George Walker - "Lyric for Strings"

In honor of Black History Month all the posts for this month will feature artists of color.

Walker was the first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music. He received it for his work Lilacs in 1996. He was the kind of inspirational artist who shaped the goals that a generation created for themselves. He helped an entire era of underrepresented black artists in classical music begin to get the respect that they deserved.

He redefined the classical landscape for black artists in America, and his was the sweet, poignant music that helped the truth about equality come to life.

But not only that; Walker was also the first black graduate of the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia in 1945, the first black musician to play New York’s Town Hall in the same year, the first black recipient of a doctorate from the Eastman School in 1955, and the first black faculty member to receive tenure at Smith College in 1961.

Walker died on 23 August 2018, and his most famous and performed work remains his Lyric for Strings (1946), a beautifully moving work for string orchestra. He also brought the Chevalier de Saint-Georges’ legacy to our attention in 2010, honouring him in his Foils for Orchestra (Homage à Saint George).

So today, with sweet memories floating by like butterflies, I choose George Walker’s Pulitzer Prize Winning "Lyric for Strings" as my, with hope on the horizon, like Lilacs in the spring, with memories to keep me warm, song for a, little dreams here and there, press into the place where you want to grow, do not let anyone stop you from becoming the person you wish to be, Friday.

Sam Cooke - "A Change Is Gonna Come"

In honor of Black History Month all the posts for this month will feature artists of color.

He was the definitive soul man. Cooke was seductive, devoted, elegant and moving. These qualities combined with his dazzling, pure voice made him irresistible to audiences regardless of race or religion.

Sam Cooke blended sensuality and spirituality, sophistication and soul, movie-idol looks and gospel-singer poise.

His warm, confessional voice won him a devoted gospel following as lead singer for the Soul Stirrers and sent “You Send Me,” one of his earliest secular recordings, to the top of the pop and R&B charts in 1957. It was the first of twenty-nine Top Forty hits for the Chicago-raised singer, who was one of eight sons born to a Baptist minister.

Cooke’s career was defined by his early embrace of gospel and his subsequent move into the world of pop music and rhythm & blues. Joining the Soul Stirrers at age fifteen, he served as lead vocalist from 1950 to 1956. He recorded his first pop song, “Lovable,” as Dale Cook, choosing the pseudonym so as not to jeopardize his standing within the gospel community. Regardless, he had crossed a line that made it impossible for him to carry on with the Soul Stirrers. Cooke’s first solo successes came on the Keen label, for which he recorded “You Send Me,” “(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons” and “Wonderful World,” among others. In 1960 Cooke signed with RCA, where his hits included “Chain Gang,” “Cupid,” “Another Saturday Night” and “Twistin’ the Night Away.” A versatile singer who never really settled on a style, Cooke tackled everything from sophisticated balladry and lighthearted pop to finger-popping rock and roll and raw, raspy rhythm & blues.

In addition to being a performer, Cooke established himself as a successful, even groundbreaking black entrepreneur operating within the mainstream music industry. Cooke produced records for other singers, founded his own publishing company (Kags Music) and launched a record label (Sar/Derby). He also helped such fellow artists as Bobby Womack, Johnnie Taylor, Billy Preston and Lou Rawls make the transition from gospel to pop. Tragically, Cooke was shot to death at a Los Angeles motel on December 11th, 1964 under mysterious circumstances. RCA posthumously issued “Shake” b/w “A Change Is Gonna Come.” Regarded as one of the greatest singles of the modern era, it matched a hard-hitting R&B number (later cut by Otis Redding) with a haunting song about faith and reckoning that returned Cooke’s voice to its familiar gospel home.

He is an icon and a legend, and his influence reaches farther than even he could have imagined. I hope he is sitting peacefully in the pantheon of incredible musicians in the sky.

So today, with an eye looking beyond the bend, I choose Sam Cooke’s "A Change Is Gonna Come" as my, with light in your eyes, with hope on your side, with dreams in your pocket, song for a, belief makes things real, change is never easy nor does it come when you want it, the road feels longest when you lose sight of where your headed, Thursday.

Billy Strayhorn - "Lush Life"

In honor of Black History Month all the posts for this month will feature artists of color.

When based off of talent alone, he stands among the greats, like Gershwin, Ravel, and Mercer. His restrained yet rich orchestrations were able to show the audience that he knew how to be discerning with his notes and that he could edit a phrase to say exactly what he wanted.

Although his collaboration with Duke Ellington in the beginning garnered him success, Duke took the credit for Strayhorn’s work as often as he took the bows. Not to say that Duke wasn’t incredibly talented, but as is the case in most collaborations, the more vocal of the two often gets the lion’s share of the praise.

The fruitful collaboration between Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington is widely known to have brought us such classics as "Take The 'A' Train," "Chelsea Bridge" and "Isfahan." But behind the music, Strayhorn's life and identity were complex.

While composing some of the most harmonically rich jazz of its time — often in Ellington's shadow — Strayhorn was an outlier in that he led an openly gay life as a black man in the 1940s, an era rife with homophobia and racism.

Shortly before going on his second European tour with his orchestra, from March to May 1939, Ellington announced to his sister Ruth and son Mercer Ellington that Strayhorn "is staying with us."[12] Through Mercer, Strayhorn met his first partner, African-American musician Aaron Bridgers, with whom Strayhorn lived until Bridgers moved to Paris in 1947.

Strayhorn was openly gay. He participated in many civil rights causes. As a committed friend to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., he arranged and conducted "King Fit the Battle of Alabama'" for the Ellington Orchestra in 1963 for the historical revue (and album) My People, dedicated to King.

Strayhorn's strong character left an impression on many people who met him. He had a major influence on the career of Lena Horne, who wanted to marry Strayhorn and considered him to have been the love of her life. Strayhorn used his classical background to improve Horne's singing technique. They eventually recorded songs together. In the 1950s, Strayhorn left his musical partner Duke Ellington for a few years to pursue a solo career of his own. He released a few solo albums and revues for the Copasetics (a New York show-business society), and took on theater productions with his friend Luther Henderson.

Ellington did publicly note the importance of Strayhorn’s talent. He liked to joke onstage, “Strayhorn does a lot of the work but I get to take the bows!” This formulation was rather nearer to the truth than many suspected. Certainly, Strayhorn was considerably more than a humorous aside or a musical footnote. Not only was he the sole composer of Ellington's signature piece, “Take the ‘A’ Train,” but he also wrote other defining works, including “Passion Flower,” “Lush Life,” and “Chelsea Bridge,” and co-wrote “Satin Doll” and “Such Sweet Thunder.”

So today, with storm clouds rolling in, I choose Billy Strayhorn’s “Lush Life” as performed by the divine Sarah Vaughan, as my, find your little friday, look to the helpers, it’s only the end if you stop, song for a, pick up your broken pieces, look forward to the dawn, one more step is farther than you were, Wednesday.

Janelle Monáe - "Pynk"

In honor of Black History Month all the posts for this month will feature artists of color.

She may be the newest out musician on the block, but she's been on the block making music for a while, and now that she's opened up her whole heart to her fans, I'm excited to see what she does next and how the world will open up to her. This album called back to Prince and Bowie and other queer music makers and again pushed the musical envelope.

Now admittedly I was resistant to this song, this album, these videos, just the whole darn thing. I'd given all her previous records a chance, buying them and listening in the hopes that they would click, and they all felt rather disjunct to me; I couldn't get all the way into them. I loved her single "Tightrope" and her duet with Fun, and I could see and support the talent, but it's almost like she was a fruit that hadn't ripened yet. But it is here, in this most recent album where all of her splendor arrives. Like a mango at it's sweetest, ripest, and juiciest on a hot summer day. Her artistry shines, and she IS an artist. An incredible artist at that. 

As an LGBTQ musician myself, I have to believe that somewhere in the breakout performances from Midnight and Hidden Figures, and in breaking those barriers she was able to stop "performing" and come out of the closet. Of course I would never say that this is the sole reason she's lit up the way she has, but I can't help but imagine, now that she isn't wasting anymore time or energy hiding part of her away, how that energy might be focused into her incredible artistry. She's finally able to invite her fans all the way in, into the honest and true parts of herself, and we are eating it up. 

Welcome to the world Little Sister. It only gets better from here. 

Janelle Monáe Robinson is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, actress, and model. She is signed to her own imprint, Wondaland Arts Society, and Atlantic Records. After her first unofficial studio album, The Audition, she publicly debuted with a conceptual EP titled Metropolis: Suite I (The Chase), which peaked at number 115 on the Billboard 200 in the United States.

In 2010, Monáe released her critically acclaimed first full-length studio album The ArchAndroid, a concept album sequel to her first EP. It was released by Bad Boy Records and reached the number 17 spot on the Billboard 200. Monáe featured as a guest vocalist in "We Are Young" by fun., which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, her first appearance in the chart. In August 2012, Monáe became a CoverGirl spokeswoman. Her second studio album, The Electric Lady, was released in September 2013, to critical acclaim. In 2016, Monáe had roles in two feature films, Hidden Figures and Moonlight.

Monáe's third studio album, Dirty Computer, was released on April 27, 2018, preceded by the singles "Django Jane", "Make Me Feel", "I Like That", and "Pynk". Monáe has received six Grammy Award nominations.

So today, with truth, light, and sensuality abounding, I choose Janelle Monáe's "Pynk" as my get your groove back, find the light, with nothing to weight you down, song for an, it's a ditty, it's a bop, it's a time to get this $#*! started, Tuesday.

Kendrick Lamar & SZA - "All The Stars"

In honor of Black History Month all the posts for this month will feature artists of color.

Now Regardless of whether or not his genre of music is your "thing" you can not deny the fact that his album “DAMN” is genius. It's the first non classical or jazz album to ever win the Pulitzer Prize. That is how staggering this work of incredible artistry is. Listen to it just once, and tell me you don't feel the same way. 

I can not profess to have been a huge Kendrick Lamar fan, I knew his music through his collaboration with other artists, but this heartbreaking look into what self-reflection can be, is earth shaking. 

Lamar has been branded as the "new king of hip hop" numerous times. Forbes said, on Lamar's placement as hip hop's "king", "Kendrick Lamar may or may not be the greatest rapper alive right now. He is certainly in the very short lists of artists in the conversation." Lamar frequently refers to himself as the "greatest rapper alive" and once called himself "The King of New York."

On the topic of his music genre, Lamar has said: "You really can't categorize my music, it's human music." Lamar's projects are usually concept albums. Critics found Good Kid, M.A.A.D City heavily influenced by West Coast hip hop and 90s gangsta rap. His third studio album, To Pimp a Butterfly, incorporates elements of funk, jazz, soul and spoken word poetry.

Called a "radio-friendly but overtly political rapper" by Pitchfork, Lamar has been a branded "master of storytelling" and his lyrics have been described as "katana-blade sharp" and his flow limber and dexterous. Lamar's writing usually includes references to racism, black empowerment and social injustice, being compared to a State of Union address by The Guardian. His writing has also been called "confessional" and controversial. The New York Times has called Lamar's musical style anti-flamboyant, interior and complex and labelled him as a technical rapper.

He speaks words of truth that often go unheard, but he speaks them nonetheless. He is a master of his trade, and he refuses to accept someone else's views as his own without inspecting them first. If this is what the future of Hip-Hop sounds like, count me in. 

She's got that untouchably cool aesthetic that not only raises her up, but also makes her feel immediately familiar. Her sound is relaxed and yet still driving, and so while her music is always in control it's the kind of sound that can turn promptly into a wild ride.

As I listened to her music yesterday, noming on tacos and reveling in my purchase from the vintage shop next door, I thought to myself that this was a perfect bubble of moment. It was lovely little locket of time to tuck away and hold on to for always. SZA's music was an integral part of it.

 SZA describes her vocals as having a "rasp" which she initially tried to "tenderise". Her vocal style has been described as taking on the "lilt" of a jazz singer. According to Marissa G. Muller of Rolling Stone magazine, Rowe's vocals alternate between a "vapory husk and a sky-high falsetto." Jordan Sargent of Pitchfork magazine labelled Rowe's vocals as being "chillwave" and "ethereal."

SZA musical style is described as "alt R&B". SZA songs are built over "layers of sliced, delayed, and reversed vocals" and contains "twists and mutates".[ Reggie Ugwu from Billboard finds her musical style to feature an "agnostic utopia dripping with mood", that straddles the "line between minimalist R&B, '80s synth pop and soul".  Rowe's music is predominately PBR&B and neo-soul, but has been noted for taking influences from a broad variety of genres including soul, hip hop, minimalist R&B, cloud rap, ethereal R&B, witch house and chillwave elements. Michael Madden described SZA's musical genre as being "agnosticism corresponds", noting that her work is not just one style of music and is versatile, noting the musical style is not just "R&B, pop, soul, or one thing at all."

SZA began writing songs due to being "passionate" about writing and enjoyed poetry, when writing lyrics SZA "freestyles" them in order to express whatever comes to her "mind", noting that it does not always make sense to herself. Thematically, SZA work contains "unravelling lyrics", that touch upon themes of sexuality, nostalgia, and abandonment. According to Michael Madden from Consequence of Sound, SZA lyrical is sometimes "purposefully general" and sometimes "an ambitious but quick reference", which Madden compared to the rapper Angel Haze and her debut album Dirty Gold.

This collaboration for the iconic, instantly classic, and pivotal movie in cinema for black actors, Black Panther, is at once epic and gritty. Is a story in a song filled with majesty and yet still walking through the weeds. It a gorgeous piece of songwriting and perfectly encapsulates the at soaring victory of the Black Panther Movie and yet the struggle for it to earn its rightful respect with industry leaders.

So today with the dirt in my shoes and the stars in my eyes, I choose Kendrick Lamar & SZA’s "All The Stars" as my, break open your body, let the light leak out, find the strength to go on when there is no strength left, song for a, look to your ancestors, the trail of diamonds in the sky, find the magic in their presence Friday.

Ella Fitzgerald - "I've Got You Under My Skin"

In honor of Black History Month all the posts for this month will feature artists of color.

She could turn a phrase so that words you’d heard a thousand times would sound brand new. Ella Fitzgerald was one of the few song interpreters who would consistently recreate the meaning of a song, and make the listener perk up with unexpected glee. 

She was a true master of music, with perfect pitch and a silken voice, she was able to capture the heart of a nation and the praise of every composer she met. Let’s all believe we can do that, shall we?

Dubbed "The First Lady of Song," Ella Fitzgerald was the most popular female jazz singer in the United States for more than half a century. In her lifetime, she won 13 Grammy awards and sold over 40 million albums.

Her voice was flexible, wide-ranging, accurate and ageless. She could sing sultry ballads, sweet jazz and imitate every instrument in an orchestra. She worked with all the jazz greats, from Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Nat King Cole, to Frank Sinatra, Dizzy Gillespie and Benny Goodman. (Or rather, some might say all the jazz greats had the pleasure of working with Ella.)

She performed at top venues all over the world, and packed them to the hilt. Her audiences were as diverse as her vocal range. They were rich and poor, made up of all races, all religions and all nationalities. In fact, many of them had just one binding factor in common - they all loved her.

On the touring circuit it was well-known that Ella's manager felt very strongly about civil rights and required equal treatment for his musicians, regardless of their color. Norman refused to accept any type of discrimination at hotels, restaurants or concert halls, even when they traveled to the Deep South. Once, while in Dallas touring for the Philharmonic, a police squad irritated by Norman's principles barged backstage to hassle the performers. They came into Ella's dressing room, where band members Dizzy Gillespie and Illinois Jacquet were shooting dice, and arrested everyone. "They took us down," Ella later recalled, "and then when we got there, they had the nerve to ask for an autograph."

Norman wasn't the only one willing to stand up for Ella. She received support from numerous celebrity fans, including a zealous Marilyn Monroe. "I owe Marilyn Monroe a real debt," Ella later said. "It was because of her that I played the Mocambo, a very popular nightclub in the '50s. She personally called the owner of the Mocambo, and told him she wanted me booked immediately, and if he would do it, she would take a front table every night. She told him - and it was true, due to Marilyn's superstar status - that the press would go wild. The owner said yes, and Marilyn was there, front table, every night. The press went overboard. After that, I never had to play a small jazz club again. She was an unusual woman - a little ahead of her times. And she didn't know it."

Ella continued to work as hard as she had early on in her career, despite the ill effects on her health. She toured all over the world, sometimes performing two shows a day in cities hundreds of miles apart. In 1974, Ella spent a legendary two weeks performing in New York with Frank Sinatra and Count Basie. Still going strong five years later, she was inducted into the Down Beat magazine Hall of Fame, and received Kennedy Center Honors for her continuing contributions to the arts.

Outside of the arts, Ella had a deep concern for child welfare. Though this aspect of her life was rarely publicized, she frequently made generous donations to organizations for disadvantaged youths, and the continuation of these contributions was part of the driving force that prevented her from slowing down. Additionally, when Frances died, Ella felt she had the additional responsibilities of taking care of her sister's family. In 1987, United States President Ronald Reagan awarded Ella the National Medal of Arts. It was one of her most prized moments. France followed suit several years later, presenting her with their Commander of Arts and Letters award, while Yale, Dartmouth and several other universities bestowed Ella with honorary doctorates.

In September of 1986, Ella underwent quintuple coronary bypass surgery. Doctors also replaced a valve in her heart and diagnosed her with diabetes, which they blamed for her failing eyesight. The press carried rumors that she would never be able to sing again, but Ella proved them wrong. Despite protests by family and friends, including Norman, Ella returned to the stage and pushed on with an exhaustive schedule. By the 1990s, Ella had recorded over 200 albums. In 1991, she gave her final concert at New York's renowned Carnegie Hall. It was the 26th time she performed there.

As the effects from her diabetes worsened, 76-year-old Ella experienced severe circulatory problems and was forced to have both of her legs amputated below the knees. She never fully recovered from the surgery, and afterward, was rarely able to perform. During this time, Ella enjoyed sitting outside in her backyard, and spending time with Ray, Jr. and her granddaughter Alice. "I just want to smell the air, listen to the birds and hear Alice laugh," she said. On June 15, 1996, Ella Fitzgerald died in her Beverly Hills home. Hours later, signs of remembrance began to appear all over the world. A wreath of white flowers stood next to her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and a marquee outside the Hollywood Bowl theater read, "Ella, we will miss you."

After a private memorial service, traffic on the freeway was stopped to let her funeral procession pass through. She was laid to rest in the "Sanctuary of the Bells" section of the Sunset Mission Mausoleum at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, Calif.

So today I choose the woman who was happy when she sang because it made others happy, the 1st Lady of Song, an interpreter of music like no other Ms. Ella Fitzgerald’s “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” as my Let your soul tell the story, every song is different - simply by being sung by a new voice, no one else can make the music you make song for a I’ve only been waiting for you to be ready to listen, your heart has always had perfect pitch, stretch - grow - and give more octaves, more stories, and more music Valentine’s Day Thursday.

Arlissa - "Hearts Ain't Gonna Lie"

In honor of Black History Month all the posts for this month will feature artists of color.

I’ve been on this girl’s flow since I saw a bootleg video of her recording this song. Her voice is clear and calling and it yearns for you to hear it. Like a trumpet she rings true, then brings in soft and subtle breathy tones that make you think of a flute by the ocean.

Arlissa is of half German and half American descent. Her debut track "Hard to Love Somebody" gained attention from publisher Capitol Records and Roc Nation, who eventually passed it on to Nas, who had previously worked with Amy Winehouse. After hearing the track, Nasapproached Arlissa to feature on it. "Hard to Love Somebody" was chosen as Scott Mills' record of the week on BBC Radio 1 in November 2012. Arlissa was named as one of the BBC’s one to watch for 2013, when she made the longlist for the Sound of 2013.

Her first official single "Sticks & Stones" was released on 3 March 2013, and was described as a 'stomping break-up anthem' and 'a fierce pop song'. The song peaked at number 48 in the UK Singles Chart. In 2017, Nelly Furtado covered "Sticks and Stones" for her sixth studio album The Ride.

Arlissa co-wrote K-pop group BTS's "Spring Day". The single was a success, topping the Gaon Digital Chart, and has since surpassed 2,500,000+ downloads. The song also won 'Song of the Year' at the 2017 Melon Music Awards.

In January 2018, she collaborated with British DJ/producer Jonas Blue on the song "Hearts Ain't Gonna Lie". She was picked in March 2018 as Elvis Duran's Artist of the Month. She was featured on NBC's Today show hosted by Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford, broadcast nationally in the United States on 21 March 2018 where Arlissa performed a live acoustic version of her single.

Arlissa co-wrote and performed the track "We Won't Move" for the 2018 film The Hate U Give, based upon The New York Times best selling novel by Angie Thomas. She performed the track at the film's International premier at the 2018 Toronto Film Festival.

Like Julie London she is at once distance and compelling, she is sensual without being over sexed, and while her feelings show in her voice, she also plays it relaxed. She’s got that fire that burns slow and hot, and I can not wait to see what her passion gives us next.

So today, with a tug of war, I choose Arlissa’s “Heart’s Ain’t Gonna Lie” as my, make your magic, slow burn, something cool, song for a, fold over on the pain, double down on the hope, and triple jump into adventure, Wednesday.

Amber Mark - "Conexão"

In honor of Black History Month all the posts for this month will feature artists of color.

I’ve been obsessed with Amber Mark since her first Album 3:33am dropped. It was filled with lush harmonies and deep felt lyrics about the passing of her mother. Half studio and have home-made, the magic that came out of it was touching, raw, and sparkled with talent.

Her newest EP “Conexão” has many of the same elements; heavily overlayed rich harmonies, Afro-Centric and Caribbé beats, and lyrics that drive the heart, but it also has more polish, more precision and more mass market target appeal. She’s been stretching her legs as an artist and is growing beautifully into the potential that was promised.

Her mother's job growing up took her to Berlin, Brazil, and Miami in addition to her main home bases of India and New York. It was this global influence that found its way into her music, tinged with the romantic stylings of bossa nova (smooth Brazilian jazz) that comes through with slow, uptempo drum beats. 3:33 A.M. had instrumentals influenced by India while Conexão contains touches of soul, samba, and pop.

The title track, “Conexão," means connection in Portuguese and is about Mark grappling with her connection with a boyfriend and getting to the point where she can be her entire self in front of him. If "Love Me Right" is a jilted breakup anthem, “Conexão” is an rosy-tinted beginnings of a relationship.

"I don’t have a hard time really talking about it," she says. "I still get sad every once in a while, and I still think about her every day and miss her, but it’s good to celebrate her life. That’s how I keep her alive is to talk about her and tell her stories."

So today, with a little hope and a little sadness, I choose Amber Mark’s “Conexão” as my, find the link, hold on, try to remember, song for a, the way we would have been, the once future king, the little mysteries of love and hate, Tuesday.