Tag Archives: soul music

Old School Friday: Movie Soundtracks

09 Friday May 2008

Posted by in Feeding The Music Jones

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by vivrant thang on old school fridays

Once again, it’s on. This week’s theme is music we love from some of our favorite films. I’m a HUGE movie buff so I really could have gone crazy with this. I’ll probably return to it in a later post.

My first selection is from the soundtrack of Love Jones, one of my all-time favorite movies – and soundtracks for that matter. The movie came out in 1997, which would make it ineligible for OLD School Fridays. However, there was one song on there that is certainly old school and one of my all time favorites.  It elicits so many emotions in me every time I listen. I just have to stop what I’m doing and….feel. I meant to post it during Jazz Appreciation Month (which I let slip by…where did April go?) Better late than never.

Enjoy “In A Sentimental Mood,” a collaboration by two of THE best to ever do it, John Coltrane and Duke Ellington.

I’m going to switch it up a bit for my other two selections. I absolutely love 70s blaxploitation films. I have a whole collection of them, including most, if not all of Pam’s Grier’s work. That was one badmamajama. Kicking ass and taking names – all while looking fierce. My shero!

I decided to go with two songs from one of my favorite 70s films, Superfly. That was a badasssss soundtrack and Curtis Maryfield is a badmutha…shutyomouf!

Superfly

Freddies Dead

What the hell. Before I go, I have to give it up again for my man, Bilal who started my week off right with a hell of a performance on Sunday night. This is not old school so consider it a bonus track.

From the soundtrack of another of my all-time favorite movies, Love and Basketball, and from my top fifty songs list, here is “Soul Sista.” (I captured the live performance of this song from Sunday’s show during which soul singer Ledisi joined him. Absolutely sick. Stay tuned.)

Hope you enjoyed my trip down movie memory lane today. If you’re not an OSF participant, share some of your favorite old school movie soundtrack songs in the comments.

Head on over and check out the other participants. This is a great theme this week and I KNOW you will enjoy what they come up with.

  • Electronic Village
  • Chatting Over Cocktails
  • Ms Grapevine
  • Quick
  • Marcus LANGFORD
  • Cassandra
  • Danielle
  • Lisa C
  • Chocl8t 
  • DP
  • Kreative Talk
  • MarvalusOne
  • Regina
  • LaShonda
  • AJ
  • Sharon
  • Invisible Woman
  • Believer 1964
  • Dee
  • SJP
  • sHaE-sHae

    • Be Thankful For What You Got

    06 Tuesday May 2008

    Posted by in Feeding The Music Jones

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    by vivrant thang on all about me

     

    You may not have a car at all
    But remember brothers and sisters
    You can still stand tall
    Just be thankful for what you’ve got
    Diamond in the back, sunroof top
    Diggin the scene
    With a gangsta lean, wooh-ooh-ooh

    The lovely spring weather in the DC area has me playing my personal summer soundtrack a little early. Since I got back in town,  William Devaughn’s “Be Thankful” and Roy Ayers’ “Everybody Loves The Sunshine” has been on repeat on the Ipod.

    Figures the weekend weather would be better here than at Derby. I wouldn’t say I balled out of control, but had a good time at the parties I did attend – admittedly it was largely due to the open bar!  I visited Churchill Downs before race day and took a few pictures. Watched the races at a cookout, but for me, it was overshadowed by the poor horse that had to be euthanized right there on the track. It was hard to watch Big Brown’s people celebrating when a horse was over there being killed. I don’t fly the PETA flag or anything and I’m not even remotely an animal lover. However, all that carrying on just didn’t seem right.

    In any event, I feel so thankful to have been able to get away exactly when I needed to – in this economy. I’ve had so many things on my mind lately – the direction of my career and my side hustle, moving ahead with my five-year plan, whether the therapy is helping, letting go of the past, relationships / marriage / sex. Might sound crazy but I just don’t like having all of that on my brain at once. Not trying to think that hard. It’s exhausting. So for a few days, I just needed to put my freakum dress on and let go.

    The same night I returned, I headed out to see Bilal in concert. When I first heard he was coming to town on the day I was getting back, I went into panic mode wondering if I would make it back in time. Wouldn’t have mattered though. Nothing but death would keep me from it. It was a hell of a show, as if there was any doubt it would be. I’ll share the videos later when I get my technical difficulties cleared up.

    Actually, the best part of the evening was meeting one of my readers! We were standing there discussing the shows we’ve been to and the music blogs we read and out of the clear blue he asked whether I had a blog called  Songs in the Key of Life? I was SO geeked, ya’ll! I was sure he had found me via Soul Bounce but he actually stumbled on one of my concert reviews/videos.  He even suggested that Bilal get the side-eye of the week week week for some of his antics!  (If you’re reading, please contact me via the comments or offline). The whole experience really made my day. I am so thankful for this platform to share my passion and connect with good folks who know and appreciate real music.

    After the show, Bilal was out taking pictures. Last time I saw him and got a photo op, I somehow lost the picture. You would think I would have raced over and been first in line. However, I was extremely tired and my head was spinning over some things that had gone on at the show (Readers, if you love me, you’ll never let me get involved with another male Bilal stan ever again – in this life or the next).  So I left with one of my friends and the other stayed behind with a dude she had come with. I checked in with her a couple of hours later to find out that her and dude had been robbed at gunpoint on the same street I had been parked on. Thankfully, nobody was hurt and he didn’t get away with much.  However, if the thief was brazen enough to rob a man walking with a female, what would he have done to two females walking alone? Then if I had stayed, I would have likely been walking with them and who knows what might have happened…especially if he had tried to take my camera with my Bilal video! I been through too much with these damn videos to go down without a fight.

    All jokes aside, that incident definitely made me take stock of some things. There are some areas of my life that definitely need improvement and I am working towards it. I’m two weeks from celebrating another year of life while so many people are senselessly dying every day. This sista is going to be thankful for what she got.

    I hope you all are too.

     

    Old School Friday: Artists We Admire

    02 Friday May 2008

    Posted by in Feeding The Music Jones

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    by vivrant thang on old school fridays

    I didn’t have to give much thought to my choice for this week’s spotlight. The assignment was to pick an artist(s) we want to be like or want to sound like.

    Usually, I try to step outside the box a bit with my selection – showcase artists people may not have heard about or not thought about in a while. Couldn’t do that this week. I just finished talking about all the reasons why I love this woman and damnit, it bears repeating!

    Hopefully, I’m preaching to the choir when I talk about this woman’s musical ability. The words and sounds that come out of her mouth are heaven sent. Her live performances have moved me to tears. I shouldn’t need to convince any of you about that. You should already know. So I’ll talk about some of the other things I admire about J-I-L-L-S-C-O-T-T.

    • I admire how comfortable she is in her own skin.
    • I admire her sassiness, her beauty, her unabashed sensuality, and her rawness. She’s a cusser like moi.
    • I admire that she was able to pick herself up and keep flying after loving that deeply  – and losing.aside: She might have had an extra shot of six of Crown Royal on ice but you never once heard about a DUI or any other public antics. You have also never heard her say one negative word about him. That’s a real woman. Now a chick like me would have been hollering to anyone that would listen about his bitchassness. I’m just sayin.
    • I admire the path she has taken and how she is following her dreams. She’s gone from scooping ice cream in North Philly to being a three-time Grammy Award winner, published author, and star of the big and little screen.I can’t wait to see what’s next.

    She’s the shit ya’ll….the REAL thing.

    Bow down to the queen.

    My Love

    The Way/ Whenever You’re Around

    [youtbe=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jXfUn6o7Sg]

    The REAL Thing

    Hungry for more? Be sure to check out my review and videos from the concert I attended last month.

    The party’s not over ya’ll. Check out some of the artists that other Old School Friday participants admire.

  • Electronic Village
  • Chatting Over Cocktails
  • Ms Grapevine
  • Quick
  • Marcus LANGFORD
  • Cassandra
  • Danielle
  • Lisa C
  • Chocl8t 
  • DP
  • Kreative Talk
  • MarvalusOne
  • Regina
  • LaShonda
  • AJ
  • Sharon
  • Invisible Woman
  • Believer 1964
  • Dee
  • SJP
  • sHaE-sHae

    • Forever, For Always, For Lalah

    22 Tuesday Apr 2008

    Posted by in Feeding The Music Jones

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    by vivrant thang on lalah hathaway

    I really need to be cloned.

    Vivrant II would have been at this networking event. Vivrant III would have been home writing my Jill Scott concert review (tomorrow, I promise!). Vivrant I overrode both of them and made her way to a live taping of a new show coming to BETJ called Inside The Round. The featured artist was Lalah Hathaway – daughter of Donny Hathaway – for the few who may not be familiar with her music. Since I only own one greatest hits album, I can’t say I’m a true blue Lalah fan. That may soon change.

    After stuffing my face with some tasty Jamaican jerk chicken, coco bread, pineapple soda, and some of the freshest fruit I’ve ever had, I made my way over the the intimate, candlelit set along with some other music-loving ladies I had just met. They took seats in the very front. I’m a more behind-the-scenes type of chick (no, really) so I was a bit uncomfortable being in the front. Michael Gipson of SoulTracks (a site you should be checking out) gave me that gentle push I needed.

    Accompanied by a pianist, Lalah took the “stage” and sang three songs: “Something,” “Forever, For Always, For Love,” and “Summertime.” She kept encouraging us to give her more energy, wanting us to sing along and dance. She didn’t get it. I think we were all so mesmerized by her presence and the pure, natural beauty of her voice that all we could go was smile, snap our fingers, and groove. Even in it’s brevity, it was far more than a show. It was an experience. When some artists perform, you can almost see their musical influences sitting on their shoulders talking ’bout “you betta sannnnggg girl!”  

    I must say I was slightly disappointed because I expected a live performance of some of the tracks from her upcoming June release, Self Portrait. After hearing it playing in the background since I arrived, I was hungry to hear  the songs instead of just listening. Lalah fans, you are in for a treat with by this one. Every track I listened to, I felt. She says she’s in love with it…and I am too.

    Great event and I was blessed to have been a part of it. I’m not an industry type or a professional music writer. I’m just a woman who has a passion for this thing we call soul music. I “scribble” some words about that love a few times a week.  Who knew it would start opening doors in unexpected places? Love what you do…and do what you love people.

    I do – and Lalah damn sure does!

    Here’s one of my favorite Lalah tracks, “Baby Don’t Cry.”

    Remembering Luther

    20 Sunday Apr 2008

    Posted by in Music Legends

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    by vivrant thang on luther vandross

    Today would have been Luther’s 57th birthday. I really miss that man. I grew up on his music. As the child of a baby boomer, I had no choice!

    I vividly remember that day in July when he passed. I was on my way to the mall and heard the news on the radio. For some reason I didn’t have my cell so I pulled off the road to call my mother. She was practically in tears. We attended the Essence Music Festival a few days later, which he always closed out. They had quickly pulled together a moving tribute, in which Gerald Levert took part.

    TOO. SOON.

    I was in Philly this weekend for the Steve Harvey/Mo’Nique comedy show and had a chance to hear Danny Clay perform – a man who many swear is Luther reincarnated. Normally that would get the major side-eye from me. [thanks SB!]

    However, this man here could be the truth. Danny is a former inmate that called into Steve’s morning show and just started singing. Steve told him to hold on and the rest is history. He’s taken Danny under his wing and now he’s opening for him on his “Still Trippin” tour. Luther’s mother also heard him sing before she passed and gave him her stamp of approval.

    In my opinion, there will neva eva eva – in this lifetime or the next – be another Luther. His voice just can’t be duplicated. I will say that Danny definitely comes the closest I’ve ever heard. I would book him to sing Here and Now at my wedding. 🙂 I look forward to his original songs because his voice is indeed – so amazing.

    Let’s celebrate Luther today. Here are me and The First Lady’s favorites. What are yours?

    *update: Head on over to DJ Diva’s spot and cop her hot Luther mixes: Slow Jams and Fast Mix.

    Superstar/Until You Come Back To Me (Superstar -originally Delaney/Bonnie and Until – Stevie Wonder classic)
    (STILL trying to recover from the massacre at Little Ursher)

    A House Is Not A Home (gives me chills- if you only watch one, this is it!)
    note: originally sung by Dionne Warwick, who is in the audience and is understandably moved to tears)

    Love Won’t Let Me Wait
    (remake of Major Harris classic)

    Anyone Who Had A Heart (remake of 1963 Dionne Warwick classic)
    (highlight of the So Amazing All Star Tribute album is the duet with Luther and Elton John)

    Wait For Love
    (this song has got me through some rough times!)