Music Addikts

Jazz, I do have a special place in my heart for you. I remember my introduction to Miles Davis.  My father, a huge jazz fan, would let the sounds of Miles dance through the house.  Such a vivid memory, when I close my eyes.  

After seeing Kenyon Harold solo at the Maxwell show this past weekend in Atlanta, I was glad when one of our connections on Twitter (@calandrachicago) told me who he was. So, I immediately checked out his music.  We ADDIKTS love a variety of music and this hit the spot for what I needed.  I was pleasantly impressed and thought it necessary to share with the ADDIKTS family about this trumpeter.  The St. Louis native is currently on tour with Maxwell, so if you get a chance to go to the show, check for Keyon. 

Check out this clip of him live:

For more on Keyon Harrold, check him out on twitter and be sure to pick up his album, Introducing Keyon Harrold!

Appropriately entitled, Classic Delight, this debut album gives such a refreshing  aural waft to my ears.  The first time I listened to this record, I immediately took it back to the beginning for a run through.  Sermons is definitely no stranger to the music scene.  Working with artists like Jay-Z, Laura Izibor, and Maxwell his stamp as a trombonist has definitely solidified his talent as a musician.  It is nice to know he has a great vocal ability to accompany his musicianship.

“I Need” is a beautiful song about the importance of having someone significant in your life – and instead of just wanting them there, you need them there.  With all of the negativity out there about relationships between men and women, it’s good to hear a song celebrating the desire of interaction. ”Gee Baby, Ain’t I Good to You?”, is a finger-snapping piano-heavy rhythmic track.  It reminds me of a black and white movie with a full jazz band and dancers shaking their tail-feathers around . My favorite song on the album, is definitely “Most Beautiful”.  There is something so pure, lyrically, about it.  It is love.  Purely. If you like jazz and blues, and you just love good music, injekt this Classic Delight.

To learn more about Saunders Sermons, check out his album and be sure to follow him on Twitter.

keep your soulHIGH!

As ADDIKTS, we have a vast range of music we love.  We don’t like to box ourselves in. If it moves our soul-we support it! So let us introduce you to Soulganic, a quartet based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Heavy percussion and latin grooves would be the best way to describe Soulganic. Icognito meets Carlos Santana.  Imagine that! So you can tell by that description that this is an album worthy of adding to your collection. My attention was really grabbed by a song called “Remidios the Beauty”, this is a fully instrumental melody, but the sounds melt so well together.  This is the kind of song you listen to when you’re spending a lazy day at home.  It is pure.  Growing up with a father who studied Jazz musicians, I can fully appreciate the breadth of this track.  “I don’t need no words because I understand”, as one of my favorite songs explains.

This album fully displays true musicianship.  Since I’m a huge electric guitar fan, I like the ‘funkiness’ of the song “Lady Lovely”.  My favorite tracks on the album are “Carry On”(which reminds me of a Leela James vibe), “Run”, and “Temporary Thrill”.  Each song exhibits it’s own level of ‘funktastic’.

To learn more about Soulganic, be sure to visit their website.  Also, get the album today!

keep your soulHIGH!

For a woman that looks so sweet, some pretty harsh words were used to describe “The Empress of Blues” – Bessie Smith. Rude. Crude and violent just to name a few. Add a little bisexuality to the mix and you have a woman full of complexities. Bessie Smith was considered one of the best jazz singers of her era. Born in Chattanooga, Bessie took her talent to the north and south, dancing, singing and acting.

Her career was cut short by a series of unfortunate events. Give yourself a soulful music history lesson today, Week 2 of Jazz Appreciation Month, click here to learn a little more about Ms. Bessie Smith – an American jazz legend and peep the video below of her performing “St. Louis Blues”.