Welp, we’ve made it to May y’all. This year has been yet another infuriating, soul-crushingly brutal slog. I’m furious and exhausted. And if you have a conscience and a soul, you feel the same. There isn’t an easy way out of this hell.
But there’s music, art, small pleasures, and every day joys. We’ll cling to that as much as possible in between fighting for the rights and futures for our loved ones — and ourselves.
Of course, with this site, it’s important to show respect to our legends and our contemporary artists. And to that end, let’s get to it:
- The legendary godfather of soul, the Soul Brother #1, James Brown was born 93 years ago on May 3
- Interpol’s Paul Banks celebrated his 48th birthday on May 3
- The legendary Frankie Valli celebrated his 92nd birthday on May 3
- The late and supremely great soul artist Sharon Jones was born on this day 70 years ago today
- Nick Ashford, one-half of beloved husband-and-wife songwriting, production and artist duo Ashford & Simpson was born on this day 85 years ago
The legendary jazz bassist Ron Carter celebrates his 89th birthday today. Carter is one of the most recorded musicians in history, appearing on over 2,200 sessions as a sideman, guest or bandleader: He’s connected to some of the most beloved, legendary artists in history, including Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Tony Williams, McCoy Tyner, and Billy Joel, among a lengthy list of artists.
Happy birthday, Mr. Carter! May there be many, many more!
I’ve had the distinct pleasure of photographing the legend multiple times throughout JOVM’s history:
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The Joy of Violent Movement is a completely independent and completely D.I.Y. media outlet. Over the course of this site’s 15+ year history, I’ve used my fiercely independent stance to cover music with an eclectic and global perspective that a lot of other publications just don’t have — and will likely never have.
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