La Salle recognized by state lawmakers

Jackson, MS (WLBT) - A Mississippi blues legend was honored in the Mississippi State Senate Wednesday morning.

Denise La Salle was born in Leflore County in the Mississippi Delta.

Senator David Jordan presented her with a proclamation from the state legislature.

In 1971, her album "Trapped By A Thing Called Love" went gold.

She later signed with Malaco Records and recorded for them here in Jackson.

Lasalle told lawmakers she is proud to be from the state and she still has "Mississippi mud" on her shoes.

As posted on WLBT in Jackson, MS

Malaco Records, D. A. Johnson Jumps the Broom

Memphis, TN - It's been more than a week now, but on Saturday, February 7, 2009, D.A. Johnson, Executive Director of the Gospel Division for Malaco Records got married to Kim Harper, Program Director for WLOK. Johnson told The Belle Report, "We got married in Memphis. It was a small intimate ceremony for ourselves." ~ Courtesy of The Belle Report

Willie Clayton

Willie (www.willieclayton.com) had two album releases on Malaco in 2008 and both of them are of high standard, especially in terms of vocal prowess. The latter one is titled Soul & Blues (MCD 7534; www.malaco.com), and it’s produced – besides Willie himself – by Vick Allen, Donell “Showcase” Taylor and Mike Snoddy. Willie wrote or co-wrote seven songs out of the ten on display, and on five tracks on top of the programming there’s a horn section, arranged by Harrison Calloway. On those tracks you can hear live guitar and organ, too.

The repertoire consists of familiar ingredients in Willie’s case. There’s one “Tyrone-inspired” dancer called Another Man’s Gain, one mid-tempo song with a memorable chorus titled Strong Love and, for some reason, one more version of I Can’t Stand the Rain. Besides three slow blues tracks (Triple Diamond Slot Machine, All Day Blues and Do What I Gotta Do – bluesoul actually), there’s one Isley Brothers type of a bedroom ballad named Body Talk.

George Jackson wrote the impressive opener, I Feel a Cheatin’ Coming On, which is a distant cousin to Cheating in the Next Room. Sweet Thing is Willie’s own soul ballad, but the highlight and absolute delight is It Hurts So Much, a highly emotional deep soul ballad. Once again I gladly stay in Willie’s corner.

As seen in Deep #1/2009 (January 2009) Soul Express