NPR’s Black Music Month Tiny Desk Concerts Remind Us All of the Brilliance of Background Singers

Patti Labelle once asked: “where my background singers?” Well, reader, I’m pleased to inform you that NPR’s Black Music Month Tiny Desk Concert Series holds the answer.

You see, over the last week and a half NPR Music has been blessing our eardrums with concerts from Black music royalty such as Charlie Wilson, Babyface, and most recently Tank. Now I don’t know about you, but their names alone had me immediately ready to press play. But what makes these particular Tiny Desks so divine isn’t just that their lead performers can bring down the house—but so can their background singers.

Take for example, Babyface’s concert. If we’re all honest, he could’ve sat down at that keyboard, brought his guitar, and jammed out with the rest of the band and we would’ve been grateful. But what he chose to do instead was bring along three insanely talented vocalists: Avery Wilson, Chanté Moore, and Tank, whose voices meshed together like a well-blended harmonic sound smoothie. Don’t believe me? Listen to the first minute and 13 seconds of that video as they’re all singing “Two Occasions” and tell me that didn’t hit your soul like cold water on a hot day! And later on in the video when Wilson gets to do what he’s been created to while singing “Can We Talk,” I wouldn’t be surprised if you threw a shoe across the room at the beauty. I know I did.

The same can be said for Tank’s own concert. This time taking the lead role, he enlisted singers Luke James, Brooke Valentine, and Lonny Bereal for his background support and truth be told—my ears were sold as soon as I saw Luke James. That man’s vocal range is one of angels, it’s heavenly harmony, reaching crescendos and descrescendos that your favorite singer’s favorite singer would be envious of. Still skeptical? Fast forward to the nine-minute mark when he sings the chorus of “Can’t Let It Show.” You’ll thank me later. And if you need further proof, do yourself and your soul a blessing and watch his Nu Deco Ensemble concert on YouTube. When you’re ready and able to pick yourself up off the floor after being blessed with those vocals, I’ll be here ready to say “I told you so.”

Lastly, you know I couldn’t end this without talking about Jor’el Quinn, Leah Thompson, Gia Wyre, Dodie, and Angel Hines who all accompanied Charlie Wilson (or as we like to call him in our community—Uncle Charlie) for his concert. When they broke into three-part harmony during “Charlie, Last Name Wilson,” I knew we were in for an extra special treat. That notion was further solidified when they went into “Computer Love” by Zapp & Roger and hit that harmony once again. That song in particular holds a special place in my heart for personal reasons—so to see Uncle Charlie turn up to this and even put a little churchy flair to it (that “shooby-doo-wop” is gonna stay with me for a LONG TIME): I essentially ascended.

I could really go on about the brilliance of all these background vocalists and the artists who are intentional about making sure the ensemble sounds just as good as them—looking at you Durand Bernarr Tiny Desk, Usher Tiny Desk, Tamela Mann Tiny Desk, Anthony Hamilton Tiny Desk, etc. All of the aforementioned artists and the ones I didn’t name are beautiful personifications of what it means to be “one band” with “one sound.” They also further prove the wisdom in the phrase: “if you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far and make your Tiny Desks one for the books—go find you some gifted background singers.