Category Archives: Uncategorized

This blog is all about having new experiences.  The daily injection of an unknown album and/or artist is just enough of a wild card to keep things interesting in spite of anything else that is going on in life.  That aside, any time there can be an added layer of interest in any way, I’llContinue reading “#301 – Prelude by Shaddow”

When I started this project, the possibility that it and the pandemic would still be going on at the same level after almost a year did not occur to me. Obviously, this blog has a couple more months to go before the dubious distinction of hitting the year mark, but we’re only a week awayContinue reading “#300 – Nighthawks At The Diner by Tom Waits”

People have been telling me to listen to this one for weeks, and I’m glad I finally got around to it.  It had been a long time since they put out an album and it seems to have been worth the wait.  Also, the cover art is a really cool Basquiat painting.

For the last night of Black History Month I wanted to choose a work by a pioneer in their field.  Florence Beatrice Price is recognized as the first Black woman to be considered a symphonic composer, and the first to have a composition performed by a major orchestra.  The Chicago Symphony Orchestra premiered her SymphonyContinue reading “#298 – Price: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 4 by Florence Beatrice Price and Fort Smith Symphony”

What would a discussion about the influence of Black music without Chuck Berry? He clearly inspired a generation of guitarists and is probably as responsible for the rise of rock music as anyone. I would personally prefer it if fewer of these songs were about teenage girls, but I also recognize that they were writtenContinue reading “#297 – Berry Is On Top by Chuck Berry”

As I am writing this, I am sitting in my car waiting for a tow truck. I was on my way to meet some friends for a weekend getaway and am being seriously sidetracked, if not fully derailed. Breaking new ground with the blog, at least.

As we approach the end of Black History Month, I’m trying to get as many different genres of Black artists as possible.  Obviously, there is no shortage of soul, hip-hop, r&b, and funk albums to choose from, but now I want to take some deep dives into some more rare genres.  One of my favoritesContinue reading “#295 – self-titled by Black Death”

These guys are like a modern version of James Brown’s high-energy soul, with more of a rock sensibility.  Lyrically, they deal unabashedly with the most oppressive issues facing the Black community in modern America, specifically systemic racism and the heavy-handed policing that typifies majority-Black communities.  There could not be a more fitting artist to provideContinue reading “#294 – Tell ‘Em What Your Name Is by Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears”

What would a celebration of Black music in America be without an excellent album by a less-than-well-known bluesman?  Junior Kimbrough’s music is characterized by his distinctive, hypnotic style of playing.  The influence of his style eventually made it to the mainstream through the work of Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker and – much later –Continue reading “#293 – God Knows I Tried by Junior Kimbrough”

Once again, I must divert from the theme of Black History Month in recognition of today’s announcement of the breakup of Daft Punk.  There can be no dispute about the influence of this prolific duo, who are probably as responsible for the rise of EDM’s popularity as anyone.  For people around my age, they wereContinue reading “#292 – TRON: Legacy by Daft Punk”