Title: Uncivil WarArtist: Shemekia CopelandLabel: AlligatorFormat: CD, DigitalRelease date: October 23, 2020 Reigning blues queen Shemekia Copeland delves deep into the divided heart and tarnished soul of America on her latest release, Uncivil War. The follow-up to her … Continue reading
Title: America’s Child Artist: Shemekia Copeland Label: Alligator Formats: CD, Digital Release Date: August 3, 2018 Since her Outskirts of Love release, “Queen of the Blues” Shemekia Copeland has been striving for a deeper representation of Americana blues. With … Continue reading
Title: Outskirts of Love Artist: Shemekia Copeland Label: Alligator Formats: CD, MP3 Release date: September 11, 2015 At the 2011 Chicago Blues Festival, Shemekia Copeland was crowned “Queen of the Blues.” A title held by the deceased Koko … Continue reading
Welcome to the November 2020 issue of Black Grooves, sponsored by the Indiana University Archives of African American Music and Culture. Our top features this month are The Power Of The One from funk legend Bootsy Collins with appearances from Christian McBride, … Continue reading
This month we’re featuring Product of Our Souls: The Sound and Sway of James Reese Europe’s Society Orchestra—the earliest mainstream recordings of an African American dance band—in an authoritative package from Archeophone Records. In honor of Gospel Music Heritage Month, … Continue reading
Title: Alligator Records 45th Anniversary Collection Artist: Various Label: Alligator Formats: 2-CD set, MP3 Release date: June 10, 2016 Alligator Records started in 1971 as one man’s dream to record the Southside Chicago blues artists who packed a tiny … Continue reading
Welcome to the November issue of Black Grooves, sponsored by the Indiana University Archives of African American Music and Culture. This month we’re featuring albums with a local connection: Mind Your Head by the Bloomington-born funk band The Main Squeeze; … Continue reading
Following are additional albums released during September 2015—some will be reviewed in future issues of Black Grooves. Blues, Folk, Country Adolphus Bell: Mississippi Rubberleg (Music Maker) B.B. King: Complete Singles As &Bs 1949-62 (Acrobat) Gary Clark Jr: The Story … Continue reading
Title: Ske-Dat-De-Dat: The Spirit of Satch Artist: Dr. John Label: Concord Formats: CD, MP3 Release date: August 19, 2014 What happens when the spirit of a legendary New Orleans’ jazz trumpet player issues the directive “take my music and … Continue reading
Title: True Blues Artists: Various Label: Telarc Formats: CD, MP3, DVD (coming soon) Release date: May 28, 2013 Recorded live at various venues throughout the country, True Blues is a 13-song CD that “explores and celebrates the genre … Continue reading
These two amazing releases represent the African American sacred steel tradition, which was first developed in Pentecostal churches by Willie Eason in the 1930s. Though steel guitar originated in Hawaii, the pedal steel has been embraced in the worship at … Continue reading
Welcome to the January 2013 “winter blues” issue of Black Grooves, sponsored by the Archives of African American Music and Culture. This month we’re covering thirteen blues projects released in 2012, ranging from the 4-volume 12-CD set Plug It In! … Continue reading
The following CDs, all released in the latter half of 2012, feature five older veterans of the blues as well as the reigning queen. Title: Blues Heart Artist: Dorothy Moore Label: Farish Street Records Formats: CD, MP3 Release date: August … Continue reading
This month we’re cleaning house and taking a look at some worthy albums from 2009 that we didn’t have a chance to feature in earlier issues. In addition to three full length reviews—Rev. Timothy Wright’s The Godfather of Gospel, Wu-Tang … Continue reading
Title: Complete Chess Masters (1950-1957) Artist: Little Walter Label: Hip-O Select Format: CD Box Set Release date: March 10, 2009 – The king of Chicago blues harpists is celebrated in this five CD box set, featuring all of Little Walter’s … Continue reading