Good Black News

REVIEW: I’ve Got Such Big Feelings for WILLOW’s Emotive, Exploratory and Excellent New LP “empathogen”

REVIEW: I’ve Got Such Big Feelings for WILLOW’s Emotive, Exploratory and Excellent New LP “empathogen”

By goodblacknews on May 10, 2024

*by Lori Lakin Hutcherson, GBN Editor-in-Chief*

I’m starting off straight up corny by saying I’ve been a “transparent soul” with anyone who’d listen to me about my anticipation of WILLOW’s sixth and latest solo LP, which finally dropped May 3rd.

My owning of my corniness, turns out, totally vibes with the messages about the freedom to express & accept your feelings, warts and all, coursing throughout the #greatalbum “empathogen” (2024).

Not only do I absolutely love how WILLOW wrestles lyrically (and musically) with Big Ideas such as existence, ego, anxiety, pain, self-sabotage, fear and love, she does so in such soul-felt, sophisticated & surprising ways, I have to compliment the precise production by WILLOW and her fellow producers Chris Greatti, Eddie Benjamin and Jon Batiste.

There are myriad sounds, echo effects and vocal arrangements involved in each track, even the stripped down ones, but none ever feel overdone — just purposeful and fresh. It’s as if WILLOW threw her hands into the cosmic river of music, tapped into its source, and allowed it to flow freely through her.

There’s a lot going on technically in the music I can’t speak on with any authority (e.g. the multiple time signatures, turnarounds, uncommon verse/chorus structures) but what I can talk about is how it hits the ears and how it feels — free, unexpected, relatable, or, in one word — embracing.

WILLOW is clearly a student of music and draws on varied influences (her IG post of her working her voice out to Ella Fitzgerald’s legendary scat on “How High The Moon” blew my mind a few months ago and still lives rent free in what’s left of my head), but right now she’s reminding me most of the great Esperanza Spalding, particularly during her “Emily’s D+Evolution” (2016) jazz/pop/rock era.

WILLOW’s own pop/rock/punk/soul explorations from the past few years also inform her current jazz/funk/fusion present (and hopefully future).

The singles released from the LP, “symptom of life” and “bigfeelings”, are the best ambassadors for this tight 12-song offering which literally begins with what sounds like an off-mic Jon Batiste screeching, as if being born, “I love everything!”

(BTW, could Batiste be on more of a roll? He also co-produces and co-writes “Ameriican Requiem”, the opening track on COWBOY CARTER. If I’m an artist, I’m thinkin get this man to help kick off my LP, stat, cuz greatness will surely follow!)

After Batiste, we hear steady rimshots underneath WILLOW’s “ah oo ah ah” breaths until she sings “I live my life” — and I didn’t conjure my previous cosmic music river metaphor out of nowhere as WILLOW then sings “I trust this river to carry me / home” in this mystifyingly captivating LP opener titled “home”.

MUSIC MONDAY: “Jazz Appreciation Month 2024” Playlist (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “Jazz Appreciation Month 2024” Playlist (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on April 22, 2024

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Threads: @stlmarlonwest IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

Thanks to our Editor-In-Chief, Lori Lakin Hutcherson, for reminding me that it April is Jazz Appreciation Month. So, to that end, I’ve assembled this collection of new and recent Jazz releases.

Most of these track have been released in 2024. None of them is older than five years old. These tracks encompass a wide range of styles and showcase the creativity and artistry of today’s jazz musicians.

This collection features rom compelling compositions to virtuosic performances, by the likes of Ulysses Owens Jr. and Generation Y, Marlon Simon, Lawrence Fields, Kandace Springs and so many others.

Jazz is a most truly American art form, its soulful and rich roots go back to the 1890s. Jazz Appreciation Month (fondly known as “JAM“) was created at Smithsonian National Museum of American History in 2001.

According to their website, “to recognize and celebrate the extraordinary heritage and history of jazz for the entire month of April. JAM is intended to stimulate and encourage people of all ages to participate in jazz – to study the music, attend concerts, listen to jazz on radio and recordings, read books about jazz, and more.” Works for me!!

The roots of jazz can be found in the blues and that is true of this playlist too. The journey of jazz started in the deep south along back roads, spread to nearly every city in America and eventually the world.

The variety and richness of jazz is on full display on with this collection. Enjoy JAM!

And as always, stay safe, sane, and kind.

Marlon West (photo courtesy Marlon West)

Deeronn Booker Wins 2024 U.S. Bowling Congress Masters Championship and $100,000 Prize

Deeronn Booker Wins 2024 U.S. Bowling Congress Masters Championship and $100,000 Prize

By goodblacknews on April 1, 2024

Deeronn Booker, 33, won the United States Bowling Congress Masters championship at Suncoast Bowling Center in Las Vegas on Sunday, defeating Patrick Dombrowski of Parma, Ohio, 217-177, to win the coveted Masters title and the tournament’s $100,000 first-place prize.

This was Albuquerque, New Mexico native Booker’s first major title on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour, and only the third time an African-American bowler has won a major event.

https://twitter.com/PBATour/status/1774522378254741559

To quote from Donovan Grubaugh’s article on bowl.com:

Booker’s path to the winner’s circle certainly wasn’t an easy one as he was forced to take down the likes of two-time defending Masters champion Anthony Simonsen of Las Vegas, 2023 U.S. Open champion EJ Tackett of Ossian, Indiana, and two-time PBA titlist Sam Cooley of Australia during double-elimination bracket match play on Thursday and Friday…

Booker had enormous support from the crowd during the title match as several family members and friends were on hand to take in Booker’s TV finals debut…

“I can’t believe it,” Booker said after his win, during which he was surrounded by enthusiastic supporters. “This is perfect; I could not have painted a better picture of what’s going on right now.”

To learn more details about Booker and his championship match, click here.

For more information on the USBC Masters, visit BOWL.com/Masters.

Fourteen Years Ago Today: Good Black News Was Founded

Fourteen Years Ago Today: Good Black News Was Founded

By goodblacknews on March 18, 2024

Every year on March 18, Good Black News celebrates the day of its founding. We continue that tradition today, fourteen years after GBN’s inception.

Even though the last two years have been challenging (details here), and changes in how people consume content (eg. TikTok, IG, IG Stories, Reels) have led to way fewer postings on the main goodblacknews.org site, we are still exceedingly proud of all we’ve offered and accomplished over the years, even as we continue to find our footing as we attempt to evolve and forge ahead into the future.

We are slowly sharing more content on GBN’s Instagram, Facebook, Threads and BlueSky profiles, figuring out what we can offer on TikTok, and every month we are still happy to offer new and/or updated Music Monday playlists from our incredible music contributors Marlon West and Jeff Meier.

I also want to acknowledge 2023’s other volunteer contributors in alphabetical order: Julie Bibb, Gina Fattore, Julie Fishman, Michael Giltz, Warren Hutcherson, Fred Johnson, Epiphany Jordan, Brenda Lakin, Joyce Lakin, John Levinson, Dena Loverde, Catherine Metcalf, Flynn Richardson, Maeve Richardson, Becky Schonbrun, and Teddy Tenenbaum.

You are all deeply, greatly appreciated.

But what truly keeps me, my co-editor Lesa Lakin and all of GBN’s wonderful volunteer contributors going is the appreciation you’ve shown us over the years and still show via follows, likes, comments, shares, reblogs, DMs and e-mails (even when we are overwhelmed and can’t respond to them all).

Your support means the world, and inspires me as Editor-in-Chief to keep working to find ways to keep GBN alive here on the main page as well as on Pinterest, Tumblr, YouTube, RSS feed, LinkedIn and Flipboard, and yeah, our sometime-y GBN newsletter you may get via email.

We are looking into switching over from a newsletter to a GBN Substack, so if you are interested in that, please consider joining our e-mail list via our “Contact Us” tab on goodblacknews.org. We will only use this list for GBN. And, of course, you may opt out whenever you like.

Thank you again for your support, and we look forward to providing you with more Good Black News on as many platforms as we can in the coming months and beyond!

Warmly,

*Lori Lakin Hutcherson, GBN Editor-in-Chief*

MUSIC MONDAY: “Ring of Fire” – Black Voices in Rock And Country Playlist (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “Ring of Fire” – Black Voices in Rock And Country Playlist (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on March 18, 2024

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Twitter: @marlonw IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

Happy Music Monday! In the weeks since Beyoncé’s recent Country releases, there’s been much debate on her Country bona fides, though the sista has never been shy about voicing her Texas pride.

From Beyoncé’s history with the genre, from the song “Daddy Lessons”, from her 2016 album Lemonade, to the Stetsons worn by Destiny’s Child, many Country devotees ignore her roots and those of other Black artists.

While talking to a good friend and colleague last week, he pointed out that it’s not musicians that draw designations often based on race, it’s the so-called fans. It is also music writers and editors who act as gatekeepers.

Ray Charles, James Brown, Jerry Lee Lewis, B.B. King, Elvis Presley, Aerosmith, Love, Brittany Howard, Lola, Valerie June and so many others can’t be bothered. Music is music.

It has been a long-running theme of my playlist and missives here on GBN, that the roots and current impact of Black artists on Country Music and Rock ’n Roll is deep and continuing.

Rhiannon Giddens is present playing the banjo (an instrument whose roots go back to Africa), on “Texas Hold ‘Em”, and with The Carolina Chocolate Drops. As is Lil Nas X, who was also soundly rebuffed by Country music gatekeepers initially.

I’ve included The Black Pumas, TV On The Radio, Clarence Clemons, Tracy Chapman and of course Lenny Kravitz, who all reject rock music being the domain of white artists.

So, please enjoy this collection of artists that aren’t inclined to be labeled and defy labels.

And as always, stay safe, sane, and kind.

MUSIC MONDAY: “AfroStones” – A Blues and R&B-Filled Rolling Stones Collection (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “AfroStones” – A Blues and R&B-Filled Rolling Stones Collection (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on February 12, 2024

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Twitter: @marlonw IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

Back in the fall of 1981 when I was in my first semester at Columbia College, I became friends with a fellow from a Chicagoland suburb.

He was a dyed-in-the-wool Rolling Stones fan. One afternoon their version of “Just My Imagination” played on the radio near us. I recall mentioning it was a Temptations cover, and with some level of indignation, he told me that Jagger and Richards wrote EVERY song The Stones performed.

I was shocked. We were decades away from being able to Google such matters at the moment. I was forced to leave him to the dubious opinion. I can only hope in the decades since that he’s come to know better.

Not only was that song a cover but the Rolling Stones, for better or worse, have been the heralds of Blues and R&B for generations of Americans who would rather enjoy Black music through the filter of whiteness.

Here is AfroStones, a collection of essential songs performed by Black artists that the Rolling Stones covered.

You will find Chuck Berry, Robert Johnson, The Drifters, and Solomon Burke to name a few. Throughout this collection, the original songs are presented back to back with the Stone’s covers.

Needless to say, along with touring as the opening act for Little Richard, the Stones learned a lot from these songs and built a 50-year career on them.

Mick Jagger has long acknowledged his debt to Black America, but is not a one-way street. This collection also features Black artists covering the Stones.

Sharon Jones, Musiq Soulchild, Etta James, and others. Merry Clayton, who’s featured prominently on “Gimme Shelter”, is present with her own version of the Stones classic.

I’ve also included tracks by De La Soul, Little Simz, Snoop Dogg, and others that feature samples of their music.

As Muddy Waters said in an interview, “They stole my music, but they gave me my name.” Yet he also provided them with their name when they adopted the title of his song, “Rollin’ Stone.”

And as always, stay safe, sane, and kind.

MUSIC MONDAY: “MLK Day 2024” – A Celebration Playlist (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “MLK Day 2024” – A Celebration Playlist (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on January 14, 2024

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Twitter: @marlonw IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

Happy MLK Holiday and Music Monday. Here is our first playlist of 2024.

“MLK Day 2024” is a collection of songs and music from across the globe. They are tracks devoted to struggle, liberation, and celebration.

I’ve included songs like “You’re A Winner,” “How I Got Over,” and “A Change Is Gonna Come” that were the real-time soundtracks to the America’s civil rights struggle in the 1960s.

There’s tracks from the turbulent 1970s and ‘80s from Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Freda Payne, Gil Scott-Heron and others.

We got new and old school hip-hop by Lupe Fiasco, KRS-One, M.I.A. and Kendrick Lamar to name a few.

This 13-hour exploration on shining a light into our societies dark places and making the world a better place features jazz, soul, reggae and afrobeat.

Nina Simone and Max Roach are here beside Uganda’s Bobi Wine and Ivory Coast’s Alpha Blondy.

Please enjoy this daylong celebration of tenacity and hope. See ya next month!

And as always, stay safe, sane, and kind.

MUSIC MONDAY: “Soulful Christmas 2023” – a New Holiday Recordings Playlist (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “Soulful Christmas 2023” – a New Holiday Recordings Playlist (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on December 11, 2023

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Twitter: @marlonw IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

Happy Holidays, you all.

We are half way through Hanukkah, with Christmas and Kwanzaa coming up quick. We’ve offered several funky and soulful and jazz and reggae seasonal playlists over the years. Search Spotify by “marlonwest” and they are all still there to enjoy this Yuletide Season.

This Music Monday offering features holiday-themed songs that have all been dropped in 2023.

There are new tracks from new and emerging artists like Cliff Beach, Samara Joy, Fitz and The Tantrums, and the ever-versatile Keke Palmer.

There’s new offers from Mary J. Blige, Brandy, War, and Kirk Franklin. Plus releases from the likes of Johnny Mathis and Carla Thomas.

Hope and yours have a delightful holiday season. Please enjoy this soulful collection offering in the days and weeks to come.

It has been an utter delight to sling good music your way here at Good Black News. See ya in January!

And as always, stay safe, sane, and kind.

MUSIC MONDAY: “Ultimate Soul of the Season” – The Black Christmas Soundtrack – Expanded Edition 2023

MUSIC MONDAY: “Ultimate Soul of the Season” – The Black Christmas Soundtrack – Expanded Edition 2023

By goodblacknews on December 4, 2023

by Jeff Meier (FB: Jeff.Meier.90)

Welcome to the holiday season, Good Black News family! We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving – and are counting down the 25 days of Christmas now that it’s December.

In what’s become a holiday tradition, we’ve updated our now massive Black Christmas music Spotify playlist with a whole heap of new songs. The month of November was spent searching far and wide across the internet for new releases, old classics now on Spotify, and other tunes and artists we missed in previous years.

So here it is – a refreshed and revived “Ultimate Soul of the Season – The Black Christmas Soundtrack – Expanded Edition 2023”.

We’ve now got over 700 songs across 40+ hours (and we’ll add more if some crucial tunes get released in the next few weeks) – with the goal to be one of the most definitive Black Christmas playlists around.

If you’re still subscribed to the list from a previous year, we’re here to let you know it’s now updated and bigger/better than ever.

If you’ve not subscribed, check it out while you are wrapping presents, baking cookies, decorating your tree, or just sitting cozily in front of a nice roaring fire, with football on mute in the next room.

As a reminder, we set out to make a mainstream Christmas radio station that you can use in the background all season long. But in the GBN tradition, the focus is on Black artists (plus occasional duet partners and a little Robin Thicke).

While other holiday radio focuses on Brenda Lee and Bing Crosby, we’ve got Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole. When they play Michael Buble, we play John Legend, or Hamilton star Leslie Odom.

Of course, we’ve got The Jackson 5, Donny Hathaway, the original Eartha Kitt version of “Santa Baby,” Stevie Wonder, and two different renditions of The Temptations doing “Silent Night.” And just like everyone else, Mariah Carey!

We’ve sequenced the list carefully – so that you don’t overload on the same songs, tempos or artists too frequently. You can just let it play – or hit shuffle. Or you can even use it as a base of songs to edit down into your own personal list of favorites.

In addition to soul and pop, there’s some jazz, some gospel, some blues, some a capella, and even disco, reggae and Black country in the mix. Hopefully you find all the classics you need, and some brand new surprises you didn’t know you wanted.

This year’s big new Christmas releases include albums from Brandy (currently starring in the new Netflix hit Best. Christmas. Ever!), jazz star Gregory Porter, and hot new soul star October London.

Ace producer Adam Blackstone has assembled an album with friends that include Keke Palmer and Boyz II Men. And on the traditional side, Grammy-winning Best New Artist Samara Joy has issued an EP, and the legendary Johnny Mathis has issued new tracks as well. We’ve got a couple songs from all of these.

MUSIC MONDAY: “AfroBeatles” – A Soul-Filled Beatles Collection (LISTEN)

MUSIC MONDAY: “AfroBeatles” – A Soul-Filled Beatles Collection (LISTEN)

By goodblacknews on November 20, 2023

by Marlon West (FB: marlon.west1 Twitter: @marlonw IG: stlmarlonwest Spotify: marlonwest)

Happy Monday, y’all!

I’m back with another collection in my “Afro” playlist series — “AfroBeatles.”

Earlier this month the first new Beatles song “Now And Then” dropped with the help of master filmmaker, Peter Jackson, and the surviving members. It is the first new release from the group in 45 years.

The Beatles are rightly known for the unmatched songwriting partnership of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Towards their later years, George Harrison and Ringo Starr also pitched in with originals. Together, the group created a body of work that inspired no shortage of covers.

Few songwriters have been so thoroughly covered as Lennon/McCartney, and the diversity of Beatles covers is a tribute to their indelible mark on pop music. Here at Good Black News, we are going to focus on the covers by Black artists around the world.

The Beatles (and The Rolling Stones) cut their teeth opening for Little Richard; both bands came away forever altered by his singing style and stage presence.

Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger have made no secret of biting his vocal stylings and dance moves. When it came to doing covers they overt about acknowledging it.

On their first five albums of 1963-1965, almost all of the covers were originally recorded by Black soul artists, including Arthur Alexander’s “Anna (Go To Him)”, The Cookies’ “Chains”, The Shirelles’ “Boys” & “Baby It’s You”, The Top Notes’ “Twist & Shout”, The Marvelettes’ “Please Mr. Postman”, The Miracles’ “You Really Got A Hold On Me”, The Donays’ “Devil In Her Heart”, Barrett Strong’s “Money (That’s What I Want)” and Larry Williams’ “Dizzy Miss Lizzy.”

They are all included here, including their versions of Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and other greats of Soul giants, though the lion’s share of the collection is devoted to R&B, reggae, ska, and jazz covers of Beatles songs.

Here are hours of Beatles music by Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers, Nina Simone, Marica Griffiths, Gary Clark, Jr., and so many others. Please enjoy AfroBeatles!!

And as always, stay safe, sane, and kind.