MJ and Stevie… what more can you say but enjoy!

*Cue Kriss Kross* The subject of this editorial has been on my mind for a minute… wrote a song about like to hear it? Here it go!!!

Add me, confirm me, follow me please
If you have a little time can you rate how I sing?

I had to stop after those two lines to write this. But seriously, what I’m ranting about today is the ever present (especially as it relates to music) “I’m about to do this or that” that you cannot escape from on any social network whether it is a “celebrity” or someone who aspires to be. I have certainly been guilty of using that phrase, I still probably use it from time to time but my problem is the incessant “I’m about to-ers”. You know the folks that out of the 24hours in each day that we’ve been allotted 18 of those hours they are on Twitter or Facebook talking about what they are going to do musically. Oh they are out there… some successful and some not so, some talented and some not so. (more…)

I posted this particular clip for a few reasons…

1. We are going to get into the music of Stevie today on Facebook to help pay tribute to an incredible icon of music, so that side will be covered.

2. Stevie is so much more than just a musician, which is part of the reason that his music is timeless.

3. Please no one take a offense at this next statement that I’m about to make… but did you see the competition that Stevie was up against to win the Grammy? That speaks volumes and I’m going to leave it right there.

Happy Birthday Stevie!!!

From the entire GFM Family!!!

Happy Monday!

Yeah I know I’m actually up to 1984 in Stevie’s catalog. I’m not really stuck in the 70′s. This song just happened to be on my mind today. I often wax nostalgic here but really from the standpoint of trying to point into proper context what it was like to grow up with this kind of music on the radio as the norm. What I often wonder about now is are we creating not just music but history? Yes this music has the undeniable sound of 80′s digital synthesis but also has a wonderful melody, beautiful harmonies and a pulse that drives. There’s a story here. I like stories, everyone likes stories, there are stories that have been with us thousands of years. What stories will they tell from 2011?

No it’s not Sunday and this isn’t a new clip (unless as we always talk about here if you’ve never seen it it’s new to you) but when you see/hear music and you happen to involve yourself with a movement (not just a blog, yeah I said it) called Grown Folks Music what do you do? Post. Plain and simple. Now could someone please remind me what all that hubbub was about concerning Esperanza Spalding and the Grammys back in February? Exactly. Popularity lasts for fifteen minutes, true artistry is eternal.

Some might say that there is an unwritten rule in coverdom concerning the covering of Stevie Wonder songs. I might ask those folks to qualify that statement by asking which era Stevie, because there have been those who have successfully covered every Stevie era but to me there’s always been something special and different about “That Girl”. I think it has a lot to do with the sound and when this recording was released. (more…)

The song is “Desafinado”(Off Key) by one of my favorite composers of all time Antonio Carlos Jobim. Two of my favorite artists in an impromptu jam. But the main reason that I posted this today is to point out that the language here is clearly music, that language knows no bounds, borders or any other silly definition we put on ourselves. Music just is, so we should let it be.