Katherine "CAT" Glover (singer, dancer, choreographer) Iz Gone!!! Sigghh!!!

 

Mood: Surprised
Music: Prince “Lovesexy” Lovesexy CD
Date: Wednesday September 25, 2024

This one kind of caught us by surprise. This is the NEW & IMPROVED modern miracle medical age. We can transplant hearts, operate on the brain, stem the tide of pandemic type epidemics, as we prolong life longer & longer for human beings on planet Earth. When you hear someone passing away at the young age of 60 itz almost like a culture shock. Hell…, me myself & I will turn 64 years old come December 7^th & like Prince says, “I GOTTA LOT MO’ MUFFIN’ 2 GO!!!”

Speaking of Prince is why we are here. We received word that Ms. Katherine “Cat” Glover a musician, singer, actress, dancer, & choreographer passed away at 60 years young. Hold Up…, Say Whut??? Us Prince fans came 2 know & love Cat when she landed in his camp starting with the Lovesexy Tour. The work she did with him on that tour, the Sign O’ The Times tour & also multiple record projects endeared her to us Prince-o-philes.

She was the perfect foil for his own unique dance moves allowing his stage shows to become more expansive & choreographed from a dance perspective. She would also provide backing vocals on tracks, even going so far as to step out front on the track “Alphabet St” where Prince calls for her to RAP & she delivers.

The reason this one hits just a tad different is she was there the very 1^st tyme I saw Prince & his band live!!! It was the Lovesexy Tour. The date was Monday October 24, 1988 8PM at ye ole Nassau Coliseum (now called the UBS Arena), home of the NY Islanders hockey team in Hempstead NY. It was me, my cuzzin’ Dalton, & my sidekick Kevin Cooke. We piled into wifey’s Hyundai Excel, (because i WAS NOT taking my hawt 2 death Camaro Z28) as we made the trek over the Hudson River to go see the guy who would become a singular force in my life.

On that night the band consisted of Prince on everything, Levi Seacer Jr. on bass/backing vocals, Boni Boyer on keyboards/vocals, Dr. Fink on keys, Atlanta Bliss on trumpet, Eric Leeds on sax, Sheila E on drums/vocals, & Cat dancer/backing vocals.

To say I was “MESMERIZED” that night was an understatement. What’s that classic line??? “You Only Have One Chance 2 Make A 1^st Impression!!!” Well…, that night cemented it for me. I thought in 1979 I had become a HUGE Prince fan the minute I got my hands on his 2^nd album “Prince” after hearing the track “Sexy Dancer.” I went back to get his 1^st album “For You” & I was HOOKED after hearing what he delivered on his debut project at 20 years old. Now fast forward almost 10 years & 11 albums later I had already been feenin’ like a junkie. I was obsessed with all thangs Prince as I slowly became indoctrinated into his tribe.

Folks that love an artist, xspecially an artist like Prince, only get half the picture until you see them live in person doing what they do. We were truly BLOWN AWAY & unprepared for what we witnessed on that night. Prince sang his heart out, played guitar, bass, keys, drums, & even played basketball against Cat on a half court they had set up on the stage. He was out there straight hooping too!!! LOL!!! The concert opened up with Alphabet St with Prince, Sheila E, & Cat arriving on stage in that classic White ‘66 Thunderbird he sings about in the song!!! It was BANANAS!!! From that point on…, IT WAS ON!!!

Outside of Sheila E & Dr. Fink, I only knew a little bit about the rest of the band because we were only introduced to them on the previous album, 1987’s (& my favorite Prince album) “Sign O’ The Times”. We cried when he disbanded The Revolution after 1985’s “Around The World In A Day” project. We had no idea he needed 2 stretch & grow his sound as he was working out new ideas where he felt the need to tap into different musicians to execute the plan. After the success of his magnum opus “Purple Rain” with that unit, we the fans COULD NOT believe he was gonna blow that group up to start fresh & new??? WHY PRINCE??? Clearly, he knew exactly what he was doing.

Seeing this new unit live helped ease the sting of that loss, because you got completely sucked in because his electrifying presence was going to keep the NRG Soopa High regardless of who else was on stage with him. They were a well-oiled machine executing the music flawlessly. 2 my musical ears…, they were executing sounds & power that MAY NOT have been possible with his Revolution band. Sheila E on drums alone was awe inspiring as her speed, technique, & syncopation were incredible. The addition of a horn section elevated the music in ways we HAD NOT heard on his previous records.

Cat as a newcomer & non-musician on stage added much synergy to the mixxx. She moved effortlessly as she mimicked, counter-pointed, & dueted with Prince via dance & vocals. With her pretty LQQKS, lithe body, & constant motion you got wrapped up in her aura as she brought her own style to the band. In a way I guess you can say she paved the way for Prince 2 bring his future wife Mayte & ballet star Misty Copeland into his world as dancers on stage with him going forward across different live productions.

The fact that she was able to stay around through various projects showed Prince saw something in her he liked. Over the years she went off to do her own things…, but she is forever cemented into the lure that is Prince. She is definitely gone much too soon…, but just like his long tyme drummer John Blackwell & Prince himself…, so have they exited stage left long before “WE” were ready to see them go.

She can rest EZ knowing that she will be immortalized in the catacombs of tyme via the moments she spent in Prince’s eclectic & ever-changing world. Your life was never in vain lady as you made an impression & had a presence over this fan 36 years ago. I will carry that 1^st meeting & now this last chapter of your life in the lockbox of my heart that I keep stored deep in my closet, high up on the top shelf where only I can get to it.

Rest EZ Ms. Cat…, As U Truly Did A Thang!!!

P.S. I Had Rehearsal With My Own Band 2nite & We Spoke About Cat’s Death Bcuz As Musicians We Should Alwayz Keep The Memories Of Those We Dig Vibrant In Our Lives!!!

P.P.S. 2day Iz The Work Anniversary Of When I Started My PSE&G Utility Career. I Was Just Shy Of 42 Years When I Retired In July Of Last Year!!! Things That Make U Go Hmmm???

The Brother AJ

Two Ladies Of Soul Concert 10.21.23

“Two Ladies Of Soul Concert” Oleta Adams & Maysa Leak 
Union County Performing Arts Center Rahway, NJ 10.21.23

We had the pleasure of attending a unique show bringing two powerhouse divas together in one space on one ticket. Revered darling Ms. Oleta Adams had the house eating out of her hand as her vocals were crystal clear & sounded amazingly like every single record she sings on. For me, I had no idea she played keyboards as well as she did. I thought she was going to be fronting her three-piece trio consisting of guitar, bass, & her husband of 29 years on drums. HECK NO!!! Ms. Adams was right there in the mix with her band throwing down on a Roland keyboard as well as laying it down vocally. The only time she DID NOT play was when they stepped out front to do a two-three song acoustic set letting her simply sing to us, as the guitar player switched to an acoustic guitar, & the drummer played a cajon which looks like a rectangular box you sit on to play.

Now just when you thought it COULD NOT get any better, she announced to the crowd that she was 70 Years Old!!! That generated an incredible wave of applause because MY GAWD…, SHE LQQKED FLAWLESS!!! If there is ever hope for anyone who complains about getting a late start on life, she is the poster child for pursuing your dreams regardless of where you are on the life spectrum. She chose a nice mix of songs that featured her voice, her band, & her catalog. When she delivered the song she wrote for South Africa & their struggle for freedom, it resonated with the audience. When she got down, dirty, & grimy with a blues song it took us back down home with that soul shaking feeling that only the blues can deliver.

However, when she closed the show with her signature breakthrough smash hit “Get Here” it was game, set, & match. Every time I hear this song, I immediately think of Ms. Dianne Reeves’s song “Better Days.” Those two songs are bookends of our life journey as they transport us into better places & spaces in our life through the power of their words, their melodies, & their impassioned deliveries. She simply tore this song up, as she had the whole crowd jamming along with her & walked off triumphantly into the night when it ended. Thank You Ms. Adams You Were INCREDIBLE!!!

Then Ms. Maysa Leak came out & let’s be clear, this woman already has “Goddess Status.” When she finally took front & center with the UK Acid Jazz group Incognito, her voice was a breath of fresh air & a shot heard around the world. We COULD NOT wait for each new project just to get wrapped up in her rich/textured vocal tone. Then…, KABOOM!!! She left the group??? SAY WHUT??? Oh Wait…, She Left To Go Solo (but would still appear on selected Incognito album cuts)!!! Her 1^st solo project was everything we wanted & needed from her as she was finally able to deliver ALL of herself to us in a collection of songs that represented her. Then she continued to do that over like 13 more albums. I probably have 10 of those bad boys in my CD collection.

Her latest project has to be the most special project to her since her debut project, because this one is released on her own record label imprint. She said she was involved with EVERY THANG from the writing, to recording, to merchandising, & the selling of this record. It’s a double CD called “Music For Your Soul.” Again, if you are a fan of Ms. Maysa Leak, you already know what to expect. She’s gonna deliver soulful vocals, jazzy grooves, R&B grooves, love songs, & a dance track or two you can groove to.

On this night she featured quite a few cuts from this project. “Relax Your Mind, Music For Your Soul, Make Sure You’re Sure, & Runnin’ From Myself” come immediately to mind. Her band was tight consisting of two background singers, saxophone player, keyboards, guitar, bass, & my man Tim Hutson on drums who I had the pleasure of chatting with in May down in Philly as he played with bassist Gerald Veasley backing saxophonist Ms. Paula Atherton.

Maysa actually featured more of her new songs, than any of her past hits & sometimes fans feel a type of way when artist do that, cause most of them really only come to hear the hits, refusing to grow with their artist as they themselves have grow. Well Maysa solved that quick, fast & in a hurry. She told us that she loved all those funky 70’s – 90’s party jams & she was going to take us on a journey. She kicked it off with one of her own tunes, then that morphed into a mega mashup mix as they ran through like 15 jams non-stop the way a DJ would mix from one party song to the next. It Was Pure Fire!!! Everything from Cameo, to Pleasure, to Ohio Players, to Parliament Funkadelic, to club bangers, & beyond as she had us eating out of her hand making half the venue jump up to start dancing in their seats.

For me when it comes to Maysa it is simple. She has one of the most unique & recognizable voices in the business. Its dripped in honey with a deep richness to it that tingles your ear drums. Add in her range of hitting high notes, then dropping down to her resonant lows, with a tone that is as clear as glass, letting you see she can move you with strictly her voice. She graduated from Baltimore’s Morgan State music college, so you know her musical training was perfect given the depth of their curriculum. She can cover any style from the scatting harmonies of jazz, to the soulful walings of R&B, all the way up to the soaring glory of gospel. She gave us a little bit of all that last night. She’s bad & she knows she bad.

The mark of a true artist is even with some technical sound issues, mostly the onstage monitoring system trying to throw her off, she centered herself & delivered in spite of that until the venue finally got it together for her. At one point she even stepped in front of the monitors, leaving the microphone on the stand & just belted out the song to us at the edge of the stage like she was in a high school musical. GO ‘HEAD LADY!!!

As Ms. Oleta Adams did…, Ms. Maysa Leak also closed the show with one of her iconic signature jams, “Deep Waters” from the Incognito files. She took us on 15-minute ride as she sang the song, then blended vocal lines from other artist songs inside her song as she just poured her heart out to us to end the show. Me & my wife LQQKED at each other, like WOW!!! The gentleman on my left who recognized me from the Liz Warfield show at SOPAC exhaled right along with us. Then the two ladies behind us were saying the same thing. We COULD NOT get over the jam session of the show where Maysa took us on a dance floor thumper journey. We were like, “WHO IZ THIS LADY & WHERE DID OUR REAL MS. MAYSA GO???” Cause whoever this woman is out her right now…, she is KILLING IT!!! LOL!!!

As I’m getting older I DO NOT NJoy the Big Arena shows like I used to in the days of my youth. I love intimate theaters, where you can see the artist, feel the band, absorb the venue & see the audience’s faces. It’s probably because as a musician in a band myself, I know what it takes to simply try to deliver a cohesive show to an audience out in front of you. When artist do shows in intimate places like this, they CANNOT hide behind the technology, the lights, the glitz, or the glamour. They must LQQK you straight in the eye & deliver the goods. Oleta Adams made mention of this & on this night…, these two divas DID NOT just deliver…, they superseded expectations with not one, but two AMAZING PERFORMANCES!!!

The Brother AJ

May The Best Team Be Left Standing..., Welcome 2 NFL Week 1!!!

 

Well Squad After What Seems Like An Eternity…,

I mean I had enuff tyme on July 7th, after 42 years in the game 2 retire, then I graduated college 2 FINALLY cop that Bachelor’s Degree after 23 long years of struggle…, been down 2 Jamaica & back & now the 2023-24 NFL Football Season is upon us. Defending Soopabowl Champion the Kansas City Chiefs kick in the door Thursday night against the up & coming Detroit Lions. Take KC in spite of the absent players…

My NFC East Division goes up against the NFC West on our 4-year cycle as the NFL is just trying to make the road that much more difficult with San Fran, Arizona, Seattle, & the LA Rams on deck. SHUDDER!!!

2 My Man John with all of your high hopes…, your Eagles take on a Patriots team that has been taking on water of late. Last year was a disaster with OC fiasco, so they bring back Bill O’Brien to fix those woes & Mac Jones too. New toy RB Zeke Elliott is in the garage so they’ll bring him out 2 play too. However…, the Eagles are still the Eagles. In spite of losing your OC & DC due 2 your unmitigated success last year, I just CANNOT find myself going against your squad. Until y’all show me that y’all ain’t…, I gotta believe y’all still got everything required to make ANOTHA DEEP PLAYOFF RUN!!! As Jalen Hurts goes..., so goes this Philly Eagles squad. If he continues 2 ascend..., lead with quiet intensity..., & has ZERO FEAR of the bullseye placed upon his City O' Brotherly Love back..., they may just be the 1st team in the division 4 the 1st tyme in like 20 years who will repeat as division champs!!! So sit back & NJoy The Show!!!

Speaking of San Fran they kick the weekend off against a team folks have high hopes for. That would be the Pittsburgh Steelers. They are well coached as Mike Tomlin was a magician last year even though they DID NOT make the playoffs. They settled in rookie QB Kenny Pickett & now he has a few weapons around him mostly WR Pickens to do some damage with. San Fran had the shot heard round the league as they dumped 3^rd pick in the draft QB Trey Lance down to the Cowboys. Ole boy after multiple years in the system COULD NOT beat out incoming QB2 Sam Darnold the Ex-Jet 1^st round pick. If Brock Purdy can do half of what he did last year, I gotta ride with Harv & Rog’s 49er’s to continue 2 be an NFC dominant team in search of that elusive Soopabowl Run!!!

Then on Sunday night in one of the MANY prime tyme games my damn team is featured in…, we open with division foe The Cowboys at Giants Stadium. I hate opening the season against a division foe, I think that should at least game 3 to set the table. Well, fresh off a new $40 million per year contract for QB Danny Boy Jones & smacking RB Saquon Barkley with the franchise tag, then reaching a standard deal for RB’s with this new ceiling that’s been set, we’ll see if NFL Coach Of The Year Brian Daboll can continue the upward trajectory he has my squad on. We still need WR’s, the defense could be better, but this is what we got.

The Cowboys were simply the Cowboys during the off-season with turmoil surrounding offensive lineman Zach Martin who they placated with cash. They have put Dak on notice as Coach McCarthy is now calling the plays after releasing #1 offense in the league play caller OC Kellen Moore (I guess y’all don’t wanna score no more points, huh???) They got some more financial things to clean up in order to sign Micah Parson’s who’s due to be paid 1^st in front of all the others who are on deck & they let Zeke go 2 the Patriots so itz gonna be different with Pollard as RB #1!!!

Dak’s hefty $60 million dollar cap hit next year is why he’s auditioning in front of QB3 Trey Lance who’s been given a lifeline from Owner / GM / Coach / Scout / Ticket Sales / Concessions Worker / Custodian / Uncle Jerry Jones!!! LMAO!!! Call me krazy…, Call me krazy…, Shasta, Ian, & DeVon but I think this is the game my NY Giants will catch these boyz zzzlpin’ on as we secure our 1^st “W” of the season to start this division fight off right. Sherry, Scottie, Kimbo, don't worry as AJ Got Ya!!! I mean did you see what Danny Boy Jones' Duke Blue Devils did 2 Mighty Clemson??? Rinse, Wash, Repeat!!! LMAO!!!

The next night in Prime Tyme is the anointing of the A-A-Ron ERA as QB of the NY Jets. I CANNOT lie, I am JEALOUS as hell because that move alone stole ALL THE THUNDER away from my NY Giants 1nce it happened. Had my azz watching this years “Hard Knocks” & everythang because this is an intriguing experiment we’ve seen recently. We saw TB12 go to Tampa Bay & Matt Stafford go to the Rams & they both won Soopabowls proving the move was everythang it was ‘sposed 2 be. Can the NY Jets repeat that trend??? I Say..., HELL 2 DA NAWH!!! Bcuz they just CANNOT HAVE NICE THANGS!!! But these ARE NOT your same ole Jets. Not since Rex Ryan coached the team have they been in a better position 2 succeed. However…, they are in the Buzz Saw that iz The AFC East & The AFC Conference in particular. Great teams with great QB’s sprinkled all across the country in that conference.

They kick off week 1 against their divisional foe the Buffalo Bills & them boyz gotta be good & ready as they’re tired of all this NY Jets talk of Soopabowl or Bust!!! Hell…, the last tyme I checked…, Buffalo iz STILL in New York State too??? QB Josh Allen is STILL HIM & they have been 2getha a minute figuring out their identity of who they be. The A-A-Ron led Jets are just starting that journey. How-En-Be-So-Ever as I did with my NY Giants…, I am going out on a limb 2 say Team Gang-Green iz gonna light Giants Stadium green, set that place on fire, & give their fans an opening day they’ve been dying for. So 2 Charles / Chuck / “Le Marquis De La Hate” / Miller (just like his idol Uncle Jerry Jones did u see what I did there???) I am taking YOUR NY J-E-T-S, in the season opening upset. OMG!!! DID I JUST DO THAT??? YEAH U DID AJ!!! DAMMNNNN!!!

Quite Simply…, R U (no not Rutgers, but a good win 4 them) READY 4 SOME FOOTBALL?!? WELL LET’S GO GET IT DAMNIT!!!

	2023 NFL FOOTBALL
	FAVORITE	SPREAD	POINTS	UNDERDOG	AJ's PICK 'EM
1	CHIEFS	5.5	51.5	Lions	CHIEFS
2	FALCONS	3.5	39	Panthers	Panthers
3	Jaguars	4.5	45.5	COLTS	Jaguars
4	49ers	2.5	41	STEELERS	49ers
5	Commanders	7	38.5	CARDINALS	Commanders
6	Bengals	2.5	47.5	BROWNS	Bengals
7	VIKINGS	6	45.5	Buccaneers	VIKINGS
8	SAINTS	3	41.5	Titans	SAINTS
9	RAVENS	10	43.5	Texans	RAVENS
10	BEARS	1	43.5	Packers	Packers
11	SEAHAWKS	5.5	45.5	Rams	SEAHAWKS
12	BRONCOS	4	44	Raiders	Raiders
13	Eagles	3.5	45	PATRIOTS	Eagles
14	CHARGERS	2.5	50.5	Dolphins	CHARGERS
15	Cowboys	3.5	46.5	GIANTS	GIANTS
16	Bills	2.5	46.5	JETS	JETS
	Home Team Is In CAPS

 

P.S. 2day Iz 2 Months 2 The Day Since I Broke The Chains & Stepped Off The PS Plantation!!! Free At Last…, Free At Last…, THANK GAWD ALMIGHTY AJ IZ MFK’N FREE AT LAST!!! LOL!!!