Welcome to the June 2019 issue of Black Grooves, sponsored by the Indiana University Archives of African American Music and Culture. This month we’re celebrating the 40th anniversary of African American Music Appreciation Month, originally designated Black Music Month by President Jimmy Carter in 1979. In our efforts to preserve and promote the legacy of Black music, we’re featuring new releases across multiple genres by artists both new and iconic.
Jazz releases include the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival’s 50th anniversary 5-CD set, Jazz Fest, Wynton Marsalis’s Bolden: Music from the Original Soundtrack, the latest Wes Montgomery compilation Back on Indiana Avenue: The Carroll DeCamp Recordings from Resonance Records, trumpeter Theo Croker’s Star People Nation, jazz harpist Brandee Younger’s Soul Awakening, the Marcus Shelby Orchestra’s Transitions featuring the new suite “Black Ball: The Negro Leagues and the Blues,” saxophonist Elan Trotman’s Marvin Gaye tribute Dear Marvin, and Sam Newsome’s Chaos Theory: Song Cycles for Prepared Sax.
New releases from iconic artists include Mavis Staples’ We Get By, The Last Poets’ Transcending Toxic Times, and Dionne Warwick’s She’s Back. Other R&B/soul releases include Jamila Woods’ Legacy! Legacy! highlighting legendary Black artists, Rahsaan Patterson’s Heroes & Gods, and the 50th anniversary reissue of Stax Records’ Soul Explosion.
Also celebrating a 50th anniversary is the Gospel Music Workshop of America Detroit Chapter’s Bringing It Back Home. Other featured releases include Winged Creatures and Other Works for Flute, Clarinet and Orchestra performed by the talented brothers Anthony McGill and Demarre McGill, young blues prodigy Christone “Kingfish” Ingram’s debut Kingfish, Keb Mo’s Americana blues album Oklahoma, and L.A. rapper Choosey’s collab with producer Exile on Black Beans. Wrapping up this issue is our list of May 2019 Black Music Releases of Note.