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Remixing the Black Power Movement
A deep, abiding love of early-1970s rhythm and blues led to the making of The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975, one of the most powerful, intriguing and unlikely documentaries of this year. Four years ago, Swedish filmmaker Göran Hugo Olsson was working on Am I Black Enough for You, a 2009 film about Billy Paul, the…
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Gil Scott-Heron: Poet, Singer and Visionary
Gil Scott-Heron, the poet, soul singer and visionary, passed away Friday afternoon at the age of 62. The details of how he died were not immediately available. Scott-Heron, who was HIV positive, had battled alcohol and drug addiction for much of his life. Scott-Heron leaves behind a complex musical legacy, an impressive discography and a…
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The Root Interview: ?uestlove
The Roots used to be the ultimate road warriors, spending upwards of nine months out of every year touring. Since taking over as the house band on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon almost two years ago, the peripatetic group has settled down —- which has given its hyperactive drummer, Ahmir Thompson, aka ?uestlove, time to…
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The Root Interview: Corinne Bailey Rae on Getting to Happy
Corinne Bailey Rae was on a train from London to Leeds as she was handed a phone to answer questions from a reporter she’d never met. Yet as we spoke, she had such an easygoing warmth that, after a few minutes, it was as if we were sitting next to each other, chatting. She didn’t…
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Why the Miami Heat's Success Is Good for the NBA
It took a while, but the Miami Heat are starting to look like real championship contenders. After a 9-8 start, they have won 10 in a row as of Friday morning. The team’s defense has been dominant, making them second in the league for fewest points allowed per 100 possessions; and their offense, even minus…
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Love and Farewell to James Moody
Late one evening about 15 years ago, I was hanging out in the back of a Manhattan jazz club when the great reedman James Moody walked in the door. I extended my hand and said, “James Moody, jazz greatness in the house.” Moody smiled, but as he shook my hand, he quickly looked over his…
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What Kind of Holiday Cheer Are You Serving?
Everyone knows that you sip eggnog at Christmas parties and toast in the New Year with champagne, but there are plenty of other options for bringing cheer to your holiday gatherings. The Root turned to four African-American experts — leading winemakers Mac McDonald and Andre Hueston Mack, and expert brewmasters Garrett Oliver and Celeste Beatty…
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Changed Man: Aaron Neville Talks About New Album
Aaron Neville doesn’t have a singing voice; he has an angelic croon. His vocals can communicate a gentle caress, a heartfelt plea or a sturdy resilience with a magic that few, if any, other singers today can match. His new album, I Know I’ve Been Changed, is an all-gospel program on his own Tell It…
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Bobby McFerrin Expands His Vocabulary
It’s hard to believe, but Bobby McFerrin turned 60 earlier this year. Gray streaks his dreadlocks and speckles his beard, but his eyes are just the same. They are avid, and beam with childlike glee; it’s as if they are saying, “I don’t need to hire a band, I have all the music I need…
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The Root Interview: Cassandra Wilson
With her 1993 recording Blue Light ‘Til Dawn, Cassandra Wilson changed the course of jazz. Until then, most jazz was either traditional, experimental or a fusion of jazz and pop. Wilson showed that it could be all three by blending jazz and Delta blues and applying her sound to a repertoire that ranged from blues…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
