Ashaki's Aural Pleasure Palace

Entry #3 in our February Duets series. We travel forward to listen to the “new soul” singers tell us everything we already know about love. The themes are the same, however, these artists put a fresh spin on the all the ways love in the modern era is just like love in the old school era: hopeful, heartbreaking, refreshing, confusing, fun, sexy and necessary.

Stay for a While (Angie Stone f Anthony Hamilton)/Last Night (A. Hamilton f Sunshine Anderson & Dolo Pichino)/Words (A. David f India Arie)/Sometimes I Wonder (Darius Rucker f Jill Scott)/Take It (Eric Benet f Chrisette Michele)/To Love Again (Gordon Chambers f Ledisi)/One Time (E. Roberson & Jill Scott)/If We Were Alone (Keite Young f N’Dambi)/Loveable (K. Lattimore & Chante Moore)/ Mr. Incredible Ms. Unforgettable (Raheem Devaughn f Leela James)/Watching You (Avani & Rahsaan Patterson)/Something to Behold (Foreign Exchange f Munsinah)/So Love (Kindred the Family Soul)

It might mean something that both the celebration of LOVE and Black History coincide in the shortest month of the year. A better writer and a deeper thinker can correlate the spiritual meaning behind why that happened. My response is to continue my theme set forth in my Cupid’s Hunt 2017 and close February with a series of DUET themed podcasts celebrating R&B’s heritage of soul togetherness as shared between two incredible singers. Often celebratory, sometimes mournful, at other times questioning, these are just poems set to rhythms drawing us back to each other.

There are 1000 cliches about love, a million if you try to look them up on Google. Probably 99% are true in some fashion. Still, the most important one is this: We all need LOVE. Black folk especially need LOVE to soothe, deliver, protect and redeem us from the bruising and brutal battles we fight everyday to live, survive and thrive with respect and dignity. So February is an incredible month for us- the convergence of the strongest, most powerful emotion known to humans, colliding with the opportunity to recognize and celebrate our accomplishments, accomplishments that are achieved in spite of just as much as because of. I hope these series puts (in the words of the great band Con-Funk-Shun) put LOVE on your mind. Love among family, friends, lovers and the entire beloved community. It hope hearing these singers try to work out what love is- or ain’t- reminds you how hard you gotta work to let love in- or let love go. I hope it makes you question and gives you answers. Togetherness is the goal.

Peace & Blessings

When Loves=Goodbye

You Don’t Love Me (Angie Stone)/Meantime (Conya Doss)/When I Wake Up (Jill Scott)/On My Own (Jimetta Rose)/Broke My Heart (N’Dambi)/Storm Warning (Hilary James)/It Doesn’t Matter (Eva Cassidy)/Never Be Mine (Kate Bush)/One Less Bell to Answer (Gladys Knight & the Pips)/Good Morning Heartache (Natalie Cole)/Now I’m a Woman (Nancy Wilson)/ It Hurts Like Hell (Aretha Franklin)/Vanishing (Mariah Carey)/Vocalise-End of the Line (Lizz Wright)/So Hard to Let Go (Najee)/Love is a Losing Game (Kirk Whalum)/ You’re Not the Man (Sade)/Goodbye (Hil St. Soul)

Urban Mystic-Satisfy

John Legend-Heaven

Lina-Between Us

LSK-Hate or Love

Aloe Blacc-Bailar

Carol C/Nikodmus & Osiris-Mariposa

Erykah Badu-Me

Crossrhodes-Balance

Robert Glasper Experiment f Dwele-Worries

Paola Jean-What’s Going On

Beverley Knight-Every Step

Hil St. Soul-Hanging On

Anthony Hamilton-Woo

Leela James-So Cold

Nathaniel Roberts- Dead on Arrival

Joyo Velarde-Certain Special Way

Sweetback-Love is the Word

Suff Daddy-Feelin Fly f. Mariama

Angie Stone-Get to Know You Better

JR/Mike Phillips-Wonderful & Special

Just the music please:

Gone Baby, Don’t Be Long (E. Badu)

A Little More (Liquid Spirits)

Everyday (Lina)

Finally (Paola Jean)

Lovesick (Night Trains)

Release (Ian Martin f. Sy Smith)

Current Events (Alphonso Greer/DJ Spinna)

Great 2 Me (Green Tea)

Flyin’ High in the Brooklyn Sky (Digable Planets w/ Lester Bowie)

Ill Connect (Sol Uprising)

Butterfly (Jamiroquai)