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On Saturday’s WYEP episode of The Soul Show, I’ll pay tribute to BB Dickerson, founding member of the acts War and Lowrider Band. His bandmate and uncle, Howard Scott, will tell about the bassist’s contributions to the music.

MLK’s birthday is always celebrated. April 4th, the anniversary of his young death, must also be recognized. There is music from Marcus Lewis Big Band and Gil Scott-Heron.

WYEP is recognizing National Siblings Day, and The Soul Show will have some fun with that theme. I planned to sprinkle some brother/sister acts into the mix, but got carried away (of course).

Brian Edwards and Geenpool represent Pittsburgh artists in the Three Rivers at Three segment. Also, MG’s alum Steve Cropper will get a spin of his 2021 release.

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The syndicated edition of TSS on the African American Public Radio Consortium follows the style and shape of the original WYEP show, but provides an entirely different playlist each week. Afro Yaqui Music Collective and Jon Lucien represent two of the cities that broadcast the AAPRC show. Other highlights: I’ll play Valerie June with Carla Thomas, Chicago Soul Jazz Collective, Carla with Otis Redding, Raja Kasis of Antibalas, Speech Debelle, Amp Fiddler covering Jimi, Ashford & Simpson.

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The archives for all recent broadcasts are posted in the Archives for your on-demand enjoyment.

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The Soul Show on Saturday afternoon returns to “regular” programming after eight weekends of BHM and WHM. In case you missed any, the archives are available for your on-demand pleasure.

That was then, and this is now. On Three Rivers at Three, I’ll debut Kenny Stockard’s new single and Afro Yaqui Music Collective’s 2021 “Maroon Futures.” Also, Jon Batiste’s full “We Are” release has dropped, so now we can go beyond the introductory single. We’ll celebrate a Marvin Gaye birthday.

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The syndicated edition of TSS on WTJX and Rhode Island Public Radio will present a brand new Teri Tobin track and something from Spirit Finger called “Inside.” I’ll play a 2021 release from Angelo Moore of Fishbone. It’s a bit more peace-and-love than some of his other solo material with The Brand New Step. In fact, it reminds me of Cameo’s late-career socially conscious work.

Then there’s a beautifully dark and vivid gangland story told by Ghostface Killah and Adrian Younge. I’ll play consecutive tracks from “12 Reasons To Die.” I call this Black Gotham. It’s crazy.

Representing southern NE, Tavares is on tap for the WTJX listeners.

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2021 WHM programming on The Soul Show wrapped up on March 27th. We covered four themes this year, but there’s plenty more. I bundled some archived shows for your on-demand enjoyment.

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The Soul Show on Weekend 4 of WHM carries the theme “Wood, Brass & Steel.” It’s all about women on instruments, like Brandee Younger on harp and Sister Rosetta Tharpe on electric guitar (long before Hendrix). Weekends 1-3 went like this:

Weekend 1	All Day Women (just like it says)
Weekend 2	Second To None (women who emerged from backup singing roles to center stage)
Weekend 3	Bloodlines (women of musical families)

Check out these shows on-demand in Archives.

Today we’ll also pay tribute to the great Paul Jackson, Jr., co-founder of the Headhunters. The self-titled release, performed with Hancock, Maupin and Summers, became the best-selling jazz album of all time. I’ll play a track from that and another from the post-Hancock era. It’s one where Jackson plays bass and sings.

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On the “other” Soul Show, airing on WTJX and other national stations during the coming week, I have a lot of new music to present. “Jazz Is Dead 6,” this time a Younge/Muhammad collaboration with Gary Bartz, was made available in late March. Marlon McClain sent both his latest and that of his niece, vocalist Whitney McClain. There’s also new Tim Bowman and Angelo Moore. Perhaps the most intriguing new entry is a Valerie June duet with fellow Memphian and Stax queen Carla Thomas.

On top of all of that, there will be the ongoing presentation of the classics. There’s everything from Stevie Wonder to Mandrill to The Outlaw Gang.

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On WYEP, The Soul Show’s theme for Weekend 3 of WHM is “Bloodlines.” We’ll feature women and members of their musical families, like Akina Adderley and her grandfather, Nat Sr.; Taka Boom/Chaka Khan; and the Hathaways. Toshi Reagon, daughter of Sweet Honey in the Rock’s founder, is also part of the presentation. If you’d like some background, check out my 2019 interview with her.

I’ll play more music from Gayelynn McKinney, daughter of the great jazz musician Harold. I selected her album ‘Zoot Suit Funk’ as a March album pick in my Pittsburgh City Paper column.

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On Saturday night, the syndicated edition of TSS will feature a bit of new music. IZY of Australia has an album named ‘Irene’ that is already feeling like a 2021 Top Ten candidate. I’ll dig deeper into ‘Nocturne Unplugged’ by David Walters. Lenora Zenzalai Helms’ ‘Love of Big Band’ release will get a play – it was also written up in my City Paper column. New music from Str4ta, a Brit-funk side project by Bluey of Incognito, will be introduced. Midnite represents the Virgin Islands; Jeffrey Osborne & L.T.D., Providence; and Leaky Faucet, the city of Pittsburgh.

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Why would I replace the longstanding Booker T. theme with Shirley Scott? Because it’s the annual ADW on TSS during WHM on WYEP. Shirley from Philly was the Queen of the Hammond B3, and we’ll start with a fine track from her Soul Saxes album of 1969. All Day Women started a few years ago on The Soul Show. It’s always one of the weekly themes during Women’s History Month. By the way, thanks to all of you who provided great topics to cover during the rest of the month.

ADW covers historical figures like Dakota Staton, Phoebe Snow and Phyllis Hyman, but we also feature the contemporary and new. Listen out for electrofunkster Dawn Richard, reggae’s Reemah and the elevating Lakecia Benjamin. Today is the membership campaign, so I use the usual narration time to ask for your financial support. Don’t worry, though – I didn’t replace any of the normal 32-38 tracks with extra chat. The show will be its usual music-packed self.

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On tonight’s nationally syndicated edition of The Soul Show, we begin the tribute to Neville Livingston, better known as Bunny Wailer. He and two others created the most important reggae group of all time. Representing some of the cities where TSS is aired, we have Afi Scruggs (PhD grad of Providence’s Brown University), Royce of Pittsburgh and Odyssey of the Virgin Islands. There’s new music from Samm Crenshaw, Rochelle Jordan and Hemai. Classic Garnet Mimms, with the Warwicks in background vocals. Afrofunk from One World Tribe. Fusion from Larry Coryell and Jaco Pastorius. Rocking Living Color, and Ndegeocello/Reagon covering Eric Burdon.

See you soon.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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