ARETHA FRANKLIN
What is soul? Aretha Franklin, that’s what it is.
GLADYS KNIGHT
The underrated. Her voice is as powerful, as sincere, as moving as it ever was.
CHAKA KHAN
Chaka live blows me away every time.
WHITNEY HOUSTON
The singer’s singer.
NANCY WILSON
Her voice is a beautiful as her appearance.
ELLA FITZGERALD
I didn’t get it as a kid, but I do now.
MAHALIA JACKSON
The pinnacle of gospel music.
KATHLEEN BATTLE
I didn’t understand opera until I heard her sing.
DIONNE WARWICK
Soulful, classy, and a string of hits over decades.
CASSANDRA WILSON
She crosses all genres of music and makes it hers.
Comment
+ Permalink
These artists wrote great songs for themselves and others, and sang the heck out of them. These are artists who deserve your complete attention. Listen deeply to their entire catalogue of music.
1. Stevie Wonder
With a body of work that covers two generations, Stevie is the artists’ artist.
2. Prince
Writer, producer, musician, singer, showman….he was a complete artist.
3. Curtis Mayfield
His work in gospel groups, R&B groups, as a solo artist on his own label, and writing for movies for himself and fellow legends like Gladys Knight and Aretha Franklin, and covered by greats ranging from Bob Marley to Kanye West, Curtis Mayfield is an all time great.
4. Bob Marley
More than a man, he was a movement that still inspires. The melodies, the grooves and the message are beloved worldwide.
5. Smokey Robinson
Bob Dylan called him America’s greatest poet. He defined the Motown Sound. Plus, this is one of the greatest video clips ever.
6. Bill Withers
How many great songs by Bill Withers can you sing all the way through?
7. Sly Stone
Sly Stone created the template for Prince and every other multi racial, mixed gender bands. He also wrote classic albums that you can listen to non stop.
8. Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds
He’s been in groups, a solo artist and written for others. A Babyface concert is back to back hits.
9. Cassandra Wilson
Like many jazz artists, Cassandra Wilson is also known for her covers, many of which totally reinvent the song. But she also writes great ones too. Like this one.
10. Ron Isley
I can’t think of another artist who has hits in every decade from the 50s to the 90s.
Comment
+ Permalink
All month I’m going to assemble a list of great black artists and songs. I’ll start with great black soundtracks, since I won’t be able to do the Black Movie Soundtrack show at the Hollywood Bowl this summer.
BLACK ORPHEUS
Not only one of the greatest soundtracks, but arguably the greatest black film ever made. Beautiful black music, costumes, colors and culture…and beautiful black people!
COME BACK CHARLESTON BLUE
This sequel to COTTON COMES TO HARLEM had a great score by Quincy Jones, who had the late great Donny Hathaway sing this theme with Valarie Simpson. I’ve been wearing this song out lately.
THE HARDER THEY COME
Classic film with one of the greatest collection of reggae songs on one album. Every track is a masterpiece. But I’ve been rocking this track a lot lately so I’m serving this one up for you.
SHAFT
Here’s an awesome clip of Isaac Hayes creating the masterpiece soundtrack for this classic.
SPARKLE
The greatest black soundtrack producer has to be Curtis Mayfield, with is work on Superfly, Claudine and Sparkle. Here’s a great song that was sung by Aretha Franklin on the soundtrack, then beautifully covered by En Vogue years later.
JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR
I love this movie, and Carl Anderson’s performance is one of the big reasons why. His acting and singing are so powerful!
SGT. PEPPER’S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND
Earth Wind and Fire take a Beatle’s classic and totally make it their own in the of the highlights of this film, directed by Michael Schultz!
MALCOLM X
Fantastic use of a classic song.
THE BODYGUARD
A great songwriter in Dolly Parton meets one of the greatest voices of our generation and this happens.
PURPLE RAIN
I can watch this opening forever.
DEEP COVER
What a debut! We first heard Snoop when Dr. Dre had him on this banging track.
MARSHALL
Jussie Smollett and Marcus Miller collaborated on this amazing rendition of the Langston Hughes poem LET AMERICA BE AMERICA AGAIN.
Comment
+ Permalink
BY JAMIE HWANG
The ABA announced winners of the 2018 Silver Gavel Awards for Media and the Arts, which recognize outstanding efforts to foster the public’s understanding of law through media.
From 19 finalists, the Standing Committee on Gavel Awards selected six pieces of media for Silver Gavels with four others receiving honorable mentions.
“The American Bar Association engages in a careful, deliberative judging process to pick winners of the Silver Gavel Awards,” said Stephen C. Edds, chair of the ABA Standing Committee on Gavel Awards. “We congratulate all of our 2018 awardees for their extraordinary efforts to foster the American public’s understanding of law.”
Silver Gavel Awards and honorable mentions are available in nine categories—books, magazines, newspapers, commentary, drama & literature, documentaries, television, radio and multimedia—but not every category will necessarily receive an award every year. The 2018 Silver Gavel finalists were selected by a committee of 45 lawyers from 166 entries. The 18-person standing committee selected award winners from those finalists in six categories:
BOOKS
Silver Gavel: Unwarranted: Policing Without Permission, by Barry Friedman.
Honorable Mention: In Praise of Litigation, by Alexandra Lahav.
DOCUMENTARIES
Silver Gavel: And Then They Came for Us, by Ginzberg Productions.
Honorable Mention: They Call Us Monsters, by BMP Films.
DRAMA & LITERATURE
Silver Gavel: Marshall, directed and produced by Reginald Hudlin.
NEWSPAPERS
Silver Gavel: “Death-Penalty Defense Drama at Guantánamo War Court,” featured in the Miami Herald.
Honorable Mention: “Secrecy Rules,” featured in the Star Tribune of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
RADIO
Silver Gavel: Breakdown Season 6: A Jury of His Peers, by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Honorable Mention: Null and Void, by Radiolab at WNYC.
TELEVISION
Silver Gavel: Abacus: Small Enough to Jail, by PBS Distribution, Frontline and ITVS.
The ABA has awarded Silver Gavels every year since 1958. ABA President Hilarie Bass will present the winners and honorable mentions on July 17 at the National Press Club in Washington D.C.
Comment
+ Permalink
