# Payn's Ponderings Black History Month Music Edition



## payn (Feb 3, 2022)

Greetings,

I am a huge music fan and amateur player myself. I really look forward to February every year to explore some of the impactful and incredibly talented musicians we have here in the U.S. I am going follow the format of 89.3 The Current and list a new artist each day, Talk a little and share my favorite track. I owe you a few days so this OP will have bonus tracks to catch up. 

Feel free to contribute in any way you see fit. Love to hear about your experiences with music and love for it!

2/1 *Outkast *  
As a teen, I recall seeing OutKast _Aliens _in my friends CD case. I had no idea what I was looking at. I had to ask "is this a rap album?" I was told it was great, and it was! The thing that knocked me out was this comicbook story that came along with the album. I knew these guys were something interesting. Something that perhaps transcends genre or is just down right fun. Enjoy a selection from OutKast_ Aliens
_
2/2 *The Time* 
This group helped create the 80's R&B and Hip Hop scene of Minneapolis. I hear they sometimes collaborated with this guy named Prince? Fun story; The Time's self titled album has the group out front of a condo. I just happened to live in said condo for a few years. Enjoy the funk!

2/3 *Etta James*
When you hear Etta James you probably think of wedding DJs and first dances; and I mean why not? Timeless and classic songs about love that make you just want to grab someone and slow dance. Though, she really had a rebel side. It might seem tame by todays standards but Etta James raw and daring lyrics helped set the scene for Rock 'n' Roll. A real blues queen and delight to hear. Enjoy!

What about your stories? Who do you love? What's in your playlist this Feb?


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## Smackpixi (Feb 3, 2022)

I was really struck by how Prince-like The Time’s song was, wow, Minneapolis really had a sound.  This motivated me to relate that when i went to the U of Minnesota in the mid-90s, there were at least two people on my floor of the dorm who’s entire reason for attending the U of M was to be near Prince, one was my roommate, who once claimed when he was 15 to have played in a Rick James cover band that opened for Soundgarden, and ater the show he smoked a bowl with Chris Cornell.  People would go to Prince’s club, Glam Slam, because there was a rumor that maybe Prince might show up and do a song, maybe, but probably not, I can’t remember anyone ever coming back and saying he did.  Must have occasionally.

Anyway, I was motivated to look up The Time and see if I remembered anything they did.  And while doing that, I discovered this gem about their first album that probably explains the sound…

“With the exception of singer Morris Day, who was required to follow Prince's guide vocals note-for-note, none of the band played on their debut album. Prince instead played all the instruments himself, crediting the production to his alter-ego, "Jamie Starr", and Morris Day.”


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## billd91 (Feb 3, 2022)

Smackpixi said:


> People would go to Prince’s club, Glam Slam, because there was a rumor that maybe Prince might show up and do a song, maybe, but probably not, I can’t remember anyone ever coming back and saying he did.  Must have occasionally.



According to a friend of mine who is a long-time resident of Minneapolis and grew up there, Prince was the local Bigfoot at parties in the 1980s. He occasionally showed up at clubs, bars, even house parties - but you could never really expect him to show up.


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## payn (Feb 3, 2022)

Smackpixi said:


> I was really struck by how Prince-like The Time’s song was, wow, Minneapolis really had a sound.  This motivated me to relate that when i went to the U of Minnesota in the mid-90s, there were at least two people on my floor of the dorm who’s entire reason for attending the U of M was to be near Prince, one was my roommate, who once claimed when he was 15 to have played in a Rick James cover band that opened for Soundgarden, and ater the show he smoked a bowl with Chris Cornell.  People would go to Prince’s club, Glam Slam, because there was a rumor that maybe Prince might show up and do a song, maybe, but probably not, I can’t remember anyone ever coming back and saying he did.  Must have occasionally.
> 
> Anyway, I was motivated to look up The Time and see if I remembered anything they did.  And while doing that, I discovered this gem about their first album that probably explains the sound…
> 
> “With the exception of singer Morris Day, who was required to follow Prince's guide vocals note-for-note, none of the band played on their debut album. Prince instead played all the instruments himself, crediting the production to his alter-ego, "Jamie Starr", and Morris Day.”



Great story thanks for sharing. Its true Minneapolis had a great sound. Check out this early '75 album by 94 East (Prince early work. Name is from the interstate that cuts through the twin cities.)


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## Ralif Redhammer (Feb 3, 2022)

In the late 90s, my band played a bunch of shows with another band out of Baltimore, Chapelblaque. Tony was the heart of the project, doing everything but sing (and sometimes that, too). Anyway, they were a gothic metal band, but I'm going to go with this instrumental piece, which was 100% Tony. It's got a baroque Dead Can Dance-by-way-of-synthesizer vibe that I still dig:


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 4, 2022)

The reason Morris Day & The Time sounded so much like early Prince is because Prince formed the band to play stuff in his early style while he tried other things.   "Jamie Starr” was an alias used in the first album’s credits- *he* *played all the instruments*.  Day was forced to follow Prince’s vocal directions note for note.

(Edit: Ninja’d!)

FYI, part of OutKast’s success comes from them hiring a phenomenal but turbulent Dallas-area group called Whyld Peach as their backing band.  WP was a punk/funk group with talent similar to Fishbone.  I saw them in the 1999s at SXSW, and thought they would be hot on the tails of Fishbone, RHCP, and Faith No More, but their…”issues” kept them from breaking through until they hooked up with the Atlanta area rappers.


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## MGibster (Feb 4, 2022)

This was one of my favorites from the 1990s.

Edit:  After checking, this song was released in 1988.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 4, 2022)

Let’s see, which primarily American artists/bands were all-black or with a prominent black contribution can I mention that we haven’t really hit on yet?

Jimi Hendrix
James Brown
John Coltrane
Duke Ellington
Ramsey Lewis
Miles Davis
Doug/Dug Pinnick (King’s X and others)
Fishbone
Mother’s Finest
Parliament/Funkadelic
Follow For Now
Eye & I
Bodycount
Ice T
Ice Cube
Dr. Dre
Mos Def
Bad Brains
Tony MacAlpine
Eric Gales
John Butcher
Esperanza Spaulding
Gail Ann Dorsey
Meshell Ndegeocello
Thundercat
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Sly & the Family Stone
Bustah Rhymes
De La Soul
A Tribe Called Quest
Peabo Bryson


In some of the groups listed, you’ll find musicians who have carved out their own careers as solo artists as well, like Bootsy Collins (who played with James brown and Parliament/Funkadelic, plus dozens of other solo projects and collaborations).


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## Enevhar Aldarion (Feb 4, 2022)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Mod Def




You have a typo here. It is Mos Def.

As for others:

Tricky
Sade
Seal
Terrence Trent D'Arby
Coolio


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 4, 2022)

Enevhar Aldarion said:


> You have a typo here. It is Mos Def.
> 
> As for others:
> 
> ...



Thanks for that catch!  Fixed it.

OTOH, I got the impression the OP wanted to limit things to American musicians.  On your list of talents, only Coolio is from the USA.

However, you’ve inspired me to add:

Maxwell
D’Angelo
Erykah Badu
Billie Holiday
John Legend
The Roots
Darius Rucker
Alicia Keys
Stanly Jordan
George Benson
Marvin Gaye
Aretha Franklin
Chaka Khan
Roberta Flack
Ritchie Havens
Donny Hathaway
The Fugees
Public Enemy
Missy Elliott
NWA
Queen Latifah
Jimmy Smith
The Neville Brothers
Kool Keith
Del the Funkee Homosapien
DJ Spooky, That Subliminal Kid

Roberta Flack is a special one for me.  She’s one of my Mom’s favorite musicians, and she wore out FIVE copies of _First Take _teaching music to HS students. So that was one of the first CDs I ever bought her.

This is one of her favorites from that album:


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## Tonguez (Feb 4, 2022)




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## Sepulchrave II (Feb 4, 2022)

Taste is all very subjective, of course. That said, if we're doing requests, I'd nominate:

O.V. Wright
Robert Johnson
Bill Withers
Nina Simone
John Lee Hooker
The Ohio Players
Cab Calloway
Muddy Waters
Parliament-Funkadelic
Ella Fitzgerald

and Stevie Wonder. And then some more Stevie Wonder.


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## Ryujin (Feb 4, 2022)

This is on my Daily Drive play list, further cementing the weird mix that it is.


Probably the most recognizable of The Time's songs and my favourite of theirs.


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## payn (Feb 4, 2022)

2/4 Kendrick Lamar
I really enjoy the 90's jazz influenced style rap and dont mind sample culture. Not so much gansta and especially not the autotune stuff. So hearing Kendrik Lamar was a breath of fresh air. This cat can lay it down, speaking of cats, he also had Thundercat playing bass on his album and thats just next level cool.


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## Mannahnin (Feb 4, 2022)

I don't think Gary Clark Jr. has gotten a mention yet in this thread, and he's a pretty amazing current musician.


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## payn (Feb 4, 2022)

Mannahnin said:


> I don't think Gary Clark Jr. has gotten a mention yet in this thread, and he's a pretty amazing current musician.



Really great, deserves another mention. This one definitely feels Prince influenced.


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## dragoner (Feb 4, 2022)

Like Ryujin, I have Billie Holiday on my player in the car. Others, such as Lead Belly, Otis Redding, and the Supremes; for sure Motown still is massive. More modern music is diverse, as one doesn't see a segregated music scene, though here is one song, shares the title with what is happening in my _Solis_ setting:


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## Snarf Zagyg (Feb 4, 2022)

Skunk Anansie. Frontwoman is Skin.

One of many amazing and mostly-forgotten hardcore bands (admittedly, this was 90s hardcore revival).


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 4, 2022)

Skin, as I recall, is a Brit.  Damn talented though!

Not only is she a powerful vocalist, I saw her judging on the Italian (?) version of one of those talent contest TV shows.  There was a contestant in the process of being booted, but instead of simply letting him walk off stage, she stopped him and asked him to sing some more.  

And after he did so, like a good vocal coach, she broke down WHY he was voted off and what he needed to do if he wanted to be a professional singer.*  It was tough love, but he left with a blueprint for how to improve his singing.




* he absolutely couldn’t hold a note more than a couple seconds without using vibrato, and it negatively affected his ability to stay on pitch.  That gave his singing a kind of seasickness-inducing quality.


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## Tonguez (Feb 4, 2022)

yeah Skunk Anansie is a British band
For American 90s rock my nephew introduced me to Killswitch Engage and there lead Howard Jones


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## Enevhar Aldarion (Feb 4, 2022)

Maybe all 50 of these musicians have already been listed, but I will share this anyway:









						50 most important African American music artists of all time
					

In celebration of African American Music Appreciation Month.




					www.cleveland.com


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## CleverNickName (Feb 4, 2022)

I don't know if Charley Pride as been mentioned yet, but he should be on the list.  He was the first (and most) successful black singer and songwriter on the Country & Western charts...a genre of music that at the time (the 1960s and 1970s) was absolutely dominated by white artists.  He's one of only three African American members of the Grand Ole Opry, he won four Grammys, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2000, and won the 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award.

Pretty awesome.


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## Tonguez (Feb 4, 2022)

Surprised Smokey Robinson hasn’t been cited yet


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## Enevhar Aldarion (Feb 4, 2022)

CleverNickName said:


> I don't know if Charley Pride as been mentioned yet, but he should be on the list.




Speaking of Country music, it seems like there was an explosion of new black artists last year. Here are 12 of them:









						12 Black artists shaping country music’s future
					

These 12 artists have all been drawn to Nashville, embracing the traditions of country music while shaping its future.




					www.tennessean.com
				






> He's one of only three African American members of the Grand Ole Opry




And on the Opry, it looks like a Black Opry was founded last year as well. I just hope the Grand Ole Opry does not use it as an excuse for not having more black members.









						Country Music Almanac 2022: The Black Opry Makes Vital Space for BIPOC Artists
					

Talking with Black Opry founder Holly G and artists Roberta Lea and Aaron Vance




					www.nashvillescene.com


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 5, 2022)

Tonguez said:


> yeah Skunk Anansie is a British band
> For American 90s rock my nephew introduced me to Killswitch Engage and there lead Howard Jones



And Lajon Witherspoon from Sevendust is another impressive metal vocalist.


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## Malmuria (Feb 5, 2022)

ATaliens is my favorite hip hop record!  It’s so dark, and deep, and introspective


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 5, 2022)

Martha Wash should have been more than a musical footnote:








						TikTok reveals little-known truth behind popular '90s song: 'Without bigotry she’d be a blockbuster superstar'
					

The singer behind numerous Top 40 hits has rarely gotten credit.




					www.yahoo.com


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 5, 2022)

Here’s a couple of documentaries about black musicians:

'Summer of Soul,' Questlove’s Scorching New Documentary About the Long-Lost ‘Black Woodstock’ Is Now on Hulu





__





						Electric Purgatory: The Fate of the Black Rocker, PopMatters
					

Richard Penniman, aka Little Richard -- that wild-eyed Southern screamer from Macon, Georgia – has oft times described himself as “the architect of...




					www.popmatters.com
				




I haven’t seen ?uestlove’s film, but the reviews and clips I’ve seen were fascinating.

_Electric Purgatory_ blew my mind. I’m pretty educated about who did what in music, especially post-1950s stuff. But some of what was shown in this movie was completely new to me.  Bands I never knew, songs I never heard, connections I never made.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 5, 2022)

Meanwhile…

24-7 Spyz
TV On The Radio
Radkey
Unlocking The Truth

I have only seen UTT in YT vids.  In January 2020, it was announced the band had ended and frontman Malcolm Brickhouse would be pursuing a solo career under the moniker Malxolm Brixkhouse.  Here’s their last street busking gig before they broke:


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## payn (Feb 5, 2022)

So The Current is taking weekend off, but I wont! 

2/5 Thelonious Monk
Piano has always been one of my favorite instruments. I really like players that stand out like Monk. Improv artist are very intriguing and Monk was also one of the best in this area. Enjoy some of Monk's Dream.


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## dragoner (Feb 6, 2022)

Yeah, let's liven this up with some vids, _Bad Brains _probably one of the best hardcore punk bands ever, with two killer albums, _Rock for Light, _and _I Against I_
_Public Enemy_, still follow Chuck D on twitter:
Also I follow Tom Morello, met him too, he's got a solid Dodge Demon. Should not be a surprise I like _Rage Against the Machine_, my first setting for Cepheus Engine is called _Solis People of the Sun_


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## Twiggly the Gnome (Feb 6, 2022)

American shoegaze pioneers the Veldt (earlier known as Apollo Heights):


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## payn (Feb 6, 2022)

Here is another selection for your enjoyment.

2/6 Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Not often given enough credit for her influences on rock and guitar. Enjoy a lazy Sunday history lesson!


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## Enevhar Aldarion (Feb 6, 2022)

On a side note to all this, when looking for information online, I ran across articles on singers/celebrities you never knew were black/PoC. For example, Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy is biracial. And while I have known for a while that Halsey is also biracial, but depending on the day and her hair and makeup, she can easily look either white or black. As for Pete, it is a shame he felt he needed to pass for white in the band's more emo days in order for mainstream acceptance.


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## TheSword (Feb 6, 2022)

I love pretty much anything by Nina Simone and particularly liked hearing her at the end of every episode of Lovecraft Country.

But this is my favourite song by her… along with Feeling Good.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 6, 2022)

dragoner said:


> Yeah, let's liven this up with some vids



Yes!

I mentioned some bands that are truly obscure, and that broke up quickly.  But their stuff is still worth tracking down, IMHO.  So:


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 6, 2022)

Both of these vocalists have passed, but their music lives on:

Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings

Charley Bradley


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 6, 2022)

Take a trip into the Afrosphere with Kamasi Washington:


and Gregory Porter


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## payn (Feb 6, 2022)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Both of these vocalists have passed, but their music lives on:
> 
> Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings
> 
> Charley Bradley



It was awesome that both Sharon and Charles got to make appearances on Luke Cage for Netflix.


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## payn (Feb 6, 2022)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Take a trip into the Afrosphere with Kamasi Washington:
> 
> 
> and Gregory Porter



I saw Komasi at a local music festival here in Minneapolis. It was at least 95 degrees that day and he still had a tweed stocking hat on


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 6, 2022)

payn said:


> I saw Komasi at a local music festival here in Minneapolis. It was at least 95 degrees that day and he still had a tweed stocking hat on



Porter also wears his “jazz hat” wherever, whenever.


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## payn (Feb 7, 2022)

2/7 Billie Holiday

One of the very first Jazz singers I got into. Being in the cold dead heart of a Minneapolis winter, I'll look to this bluesy tune for some feelin.


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## Mannahnin (Feb 7, 2022)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Radkey



I first encountered them opening up for Blood Red Shoes in Boston seven or eight years ago.  Had no idea who they were and they positively knocked my socks off.


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## Sepulchrave II (Feb 8, 2022)

Still prefer this to Coolio's reimagining:


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## payn (Feb 8, 2022)

2/8 Childish Gambino

Ok, so this is going to be a fun one. Donald Glover has turned out to be an amazing musician. Just real clever use of effects and writing in his songs. Here is a little live studio take for your enjoyment.

Curious about how he chose the name? Why he used the Wu Tang name generator of course.  Mine turned out to be _Mastermind Pestering. _What is yours?


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## payn (Feb 8, 2022)

Sepulchrave II said:


> Still prefer this to Coolio's reimagining:



Sampling has become a culture all its own. Some folks find it divisive, but really music has a long history of artist using, borrowing, and stealing from one another. I can be picky myself, but I'll drop a couple for y'all. The first is one is from Nas for all the metal heads around here, the second is for the great Biz Markie who passed too soon.


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## Mallus (Feb 8, 2022)

Ahem... never forget that Wu-Tang Clan ain’t nuthing ta fu… well you know the rest.

Also, the perennially-21 version of me lurking somewhere inside my head is delighted to see the likes of Fishbone and Del get mentioned.


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## dragoner (Feb 8, 2022)




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## dragoner (Feb 8, 2022)




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## dragoner (Feb 8, 2022)




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## Bedrockgames (Feb 8, 2022)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Let’s see, which primarily American artists/bands were all-black or with a prominent black contribution can I mention that we haven’t really hit on yet?
> 
> Jimi Hendrix.....




Just want to say, Hendrix is someone, that anyone with interest in rock or heavy metal (and other music as well of course) should listen to and learn the importance of. I think because he is so associated with the 60s, people that cut their teeth on the music that was influenced by him, don't always develop a full appreciation for his significance. He is one of those dividing lines when it comes to guitar history. There is guitar prior to Hendrix and guitar after him (similar to how there is guitar before Eddie Van Halen and after). And so many guitarists were influenced by him. My favorite player has long been Dave Murray from Iron Maiden and he frequently mentions, in very specific ways, how Hendrix influenced his playing. 

For me, the thing I always took from Hendrix was the way he blended melodies and chords. In a song like Little Wing for example.


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## Mannahnin (Feb 8, 2022)

Sepulchrave II said:


> Still prefer this to Coolio's reimagining:



This is a hard call, but probably my top track from Songs in the Key of Life is...


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## Sepulchrave II (Feb 8, 2022)

Belting voice of Levi Stubbs


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## dragoner (Feb 8, 2022)




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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 8, 2022)

That last one is a good song by a great talent, @dragoner , but could you maybe replace it with one of Mayfield’s more grandma-friendly tunes?


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## dragoner (Feb 8, 2022)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> That last one is a good song by a great talent, @dragoner , but could you maybe replace it with one of Mayfield’s more grandma-friendly tunes?



I took it out, I suppose you mean the intro? Yes, it should make people uncomfortable, people using words like that made me uncomfortable when we moved to the US, Texas, and I was not off the plane minutes before hearing it, and for years later, hearing words like that used as a nouns, verb, and adjectives ... mind that where I came from, words like that were illegal.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 8, 2022)

Yep.  But please- put up another one of his songs!  He’s definitely part of this conversation!


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## dragoner (Feb 8, 2022)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Yep.  But please- put up another one of his songs!  He’s definitely part of this conversation!



something extra - the fact Donna Summer brought Giorgio Moroder over to America, is considered the elemental beginnings of American Electronica edit warning flashing lights


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## dragoner (Feb 8, 2022)




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## Sepulchrave II (Feb 8, 2022)

dragoner said:


> something extra - the fact Donna Summer brought Giorgio Moroder over to America, is considered the elemental beginnings of American Electronica edit warning flashing lights



_I Feel Love_ changed music forever.


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## payn (Feb 9, 2022)

2/9 Stevie Wonder

Already mentioned a bunch in this thread (and rightfully so) we come the great Stevie Wonder. "He's recorded more than 30 US Top 10 hits, received 25 Grammy awards, and has sold over 100 million records worldwide." What more is there to say?


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## Mannahnin (Feb 9, 2022)

payn said:


> 2/9 Stevie Wonder
> 
> Already mentioned a bunch in this thread (and rightfully so) we come the great Stevie Wonder. "He's recorded more than 30 US Top 10 hits, received 25 Grammy awards, and has sold over 100 million records worldwide." What more is there to say?



Living for the City is a masterpiece.


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## Snarf Zagyg (Feb 10, 2022)

Today's selection from the land of Zagyg...


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 10, 2022)

Mannahnin said:


> Living for the City is a masterpiece.



So is ”Sir Duke”.


Several of my friends who play brass say they love to play this song because it’s not only fun for THEM, but it’s an almost guaranteed rump shaker.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 10, 2022)

Esperanza Spaulding


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 10, 2022)

Gail Ann Dorsey shows up most often playing bass and doing backup vocals in the bands of stars like Lenny Kravitz and David Bowie, but she also steps out on occasion as well:


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 10, 2022)

Meshell N’degeocello holdin’ down the low end and singing


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 10, 2022)

A short-lived Branford Marsalis side project Buckshot LeFonque:


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 10, 2022)

Raphael SaadiQ (of Tony! TonI! Toné!) has a pretty good solo career going:


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 10, 2022)

Here’s Ben Harper with guest harmonica god Charlie Musselwhite.  The album they put out together was drop dead killer with no filler.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 10, 2022)

The Neville Brothers are legend for a reason.  But Cyril is my fave.  Here’s a song he did a few years ago.


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## payn (Feb 10, 2022)

2/10 Sharon Jones

This one is really tough for me. I was lucky enough to see Sharon and the Dap Kings a number of times. Great musicians and a beautiful soul! After she battled cancer, she went on a tour that was unleashed. I mean like rival Tina Turner unleashed. A great performer and lovely person that to me was never "too short, too fat, too black, or too old."


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 10, 2022)

Tackhead is a band whose members have played with some big names- Living Colour, NIN to name a couple- but with killer tracks under their own name.  This is the song that exposed them to me:


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 11, 2022)

Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprosy was an offshoot of The Beatnigs, featuring Michael Franti.  This was the first song released off of their debut album:


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 11, 2022)

The Pharcyde

Digital Underground


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## payn (Feb 11, 2022)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> The Pharcyde
> 
> Digital Underground



Pharcyde's Bizarre Ride II is an album that a I recommend every person have in their collection. _Every person. _


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 11, 2022)

Dynamic Syncopation “The Plan”

Unfortunately, this is NOT the album version.  It’s a remix that, AFAIK, only exists in video form.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 11, 2022)

The 1980s & 1990s exploded with rap bands going in all kinds of directions.  One big trend was sampling jazz instead of/addition to go-to genres like Blues, R&B, and Funk

Souls of Mischief

A Tribe Called Quest

Arrested Development

Diggable Planets

De La Soul


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## payn (Feb 11, 2022)

2/11 Little Richard

A lot of folks think Prince made the flair popular, but really it was Little Richard. A pioneer in many ways but particularly in Rock music. Tutti Frutti forever!


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## Snarf Zagyg (Feb 11, 2022)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> The 1980s & 1990s exploded with rap bands going in all kinds of directions.





Unfairly overshadowed by CB4.


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## payn (Feb 11, 2022)

Snarf Zagyg said:


> Unfairly overshadowed by CB4.



"Are you sure its not just the glasses?"


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 11, 2022)

Snarf Zagyg said:


> Unfairly overshadowed by CB4.



That was an excellent parody of Soul II Soul.


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## Snarf Zagyg (Feb 11, 2022)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> That was an excellent parody of Soul II Soul.




CB4 got all the press, but Fear of a Black Hat absolutely nailed the 90s zeitgeist.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 11, 2022)

The great Professor Longhair


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 12, 2022)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> That was an excellent parody of Soul II Soul.



See also PM Dawn as a target of that spoof


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## Mad_Jack (Feb 12, 2022)

Lucky enough to see all these folks live...  Vintage Trouble was opening for The Who.   


Robert Randolph and the Family Band... I saw this guy lift up his pedal steel and play it behind his head.





The Blind Boys of Alabama, singing _Amazing Grace_ to the tune of _House of the Rising Sun_...




Vintage Trouble - _Not Alright By Me_ and _Nobody Told Me_


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## Ryujin (Feb 12, 2022)

Gotta throw this one in, that's also on my daily drive playlist.


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## Mad_Jack (Feb 13, 2022)

Think I'll throw out some random international stuff that's worth knowing about...

_1975 psych/prog rock/proto-metal from Zambia, the style's called Zamrock, the band also records in their native Bemba language as well_

Amanaz - Easy Street


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## Mad_Jack (Feb 13, 2022)

_African metal..._

ARKA'N from Togo



Sasamaso from Madagascar, singing in their native Malagasy



Rish, from Kenya.   She bounces around between rock, metal, R&R and jazz


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## payn (Feb 13, 2022)

2/12 Blind Willie Johnson
I gotta toss in some blues on the weekend since The Current doesnt have much of it on their list. Tell me a tale Willie.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 13, 2022)

Some early Tony MacAlpine :


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## payn (Feb 13, 2022)

2/13 Mississippi John Hurt

This man developed a great guitar technique that got me to really practice at the instrument. Changed how I viewed playing and music in general. One person with a guitar can sound like band on their own. Really great stuff here. Enjoy!


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## payn (Feb 14, 2022)

2/14 Al Green

Covered already in this thread, but Al Green had a classic voice and sound that affords more mentions. A sweeter and smoother side of soul.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 14, 2022)

A pioneering talent, the great Leontyne Price:


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## payn (Feb 15, 2022)

2/15 Janet Jackson

Michael Jackson casts a pretty huge shadow so I often forget about his very talented sister. It's also easy to think Prince and the Minneapolis sound gave her a path to stardom. No, despite all that Janet is a great talent all her own deserving of a shout out during black history, or any music recognition, month. Enjoy!


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## payn (Feb 16, 2022)

2/16 Sam Cooke

Has there ever been a voice so smooth, so soothing, so soulful? Not only was Cooke unbelievably talented, he was able to crank out classic hits one after another in his unfortunately short career.


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## payn (Feb 17, 2022)

2/17 Prince

The one and only. Prince was making entire albums by himself by the time he was 18. The real pioneer of the Minneapolis sound. So much pop music wouldn't exist if it didn't come out of his talented mind. Gone too soon, I so miss the purple Yoda.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 18, 2022)

John Coltrane’s fearsome jazz classic, “Giant Steps”

Ramsey Lewis Trio’s untouchable instrumental version of “The In Crowd”

Herbie Hancock blew the doors off of MTV with ”Rockit “

Billy Cobham laid down “Stratos” in the early 80s or so, and I’ve heard covers of it being used in commercials to this day


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## payn (Feb 18, 2022)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> John Coltrane’s fearsome jazz classic, “Giant Steps”
> 
> Ramsey Lewis Trio’s untouchable instrumental version of “The In Crowd”
> 
> Herbie Hancock blew the doors off of MTV with ”Rockit “



Nice St Paul dining car backdrop on that "The In Crowd" tune.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 18, 2022)

Jimmy Smith’s album _Peter and The Wolf_ is a jazz deconstruction of the classical original.  It is rare as hell on vinyl, and wasn’t released on CD for a loooong time.  It was one of Mom’s holy grail discs.


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## payn (Feb 18, 2022)

2/18 Nina Simone

One of the best jazz singers, Nina was amazing! Often, navigating the difficult world of music and discrimination at the same time.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 18, 2022)

How about some classics?

Nat King Cole

Cab Calloway

Ella Fitzgerald AND Duke Ellington

Fats Waller

Billie Holiday

James Brown








						James Brown  - Get Up Offa That Thing Live (Original video remastered)
					

0:00 Intro0:33 Get Up Offa That ThingJames Brown on The Midnight Special from May 6, 1977.




					www.youtube.com
				




Miles Davis








						Miles Davis - Flamenco Sketches (Official Audio)
					

Official music video for ”Flamenco Sketches” by Miles DavisListen to Miles Davis: https://MilesDavis.lnk.to/listenYD Watch more Miles Davis videos: https://M...




					www.youtube.com


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## Thunderfoot (Feb 19, 2022)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> And Lajon Witherspoon from Sevendust is another impressive metal vocalist.



If you hadn't I was all over that brother...


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## Thunderfoot (Feb 19, 2022)

Most of the members of Heatwave...  For 'some reason' I have a very soft spot in my heart for those guys...


(I miss you Keith)


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## payn (Feb 19, 2022)

2/19 Barry White

Valentine's day was this week and Al Green and Marvin Gaye often get all the buzz. Though, there was one cat that wrote the book on romance with his deep commanding baritone voice. An often overlooked by great composure of orchestral music. Today im sending some love back to the man Barry.


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## payn (Feb 20, 2022)

2/20 Leon Bridges

I wanted to get some young blood in here. Leon Bridges is on his way to a long a successful career. He has a smooth voice and music style that leans back to a more jazz influenced era. Although, he is anything but just a neo-soul singer. Enjoy some smooth Sunday tracks by Leon.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 21, 2022)

Not a video or an individual artist, but a Wiki about an offshoot of Nation of Islam that has had a large influence on black history via members who are rappers, DJs, producers, etc.  Go to the section about the artists- a lot of them were or are high profile, and had a significant impact on the language and vocabulary of rap.









						Five-Percent Nation - Wikipedia
					






					en.m.wikipedia.org


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## payn (Feb 21, 2022)

2/21 Charles "Black Velvet" Bradley

This one also hits home. A fabulous person and outstanding performer. Charles Bradley embodied the essence of soul. Didnt really know fame until later in life, much like Sharon Jones, but was always an optimist and hopeless romantic.  I had the pleasure of seeing him several times, and always enjoyed his costume changes during sets. Enjoy a few tracks from Charles including a little storytelling about him covering Black Sabbath!


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## payn (Feb 22, 2022)

2/22 Ray Charles

The classic sway and shades will always be iconic for Ray Charles. Even his TV ads are incredible, lol. Enjoy some Tuesday tunes on Ray.


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## payn (Feb 23, 2022)

2/23 Janelle Monae

Oh, I really like this one. A very talented new-ish artist that is laying down some great tracks. Many artists eventually do a concept album in the later eyars of their career. Not Janelle, she did one in 2018 and its a blast (I dont normally enjoy concept albums...). She has a nice list of prominent backers including Big Boi and the Purple Yoda himself. Enjoy a few tracks for this Wed fun day.


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## Ryujin (Feb 23, 2022)

payn said:


> 2/23 Janelle Monae
> 
> Oh, I really like this one. A very talented new-ish artist that is laying down some great tracks. Many artists eventually do a concept album in the later eyars of their career. Not Janelle, she did one in 2018 and its a blast (I dont normally enjoy concept albums...). She has a nice list of prominent backers including Big Boi and the Purple Yoda himself. Enjoy a few tracks for this Wed fun day.



She's done cameo performances in some SciFi shows, too, but her IMDB doesn't seem to list them. They only list the actual characters that she's played.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 23, 2022)

I First saw her on _Later…with Jools Holland_.  My first impression of her performance was that she was a young, female version of James Brown.  Her energy, her moves, her choreography.

And I still think that today,  I mean that’s not ALL she is, but it’s a core part of her act, and it shows.


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## Ryujin (Feb 23, 2022)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> I First saw her on _Later…with Jools Holland_.  My first impression of her performance was that she was a young, female version of James Brown.  Her energy, her moves, her choreography.
> 
> And I still think that today,  I mean that’s not ALL she is, but it’s a core part of her act, and it shows.



Back when we had a halfway decent science fiction channel up here, with a daily genre news programme, I saw her interviewed a few times. She takes a lot of her inspiration from SF.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 23, 2022)

Ryujin said:


> Back when we had a halfway decent science fiction channel up here, with a daily genre news programme, I saw her interviewed a few times. She takes a lot of her inspiration from SF.



Indeed!  In many ways, her concept album was a funky version of _Mr. Roboto, _with some_ Blade Runner_, etc. thrown in,


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## payn (Feb 23, 2022)

Monae also has mentioned being pansexual and I believe incorporates some of that into her music. She just screams confidence which reminds me very much of artists like Prince and is trailblazing like Bowie. Good company to be in comparison.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 23, 2022)

payn said:


> Monae also has mentioned being pansexual and I believe incorporates some of that into her music. She just screams confidence which reminds me very much of artists like Prince and is trailblazing like Bowie. Good company to be in comparison.



I would not be surprised to hear her say those two- especially Bowie- were major inspirations for her.


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## payn (Feb 24, 2022)

2/24 Marvin Gaye

Thirsty Thursday with Marvin Gaye. Gaye added to the social commentary in the likes of Sam Cooke and James Brown. Saddened by the violence and poverty. He also gave folks great tracks for getting down. This Thursday _lets get it on_.


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## payn (Feb 25, 2022)

2/25 Anderson Paak

Lets get Friday going and start this weekend early. Anderson Paak has quickly became my favorite hip hop artist. (Loved seeing him on the drum kit during super bowl!). A new generation with a familiar story. Got his start producing in his own bedroom and playing drums for his local church on Sunday. Now, Paak is getting all the best features like Kendrick Lamar and even an entire album with Bruno Mars. If you aint heard of Paak yet, you will soon.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 25, 2022)

Occupying a middle ground between Living Colour and Fishbone was a band called 24-7 Spyz…


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 25, 2022)

Back in the 1990s, I saw a show at a club in Austin: Eye & I, Bodycount and Ice T.  One of the most memorable concerts I’ve been to.  Eye & I opened, but there were a few diehard Ice-T “Stans” in the crowd right in front of the stage who kept shouting “Ice-T!  Ice-T!  Ice-T!” between tunes.  A couple songs in, their lead singer- a petite li’l woman- had had enough.  After they finished a song and the “Stans” began chanting, she leaned over and eloquently cursed their asses out.  After the applause died down a little, they continued their set.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 25, 2022)

How about Queen Latifah?


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 25, 2022)

And Janet Jackson:


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## Dannyalcatraz (Feb 26, 2022)

Some of you may remember a virtuoso guitarist in Bruce Willis’ movie, _Blind Date._  That was Stanley Jordan.


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## payn (Feb 26, 2022)

2/26 Lizzo

Lizzo the famous flute player? lol its true she can rock the flute when she isnt busy dropping beats. She does like nobody else and doing it in the face of adversity and still looking damn good. Another local connection to Minneapolis, Lizzo has been part of the more recent scene here. Enjoy a deep cut from the Chalice and some recent numbers to get you up out of your chair and dancin!


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## payn (Feb 27, 2022)

2/27 Scott Joplin

How about a little Sunday ragtime? Scott Joplin often called the "king of ragtime" left us his staple called Maple Leaf Rag.


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## payn (Feb 28, 2022)

2/28 James Brown

For our final installment this month Papa gets a brand new bag! The god father of soul James brown coming at ya!

*Cheers for hanging with me for 2022 Black history month musical journey!*


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## Enevhar Aldarion (Mar 3, 2022)

One more a few days late, but since the band is fronted by a black woman, it also qualifies for March being Women's History Month. Maybe @payn should start a thread for that too.   

Anyway, I just ran across this group today. If you like your music a bit heavy, you may like Oceans of Slumber.









						Oceans of Slumber
					

Home page of Oceans of Slumber, a metal group from Houston. Official website of Texas Progressive Metal band Oceans of Slumber.




					oceansofslumber.com


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