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Jazz, justice and Juneteenth: Wynton Marsalis and Bryan Stevenson join forces to celebrate Black protest

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NEW YORK (AP) – Black music traditions like jazz play a key role in Juneteenth celebrations, says civil rights lawyer and jazz pianist Bryan Stevenson.

That’s why he and Pulitzer Prize-winning jazz artist Wynton Marsalis debuted “Freedom, Justice and Hope,” a live album of historic jazz records created to protest racial injustice, just in time for this 12 months’s celebration.

In addition to a brand new arrangement of saxophonist John Coltrane’s “Alabama,” a tribute to the 4 black girls killed within the 1963 Ku Klux Klan bombing of Birmingham’s sixteenth Street Baptist Church, the project features original compositions by rising bassist Endea Owens and trumpeter JoshEvans.

The album, released by Blue Engine Records, encompasses a guest appearance by the Jazz at Lincoln Center orchestra, of which Marsalis is the artistic and managing director. It is currently streaming on digital platforms.

Its publication comes ahead of this summer’s tenth anniversary of the death of Michael Brown, a black teenager fatally shot by police in Ferguson, Missouri, which sparked a wave of Black Lives Matter protests. When “Freedom, Justice & Hope” was recorded three years ago in 2021, the nation was reeling from one other flashpoint – the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer.

“To take some of the great jazz works of the 20th century and integrate them into the narrative of the long struggle for social justice in this country is just a dream come true,” said Stevenson, founding father of the Equal Justice Initiative, a criminal justice reform nonprofit. and racial justice based in Montgomery, Alabama.

The history of jazz and the musicality of Black American protest runs deeper than many individuals realize, said Marsalis, the legendary trumpeter who provides moving melodies throughout the album. Stevenson accompanies on piano and intersperses spoken reflections on disenfranchisement, racial injustice and the activism that has erupted in response.

“Jazz itself was the opposite of minstrelsy,” Marsalis said, referring to a type of entertainment popularized within the twentieth century wherein white actors with blackened faces performed racist depictions of African Americans.

“Jazz still has the same influence,” he said. “People come in, they can play and they take what they do seriously. They will discuss issues and be honest about them, and they don’t feel the need to denigrate themselves.”

Originating in ragtime and blues, cultivated in turn-of-the-century New Orleans, and rising to prominence through the Harlem Renaissance, the genre is a crossroads where music meets the march for justice. Some historians even credit jazz singer Billie Holiday’s 1939 rendition of “Strange Fruit,” an anti-lynching poem by Abel Meeropol, as one among the catalysts of the Civil Rights Movement.

“I think jazz as an art form should be understood as a protest against the narrative that black people are somehow incapable,” Stevenson said. “The extraordinary thing that jazz musicians did was that they took Western music, did things with art forms that others had been doing for centuries, and added things that dazzled and inspired.”

“They did it with dignity and purpose, debunking this false narrative of racial hierarchy,” he said.

In that spirit, Owens’s lighthearted “Ida’s Crusade” chronicles journalist Ida B. Wells-Barnett’s lifelong struggle against lynching and false imprisonment. Evans’ “Elaine” draws inspiration from the 1919 Arkansas massacre wherein several hundred Black Americans were killed.

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With Marsalis and Stevenson, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra performs recent arrangements of “Honeysuckle Rose,” originally composed by Fats Waller in 1929; “We Will Overcome” – The Civil Rights Movement Has Stopped Since 1947; and “Freedom Suite”, originally composed by Sonny Rollins in 1958.

Apart from Stevenson’s monologues and songs from the album “Freedom, Justice and Hope”, these songs are entirely instrumental and contain no vocals.

Jazz’s reliance on instrumental solos has led some to stereotype it as outdated, irrelevant, and less connected to social justice than rap and vocal-based hip-hop – similar to Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power,” “F(asterisk)(asterisk) (asterisk “NWA) Tha Police” and “Alright” by Kendrick Lamar. But musicians, scholars and activists urge listeners to recognize and defend the political messages conveyed through the emotional depth of music.

“Sometimes there are no words to express the joy and sadness we feel,” said Reiland Rabaka, founder and director of the Center for African and African American Studies on the University of Colorado Boulder.

“And sometimes these trumpets, these saxophones, these guitars, these pianos – they can express it better than our words can,” said Rabaka, who has written extensively about hip-hop and Black Power, songs about women’s liberation and civil rights.

According to Rabaka, the improvisational elements of jazz may be present in the Middle Passage from Africa to the Americas, where slaves chained to the underside of ships invented songs. Improv is also present in Juba and juke dances, common in various parts of the southern United States, including Congo Square in New Orleans, where slave auctions were held.

Improvisation may be compared to the resourcefulness of Black Americans who, using what they’d, built a life for themselves after freeing themselves from the agricultural environment wherein they were confined.

For Marsalis and Stevenson, the eleventh release of the album recorded three years ago is symbolic. June 19, or Juneteenth, is the day in 1865 when the last enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, were informed of their freedom – greater than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation granted them it.

“Enslaved people learned to love in the midst of sadness, and that is something extraordinary that can be achieved,” Stevenson said. “This is the part of Juneteenth that I hope we can start celebrating. Not just emancipation, but this whole legacy. … I think music plays a key role in that.”

Echoing his colleague’s words, Marsalis said he hopes to encourage people to have a look at the challenges ahead moderately than continuing to fight old battles.

“I like Juneteenth in a symbolic sense because often people, wherever they are in the world, don’t know they are free,” he said. “From a national standpoint, the nation must view June 11 within the context of the national struggles we’re still fighting.

“We are still fighting this conflict, now on a unique battlefield. No one was telling people, “Hey, it’s long overdue.” Let’s be present,” Marsalis said.

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Beyoncé will perform at halftime of an NFL game during the holiday game day

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Beyoncé has yet one more trick up her sleeve for the holiday season. This week, the star announced that he will perform in his hometown of Houston at an NFL game on Christmas Day. During the Houston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens game, Beyoncé will appear at halftime, where she will reportedly perform songs from her country-themed album “Cowboy Carter.”

Beyoncé is already aware of high-energy NFL halftime shows, having showcased her talents in two Super Bowl appearances. As the headliner of Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans in 2013, she reunited with fellow Destiny’s Child members Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams for a performance that became the second most-watched Super Bowl halftime performance in history. At Super Bowl XV in 2016, the megastar joined headliners Coldplay together with special guest Bruno Mars, where she performed her hit “Formation,” which garnered 115.5 million views.

The star’s upcoming performance, produced by Parkwood Entertainment and Jesse Collins Entertainment, will be her first live performance of songs from her Grammy-nominated album “Cowboy Carter.” While there aren’t many details about the show, the streaming platform says fans can expect special guests to look alongside the award-winning artist.

In May, Netflix announced a landmark cope with the NFL, providing streaming rights to the sports league’s games on Christmas Day. Similarly, in 2019, the streaming platform signed a $60 million cope with Beyoncé, through which the two entertainment giants partnered to provide three projects.

Beyoncé shared the news about her upcoming NFL gig Instagramfeaturing a brief clip of him catching a football while standing on top of a automotive covered in red roses, equipped with horns. The show will be available to Netflix’s 283 million subscribers worldwide.

Beyoncé has signed a three-project deal with Netflix for a reported $60 million


This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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NWA, Janet Jackson and George Clinton receive Songwriters Hall of Fame nominations

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Janet Jackson, Songwriters Hall of Fame nomination, theGrio.com

NEW YORK (AP) – Eminem, Boy George, George Clinton, Sheryl Wrona, Janet Jackson, Doobie Brothers, NWA and Alanis Morissette are among the many nominees within the competition’s 2025 category Songwriters Hall of Fame, an eclectic group of rap, rock, hip-hop and pop pioneers.

Bryan Adams joins them with such radio hits as “Summer of ’69” and “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?” and Mike Love of the Beach Boys, who hopes to get in 25 years after band founder Brian Wilson. David Gates, co-leader of the pop group Bread, can be applying for admission.

Each yr, each performers and non-performers are invited to the Hall, and this yr’s category of the latter includes Walter Afanasieff, who helped Mariah Carey together with his hit “All I Want for Christmas Is You”; Mike Chapman, co-writer of Pat Benatar’s “Love Is a Battlefield”; and Narada Michael Walden, architect of Whitney Houston’s “How Will I Know” and Aretha Franklin’s “Freeway of Love.”

Eligible voting members have until December 22 to solid ballots to pick three nominees within the lyricist category and three within the performance songwriter category. The Associated Press obtained an early copy of the list.

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Several acts have one other probability to make an entry, including Clinton, whose Parliament-Funkadelic collective made a big impact with hits like “Atomic Dog” and “Give Up the Funk,” and The Doobie Brothers — Tom Johnston, Patrick Simmons and Michael McDonald — with classics like “Listen to the Music” and “Long Train Runnin.” Steve Winwood, whose hits include “Higher Love” and “Roll With It”, also participated within the voting earlier.

Hip-hop this yr is represented by Eminem – whose hits include “Lose Yourself” and “Stan” – and NWA members Dr. Dre, Eazy E, Ice Cube, MC Ren and DJ Yella. Hip-hop stars similar to Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg and Missy Elliot are already within the Hall. Tommy James, with hits like “Mony Mony,” “Crimson and Clover” and “I Think We’re Alone Now,” also earned a nod.

If Jackson, whose 1989 album “Rhythm Nation” was a breakthrough, gets into the Hall, it’ll be greater than 20 years after her late brother Michael. Canadian songwriter Morissette, whose influential song “Jagged Little Pill” won Grammy, Tony, Junos and MTV awards, would also join the ladies of rock within the Hall. (Glen Ballard, who helped produce and write the album, is already present.)

Like Crow, the “All I Wanna Do” and “Everyday Is a Winding Road” singer-songwriter is experiencing a renaissance after being introduced to the band Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2023. Boy George raises the flag for ’80s New Wave with Culture Club’s hits “Karma Chameleon” and “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me.”

Other nominees within the unperformed category include Franne Golde, co-writer of Selena’s “Dreaming of You”; Tom Douglas, who wrote country hits for Tim McGraw, Lady Antebellum and Miranda Lambert; Ashley Gorley, fresh off her co-written hit “I Had Some Help” with Post Malone and Morgan Wallen; and Roger Nichols, who co-wrote The Carpenters’ “We Only Just Begun.”

They join Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, who contributed to Brandy and Monica’s hit “The Boy Is Mine”; Sonny Curtis, former member of The Crickets, who wrote and performed the theme song to “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”, “Love is All Around”, and British composer Tony Macaulay, who wrote “Build Me Up Buttercup”.

The Songwriters Hall of Fame was established in 1969 to honor creators of popular music. A songwriter with a big catalog of songs is eligible for induction 20 years after the song’s first business release.

Some already in attendance include Carole King, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Brian Wilson, James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Lionel Richie, Bill Withers, Neil Diamond and Phil Collins. Last yr we saw REM, Steely Dan, Dean Pitchford, Hillary Lindsey and Timbaland introduced.

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Beyoncé leads 2025 Grammy nominations, becoming the most nominated artist in the show’s history

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NEW YORK (AP) — Welcome to Beyonce country. When it involves Grammy Award 2025 nominations, “Cowboy Carter” rules the nation. She leads the rankings with 11 nominations, bringing her profession total to 99. This makes her the most nominated artist in Grammy history.

“Cowboy Carter” is up for album and country album of the yr, and “Texas Hold ‘Em” is nominated for record, song and country song of the yr. She also received nominations in multiple genres, including pop, country, Americana and melodic rap.

This is her first time receiving nominations in the country and the Americana category.

If Beyoncé wins album of the yr, she’s going to turn out to be the first black woman in the twenty first century. Lauryn Hill last won in 1999 for “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,” joining Natalie Cole and Whitney Houston as the only black women to win a significant Grammy award.

Post Malone also received his first-ever nominations in the country categories this yr, releasing his debut country album “F-1 trillion”in August. The song is nominated for Best Country Album, and “I Had Some Help,” a collaboration with Morgan Wallen, is nominated for Country Song and Country Duo/Group Performance. This is Wallen’s first-ever Grammy nomination.

Malone is just behind Beyoncé with seven nominations, together with Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar and Charli XCX, who earned her first nominations as a solo artist.

Lamar the ubiquitous diss track released during his feud with Drake, “Not Like Us” is nominated in the categories of album and song of the yr, rap song, music video and best rap performance. In the latter category, he had two simultaneous entries, which is a primary for his profession: Future & Metro Boomin featuring Lamar. “Like That” is nominated for best rap performance and best rap song.

This is his third time receiving two simultaneous nominations for best rap song.

Taylor Swift and first-time nominee Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan each can boast six nominations.

Last yr, female artists dominated essential categories. This yr the situation continues, but the essential trend appears to be species diversity. In the album of the yr category, together with “Cowboy Carter” were latest age André 3000, alt-jazz “New Blue Sun” and “Djesse Vol.” multi-instrumentalist Jacob Collier. 4.” Rising pop stars Carpenter and Roan round out the album with “Short n’ Sweet” and “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” respectively, in addition to Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department,” Eilish’s “Hit Me Hard and Soft” and “Hit Me Hard” and Soft” by Eilish. and Charlie XCX ready for the rave “BROTHER”.

Eilish is the only artist whose first three albums have been nominated for Album of the Year.

Last yr Fast won Album of the Year for “Midnights”, breaking the record for most wins in this category (4). This yr, she becomes the first woman in history to earn seven nominations in this category.

“The breadth and diversity of genres represented in the overall field feels new and truly exciting,” says Recording Academy CEO and President Harvey Mason Jr. a developing electoral body for his success. “We were very conscious about our membership and tried to balance it. So not just gender or people of color, different races, but also genre equality and trying to make sure all types of music from different regions and locations are represented in every way possible.”

Only recordings commercially released in the U.S. between September 16, 2023 and August 30, 2024 were eligible for nomination. The final round of Grammy voting to find out the winners will happen from December 12 to January 3.

In the best latest artist category, Carpenter and Roan will go head-to-head, alongside Benson Boone, Doechia, Khruangbin, RAYE, Shaboozey and Teddy Swims.

Beyoncé was joined in the song of the yr category by Eilish for “Birds of a Feather,” Swift and Post Malone for “Fortnight,” “Good Luck, Babe!” Roan, “Please Please Please” by Carpenter, “Not Like” by Lamar Us,” “Die With A Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, and “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” by Shaboozey.

Shaboozey she can also be a first-time nominee. His “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” is the biggest song of the yr, spending more weeks at primary on the Billboard Hot 100 than some other – it is so popular that a remix of the song can also be up for a remix recording.

Additionally, Shaboozey is nominated in the Melodic Rap Performance category for his feature on Beyoncé’s “SPAGHETTIA.” The song also features Linda Martell, the country’s first black musician to realize business success and likewise earned the 83-year-old artist her first Grammy nomination.

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In the Record of the Year category, “Texas Hold ‘Em” will compete with Swift and Post Malone’s “Fortnight,” Eilish’s “Birds of a Father,” Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” and “Good Luck, Babe!” Roan, Carpenter’s “Espresso.” “, “360” by Charli XCX and the last latest Beatles song, powered by artificial intelligence “Now and Then”.

“We strive to keep up with how music creators and our community use technology. In this case, the AI ​​corrected that record and allowed him to qualify in the categories in which he qualified,” Mason Jr. explains.

So what’s missing? Like last yr, there is a big dearth of Latin music – fastest growing streaming genre in the United States – overall and without representation in major categories. There are only 4 entries in the Best Música Mexicana Album category, although it is usually one in every of them the fastest growing species.

There doesn’t appear to be any K-pop either. There aren’t any nominations for BTS members who released solo material this yr: RM’s “Right Place, Wrong Person” J-Hope’s “Hope on the Street” Vol. 1” and “Muse” by Jimin. As a boy band, BTS has received five nominations in their profession.

“I definitely see room for improvement in many genres and we continue to invite people to be a part of the academy” – Mason Jr. says. “Without proper representation, we will not get the right results. When I say “appropriate”, I mean reflective and representative of what’s going on in music today. So the work continues.”

The 2025 Grammy Awards will air on February 2 survive CBS and Paramount+ from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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