soul" artist, Bryson Tiller.
Everyone in the audience not only seemed to know the songs he performed, word-for-word, (the hits "Exchange" and "Don't"), but were so taken with his music that the entire crowd attending the show hosted at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, was on their feet and acting out the lyrics while Tiller out-performed contemporaries such as Desiigner, French Montana, Young Thug and Future.

Of all the fantastic non-Prince Tribute performances that we witnessed throughout the night, the aforementioned Tiller, as well as performances by Beyonce w/ Kendrick Lemar, Maxwell, Alicia Keys, and Usher, I'd be remiss to exclude the impassioned speech by Grey's Anatomy's Jesse Williams, who portrays Dr. Jackson Avery in the ABC hit series, as he accepted the Humanitarian Award. The entire night was really charged with political leanings, but no one captivated the audience and the whole world that watched, the way Williams and his speech did. Articulate and candid truths that must be talked about, regarding the myriad problems that arise in everyday, American life, due to lingering systemic racism. For example, Williams talked about Police violence in the African American community:

“We know that police somehow manage to deescalate, disarm, and not kill white people every day, so what’s going to happen is, we’re going to have equal rights and justice in our own country or we will restructure their function and ours.”

He talked about continued efforts to silence these truths, by many Americans who moan and complain of hurt feelings when these truths, and discussions about racial inequity are pointed out in an effort to discuss, understand and ultimately move past, responding:

"The burden of the brutalized is not to comfort the bystander.That’s not our job, alright – stop with all that. If you have a critique for the resistance, for our resistance, then you better have an established record of critique of our oppression. If you have no interest, if you have no interest in equal rights for black people then do not make suggestions to those who do. Sit down."
There were so many more remarks, all equally as eloquent and insightful and candid as the two I mentioned, so no matter your racial background or levels of cultural understanding and interest, I urge you to watch this historic speech.
http://www.bet.com/video/betawards/2016/acceptance-speeches/jesse-williams-receives-humanitarian-award.html

The 2016 BET Awards show was SENSATIONAL.
The non-Prince Tribute performances were strong and the Prince Tribute performances were other-worldly and they captured what a Prince performance always entailed; emotional and musical heights with superb execution.
All-around, this was an INCREDIBLE collection of artists displaying their artistry, as both individuals and collaborators. Is there anything more Prince than that?

Things I Think: JBLZE - JASON Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience

Tell me, how long has it been since YOU'VE Rocked'n'Rolled? 
For me, it had been a while.
Sure there'd been a few, terrific live shots of some great jazz, and even some R&B/Funk sprinkled throughout my life the past few months, but ultimately, I hadn't REALLY rocked since the David Bowie tribute at the Parkway Theatre in South Minneapolis, back on February 20th.

That all changed on Wednesday, May 25th at The Myth nightclub in St. Paul.
For those of roughly my vintage, The Myth was built on the same footprint as the former toy store, Children's Palace, out in Maplewood, a nothern suburb of Minnesota's capital city.

I'd never been to a gig at The Myth, so I was eager to check-it-out, especially for the chance to experience, what proved to be as authentic a Led Zeppelin show as you could dream of hearing and seeing, short of seeing the original line-up intact, and in their prime.

Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience is comprised of James Dylan on vocals, Tony Catania on guitar, Dorain Heartsong on bass, Alex Howland on keyboards & guitar and Jason Bonham on drums.

It's a fantastic collection of musicians that really stay grounded in themselves, but balance that along with their fandom for Zeppelin (Jason included, or leading the fan-charge, depending on your point-of-view). 
Dylan does the shrill & shriek of Plant better than you've ever heard in a live setting, and as impressive as it sounds (and it is), imagine the reality that his prodigious talent gets eclipsed by his band mates.

Besides the obvious in Bonham's star-turn, (hey it's his show after all, and he earns that spot all throughout the night), the revelation for me, was guitarist Tony Catania.
Tony channels Page like nothing I've ever seen, but he somehow manages to remain grounded in Tony Catania, while channeling the mythic, guitar demi-G-d. 
From head-to-toe he moves across the stage with that classic Page back-step-hop maneuver, and all the bravado in each stroke of the guitar strings on either neck.
Tony even incorporates a theramin into the show, during the "Whole Lotta Love" encore. While I was sadly unable to uncover a pic of Catania doing it, here's Page himself, famously writhing and wiggling around a theremin from a Zep show in the 70's.

It was quite an impressive and unexpected addition to the show.

The set-list was pleasing for a variety of reasons, including the infrequency the original band itself had ever played a given song live during their "Halcyon Days" of touring. 
The execution by JBLZE, audience reaction, and fandom of the song coming through from the musicians playing it, made the night quite memorable.

JBLZE started the show with a rollicking "Rock'n'Roll" at a perfect tempo. The rest of the night included the following songs in order:

Set 1

Rock N Roll

Wearing and Tearing

Good Times Bad Times

Over The Hills and Far Away

The Wonton Song

What Is and What Should Never Be

The Lemon Song

Thank You

Since I’ve Been Loving You

Going To California

Moby Dick

Set 2

Kashmir

The Rain Song

The Ocean

Fool in the Rain

Trampled Under Foot

Stairway to Heaven

Encore: Whole Lotta Love

"Fool" was killer and a my favorite addition to the set list, filled with the requisite whistle-blowing by Bonham, that sounds-off the beginning of the song's bridge.

Fifth band-member Alex Howland is well-utilized for his clavinet use on a song
like "Trampled", but also for the strings on "Rain Song".

This is a fans' show and the sentimentality runs deep and sincerely. Jason Bonham isn't just Bonzo's son, he's Bonzo's #1 Fan! Just looking at him and his drum rig is an evocative exercise in tribute and fandom.

Albeit belatedly, here's the only footage I captured from The Jason Bonham Led Zeppelin Experience at The Myth.
Here, during "The Ocean" you really feel the synergy between the band and the crowd. It created an electric environment that Bonham himself, praised on more than one occasion throughout the night.

Next Up, a post from Youtube user Justin Blessing, who also attended the Myth show. Here he's captured most of "Going To California" from Led Zeppelin IV, and all of the EPIC "Moby Dick" from Led Zeppelin II. Watch how Jason takes the art of the tribute to new heights, by incorporating old Moby Dick footage of his dad playing, with his in-the-moment performance.

I also found this chap (AmuzeMe on Youtube) who'd captured "Kashmir" as the opener to the 2nd Set.

Sadly, for those interested, it looks like the North American tour for JBLZE has concluded out in California. I STRONGLY recommend that you catch a show if the opportunity comes along. At $30 cost for general admission, you'll get back more than twice that value in the performance and feeling. Plus, we're talking about LED ZEPPELIN's music!! It's among the very best Rock'N'Roll that's ever been made, and The JBLZE recreates this classic sound with all the love and care a fan could hope for. With that, I leave you with one last clip, thanks to Youtube user "Libby Abdo" whom captured "Thank You"; an all-too appropriate tribute from son to father, and from fans the world-over, whom have always and will always love the music of this all-time rock band!