Wayman Tisdale | The Fonk Record (Coming Oct 26th, 2010)

WAYMAN TISDALE’S THE FONK RECORD FEATURING FUNK MASTERS GEORGE CLINTON & GEORGE DUKE IS A LABOR OF LOVE 12 YEARS IN THE MAKING

Tisdale’s Alter Ego Takes Center Stage on His Posthumous Release –

THE FONK RECORD featuring Tiz & The Fonkie Planetarians –

To Be Released on October 26th

August 2010 – After a stellar career that produced eight best-selling jazz CDs and one gospel project, before his untimely death last year Wayman Tisdale was ready to show the world a completely different side, one that was 12 years in making. With a not so hidden passion for funk music, The Fonk Record featuring Tiz & The Fonkie Planetarians was a true passion project for Tisdale. Featuring 11 all-original songs, Tisdale’s own funky vocals and a crew of funky musicians, The Fonk Record also includes three very special guest stars with extensive funk resumes – George Clinton, George Duke and Ollie Woodson. Wayman Tisdale’s posthumous CDwill be released on October 26th on Mack Avenue Records’ imprint Rendezvous Music.

The Fonk Record cover features a colorful illustration of Tisdale sporting an Afro and green shades. Inside the CD, Tisdale’s transformation from a jazz musician to a funk master is portrayed comic-book style. This should not be a surprise to true fans of Wayman Tisdale. The funk begins with “The Introduction,” in which Tisdale welcomes listeners to “WTIS .. where it’s not simulated, it’s authenticated.” The first collaboration is “Let’s Ride” featuring George Duke, who wields his magic dukey stick on some hard-charging synthesizer solos while Tisdale channels his best Larry Blackmon of Cameo. Next is “This Fonk Is 4U” with the unmistakable vocals of George Clinton, and the late Ollie Woodson of the Temptations joins Tisdale on the slow-jam “Been Here.”

Those who were lucky enough to catch Tisdale in concert got a small glimpse of his alter ego during his brief funk-filled interludes during his jazz shows. After all, Tisdale’s biggest radio hits were his unique interpretations of funk and R&B classics – “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now,” “Get Down on It” and “Can’t Hide Love.” When he played his renditions of these songs in concert, that was when the party really began.

Prior to his unexpected death, Tisdale was still riding high on the tide of his very successful jazz career, hosting jazz cruises, headlining tours and being a loving father and husband. After being diagnosed with cancer in 2007, Tisdale decided to accomplish one goal that he long set out to do, finishing The Fonk Record. There’s no doubt that The Fonk Record will appeal to longtime Tisdale followers and new fans alike.

Wayman Tisdale excelled at just about everything. He was one of the most-recruited high-school basketball players in the country. As an All America player from University of Oklahoma, Tisdale also played on the U.S. Olympic team in 1984, helping to bring home the gold. In 1986 the Indiana Pacers selected Tisdale as the No. 2 overall draft pick. For the next 12 years, Tisdale left his mark on the NBA with the Pacers, Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns, scoring more than 12,800 points and pulling down more than 5,000 rebounds in a 12-year career.

Before retiring from basketball in1997 he had already made the transition to his music career. His first release Power Forward climbed to No. 4 on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz chart and like all of his subsequent efforts, crossed over onto the R&B charts. His additional CDs included In the Zone, Decisions, Face to Face, 21 Days, Hang Time, Way Up! and Rebound.

After Tisdale succumbed to cancer on May 15, 2009, the awards kept coming for the man talented enough to have two highly successful careers. Also, earlier this year, community leaders broke ground on the $20 million University of Oklahoma Wayman Tisdale Specialty Health Center in Tulsa. The health center will bring specialty medicine to undeserved residents in Tulsa.

ABOUT MACK AVENUE RECORDS:

Mack Avenue Records is THE Road to Great Music. Embracing a diverse family of imprints including Artistry Music, Rendezvous Music, Sly Dog Records, and the namesake imprint, Mack Avenue, the label’s musical offerings travel from straight ahead to contemporary jazz to Urban Adult Contemporary and Americana/Singer Songwriter. Label artists include Rick Braun, Brian Bromberg, Jonathan Butler, Count Basie Orchestra, Richard Elliot, Tia Fuller, Kenny Garrett, Sean Jones, Stanley Jordan, Jackiem Joyner, Christian McBride, Rahsaan Patterson, Danilo Perez, Sachal Vasandani, Kirk Whalum, and Gerald Wilson, among others.