JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 84th anniversary of the birth Earth Wind & FIre’s Maurice White.
Category: Soul Music
Throwback: Happy 86th Birthday, Eddie Kendricks!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 86th anniversary of the birth of The Temptations co-founder Eddie Kendricks.
New Audio: Kelly Finnigan Returns with Two Christmas Time Originals
Acclaimed San Francisco-based singer/songwriter, musician, producer and Monophonics frontman Kelly Finnigan has proven himself to be rather prolific over the past couple of years. Last year, Finnigan released his sophomore solo album, A Lover Was Born, which featured album singles “Be Your Own Shelter,” and “Love (Your Pain Goes Deep).”
This year, Finnigan followed up with two standalone singles:
- A cover of Buffalo-based duo Samson & Delilah‘s 1967 song “Keep Me In Mind,” which saw him teaming up with Chicago‘s Renaldo Domino and an All-Star cast of some of the contemporary soul scene’s best players on a take that rekindled memories of Sam and Dave and the like.
- “Say It Again,” a breezy and soulful tune with with acclaimed Wichita-born, London-based producer, composer, multi-instrumentalist and Young Gun Silver Fox co-founder Shawn Lee that seemingly channelled 1970s Isley Brothers — in particular, think of “Summer Breeze Pts. 1 & 2,” “That Lady,” and the like.
Finnigan closes out the year with two new, self-penned Christmas tunes —
“I Can’t Wait (For Christmas Time)”/”Snowy Night In Ohio.”
“I Can’t Wait (For Christmas Time)” is a straightforward pop/soul arrangement that features labelmate Kendra Morris and her band on backing vocals. “I the Can’t Wait (For Christmas Time)” channels some of Finnigan’s previously released work, while reminding the listener that the holidays are about the excitement, anticipation and longing for reunions with loved ones.
“Snowy Night In Ohio” is a meditative tune that sounds as though it could have been previously unreleased track from the A Joyful Sound sessions that evokes the nostalgia and comfort of being with your dearest ones and looking out the window to see the snow gently fall outside.
“I Can’t Wait (For Christmas Time)”/”Snowy Night In Ohio” are out now as 7″ 45RPM single and on digital platforms through Colemine Records.
Throwback: Happy 79th Birthday, Frankie Beverly!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 79th anniversary of the birth of the legendary Frankie Beverly.
Throwback: Happy 93rd Birthday, Little Richard!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 93rd anniversary of the birth of Little Richard.
Throwback: Happy 92nd Birthday, Lou Rawls!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 92ned anniversary of the birth of the legendary Lou Rawls.
Throwback: Happy 72nd Birthday, Shuggie Otis!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Shuggie Otis’ 72nd birthday.
Throwback: Happy 85th Birthday, Percy Sledge!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 85th anniversary of the birth of Percy Sledge.
Throwback: Happy 84th Birthday, Dr. John!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 84th anniversary of the birth of Dr. John.
New Audio: The New Mastersounds Share Swaggering Live Version of “Dusty Groove”
The New Mastersounds — currently, Eddie Roberts (guitar, production), Simon Allen (drums), Pete Stand (bass) and Joe Tatton (keys) — can trace their origins back to the late 1990s: Roberts was promoting a club night in his native Leeds called The Cooker. When The Cooker moved into a new venue with a second floor in 1999, there was both the space and opportunity to put a live band together to compliment the night’s DJ sets.
Coincidentally, Roberts and Allen had previously played together in the similarly named The Mastersounds, an act with a completely different bassist and without a keyboardist. Because of the intimate nature of the local scene, Roberts and Allen met and recruited Pete Hand and Bob Birch (Hammond) to join what would become The New Mastersounds.
Since the release of two limited edition, boogaloo-leaning 7-inch single back in 2000, the quartet has released 24, 7 inch singles, 13 studio albums, four live albums, a remix album and three compilations released in the UK, Japan and the US. And the band has managed to do that while going through a major lineup change with Leeds scene veteran Joe Tatton replacing Bob Birch on keys and organ.
Over their 25 year run together, the band and its individual members have collaborated with an eclectic and diverse array of musicians, DJs and producers, including Lou Donaldson, Corinne Bailey Rae, Quantic, Carleen Anderson, Keb Darge, Kenny Dope, Mr. Scruff, LSK, Lack of Afro, Page McConnell, Grace Potter,Karl Denson, Melvin Sparks, Idris Muhammad, Fred Wesley, Pee-Wee Ellis, Maceo Parker, Bernard Purdie, George Porter, Jr., Zigaboo Modeliste, Art Neville and Ernest Ranglin.
The New Mastersounds are at the tail-end of their final live Stateside dates, which will culminate with the full live album release of Live At Cervantes, Vol 2., which will be available on 12″ vinyl LP, exclusively through the Color Red Vinyl Club. The band share another track from last year’s live sets at Denver‘s Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom, “Dusty Groove.” First heard on the band’s Ten Years On, the live version is a strutting bit of organ-driven soul jazz that seemingly channels Booker T and the MG‘s paired with swaggering “Funky Drummer”-styled breakbeats. The single captures the unmistakable live chemistry and energy that made a New Mastersounds set, a must-see event.
New Video: GENA Shares Breezy and Sultry “CIRCLESZ”
Deriving its name from an acronym “God Energy, Naturally Amazing,” and loosely inspired by the Gina from Martin, GENA is a new collaborative project featuring arguably two acclaimed and talented artists:
- Liv.e: In a short period of time, Dallas-born, Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Liv.e has quickly established a reputation for restless experimentation with the release of her full-length debut, 2023’s Girl in The Half Pearl, an effort that received praise from Billboard, Rolling Stone, Vulture and more, and last year’s synthwave-driven PAST FUTURE.e. Building upon a rapidly growing profile, the Dallas-born, Los Angeles-based made surprise appearances at last year’s Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival, joining Earl Sweatshirt and Andre 3000 during their respective sets. She’s currently on Earl Sweatshirt’s Live. Laugh. Love. world tour, with Zeelooperz and Cletus Strap.
- Karriem Riggins: Over the course of his 35-year career in music, Detroit-born, Los Angeles-based Karriem Riggins has firmly cemented a reputation as one of the most respected drummers and beatmakers out there. He has played with and produced for an eclectic array of acclaimed and legendary artists including Common, Erykah Badu, KAYTRANADA, Steve Lacy, The Roots, Madlib, Paul McCartney and Norah Jones. Notably, he formed a close kinship with the beloved, fellow Detroiter J. Dilla. In 2017, Riggins won an Emmy for Outstanding Original Music and lyrics for his work with Common and Robert Glasper on “Letter to the Free,” which appeared on Ava Duvernay’s 13th. Recently, Riggins reunited with Common and collaborated with James Poyser to write and record “Victory,” the theme music for NBA on Prime for the 2025-2026 season and beyond.
The pair can trace the origins of the project to when they met through a mutual musical acquaintance and quickly recognized each other as kindred musical and creative spirits, who started playing shows as GENA earlier this year. GENA sees the Los Angeles-based duo channeling the instinctive musical prowess of both artists while seamlessly meshing their imitable style. The result is a playful and soul-driven improvisational work that captures Liv.e’s vision of reconstructing R&B her way paired with Riggins masterful percussion which spans improvisation and beatmaking alchemy.
GENA’s debut single “CIRCLESZ” is a remarkably breezy, jazz-tinged bit of neo-soul featuring an arrangement of precise, boom bap meets-bop jazz-like four-on-the-floor and glistening and arpeggiated Rhodes serving as a hook-driven, lush, dusty sample-like bed for Liv.e’s sultry delivery. While sonically nodding at Yasiin Bey‘s “Umi Says,” “CIRCLESZ” evokes the woozily intoxicating connection you can build with another person and the small moments that can color that romantic bond.
Shot with a grainy, analog quality, the accompanying video features the pair performing on a The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson-styled show and set, including an interview with the host.
Throwback: Happy 81st Birthday, Booker T!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Booker T’s 81st birthday.
Throwback: Happy 77th Birthday, Charles Bradley!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 77th anniversary of the birth of Charles Bradley.
Live Footage: Mavis Staples Performs “Human Mind” on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”
The beloved national treasure Mavis Staples‘ latest solo album, the Brad Cook-produced Sad And Beautiful World is slated for a November 7, 2025 release through Anti- Records. The album reportedly sees the 86 year-old legend standing side-by-side with us in the face of dangers she knows all too well — and comes at a time when increasing number of people out there have reason to wonder who and what could be lost.
The new album spans seven decades of the American songbook — a range nearly as vast as Staples’ remarkably lengthy career — and includes reinventions of timeless songs, as well as a batch of originals.
Recently, the legend performed the Hozier and Allison Russell co-written album single “Human Mind” on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. “Human Mind” was the first track recorded for the Sad And Beautiful World sessions and the single sees the legend acknowledging the complexities, contradictions, violence and heartbreak of our world, while still finding hope and goodness in people — and in turn, the world over a slow-burning, Staple Singers-inspired arrangement.
The song seems to say, “Yes, life will break your heart many times over; but there are small yet mighty measure of love, kindness and faith that hold it all together, barely. And that is what we should cling to when it’s especially dark.
Throwback: Happy 88th Birthday, Yvonne Staples!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 88th anniversary of the birth of Yvonne Staples.