ATL, tonight, April 20, catch the release concert for Darryl Reeves’ new album Mercury at the Southwest Arts Center Performance Theatre!

A few hundred feet below Avenue A in New York City, Drom provided the intimate atmosphere needed for an evening with Avery*Sunshine. From the moment she stepped onstage to the very last CD she signed, you never got the feeling that you weren’t family to the Chester, PA native, ATL resident, as she laughed, joked, shared and relived moments many of us have similar memories of. The ever-present smile on Avery*Sunshine’s face eased the tedium of your 9-5, because on this night, your worries were left at the top of the stairway and you were in the presence of the one of the brightest lights in music.

Oh yeah, she sings too…

The opening lines from her debut single “All in My Head” drew a rousing response from the audience as she belted out the familiar story of misconstrued relationship speak, but it was the transition into Anita Baker’s timeless classic “Sweet Love” that put me on notice that we were in for a special evening. There’s something about Avery*Sunshine that separates her from other artists; it’s more than her amazing vocal range, it has much to do with who she is as a woman and how she connects to those in her presence, in your iPod or in-person. To this point, she moved from behind her piano and photographed each section of the audience with her phone before casually sitting down to resume the show.
It’s those moments and the stories in her songs that relate Avery*Sunshine to the everyday fan; they may not all be her stories, but they are stories that you and I have lived. For instance, “Pinin’” tells the story of a relationship that’s run its course and years later, she’s still aching over that man or as the old folks say, pining. Tell me you haven’t been there. To hear her sing it live is to know her pain, know her struggle with moving forth, you know it’s real.

Nestled in a corner area stage right were members of her family, including sister Maia Wilson (currently performing in Book of Mormon on Broadway) and her niece who was celebrating a birthday. They would come to play a prominent part in the night’s festivities as the show was interrupted when the venue’s staff brought out a birthday cake and Ms. Sunshine stopped the music to sing “Happy Birthday”, before promptly picking up right where she left off. It was also the calls from that corner of the room that turned our Thursday night into revival. Showing off her background leading some of the most dynamic choirs on the East Coast, she led her family and the audience through “Blessin’ Me” from her debut album and the Gospel mainstay, “Safe in His Arms”, the latter bringing most of the crowd to its feet in praise…not for her, but for the God who made it possible for them to be at Drom that night.

The emotions were running high and the time low, but there were enough ticks remaining to go into “Ugly Part of Me”, her latest release. We learned during her prelude that radio programmers didn’t believe she had a radio friendly song on 2010’s Avery*Sunshine, but nearly two years later, “Ugly Part of Me” is in rotation around the country and the video is on VH1-Soul and other stations. However, you won’t hear the rousing version she performed in New York City anywhere else, nor will that version have the special appearance her sister made. It was truly a beautiful moment in music to hear their voices mesh to make magic.

“I Got Sunshine” is a motivational anthem with the type of upbeat instrumentation that’s guaranteed to get you moving and coupled at her piano with her niece the birthday girl, it was the perfect note to end the show on, until the evening’s mistress of ceremonies Fiona Bloom urged her return to the microphone for an encore. Crowd participation was on display as she led us through versions of Aretha Franklin’s “Jump to It”, Luther Vandross’ “Never Too Much” and Michael Jackson “Rock with You”, an exclamation point on an extraordinary night.

Five minutes away from Drom I stopped and smiled. I remembered a little anecdote from the show, then a song, a note, the reaction of the crowd and I recognized that the moment I just experienced was turning into a sweet memory. Turn your moments into memories when Avery*Sunshine comes to a city near you, visit www.AverySunshine.com to unlock her social media portal to stay up-to-date with the magic she creates.

This post was submitted by Al-Lateef Farmer.

Article: Kimberly Charles/Photos: Hope West

The Robert Glasper Experiment Black Radio Tour stopped in the ATL to treat a sold-out crowd to its jazz, soul and hip-hop style all rolled into one evening. The crowd was already aware of Chrisette Michele’s scheduled presence at the show–she visually popped from the stage in a beautiful green dress as she broke down “Afro Blue”. To the delight and surprise of the crowd, Bilal also showed up to lend his vocals to “Letter To Hermione”. But the crowd really went crazy when Musiq Soulchild appeared on stage to perform “Ah Yeah” with Chrisette Michele.

In addition to the special guests, The Robert Glasper Experiment itself did the doggone thing on covers of “Say Yes” by Floetry and “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana, which, is a testament to that song. The original version is the furthest thing from jazz or soul music, so hearing Robert Glasper flip it over and cook it a different way means the song already had some meat on its bones. We were also treated to some J Dilla songs–with Bilal and Musiq rockin’ out “Reminisce” for an encore performance. There is much discussion today about the lack of musicianship from today’s artists and disappearance of good music; especially on the radio. But wait, hold up. It ain’t on yo’ radio. It’s on Robert Glasper’s Black Radio…go get it.

Get Black Radio at iTunes

Considered by Rolling Stone as the 9^th greatest artist of all time, gracing the cover of prestigious publications like TIME Magazine and being the summoned voice of President Clinton and Obama, Aretha Franklin doesn’t just sing the song Respect, she commands it front and center. Raised in the southern Baptist tradition of gospel through the guidance of her father C.L. Franklin, Aretha’s beautifully executed riffs and soulful tone has not only been the influence of Whitney Houston and Adele but the pop/soul style of George Michael and rock icon, Freddie Mercury of the group, Queen. While Franklin is noted greatly for her voice, you would be remiss to ignore her skills as a songwriter with hits like Daydreaming, Rock Steady and Call Me.

Monday evening, the Fox Theatre was blessed by the sovereign soul of “the Queen” herself, Ms. Aretha Louise Franklin. Gracing the stage in a green and shimmering silver gown, Ms. Franklin effortlessly crooned the Jackie Wilson tune, (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher as the crowd cheered upon her arrival. With raised hands of applause and the expressive styling of Aretha’s voice, it was definitely a night to remember.

Check out GFM’s exclusive pictures from her show in Atlanta.

How beautiful is the spirit of willingness in the words of this song… That a man would want to go to certain lengths to heal a wounded heart… Enjoy “Mr Too Damn Good” by Gerald Levert from his 2000 album G.  Also, enjoy Gerald’s live performance of the song below.

If you’re in or near San Francisco be sure to check out Ms. Jody Watley as she presents: A Return To Elegance–Motown, Jazz Pop & Me. Sure to be a treat, this special live show will take place three nights–March 15, 16 and 17 at The Rrazz Room at Hotel Niko. For tickets and information call: (415) 394-1189 or go to www.therrazzroom.com

A tribute to two of the baddest brothers in the game right now. I hope you enjoy it.

Musiq Soulchild – Just Friends (Sunny)
Anthony Hamilton – Cornbread, Fish & Collard Greens
Musiq Soulchild feat Lupe Fiasco – Buddy (Remix)
Anthony Hamilton – Woo
Musiq Soulchild – Yes
Anthony Hamilton – Comin From Where I’m From
Musiq Soulchild – Girl Next Door (feat. Ayana of Aaries)
Anthony Hamilton – Better Days
Musiq Soulchild – Until
Anthony Hamilton – Writing On The Wall
Musiq Soulchild – Speechless
Anthony Hamilton – Lucille
Musiq Soulchild – MakeYouHappy
Anthony Hamilton – Life Has A Way
India Arie feat Musiq Soulchild – Chocolate High (Album Version)
Anthony Hamilton – Prayin’ For You/Superman
Anthony Hamilton – Struggle No More Remix Ft Jaheim & Musiq Soulchild

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Peace and Blessings

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