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Posts tagged as “Music Monday”

MUSIC MONDAY: “Move on Up” – The Best of Curtis Mayfield (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on June 19, 2023

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

This June 3rd was the 81st anniversary of Curtis Mayfield’s birth. Today, on Juneteenth, we offer Move On Up: The Best of Curtis Mayfield playlist to celebrate the Chicago native who made an indelible mark on popular music through his protest songs and on the movie soundtrack album in particular.

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As a singer, songwriter, and producer, Mayfield is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in soul and R&B music. His early days with The Impressions showcased his distinctive falsetto vocals and he penned hits like “I’m So Proud” “It’s All Right,” and “Woman’s Got Soul,” among others.

However, it was his solo career that solidified his place as a musical pioneer and visionary. Beyond his musical contributions, Mayfield was a vocal advocate for civil rights and social equality.

His songs, including “Move On Up,” “People Get Ready,” “Keep On Pushing,” “Choice of Colors” and “We’re a Winner” became anthems for the Civil Rights Movement. They have empowered marginalized communities and inspired change for decades.

The soundtrack of Superfly was a smash by any measure. The record’s first single, “Freddie’s Dead” came out in July 1972, before the full album and the movie, and hit No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Mayfield also crafted and composed the 1976 soundtrack to Sparkle, on which Aretha Franklin recorded the now classic #1 R&B hit “Something He Can Feel.” En Vogue remade the song in 1992 and repeated that feat, along with taking their cover to No. 6 on the Hot 100 chart.

This collection features his many hits, collaborations, remixes of his work and covers made in tribute to his impact. Enjoy.

Happy Juneteenth!! Stay sane, safe, and kind. See ya next month, y’all.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)
MUSIC MONDAY: “Close To You: Soulful Burt Bacharach Covers” (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “Close To You: Soulful Burt Bacharach Covers” (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on February 13, 2023

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

Happy Black History Month, you all. Now it might seem counterintuitive to use my February offering to feature and honor Burt Bacharach, who died on February 8 at age 94.

The prolific composer, songwriter, record producer, and pianist is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential figures of 20th-century popular music. He was a six-time Grammy Award winner and three-time Academy Award winner, Bacharach’s songs have been recorded by more than 1,000 different artists.

However, no one would disagree that Bacharach’s (and his lyricist partner Hal David‘s) most popular success was with Dionne Warwick. They created a string of 39 consecutive chart hits including “Don’t Make Me Over,” “Walk On By,” and “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again.” Their collaboration would continue for decades including his production of “That’s What Friends Are For.”

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This “Close To You: Soulful Burt Bacharach Covers” collection features generations of Black artists who have collaborated directly with Bacharach (Ronald Isley), covered beautifully (Aretha Franklin, Love), and sampled (Mos Def, Masta Ace, Floetry) the work of Burt Bacharach.

Stevie Wonder‘s live performance in 1972, of “Close To You” and the Jackson 5′s “Never Can Say Goodbye utilizing the ‘talkbox,’ inspired Frank Ocean’s cover on his 2016 album, Blonde.

Bobby Womack and Isaac Hayes each spent ample time covering Bacharach while pushing against what they saw as limits of what was acceptable for Black artists.

The 5th Dimension, who were stung by being called “the Black group, with the white sound,” are present with “One Less Bell To Answer.” Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. perform it twice in this collection.

There are ample examples of hip-hop artists using Warwick and Bacharach’s work on “Recognize,” “Hold U,” “Must Be Bobby,” “Know That” and other tracks.

So please enjoy this Black History Month celebration of Burt Bacharach’s impactful work through the creation of these great Black artists.

Until next month, stay safe, sane, and kind.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)
MUSIC MONDAY: A “Soulful 2022” Collection (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: A “Soulful 2022” Collection (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on January 16, 2023

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

I do hope 2023 has been treating well, so far. I’d like to take a this month of the year to look back on great releases of 2022.

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The first track by Little Simz dropped in the last weeks of December. And this British Nigerian artist kicks off the truly international musical journey.

Nigeria’s Burna Boy sets up a string of American artists including Compton’s own Steve Lacy and Kendrick Lamar. The playlist features big names like Beyoncé, Lizzo, Drake, Black Thought & Danger Mouse, though this collection is also heavy on comparative newcomers including Yaya Bey, Amber Mark, Koffee, and Jensen McRae.

Here is the best of hip-hop, R&B, Jazz, Afrobeat, Reggae and much more in over five freewheeling hours of music that features established favorites and certainly a few new surprises.

Hope you enjoy this collection of good music. See ya next month. And until such time, stay safe, sane, and kind.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)
MUSIC MONDAY:A Celebration Playlist of Legendary Bassist Ron Carter in Honor of his 85th (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY:A Celebration Playlist of Legendary Bassist Ron Carter in Honor of his 85th (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on May 16, 2022

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

With over 60 albums as a bandleader and hundreds of others as a sideman, Ron Carter has more than 2,220 recording sessions to his credit.

Ron Carter (photo via wikipedia commons)

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, his record-setting number of credits makes Ron Carter the most recorded bass player ever.

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Though a case can be made he is simply the most recorded single jazz artist. Periodt. Meanwhile, he has embraced other genres in his journeys, including classical music, Latin, big band, soul, and hip-hop.

He was introduced to a new generation of fans with his appearance on A Tribe Called Quest‘s 1991 classic album The Low End Theory.

Please enjoy this collection of music from the decades-long career of the great Ron Carter.

And as always, stay safe sane, and kind.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)
MUSIC MONDAY: “Cover Me Softly” – Soul-Filled Remakes and Covers Playlist (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “Cover Me Softly” – Soul-Filled Remakes and Covers Playlist (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on February 28, 2022

by Lesa Lakin (@lesalakin) and Lori Lakin Hutcherson (@lakinhutcherson)

With all that’s going on in the world, we thought we’d offer some comfort this Music Monday in the form of a playlist of remakes and covers called “Cover Me Softly: Soul-Filled Remakes and Covers.”

Sometimes the songs are reimagined, elevated and fully remade, and other times they are faithful covers by the right artist, offering just the right notes and voicing.

We’ve got “Killing Me Softly,” originally by Robert Flack and reimagined by Fugees, Maxwell’s soul stirring take on Kate Bush‘s “This Woman’s Work,” Rihanna’s hauntingly similar yet very much her own gorgeous version of Tame Impala’s “Same Ole Mistakes,” Luther Vandross’ famous redo of Dionne Warwick’s “A House Is Not a Home,” Mariah Carey’s version of Prince’s “Beautiful Ones” with Dru Hill and more.

One song on our list poses the question: Can you successfully remake/cover your own song?   In the case of Lionel Richie, that’s exactly what happened with “Lady.” “Lady” was written and produced by Richie and first recorded by American country music artist Kenny Rogers in 1980.

“Lady” is the first record of the 1980s to chart on all four of Billboard magazine’s singles charts – country, Hot 100, adult contemporary and Top Soul Singles. Almost two decades later, Richie revisited the hit by recording the song himself in 1998.

Rogers and Richie would eventually preform the song as a duet on Richie’s 2012 release Tuskegee. If you’re interested in reading even more about it, here’s a fun story about the history of “Lady”: https://people.com/country/kenny-rogers-lionel-richie-friendship-history/

So, sit back and relax to some old familiar hits and maybe a few reimagined new finds. Have a listen… and always,  always celebrate music!

MUSIC MONDAY: “Love Is The Thing” – Valentine’s Day 2022 Playlist (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “Love Is The Thing” – Valentine’s Day 2022 Playlist (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on February 14, 2022

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

Happy 14th of February! It’s your friend and selector, Marlon!

We are halfway through Black History Month. It’s Valentine’s Day! If you are like my kid, it could be your birthday too. And of course, it is Music Monday here at GBN.

I am thrilled to offer this collection of mushy stuff. Here is a full workday wit of music devoted to affairs of the heart. Love is the thing all right here, at Good Black News.

This playlist brings together classics by Aretha, Stevie, Marvin, Sade, and others, along with new voices of artists like Tamia, Mario, and Liza.

There are songs here about new and enduring love. Tracks about the peril and pain of romance, everything in between.

Hope you enjoy this Valentine’s Day offering. See you all next month.

Until such time, stay safe, sane, and kind.

-m-

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)

 

MUSIC MONDAY: “Black and Proud”: A Black History Month Playlist (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “Black and Proud”: A Black History Month Playlist (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on January 31, 2022

by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (@lakinhutcherson)

Hey, it’s Lori, GBN’s Editor-in-Chief, with this week’s Music Monday share. Although it’s one day early, I offer a list to set the vibe for what February signifies to many in these United States: Black History Month!

Today’s playlist, “Black and Proud: Songs About Being Black” features songs that examine, express, critique and celebrate differing iterations of what it means to be Black in America.

The gamut of human emotions are present in this collection, as African Americans have been creating genres like Jazz, Blues, Soul and Hip Hop and transforming others from the 1600s on.

Artists such as Louis Armstrong, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Beyonce, Esperanza Spalding, india.arie, Prince, Janet Jackson, Mickey Guyton, Nas, Jay Z, Common and Kendrick Lamar all have their takes on Blackness and the perceptions of it by themselves, lovers, strangers, authorities and oppressors.

I’ve also included several versions of “Young, Gifted and Black” by Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, Donny Hathaway and Big Daddy Kane who each in their own way interpret the phrase popularized by playwright Lorraine Hansberry to great effect.

I hope you enjoy this compilation and that it gets you into the mood, groove and spirit of Black History Month.

MUSIC MONDAY: “Vibes” – a Chill Room Music Playlist (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “Vibes” – a Chill Room Music Playlist (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on January 10, 2022

by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (@lakinhutcherson)

Hey, it’s Lori, GBN’s Editor-in-Chief, stepping in with this week’s Music Monday share. It’s a list I created for myself at the beginning of 2021 called “VIBES: Cuts for the ‘Chill’ Room” to help me keep it together after almost a full year of lockdown.

The vaccines were being rolled out, and the pandemic’s end seemed to be in sight. We all just had to chill a little bit longer.

Whelp. Here we are again, another year gone and still struggling with this beast of a global health challenge. So it seems appropriate to turn to my “chill music” playlist once again, and to share it this time, as we collectively grapple with the latest surge:

When I say “chill music,” I’m talking about the kinds of songs you’d hear in the “chill room” of a rave. Back in the 1990s when raves were at their zenith, they were often held in spaces with multiple floors or rooms.

A “chill room” gave partygoers an option to briefly escape the pounding “thumpa thumpa” and the steamy sweat generated on the main dance floor. The music played in there was on the low-key side, but still kept the vibe and pulse of the night going.

Chill room music allowed you to cool down, chillax, maybe even have a conversation with friends or fellow club lovers before going back into the space where the pounding sounds practically replaced the pounding of your own heartbeats.

This playlist features artists from those days such as Soul II Soul, Sade, Jamiroquai, Dimitri in Paris, Blue Six, Supreme Beings of Leisure, Air, Massive Attack and Mr. Fingers, plus artists like Roy Ayers whose earlier 1970s cuts (e.g. “Everybody Loves The Sunshine”) inspired much “chill room”-style music to come.

Contemporary artists Solange, Lucky Daye, Chloe X Halle, Moon Boots, Yasmin Lacey, Drake, Trackademiks, Mr. Day, Esperanza Spalding, Janelle Monae, The Internet, H.E.R., Amber Mark and Thundercat are also represented in this mix.

I personally listen to this one whenever I need to grab a moment of mellow, yet still be focused. I find it a great list to write to, pay bills… to let it be my steady, toned down pulse as I relax, refresh and reset before re-entering the “main floor.”

I hope you can enjoy… and chill.

MUSIC MONDAY: “One O’Clock Jump” – A Swingin’ Count Basie Collection (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “One O’Clock Jump” – A Swingin’ Count Basie Collection (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on August 23, 2021

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

This week are celebrating William James “Count” Basie. He was born 117 years ago on August 21, 1904.

In 1935, Basie formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and their first recording. He would lead that group for almost 50 years.

Many musicians came to prominence under Basie’s direction, including tenor saxophonists Lester Young and Herschel Evans, guitarist Freddie Green, trumpeters Buck Clayton and Harry “Sweets” Edison, plunger trombonist Al Grey, and singers Jimmy Rushing, Helen Humes, Thelma Carpenter, and Joe Williams.

Here’s a solid dose of his half century of artistry. Do enjoy.

And as always, stay safe, sane and kind.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)
MUSIC MONDAY: “Sir Duke” – A Duke Ellington Playlist (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “Sir Duke” – A Duke Ellington Playlist (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on August 2, 2021

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

It’s Music Monday again! This week’s playlist features the 50-year career of one artist. No covers or tributes, just Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington.

He was a giant of 20th century music. He was arguably the most significant band leader in American music from 1923 until his death a half century later.

From the Cotton Club to Europe, Asia, and Africa, he featured artists like saxophonist Johnny Hodges and his 30-year collaborator, composer-arranger-pianist Billy Strayhorn, and lead the best-known orchestral unit in the history of jazz.

Though Ellington himself embraced the phrase “beyond category,: here’s nearly 6 hours of the music by one the greatest of all time. Enjoy!

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

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)