When I was younger I went through this phase when I wanted to move to the UK. I had never been there before and didn't really have any idea what I would do when I got there. I just wanted to be there to experience the music scene. I loved everything coming out of London from new wave music to Terence Trent D'Arby . The music from London during that time period was so beautiful, soulful, insightful and moving it made me wanna live in the city when I listened to it.

I can't say I wanna move to Wales (though I am sure it is beautiful, but I do wanna visit London again) and this time Duffy is the reason. From the laid back blues of "Syrup and Honey" to the Motown inspired pop of "I'm Scared" and the playful 60's romp "Mercy" this chick simply "gets it!" Duffy sings her heart out on the piano ballad "Save It for Your Heart" and channels Dusty Springfield on the title cut "Rockferry." If this was where it ended the CD would be fiyah, but there's more! The second single "Warwick Avenue" is an instant classic. It's a melancholy pop send up that channels vintage Smokey Robinson with a committed and nuanced vocal by Duffy. My personal favorite is "Stepping Stone" a great pop tune with a biting lyric and late 60's inspired arrangement that brings to mind a Dionne Warwick track or the ethereal arrangement in Aretha's Until You Come Back to Me.

The tunes are well crafted pop joints with a healthy dose of soul (as in humans all have souls so anything sung passionately is soul music). Duffy is serious about delivering the goods without taking herself too seriously.This CD manages to evoke memories of great musical moments past while managing to sound and feel fresh and liberating.

Haters beware, the comparisons to Amy Winehouse are off base and actually kind of ridiculous. Mercy is the only joint that is remotely similar to a Winehouse track and even that's a bit of a stretch. If Rockferry has any weakness it lies in the fact that it is very very retro inspired (almost to the point of imitation).

I am well aware of the Elvis syndrome that black musicians rightfully complain about when an otherwise mediocre white artist gets serious props for doing average interpretations of black music, this simply is NOT one of those instances. The Obama inspired/post race world isn't yet a reality, but race has nothing to do with the quality of this CD. Duffy simply delivers the goods in a sincere and passionate way that resonates with music lovers of all colors.

Rockferry is a release full of great songs delivered passionately by a capable young artist. I for one am thankful for a CD I can listen to from start to finish and feel refreshed when it comes to a soulful end. Rockferry is a release full of great songs delivered passionately by a capable young artist. Man it feels good to actually like a CD again.

4.5 out of 5 stars
The cuts you must hear - Stepping Stone and Warwick Avenue

Posted by rickyday at 10:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Friday July 25 was the Bday event for my boy Adam Irby. He and I have become good friends and I had to be there to help him celebrate the big day. The place was packed, the music was nice, the drinks were cheap, the people were beautiful, the crowd waz mixed (gay, straight and all the spaces in between) and it was a good time for all.

There was this air of excitement and anticipation in the place and it was very crowded. The spot (Mocca) had a lil mini VIP area set aside for us that held all of 12 people and that is where we were whisked away to as we entered. Adam is a blogger and a Leo so he knows quite a few people.

As we're being pushed thru to this "VIP" area I'm tryna stop and speak to people I know, but I can't. So what happens is this weird pseudo celebrity thing where we were literally reaching over the crowd to shake hands with people we knew while being ushered in. It felt like what I imagine celebrities to feel like at premieres and red carpet events. It was kinda cool, but very uncomfortable for me.

I'm a regular guy and my popularity with people and friendships are based on my humanity and kindness. So I'm uncomfortable with any situation that can make it seem as though I think I'm better than someone else. Oddly enough tho I'm starting to understand the human need to create these kinds of people and icons, then tear them down and then finally see them rise again from the ashes. t seems like a story that has played out over and over again for the entire history of man and I sense it's important to mans ability to understand who we are and what we are capable of.

Do you think that this is simply something humans must do? And if so why? Sometimes we do it personally, most of the time we live it through the experiences of these icons we create. It's very interesting indeed and I guess if you don't get too attached to the game you can play along and live.

So which are you observer or the observed? How do you feel about the cult of celebrity we're all living in?

Posted by rickyday at 09:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Can someone please point me towards the really creative black music right now?

Over the past 3 years nearly every song or CD that has really resonated for me as been either a pop joint or a vanilla soul release. My favorite artists and releases recently have included: Madonna, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Amy Winehouse, Pussycat Dolls, Rihanna, Robin Thicke, Sara Barialles, Maroon 5, Ingrid Michaeleson and my latest not so guilty pleasure Duffy.

I grew up on hip hop, 70's and 80's pop, and R&B. My moms bathed my childhood in classic soul. Her favorite artists were people like Al Green, Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes, Teddy Pendergrass, The Whispers, Motown, Aretha, The O'Jays and more. I loved disco, soul, funky rock and new wave music. Some of my favs include: Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Chaka Khan, Donna Summer, Donny Hathaway, Roberta Flack, Sly and The Family Stone and of course Prince who is my fav artist of all time. I also got deep into New Wave and punk acts like The Clash, Blondie, The Police, Talking Heads, Duran Duran, Yaz, Culture Club and other 80's pop acts as well.

I liked a lot of R&B/Hip Hop in the 90's including New Jack Swing, Janet Jackson, Babyface, Whitney, Mariah, early neo-soul and I may have been the biggest Lauryn Hill fan on earth. I also got into: Usher, Mary J. Blige, Aaliyah, Missy, Beyonce, Brandy, Tupac, Biggie. Foxy Brown, Lil Kim and more. Then somewhere along the way the radio sorta started to bore me a lil.

People of color are incredibly creative and our history proves it. However, our creative instincts are often suppressed by the fear of being ostracized for "not being black enough". For me the question is this: did someone steal the soul and if so how do we get it back? Is the answer to once again become fearlessly creative, innovate at every opportunity and not be afraid to try something new EVERYTIME? Is it to just make music that is entertaining, passionate and sincere?

For now I guess imma keep Duffy, Amy Winehouse, Madonna, Britney Spears, Robin Thicke, Kanye West and Lil Wayne on shuffle. Shout out to Lil Wayne and Kanye for giving us some kind of reason to keep hope alive. Ciara, Brandy, Alicia and Jazmin Sullivan...I see you too (wink).

Yo I'm scared because I'm not sure if music has changed for the worse, changed for the better or I'm simply older now and a lil out of touch. How do you feel? What's in your ipod? I wanna hear from ya.

Posted by rickyday at 01:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

copyright 2006 ricky day photography

It's 2008 people. If you decide to have sex...please protect yourself EVERYTIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are worth protecting.

The model for this safer sex ad is my friend Akim Bryant. Akim is a freelance writer who has been published in magazines like Giant and Bleu and has written music reviews for various web sites. His first novel drops next year.

I'll take his fan mail here. Feel free to post your comments.

Posted by rickyday at 06:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

(photo - Kehinde Wiley, Rubin Singleton, 2008, Courtesy artist and Deitch Projects)

Last night the Studio Museum in Harlem unveiled " Kehinde Wiley - The World Stage Africa, Lagos ~ Dakar.The World Stage: Africa, Lagos ~ Dakar is Kehinde Wiley’s (b. 1977) first solo exhibition at The Studio Museum in Harlem and it's hot!!!!!!!!!

The exhibition features ten new paintings from his “The World Stage” series. Kehinde is known for his highly stylized paintings of young, urban African-American men in poses borrowed from eighteenth- and nineteenth-century European figurative paintings, a practice he started in the early 2000s while an artist in residence uptown at the Studio Museum. He (Wiley) has expanded his project by living and working abroad; he temporarily relocates to different countries and opens satellite studios to become familiar with local culture, history and art. His “The World Stage” series is the result of these travels.

This was no ordinary stuffy museum opening though. The crowd was a who's who of the New York art scene with a particular focus on the prominent African-American collectors, educators, artists and patrons. The was a open bar, DJ Rich Medina spinnin every FFFFing hit of the past 30 years that you wanted to hear and sexy, smart, well dressed black people everywhere!!!!!!!!! Oh this joint was off da chain last night!

I met up with my girl (and fellow artist) Stacy Lynn Wadell. I also ran into another artist whose work I love and have gotten to know a lil bit named Wardell Milan II. On top of being a very talented artist, Wardell was recently featured in Bleu Magazine and is a former artist in residence at the museum.

Speaking of artists in residence while you're at the museum check out NEW INTUITIONS
LESLIE HEWITT, TANEA RICHARDSON AND SAYA WOOLFALK ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE 2007–08. It's an exhibit of the work of the three current artists in residence at the museum.

All in all it was a great night. Art is not just some elitist interest for rich people anymore. It's vibrant, it's exciting, it's sexy and it's fun. The Studio Museum is celebrating it's 40th Anniversary and is one of the most important art institutions in the country. It's located at 144 West 125th Street between Adam Clayton Powell and Malcolm X (aka Lenox Ave). You have to check it out and their new weekly event Target FREE Sundays. Fellas what a great way to impress a date: lunch and a trip to the hippest museum in NYC. She (or he) will love it!

http://www.studiomuseum.org/

me and artist Wardell Milan II (peep my Murakami tee shirt)

my girl Stacy Lynn Waddell(she burns shit!!!!) and her artist homey whose name slips my mind

Posted by rickyday at 06:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Last week I went to see Takashi Murakami show at the Brooklyn Museum.

Murakami's use of color is is terrific and the technique is off the chain, but there's so much more to his work than is evident at first glance. It's powerful, political and the story of a marginalized people.
When asked about his work Murakami had this to say " If my art looks positive and cheerful, I would doubt my art was accepted in the contemporary art scene. My art is not Pop art. It is a record of the struggle of the discriminated people." - Takashi Murakami.

Understanding the true purpose of the work makes me relate to it even more. It's likely to resonate with me for a long time.

Peep this trailer from the KaiKai and KiKi movie

Posted by rickyday at 02:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

So awhile back a close friend told me I should read a book called The Four Agreements. The specific reason the book was suggested slips my mind, but I took his suggestion and picked up the book. WOW...WOW...WOW is all I can say!

I read the book in 2 days and still read it again and again periodically. Besides being thoughtful and insightful, it offered to me a new way of seeing and relating to the world around me. Combined with what I had already learned from living my life and reading other books (Conversations With God and The Little Prince) it helped to free my mind and really start enjoying life and being the kind of man/artist that I knew inside I could be. Here are the agreements:

1. Be Impeccable With Your Word
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

2. Don't Take Anything Personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.

3. Don't Make Assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

4. Always Do Your Best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.

Think about these agreements for a minute. If your interested enough I suggest reading the The Four Agreements ASAP and hit me back with your thoughts.

Posted by rickyday at 01:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

What is the big deal with blogs? Why should anyone care about what I have to say about anything? Who has enough free time to read this stuff on a daily basis anyway? Do I have to get all metaphysical and wax poetic about politics, art and war or can I just say some random stuff that's on my mind and go about my bizness?

These are the kinds of questions I’ve entertained for a long time when it comes to blogging. I must admit I haven’t answered any of them yet, but that isn’t stopping me from trying my hand at this blogging thing.

Let’s start with some basics: I am not a “writer.” Yeah I said it! I know that’s an odd thing to admit as I start a blog, but hey I like to keep it really really real. So don't waste your time grading my grammar. I will spell check, but that's about it. I’m a creative person who is fascinated and motivated by the world around me. Whatever I come across that inspires me or makes me laugh or cry I will share with you here.

My name is Ricky Day. I was born in St. Louis, Missouri and raised in Los Angeles , California which I consider my hometown. In 1999 I moved to New York, NY and I now live and work in Harlem, New York. I am a visual artist (painting, collage, sculpture, installation and more), photographer and overall creative soul. I’ve got two brothers, a sister and nephews and nieces who I love dearly and of course my parents. My maternal grandmother had a huge hand in raising me and she is still alive and over 100 years old.

The thing you should know about me is I believe that we are creative beings by our very nature. I believe that we create our lives with our thoughts, words and actions and we never stop creating from the day we are born until the day we die. The only difference is that some of us are aware we are creating and actively harness the power given to us.There are several books that have helped me to understand my place in this world and they include:

The Holy Bible
The Four Agreements
Conversation With God
The Little Prince
The Secret

If my feelings about life could be summed up in a phrase or two it would be these:

You are what you dream.
Love is all there is.

Enjoy your day, enjoy your life and come back again soon.

Posted by rickyday at 10:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)