ayanacontreras
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Tonite! New School Poetics Presents: These Are The Breaks – Chicago Book Launch
Idris Goodwin is back home to Chicago tonight to celebrate the recent publication of his first book. It’s a collection of prose, poetry, and essays titled THESE ARE THE BREAKS. These Are The Breaks is the debut collection by NEA award-winning playwright, HBO Def Poet, and critically acclaimed “indie” rapper, Idris Goodwin. Diverse in scope and wickedly…
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Minnie Riperton: she was the black gold of the sun.
Minnie Riperton was, of course, so much more than her 1976 smash “Loving You”. I won’t even attempt to jam her legacy into a blog post. She was a mother (to SNL alum Maya Rudolph), a lover, (to Dick Rudolph) and a righteous songbird. Riperton (pictured above, 1968 [photo courtesy jeff lockard]) and her soaring soprano…
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The Ice Man Cometh.
Here’s a follow up to yesterday’s Jerry “The Ice Man” Butler post. Below, 1969’s “Walking Around in Teardrops”. Before Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes and the O’Jays hit the soul stratosphere, there was the late sixties Philly/Chicago fusion that was Gamble/Huff/Martin/Bell/Butler. Always one to use his starpower to help up-and-comers in the Music Business craft their…
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Black Music Getting Intellectually Involved.
Recently, I found an interesting article in the August 22, 1970 issue of Billboard. Written by Jerry Butler, the piece (entitled “Black Music is Getting Intellectually Involved”) asserts that soul artists were on the road to creating music with greater artistic freedom (i.e. Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, Sly Stone, Marvin Gaye). This is something Jerry used his star…
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Windy City: Hey it’s (not) over.
First off, I LOVE this record. A little back story: “Hey, It’s Over” by Windy City is a record that came out in 1974 on local Innovation II records, later issued on Warner Bros. Produced by Willie “Mr. Brunswick”* Henderson and Arranged by James “The Soul Educator” Mack*, it has a great shuffly, brassy, breezy sound that fits…
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Pics from the Groove Conspiracy’s inaugural night.
Pictures, above, from last night’s affair. Join us TONITE for a special night of musical madness, and monthly every Third Thursday at the Morseland (1218 West Morse, Chicago).
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A Conspiracy is Born.
Ayana Contreras (me) and Simeon Viltz (of The Primeridian) are the “Groove Conspiracy…” In the land of 10 million grooves only a few can grab a hold of the people’s aural senses and captivate their shokras. Spinning cutting edge beats juxtaposed with gritty, get down gems from the cradle of soul. Their weapon of choice: vinyl.…
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The Makings of Groove
Xraydio 2 Disc Table [2009] Diesel for Moroso This coffee table is almost as cute as my boombox throw pillow… It’s made by printing the X-ray of a dj console on glass. The glass is still transparent, which adds dimension. I’m thinking it’ll look fresh in my record room.
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Get down! three chances to be a part of the movement…
Join DJ Ayana and selected friends and celebrate the music that moves us! Brown Sugar Soul: This Thursday 6:00pm-8:00pm Where: Brown Sugar Bakery Address: 328 E 75th St Chicago, IL Map Cost: Free-Fifty Music spun on wax. Real 45s cut to make you move. Soul & Funk classics and rarities… plus caramel cake! You bring…
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Nolan Chance and the Beach: i’ll never forget you.
(photos: Labor Day 1936 at 31st Street Beach, Chicago) found at bvikkivintage I love “I’ll Never Forget You” by Nolan Chance. Released here in Chicago in 1969, its creation was a collaboration between Curtis Mayfield, Donny Hathaway, and Leroy Hutson (arguably the patron saints of Chicago Soul for the decade that was to come). The song…
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