Category Archives: Video

RIP Jayne Cortez, The Avant-Garde Jazz Poet

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Image courtesy of the Jazz Beyond Jazz website.
Jazz isn’t just one type of music, it’s an umbrella that covers the history of black people from African drumming to field hollers and the blues… In the sense that I also try to reflect the fullness of the black experience, I’m very much a jazz poet. ~ Jayne Cortez, 1997, The Weekly Journal
On December 28, 2012, the world lost Jayne Cortez, a masterful, fiery poet, performer, and activist.  Ms. Cortez, who’s often referred to as an Avant-Garde or Jazz poet, came to prominence during the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 1970s.  Her work is visceral, varied and rich, pulling from jazz, blues, the written tradition,  the African/African-American oral tradition, jazz, blues, and the colloquy of social and political protest.  “Meant for the ear even more than for the eye, her words combine a hurtling immediacy with an incantatory orality,” Margalit Fox of The New York Times said when describing her work.  

Collectively, she produced nearly two dozen volumes of poetry and recordings, many of which were recorded with her band the Firespitters.  Some of her volumes of poetry include: Scarifications (1973),  Firespitter (1982), Poetic Magnetic: Poems from Everywhere Drums & Maintain Control (1991), and The Beautiful Book (2007); some of her recordings include: Unsubmissive Blues (1979), There It Is (1982),  Taking the Blues Back Home (1994) and Find Your Own Voice: Poetry and Music, 1982-2003 (2004). She founded the Watts Repertory Theater Company, Bola Press, and co-founded the Organization of Women Writers of Africa (OWWA).  Ms. Cortez was the recipient of the American Book Award, Langston Hughes Award, and International African Festival Award (amongst others).  

Though Jayne Cortez is no longer with us, her authentic style and voice will continue to incite, inspire, teach, and uplift for many generations to come. 

To learn more about Jayne Cortez, please go to her official website and check out her passionate, intense performance from the “Artists On The Cutting Edge” Series in the video below. (Warning:  The beginning of the video contains flashing elements.)

From "Audrey Hepburn" to "Better," Chrisette Michele is Unstoppable

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Image courtesy of the Curly Nikki website.

Chrisette Michele never ceases to bewilder, beguile or amaze.  In a post about three years, I said she was one of this generation’s best vocalists.  She continues to lives us to this year after year.  Always channeling the best of her soul and her emotions into music with the versatility that pleasingly boggles the mind and pushes boundaries.  Her most recent mixtape, Audrey Hepburn: An Audiovisual Presentation, carries on in this tradition.  
Image courtesy of the Hello Beautiful site.
Audrey Hepburn: An Audiovisual Presentation is “a dedication to the artistic vision inspired by Audrey Hepburn and the #RichHipster movement.”  The nine-track mixtape features Robert Glasper, Kenneth Whalum, 2 Chainz, Nello Luchi, Wale, Dunson, Bilal, Guitar Slayer, Lem Payne, and Fogo.  Audrey Hepburn is both classic and modern in terms of sound and style and has a laidback groove that makes for pleasing, easy listening.  It’s soulful cool.  Hip-Hop cool.  Jazzy cool.  Funky cool.  Classy cool.  Sassy cool.  Sultry cool.  It’s everything we’ve come to love about about Michele (and maybe more).  
While the mixtape is enjoyable in its entirety, personal favorites include “Can The Cool Be Loved” featuring Bilal and Dunson, “Charades” featuring 2 Chainz, “Pray Me Well” featuring Robert Glasper, “Rich Hipster” featuring Wale, and “My Fair Lady” featuring Guitar Slayer.  Audrey Hepburn is an excellent treat to tie us fans over until the release of her next studio album.
And speaking of her next studio album, I, like many fans, was so happy to come across another unexpected treat online a few weeks ago in “Better,” the title track from Michele’s next album.  Featured on the recent Motown Music Sampler Vol. 1, Michele continues to dazzle us vocally, lyrically, and musically on “Better.” On this soul-stirring, mid-tempo R&B tune, Michele sings about the search for love and how “love’s gotta make me feel better” because “getting to love’s got me losing my mind.”  It’s honest music that many will be able to relate to.  “Better” is powerful enough to resonate with fans the same way “Blame It On Me,” “Epiphany,” “Love Is You,” “Goodbye Game,” and “If I Had My Way” did.
What I love (or one of the things I love) most about Chrisette Michele is that she’s a risk taker.  She’s not afraid to do what moves her and to share what she’s going through.  She enjoys breaking outside of the box.  Boxes and categorization can limit our growth and progress.  They also can hinder our ability to see ourselves (and others) in totality (seeing, appreciating, celebrating, and respecting all we bring to the table).  We’ve got to be free, especially when we wish to be our most creative, authentic selves.  That’s the plane Michele is on.  And as revealed in her recent Singersroom interview, you can see, feel, and hear a deeper faith, strength, and confidence in Michele both personally and musically.  From Audrey Hepburn to Better and beyond, there’s no stopping the force that is Chrisette Michele.

Download Chrisette Michele’s mixtape Audrey Hepburn: An Audiovisual Presentation from the Coast 2 Coast Mixtapes site.

Related Post:
Day 6: Chrisette Michele – One of This Generation’s Best Vocalists

"Beautiful," Teena Marie’s Final Album, To Be Released 1/15/2013

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I’ve been getting behind the groove of Teena Marie’s catalog quite a bit lately.  Hard to believe it’s been almost two years since her death.  Like many, I was shocked and saddened by her passing. Having been touched by her music for so long, it’s a loss that I, like many I’m sure, still have yet to get over.  Much to my surprise, I discovered Teena Marie’s final album, Beautiful, will be released on January 15, 2013! 

Teena Marie was in the process of finalizing her 14th album just before she died.  Composer/bassist Doug Grigsby, Marie’s longtime musical director, co-produced the project and Alia Rose, Marie’s daughter, oversaw the completion of the project.  Alia performs on three songs, a cover of Curtis Mayfield’s “Give Me Your Love,” “Rare Breed,” and “Sweet Tooth” (both of which she co-wrote along with the title track).  According to Urban Bridgez Entertainment, Beautiful, “with its intimations of death, was a difficult one for Alia, with her mom seemingly prescient about her destiny…” Alia said, “If you listen to the lyrics, it’s almost as if she was making that transition to the spiritual world as the record was being made, which is incredible…It’s like we’re going on this journey with her.”

One can only imagine what it’s like losing your mother and going into the studio to finish what would be her final album.  Alia said it was a “a very dark and emotional time for her,” but she knew she was the only one who could finalize her mother’s album.  She said she “almost didn’t want to finish [Beautiful] because [she] knew it would be the last time [she’d] get to work on it.”  As perfectly stated by Urban Bridgez Entertainment, “Beautiful is a mother’s gift to her daughter, who returns the gesture the only way she knows how, by completing it. The end result is a true labor of love.” 

The first single, “Luv Letter,” is classic Lady T—soulful, passionate, and funky.  The song is a tribute to Alia Rose’s father, who was a postman, and pays homage to The Marvelettes and Stevie Wonder, specifically his hit “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours).”  The single was sent to radio in November and is available for purchase on iTunes and Amazon.  If you haven’t heard it yet, check it out on Soul Tracks or Urban Bridgez Entertainment.

Beautiful is a bittersweet opus that I’m sure will add to Marie’s iconic, awe-inspiring, poetic, and rich musical legacy.  The album is currently available for pre-order on Amazon.

Time for Change: Love’s In Need Of Love Today

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Good morn or evening friends
Here’s your friendly announcer
I have serious news to pass on to every-body
What I’m about to say
Could mean the world’s disaster
Could change your joy and laughter to tears and pain

It’s that
Love’s in need of love today
Don’t delay
Send yours in right away
Hate’s goin’ round
Breaking many hearts
Stop it please
Before it’s gone too far

~ “Love’s In Need Of Love Today,” Stevie Wonder, Songs In The Key of Life (1976)

There was a certain point after hearing about the tragedy in Newtown, CT on Friday, December 14, 2012 that the tears couldn’t help but fall.  I was stricken with an unsettling sadness, worry, and horror.  Immediately, I wondered how and why something like this could happen (again)?  What was it in the shooter’s life that brought on a period of acute psychosis such as this?  And how long will it take the people of Newtown (and the neighboring areas) to get back to some sense of normalcy, especially those families suffering from the loss of those they loved?

While I may never completely understand the situation, what I do know is that many of us are troubled…  So much so that we’re slipping through the tracks.  We’re either blind-sighted to the warning signs or ignore them altogether.  Looming in our room is a pink elephant which continues to be neglected—mental illness.  Never something to be passed off, mental illness—when properly diagnosed and treated—can be effectively managed.  But when will we give mental illness the same kind of attention we give other illnesses in this society?  How many more acts of senseless, inconceivable of violence and rage must we endure before the change we need occurs?  How many more innocent people need to die before we decide to take the appropriate preventative measures?

In a society such as ours, it should never be easier to get our hands on ammo than it is to seek help for mental illness (or any other medical condition).  If the laws that govern us don’t change, our days will continue to be disturbed by events such as those in Newtown, CT and Aurora, CO. 

I will continue to pray for the victim’s families, the town of Newtown, CT, and our nation.  Hopefully we can all pull together, stop playing politics, drop the sensationalism and exploitative tactics, and take action.

One thing I know for sure is the human spirit is resilient.  No matter what the tragedy, we will heal.  Better days will come.  If we let love, peace, and harmony reign, we will prevail.

Influences: Maya Angelou and Her Poetry in "Poetic Justice"

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Maya Angelou’s poetry didn’t hit me immediately when my mother and I went to see John Singleton’s Poetic Justice during the summer of 1993.  It would be one year later (after seeing the film several times on cable) when Angelou’s poetry moved me in ways that were like revelations.  I was 12 then.  At that point, I was writing song lyrics mostly.  Hadn’t given much thought to writing poetry.  But there was something about Angelou’s poetry (in particular the poems featured in Poetic Justice — “Alone,” “Phenomenal Woman,” and “In A Time” to name a few) that spoke to me and gave me an even deeper appreciation for the world of arts and letters.  Shortly thereafter, I used my allowance to get a paperback copy of Maya Angelou’s Poems.  I committed myself to reading it (and occasionally reciting and memorizing selected poems from it) everyday for months.

Angleou’s poetry speaks about the human condition in a language that is universal.  Her work often has a consciousness that is (always) socially, politically, culturally, and historically relevant.  The sincerity and candor of her words continue to draw me in.  The lighthearted, comedic tone of poems like “Seven Women’s Blessed Assurance” (from I Shall Not Be Moved) consumed me with laughter and delight.  With poems like “Still I Rise,” “Amazing Peace,” “On The Pulse of Morning,” “Human Family,”  “Mother – A Cradle To Hold Me,” and “Our Grandmothers,” Angelou has left me with a hefty sense of pride and a better understanding, love, and respect for the human race and our shared experiences.

To say that Maya Angelou’s work has been a source of inspiration and influence would be an understatement.  Angelou’s writing (along with a few others) fueled my fascination with the human condition and my desire to write about it in a unique yet relatable (and at times, unconventional) way.  While it was never my desire to write like or copy Angelou, if my writing can (one day) have the slightest feeling, impact, and influence of her writing—that would truly be amazing.

Check out the following snippets from Poetic Justice featuring Angelou’s “Alone” and “Phenomenal Woman” (as voiced by the character Justice, played by Janet Jackson).

It’s Time To Celebrate

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Well grades have been posted. I earned a 4.0 this semester.  The MBA is officially done! To say that I’m elated would be an understatement. Traveling down the road that brought me here was far from easy. But I didn’t give up. Further proof of the fruits that faith, determination, diligence, and commitment can can bring you.

Before I move on to the next thing, I’m going to take some to reflect and bask in the glory of this moment. It’s something I’ve often neglected to do after major milestones in my life. I usually just keep it moving… Going forward with little or no breaks. Like a maniac of sorts. But recently, I’ve committed myself to taking it easy and truly living in the moment (especially after major life events like these).

But you know what else it’s time to do? It’s time to CELEBRATE!

Until next time…

Peace, Love, and Many Blessings,

BuddahDesmond

Mary Wells – Something New

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Greetings!  My apologies for the lack of posts this week.  I got sick the day after Thanksgiving and have been resting as much as possible.  Much to my surprise while resting and browsing on Amazon, I discovered a forthcoming 2-CD compilation from the iconic Mary Wells entitled, Something New: Motown Lost & Found.  The official release date is 12.04.12 (just in time for the holidays).  Something New is the perfect gift for Motown music lovers, Mary Wells fans, or simply connoisseurs of classic music.

Image courtesy of Longshot’s Blog.

Something New features stereo mixes (for the first time) of 47 rare tunes written and produced by Smokey Robinson, Holland Dozier Holland, Berry Gordy, Mickey Stevenson, and Sylvester Potts (of The Contours) to name a few.  23 of the collection’s tunes went unheard until now.  Included in these gems are duets with Marvin Gaye; sides Wells recorded for an unfinished standards album; superb tunes Motown was gearing towards the AC (adult contemporary) market, some of which featuring The Four Tops on background vocals; “Your Loss, My Gain,” a b-side to Wells’ single “You Lost The Sweetest Boy” and the track which inspired the collection’s title “This Is Something New.”

The remaining are 24 tunes Motown released on a variety of collections after Wells’ departure from the label in 1964.  Some of which were included on the 1966 Vintage Stock album, 1993’s Looking Back, Marvin Gaye’s first boxed set, and several other rarities albums.  I don’t know about you, but I’m sold!

Image courtesy of the Soul Walking site.

In the last two years, I’ve fallen head-over-heels in love with Mary Wells.  My lovefest with The Queen of Motown was spearheaded after learning more about her life and career through TVOne’s Unsung series.  Like many, I swept away by her sweet, seductive, soulful, and emotive contralto.  No one can sell a song like Mary Wells.  Each song—a performance like no other—illustrated a different glimpse into her unique artistry.

Between 1961 (beginning with the self-penned “Bye Bye Baby”) and 1982 (“Gigolo,” her final hit), Wells scored nearly 20 top 50 hit singles between the R&B, Pop, and Disco/Dance charts.  While most of her music is infectious, it was the Smokey Robinson-penned tunes that are most affecting and brought out Wells finest performances.  These songs include “Two Lovers,” “You Beat Me To The Punch,” “The One Who Really Loves You,” “What’s Easy For Two Is So Hard For One,” and  one of my all-time favorites,”When I’m Gone” (featured on Something New).

Wells’ music was moderately successful in the period following her departure from Motown.  She recorded for a number of labels, but none of theme seemed to be well-suited in giving her music the attention and promotion it deserved.  A resurgence in the 1980s led to Wells becoming an immensely popular touring artist.  In 1989, Wells was recognized for her musical legacy as one of the first Pioneer Awards’ recipients from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation.

 Image courtesy of the WikiMusicGuide site.

Wells career was cut short in 1990 after being diagnosed with laryngeal cancer.  Without proceeds from record sales or touring, cancer treatment took a tremendous toll on her finances.  Fortunately she was able to maintain treatment and stay afloat through financial support from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation and fellow artists like Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, Aretha Franklin, Anita Baker, Bonnie Raitt, and Bruce Springsteen (to name a few).  Wells also received an undisclosed six-figure settlement from a lawsuit against Motown for lost and unpaid royalties from her recordings.  After a brief remission, her cancer returned in the summer of 1991. Sadly, Wells died on July 26, 1992. 

Wells was fighter till the end.  Her spirit, no matter how great the setbacks in her life were, never seemed to diminish.  Wells—like Florence Ballard and Tammi Terrell—was a beautiful and remarkably talented and gifted singer who life ended too soon.  But thankfully, her artistry and soul will forever transcend space and time in the musical legacy she left behind.
 

To learn more about Mary Wells, check out the full episode of TVOne’s Unsung on the SoulTracks site.  Also check out the latest biography by Peter Bejaminson entitled Mary Wells: The Tumultuous Life of Motown’s First Superstar.  Benjaminson is also the author of The Lost Supreme: The Life of Dreamgirl Florence Ballard. 

Don’t Let Perfection Ruin Your Quest for Greatness

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Image courtesy of the Glamour site.
“Perfection is often the enemy of greatness.” ~ Janelle Monae
Janelle Monae, the beautiful, extraordinary singer, songwriter, and entertainer, uttered the words above while accepting the Young, Gifted, and Black Award at this year’s Black Girls Rock! awards show.  Monae’s powerful words are the just the source of inspiration many of us need as we move through this life.  
 
On our quest to achieve our dreams, or simply on the quest to bettering ourselves, we often think we have to be perfect in everything we do.  We virtually kill ourselves striving for perfection (or succumbing to perfection’s tainted appeal), when we don’t need to.  When we realize we are fine just the way we are, greatness is a given.  Greatness will ooze from our pores, because we’re honoring our authentic selves and simply letting it flow (just the way it was intended).  
 
We don’t have to be something we’re not or play into an unrealistic fantasy of ourselves to move forward.  Just be yourself.  “Embrace what makes you unique,” Monae said, “even if it makes others uncomfortable.”  Thank you Janelle Monae, for this, and thank you for sharing your light with the world!

Our America

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(Written in Praise of President Obama and Vice President Biden’s victory in the 2012 Election.)

 
Image courtesy of Just Jared site.

Our America is not one that is steeped in homogeneity.  Our America is ever changing, evolving.  It doesn’t always look like you, sound like you, love like you, or believe like you.  In our America, our differences don’t create problems.  They bring about unity.  They showcase the beauty of diversity and inclusion, not inferiority and hatred.  

In Our America, access doesn’t come with million or billion dollar price tags.  Opportunities exist for all, especially all who believe in themselves and are committed to diligence.  While Our America is not perfect, it cannot keep up the status quo just to appease the good ole boys.  Only doing this will forsake itself, its people, and the world by not adapting to change and by not allowing new perspectives and styles of leadership to come to the forefront.  

Change, the right change—especially when given the opportunity to blossom—is essential to our livelihood, our growth, our productivity, and our economy.  Our America needs to move forward.  Our America needs progress.  Let our America prevail!

Related Posts:

The Power Of Your Voice
Day 98: I’m Voting for Progress – Obama Biden 2012
Day 96: Michelle Obama at the DNC 2012
Desperation (from Prevail)
Politricking

Miguel, A Maestro Adored

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Miguel Live at The Howard Theatre (DC). Photo by Victoria Ford/Sneakshot via The Couch Sessions site.
Miguel is an artist, visionary, and innovator.  He’s one of the most promising talents to come along in quite some time.  With two albums and several mixtapes, he’s started what could be called a movement…A movement that brings the focus back to talent, style with substance, and entertainment the old fashioned way.  Back in the day, you had to be able to put on a great show—whether you had a hit song or album out or not.  You had to know how to keep your audience entertained.  That’s how you kept working.  After seeing Miguel live at The Howard Theatre (in DC) at the end of September (as part of his Kaleidoscope Dream Tour), it’s without question that he more than knows how to keep his audience entertained.  
While being pegged as an R&B artist, there’s more to Miguel music than that.  If anything, his music is a fusion of many different styles and genres of music.  It’s contemporary, futuristic, psychedelic, and old-school.  It’s R&B/Soul, Hip Hop, Rock, Pop, Funk, and Electronic.  Hence, his aptly titled second album Kaleidoscope Dream.  Miguel’s well-crafted, authentic, soulful music always seems to get at you.  His latest No. 1 R&B single “Adorn” is solid proof of that.  The heartfelt emotion in the lyrics and his vocal performance are what make it so affecting and so effective.  It’s simply one of the best R&B songs—hell, it’s one of the best written songs in contemporary music today (PERIOD).
With the stage presence as potent as the greats before him (Prince, Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Freddie Mercury, Sam Cooke), Miguel captures your attention instantly.  He doesn’t have to utter a word…A simple gesture and the crowd goes wild.  Now that’s what you call impact, power, and love.  With awe-inspiring creativity, endless style, hypnotic showmanship, and an emotive, supple voice, Miguel is a beast.  After seeing, experiencing really, Miguel live— know that I am without a doubt a fan for life.  
One can only wonder how he’ll continue to push the boundaries of contemporary music and performance forward.  The sonic masterpiece that is Kaleidoscope Dream is sign enough that there’s much more in store from this maestro.