BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//www.yoshis.com/oakland//NONSGML kigkonsult.se iCalcreator 2.10.5// X-WR-CALNAME:www.yoshis.com/oakland X-WR-CALDESC:www.yoshis.com/oakland X-WR-TIMEZONE:US/Pacific BEGIN:VEVENT UID:20130525T150859CEST-1991oiUT0B@www.yoshis.com/oakland DTSTAMP:20130525T130559Z DESCRIPTION:\n\n\n\n\nBassist Larry Graham &ndash\; the architect of the sl ap-and-pluck bass technique that defined the funk sound of the &lsquo\;60s and &lsquo\;70s and continues to inspire bassists across virtually every genre to this day &ndash\; may specialize in the low end of the sonic spec trum\, but he&rsquo\;s just as ready to take his music to unprecedented he ights. He&rsquo\;s been doing it for more than four decades &ndash\; first as the rock-solid foundation for a string of enduring and iconic hits by Sly and the Family Stone\, and later as the head of his own powerhouse uni t\, Graham Central Station.\n\nAfter a 13-year hiatus\, Graham Central Sta tion makes its triumphant return with Raise Up\, set for release on Listen 2 Entertainment distributed and marketed by Razor &\; Tie on September 25\, 2012. Raise Up includes new versions of three classic GCS tracks\, a long with ten new songs for a new generation of fans. The album features g uest appearances by Prince &ndash\; a longtime collaborator with Graham an d GCS since the late 1990s &ndash\; as well as songwriter/guitarist/produc er Rafael Saadiq.\n\nRaise Up does just what the title demands\, with a se ries of high-energy bursts that force listeners out of their chairs and in to action. The combination of thumping backbeat\, no-hold-barred orchestra tions and upbeat\, optimistic messages is designed to not just make people move\, but make them move in a positive direction. Raise Up is a statemen t of defiance against the many obstacles and challenges that so often slow us down or keep us from realizing our fullest potential.\n\n&ldquo\;We&rs quo\;d been touring for the last couple years before I made my final selec tion of songs and put this record together\,&rdquo\; says Graham\, who rec orded the songs with the band at Studio de l&rsquo\;Hacienda in Tarare\, F rance\, in the summer of 2011. &ldquo\;So I got a chance to see what works with live audiences. I got a chance to see what they like and what they w ant and what they react to. So this CD is a reflection of that &ndash\; wh at the people want when we play our live show.&rdquo\;\n\nAlong with Princ e and Saadiq\, Graham has assembled a high-caliber lineup of musicians for the 21st century edition of Graham Central Station: guitarist William Rab b\, keyboardists David Council and Jimmy McKinney\, drummer Brian Braziel and vocalist Ashling Cole.\n\nThe party starts with &ldquo\;GCS Drumline\, &rdquo\; an all-percussion piece\, with cymbals and whistle blasts counter balancing four snare drums playing in tandem. The track is equal parts ope ning salvo\, pep rally and call to action. The message is clear: high-ener gy dead ahead. The in-your-face followup\, &ldquo\;Throw-N-Down the Funk\, &rdquo\; sets up a fiery counterpoint between meaty brass arrangements &nd ash\; courtesy of the Millfield Horns\, hailing from Copenhagen\, Denmark &ndash\; and tasty bass riffs. \n\nThe steady grooving &ldquo\;It&rsquo\;s Alright&rdquo\; is the first of three &ldquo\;new master&rdquo\; versions of previously recorded GCS compositions by Graham. The others are the mis chievous sounding &ldquo\;It Ain&rsquo\;t No Fun To Me&rdquo\; and the chu rning &ldquo\;Now Do You Wanta Dance.&rdquo\;\n\nElectronically enhanced a nd edgy\, the title track features Prince on drums\, keyboards and backing vocals. The song challenges everyone within the sounds is a call to stand up against the often oppressive circumstances that define the post-9/11 w orld. Prince reappears on two subsequent tracks\, serving up melancholy le ad guitar licks (along with keyboards\, drums and backing vocals) on &ldqu o\;Shoulda Coulda Woulda\,&rdquo\; a tale of regret over a love that has d ied because the lover failed to say the right words and do the right thing s at the right time\; and later with more guitar on &ldquo\;Movin\,&rsquo\ ;&rdquo\; a thundering challenge to get listeners on their feet before the curtain falls and the band hits the road.\n\nAshling Cole delivers lead v ocals on an high-octane cover of the Stevie Wonder hit\, &ldquo\;Higher Gr ound\,&rdquo\; \; and is Graham&rsquo\;s nod to an old friend and freq uent collaborator over the past four decades. &ldquo\;He&rsquo\;s a great writer\, a great musician and a great friend\,&rdquo\; says Graham. &ldquo \;I just like his songs\, and I like to play them my way.&rdquo\;\n\n&ldqu o\;One Day\,&rdquo\; the inspirational closer\, features Graham\, his wife Tina and Rafael Saadiq on vocals\, all delivering a rousing ballad-turned -anthem that envisions a promising future &ndash\; one that could be close r than we think.\n\n&ldquo\;The music on this album is like a live perform ance\,&rdquo\; says Graham. &ldquo\;I wanted to tell a complete story\, wi th a great beginning\, a powerful body and a dynamic conclusion. I want th at story to be uplifting and encouraging\, something to help people rise a bove whatever challenges they&rsquo\;re facing in life &ndash\; whether it be personal issues or family issues or work issues. Everybody&rsquo\;s de aling with something. I want this music to help raise people up and enable them to overcome adversity.&rdquo\; DTSTART:20121129T200000 DTEND:20121129T220000 DURATION:PT3H LOCATION:Oakland SUMMARY:Larry Graham & Graham Central Station Record Release Party END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR