First Listen: Mint Condition’s Stokley finds something “Rare”
(June 20, 2025) Usually, especially in turbulent times like these, we tend to gravitate to what’s stable and expected…but that doesn’t always happen when attraction enters the mix. When eyes meet, stars align and the body temperature rises, common sense can flee and we still look forward to the often-bumpy ride, which is what sonic soul man […]
First Listen: Lalah Hathaway helps Nate Smith to reimagine “Automatic”
(June 19, 2025) It’s easy to forget how big The Pointer Sisters were in the 1970s and 80s. They had hits in the mid-70s with “Yes We Can, Can” and “How Long (Betcha Got a Chick on the Side), but starting in 1978 with “Fire” and through the 1980s, The Pointer Sisters were massive as […]
First Listen: Noel Gourdin goes “Back To Basics”
(June 18, 2025) Back to Basics, Vol. 1, Noel Gourdin’s latest album, sounds like an exact description of his musical career. Going back to “The River,” the tune that served as the public’s introduction to Gourdin, he’s been identified as an artist who brought the classic elements of soul singing to the contemporary R&B game. Those elements include great musical storytelling […]
First Listen: Kirk Franklin wants to “Do It Again”
(June 16, 2025) For a prolific artist who produces, writes, arranges, etc. yet rarely sings a note, Kirk Franklin consistently uplifts the atmosphere and unifies his audiences with nuggets of hope. And that is why we all sing, to loosely quote one of his biggest hits with The Family back in the day. On June […]
First Listen: King Sis Delivers a “Love’s Lament”
June 15, 2025 – King Sis is a singer/songwriter based in Los Angeles who in 2015 won 1st place at the legendary Apollo Theater’s “Amateur Night” in Harlem. The confidence she gained from that victory propelled her to become an in-demand background vocalist (working with prominent artists such as Kelela) before beginning her solo career. We feature […]
First Listen: Michon Young has an “All Around Perfect” love
(June 16, 2025) Gary Indiana-born/Detroit-raised singer/songwriter Michon Young has wowed audiences from the States all the way to the UK, where prior releases such as “Always Remember” hit the top of the charts. Shepherded into music via Gospel’s legendary Winans family, Michon started within that genre before moving towards more secular works. Michon’s newest single, “All Around Perfect,” is […]
First Listen: Jason Peterson DeLaire plays “The Game of Love”
(June 13, 2025) I grew up listening to smooth jazz radio, and one of the songs that was always in rotation was “Too Hot” by Kool & the Gang. The opening lyric is: “At 17 we fell in love, high school sweethearts / Love was so brand new / We took the vows of man and […]
First Listen: Kinsman Dazz Band wants to “Keep It Movin'”
(June 12, 2025) The Kinsman Dazz Band has always had the ability to make music that made listeners boogie, as well as slow grind. “Let It Whip” and “Invitation to Love” are both loved by R&B fans, albeit for different reasons. They’ve been at it since the 1970s, making danceable music and playing it live. Kinsman Dazz […]
First Listen: Gianna Alessi delivers a gentle groove on “Soft”
(June 11, 2025) NYC-raised, LA-based alt-R&B singer-songwriter Gianna Alessi is definitely one to watch. With training from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee School of Music and with years of experience working in New York’s music scene at Bowery Electric and Groove in the West Village, she officially teased us with fresh music in 2022 with […]
First Listen: Johnny Britt gives that EWF sound on “Emotions”
(June 10, 2025) There was a time when bands like Earth, Wind & Fire would include an instrumental tune on their albums. Those tracks served to highlight the band’s musical dexterity while reminding listeners that funk, R&B, soul were jazz music’s younger cousins. Johnny Britt, trumpeter, singer, songwriter and producer, remembers those days, and the […]
