Charles Bradley Celebrates New Album At The Beacon 3-23-16

When I interviewed Charles for the first time three years ago, he opened up to the extent that not only do I feel like I really know him but I feel like he’s a friend. He’s an amazing character. As Graham Parker pointed out, ‘passion is no ordinary word.’ It’s a word I rarely use but it is exactly what the Screamin’ Eagle of Soul is overflowing with. It makes him a compelling interview subject and an even more compelling live performer. At one point he recalled doing a split while in front of a huge crowd in Texas and having the rough wood of the stage cut his leg. Guitarist Thomas Brenneck pointed out he was bleeding but Charles refused to stop the show. In his words, the spirit had taken him over!

Thomas Brenneck deserves credit by the way for producing the outstanding new album Changes. He is founder of the Menahan Street Band who are the guys who played on and wrote the record with CB. Apart from making instrumental music under their own name, two discs worth so far, The MSB serves as the house band for Daptone imprint Dunham Records. The rhythm section is comprised of Homer Steinweiss on drums and Nick Movshon on bass who have both played with Amy Winehouse, Sharon Jones and more recently, with Dan Auerbach in The Arcs.

When I spoke with Charles in 2013, he was just about to headline The Apollo for the first time. When I saw him a few days ago, I checked his head just ahead of his first time atop the marquee at The Beacon and a few weeks after the release of his third album Changes. Here is a couple of bonus minutes of the interview in which Charles explains how he came to sing the Black Sabbath song that gives the album its name and what the words mean to him.

And a second bonus: a a nifty acoustic version of the song captured in Germany recently for a Cardinal Session…

The Super Soul Revue last Thursday through Saturday at The Apollo was an excellent reminder at the tremendous talent found on Daptone Records.  As I’ve been spending some time recently with the outstanding Burnt Offering by The Budos Band, I was keen to capture a taste of their performance and get a chat with the fellas – a pair of them anyway – the ones with horns, Jared Tankel and Andrew Greene.  WWOD is their fine motto, or maybe will be as Jared seemed to coin it as we spoke…What Would Ozzy Do!

Here’s some bonus pix of Sharon Jones and Charles Bradley who both gave exciting, passionate performances on Saturday night on either side of The Budos Band’s set.

[See image gallery at hollandude.com]

…you know, the ones I saw!

1 Dinosaur Jr; Irving Plaza
2 Metallica; Apollo
3 Robert Plant; Prospect Park
4 Erykah Badu; BAM
5 Elvis Costello & The Roots; Brooklyn Bowl
6 The Hives; Irving Plaza
7 Tom Morello; Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Allen Room
8 Television; Rough Trade NYC
9 Charles Bradley; Apollo
10 Gary Clark Jr; Apollo

Charles Bradley Makes Triumphant Return to the Apollo 5-16-13

A dream come true for the one of a kind Screamin’ Eagle of Soul.  His new album, his second, is Victim of Love.

If you haven’t seen it already, don’t miss the amazing documentary about Charles Bradley that was released last year: Soul of America.  I used a little bit of it in the piece (above) that I produced along with footage I shot at The Apollo and the interview I did with him a few days ago….Here is the trailer: