Music
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Passing Strange: a righteous afro-rock opera
“Passing Strange“, the Tony-nominated black rock-opera is righteous…. Amen. Passing Strange is the coming-of-age story of “Youth” (Daniel Breaker), a kid growing up somewhere in LA in the seventies. He is disillusioned because he doesn’t fit the common definition of blackness. Floating above the city, getting high in his choir director’s blue Volkswagen beetle, “Youth” decides to…
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The Nialations: lowrider soul, straight off record row.
Presented below is “I’ll Take you Just as You Come” by The Nialations released on Brunswick’s BRC label. Though it was released in 1973, it’s drenched in a honey-sweet feminine doo-wop sensibility that’s as at home in East L.A. as it is on the South Side of Chicago. The track is an Alonzo Tucker production, who was once a…
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the get down.
The get down is about to go down again. Old Soul 45’s spun with love at the Morseland. Selections by me (DJ Ayana) and Gaucho. Join us this Thursday December 10 starting at 9:30pm. No Cover. The Morseland is located at 1218 West Morse in Chicago (just blocks from Sheridan). Here’s a sample of some…
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Linda Clifford dishes it.
Here in Chicago, music fans know Linda Clifford as a singer affiliated with Curtis Mayfield’s camp in the disco era. But Clifford, a native New Yorker, is also a former Miss New York State, and at one time worked as an actress who played minor roles in major films like The Boston Strangler with Tony…
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a little Love & Happiness for your holiday
Wishing you candied yams, green bean casserole, pie and a touch of “Love and Happiness” from local group Gregory James Edition (led by keyboardist Gregory Bibb and guitarist James Norris) on Chicago’s own Dakar Records, from their album “Prophets of Soul” (1973). Found a GJE 45 on a recent trek. Killer, off-kilter funk. Oh, save me a plate.
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the heart of Funkadelic’s image, crafted in Chicago
This week the Sun-Times published an article talking about Pedro Bell, the man behind the iconic cover art, liner notes, and other print ephemera for Funkadelic from 1973 till about 1986. Pedro, a Chicago native who went by Sir Lleb, has hit hard times. Today he’s facing dire straits in Hyde Park, though his work was recently featured…
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Get Down With Us. Try it, You’ll like it…
It’s about to go down. Old Soul 45’s spun with love at the Morseland. Selections by me (DJ Ayana) and Gaucho. Join us this Thursday November 12 starting at 9:30pm. No Cover. The Morseland is located at 1218 West Morse in Chicago (just blocks from Sheridan). Here’s a sample of some of the proudly local…
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Spanky & Our Gang, Harmony in the Breezy City
Chicago has a vast musical heritage. It is known for electrifying Delta Blues, known for creating House Music, renowned for its particular brands of Chicago Soul and Gospel, and also known as contributing its own twang to 60’s garage proto-punk, jazz, and just about every other genre out there. Why not loungy folk-pop goodness? Spanky and…
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