Jive Culture
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Portraits of Black Chicago: The Beat Goes On
Black bongo player performs at the International Amphitheater in Chicago as part of the annual PUSH [People United to Save Humanity] ‘Black Expo’ in the fall of 1973. October 1973 Chicago’s PUSH Black Expo was a powerful tour de force for Black Businesses nationwide at the time this photo was shot. Time magazine stated in…
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i miss van hunt… THE UPDATE!
So, Van Hunt’s folks have graciously passed me this note with the following EXCELLENT news…“I’m thankful for your patience during the wait for new music. I’ve been working on a brand new collection. It’s close, but not quite ready. In the meantime, I’m offering a salve, a few rare items from the vault. I picked…
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Hi-Fi White: Foodstamps, Bulldogs, and Hollywood
Wilbur White was a nightclub singer on the South Side of Chicago whose bluesy growl wielded so much power that he was nicknamed Hi-Fi. He’d been in the clubs since the 1950s, and although I hear he put on a knockout of a show, that never translated into record sales. Speaking of knockouts, he…
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Peter Hadar Invades Chicago….
Peter Hadar is in town, folk. His dusky voice oozes soul and charisma. The edginess of his productions promises freshness in an oft stale musical landscape. Catch the Jersey native at Lava Wednesday Nite with The Twilite Tone (whom I love and have missed in the Chi) and the Primeridian. He’s doing an in-store…
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Festival of Colors: Photography by Poras Chaudhary
I found these photos on a blog called desinuts.com. Very cool site focusing on pop culture and graphic design with a lot of Indian culture peppered in, as well. I think these colors are so dope. NOTE: the pictures are of a Hindu celebration called Holi, the Festival of Colors. Holi is celebrated as a…
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Ain’t No Love Lost…a lost Curtis Mayfield gem
The year was 1972. The Year of his “Superfly” soundtrack (arguably, one of the best albums ever to come out of Chicago), and Curtis Mayfield could do no wrong…including this record, produced by Mayfield (and arranged by Rich Tufo). A sixteen year old Nashvillian named Patti Jo says to some Cassanova, “ain’t no love lost“. …
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Come With Khari Lemuel
Local artist/instrumentalist Khari Lemuel performing his song “Come With Me” with Yaw (video by Bobby Rocwell)….Super talented brother who I’ve seen perform live multiple times. His voice combines some of the best elements of Chicago Soul’s legacy: rootsiness, spirituality, truth, and beauty. Below, Khari’s composition “Good Morning Love” summons the power of Curtis Mayfield (and…
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Harlem Shuffled to Paris
For those of you who are new to this ride, I’ll let you know now: I have a thing for Black Francophones. Random, perhaps. Anyway, I present to you a Moroccan singer named Vigon (pictured left with Stevie Wonder). Vigon performed in France starting in the mid 1960s, and at one time performed with a…
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Thirsty for More….
Bloody awesome rock and roll is what this music is….and I’m Thirsty for more… The Thirst are an afro-punk-rock band based in Brixton, London. The band consists of brothers Mensah (vocals/guitar) and Kwame Cofi-Agyeman (bass), Mark Lenihan (guitar) and Marcus Harris (drums/backing vocals). I’m going to be racist for a moment and say that Rock…
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The Shrine is coming…
(n.): A new music venue bringing entertainment back to Chicago nightlife, expected to open Memorial Day weekend 2009. Joseph Russo, The Shrine’s founder and principal, has a number of legendary nightlife establishments in Chicago, including: The Funky Buddha, Thyme Restaurant, and its upscale lounge component Sinibar. The Shrine’s Myspace page promises: “A fusion of a…
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