The Recording Academy Memphis Chapter

January 22, 2014

In The Mix: Truth Universal (@truthuniversal) Live with Luther Gray and @EFCuttin at the Recording Academy Membership Celebration

New Orleans hip-hop artist and activist Truth Universal may not be one of New Orleans’ most popular rap artists, but he is certainly one of the best. He appeared at the Recording Academy celebration in conjunction with cultural guardian and percussionist Luther Gray and with notable New Orleans DJ E.F. Cuttin. His amazing show opened with a libation ceremony for the ancestors, including poet Amiri Baraka who died recently.

January 22, 2014

In The Mix: Robin Barnes and the Soul Heirs Live at the Old U.S. Mint at The Recording Academy Membership Celebration

Robin Barnes is a relatively new neo-soul singer in New Orleans, backed by an excellent band known as the Soul Heirs. Her performance at the Recording Academy event on January 13 at the U.S. Mint was especially impressive, as was the musicianship of her band members.

January 22, 2014

In The Mix: Bonsoir Catin Performs at the Recording Academy’s Membership Celebration @ValcourRecords

Immediately after Black Water Bride, Valcour Records’ artists Bonsoir Catin appeared. They are an all-female band playing traditional Acadian music from Lafayette, Louisiana, and like all Valcour artists, they are really good.

January 22, 2014

In The Mix: Shreveport’s @blackwaterbride Performs at the Recording Academy’s Membership Celebration at the Old U.S. Mint in New Orleans

The service region for the Memphis Chapter of The Recording Academy also includes Shreveport, which is a city with a recording past and which seems to be experiencing something of a musical rebirth since the opening of Brian and Brady Blade’s Blade Studios. Black Water Bride is one of Shreveport’s hot up-and-coming new bands, blending elements of country, rock, soul and other Louisiana music styles, and they were a natural opening act for our Recording Academy party at the Old Mint.

December 29, 2013

Memphis Music Holiday Party at @MinglewoodHall @MemMeansMusic

On Tuesday December 16, the Memphis Music Foundation and the Memphis Chapter of The Recording Academy sponsored a Memphis Music Holiday Party at the 1884 Lounge of Minglewood Hall in Midtown. The event featured some great barbecue and desserts, as well as live music from the Steven Lee Trio featuring trumpeter Johnny Yancey and his son, drummer Nigel Yancey, and the Hill Country blues inflected rock band Turchi. Over a hundred people came to get in the festive spirit, including legendary producer Boo Mitchell and Elizabeth Montgomery of Ardent Records.