Chicago
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David Boykin Trio: Live at Dorchester Projects Album Release/Listening Party.
Saturday February 16th at 8pm, join local Chicago Jazz combo The David Boykin Trio (Boykin on sax, Alex Wing on bass, and James Woodley on drums) at the new Washington Park Arts Incubator. They will be playing work from the new album “Live at the Dorchester Projects”. I (also known as DJ Ayana Contreras) will…
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The Early Editions: Swinging Soul and Afro-Pop from the Windy City.
“People Try” b/w “What is Wrong With Grovin’” is a hip little record from about 1968 by the Early Editions. It’s a Chicago record, crafted by James Mack on the Aries label, but not much else is known about the group itself. My best educated guess is that the group consisted of a lounge act…
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Otis Clay: Live at S.P.A.C.E.
Otis Clay performs this Saturday night (January 5th, 2013) at S.P.A.C.E. in Evanston. He’s a Chicago-bred deep soul artists I’ve profiled before on Darkjive. He’s recorded on a ton of labels (including Kayvette, Dakar, Hi, One-Der-Ful, and his own Echo imprint since his beginnings in the 1950s), but it’s his consistency that stands out. This…
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Chicago: Segregated City
Kartemquin Films is collaborating with Black Cinema House to present “Chicago: Segregated City”, a screening and discussion of three of Kartemquin’s classic films about racial issues in Chicago, along with an exclusive sneak preview of 63 Boycott, their in-progress film about the 1963 boycott of Chicago Public Schools by thousands of African American parents and…
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Dreams in Jay-Z Minor: The Intersection of Visual Art + Excess + Lyrics
Visual Artists Amanda Williams + Krista Franklin have collaborated on “Dreams in Jay-Z Minor”, a new exhibition at Blanc Gallery in Bronzeville running October 5, 2012 – December 29, 2012. Connected by dual recurring dreams of Jay-Z, Williams and Franklin explore the natures of upward mobility, excess, fantasy, and hip-hop luxury. In their works they…
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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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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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Waxing Poetic at Dorchester Projects.
Above, a bit of video from my Artistic Residency last year with Theaster Gates’ Dorchester Projects, in which I wax poetic about Chicago’s own Mercury Records, Jerry Butler, and the Impressions. I love sharing the stories behind the music I love with the general public; and was reminded of that as I embark on Hosting…
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Donald Jenkins and the Delighters (and their Basement Music Revolution)
I’m not sure what exactly is revolutionary about this record, titled “Music Revolution” and released by Donald Jenkins and the Delighters in 1975, but it sure is lovely. It’s what I like to call Basement Soul. It also reminds me of how much I miss skin tight harmonies. A local Chicago record through and through…
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