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MUSIC: Happy Birthdays, Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight! GBN Celebrates Two Soul Legends On Their 80th

MUSIC: Happy Birthdays, Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight! GBN Celebrates Two Soul Legends On Their 80th

By goodblacknews on May 26, 2024

by Jeff Meier (FB: Jeff.Meier.90)

Here at Good Black News, we’ve decided to have some fun and make up a new holiday.

With Patti LaBelle (born May 24th) and her good friend and Gemini sister Gladys Knight (born May 28th) both turning 80 over this long weekend, we’re thinking the perfect date is May 26th.

In much the same way that George Washington and Abraham Lincoln’s birthdays were lumped together to create President’s Day in February, we’re launching… Legendary Divas Day!

Certainly, Divas need their own day.

May 26th splits the difference between Patti’s and Gladys’ birthdates and gives us a perfect reason to share a great diva playlist every Memorial Day weekend (future Legendary Diva Days can be celebrated the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend).

LaBelle and Knight are two iconic singers who hold a special place in our collective hearts – they have provided the soundtracks to the lives of multiple generations of fans, with bodies of work to prove it.

But for our world today, they are more than just singers – they are an entire community’s beloved aunties and grandmas. They keep it fun and current by going on shows like “Dancing with the Stars” and “The Masked Singer” (Gladys was robbed on that first season, I tell you), and with cookbooks and Wal-Mart pies. They take care of us just through their being.

To honor their birthdays this weekend, GBN has put together a playlist comprising not 80 songs, but 180 songs that bounce back and forth between Gladys and Patti!

We journey through their 60+ year recording careers with the hits, the duets, the deep cuts, the standards and the spirit.

To be completely transparent, we took the bones of this playlist from a prior one we shared around the time of Gladys’ and Patti’s Verzuz song battle program during the pandemic – and we’ve dramatically expanded it to its new form.

MUSIC MONDAY: “AfroPunk: Reggae Meets Punk” Playlist (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “AfroPunk: Reggae Meets Punk” Playlist (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on May 13, 2024

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Threads: @stlmarlonwest IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

While Reggae is a true import from Jamaica, it really gained a global footing in England. It and Punk both arose out of the economic depression and social inequality in the late 1960’s and 1970’s.

Many Reggae songs of the time like Bob Marley’s “Punky Reggae Party” and “Concrete Jungle” were overt commentary on life in London, while many Punk artists adopted some of these traits and spreading a message of rebellion against the Establishment.

He was not the only one to see that punks and Rastas shared a same idea of freedom and of rebellion against social norms and the setting of said norms.

Hope you enjoy this free-wheeling collection of songs celebrating the intersection of Reggae and Punk. As always, stay, safe, sane, and kind.

I’ve included tracks for the “Second Wave” of ska where bands like The Specials, English Beat, and Selector combined traditional ska song and grooves with a sped-up rhythms of punk music, introducing ska to new generations.

I’ve also included tracks from “Rocket To Kingston” credited to Bobby Ramone. It is a melding of the isolated vocal tracks from Bob Marley dropped over edited Ramones backing tracks. It shouldn’t work, but it does.

Marlon West

REVIEW: I’ve Got Such Big Feelings for WILLOW’s Emotive, Exploratory and Excellent New LP “empathogen”

REVIEW: I’ve Got Such Big Feelings for WILLOW’s Emotive, Exploratory and Excellent New LP “empathogen”

By goodblacknews on May 10, 2024

by Lori Lakin Hutcherson, GBN Editor-in-Chief

I’m starting off straight up corny by saying I’ve been a “transparent soul” with anyone who’d listen to me about my anticipation of WILLOW’s sixth and latest solo LP, which finally dropped May 3rd.

My owning of my corniness, turns out, totally vibes with the messages about the freedom to express & accept your feelings, warts and all, coursing throughout the #greatalbum “empathogen” (2024).

Not only do I absolutely love how WILLOW wrestles lyrically (and musically) with Big Ideas such as existence, ego, anxiety, pain, self-sabotage, fear and love, she does so in such soul-felt, sophisticated & surprising ways, I have to compliment the precise production by WILLOW and her fellow producers Chris Greatti, Eddie Benjamin and Jon Batiste.

There are myriad sounds, echo effects and vocal arrangements involved in each track, even the stripped down ones, but none ever feel overdone — just purposeful and fresh. It’s as if WILLOW threw her hands into the cosmic river of music, tapped into its source, and allowed it to flow freely through her.

There’s a lot going on technically in the music I can’t speak on with any authority (e.g. the multiple time signatures, turnarounds, uncommon verse/chorus structures) but what I can talk about is how it hits the ears and how it feels — free, unexpected, relatable, or, in one word — embracing.

WILLOW is clearly a student of music and draws on varied influences (her IG post of her working her voice out to Ella Fitzgerald’s legendary scat on “How High The Moon” blew my mind a few months ago and still lives rent free in what’s left of my head), but right now she’s reminding me most of the great Esperanza Spalding, particularly during her “Emily’s D+Evolution” (2016) jazz/pop/rock era.

WILLOW’s own pop/rock/punk/soul explorations from the past few years also inform her current jazz/funk/fusion present (and hopefully future).

The singles released from the LP, “symptom of life” and “bigfeelings”, are the best ambassadors for this tight 12-song offering which literally begins with what sounds like an off-mic Jon Batiste screeching, as if being born, “I love everything!”

(BTW, could Batiste be on more of a roll? He also co-produces and co-writes “Ameriican Requiem”, the opening track on COWBOY CARTER. If I’m an artist, I’m thinkin get this man to help kick off my LP, stat, cuz greatness will surely follow!)

After Batiste, we hear steady rimshots underneath WILLOW’s “ah oo ah ah” breaths until she sings “I live my life” — and I didn’t conjure my previous cosmic music river metaphor out of nowhere as WILLOW then sings “I trust this river to carry me / home” in this mystifyingly captivating LP opener titled “home”.

MUSIC MONDAY: “Jazz Appreciation Month 2024” Playlist (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “Jazz Appreciation Month 2024” Playlist (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on April 22, 2024

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Threads: @stlmarlonwest IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

Thanks to our Editor-In-Chief, Lori Lakin Hutcherson, for reminding me that it April is Jazz Appreciation Month. So, to that end, I’ve assembled this collection of new and recent Jazz releases.

Most of these track have been released in 2024. None of them is older than five years old. These tracks encompass a wide range of styles and showcase the creativity and artistry of today’s jazz musicians.

This collection features rom compelling compositions to virtuosic performances, by the likes of Ulysses Owens Jr. and Generation Y, Marlon Simon, Lawrence Fields, Kandace Springs and so many others.

Jazz is a most truly American art form, its soulful and rich roots go back to the 1890s. Jazz Appreciation Month (fondly known as “JAM“) was created at Smithsonian National Museum of American History in 2001.

According to their website, “to recognize and celebrate the extraordinary heritage and history of jazz for the entire month of April. JAM is intended to stimulate and encourage people of all ages to participate in jazz – to study the music, attend concerts, listen to jazz on radio and recordings, read books about jazz, and more.” Works for me!!

The roots of jazz can be found in the blues and that is true of this playlist too. The journey of jazz started in the deep south along back roads, spread to nearly every city in America and eventually the world.

The variety and richness of jazz is on full display on with this collection. Enjoy JAM!

And as always, stay safe, sane, and kind.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)

Deeronn Booker Wins 2024 U.S. Bowling Congress Masters Championship and $100,000 Prize

Deeronn Booker Wins 2024 U.S. Bowling Congress Masters Championship and $100,000 Prize

By goodblacknews on April 1, 2024

Deeronn Booker, 33, won the United States Bowling Congress Masters championship at Suncoast Bowling Center in Las Vegas on Sunday, defeating Patrick Dombrowski of Parma, Ohio, 217-177, to win the coveted Masters title and the tournament’s $100,000 first-place prize.

This was Albuquerque, New Mexico native Booker’s first major title on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour, and only the third time an African-American bowler has won a major event.

https://twitter.com/PBATour/status/1774522378254741559

To quote from Donovan Grubaugh’s article on bowl.com:

Booker’s path to the winner’s circle certainly wasn’t an easy one as he was forced to take down the likes of two-time defending Masters champion Anthony Simonsen of Las Vegas, 2023 U.S. Open champion EJ Tackett of Ossian, Indiana, and two-time PBA titlist Sam Cooley of Australia during double-elimination bracket match play on Thursday and Friday…

Booker had enormous support from the crowd during the title match as several family members and friends were on hand to take in Booker’s TV finals debut…

“I can’t believe it,” Booker said after his win, during which he was surrounded by enthusiastic supporters. “This is perfect; I could not have painted a better picture of what’s going on right now.”

To learn more details about Booker and his championship match, click here.

For more information on the USBC Masters, visit BOWL.com/Masters.

Fourteen Years Ago Today: Good Black News Was Founded

Fourteen Years Ago Today: Good Black News Was Founded

By goodblacknews on March 18, 2024

Every year on March 18, Good Black News celebrates the day of its founding. We continue that tradition today, fourteen years after GBN’s inception.

Even though the last two years have been challenging (details here), and changes in how people consume content (eg. TikTok, IG, IG Stories, Reels) have led to way fewer postings on the main goodblacknews.org site, we are still exceedingly proud of all we’ve offered and accomplished over the years, even as we continue to find our footing as we attempt to evolve and forge ahead into the future.

We are slowly sharing more content on GBN’s Instagram, Facebook, Threads and BlueSky profiles, figuring out what we can offer on TikTok, and every month we are still happy to offer new and/or updated Music Monday playlists from our incredible music contributors Marlon West and Jeff Meier.

I also want to acknowledge 2023’s other volunteer contributors in alphabetical order: Julie Bibb, Gina Fattore, Julie Fishman, Michael Giltz, Warren Hutcherson, Fred Johnson, Epiphany Jordan, Brenda Lakin, Joyce Lakin, John Levinson, Dena Loverde, Catherine Metcalf, Flynn Richardson, Maeve Richardson, Becky Schonbrun, and Teddy Tenenbaum. 

You are all deeply, greatly appreciated.

But what truly keeps me, my co-editor Lesa Lakin and all of GBN’s wonderful volunteer contributors going is the appreciation you’ve shown us over the years and still show via follows, likes, comments, shares, reblogs, DMs and e-mails (even when we are overwhelmed and can’t respond to them all).

Your support means the world, and inspires me as Editor-in-Chief to keep working to find ways to keep GBN alive here on the main page as well as on Pinterest, Tumblr, YouTube, RSS feed, LinkedIn and Flipboard, and yeah, our sometime-y GBN newsletter you may get via email.

We are looking into switching over from a newsletter to a GBN Substack, so if you are interested in that, please consider joining our e-mail list via our “Contact Us” tab on goodblacknews.org. We will only use this list for GBN. And, of course, you may opt out whenever you like.

Thank you again for your support, and we look forward to providing you with more Good Black News on as many platforms as we can in the coming months and beyond!

Warmly,

Lori Lakin Hutcherson, GBN Editor-in-Chief
MUSIC MONDAY: “Ring of Fire” – Black Voices in Rock And Country Playlist (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “Ring of Fire” – Black Voices in Rock And Country Playlist (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on March 18, 2024

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Twitter: @marlonw IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

Happy Music Monday! In the weeks since Beyoncé’s recent Country releases, there’s been much debate on her Country bona fides, though the sista has never been shy about voicing her Texas pride.

From Beyoncé’s history with the genre, from the song “Daddy Lessons”, from her 2016 album Lemonade, to the Stetsons worn by Destiny’s Child, many Country devotees ignore her roots and those of other Black artists.

While talking to a good friend and colleague last week, he pointed out that it’s not musicians that draw designations often based on race, it’s the so-called fans. It is also music writers and editors who act as gatekeepers.

Ray Charles, James Brown, Jerry Lee Lewis, B.B. King, Elvis Presley, Aerosmith, Love, Brittany Howard, Lola, Valerie June and so many others can’t be bothered. Music is music.

It has been a long-running theme of my playlist and missives here on GBN, that the roots and current impact of Black artists on Country Music and Rock ’n Roll is deep and continuing.

Rhiannon Giddens is present playing the banjo (an instrument whose roots go back to Africa), on “Texas Hold ‘Em”, and with The Carolina Chocolate Drops. As is Lil Nas X, who was also soundly rebuffed by Country music gatekeepers initially.

I’ve included The Black Pumas, TV On The Radio, Clarence Clemons, Tracy Chapman and of course Lenny Kravitz, who all reject rock music being the domain of white artists.

So, please enjoy this collection of artists that aren’t inclined to be labeled and defy labels.

And as always, stay safe, sane, and kind.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)

MUSIC MONDAY: “AfroStones” – A Blues and R&B-Filled Rolling Stones Collection (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “AfroStones” – A Blues and R&B-Filled Rolling Stones Collection (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on February 12, 2024

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Twitter: @marlonw IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

Back in the fall of 1981 when I was in my first semester at Columbia College, I became friends with a fellow from a Chicagoland suburb.

He was a dyed-in-the-wool Rolling Stones fan. One afternoon their version of “Just My Imagination” played on the radio near us. I recall mentioning it was a Temptations cover, and with some level of indignation, he told me that Jagger and Richards wrote EVERY song The Stones performed.

I was shocked. We were decades away from being able to Google such matters at the moment. I was forced to leave him to the dubious opinion. I can only hope in the decades since that he’s come to know better.

Not only was that song a cover but the Rolling Stones, for better or worse, have been the heralds of Blues and R&B for generations of Americans who would rather enjoy Black music through the filter of whiteness.

Here is AfroStones, a collection of essential songs performed by Black artists that the Rolling Stones covered.

You will find Chuck Berry, Robert Johnson, The Drifters, and Solomon Burke to name a few. Throughout this collection, the original songs are presented back to back with the Stone’s covers.

Needless to say, along with touring as the opening act for Little Richard, the Stones learned a lot from these songs and built a 50-year career on them.

Mick Jagger has long acknowledged his debt to Black America, but is not a one-way street. This collection also features Black artists covering the Stones.

Sharon Jones, Musiq Soulchild, Etta James, and others. Merry Clayton, who’s featured prominently on “Gimme Shelter”, is present with her own version of the Stones classic.

I’ve also included tracks by De La Soul, Little Simz, Snoop Dogg, and others that feature samples of their music.

As Muddy Waters said in an interview, “They stole my music, but they gave me my name.” Yet he also provided them with their name when they adopted the title of his song, “Rollin’ Stone.”

And as always, stay safe, sane, and kind.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)

MUSIC MONDAY: “MLK Day 2024” – A Celebration Playlist (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “MLK Day 2024” – A Celebration Playlist (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on January 14, 2024

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Twitter: @marlonw IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

Happy MLK Holiday and Music Monday. Here is our first playlist of 2024.

“MLK Day 2024” is a collection of songs and music from across the globe. They are tracks devoted to struggle, liberation, and celebration.

I’ve included songs like “You’re A Winner,” “How I Got Over,” and “A Change Is Gonna Come” that were the real-time soundtracks to the America’s civil rights struggle in the 1960s.

There’s tracks from the turbulent 1970s and ‘80s from Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Freda Payne, Gil Scott-Heron and others.

We got new and old school hip-hop by Lupe Fiasco, KRS-One, M.I.A. and Kendrick Lamar to name a few.

This 13-hour exploration on shining a light into our societies dark places and making the world a better place features jazz, soul, reggae and afrobeat.

Nina Simone and Max Roach are here beside Uganda’s Bobi Wine and Ivory Coast’s Alpha Blondy.

Please enjoy this daylong celebration of tenacity and hope. See ya next month!

And as always, stay safe, sane, and kind.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)

MUSIC MONDAY: “Soulful Christmas 2023” – a New Holiday Recordings Playlist (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “Soulful Christmas 2023” – a New Holiday Recordings Playlist (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on December 11, 2023

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Twitter: @marlonw IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

Happy Holidays, you all.

We are half way through Hanukkah, with Christmas and Kwanzaa coming up quick. We’ve offered several funky and soulful and jazz and reggae seasonal playlists over the years. Search Spotify by “marlonwest” and they are all still there to enjoy this Yuletide Season.

This Music Monday offering features holiday-themed songs that have all been dropped in 2023.

There are new tracks from new and emerging artists like Cliff Beach, Samara Joy, Fitz and The Tantrums, and the ever-versatile Keke Palmer.

There’s new offers from Mary J. Blige, Brandy, War, and Kirk Franklin. Plus releases from the likes of Johnny Mathis and Carla Thomas.

Hope and yours have a delightful holiday season. Please enjoy this soulful collection offering in the days and weeks to come.

It has been an utter delight to sling good music your way here at Good Black News. See ya in January!

And as always, stay safe, sane, and kind.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)