Way Back When

I began compiling the songs for this mixtape at the beginning of 2020, letting the playlist shift and grow over three tumultuous years. This is my “ultimate” mixtape; one that covers the formative decade of my childhood that began a half century ago (concentrating on the early 80s), and focuses on Black legends in the genres of R&B, jazz-funk, disco and boogie during the final period of analog recording.

Twenty Tens

As a farewell to the decade when music collections and manual selection became niche, here’s an old-fashioned segue mix. Ìfé | Bangah (Pico y Palo) Georgia Anne Muldrow | Overload Ibeyi | River D’Angelo and The Vanguard | Really Love King | Red Eye Thundercat | Them Changes Erykah Badu | Gone Baby, Don’t Be… Continue reading Twenty Tens

Otherwhere

British responses to Black diasporic music, and other sounds from formative walks in SSM and Toronto, via a recollection of refrains, harmonic worlds visited and the journeys between Omar | You’ve Got to Move Working Week | Inner City Blues The Brand New Heavies | Dream On Dreamer Colourbox | Philip Glass Young Disciples |… Continue reading Otherwhere

Best of 2016

Childish Gambino “Awaken, My Love!” (Glassnote) Vicky Chow A O R T A (New Amsterdam) King We Are King (King Creative) Laura Mvula The Dreaming Room (Sony · RCA) Holly Roadfeldt The Preludes Project (Ravello) Solange A Seat at the Table (Saint · Columbia) Esperanza Spalding Emily’s D+Evolution (Concord) reissues · remasters · restorations · box sets… Continue reading Best of 2016

Boogie Dedication

The Salsoul Orchestra ft. Loleatta Holloway | Seconds Linda Williams | City Living Stephanie Mills | You Can’t Run from My Love Esther Williams | I’ll Be Your Pleasure Odyssey | Inside Out Pleasure | Nothin’ to It Unlimited Touch | I Hear Music in the Streets Kool & the Gang | Steppin’ Out Prince… Continue reading Boogie Dedication

All These Things

Taiguara ft. Hermeto Pascoal & Wagner Tiso “Samba das Cinco” F major, final chord: D-flat major Bebel Gilberto “Samba da Benção” (backing track: Amon Tobin “Nova”) D-flat major Esperanza Spalding “Ponte de Areia” D-flat major Aline Morales “Como Pólen” F-sharp minor Airto Moreira “The Happy People” F major, transition on G minor Banda Black Rio… Continue reading All These Things

Spring Affair

Peter Brown | Without Love Deniece Williams | How’d I Know That Love Would Slip Away Táta Vega | Mr. Troublemaker Greg Phillinganes | Lazy Nina Ronnie Laws | All for You Patrice Rushen | Music of the Earth Michael Wycoff | Looking Up to You Herbie Hancock | Stars in Your Eyes (Special Disco… Continue reading Spring Affair