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The BHM/WHM season is a busy time, developing solid themes for each of the 8 or more weekends. Last month I incorporated ideas from TSS listeners, including the feature on Gaye’s and Sly’s “What’s Going On” and “There’s A Riot Goin’ On.”
One of the permanent WHM installments is “All Day Women.” There’s a membership campaign during Weekend One, and I’ll do ADW because it requires the least narrative. For the other weekends, though, please send your good ideas. I look forward to them..
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WYEP begins TSS Saturdays. The new live R+R=Now album from Robert Glasper, Terrace Martin et al captures a 2018 residency at the Blue Note. There are tracks from Rochelle Jordan and Hemai that I want you to hear. On Three Rivers at Three, let’s check out the February full releases from Geenpool and Geo. Heid III.
We pay tribute to the Kingston, Jamaica toastmaster extraordinaire U-Roy. This year’s Black History Month closer features Curtis Mayfield and Rufus w/Chaka.
Later in the day, WTJX and Rhode Island Public Radio broadcast and stream the syndicated edition of TSS. Highlights include more from percussionist Gayelynn McKinney’s new album, Zoot Suit Funk. URI alum Masta Ace represents the other Kingston. For those of you who listen to all six hours of TSS, I’ll play another track from Glasper’s R+R. Pittsburgh is represented by CMU graduate Ty Taylor and his band Vintage Trouble. I’ll dig into some classics from The Originals, Kid Creole and Norman Connors w/Jean Carne. There’s hard funk from Cameo and Free Soul.
See you soon. Remember that the archives are always available on demand.
Leave a CommentScott Mervis of the Post-Gazette recently wrote a moving article on the state of Pittsburgh-area music venues. In support of Moondog’s, I created a short clip. It will be used in an upcoming montage for the GoFundMe campaign. Fingers crossed.
Ron Esser’s Blawnox establishment is one of the most intimate, with its barely-raised stage and tight quarters. Here’s my clip of Pittsburgh’s own Stevee Wellons Band in 2015:
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2021’s emerging music & BHM Weekend 3 are themes wrapped into this week’s editions of The Soul Show. On the syndicated edition, I present new Bomba Estéreo (Bogotá) and Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio (Seattle). DLO3’s album is reviewed in Soulshowmike’s Album Picks for February. The Pacific Northwest is also represented by the fine release of Jarrod Lawson. He does a track with the swoon-y Moonchild.
Last week’s broadcast experienced technical difficulties in a couple of markets. Apologies for that. Here is the full archive of that show.
On the WYEP Saturday afternoon edition of The Soul Show, I introduce new Pittsburgh music. Slam Band & Sam has a new track entitled “Black Hole,” and Gene Stovall celebrates his birthday with a February album. It’s called “The End of Aquarius.” I’ve anxiously awaited this release since the review of “In The Bleak.” Both acts are featured on the Three Rivers at Three segment, 3:00pm Eastern.
During Black History Month, we’ve produced a Black Songwriters series, celebrating Weldon Irvine and 9 other important figures. As part of TSS’s 2/20/21 program, I present 2 of the artists with sequential album tracks. Stevie Wonder’s “Innervisions” represents some of Boy Wonder’s finest work, and its opening tracks are a template for album flow. Donny Hathaway’s “Extension Of A Man” begins orchestrally. then moves to hope/dream. Next, it blows up to full happy. To show Donny’s influence on later generations, I follow his album with Ill Doots’ opening set on their self-titled release.
Adrian Younge’s full project “The American Negro” releases in a few days, but I received permission to play it early. It’s a mixture of spoken word and music. You’ll hear both. Roberta Flack created a rough demo of “What’s Going On” not long after the Gaye 1971 release. It has been completed and issued 50 years later. I’ll play that today.
Lastly, I’ll crack open Gayelynn McKinney’s release “Zoot Suit Funk.” 2021’s emerging music is promising. It’s a testament to perseverance. I’ll see you soon.
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During the pandemic, I’ve been producing both the longstanding WYEP and the syndicated editions of The Soul Show in my Electric Basement Studios. The syndicated show is uploaded to the African American Public Radio Consortium drive on Wednesday, and WYEP receives their Saturday afternoon show on Fridays.
On this Thursday (2/11/21), I was assembling the Mary Wilson tribute, some new tracks from Bomba Estéreo/Delvon Lamarr/Jarrod Lawson, something from the brand new George Heid III for Three Rivers at Three, and various pieces of 50th anniversary music for BHM. After finishing up Hours 1&2, it suddenly dawned on me that this is Valentine’s weekend. Regrouping to get that theme into the show cost some time, and right when I finished, the news about Chick Corea came in. I will be spending these last hours reworking the show to accommodate his deserved tribute.
The nationally syndicated TSS is programmed to be more “timeless,” so you won’t generally hear special tributes tied to the passing of artists. However, this coming episode (premiering on WTJX at 7pm Eastern on Saturday) will add to the Mary Wilson songlist. Also, there will be more from the Bomba and Lamarr albums. To spotlight artists from the various regions that air the show, look for Brian Edwards and Jack Swing of Pittsburgh, Pressure from the Virgin Islands, and Boo City from Providence.
I started writing soulshowmike’s album picks with the purpose of highlighting indie artists of note. January’s column reviewed the best of 2020, and now the 2021 albums are rolling out. After experiencing Delvon Lamarr at the Roxian last January, it’s been a lonnnng wait for the new album. It was worth it. Here’s the February column in the Pittsburgh City Paper.
In 2018, I received a Heinz Endowments/Pgh Foundation grant to document the local music scene, particularly from the standpoint of a Person of Color. One of the outputs was a series of video shorts called “60 Seconds of Pittsburgh,” and the latest installment is the Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio. It’s part of the February column. Enjoy.
Leave a CommentThe Soul Show’s features for this week cover Black History Month and more. On Pittsburgh’s WYEP Saturday edition, I took the cue from listeners to feature two groundbreaking 1971 albums. One is Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On,’ the other Sly & The Family Stone’s ‘There’s A Riot Goin’ On.’ We’ll explore the motivations and circumstances of this question/answer pair with three tracks from each.
The 2021 groundswell of new music has begun, with music from Cliff Beach, Bomba Estéreo, Cameron Graves. Adrian Younge has just released a single entitled ‘The American Negro.’ He’s been an important part of The Soul Show for a decade. Hear his 2018 interview with me.
On the ‘Three Rivers at Three (pm)’ weekly Pgh-centric segment, I resurrect the funk/rock of the Old E All Stars.
The Soul Show’s nationally syndicated edition begins its weekly cycle on Saturday night with WTJX and Rhode Island Public Radio. WYEP overnight and KRBD Alaska follow on Monday and Tuesday. I’m beginning to apply the ‘Three Rivers at Three’ concept to this edition, featuring acts from the participating regions. This week it’s Jeffrey Osborne of Providence, Starship Mantis and Leaky Faucet of Pittsburgh, and Marsvyn David of the Virgin Islands.
More on The Soul Show’s features for this week…..
Syncing up with the Pittsburgh show, listen to some early Gaye and Sly, preceding the transformative ‘Going On’ releases. Marvin duets with Mary Wells, and The Family Stone do live Woodstock.
There will be a continued dive into Australia’s Emma Donovan w/The Putbacks. I’ll play some obscure Derek Martin from the gritty-soul Stax label. The Wild Tchoupitoulas will get us ready for Mardi Gras season. Lastly, I included a beautiful blast from the Noel Pointer past.
Note: WYEP has posted the all-day Thanksgiving w/Motown (2020) playlist!
Enjoy!
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The Soul Show’s programming on WYEP and AAPRC for this Saturday-Wednesday cycle continues some themes and features a few new ones.
On the WYEP broadcast, I’ll continue the Sam Cooke 90th birthday celebration, including music of artists from his SAR label. During the weekly Pittsburgh-centric ‘Three Rivers at Three’ feature, get ready for Casaundra, Mathew Tembo and Phil Kirkland. We’ll spotlight the fabled Philadelphia International label, which celebrates its 50th anniversary. In anticipation of Black History Month, you’ll hear artists from the upcoming ‘Songwriters’ feature. Lastly, I’ll play some favorite Aaron Neville tracks to celebrate Birthday 80.
The syndicated AAPRC edition of The Soul Show airs on WTJX, Rhode Island Public Radio, WYEP overnight, and KRBD. I’ll continue the deep dive into the 2020 posthumous Sharon Jones album, this time with a Shuggie Otis cover. There will be heavy Boston funk from Stanton Davis’ Ghetto Mysticism, Ida Divine hiphop, and the folk-jazz of Terry Callier. Also, it’s been awhile since I played the Nigerian-German singer Ayo, so get ready for her.
See you soon.
The Soul Show presents six hours of programming, starting on Saturdays on WYEP (2-5pm Eastern). This weekend, I feature Sam Cooke at 90 and Questlove at 50. Three Rivers at Three, the weekly Pittsburgh segment, features a new Leaky Faucet. Also, I’ll play George Heid III’s jazz/funk/hiphop project under his alt-moniker Gee-O.
The Soul Show’s syndicated edition airs on WTJX Virgin Islands as an entirely separate program (8-11pm Atlantic, 7-10pm Eastern). It airs on Rhode Island Public Radio (The Public’s Radio), WYEP overnight, and Alaska Public Radio (KRBD) through Wednesday morning Eastern. I’m starting to extend the local-segment concept to the partner stations. This week, Tavares represents southern New England and Pressure covers the VI. Lyndsey Smith is the Pittsburgh contingent. I need to get with the Alaskan bands soon. 🙂 This week we debut a new Tiny Desk track from Blaque Dynamite w/Greg Spero.
Leave a CommentThe Soul Show focuses on MLK and more this weekend. The WYEP edition offers reflections from Charenee Wade, Gil Scott-Heron, Christian McBride and, of course, Stevie Wonder. On Three Rivers at Three, I debut a Pittsburgh single by the band Leaky Faucet. Birthdays carry us to Lisa Lisa, Blige, Toussaint, Duke and Sade.
The TSS syndicated edition introduces more late-2020 music from Jeff Bradshaw. There’s a continued dive into the Resistance Revival Chorus, and I traverse the expanse with Joe Tex, Cecily, Haviah Mighty and Funkadelic. Also, a surprise new duet from Freda Payne and Johnny Mathis.
See you during any or all broadcasts or streams.
