lil_dnyce's Podcast

Following an inspiring hiatus where she toured extensively with some of the world’s most notable artists, London’s Izzi Dunn is ready to return with her stunning second album Cries And Smiles. Cries And Smiles is the latest unique chapter from a self-sufficient musician (she writes, produces and plays most of her own material) who has already had a remarkable career. The new album showcases her skills as a versatile singer-songwriter who has some important things to say. Her distinctive, soulful voice is on full display. However, her skills as a cellist and arranger, continually honed since childhood, are an indispensable aspect of proceedings. There are no sampled strings here people. Izzi is that rarest of things: a genuinely multi-talented artist who performs to the highest standard at whatever she puts her mind to. Her debut album, The Big Picture, was a critically acclaimed underground hit in 2004. The record placed her at the forefront of all the newest innovations that were revolutionising soul music in the UK during the early years of the new millennium. As a session musician, she’s played for the likes of George Harrison, Natalie Imbruglia and Soul II Soul. Izzi has also graced the cream of the UK music scene with her talents. The Brand New Heavies, Roots Manuva, Beverley Knight, Jamelia and Bugz In The Attic are just a few of those who have benefited. It was as a cellist - she also heads a string section named The Demon Strings - that Izzi was called upon to tour with artists like Damon Albarn and Mark Ronson. The universally positive reaction to The Big Picture was the reason Izzi was asked by Albarn to add her vibe to the Gorillaz album Demon Days. This led to her touring with Albarn’s next ‘super group’ The Good, The Bad And The Queen. Once that was done she was off around the world again, this time with Mark Ronson and his all-star revue. “I’ve been having a brilliant time while I’ve been working on this album,” she says of the last couple of years. Izzi’s artistry represents the next step in a proud tradition of British soul that dates back to Loose Ends and Omar. However the alternative scene, in particular Portishead and Massive Attack and the breadth of Izzi’s work as a session musician has a large influence on Izzi’s material. New millennium soul music, of which Cries & Smiles is at the forefront, utilises all of these sonic and cultural influences while simultaneously incorporating all of the vibes and artistry associated with the newest homegrown developments. Simply put, there are no restrictions to IzzI’s sound. Her voice is fearless: vulnerable, empowering and traditionally soulful. Her music reflects the nature of modern everyday-life, our trials and tribulations, hopes and loves.

Having gigged around London last year, including a headline show at Jazz Cafe and a supporting slot for Melanie Fiona at the Luminaire last month, Stevenage hailing UK soul newcomer Nathan Watson provides an introduction to his music with his new EP Student Of Life, featuring four tracks and two mixes/remixes of his debut single ‘Reach Out (You’ve Got A Friend).’ Nathan Watson is known for his distinctly eclectic fresh soul funk sound & has built up an impressive fan base across the UK through his live performances. He appeared on GMTV & ITV as well as performing in front of Prince Charles for the Princess Trust. Nathan has been doing a series of appearances sometimes with his full band sometimes with his acoustic set to rave reviews at places like The Jazz Café, Dingwalls, The Troubadour, China White, the Blag Club and The Pigalle to name a few and embarked on a national acoustic tour of the renowned Living Rooms. His performances go from strength to strength opening at the Jazz Café for soul divas Leela James & Jazmine Sullivan & for Rozalla at the Pizza on the Park. Having started off his musical career as a rapper Nathan progressed to being a singer with a distinctive sound. His songs come across in a refreshingly clear way and once you’ve heard his themes on life and love, you’ll know he’s lived every word

Most professional footballers devote themselves to the beautiful game and leave the singing to the fans in the terraces. Not Gavin Holligan. When injury hampered a promising career in the premiership, the former West Ham (and Wycombe Wanderers) striker turned misfortune into an opportunity to realise a long-term ambition. Ex Premiership Footballer Gavin Holligan is now one of London’s true musical assets. On listening to his debut release, ‘We’re Coming’ it is clear that Gavin has spent time honing his craft and sculpting his own unique sound; one that always appeals to the majority, by bringing both timeless classic and quirky modern influences together, with a mixed bag of genres, including Pop, Soul, Reggae and Rock. Gavin is set to make his own mark in the UK imminently, having already worked with a roster of international stars including Big Bruvas, Gloria Gaynor, Duffy, Stevie Wonder and Aswad to name a few. Whether writing, composing, producing, or even on stage as a performer, Gavin Holligan thrives in every situation, leaving listeners pleasantly thrilled and inspired! Welcome to the journey of Gavin Holligan.the past 18 months and have played at venues such as Soho Revue bar and Jazz Cafe and Soul-D-Out (UK) Live!.

Marsha Ambrosius or Marsha is a former member of the English band duo Floetry, and is expected to be releasing her first solo album Late Nights & Early Mornings in February 2011. Ambrosius has been featured on many songs including Styles P’s “I’m Black”; The Game’s “Start from Scratch” and “Why You Hate The Game” (also featuring Nas); Busta Rhymes’ “Get You Some” and “Cocaina”; Nas’ “Hustlers” (also featuring The Game); and Hi-Tek’s “Music for Life” and; Jamie Foxx’s “Freak’in Me”. The group has also collaborated with Earth, Wind & Fire on their most recent album, Illumination, on the track “Elevated”. She collaborated once again with Nas on his song “If I Ruled The World ‘09″ & has also done a track with Slum Village called “Cloud 9″. Recently, she has guested on Wale’s “Diary”. In 2000, the duo travelled to the United States to perform on the poetry circuit. After frequenting spoken word/poetry spots in Atlanta, GA such as Yin Yang Poets’ Cafe (to rave reviews), they moved on to Philadelphia. There they met Darren ‘Limitless’ Henson and Keith ‘Keshon’ Pelzer of DJ Jazzy Jeff’s Touch Of Jazz studio and began recording. In 2002, they signed with DreamWorks Records and released their debut album Floetic, which featured the singles “Floetic”, “Say Yes”, and “Getting Late”. Marsha was signed to Dr. Dre’s record label, Aftermath Entertainment, as a solo musician/song-writer/producer. Parting ways with the label early 2009, Ambrosius pursued her song-writing/production career landing her placements with the some of the best in R&B and Hip Hop ranging from Alicia Keys, Jamie Foxx and Mario to Fabulous, Slum Village and Wale. Summer 2009, Ambrosius was approached by numerous record labels offering her a solo deal after a long awaited performance at NYC’s infamous SOB’s where a sold out crowd gathered to a show accompanied by The Roots and DJ Aktive. December 2009, Ambrosius signed to J Records and her solo debut Late Nights & Early Mornings will be released in Feb 2011.

Edward Theodore “Teddy” Riley (born October 8, 1967) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, keyboardist, and record producer credited with the creation of New Jack Swing. Through his production work and membership of the groups Guy and Blackstreet, Riley is considered to have had a seminal influence on the formation of modern R&B, Hip-Hop and Pop since the 1980’s Riley co-produced half of Michael Jackson’s album Dangerous, after Jackson parted ways with Quincy Jones. Featuring the Riley co-produced singles “Remember the Time”, “Jam”, and “In the Closet”, Dangerous is the most successful New Jack Swing album of all time with 32 million copies sold.Co-executor of the Michael Jackson estate, John Branca, confirmed that a posthumous album of Michael Jackson will be released, containing work done in the past five years with producers Will.I.Am, Rodney Jerkins, and Riley himself, as well as work written and produced solely by Jackson. The album Michael was released December 14th 2010

Teena Marie nicknamed Lady T, was a protégé of late funk legend Rick James, and is notable as one of the few successful white performers of R&B. She sings R&B with strong, robust vocals, plays rhythm guitar, keyboards and congas. She is of Portuguese, Irish, Italian, and Native American ancestry born in Santa Monica in 1950 Teena was always destined for the stage. Teena signed with Motown Records in 1976, having gained an introduction to staff producer Hal Davis (best known for his work with the Jackson 5) and then auditioned, with her then band, for label boss Berry Gordy, but was then spotted by Rick James, who effectively Teena her first top-ten R&B hit, “I’m Just a Sucker for Your Love” (#8 Black Singles Chart), which was a duet with James. Neither the album sleeve nor other packaging showed a picture of Teena, apparently on the theory that black audiences might be reluctant to buy an album by a white artist. In fact, many radio programmers wrongly assumed Teena was African American during the earliest months of her career. This myth was dispelled when, in 1980, her sophomore album, Lady T, sported a picture of her on the cover. From Motown to Epic to her indie label Sarai , a 14 year hiatus, hip hop label Cash Money Records and her current home Stax Records/Concord Music label, Teena has described her current 13th album ‘Congo Square’ as “personal and spiritual” and indicated that it is more jazz-influenced than most of her previous work, Congo Square was released on June 9, 2009 on the Stax Records/Concord Music label.. Join Tina Marie & D’nyce in conversation on Thursday 11th Feb 2010 where she talks about her life, Rick James and current offering ‘ Congo Square’

Teena Marie nicknamed Lady T, was a protégé of late funk legend Rick James, and is notable as one of the few successful white performers of R&B. She sings R&B with strong, robust vocals, plays rhythm guitar, keyboards and congas. She is of Portuguese, Irish, Italian, and Native American ancestry born in Santa Monica in 1950 Teena was always destined for the stage. Teena signed with Motown Records in 1976, having gained an introduction to staff producer Hal Davis (best known for his work with the Jackson 5) and then auditioned, with her then band, for label boss Berry Gordy, but was then spotted by Rick James, who effectively Teena her first top-ten R&B hit, “I’m Just a Sucker for Your Love” (#8 Black Singles Chart), which was a duet with James. Neither the album sleeve nor other packaging showed a picture of Teena, apparently on the theory that black audiences might be reluctant to buy an album by a white artist. In fact, many radio programmers wrongly assumed Teena was African American during the earliest months of her career. This myth was dispelled when, in 1980, her sophomore album, Lady T, sported a picture of her on the cover. From Motown to Epic to her indie label Sarai , a 14 year hiatus, hip hop label Cash Money Records and her current home Stax Records/Concord Music label, Teena has described her current 13th album ‘Congo Square’ as “personal and spiritual” and indicated that it is more jazz-influenced than most of her previous work, Congo Square was released on June 9, 2009 on the Stax Records/Concord Music label.. Join Tina Marie & D’nyce in conversation on Thursday 11th Feb 2010 where she talks about her life, Rick James and current offering ‘ Congo Square’

Bursting from an array of musical brilliance, singer / songwriter / pianist AVERY*Sunshine emerges onto the scene with her soon to be released self-titled debut album. Rooted in gospel, she reaches deep into abundance of style and sound and sings a song which articulates the complexities of life with luminous insight. Fluent in many languages from soul and house to classical and hip hop, AVERY*Sunshine expresses with a voice that speaks boldly and tells a uniquely familiar story…a story about love and loss…healing…and finding the newness of oneself in the midst of it all. Who is AVERY*Sunshine? “I am a self-proclaimed therapist! I want to start the conversation that will lead to individual healing and in turn will affect our collective healing. Let’s get people talking about their experiences so that we can learn from them, grow from them and more importantly, move on from them. ” AVERY*Sunshine is a native of Chester, PA where she nurtured a natural talent by singing in church and leading and directing choirs. A former member of the renowned Wilmington/Chester Mass Choir, she honed her vocal instrument and sharpened her ability to play piano in her hometown, then headed south to Atlanta, GA where she attended Spelman College

Bursting from an array of musical brilliance, singer / songwriter / pianist AVERY*Sunshine emerges onto the scene with her soon to be released self-titled debut album. Rooted in gospel, she reaches deep into abundance of style and sound and sings a song which articulates the complexities of life with luminous insight. Fluent in many languages from soul and house to classical and hip hop, AVERY*Sunshine expresses with a voice that speaks boldly and tells a uniquely familiar story…a story about love and loss…healing…and finding the newness of oneself in the midst of it all. Who is AVERY*Sunshine? “I am a self-proclaimed therapist! I want to start the conversation that will lead to individual healing and in turn will affect our collective healing. Let’s get people talking about their experiences so that we can learn from them, grow from them and more importantly, move on from them. ” AVERY*Sunshine is a native of Chester, PA where she nurtured a natural talent by singing in church and leading and directing choirs. A former member of the renowned Wilmington/Chester Mass Choir, she honed her vocal instrument and sharpened her ability to play piano in her hometown, then headed south to Atlanta, GA where she attended Spelman College