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GRAMMY Nod: The Baylor Project

January 7, 2021 Ross McCafferty

GRAMMY Nomination: Best Traditional R&B Performance "Sit On It"“Sit On Down”, the soulful pandemic-era anthem by The Baylor Project has been nominated for a GRAMMY® Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance. This is the third GRAMMY® nomina… — GRAMMY Nomination: Best Traditional R&B Performance "Sit On It"
“Sit On Down”, the soulful pandemic-era anthem by The Baylor Project has been nominated for a GRAMMY® Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance. This is the third GRAMMY® nomination for the renowned duo, and second nomination in this category. The 63rd annual GRAMMY® Awards will take place on January 31, 2021.
The Baylor Project, which features vocalist Jean Baylor and drummer Marcus Baylor, conceived, composed and recorded “Sit On Down” during the first COVID-19 lockdown, making it a song perfectly suited for our time. Originally, #SitOnDown was a viral challenge, started by the married duo at home. Known for their fly-on-the-wall, humorous live videos on Facebook, Marcus and Jean went live with their many fans one evening while making a dinner, and humorously implored their viewers in song to just stay home and #SitOnDown. Not long after, fans, friends and colleagues from all over the world started sharing their own versions of #SitOnDown, which inspired the Baylors to cut the track. One of the challenges in particular that stood out came from a friend and fellow musician/producer, Ondre J. Pivec, who was quarantined in Prague during a tour with Gregory Porter. With Pivec on board as co-producer, The Baylor Project added Rayford “Ray Ray Holloman (Robert Randolph) on guitar and Wayne Moore (Beck) on bass. They recorded “Sit On Down” in their home studio, and even completed a remote photo shoot with their iPhone in true quarantine-format. Proceeds from the first round of sales and related merchandise were donated to Jazz Bridge, a Philadelphia based non-profit organization that supports jazz and blues musicians during times of crisis.
“We couldn’t be more excited to have been nominated for a GRAMMY® for our song #SitOnDown! It’s an incredible honor for us, that our song that started out as a fun social media moment turned into an anthem that encourages everyone to pause, take a breath and #SitOnDown during one of the most challenging times for us all. You never know what a little fun and a whole lot of creativity can do,” said The Baylor Project in a statement.
“Sit On Down” was released via their own independent record label, Be A Light, making their GRAMMY® nomination all the more impressive. In 2017, The Baylor Project’s debut recording The Journey was nominated for Best Jazz Vocal Album and their single “Laugh And Move On” was nominated for Best Traditional R&B Performance. A critical and commercial success, The Journey debuted at #1 on the iTunes Jazz Chart and #8 on the Billboard Jazz Chart upon release, and garnered praise from top tier media outlets all over the world. Next Spring, they will release their long-awaited second album, Generations.

Latin GRAMMY Winner: Susana Baca

January 7, 2021 Ross McCafferty

Latin GRAMMY Winner: Best Folk Album "A Capella"The excellent voice of Susana Baca has once again conquered the world. Our Peruvian flag triumphed once again in the Latin Grammys 2020.The Peruvian singer obtained this recognition in the Best Folk Al… — Latin GRAMMY Winner: Best Folk Album "A Capella"
The excellent voice of Susana Baca has once again conquered the world. Our Peruvian flag triumphed once again in the Latin Grammys 2020.
The Peruvian singer obtained this recognition in the Best Folk Album category for her album A Capella, produced at her own home during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Susana could not contain her happiness and so she decided to share it with her followers through her social media. Here she dedicates this great achievement to young Peruvians and the working class.
"This is my third Grammy and I am very happy, of course. I think that my work has once again been recognized and I dedicate it to all the young people, especially the young people, and to all the working class that build this country called Peru every day", she said.
It is worth noting that Baca was competing in her category with groups from Mexico and Colombia: Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto, Los Gaiteros de Pueblo Santo, Tierra Adentro and the Leopoldo Federico Quintet.
Let's not forget that Susana won two Grammy awards in 2011 in the Song of the Year and Record of the Year categories, respectively, for the album Latin America.
The Peruvian singer and composer won the award for "Best Folk Album" with A Capella, and she accepted it from home, thanking her husband because they composed it during the confinement together.
But the Lima native, perhaps not so well known in the United States, is actually an important figure in her country. First, as a politician who was the Minister of Culture and President of the Inter-American Committee on Culture, and secondly, as a key agent in the recovery of Latin American folklore and the forgotten rhythms of Afro-Peruvian music. Baca's parents were part of the band Perú Negro and she worked as an assistant for legendary folklorist Chabuca Granda.

GRAMMY Nod: Gregory Porter

January 7, 2021 Ross McCafferty

GRAMMY Nomination: Best R&B Album "ALL RISE"Undeniably one of the best voices of our generation, two-time GRAMMY Award winning singing sensation Gregory Porter has announced his sixth studio album ALL RISE (Blue Note).Following 2017's Nat King C… — GRAMMY Nomination: Best R&B Album "ALL RISE"
Undeniably one of the best voices of our generation, two-time GRAMMY Award winning singing sensation Gregory Porter has announced his sixth studio album ALL RISE (Blue Note).
Following 2017's Nat King Cole & Me, a loving dedication to his lifelong idol, ALL RISE marks a return to Porter's beloved original songwriting — heart-on-sleeve lyrics imbued with everyday philosophy and real-life detail, set to a stirring mix of jazz, soul, blues, gospel, and pop. The album also represents the evolution of Porter's art to something even more emphatic, emotive, intimate, and universal too.
As Porter worked out this album's direction, he looked inward, upward, and around him, and arrived at a raison d'être found in the title, ALL RISE. “We hear that phrase when presidents or judges come into the room,” says Porter, “but I'm thinking all of us rise — not just one person being exalted. We are all exalted and lifted up by love. This is my political thought and my real truth. It comes from my personality, my mother's personality, the personality of the blues, and of black people. It's this idea of making do with the scraps, of resurrection and ascension, and of whatever the current situation is, it can get better through love.”
And that's the thing about love that ALL RISE keeps circling. Even when it's painful, confusing, out of reach, or under attack, love is ultimately curative. Drop the needle on “Revival” and just try to pretend you aren't lifted by the spirit no matter your personal faith or affiliation. Once again, Porter cuts through the noise of genres and the mess of life to reach us all where we live: the heart.
"The next great male jazz singer" -NPR Music

GRAMMY Nod: Mykal Kilgore

January 7, 2021 Ross McCafferty

GRAMMY Nomination: Best Traditional R&B Performance "Let Me Go"Singer, songwriter, artist and activist Mykal Kilgore has made history as the first openly gay, male artist to earn a nomination in the GRAMMYs Best Traditional R&B category. Kil… — GRAMMY Nomination: Best Traditional R&B Performance "Let Me Go"
Singer, songwriter, artist and activist Mykal Kilgore has made history as the first openly gay, male artist to earn a nomination in the GRAMMYs Best Traditional R&B category. Kilgore received the nomination for his single, “Let Me Go”, which is the first release from his debut album, A Man Born Black. This is Mykal’s first GRAMMY nomination. The live show is scheduled for Sunday, January 31st on CBS.
“I am overwhelmed with joy to be counting amongst these incredible artists and to represent the male sound of R&B in this category,” said Kilgore. The Orlando native is also an award-winning Broadway performer, passionate community activist and well-recognized music influencer.
A Man Born Black is the debut release from Mykal Kilgore and indie label, Affective Music. “To be recognized with a GRAMMY® nomination for our first release is beyond my wildest dream. I am incredibly grateful to Mykal, Jamison Ross, the Affective Music team and the Recording Academy,” said Affective Music CEO, David S. Hargrett. The album also netted Mykal an NAACP Image Awards® nomination for Outstanding New Artist.
On A Man Born Black, Mykal wields his expertise as a multifaceted performer and songwriter to steal hearts yet again, as he masterfully tells the story of a man navigating American life – an experience Kilgore himself embodies. “I tried to write songs that helped express the truth of myself -- the pretty and the ugly. I wanted people to see a whole human being, not a stereotype or a picture-perfect image – something true to myself. I wanted to speak about the world that I actually live in,” said Kilgore.

Avery*Sunshine to perform at this years Newport Jazz Festival!

February 11, 2020 Ross McCafferty

Avery Will be performing at this year’s Newport Jazz Festival!

March 24, 2019 Ross McCafferty

Check out this video featuring Skyline Trio!

Gregory Porter has custom Helmet made to continue wearing famous hat during Top Gear appearance

March 18, 2019 Ross McCafferty

Gregory switches gears and changes lanes in this article!

Susana Baca Serenades Old Cabell Crowd

March 18, 2019 Ross McCafferty

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Check out this article featuring Susana Baca!

Singer Gregory Porter on gardening, watching Countryfile and being analogue in a digital world

March 18, 2019 Ross McCafferty

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Gregory Porter reflects on gardening, watching Contryfile and being analog in a digital world.

Nao Yoshioka - SS Podcast with Geoff Antonio

February 3, 2019 Ross McCafferty

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Check out this interview featuring Nao Yoshioka!