What does Black history mean to an artist in the lineage of Black American music? What portals does it open? What burdens does it impart?
There's no quick answer to these rhetorical questions, just as there isn't a single arc of sound. But that doesn't mean we should shy away from the conversation altogether — especially when we're checking in with artists as open and thoughtful as harpist Brandee Younger, pianist Julius Rodriguez, and vocalist and flutist Melanie Charles.
This week I connected with all three musicians for a free-ranging discussion to wind down WBGO's celebration of Black History Month. The panel is presented in partnership with Impulse! Records, which recently marked its 60th anniversary in a spirit of urgent renewal, and Verve, which belongs to the same label group, and has its own rich history of excellence.
Younger, a marquee artist on Impulse!, has just released a meditation in two parts, meaningfully titled "Unrest." In our conversation, she reflects on that word's present implications, for her and for the broader community. Rodriguez, an electrifying talent whose signing to Verve was announced last summer, is on the cusp of releasing his debut; I borrowed "Two Way Street" as our title from one of his compositions.
And as Charles also elucidated on a recent episode of The Checkout, she was deliberate about the confrontational framing of her recent Verve release, Y'all Don't (Really) Care About Black Women. In our talk, she reflects on that choice and how it resonates in harmony with the frequencies of Nina Simone, Marlena Shaw and other heroes whose music she reinvents and reclaims.
If that all sounds heavy, or heady, don't fret: we all enjoyed this virtual gathering, which unfolded in a glow of fond camaraderie. We hope you'll enjoy it too.
