Amir Ali Said

Creative Source, a soul and funk band based in Los Angeles, enjoyed limited success in the early '70s.  Managed by Ron Townsend of the Fifth Dimension, the band's first hit was "You Can't Hide Love" in 1973.  The following year, their cover…

Lou Donaldson is a Jazz alto saxophonist from Badin, North Carolina.  His career spanned over 40 years, starting in the early 1950s, on through the '70s, and into the '90s.  Donaldson began to establish himself in the '50s during the bebop…

Eddie Kendricks had two careers as an artist in the '60s and '70s.  Kendricks was one of the co-founders of The Temptations and one of their lead singers for eleven years.  But following a strained relationship with Motown and continued…

Sharon Forrester is a reggae and soul singer born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica.  On "Holly" you hear the Reggae influence and the impact of Black American soul music simultaneously.  While this style and sound was unique, like many…

Donnie and Joe Emerson are a musical duo from, Fruitland, Washington, a small town that currently holds 812 people.  In 1978, situated on the family farm, their father, Don Emerson Sr., saw his sons burgeoning interest in music and decided…

"I Can Hear The Grass Grow" sounds like the perfect song for a film score. The music and video below is presented here for the purpose of scholarship. Chico Hamilton – “I Can Hear The Grass Grow”…

Brenda Holloway was a soul singer for Motown during the 1960s.  After Mary Wells, one of Motown's leading hitmakers at the time, departed from the label, Holloway was touted as Motown's next solo star.  This led to Holloway recording "When…

Bernard Purdie is one of the most prominent drummers of all-time. He did most of his damage during the '60s and '70s, working with a slew of artists including: Nina Simone, Gil-Scott Heron, and Aretha Franklin.  Purdie created the "Purdie…

This song brings me back to all the times I watched 'Claudine' as a kid. The music and video below is presented here for the purpose of scholarship. Gladys Knight & The Pips – “Make Yours A Happy Home”…

Live in Concert produced a slew of Jazz-infused songs, but one stands out above the rest. Wiz Khalifa and Curren$y have always blended their styles well. Starting in 2009 with How Fly, the two MC’s have produced projects together ever…