Edwin Starr – “War”
We had a request for tonight’s Soothing the Beast BFP/Jamiol Music Pick. The song is “War” and singing this revered protest classic is none other than the man that made it a such a famous hit, Edwin Starr. While he couldn’t match what he did with War, he had several Top Ten hits on the R&B charts. So tonight it’s truly a classic with Starr’s live performance of War…Enjoy…DJPJ.
Nina Simone – “Mississippi Goddam”
The Soothing the Beast BFP/Jamiol Music Pick this week is a real treat. Once again it features the incredible Nina Simone. The song is Mississippi Goddam and was Nina’s response to murder of Medgar Evers and the bombing of a church in Birmingham, Alabama that killed four black children. The song was released as a single, and it was boycotted in certain southern states. It is one of my favorites of Simone’s performances. So tonight, listen up to a powerful song and powerful performance by music great Nina Simone…enjoy…DJPJ.
U2 – “Beautiful Day”
Tonight’s featured song on the Soothing the Beast BFP/Jamiol Music Pick is one of U2′s biggest hits to date…Beautiful Day. It is the first track from their 2000 album, All That You Can’t Leave Behind. According to Bono, Beautiful Day is about “a man who has lost everything, but finds joy in what he still has.” It has won three Grammy Awards and has been performed by U2 at every one of their concerts since the song’s 2001 live debut on the Elevation Tour. It does require upping the decibels above normal…Enjoy…DJPJ
Stevie Ray Vaughan – Superstition
The Soothing the Beast BFP/Jamiol Music Pick this week is all about guitar playing and some rockin’ blues. The song is Superstition and performing it is one of the most accomplished guitar players ever…Stevie Ray Vaughan. This sentence from a biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine sums up this incredible performer “Vaughan bridged the gap between blues and rock like no other artist had since the late ’60s.” So it’s up the decibels time for Stevie Ray Vaughn’s rockin’ cover of Stevie Wonder’s hit Superstition…enjoy…DJPJ
Burning Spear – “Slavery days”
Burning Spear was the very first Soothing the Beast BFP Jamiol Music Pick. After 89 weeks, I thought it might be nice to revisit his music. Tonight’s piece is Slavery Days by once again… Burning Spear. The sound quality on this clip seems a lot better than most so crank it up and enjoy…DJPJ.
Playing for Change- “Higher Ground”
This week’s Soothing the Beast BFP/Jamiol Music pick is Higher Ground by Playing for Change. A multimedia movement, Playing for Change was created to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music.
BeBe & CeCe Winans – “I’ll Take You There”
Last week it was all about soul on the Soothing the Beast BFP/Jamiol Music Pick with Aretha doin’ her thing. This week we segue into a little gospel with brother/sister Gospel duo BeBe and CeCe Winans performing their version of the Staple Singers’ 1972 hit song I’ll Take You There. The Winan cover is one of the better covers of this great song…Enjoy…DJPJ.
Aretha Franklin – “I Say a Little Prayer”
I went over the list of music we’ve listened to on the Soothing the Beast BFP/Jamiol Music Pick over the past 86 weeks and noticed one glaring omission and tonight we rectify that by featuring the legendary High Priestess of Soul Aretha Franklin singing I Say a Little Prayer. This is a great video too. It has some terrific shots of Aretha…enjoy…DJPJ
This will be the second appearance of Taiwanese underground rapper Soft Lipa on the BFP/Jamiol Soothing the Beast Music Pick. This time around the song is Winter Sweet. I love this Hip Hop with jazz undertones and there is nothing better to “sooth the beast” than the low-key beats of this talented rapper. So kick off the shoes, grab that drink and listen up to the Hip Hop/Jazz of Soft Lipa…Enjoy…DJPJ