By Bill Vaughan
Entertainment Writer
The Prince Estate is urging fans to celebrate the first anniversary of the posthumous “Welcome 2 America” album by digging into their Deluxe Edition featuring the never before released Blu-Ray of Prince’s full April 28, 2011 performance at the Forum, recorded during his historic 21-night stand in Los Angeles.
The show, presented in stereo, 5.1 surround and Dolby Atmos, includes 24 tracks from across Prince’s career, from his biggest hits to fan favorites to 10 rare covers.
Among the gems are staples “Controversy,” “Let’s Go Crazy,” “1999,” “Little Red Corvette,” “Kiss” and of course, “Purple Rain.”
It’s the covers, though, that makes this collection unique. The music master rips through songs by his favorite artists like Janet Jackson, India.Arie, Bob Dylan, Kool & The Gang, Lakeside and Graham Central Station; in addition to his popular compositions with Sheila E and The Time.
The concert is a bonus along with the 2 LP and CD versions of the album, a 32-page book, exclusive poster and an envelope of memorabilia housed in a gold-embossed package.
Recorded in the spring of 2010 and then mysteriously archived by Prince before its release, the statement album documents his concerns, hopes and visions for a shifting society, presciently foreshadowing an era of political division, disinformation and a renewed fight for racial justice.
It features some of his only studio collaborations with bassist Tal Wilkenfeld, drummer Chris Coleman, and engineer Jason Agel, with additional contributions from New Power Generation singers Shelby J, Liv Warfield and Elisa Fiorillo and keyboardist Morris Hayes, who Prince also recruited to co-produce the album.
IN REMEMBRANCE: Trojan Records is set for the release of the new compilation album “King Scratch (Musical Masterpieces from the Upsetter Ark-ive)” on Sept. 2. The album, out on double CD, double vinyl and a deluxe box set, is comprised of tracks from across the career of the legendary late, great Jamaican record producer and artist Lee “Scratch” Perry. The collection marks the first anniversary of his passing, showcasing the very best of his work across his own releases and his productions for other artists.
Perry’s vision and talent has had a significant impact on the musical landscape of today, inspiring many of the world’s greatest musicians including the likes of the Rolling Stones, the Beastie Boys, the Clash and Diplo who carried his sound forward.
TASTY QUIP: “You can’t kill something that’s in our DNA. It’s gonna keep transitioning from generation to generation to generation to generation. They was trying to kill it. They wanna call it ‘Popular Music’ [when] Adele and Justin Timberlake get ahold to it, so now it’s ‘Popular Music.’ But it’s been popular music! We’ve been had it!” – MARY J. BLIGE addressing if ‘R&B is Dead’ on Diddy’s Instagram Live
CLIPPETTES: Diana Ross begins a two-night engagement at the Hollywood Bowl Aug. 26; while DJ Quik holds forth at the Fox Theater Pomona; and the 70s Soul Jam featuring the Stylistics, Sonny Bivins’ Manhattans, the Blue Notes, Enchantment andWilliam Hart’s Delfonics is presented at the Microsoft Theater …
The free Leimert Park Jazz Festival is happening past noon Aug. 27 at Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Mall. The tight line-up includes Patrice Rushen, Ernie Watts, Marvin “Smitty” Smith, Pete Escovedo, John Beasley, Munyungo Jackson, Kamau Daaood,Teodross Avery, Dexter Story, Mark de Clive-Lowe, Dwight Trible, Cameron Graves and more …
Also that evening, Christopher Jackson and Wayne Brady team for songs and stories at The Ford; Kevin Gates performs at Riverside Municipal Auditorium; Alice Coltrane is celebrated with a free concert at Grand Performances; Fitz & The Tantrums headline at the Greek; Kiana Ledé sings at the Troubadour; Paris Escovedo plays timbales with his Latin jazz group at Harvelle’s; and Fantastic Negrito leads a diverse group of artists for Now We’re Here at The Broad …
“Ally McBeal,” the legal dramedy that was a hit series for Fox in the late 1990s, is being rebooted by producer Karen Grist (“Our Kind of People”) with a Black female lead …
Enjoy “Smooth Summer Jazz” with George Benson, Lalah Hathaway and Boney James at the Hollywood Bowl on Aug. 28; as Jazz Is Dead: The Tour kicks off at the Lodge Room with Ali Shaheed Muhamad, Adrian Younge, Brian Jackson, Doug Carn, Henry Franklin and Katalyst; and the Lost 80s Live – 20th Anniversary Tour! with A Flock of Seagulls, Wang Chung, the English Beat,Missing Persons and more arrives at the Greek …
The entertainment continues with All-4-One at the Coach House; Pato Banton at Venice West; Faizon Love at the Comedy Store; and Ramy Youssef at Largo …
Actress, entertainer, activist and author Jenifer Lewis will appear Aug. 30 at the Kaufman Performing Arts Center at Vista Del Mar to discuss and sign copies of her new book, “Walking In My Joy: In These Streets” …
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures presents a screening of the first true Black gangster film, “Dark Manhattan,” starring Ralph Cooper (the founder of the Apollo Theater’s legendary Amateur Night) along with Oscar Micheaux’s 1935 movie “Murder In Harlem” on Sept. 1 …
Meanwhile, Deluxe: A Night with Keyon Harrold & Friends will be held at Soulmate WeHo …
TASTY QUIP: “When’s the last time you heard a slow song on the radio??? N—as saying R&B is dead… respectfully shut up! People nowadays want fast food instead of a real meal… Don’t blame the real singers out here [because] what channels do people have to see music videos[?] BET damn sure don’t, neither does MTV.” – CHRIS BROWN on IG
TC ON TV: Aug. 26 – “See” (Apple TV+): Jason Momoa is back as the tribe leader in this sci-fi series adding Dave Bautista (“Guardians of the Galaxy”) to the cast. “Me Time” (Netflix): Kevin Hart stars as a stay-at-home dad who calls his old buddy (Mark Wahlberg) to hang out. “Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby” (Prime Video): Follows the career of the Atlanta rapper and his rise in pop culture. “Rental Redo” (Disc+): Designer Keyanna Bowen reveals cost-saving tips while updating rentals to help tenants feel more at home.
Aug. 27 – “About Her Business” (BET Her): Jasmine Rowe, Dawn Kelly, Aliyah Ortiz, Marvina Robinson “Black Love” (OWN): In the series finale, couples share the reality behind the term “relationship goals” and reveal that the true goal is knowing that tough times will come and go, no matter who you are and what your relationship looks like from the outside.
Aug. 28 – “Delicious Miss Brown” (Food): “Movie Night” “2022 MTV Music Video Awards” (CW/MTV/Logo): LL Cool J, Nicki Minajand Jack Harlow host the ceremony honoring the Red Hot Chili Peppers with performances by Lizzo, Kane Brown, J Balvin and more. “Unthinkably Good Things” (HMC): Terri J. Vaughn directed this Tuscany-set romantic comedy film starring Erica Ash, Lance Gross, Karen Pittman and Joyful Drake.
Aug. 29 – “Claim To Fame” (ABC): We’ve seen relatives of Tiffany Haddish, Zendaya, Whoopi Goldberg and the Rev. Al Sharpton depart. Now, as the final stretch of the competition approaches, an alliance is solidified between two housemates, while one continues to lead others on with her false identity.
Aug. 30 – “The Patient” (Hulu): The team behind “The Americans” bring this psychological thriller about a therapist (Steve Carell) who’s held prisoner by a patient (Domhnall Gleeson) who reveals himself to be a serial killer. David Alan Grier is featured. “Untold: Operation Flagrant Foul” (Netflix): The story of former NBA referee Tim Donaghy, who served time for betting on games he officiated. “First Blood” (A&E): “Anthony Sowell: The Cleveland Strangler” “Celebrity Game Face” (E!): Big Boi, DJ Khaled and Sasheer Zamata compete remotely from their homes.
Aug. 31 – “MasterChef” (Fox): The Top Six must take over Chef Wolfgang Puck‘s kitchen at Spago in this special two-hour episode. “CMT Storytellers” (CMT): Darius Rucker
Sept. 1 – “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” (Prime Video): Welds the major events of J.R.R. Tolkien‘s Second Age together: the forging of the iconic rings. The multi-season drama, with new episodes available weekly, has Cynthia Addai-Robinson (“Power”) and Sir Lenny Henry among the cast members. “Pantheon” (AMC+): An animated sci-fi series based on a collection of short stories by award-winning author Ken Liu. Featuring the voices of Aaron Eckhart, Daniel Dae Kim, Paul Dano, Raza Jaffrey, and the late William Hurt.
END QUOTE: “You can start late, look different, be uncertain, and still succeed.” – MISTY COPELAND
As featured in the Los Angeles Wave and Independent, Tasty Clips is one of the leading entertainment columns in the nation, serving nearly one million weekly readers. Bill Vaughan may be reached at tastyclips@yahoo.com, via Twitter @tastyclips, or Instagram @tasty_clips.