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Posts tagged as “Marlon West”

MUSIC MONDAY: “I’ll Take You There” – A Collection of Live Concert Recordings (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “I’ll Take You There” – A Collection of Live Concert Recordings (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on April 5, 2021

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

Happy Music Monday from your friend and selector, Marlon. Hope this playlist and missive finds you safe and well.

For most of this lockdown, I have not been able to listen to crowds enjoying great music. While I’m still months away from attending a live show myself, the vaccine rollout has me seeing light at the end of the proverbial tunnel.

To that end, I have made this collection to celebrate great live music performances. Live records aren’t nearly as plentiful as they once were. Though to many old-school music lovers, live albums were ubiquitous especially in the 1970s and ’80s, where live-recorded albums seemed to come out every week.

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That being said, there are recent offerings by The Black Pumas, Beyoncé, and Gary Clark Jr. Along with B.B. King at Cook County Jail, Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock, and Sam Cooke at The Harlem Square Club, there are “Unplugged” performances by Jill Scott, The Roots, Jay-Z, Erykah Badu, Maxwell, and Lauryn Hill.

At upwards of 12 hours, I am still sure to have missed some gems. Feel free to make suggestions in the comments so I may add them. This is another eclectic journey through hip-hop, R&B, reggae, and rock ‘n roll. I didn’t even touch on jazz.

Next week’s offering will be devoted to live jazz recordings.

Until then, stay safe, sane, and kind.*

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)

*A note to those listening to Spotify on a desktop or laptop. This is a good one to put your crossfade settings at the 12-second maximum. It will carry the crowd reactions across the tracks, making it feel like one long show. Kinda.

MUSIC MONDAY: “Twilight Time” – A Doo-Wop Collection (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “Twilight Time” – A Doo-Wop Collection (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on March 29, 2021

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

Doo-Wop is a style of rhythm-and-blues and rock-and-roll vocal music most popular in the 1950s and ’60s. The term “doo-wop” is derived from the sounds made by the group as they provided the harmonic background for the lead singer.

Doo-Wop music is before “the time” me and most followers of Good Black News and these weekly playlists. Though there isn’t a genre called “musically transportive to that time period,” Doo-Wop tracks have been used on many film and television scores for that very reason.

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It started in African-American neighborhoods all around the United States including New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Detroit, and Washington, DC.

Though its roots can be found as early as the records of the Mills Brothers and the Ink Spots in the 1930s and ’40s, Motown’s premier groups like The Shirelles and Temptations of the 1960s and ’70s were based in this classic doo-wop style.

Berry Gordy’s songwriting powerhouse, Smokey Robinson, had early hits with The Miracles that were straight Doo-Wop songs. Its influence has been felt on punk, alternative rock, and modern R&B artists.

I’ve gathered classics by The Platters, The Flamingos, Little Anthony and The Imperials, The Orions, The Moonglows, and many others for this playlist. Do enjoy.

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

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)
MUSIC MONDAY: “Everyday People” – A Sly and the Family Stone Collection (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “Everyday People” – A Sly and the Family Stone Collection (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on March 22, 2021

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

Sly Stone turned 78 years old on the 15th of this month. I thought it was a good time to spotlight him and The Family Stone with a playlist.

His work has had a potent effect on the course of modern music. Sly and The Family Stone served a dazzling fusion of psychedelic rock, soul, gospel, jazz, and Latin flavors.

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The trailblazing classic “Dance To the Music” has the distinction of being chosen for the Grammy Hall Of Fame, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame’s “500 Songs That Shaped Rock,” and Rolling Stone magazine’s “500 Greatest Songs Of All Time.”

This collection gathers many of his hits including “Everyday People,” “Thank You (Falletinme Be Mice Elf Again)” and “Family Affair,” “Stand!,” “Hot Fun in the Summertime,” “Runnin’ Away,” “If You Want Me To Stay,” “Time For Livin’,” and more.

From Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock to the halls of Motown and George Clinton’s P-Funk, from Michael Jackson and Curtis Mayfield, down the line to Bob Marley, the Isley Brothers, Prince, Public Enemy, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Black Eyed Peas, Beastie Boys, The Roots, OutKast and on and on, Sly’s influence can be felt throughout popular music.

This is another one that comes with Rumpshaker Warning. Have a great week.

And always, stay safe, sane, and kind.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)
Eleven Years Ago Today: Good Black News Was Founded

Eleven Years Ago Today: Good Black News Was Founded

By goodblacknews on March 18, 2021

GOOD BLACK NEWS proudly celebrates its eleventh anniversary today, March 18, 2021. GBN initially launched in 2010 as a Facebook page (read the story behind GBN’s creation here), and in 2012, we created a dedicated website, goodblacknews.org, which has allowed us to provide archives, search functions and easy access to our most popular social media to you, our readers.

The outpouring of appreciation you’ve shown us over the years via follows, likes, comments, shares, reblogs, DMs and e-mails means the world (even when we are overwhelmed and can’t respond to them all), and inspires GBN to keep working to find ways to expand, improve, and offer more content on the main page as well as on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, YouTube, RSS feed, LinkedIn and Flipboard (new)!

In the past year, we were honored to not only have GBN’s 2016 Editorial “What I Said When My White Friend Asked for My Black Opinion on White Privilege” recirculate across the internet, but also to see the May 2020 editorial, A Letter to Friends Who Really Want to End Racism, spark much-needed conversation on both topics.

Additionally, GBN was featured in the April 2020 New York Times article “The News Is Making People Anxious. You’ll Never Believe What They’re Reading Instead.” and the June 2020 Good Housekeeping piece How To Explain White Privilege to Someone Who Doesn’t Think it Exists.

In July 2020 GBN Founder and Editor-in-Chief Lori Lakin Hutcherson was interviewed about Good Black News on Barry Shore’s Joy of Living podcast and in Fall 2020 finally spoke with Jason, the high school friend whose Facebook post lead to “What I Said When My White Friend Asked for My Black Opinion on White Privilege” on the premiere episode of the Three Uncanny Four podcast Do The Work:

In 2020, Lori also started a Q&A column entitled “Dear Lori” where she responds to questions about white privilege and race she’s been asked by readers that she intends to resume shortly, because the questions just don’t stop.

And after years of promising in these anniversary posts, we finally launched the GBN newsletter via email. The intention is for it to be weekly but for myriad reasons, it hasn’t been consistent. In the coming months, we aim to make it so.

GBN is super proud to announce that in Fall 2021 Workman Publishing will be offering our first physical product: a Page-A-Day® Calendar entitled A Year of Good Black News for 2022, chock full of history, trivia and fun Black facts to enjoy every day of the year. We will offer more information on the calendar and its availability in the coming months.

Good Black News remains a labor of love for Founder/Editor-In-Chief Lori Lakin Hutcherson and co-editor Lesa Lakin, and we must gratefully acknowledge 2020’s volunteer contributors: Susan Cartsonis, Julie Adelle Bibb, Beck Carpenter, Hanelle Culpepper Meier, Jessie Davis, Dan Evans, Gina Fattore, Julie Fishman, Michael Giltz, Eric Greene, Thaddeus Grimes-Gruczka, Ashanti Hutcherson, Warren Hutcherson, Fred Johnson, Epiphany Jordan, Brenda Lakin, Joyce Lakin, Ray Lancon, Lois Leveen, John Levinson, Rob Lowry, Catherine Metcalf, Lara Olsen, Flynn Richardson, Maeve Richardson, Rosanna Rossetto and Becky Schonbrun. 

Special thanks to Zyda Culpepper Mellon for allowing GBN to share her powerful video testimony on how white friends and family can be allies, to TedX speaker and contributor Dena Crowder for creating and sharing her Power Shot video series on GBN, to incredible Tech Jedi Samer Shenouda for migrating and revamping the GBN website to make us bigger, stronger, faster, and to Jeff Meier, Teddy Tenenbaum and Marlon West for creating incredible Spotify playlists and posts covering a variety of genres, sub-genres and artists celebrating the musical diaspora, past and present. You are all deeply, greatly appreciated.

Please continue to help us spread GBN by sharing, liking, re-tweeting and commenting, and consider following GBN here on the main page, as well as wherever you are on social media.

Please also consider joining our e-mail list via our “Contact Us” tab. We will only use this list to keep you updated on GBN and send you our e-newsletter. And, of course, you may opt out at any time.

GBN believes in bringing you positive news, reviews and stories of interest about black people all over the world, and greatly value your participation in continuing to build our shared vision.

Thank you again for your support, and we look forward to providing you with more Good Black News in the coming year, and beyond!

Warmly,

The Good Black News Team

MUSIC MONDAY: “Dream Land” – A Tribute Playlist to Bunny Wailer and the Wailers Legacy (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “Dream Land” – A Tribute Playlist to Bunny Wailer and the Wailers Legacy (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on March 8, 2021

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

Bunny Wailer, born Neville O’Riley Livingston, died on March 2nd. He was an original member of The Wailers along with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, and a lifelong standard-bearer of reggae music.

“The Wailers are to reggae what the Beatles are to rock ‘n roll and pop music,” according to Jamaican music-business veteran Copeland Forbes.

This collection is devoted to the work of The Wailers, and the solo work of Rita Marley, Peter Tosh, and of Bunny Wailer himself.

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In the 1960s The Wailers hit their initial stride with Coxsone Dodd’s Studio One label, often called Jamaica’s Motown. They recorded for several producers, including Leslie Kong and, most notably, Lee “Scratch” Perry.

I’ve included several of those songs, and ones The Wailers went on to release on their own Wail ‘N Soul ‘M and Tuff Gong labels.

By 1974, Tosh and Wailer both would leave the group for solo careers. Bob Marley would use The Wailers name for his backup band.

Hope you enjoy this collection of music by greats artist done together and separately.

Stay stay, sane, and kind, you all. Until such time.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)
MUSIC MONDAY: “Chop Life” – An Afropop Collection (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “Chop Life” – An Afropop Collection (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on March 1, 2021

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

African popular music (often called Afropop, Afro-pop or Afro pop), like African traditional music, is vast and varied.

This playlist centered contemporary genres of African music build the cross-pollination with western popular music like: rhythm & blues, hip-hop, jazz, salsa, and reggae.

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Afrobeats (not to be confused, as I was, with Afrobeat) and Afro-pop is less of a style and more of a descriptor for the fusion of sounds flowing out of Ghana and Nigeria.

Here’s a collection of mainly recent releases from a variety of artists. Hope you enjoy.

As always stay safe, sane, and kind.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)
MUSIC MONDAY: “If 6 Was 9” – a Comprehensive Playlist of Black Rock Music (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “If 6 Was 9” – a Comprehensive Playlist of Black Rock Music (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on February 22, 2021

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

Black artists have long been associated with R&B, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Funk, and Reggae, but not Rock. This is ironic as Rock ‘n’ Roll was derived from African American Jazz and Blues.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Little Richard are all often counted among Rock music’s pioneers. Jimi Hendrix and Prince appear on any serious list of greatest guitarists.

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This collection gathers them all and features Black alternative rock, country, and heavy metal artists. It would not be a Marlon mix without the inclusion of folks that should be appreciated more for their rock and roll bonafides like The Isley Brothers and The Roots.

In addition to Living Color, TV On The Radio, Bad Brains and other established bands there are several emerging artists including Mint Green, Big Joanie, Baby Got Back Talk and others.

Do enjoy this eclectic and wide-ranging collection of Black Rock.

As always stay safe, sane, and kind.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)
MUSIC MONDAY: “Roots, Rock, Reggae” – a Bob Marley Collection in Honor of his 76th (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “Roots, Rock, Reggae” – a Bob Marley Collection in Honor of his 76th (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on February 15, 2021

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

Earlier this month was the 76th anniversary of the birth of Robert Nesta Marley.

It is hard to overstate his impact on popular music and culture. Marley was a Rastafari icon, and he infused his music with a sense of social consciousness and spirituality.

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He is still a global symbol of Jamaican music, culture, and Pan-Africanism. He co-founded The Wailers vocal group with Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh, Beverley Kelso and Junior Braithwaite.

They created early ska and rocksteady in the studios of legendary producers Coxsone Dodd and Lee “Scratch” Perry.

Marley would go on to bring reggae music to an international audience, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

Rolling Stone has ranked him No. 11 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Here’s a collection includes his many classics, early recordings, live performances, and remixes, and dub reworkings. This playlist is a testament to the lasting impact of Bob Marley.

As always stay safe, sane, and kind.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)
MUSIC MONDAY: Black History Month 2021 Tribute to African American Music Through the Centuries (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: Black History Month 2021 Tribute to African American Music Through the Centuries (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on February 8, 2021

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

Last week our fearless leader here at GBN, Lori Lakin Hutcherson, suggested a playlist celebrating Black History Month. I joked that every Music Monday at Good Black News is celebrating Black history.

Though a free-wheeling offer celebrating a century of Black music is definitely the thing to do. Here is a collection of African American music ranging from Mamie Smith to Marvin Gaye to J. Cole – from gospel, to hip hop, to jazz, to blues – and all points in between.

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As is our wont here on Mondays, this playlist is hours long and will take you on a journey of classics and deep cuts. I hope you all enjoy it.

Next week we’ll celebrate the 76th anniversary of Bob Marley‘s birth with a heaping serving of roots reggae. Until such time, have a great week.

And as always stay safe, sane, and kind.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)
MUSIC MONDAY: “Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t” – A Jump Blues Collection (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t” – A Jump Blues Collection (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on January 11, 2021

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

For many of you riding along with these weekly playlists, some of these “points” may sound familiar.

The popular narrative of the originals of Rhythm & Blues and Rock and Roll leans heavily on the hardscrabble southern bluesman narrative.

The mythic trip to the crossroads and the juke joint circuit stories promoted by so many historians and rock legends leaves out the urban sophistication of Jump Blues artists and their contribution to the music we all love today.

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Jump blues evolved from the music of big bands like those of Lionel Hampton and Lucky Millinder. These groups of the early 1940s produced musicians such as Louis Jordan, Jack McVea, Earl Bostic, and Arnett Cobb that would start their own smaller groups.

These Jump groups became hugely popular in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Artists such as Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five, Big Joe Turner, Roy Brown, Charles Brown, Ruth Brown, Helen Humes, T-Bone Walker, Roy Milton, Billy Wright, Wynonie Harris, Buddy Johnson, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, and others produced hard-driving dance music that contributes mightily to the birth of Soul and Rock.

This is another collection that comes with a “Rumpshaker Warning” Enjoy!

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

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)