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Posts tagged as “Norman Connors”

MUSIC: “Grown Folks Vacation” – Smooth Jazz Covers of Classic Soul and Soft Rock by Shanachie Records Artists (LISTEN)

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

It’s the middle of August and five months into the coronavirus pandemic – is anyone longing for that summer jazzfest they haven’t been able to attend?

With today’s GBN playlist, which we’ve dubbed “Grown Folks Vacation,” you can press play, imagine yourself slipping into your backyard hammock with a glass of wine, and let a wave of classic songs and sounds wash over you (with a twist) – hopefully getting a little bit of relaxation in these stressful times.

Today, we’re celebrating music coming from the independent New Jersey-based label Shanachie Records, which, for more than 20 years, has been keeping veteran artists and favorite songs alive after many major labels have passed them by.

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Shanachie was born in the 1980s as a niche independent label focusing on Celtic, folk, reggae and other branches of world music that the big companies usually ignore. But by the late ’90s, with expansion of the Quiet Storm and Wave radio formats, Shanachie expanded into a new area of music with releases from smooth jazz saxophonists like Walter Beasley and Kim Waters.

MUSIC: July 4th Celebration of ’70s “Slow Jams” (LISTEN)

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

No matter what your take on “Independence Day,” July 4th weekend usually provides an opportunity for Americans to get together around good food and good music.

This year however, due to the coronavirus pandemic, we’ve got to find other ways to stay connected to community and family. So although Good Black News can’t serve good food, we can serve good music!

Today we’ve got the perfect musical background for your entire weekend, as we journey back in time to offer up a massive mega-playlist of exclusively ’70s slow jams from artists such as Earth, Wind & Fire, Stylistics, Norman Connors, The Spinners, Shalamar, Phyllis Hyman and Rose Royce that lasts even longer than a D-Nice DJ set on Instagram.

Just set it and forget it – whether you are cooking on the BBQ, laying by the pool, reading in the shade, social distance drinking from red Solo cups in the backyard, watching the kids squirt the hose at each other, or just cleaning up the house by yourself with the windows open and the ceiling fans spinning.  Crank it up and enjoy!

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