DAZZ BAND featuring Jerry Bell Set to Let it Whip at The Conga Room Los Angeles
Originally posted February 3, 2015
by Kelly Milionis, Chicago Live Music Reporter
A major earthquake rolling through the City of Angels this Thursday, February 5th, won’t be made by nature…not even close. One might surmise that all the rumbling might be attributed to the remarkable musical and professional talent in Los Angeles for the 57th Annual Grammy Awards…not even close. That massive earth shaking will be credited to the return of GRAMMY Award-winning leaders of funk, The Dazz Band featuring Jerry Bell. Yes, the extraordinary talent that is Jerry Bell brings his version of The Dazz Band to L.A.’s famed The Conga Roomat L.A. LIVE, 800 West Olympic Blvd., on Thursday, February 5th, 2015, at 10:00pm, to celebrate the release of their new album entitled, The Return of The Dazz Band, with a Red Carpet CD Release Party. Don’t miss this old-school kick-off guaranteed to get your groove on beginning with Red Carpet festivities at 10:00pm. Tickets are available online at Congaroom.com.
The Dazz Band featuring Jerry Bell will perform favorite Dazz Band hits including Let It Whip, Swoop, Keep It Live and Joystick, while debuting songs from their new album entitled, The Return of The Dazz Band (on Lotus Records-distributed exclusively through Universal Music Group Distribution). Scheduled special guest performers include Latin GRAMMY and two-time GRAMMY Award winner Willy ‘Wil-Dog’ Abers (Ozomatli) as El Gavachillo [banda], Quinto Sol[reggae], DJ Mando, DJ Manuelito, DJ Lil Ceasar, and is hosted by MC Double GG. All star guests include Sheila E., Paris Escovedo and more. The Dazz Band Red Carpet CD Release Party is presented by Rock The Mic, humble media, Ron Tomson, Dashing Entertainment Group with event producer/publicist Orman Music Media Group (from Chicago) and publicist Abbe Sparks Media (from Chicago).
Jerry Bell has enlisted a complement of highly accomplished musicians for his new Dazz Band. Along with Bell – lead vocals, are: Mike Calhoun – vocals (founder of The Dazz Band and Kinsman Dazz Band); Cal Bennett – saxophone (The New Birth, Isaac Hayes, Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick, Donna Summer); Earl Johnson, Jr. – keyboard (Luther Vandross, Chante Moore, Wynton Marsalis, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight); Will “Roc” Griffin – keyboard (John Lee Hooker, Faith No More, Herbie Hancock, Rick James, B.B. King); Vincent L. Horn – guitar (The Gap Band, Z.Z. Hill, Joe Tex, Al Wilson); Flex Breathett – bass (Chaka Khan, Chanti Moore, Missy Elliott); William “Dr. Z.” Zimmerman – saxophone (Gladys Knight, LL Cool J, Levert, Whispers, Spinners); and Evan Ryan – drums.
JERRY BELL: Jerry Bell is an extraordinary talent, a stylist in all facets of life whether it’s singing, martial arts, or acting. His passion for music emanates from early vocal training while growing up in Philadelphia in a musical family which produced gold and platinum albums for two decades. One of his brothers, Archie Bell of Archie Bell and the Drells, had the hits, Tighten Up, Showdown, I Can’t Stop Dancing, Let’s Groove, and many more. Bell started his own group while still in high school, known as The Delusions.
Bells’s vocal skills came from his mother, who was a church singer. His vocal training came from a Miami, Florida well-known recording artist by the name of Jimmy Bo Horne. Jimmy used to take Bell on the road and toured with him and his band, The Oceanliners, who later became KC and the Sunshine Band. As life would have it, Bell would go back to Philadelphia and join forces with his best friends, McFadden and Whitehead, top writers for Philadelphia International Records, recording such hits as Ain’t No Stopping Us Now, Bad Luck, Back Stabbers, Cowboys to Girls, For the Love of Money, and many more.
Bell moved to California where he became friends with Marvin Gaye and learned many vocal and stage techniques. He began singing background vocals for Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5, Rick James, Charlie Wilson and The Gap Band, and Earth, Wind, & Fire. He would team up with friends James Baker, Austin Lander, and Tony Churchill and sing lead and backup vocals for The New Birth.
After leaving The New Birth in 1979, Bell would join up with other friends Bobby Harris, Philip Bailey, Ralph Johnson, Reggie Andrews, Marlon McClain and become one of the lead vocalists for Motown Recording Artist The Dazz Band. He has also recorded as a solo artist in 1980 for MCA Records, releasing his solo LP, Winter Love Affair. [from Jerry Bell biography]
Thursday, February 5th, 2015
Rock The Mic, humble media, Ron Tomson, Dashing Entertainment Group with event producer/publicist Orman Music Media Group and publicist Abbe Sparks Media present
THE DAZZ BAND FEATURING JERRY BELL
with special guests
Latin GRAMMY and two-time GRAMMY Award winner Willy ‘Wil-Dog’ Abers (Ozomatli) as El Gavachillo [banda] Quinto Sol [Reggae]
DJ Mando
DJ Manuelito
DJ Lil Ceasar
MC Double GG (host)
Sheila E. (all-star guest)
Paris Escovedo (all-star guest)
800 West Olympic Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90015
Phone: 213-745-0162
Red Carpet: 10:00pm | Dancing Until 2:00am
4 Full Bars | Coat Check | Smoking Patio
21 & Over with ID
1,000 Capacity
Tickets: Congaroom.com
