Music Gives Wings to The Mind

There are so musicians, bands and songs that inspire me as a vocalist. It is always pleasurable for me to  listen to music and to discover new sounds and artists.

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind,

flight to the imagination, & life to everything”

-Plato

Spotify has this challenge to create a playlist of the top 100 songs and I can say that I have been listening more and more to the different artists and music on Spotify lately; especially since I currently have a new project on the platform entitled “We Are People United” on there.

You can check out the album here: https://open.spotify.com/album/3BWB0RVMeXhAnWORuEzHLf

Prompts and Ideas

I am always up for a good challenge or ideas to be prompted by; especially in writing because I want to be able to write as much as I can. Through the process of trying to gain ideas, I came across this book that has benefitted me a lot to put pen to paper and write new songs, poetry, blog posts and more. The book is entitled 365 Journal Writing Ideas Plus 400 Quotes: A Year of Daily Writing Prompts, Questions & Actions To Fill Your Journal With Memories, Self-Reflection, Creativity & Direction by Rossi Fox and I really like it.

It is sorted by the day of the year and has prompts that can make you reflect and gain ground in storming. This is always a good benefit for any writer in my opinion because this is a way to prevent writer’s block when getting into the process when scribing is necessary. For me, it seems like it is a need everyday as is water and sleep because, I can honestly say that there is not a day that goes by without me writing something. This book  helps with more directional writing if needed. Perhaps it can help to enhance your writing as it has for me in many ways. 

365 Journal Writing Ideas

One of the prompts read like this: List your favorite musicians, bands and song. And so, here we go, exploring my favorite five on my favorite topic that the world has to offer; music.

Five of My Favorite Musicians

“I was born with music inside of me.  Music was one of my parts.

Like my ribs, my kidneys, my liver, my heart.

Like my blood. It was a force already within me when I arrived on the scene.

It was a necessity for me.  – like food or water.”

- Ray Charles

1. Sarah Vaughan

I have loved her for a very long time. Her voice was amazing. I don’t think that there is anything that she couldn’t do with her voice. Her range was amazing. And my favorite thing about her voice was her low tone. 

A friend of mine knew that I loved Sarah Vaughan so much, that he gave me a DVD that featured about 500 songs that she has done in her musical career. Of all the artists out there past and present, she is who I listen to the most.  
I currently have just over 18 hours of music in my library that feature her voice.  I also have two DVDs featuring her live concerts. I am constantly searching for new live footage of her on Youtube and also indulged in the book Sassy: The Life of Sarah Vaughan which I found quite interesting to take a deeper look into her life and her being, aside from just the music. I love her.

Sassy: The Life Of Sarah Vaughan

2. Prince

I think Prince was amazing. There are so many layers to him and so much music by him that I am discovering. I think he was a genius at writing and getting into the groove of the music. His songs are tight and so enjoyable. And I really like his voice.

I read a book on his life entitled I Would Die 4 You by Toure and it was excellent reading about his life, musical journey and everything about what made him who he is. 

I Would Die 4 U: Why Prince Became an Icon

3. Miles Davis

I have always loved listening to the way that he played his music but I don’t think I liked him as much as I do now after conducting research to write my college thesis on jazz, identity and racism, came across his book Miles: The Autobiography and read some really interesting things about his life and his personality. I loved his response to stigmas and I appreciated how he came across growing as a musician and individual in the world. He played that trumpet so well and I really like listening to his music. 

Miles

4. Whitney Houston

I can’t think of a day that I did not love Whitney Houston. I don’t think I was as devastated hearing of a musician’s passing as I was when she did. I cried as if she was a family member because I have lived her since I was a little girl.

If I could credit to anyone for the big voice I have that can carry very loud and fill an auditorium without a microphone, I would give it Whitney Houston. I used to spend entire afternoons singing her songs to the four walls of my basement and used to always choose songs by her to go out and sing in live settings.

I have every album she has ever made and can actually claim as my truth that I will always love her voice, her movie The Bodyguard and the songs that she was known for; especially Saving All My Love which is still my favorite song by her. 

The Bodyguard (Special Edition)

5. Dizzy Gillespie

I love Dizzy Gillespie. He was an amazing musician and I love the music that he contributed to the world. I have grown to love his personality more and more as I watched many documentaries or interviews where he was speaking with an interviewer. I love how he spoke with such knowledge, intelligence and attitude. I also read a few excerpts from his book To Be or Not to Bop and I really loved some of things he talked about in regards to the culture of jazz and its music. I listen to his music a lot and I admire what he contributed to the world as a world-class musician. 

To Be, or Not . . . to Bop

Five of my Favorite Bands

1. Wilerm Delisfort Project

This is a current band that is often performing live at Smoke Jazz and I love the music that I hear coming from them. Slick sounds and fresh to the ear.

If you have not heard them yet, you definitely need to get down to Smoke Jazz located at 2751 Broadway in Harlem, NY for their Sunday late night session to see them live.

I think you will really enjoy them.

2. Paradyce

A nice group of musicians who recently released a studio project entitled East to Egypt featuring seven really cool jazz tracks of songs that you will just be bopping to. The NYC based group features keyboardist Steve Palmer, drummer David Griffin and saxophonist Saxy Ric. I recently had the opportunity to interview them on my radio show, Jazz on the JNote which originally aired on WNYE 91.5 FM on August 6, 2017. You can check out Part one of the interview here: https://youtu.be/QIobFFVze4c

3. Sade

Who doesn’t love the group Sade? And who can say that they do not enjoy listening to the lead singer Sade Anu sing away? I think I can sing all their songs back and forth and I love everything that they do. Such cool songs and a great, mellow vibe that comes from them. This is one group that I never get tired of listening to. Beautiful tone, amazing songs.

4. Out of Eden

I love out of Eden and I can listen to their music all day long. Out of Eden is an all-girl Gospel group of sisters which featured Lisa Kimmey, Andrea Kimmey-Baca, and Danielle Kimmey. I learned about them years ago through this music promotion site who would introduce artists and their music, I think the site was called What’s Hot Now.

But anyway, they have some amazing soulful Gospel songs sung to R&B influenced beats that I just love. I was even able to teach a few of their songs to the youth choir at Mt Moriah Baptist church when I was the choir director there and the young people loved it.

They had six studio albums which I have all of them, with my favorite being No Turning Back: an album that featured ten up-beat and beautiful songs that I simply love. 

No Turning Back

5. Earth Wind & Fire

I love, love, love Earth Wind & Fire and everything that they sang and the fire they brought onto the stage with them each time that they performed. I never get bored listening to their songs with my favorite being Sing a Song because that is my favorite thing to do; sing. LOL!

I also appreciate many of the songs that they wrote for many of the artists I enjoy listening to such as Deniece Williams and the Emotions.

Five of My Favorite Songs

1. Who Ja Bless by Qew Lunel

Beautiful words. Very uplifting. Nice sound. Great song. https://open.spotify.com/track/1PW2SEzE4l7Ej518M2aJTB

2. Wherever You Are by Stephanie Jeannot

Still a favorite of mine. I think I love that I wrote and produced the entire song it is such a special tune for me. I love performing it and it is one of the few tunes I have shared at a live setting here and abroad.

https://open.spotify.com/track/6CumcrYYlWFftRwHcFrFv6

3. Courage by Sarah Vaughan

I love the words on this song. Such a pretty tune. I love the way Sarah sings this song and every time I hear it, it leaves a beautiful feeling inside.

https://open.spotify.com/track/3Bw5XsDIJXhcsFu3PFihZK

4. Back for Good by Take That

I have loved this song since I was in high school. The job I worked at used to play 106.7 Lite FM all day long and this tune was constantly being aired. I have adored it ever since. Such a pretty melody. I love it a lot.

https://open.spotify.com/track/4CPTAJth9JiuKYaMIemmDD

5. Aint Misbehavin by Fats Waller

I love this song. I started liking it when I first saw my favorite movie Stormy Weather and saw the composer of it, Fats Waller,  being his humorous self on the piano, tickling away and singing this song. Awesome tune and once of may favorites to perform live.

https://open.spotify.com/track/7yLb6yUwkC3bwms84drCBW

Stormy Weather

Et Vous?

It would be wrong of me to not include you into this musical favorites theme. I would love to hear about the musicians, bands and songs that you love the most. Care to share? 

Perhaps you can guide me on a new path of discovery. I would love to hear your favorites. Who do you love to listen to and what are your favorite songs?