Clutch Magazine » Soul Flashback

Jazz Greats

Clutch — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 04:00:53 +0000

Jazz developed in turn-of-the-century New Orleans from the confluence of multiple music traditions. The new style incorporated blue notes, call and response, syncopation, polyrhythms and improvisation. The basic instruments of jazz were those used in marching bands and dance bands: brass, reeds and drums, played in the equal temperament 12-tone scale. Small bands of musicians, most of whom came from New Orleans, played a seminal role in the development and dissemination of early jazz.

The origins of the word jazz are uncertain. The word is rooted in American slang, and various derivations have been suggested. Jazz was not applied to music until about 1915. Earl Hines, born in 1903 and later to become a celebrated jazz musician, used to claim that he was “playing piano before the word “jazz” was even invented”.

John Coltrane

Miles Davis

Charlie Parker

Dizzy Gillespie

Nancy Wilson

Ella Fitzgerald

JJ Johnson & Sonny Stitt

Thelonious Monk

Art Blakey & Freddi Hubbard

Duke Ellington

Billie Holiday

Louis Armstrong

Al Jarreau

Jazz History

Neo-Soul

Clutch — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 04:00:59 +0000

Nowadays, Wikipedia is the source for pretty much everything, so we felt it was only right to see how they defined our beloved Neo Soul. Wikepedia states Neo soul (also known as nu soul) is a musical genre of the late 1990s and early 2000s that fuses contemporary R&B, 1970s style soul, classical music, jazz, and elements of alternative-hip hop. It is the third major sub-genre of contemporary R&B, after the new jack swing of the late 1980s to early/mid 1990s and the hip hop soul of the mid to late 1990s. The “neo soul” term, originated by Kedar Massenburg of Motown Records in the late-1990s, is sometimes looked upon with disdain as nothing more than a marketing specialization of contemporary R&B instead of an honest revival of soul music. This is because most of the people who record in the genre and listen to it tend to be anti-mainstream preferring that the music favor underground credibility and soulfulness over mainstream popularity.

We pretty much knew when we heard D’Angelo sing Brown Sugar that something great had started…good music with soul and a message. Currently, Neo Soul is this big powerhouse of talented, humble and conscious individuals who make timeless music.

Ms. Badu

Angie Stone

Jill Scott

D’Angelo

Musiq Soulchild

Martin Luther

Floetry

Bilal

Algebra

Eric Roberson

India Arie

Dwele

Maxwell

Anthony Hamilton

Toni Toni Tone

Raheem DeVaughn

Backpacker’s Edition

Clutch — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 04:01:55 +0000

Is their a difference between Rap and Hip-Hop? Clutch believes there is. Rap is music with useless lyrics attached and Hip-Hop is an art and it spreads a message and tells the true story of how things are in our neighborhoods and communities. Sometimes Hip-Hop can hurt due to the truthfulness of it’s depiction; rap can hurt because it can be disrespectful and untrue.

The women of Clutch are Okayplayer’s, SpitKicker’s, Loosie’s and Schemer’s. We love real Hip-Hop and you won’t find us supporting a lot of music without a message, and for that we have compiled out favorite Hip-Hop artists for this month’s issue. Some are legendary beat makers and some are lyrical geniuses. Enjoy and listen…

J Dilla – We Miss You – R.I.P.
James Dewitt Yancey (February 7, 1974 – February 10, 2006), better known as J Dilla or Jay Dee, was an American hip hop producer and MC, who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip-hop scene in Detroit, Michigan. He began his career as “Jay Dee” but used the name “J Dilla” from 2001 on. Many critics believe J Dilla’s work to have had a major influence on his peers, and that he embodied the neo soul sound, playing a defining yet understated role during the sub-genre’s rise (roughly from the mid-90s to the early 2000s). J Dilla was known as a “producer’s producer”, and was highly regarded by better known producers such as Kanye West, Just Blaze, and Pharrell Williams.

Kanye West

Mos Def

Tanya Morgan

Little Brother

Sa-Ra Creative Partners

De La Soul

A Tribe Called Quest

Lupe Fiasco

Talib Kweli

Common

The Roots

Slum Village

The Pharcyde

Dead Prez

Just Don’t Get Enough Credit…

Clutch — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 04:11:44 +0000

With the millions of artist in the world today, it’s sometimes hard to pick the real talent out. But, sometimes the talent screams through our speakers and television screens. Clutch lives for good music and we have compiled our list of underrated artist that we love and play regularly. So, get ready to go down the lane with artist that do not get the credit and recognition that they deserve.
Tamia

Amel Larrieux

Teedra Moses

Vivian Green

Kelly Price

Chante Moore

Toni Braxton

Tweet

Deborah Cox

Honorable Mentions
Angela Winbush

Zhane

Mother’s Day Edition

Clutch — Tue, 01 May 2007 04:02:28 +0000

Mothers are usually the ones who teach us everything we need to know in order to make it through this crazy world. In this edition, Clutch Magazine acknowledges the importance of mothers and all they do. For many of us, our childhood memories are filled with precious memories of mom. I know you all can remember riding in the car with your mother as she played cassettes (or eight-tracks) of her favorite artists; some of which we didn’t particularly care to listen to, but joined in the singing ourselves….mainly because we didn’t have a choice. Mothers are one of the best gifts God could ever bestow upon any of us, and your family here at Clutch simply wants to say to all the mother’s of the world…WE LOVE YOU!

Happy Mother’s Day!

Ashford & Simpson

Stephanie Mills

Vesta

Patti Labelle

Anita Baker

Sade

Chaka Khan

Whitney Houston

Karyn White

Regina Belle

Aretha Franklin

Marvin Gaye – R.I.P.

Honorable Mention – R.I.P. – Phylliss Hymen

Betty Wright

Minnie Riperton R.I.P.

Teenage Crush Edition

Clutch — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 04:01:40 +0000

Long gone are the days of Video Soul and the green-eyed VJ Donnie Simpson. But for many of us, the memories of our favorite teenage crushes still remain fresh in our minds. Remember running home from the bus stop to watch your favorite videos on BET? Or purchasing the latest edition of Fresh Magazine just to have a poster of your favorite boy band? Everyone has had at least one boy band/group/artist that made them melt; one worth arguing with siblings or cousins about because you were going to be the one to marry them. The teenage crush is serious and in some ways it helped many develop particular tastes in the music selections enjoyed today. In this edition of Clutch Magazine, we pay homage to the men who once held a place in our hearts and on our bedroom walls.

Hi-Five

Hits: “I Like the Way (The Kissing Game),” “Quality Time,” “She Said,” “I Can’t Wait Another Minute,” “She’s Playing Hard To Get,” “Faithful,” “Just Can’t Handle It,” “Unconditional Love”
Members: Roderick Clark, Russell Neal, Marcus Sanders, Toriano Easley and Treston Irby
Albums: Hi-Five (1990), Keep It Goin’ On, The Greatest Hits

Subway

Hits: “This Lil’ Game We Play,” “Fire,” “Good Times”
Members: Eric McNeal, Keith Thomas, Trerail Puckett, and Roy Jones
Albums: Good Times (1995)

“Lil Game We Play” Video

Another Bad Creation

Hits: “Iesha” and “Playground”
Members: Chris Sellers, Dave Shelton, Romell Chapman, and brothers Marliss and Demetrius Pugh
Albums: Coolin’ at the Playground Ya’ Know! (1991)

“Iesha” Video

The Boys

Hits: “Crazy,” “Happy,” “Dial My Heart,” “Funny 92,” “Lucky Charm”
Members: Khiry (born November 8, 1973), Tajh (born December 10, 1976), Hakim (born March 27, 1975), and Bilal Abdulsamad (born April 17, 1978) started singing in their hometown of Carson, CA, when Bilal was five and Khiry nine.
Albums: Messages from The Boys (1988), The Saga Continues (1992), The Boys (1992)

“Dial My Heart” Video

Usher

Hits: Too Many to List
Albums: Usher (1994), My Way (1997), 8701 (2001), All About U (2003), Confessions (2004)

Kris Kross

Hits: “Jump,” “Warm It Up Kris,” “Missed the Bus,” “Tonight’s the Night,” “Mackin’ Ain’t Easy,” “Alright”
Albums: Totally Crossed Out, Da Bomb. The Best of Kris Kross Remixed 92 -96, Young, Rich and Dangerous
Members: Chris “Daddy Mack” Smith and Chris “Mack Daddy” Kelly

Honorable Mention: MISTA

Hits: “Blackberry Molasses” and “Lady”
Albums: Mista
Members: Darryl Allen, Bobby Wilson, Brandon Brown, and Byron Reeder,

“Lady” Video