“Montclair, NJ. 1:16 PM. (Music. To Grade By.)” (Taken with Instagram at Panera Bread)
Jersey City. 4:31 PM. “(Classic Music Goes By A Single Name. Sade.)” (Taken with picplz.)
Brooklyn. 4:12 PM. (“Toshi Reagon Sings ‘Battle of The Sit-Ins’”) (Taken with picplz at Brooklyn Museum in New York, NY.)
“Amel Larrieux” on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
Highline Ballroom
Chelsea
New York, New York
(Taken on December 28, 2011 using a FujiFilm FinePix X100)
“Magic” on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
Amel And Sky Larrieux
Highline Ballroom
Chelsea
New York, New York
(note: phenomenal live version)
(taken on December 28, 2011 using a FujiFilm FinePix X100)
“The Glow” on Flickr.
Via Flickr:
Amel Larrieux
Highline Ballrooom
Chelsea
New York, New York
(taken on December 28, 2011 using a FujiFilm FinePix X100)
“Freshlyground. Live At Summer Stage.”
Rumsey Playfield, Central Park.
New York, New York.
(Taken with picplz using HTC EVO.)
“N’Dambi As Street Art. (Love. Her.) (Taken with picplz at Kartell Store in Manhattan, NY.)
“My Lost Musical Loves: Jamiroquai”
Just last night I was thinking of how incredible Jamiroquai’s first two albums were. “Emergency on Planet Earth” and “Return of the Space Cowboy” combined pop, funk, and soul that helped further define the “acid jazz” (er, “rare groove”) scene of the early 1990s.
Some may quibble with Jay Kay’s Stevie Wonder-esque vocals, but there is no denying that this one of the funkiest groups this side of the Pacific.
And then came “Travelling Without Moving”.
While I loved the album, thanks to “that”video, the group realized commercial success beyond their wildest dreams. True, from most accounts, before the album, Jamiroquai was “The Best Group You Never Heard Of”. Afterwards, they were a group that was symbolized by one video and deemed a one-hit wonder from VH-1.
Sadly, every song since that album has been Jay Kay re-writing “Cosmic Girl” in various fashions. (The People of the State of All Things Soulful introduce Exhibit A, ”Canned Heat”, Your Honor.)
“Light Years” captures all that was great with the group.
I need their lyrical sunshine in my life right about now.
Summer is often the soundtrack to our youth. Five Star’s “Let Me Be The One’ was one of the defining songs of during my summer of 1985.
And yes, they certainly had a Jackson 5 feel…with a bit of British soul.
Mica Paris is one of soul’s hidden gems.
Though popular in her native England for many years, she never reached the success that belies her rich voice.
It was about twentysome years ago, that I was introduced to her, The Pasadenas, and Andrew Roachford in a USA Today article about the coming British Soul Wave. That wave never reached our musical shores, but opened my ears to a sound that influences my music tastes to this day.
(This video is from “Contribution” and features Rakim.)
Jamiroquai provided the soundtrack to my law school days. Sadly, the success achieved from “Travelling Without Moving” prevented the group from reaching greater heights. But their music is still relevant.
This clip is from the television series “Live From Abbey Road”. With Jay Kay as the “official” group, it proves that he still has a knack for producing great music.
Word has Jamiroquai returning back to the studio this year…and going back to it’s original sound.
The Best Break-Up Song. Ever.
Raul Midon is the best songwriter you’ve never heard. Normally, his songs are optimistic. But as he said at a recent NYC show, “About You” was written for “balance”.
Check out his new album, “Synthesis” as well as his previous two major label releases.
