DJ Amir Is Fighting for Detroit’s Musical Underdogs with Jazzanova
Jazzanova’s DJ Amir has fought for the musical underdog, and with the Strata Records catalog now readily available, Detroit soul and jazz are getting a glow-up.
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Janis Joplin on the Outskirts of Town
Janis Joplin didn’t just play the blues or even live the blues, she was the blues – a figure of interminable longing and loneliness: the blues incarnate.
The Staples Jr. Singers Are Resurrected by ‘When Do We Get Paid’ Re-Issue
Luaka Bop’s reissue of the Staples Jr. Singers’ sole album, When Do We Get Paid, brings a crucial gospel LP back into circulation.
One Night in May 2011 with Mavis Staples and Levon Helm
American roots music legends Mavis Staples and Levon Helm teamed up in 2011 for a fabulous collaboration, which we can now thankfully hear on Carry Me Home.
James Blake Live in Berlin – Fully Grown
British genre-bender James Blake dazzles a rapturous crowd in a heartfelt return to the stage in Berlin.
Emeli Sandé Opens Up to Her Listeners with ‘Let’s Say for Instance’
Emeli Sandé’s soulful R&B is full of love. Once again this beautiful artist warmly embraces her listeners with her coming-out album, Let’s Say for Instance.
Nicki Bluhm Gets Funky with Oliver Wood on “Friends (How to Do It)” (premiere)
“Friends (How to Do It)” sees the Wood Brothers’ Oliver Wood join Nicki Bluhm on this funny, funky Americana tune about the modern dating scene.
30 Years Ago Annie Lennox Created a Pop-Soul Classic with Debut LP ‘Diva’
Thirty years ago, Annie Lennox’s Diva set a new standard for blue-eyed soul because she approached the style with depth, understanding, humility, and respect.
King Garbage’s Beautiful Mess of a Sophomore Album Is a Garage-Soul Classic
From marching band drums to gritty guitar lines to hip-hop beats, the dusty anything-goes soul-pop approach of King Garbage doesn’t have any contemporaries.
Sugaray Rayford Wants You to Think and Be Inspired on ‘In Too Deep’
Sugaray Rayford’s new album, In Too Deep has roots in late 20th century blues, soul, gospel, and funk, but hints of the 21st century are revealed in the lyrics.
Natalie Cole Paid Loving Tribute to Her Father and the Great American Songbook 30 Years Ago
Thirty years ago, Unforgettable… With Love gave Natalie Cole a new career: that of a contemporary interpreter of the Great American Songbook.
Electric Midnight: An Interview with R&B Trailblazer Rahsaan Patterson
From piloting the transcendent rhythms of house music with Quentin Harris on Heroes & Gods 2.0 to conquering music industry politics, R&B trailblazer Rahsaan Patterson thrives in his own groove.