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R&B Groove in Philadelphia

Philadelphia is one of the home bases of major pioneer and contemporary R&B artists. The Sounds of R&B series, which continues Penn's Landing Corporation's series of Free Friday night concerts through July, features excellent artists who are Philadelphia-based and who perform original material. All of the performers in the series have ties to Philadelphia, i.e., they are from Philadelphia, or they have worked with Philadelphia-based music producers and artists.

Kicking off the series on July 7th is Philadelphia's own, Carol Riddick. Her voice is sultry, soft and smooth, which guarantees the audience an unforgettable performance. The Temple University alumnus has recorded songs with other famous Philadelphia artists such as Musiq, Jill Scott, Jeff Bradshaw, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Will Smith. Her newest project, "Moments Like This" will be released later this year.

Yet another Philadelphia artist, Jeff Bradshaw, will hit the stage on July 14th. The trombone is his specialty. His distinctive and captivating sound is inspired by Dixieland jazz and New Orleans rag. His debut album "Bone Deep, " features big name R&B artists including Philadelphia's own Jill Scott and fellow series performer, Carol Riddick. Bradshaw feels this album, "Will be the biggest Jazz album in 15 years . . . all the artists on wanted to be a part of it . . . and contribute to the movement."

National recording artist Angie Stone will perform at Penn's landing on July 21st, also as part the opening night of Penn's Landing's BIG MUSIC Weekend 2006, a weekend celebration featuring another outstanding line up of free concert performances as the centerpiece of our season. Multitalented, Stone is singing, writing songs with D'Angelo, or playing the saxophone in Lenny Kravitz's band. She can now also add Broadway star to her resume. She performed there as "Big Mama Morton" in a recent production of Chicago. Later this year, she has a new project to be released called "Stone Hits: The Very Best of Angie Stone."

Inspired by artists such as the Rolling Stones, Etta James, and Bob Dylan, Jaguar Wright is an idol in her hometown of Philadelphia. On July 28th, she will close out the series with her soulful sound that will bring those who've gathered to their feet. She has worked with artists such as the Roots and was even featured on the 2001 smash hit MTV's Unplugged with Jay-Z. Last year, Wright released "Divorcing Neo 2 Marry Soul", which received phenomenal reviews.



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