Music

April is Jazz Appreciation Month, the perfect time to support live music and/or purchase some new albums to enjoy in the comfort of your home.

King Promise is a new musician who is hitting the Ghanaian airwaves with scintillating music that not only excites the ears, but also gets the mind thinking while leaving the body with a feel for dancing.

Musician and activist Makana has been in love with music for as long as he can remember. Born Matthew Swalinkavish to a father from Minnesota and Hawaiian mother, he sang as in a Honolulu boy’s choir at age seven, started playing the ukulele at age nine, and at 11 was taught to play the flack key guitar.

February is the month to celebrate Black excellence, the time to share Black knowledge, pride and the continuation of the African American journey.

Plans are underway for the 18th Annual Twin Cities Jazz Festival taking place this summer, and its organizers have already picked the artists who will entertain the diverse and multi-generational crowd of festival-goers on June 23-26.

Before messing with the napping felines, Keith called down to alert Jesse that his guitars (he had the Ovation with him), equipment and luggage would be showing up via the shipping company and, if he didn’t answer the phone, to just put them in storage until tomorrow.

Maurice White, a singular force in popular music, passed on February 4 after some four decades of contending with Parkinson’s disease.

“It was my senior year of high school and I knew something had to change, and for me, that change was God,” recalls Dahlia Jones. The now 20-year-old credits her relationship with Christ for everything that has happened and is continuing to happen in her life.

Cyrus Chestnut made quite an impact on the Twin Cities jazz community, so much so that the TC Jazz Festival organizers have invited him back to perform at this year’s TC Winter Jazz Festival on January 31.

In early December 2015, 3rd World Music Entertainment (3ME) and rap artist Nsikak (N-SEE-KA) hit a milestone, putting on their first show as they aim to “take over the city.”

The future looks bright for Twin Cities-based duo Genesis. The duo will release their self-entitled mixtape Genesis early next year. Also, in March the two will head down to Austin, Texas, where they will perform their new single “Everyday” at the South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival.

Allen Toussaint, ace songsmith, arranger and producer, passed away November 10. He leaves a rich legacy, regrettably unsung beyond penning LaBelle’s comeback chart-topper “Lady Marmalade,” The Pointer Sisters’ “Yes We Can Can,” Glen Campbell’s “Southern Nights,” and the 1961 classic “Mother-In-Law” by Ernie K-Doe. “Fortune Teller” was recorded by a list of artists, including Robert Plant and Allison Kraus.

To call Chantel SinGs an amazing talent actually understates the case. The well-established vocalist and songsmith (Beautiful Dreams CD) cum radio personality (KMOJ’s Morning Show with Freddie Bell) brandishes the sort of singular ability of which stardom is made. It shouldn’t surprise anyone if she’s the next Twin Cities celebrity to go national.

When it comes to artists, their methods of craft, and the all-encompassing quest for true artistry, why are artists their toughest critic? I raise this question only because of a recent email exchange with a dear artist friend who reminded me of this fact.

Motown Records was considered the number-one most influential company to lead in setting a precedent for talent, style, good music, swag and success. The Detroit label was founded on the same business model of automotive companies that ruled the blue collar town during that time. Founder Berry Gordy believed in building a company that scouted […]