Mark Anthony Neal's Blog, page 295

Coffee and Books with Marc Lamont Hill: David Ritz Discusses His Impressive Ghostwriting

'On this episode, host Marc Lamont Hill discusses the prolific career of go-to ghostwriter, David Ritz. Marc and David dive into David’s career that has spanned over 45 years, and consists of over 60 books, ten of which have appeared on bestseller lists. David recounts ghostwriting for the likes of Ray Charles and Marvin Gaye, talks about his somewhat controversial book on Aretha Franklin, and also what hip hop artists he’d like to work with in the future.'

Making Money in the Music Business: Interview With Jazz Vocalist Composer & Educator Lenora Helm Hammonds

'Lenora Helm Hammonds, vocal jazz musician, composer & educator, is our very special guest in this episode of MMMB podcast. Lenora shares an extremely dynamic career path in music that began with her attending Berklee College of Music being the first African American woman to graduate with a degree in film scoring to working at music labels such as Sony to now being an assistant professor of music at North Carolina Central University. Lenora provides a brief discussion of the challenges of being a female in the music industry and how she has navigated the ups and downs especially as she is on the heels of releasing a new big band music album For the Love of Big Band.' -- Dr. William E. Smith & Kenya McGuire Johnson
Dr. William E. Smith & Kenya McGuire Johnson · MMMB Podcast 112 - Interview With Jazz Vocalist Composer & Educator Lenora Helm Hammonds

Experience the Unapologetic Uplift of Mr. Soul! featuring Producer/Director Melissa Haizlip

'Discover the greatest TV show you never heard of, and Ellis Haizlip, the Black, Gay creative who hosted it, all through the eyes of his niece in an award-winning documentary you won't want to miss. On the Clock's Caroline Clarke talks with Producer/Director Melissa Haizlip.' -- Black Enterprise

Unladylike2020 – Charlotta Spears Bass: The First Black Woman VP Nominee

'Charlotta Spears Bass (1874-1969) one of the first African American women to own and operate a newspaper, and the first African American woman to run for Vice President of the United States, crusaded for over 40 years against racial violence, and discrimination in schools, housing, and the job market, in the pages of the California Eagle.' -- American Masters PBS

MLK To BLM: Inside America’s New Civil Rights Movement

'When Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at the March on Washington, he wasn’t just speaking about racial justice — he was talking about economic equality in the United States. Meet the activists gathering in the capital to continue the battle for a fairer society — as Black people are disproportionately killed by the COVID-19 pandemic, put out of work and killed by police violence.' -- AJ+

Robert Glasper - "Better Than I Imagined" feat. H.E.R. & Meshell Ndegeocello

“Black lives matter and so does Black love; no one wants a life without love, but we have generations of people in our community who haven’t had the tools to actually be in healthy relationships. It seems like people are finally ready to open their eyes to systemic racism in this country, and if we’re going to talk about it, we have to also talk about how it affects our relationships — how we communicate, how we see ourselves, how we treat each other. It’s not always good, even though maybe it could be.” -- Robert Glasper

'Black Lady Sketch Show' Is TV 'We'd Never Seen Before,' Says Dime Davis

'Dime Davis could soon become the first Black woman to win an Emmy for directing a television series, HBO's A Black Lady Sketch Show. She's also nominated as co-executive producer of the show, which is up for outstanding variety sketch series.  Recently, I sat down to talk with her by the nearly 100-year-old merry-go-round at Griffith Park in Los Angeles. "I'm really glad we did this 'cause it's better than anything we could have done in Zoom," she says. "We actually shot a few sketches here".' -- All Things Considered

Charlie Parker, Born 100 Years Ago, Made Jazz Complexities Sound Deceptively Easy

'More Blues singer than Broadway, Charlie Parker — Bird  — helped introduce bebop to jazz,  and along the way redefined Jazz velocity with his scrappy sound and pithy melodic figures.' -- Fresh Air

Pharrell Williams: "Entrepreneur" (featuring JAY-Z)

Official visuals for "Entrepreneur" by Pharrell Williams featuring JAY-Z, which celebrates the Black Entrepreneurial spirit. Directed by Calmatic.

The Quarantine Tapes 065: Toshi Reagon

'In episode 065 of The Quarantine Tapes, Toshi Reagon shares stories about her experience in quarantine and highlights of performing her creative work, the compelling opera Octavia Butler’s The Parable of the Sower.  Reagon talks about important community connections, while encouraging us all to “embrace your ability to adapt to an ever-changing world”.'