вЂњI had a ball in Cleveland,вЂќ said Harris. And he saw Malcolm X twice and Martin Luther King Jr. Harris was football Hall of Fame player Jim BrownвЂ™s paperboy in Cleveland. вЂњI have nothing bad to say about my city.вЂќ for the first time in 1977,вЂќ Harris said. вЂњCleveland prepared me for everything I saw and dealt with going to L.A. The city has changed for the better, he added. Harris said he does try and get back to where it all started, but his last two trips to Cleveland were difficult - his mother and his brother died in 2016. You grow organically and donвЂ™t try to force a square peg in a round hole.вЂќ вЂњIt was like cooking biscuits from scratch and I cook biscuits from scratch,вЂќ he said. If Harris started the Dazz Band today, he said he would вЂњchange nothing.вЂќ вЂњHeвЂ™s a young cat with great energy,вЂќ Harris said. SykesвЂ™ vocals, said Harris, вЂњbrings another dimension to what weвЂ™re doing.вЂќ We concentrated on being relevant and relevant means having a great show.вЂќ вЂњYou can spend all your time looking for that and miss all the other stuff that can keep you in the game. вЂњIt can be like the Holy Grail,вЂќ he said.

Harris realized quickly that вЂњLet it WhipвЂќ was special - вЂњItвЂ™s a fun song and easy to sing, so people can sing itвЂќ - and chasing the brass ring at the same level would be futile. We learned a lot from Rick about getting the audience involved in your show.вЂќ While the national shows helped the visibility, it was the business acumen of Rick James that provided industry insight, Harris said. вЂњThat was really great for him to say that,вЂќ Harris said. Off camera, Clark вЂњpaid us a helluva compliment,вЂќ Harris said, remembering he was back-stage in the makeup chair when the late host told Harris вЂњyou have a great look glad to have you on the show.вЂќ вЂњThat helped us tremendously,вЂќ Harris said, with вЂњLet it WhipвЂќ getting kicked up to No. The music was catchy and appearances on Soul Train, Solid Gold and American Bandstand helped catapult the group nationally.ДЄn American Bandstand appearance in 1982 and interview with Dick Clark вЂњwas monstrousвЂќ in promoting the group, Harris said, after the Dazz Band had already appeared on Soul Train.ДЄn estimated 40 million watched the Bandstand appearance. And вЂњDazzвЂќ was born, combining вЂњdanceвЂќ and вЂњjazz.вЂќ He вЂњstepped upвЂќ with singing and intricate horn arrangements after catching a Blood, Sweat & Tears concert. Raised on jazz sax, Harris got into playing funk in his late 20s. Vocalist Donny Sykes of Los Angeles joined the two in 2015. вЂњWe never got to the point where we didnвЂ™t want it, where we couldnвЂ™t make a living,вЂќ said Harris, with original member Skip Martin still at his side. Not bad for a band that survived the industry for four decades. вЂњWe never did stop performing,вЂќ Harris said, laughing that he avoided вЂњsitting on a corner with a tin cup in hand.вЂќД«ack in the 1980s, that meant 70 dates, hitting the road for seven, maybe eight months. 1 on the R&B charts and finds itself connecting with todayвЂ™s fans via Sirius XM radio. Not when people still want to hear, вЂњLet it Whip,вЂќ the funky 1982 hit that reached No. Each features creative fusion/funk licks, sweetened by razor sharp horns, chant vocals, and frivolous lyrics.With bands that cover four decades, thereвЂ™s typically extended dark periods. Dazz Band's honcho Bobby Harris experiments with their sound on 'On the One for Fun' and 'Let It All Blow,' and both sound better on CD than vinyl. 'Swoop (I'm Yours)' has appeal, and some of the dance floor drawing power of 'Whip.' Fans of Dazz Band ballads will not have much use for this CD, only two made the disc: the ultra romantic 'Invitation to Love,' and the melodramatic 'Knock, Knock,' where lead singer Skip Martin begs like a baby. But 'Party Right Here' and 'Keep It Live (On the K.I.L.)' are formulaic stiffs, all flash and no substance. 'Joy Stick' is as potent as Viagra with its maniac, thumping beat. 'Swoop (I'm Yours)' has appeal, and some of the dance floor drawing power of 'Whip.' Fans of Dazz Band ballads will not have much use for this CD, only two made the disc: the ultra romantic 'Invitation to Love,' and the melodramatic. Reggie Andrews produced and co-wrote the sizzling groove that was Number One on the R&B charts for five consecutive weeks, and scaled to Number Five on the Pop charts. But 'Party Right Here' and 'Keep It Live (On the K.I.L.)' are formulaic stiffs, all flash and no substance. What's not to like about the Dazz Band's highly combustible 'Let It Whip'? Its funky, drum machine rhythms, and diabolical mini-Moog basslines are wicked.

Dazz band let it whip live