Tag: Funk
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Let’s take a ride down memory blvd: Kendrick Lamar’s Squabble Up
Art by Author The excitement I felt when I heard the Debbie Deb sample on Kendrick Lamar’s Squabble Up off his new GNX project was overwhelming. It took me right back to being 12 and starting to navigate the treacherous teenage years with the help of music. The first record I remember buying was Fascinated…
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The Cosmic Heart of Fiddler Anne Harris
I first discovered singer/songwriter, roots fiddler Anne Harris, through her work with trance Blues innovator Otis Taylor, who I had seen play at the Doheny Blues festival more than a decade ago. Anne recorded and toured worldwide for nearly a decade with Otis Taylor. Long time readers of this blog know how central the Blues…
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Keepin’ it funky with New Orleans’ brass band tradition
Last night I had the fortune to see Rebirth Brass Band at The Mint in LA (an awesome roots-music venue if you ever are in town). Hot off their Grammy win for their album, Rebirth of New Orleans, it was a sold-out, standing-room only show. People who didn’t have a ticket were waiting outside, hoping…
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Imagining New York City with Rakim & James Brown
When I first started this blog, I did for the pure joy of sharing my passion for music, culture, and history. In the past year, I’ve felt joy leave and posting has become more burdensome as I’ve felt pressure to commercialize it in some way. As the blog steamed along, I got more and more…
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Meandering through the homeland of Los Angeles: DJ Moonbaby, Canter’s Deli, Lalo Guerrero, & Petrovic Blasting Company
This past weekend was full of musical and cultural inspiration as I journeyed through the land of my birth, Los Angeles. First up was DJ Moonbaby’s set at the Natural History Museum’s First Friday event near downtown Los Angeles. The DJ booth was set up in front of a replica of giant African elephants across…
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Bringing the (City of) Angels back to higher ground: DJ Moonbaby
Los Angeles native DJ Moonbaby (Angela Jollivette) has been exposing Angelenos to the finest of soul, jazz, r&b, hip-hop and electronic music since she was in grade school hiding her boombox under the desk. Today she has her own inspirational soul/gospel radio show “Worry Free Wednesdays” on www.churchbeatradio.com, every Wednesday at 11 a.m. and 4…
