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Posts tagged as “Marlon West”

MUSIC MONDAY: The “Say It To My Face/Mind Your Own D*mn Business” Playlist (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: The “Say It To My Face/Mind Your Own D*mn Business” Playlist (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on August 12, 2024

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

MUSIC MONDAY: “Keep Dayton Funky: Essential Tracks By Ohio Funk Masters” Playlist (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “Keep Dayton Funky: Essential Tracks By Ohio Funk Masters” Playlist (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on July 15, 2024

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

Happy Music Monday, you all. It’s your friend and selector back again with another collection for listening, and this time rump shaking, pleasure.

While Detroit is known as “Hitsville U.S.A.” thanks to Motown, and Memphis is known as the epicenter of “Southern Soul” thanks to Stax Records. Dayton, however, is known as “The Funk Capital of the World.”

 

When Lakeside dubbed it “The Land of Funk” in its swashbuckling 1980 hit “Fantastic Voyage”, Dayton’s west side was already the birthplace of several of the funkiest groups on the planet.

My lifelong pal, Duane Myers, was the first to hip me to this fact a few years back. He pointed out that Ohio Players, Slave, Faze-O, Heatwave, Lakeside, Shirley Murdock, Zapp, Roger, and others are all from Dayton, Ohio.

This collection features a stable of funk bands whose influence can still be heard in hip-hop, house and other musical forms today.

The Ohio Players, who kicked open the door for them all, have had their tracks sampled or remade by Salt-N-Pepa, Soundgarden, Snoop Dogg, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers to name a few.

They are not alone. 1970s and ‘80s funk is being sampled and provides inspiration for many bands and artists. Please enjoy this playlist for classic funk music from the “Gem City”.  

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

Marlon West
MUSIC MONDAY: “The Legend of Stax Records” Playlist (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “The Legend of Stax Records” Playlist (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on June 10, 2024

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

Happy Music Monday, y’all. If you haven’t already, please dig Jamila Wignot’s new documentary “Stax: Soulsville U.S.A.”, currently streaming on Max.

The four-part film tells the story of Stax Records, the iconic R&B label, from its late-1950s beginnings to its 1975 demise.

In its prime the label featured stars like Rufus Thomas and Carla Thomas, Sam and Dave, and Otis Redding, as well as the ace house band of Booker T. and the MGs.

Stax was a colorblind oasis of racial harmony in an otherwise fiercely segregated South. Stax has been eclipsed by Motown, with many of their hits mistakenly thought to be output from that Detroit Mecca, even though the comparative grittier Memphis studio had a sound all its own.

Look no further than Carla Thomas and Otis Redding’s “Tramp” to hear just how much their most popular artist was unapologetically “straight from the Georgia woods.”

Stax Records is critical to American music history as one of the most popular music record labels of all time.

In 15 years, Stax put more than 160 songs in the Top 100 on the pop charts and a staggering 243 hits in the Top 100 R&B charts. Please enjoy this 4 hours of essential Stax music featuring Redding, Isaac Hayes, The Bar-Kays, Johnnie Taylor, Shirley Brown, The Staple Singers and so many more.

As always, stay, safe, sane, and kind.

Marlon West
Marlon West
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

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)

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)

MUSIC MONDAY: “AfroBeatles” – A Soul-Filled Beatles Collection (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “AfroBeatles” – A Soul-Filled Beatles Collection (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on November 20, 2023

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

Happy Monday, y’all!

I’m back with another collection in my “Afro” playlist series — “AfroBeatles.”

Earlier this month the first new Beatles song “Now And Then” dropped with the help of master filmmaker, Peter Jackson, and the surviving members. It is the first new release from the group in 45 years.

The Beatles are rightly known for the unmatched songwriting partnership of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Towards their later years, George Harrison and Ringo Starr also pitched in with originals. Together, the group created a body of work that inspired no shortage of covers.

Few songwriters have been so thoroughly covered as Lennon/McCartney, and the diversity of Beatles covers is a tribute to their indelible mark on pop music. Here at Good Black News, we are going to focus on the covers by Black artists around the world.

The Beatles (and The Rolling Stones) cut their teeth opening for Little Richard; both bands came away forever altered by his singing style and stage presence.

Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger have made no secret of biting his vocal stylings and dance moves. When it came to doing covers they overt about acknowledging it.

On their first five albums of 1963-1965, almost all of the covers were originally recorded by Black soul artists, including Arthur Alexander’s “Anna (Go To Him)”, The Cookies’ “Chains”, The Shirelles’ “Boys” & “Baby It’s You”, The Top Notes’ “Twist & Shout”, The Marvelettes’ “Please Mr. Postman”, The Miracles’ “You Really Got A Hold On Me”, The Donays’ “Devil In Her Heart”, Barrett Strong’s “Money (That’s What I Want)” and Larry Williams’ “Dizzy Miss Lizzy.”

They are all included here, including their versions of Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and other greats of Soul giants, though the lion’s share of the collection is devoted to R&B, reggae, ska, and jazz covers of Beatles songs.

Here are hours of Beatles music by Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers, Nina Simone, Marica Griffiths, Gary Clark, Jr., and so many others. Please enjoy AfroBeatles!!

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

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)