WBEZ | soul

JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound deliver some 21st century soul

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 13:24:00 -0500

Local band JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound has been making its mark around the world lately. Eight Forty-Eight spoke with band members about their sound and how soul and other forms of music inspire them. The band visited WBEZ's Jim and Kay Mabie Performance Studio recently to perform songs from their new record, Want More. They kicked things off with their song, "Everything Will Be Fine." Below are a couple more songs from JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound.

J.C. Brooks and the Uptown Sound perform "Everything Will Be Fine" live for WBEZ's Eight Forty-Eight

"Awake"

"Touch Your Heart"

Global Notes: Indian chanteuse a precursor to disco and fusion

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 18:23:00 -0500

Asha Puthli, a successful Indian vocalist, has been dubbed the original Indian diva of jazz, soul and funk. Born and raised in Mumbai, she trained in Indian classical singing before moving to the U.S. in the 1970s to pursue jazz.

Asha's music has been called a cross between Raga and Aretha Franklin. Columbia Records impresario John Hammond discovered her upon her arrival to the United States.

Radio M host Tony Sarabia introduces Jerome to the genre-jumping music of Indian vocalist, Asha Puthli.

DJ AMPM lives on music day and night

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 16:17:00 -0600

In the a.m., DJ AMPM-aka Alycia Ryan-works at Gramaphone Records as their hip-hop buyer. In the p.m., she spins everything from southern hip-hop to R&B and old-school soul music. Friday on "Eight Forty-Eight" she gave a sampling of her sound throughout the hour. At the end of the program, DJ AMPM down with host Alison Cuddy to talk about what gets her turntables spinning.

DJ AMPM spins a couple of weekly residencies: Thursday nights she’s at ñ in Chicago’s Avondale neighborhood and Fridays she spins southern hip-hop and more at Zentra on Chicago’s near North Side.

DJ AMPM Mini-Set:
Sugar Hill Gang, "Apache (Jump On It)"
Bobby Byrd, "I Know You Got Soul"
Willie Hutch "Brother's Gonna Work it Out"
Showbiz and A.G., "Party Groove"
J. Cole, "Who Dat" (instrumental)
Slim, "So Fly" (instrumental)
Big Pun, "You Came Up" (instrumental)

Chicago Hip Hop / Soul veterans 41° 51' 0" N / 87° 39' 0" W aka The Primeridian

Mon, 27 Dec 2010 23:29:00 -0600

Simeon Viltz and Race of The Primeridian are up to no good again. They're about to release a new mixtape (or as they like to call it MixP3) with a whole slew of producers and features singing on it in between bursts of demonic laughs - WHOAHAHA!

Hear some of the old and brand new tracks from Chicago's Hip Hop / Soul veterans along with an interview where they talk about how they all met as young aspiring MCs at University of Illinois. They also explain their "beautifully melodic and soulfully hypnotic" sound, explain the "LEAN" factor and MixP3, tell stories about their involvement with youth mentoring, and dwell a little bit on the corporate takeover of Hip Hop in the mid 90's.

Part II: American blues and and soul singer Syl Johnson

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 16:31:00 -0600

On Tuesday, Eight Forty-Eight began its conversation with blues and soul legend Syl Johnson. Numero Group's latest box set is a big one –more than 80 songs on four CDs or 12 sides of vinyl: It’s up to you - both formats are included! "Syl Johnson: Complete Mythology" is a collection of the Chicago soul singer’s early work, from the years 1959-1972.

The set includes many of Johnson’s early hits including the often sampled "Different Strokes." There are also some once-lost or forgotten, never before released treasures. All of the material is being saved from media deterioration.

Saturday, a 17-piece band joins Johnson in a concert at the Old Town School of Folk Music.

Syl Johnson and his longtime bass player Bernard Reed recently stopped by Eight Forty-Eight to chat and perform.