Hi! I’m writing this before I clock in to my day job, teehee.
This past month has been an absolute rollercoaster that went by exponentially fast, yet lasted so very long. I don’t know how to feel about it all, but we’re moving along. As for the music, I’ve been listening to my “oldies” and digging more into my grandmother’s vinyl’s that she left behind (see photo below).
LTD, Evelyn Champagne King, Natalie Cole, Aretha Franklin, Deniece Williams, Labelle…the list goes on and on. My grandma had a helluva collection and there’s more than what’s in this photograph. Our taste is quite similar as well and I can’t help but think why we didn’t talk about music more during my youth.
I remember many times where my mom and I would run by her tiny blue home with the little porch, likely to drop of some mustard or ketchup for fried fish, and I would hear Charlie Wilson singing…
Hey girl *snap* how you doing?! *snap* my name is Charlie *snap* last name Wilson *snap*
I swear she had that album on REPEAT Y’ALL! As I get older, I realize music was a balm for her suffering, as it is mine. Looking back, Charlie Wilson was (is actually) one of those artist’s who made an effort to bridge R&B of the past to new the sound. Forever grateful for his efforts. And, if I knew that my grandma would have passed so early and if I had been more open as youth, we would have engaged in some incredible conversations. Certainly a monumental regret, but she and I remain connected spiritually and through this music she left behind.
Particularly, her Labelle Chameleon album stuck out when I first began cleaning them. Just so happened, before ever knowing she had this record, I brought Labelle’s Phoenix record which is the album prior to Chameleon. I like to take that as her telling me to finish out this collection haha.
One of the three members of Labelle, Nona Hendryx, is someone who I’m slowly becoming fascinated by. After noticing she is the person who penned the groups songs, I’ve been organically finding out more about her…
https://lithub.com/women-who-fly-talking-to-nona-hendryx-about-afrofuturist-histories/
Songwriters, wordsmiths who breathe new life and energy into a song, are intriguing. I don’t know where I’ll go with this, but eh…I have a lot to check off my growing list of subjects and talking about songwriting and live music is soon to come on the insta.
Speaking of…on my insta @BlackMusicBeEverywhere, I recently discussed mixing and mastering, as well as, a very sick mashup of Jazmine Sullivan’s “Pickup Your Feelings” and Aaliyah’s “I Care 4 You.”
The page is slowly turning to R&B focused (as I battle balancing time with unfamiliar subjects). This won’t stay for too long though!
Until next time, See ya!