On March 20th, 1936, producer, dub music innovator, reggae pioneer, electronics inventor/modifier, songwriter, arranger, singer, and Black Ark Studio founder-Lee Scratch Perry (Rainford Hugh Perry) aka 'The Upsetter' was born in Kendal, Jamaica. Perry’s roots go far back to the Yoruba Culture, from which his ancestry derives. His mother passed on their culture and teachings on to him when he was a youth. He migrated to Kingston in his teens, and secured a job as an apprentice at Studio One. He first worked as a record seller for studio owner Coxsone Dodd, then moved into the studio-and in some way, was instrumental in the recording of 100s of songs for the label (30 or so were his own). He had a financial and personal falling out with Dodd in the late 1950s; so in the early 1960s he moved to Joe Gibb’s Almalgamated Records. By this time, Perry had learned the in and outs of the studio and began developing his own ‘style.’
Perry left Gibbs later in the decade, and creatied his own label-The Upsetter in 1968. He was one the first island musicians to use a recorded sample of a baby on his single People Funny Boy. His faster and stronger beat also laid the foundation for what would become reggae, although at the time it was called 'Steppers.' He formed a studio band known as The Upsetters (1968-1972), and in the early 70s, he began manipulating the instrumental tracks-applying reverb, echo, and sparse vocals over them. King Tubby was doing the same thing with his sound system and studio work. Both combined to create Dub Music-which is the foundation for not only reggae, but also Dancehall (and some may argue Reggaeton). He’s 83 today.
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On March 20th, 1957, pioneering movie director, activist, writer, producer, educator, avid New York Knicks fan, inciter of the infamous Reggie Miller choke gesture, creator of Mars Blackmon, and Morehouse University graduate-Spike Lee (Shelton Jackson Lee) was born in Atlanta, Georgia. There’s so many things Spike Lee is known for… Films like School Daze, Do The Right Thing, Crooklyn, Mo' Betta Blues, X, Get On The Bus, She’s Gotta Have It, and Clockers all helped shape the urban culture of the 90s, as well as accurately depict it. Spike’s created over 35 films since his film Joe’s Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads won a Student Academy Award in 1983.
His film production company has the unique, and culturally significant name of 40 Acres & A Mule (the amount of land promised to Black former slaves, by the US Federal government post-emancipation). The name serves as a constant reminder of Spike's social position on ethnic issues. His 1986 debut film, She’s Gotta Have It, was recorded in black and white due to financial constraints…Spike didn’t let that stop him, and the film went on to become a cult classic-spawning Nike to cast him aside Michael Jordan for their Air Jordan Shoe Campaign (and would be revived as a Netflix TV Series 30 years later). Spike is also featured heavily in Capitol One Credit Card commercials, with Samuel Jackson (to whom he gave his first big acting break) and Charles Barkley. He's a great actor, and appears-in some form or fashion-in all of his films. Needless to say, he’s one the few successful artists of our time-who has managed to stay true to his culture and not exploit it. Spike Lee is 62 years old today.
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On March 20th, 2009, we lost one of the lesser-known, but extremely talented blues musicians of the late 60s/early 70s. Guitarist, songwriter, singer, and one of the few vocalists on the Impulse! record label-Mel Brown. He was unique in that he was a blues musician on a label where blues wasn’t really a large draw. He had to work hard to showcase his talent in clubs, which first brought the attention of smaller record companies-then the larger mainstream American record companies. He signed to Impulse! Records in 1966 and released his debut LP Chicken Fat in 1967. Mel’s sound was very funky and jazz based, even back then. His music is like a mix between that of James Brown’s backing band (during the Pee Wee Ellis years), and Miles Davis’ second quintet (Hancock, Shorter, Williams, and Carter). The Poor Righteous Teachers sampled two songs from his album Mel Brown’s Fifth (Time For A Change & Good Stuff).
Mel is one of those artists that, if you see his records in a used store, you buy them without having to listen. He released his last LP for Impulse! in 1973-Big Foot Country Girl. He signed with BluesWay Records later that year, and released Eighteen Pounds Of Unclean Chitlins And Other Greasy Blues Specialties. His tunes definitely had personality, and were more instrumental than vocal. He toured for the rest of the 1970s, and started playing in the house band at Antone’s Night Club in Austin, Texas during the 80's & 90's. After that, he started recording for a small imprint called Electro-Fi Records. He released Can’t Stop Blowin’ in 1998, and Neck Bones & Caviar in 1999. Mel Brown was 69 at the time of his death.
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HONORABLE MENTION:
On March 20th, 1915, singer, guitarist, songwriter, electric blues innovator, and recording artist-Sister Rosetta Tharpe was born in Cotton Plant, Arkansas. She made her start around age four, when she was declared a musical prodigy. At the age of six, she sang and played guitar with her mother as a gospel group. She was billed as 'The Singing & Guitar Playing Miracle.' They moved to Chicago, in the mid 1920s, and continued to perform there. In the mid 1930's, she married a preacher and moved to NYC. Once there, she signed to Decca Records and released her debut single Rock Me in 1938. Rosetta Tharpe was 58 years old when she died.
On March 20th, 1915, singer, guitarist, songwriter, electric blues innovator, and recording artist-Sister Rosetta Tharpe was born in Cotton Plant, Arkansas. She made her start around age four, when she was declared a musical prodigy. At the age of six, she sang and played guitar with her mother as a gospel group. She was billed as 'The Singing & Guitar Playing Miracle.' They moved to Chicago, in the mid 1920s, and continued to perform there. In the mid 1930's, she married a preacher and moved to NYC. Once there, she signed to Decca Records and released her debut single Rock Me in 1938. Rosetta Tharpe was 58 years old when she died.
On March 20th, 1918, jazz musician radio DJ, pianist, composer, arranger, producer, and NPR Piano Jazz host-Margaret Marian McPartland was born in Rochester, New York. McPartland started playing piano very young when her parents discovered she had perfect pitch. By age nine, she was singing and playing violin. She played by ear, and never developed the skill of reading and writing music. She still had a successful music career, and toured Europe during WWII. She also started the Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz show on NPR, which ran for over 30 years (1978-2011). She is in The National Radio Hall Of Fame, and is a NEA Jazz Master. She was 95 when she died in 2013.
On March 20th, 1971, writer, cultural critic, music journalist, television personality, and host of the MSNBC show The Cycle-Toure (Toure Neblett) was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He’s written for Playboy, Essence, Rolling Stone, Vibe, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Village Voice, Ebony, Time, The New Yorker, and a host of other publications. He also has appeared on several cable networks like A&E, CNN, MTV, and BET-and has a really dope podcast called Toure Show. His writings and journalistic approach come from a culturally aware place, that is centered around The Black Experience in America. Toure is 48 today.
On March 20th, 1988, we lost jazz pianist, sideman, composer, arranger, bandleader, producer, and the pianist on Miles Davis’ Kind Of Blue LP-Gil Evans (Ian Ernest Gilmore Green). The Toronto, Canada Native got his start on piano when his family moved to California. From 1941 to 1948, he worked as the arranger for Claude Thornhill’s Orchestra. Around that same time, he moved to NYC and got into bebop. This is where he met Miles Davis and Gerry Mulligan. Evans became a sideman-and then a bandleader in the late 1950s, and released several LPs during the 50's, 60's and 70's. He also mentored other musicians, most notably Ryo Kawasaki. He was 75 when he died.
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