Glad you like We Insist! so much. Genuine masterpiece. I don't really know if you're into minimalism but Julius Eastman is one of the best to ever do it and is worth checking out for the final trilogy alone as well as the spoken word intro for Joan of Arc
Glad you like We Insist! so much. Genuine masterpiece. I don't really know if you're into minimalism but Julius Eastman is one of the best to ever do it and is worth checking out for the final trilogy alone as well as the spoken word intro for Joan of Arc
I'm looking at making a chart of Black composers in classical (+classical-adjacent) music before the month is out, so I'll save my extremely limited brainpower for writing notes there, but for now I'd at least like to recommend the incredible Pamela Z.
in particular wanna hardcore recommend this album to fans of Meredith Monk and Laurie Anderson (although IMO what she does here, while having parallels to Monk, Anderson, and others in those spheres, is extremely unique and distinct from any of them) _________________ A Variety of Artists
I remember talking about how much of an influence on my life this history of black people in music has been on me in years past, but somehow missed this thread until now.
Anyway, possibly my favorite Motown collection is this one for just being so all encompassing, even if it's restrictive to Motown #1's, it is still 208 songs
I jammed through the whole thing a month or two ago. I'll admit the end of it was less exciting for me than the beginning (although definitely a few gems at the end to).
Beginning in 1940, White established a long and close relationship with the family of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, and would become the closest African-American confidant to the President of the United States; and the Roosevelts were the godparents of Josh White, Jr. (born November 30, 1940). In January 1941, White performed at the President's Inauguration, and two months later, he released another highly controversial record album, Southern Exposure, which included six anti-segregationist songs with liner notes written by the African-American writer Richard Wright, and the subtitle of which was An Album of Jim Crow Blues. Like the Chain Gang album, and with revelatory yet inflammatory songs such as "Uncle Sam Says", "Jim Crown Train", "Bad Housing Blues", "Defense Factory Blues", "Southern Exposure", and "Hard Time Blues", it also was forced upon[clarification needed] the southern white radio stations and record stores, caused outrage in the South and also was brought to the attention of President Roosevelt. However, instead of making White persona non grata in segregated America, it resulted in Roosevelt asking White to become the first African-American artist to give a command performance at the White House, in 1941.
After that first White House command performance ended, the Roosevelts invited White into their private chambers, where they spent more than three hours talking about White's life story of growing up in Jim Crow South, listening to his songs written about those experiences, and drinking Café Royale (coffee and brandy). At one point during that evening, the President said to White, "You know, Josh, when I first heard your song 'Uncle Sam Says,' I thought you were referring to me as Uncle Sam....Am I right?" White responded, "Yes, Mr. President, I wrote that song to you after seeing how my brother was treated in the segregated section of Fort Dix army camp.... However that wasn't the first song I wrote to you.... In 1933, I wrote and recorded a song called 'Low Cotton,' about the plight of Negro cotton pickers down South, and in the lyrics I made an appeal directly to you to help their situation." The President, interested and impressed at the candor of his response, then asked White to sing those songs to him again. A friendship developed, and five more command performances followed, in addition to two appearances at the Inaugurations of 1941 and 1945; and the White family would spend many Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays with the Roosevelts at their Hyde Park, New York mansion (Springwood). The President sent White to give concerts overseas as a "goodwill ambassador", and he was often referred to in the press as the "Presidential Minstrel".[9] More importantly, it was White's songs of social protest, such as "Uncle Sam Says"listen and "Defense Factory Blues",listen which caused the President to begin exploring how to desegregate the U.S. armed forces.[citation needed] Meanwhile, White's recordings of "Beloved Comrade" (the President's favorite song), "Freedom Road", "Free and Equal Blues", and "House I Live In (What Is America to Me)", were great songs of inspiration to the Roosevelts and the country during World War II.[citation needed] After the President's death, White's younger brother William White became Eleanor Roosevelt's personal assistant, house manager and chauffeur for the remainder of her life.
In 1949, Fisk University honored White with an honorary doctorate; and the local Chicago NBC radio series Destination Freedom, written by Richard Durham, aired a half-hour dramatized biography of White's life entitled "Help the Blind". In 1950, Eleanor Roosevelt (then the United Nations ambassador in charge of war relief) and White made a historical speaking and concert tour of the capitals of Europe to lift the spirits of those war-torn countries. The tour built to such proportions that when they arrived in Stockholm, the presentation had to be moved from the Opera House to the city's soccer stadium where 50,000 came out in the pouring rain to hear Mrs. Roosevelt speak and White perform.[citation needed] All during this tour, audiences across Europe enthusiastically requested White to sing his famed anti-lynching recording of "Strange Fruit", but on each occasion he would respond, "My mother always told me that when you have problems in your background you don't give those problems to your neighbor....So, that's a song I will sing back home until I never have to sing it again, but for you, I would now like to sing its sister song, written by the same man ('The House I Live In')."
So I'm driving along listening to my new local classical station and they announce they will be bossing on black composers and musicians for black history month.
William Grant Still had long been one of my favorite composers, but black classical composers seemed to be few and far between, and I really couldn't recall having found more I'd fallen in love with.
Then they announce they're going to play the fourth symphony by someone I'd never heard of named Florence Price, composed in 1954. So not only is she a black composer working so in a time of segregation, she's a woman composing at a time of even greater male domination in her field (sounds like she's a great candidate for next month as well, women's history month).
Anyway, the symphony was simply marvelous. I'll now be seeking more of her works.
Here's what I heard during week 2 (February 8-14). Albums I've heard in full before = *
Great
The Mixpak Elpee - Eric B. & Rakim
EP1 - FKA Twigs*
Magdalene - FKA Twigs*
...To Be Continued - Isaac Hayes*
BlackSUMMERS'night - Maxwell*
Santigold - Santigold*
No More (EP) - Shlohmo & Jeremih*
Fresh - Sly & The Family Stone*
More Hits By The Supremes - The Supremes*
Quite Good
Songs For Distingué Lovers - Billie Holiday*
Masters Of The Universe - Binary Star
Paid In Full - Eric B. & Rakim*
Ideas+Drafts+Loops - Flying Lotus*
Welcome To Fazoland - G Herbo*
Livin' Proof - Group Home
Rise - Guerilla Maab
Due Rent - Lojii & Swarvy
Dying Is A Wild Night - Melissa Laveaux
Græ - Moses Sumney
Train Of Thought - Reflection Eternal*
In Search Of Stoney Jackson - Strong Arm Steady*
Meet The Supremes - The Supremes*
Pretty Good
Charlie Hustle: Blueprint Of A Self-Made Millionaire - E-40
The Message - Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five*
Shamir - Shamir
8th Wonder - Sugarhill Gang
Vagabon - Vagabon
Okay
My Ghetto Report Card - E-40
~~~~~
Verdict: the best album I discovered this week was...
I realized this week that this had been hanging out in my library for 8 years and I had never listened to it all the way through. Released on its own in the UK and Canada, this remix record is more readily available in bonus track editions of Paid In Full. The two remixes of Paid In Full are the highlights, especially the Coldcut Remix, but there are other quality remixes here too, plus one of the best tracks on the album thrown in for good measure. I actually prefer this to their debut, but I'd rank Follow The Leader above both.
(I didn't listen to any other 4/5+ albums for the first time this week, so no silver and bronze.)
P.S. I expect to start getting to your recs this week. _________________ Add me on RYM
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