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Listen Locally: DJ Ayana at Maria’s….
Reclaimed Soul’s host, Ayana Contreras, is perhaps best known for spinning classic Chicago Soul records, but on Tuesday, October 2nd, she plans to mix it up and play cuts from the trippier and (even) grittier side of her Chicago Music collection. She will also feature what she likes to call the “Rock Hand Side of…
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Amanda Love: You Keep Calling Me By Her Name.
(above, 45 sleeve art by Johnny Spencer. for more on him, click here) Not a lot is known about Amanda Love (which is probably an alias). What I do know is that she put out this bluesy number on Mel London’s Starville label about 1967. Mel London was a Chicago songwriter/producer/record label owner who…
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Darkjive Updates!
Greetings, Darkjivers. I’ve been on sort of a blog hiatus as I’ve been working on Reclaimed Soul (the broadcast radio version of Darkjive). I’ve also been ramping up for the fall, engaged in research and digging (all too often intertwined for me). But let me be the first to tell you: feel-good events, new content,…
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One Day I Was Walking: Soulful Gospel from the Swan Mellarks (Update!)
Just to give you some warning… Lynnell Harris (misspelled as Lindell Harris on the label) has an amazing tone and vocals that are SOOOOO bananas. This record was recorded for tiny Valberst Records in the 70s here in Chicago at Pervis Staples’ (of the Staple Singers) Studio. “One Day I Was Walking” has been in my head…
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Sundown in K-Town: North Lawndale Documentary Festival
Sundown in K-Town Teaser from BetterBoys Foundation on Vimeo. Better Boys Foundation (BBF) and Facets Multi-Media announce a film festival comprised of a series of social documentaries screened outside in the inner courtyard of the BBF Center at 1512 S. Pulaski Road . These groundbreaking documentaries such as The Murder of Fred Hampton (pictured at…
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McKinley Mitchell: This place ain’t getting no better.
Based in Chicago, McKinley Mitchell was one of the Chicago School of R&B belters I’m so fond of (these include Garland Green, Otis Clay, Johnny Sayles, and Tyrone Davis). Unfortunately, for all his vocal prowess, he was sort of slept on in his day. He recorded some seriously beautiful sides for George Leaner’s One-Derful Records…
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Listen to Streaming Archives of my Radio Show: Reclaimed Soul.
Here in Chicago, Reclaimed Soul airs Thursdays 8-10PM (CST) on Vocalo.org 89.5fm. You can stream live at http://vocalo.org/player. Now folks can listen anytime to radio featuring sound rich interviews and an all-vinyl playlist (courtesy of host Ayana Contreras). Reclaimed Soul is about taking old materials (records, buildings, ideas, et al) to push us all forward.…
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Archeologist and Architect: this Friday at the SSCAC.
This Friday, (aka DJ Ayana) am spinning at the Southside Community Art Center, an establishment originally founded with help from the WPA during the Great Depression. It is the nation’s oldest African American Art Center. Also on the bill is the David Boykin Trio (featuring Marcus Evans on drums, Alex Wing on bass, and Boykin…
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Crate Digger as Archaeologist….
Someone recently described me as an Archaeologist. At first, I didn’t really see the connection, but then I thought for a moment. One of the things I love most about record collecting is how much akin it is to an Archaeological “dig”. A person finds the physical record, occasionally has to dust it off, and…
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