Local Chicago Music
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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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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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Good Lovin… or else
This is a record that embodies Chicago Grit and Get Down. “Good Lovin” by the legendary Otis Clay is at once a love song and a warning. Take heed. Says he: “And if you walk out my life, I hope you fall and break your neck”. If that ain’t grit, I don’t know what is…. A favorite…
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Brighter Side of Darkness: a love note.
Below, “Love Jones” by Brighter Side of Darkness, performing on Soul Train. Don’t confuse this group with the Jackson Five, as they are aren’t a family act. They were just one in a rich history of Chicago-area based Kiddie Soul groups. The nucleus of the group came from Calumet High School here in Chicago, but 12…
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Hip Chicago Jazz with Soul!
Darkjive has been on Summer Vacation, but always digging deeper… I’ve been really into swinging sixties jazz from Chicago, like “Coming to Atlantis” a hip mover produced by Monk Higgins and credited to Freddie “The Creeper” Robinson (on Lead Guitar). The Flip of this 45, called “Before Six” is wonderful, as well. During the late 1960’s, there…
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Gone Away: a one-two-three chicago-bred punch of soul
Performing below (in Ghana, circa 1971) is Roberta Flack. She is singing “Gone Away”… a cool, loping soul record from her album “Chapter Two”. This record was written by the one-two-three Chicago-bred punch of Leroy Hutson, Curtis Mayfield, and Donny Hathaway (before his own breakout single “The Ghetto”). “Gone Away” was also recorded by The Impressions and Lovelace Watkins (in…
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Brown Sugar Soul! cupcakes + old school soul = BLISS
Brown Sugar Soul is a monthly after-work set where I spin a natural sugar high of old school funk and soul with no filler every 1st Thursday at the renowned Brown Sugar Bakery (which is, in fact a bakery… not a club with a clever title). Tip: they are famous for their caramel cake. Join…
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