Recent posts: soul

Perusing the 2025 NAMM Show Attendee list, my eyes lit up when I saw Simone Torres’ name on the event roster. On Friday’s conference schedule, Grammy-nominated vocal producer, engineer and recording artist presided over Roland’s NAMM Panel discussing Music Production and hit the stage herself, putting her powerhouse voice on display. Building a thriving Twitch community centered around her music engineering, she’s creating production tools for purchase to assist others aspiring to do the same. When she’s not doing that, she’s working on her own music, vlogging on Instagram and engineering and vocal producing for artists like Cardi B, Camila Cabello, Sofia Carson, Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, Becky G, Chloe Bailey and Anitta. Racking up an impressive roster of 261 credits and stream counts into the billions (12 billion to be exact), the future appears limitless for this Long Island Latina native.

Delving eagerly into the 2025 NAMM Show schedule, as an unabashed lover of classic and modern blues and jazz, I remained intent to connect with guitarists who wear their influences on every note played. It didn’t take long to land on Chant Duplantier’s name. Growing up in Louisiana, a state known the world over as the birthplace of jazz and an important culture-shaping hub for soul and blues, Chant’s family informed his early love of legends like Buddy Guy, Howlin Wolf and Muddy Waters. As he progressed his guitar playing into adulthood, artists like Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Prince, George Benson and Django Reinhardt joined the influence arsenal. Listening to Chant play live like he does in this clip below, the inspiration shows.

As a casual daily music listener, it’s easy to take for granted why your favorite songs sound so good. All you know is that when you turn the volume up and hear the rattling bass that gets you hyped or the crisp blend of choruses, to which you sing along in the shower, they transport you elsewhere on an album’s journey. Developing a new curiosity about how critical mixing and engineering impact music’s final product, I recently discovered a fascinating world that’s as much artistic as it is technical which deserves utmost respect. Delving into my favorite albums and songs throughout the years with this lens, one name popped up over and over again- Neal Pogue.

Throughout the 2010’s, nestled in North Carolina’s Bull City stood one of the premier jazz and R&B festivals. Assembling historic lineups with ease, where one could view legendary and rising talent favs at several venues across Durham, the Art of Cool Fest became a yearly highlight. During its second year, it drew bandleader, film and TV composer Kris Bowers. Connecting with him then in 2015, he spoke of working on Showtime’s Kobe Bryant ‘Muse’ documentary and the booked and busy musical road ahead of him.

As images of elaborate floats descend down historic New Orleans streets and mid-air bead tossing continue into the late night hours, one can’t help but get swept up in the mardi gras madness. An album that perfectly encapsulates this distinct time of year and its special festive atmosphere is Delfeayo Marsalis and The Uptown Jazz Orchestra’s “Uptown On Mardi Gras Day”. Whether it’s the “Mardi Gras Mambo” or the “Uptown Boogie”, this 2023 12-song offering takes the listener down to Bourbon St right quick.

Entering The Grammy Museum’s latest ” Hip-Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit”, in the center of the room, an eye-catching case with studded jeweled nails worn by Bay Area rapper Saweetie, rests. Contributing this trendsetting piece of hip-hop art is celebrity artist and nail salon owner Temeka Jackson. Beginning her nail art journey as the first Black nail technician in New Haven, Connecticut, she’s appeared in reality shows like “Next Top Nail Artist” and “Nailed It”. Today, staying booked and busy, her custom creations reign on red carpets, music video sets and magazine covers on the reg.

While perusing through the stacked lineup for Bull City’s 5^thAnnual Art of Cool Fest earlier this fall, my eyes immediately stopped at one name. Dwele. Universally known for hailing from the historic Midwestern music metropolis of Detroit, he respectfully pays homage to the greats that came before but blazed his own action-packed melodic trail since his demo debut ‘The Rize’ in 2000. His career’s gone fascinating places, linking up with Raphael Saadiq, Eric Roberson, Slum Village, Common, Phife, Raheem Devaughn, DJ Quik and Kanye.

As I bid farewell to the first half of 2017 and seek music to replenish our soul summer song playlists, one album automatically getting the add is Cody’s ChesnuTT’s latest effort ‘My Love Divine Degree’. Continuing in his introspective and social commentary combination trademark style, Cody’s new full-length focuses on conscious culture and the Black family structure. Collaborating with Raphael Saadiq on a few tracks, broad influences meld like a spiritual union at the intersection of soul and folk, while occasionally dabbling in electronica and reggae.

I chatted with Cody at SXSW a while ago about this new album, working with The Roots, attending The MTV VMAs, a chance encounter with Pharrell and being in Dave Chappelle’s Block Party movie. Surprisingly, we also touched upon his time at working at Death Row Records, the legendary label founded by Dr. Dre, The D.O.C. and Suge Knight. Peep the interview soundclips below and get the album HERE!