17. Rhythm Nation - The Legacy of Jam & Lewis

Its another long one, and we're both suffering at the arse-end of rotten colds (and therefore sound terrible) but your intrepid Neo Soul Anoraks are reunited once again to ponder... 'What ARE the most influential soul albums of the last 10 years?' Where did we begin emerging from the 00s, where are we now, and which generation-defining albums got us here? Expect sadboi bedroom RnB, passionate political and social commentary, the rebirth of Nu-Jazz and the weird world of genre-fusion! We've also landed on a decidedly British theme this month too as we revisit former guest and UK soul legend Omar in our Root Artist pick, talk about the groundbreaking distribution format of Hackney's Silhouettes Project, unearth an epic lost album from 2 scene veterans and discover an exciting family link between some 90s UK soul heavyweights and one of today's most iconic talents. (Phew!) All that plus some fresh new soul goodness for your inquisitive earholes! How do we fit it all in? (By making it nearly 3 hours I guess, our bad!) Featuring music from Omar, Akin Soul, The Silhouettes Project, Kieron Boothe, Don-E & Stuart Zender, D-Influence, Mahalia, Daniel Caesar, Solange, Frank Ocean, The Robert Glasper Experiment, Hiatus Kaiyote and Sophie Faith.  Come geek out on our socials! www.facebook.com/Rootsandthevine www.instagram.com/roots_and_the_vine/ Listen: mixlr.com/method-radio/ www.soulcityradio.com/

We're back on our lonesome this month but fret not - we're still joined by the biggest names in soul as we Deep Dive in to 60 years of Girl Power! Charting the evolution of women in soul through the decades, we try to establish a defining artist to symbolise each decade from the 1960s through to today - and try and answer questions like 'what did these women stand for?' 'What does their  popularity say about their time?' and 'How did they push soul and RnB forward?' We certainly had some interesting theories! Also on the show we finally turn our ear to the king of funk himself JAMES BROWN, and unearth the birth of the genre itself in our monthly Root and Vine section. We ponder the age old question "Is Shrek, indeed - life?" (It gets weird) We've got some slept on Neo Soul goodness from Leela James, some 80s-sounding grooves from The Jack Moves and an impromptu Drake lament. Just your standard 2 hour+ monthly nerd-out on Roots and the Vine. Featuring music from Anderson .Paak, Shrek is Love, Full Crate, Ogi, Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Sade, Aaliyah, Destiny's Child and HER. Come geek out on our socials! www.facebook.com/Rootsandthevine www.instagram.com/roots_and_the_vine/ Listen: mixlr.com/method-radio/ www.soulcityradio.com/

Holler with the rinsin' sound! It was inevitable…we’ve finally crossed the 3 hour threshold! In our most epic deep dive odyssey yet we’re honoured to be joined by a true UK music legend - a pioneer of the UK Garage 2 step scene, the man behind Craig David’s biggest hits, and a bonafide Ivor Novello winning veteran of the game…the original Artful Dodger Mark Hill! For one month only we dive deep in to this fascinating offshoot of UK RnB and discover just where it came from, and why people still have so much love for it 20 years after it’s commercial boom. Join us this month as we quiz Mark about his incredible career - from discovering acts like Craig, Corrine Bailey Rae and Ed Sheeran, to weathering the storm of a cutthroat industry - and then strap in as we chart the history of UKG from its earliest roots in New York House to its current cross-genre resurgence! If you’re a fan of garage, this one is not to be missed - from the oldskool classics to some deep Mark Hill cuts and brand new flavas -  all with fascinating insights from the Artful Dodger himself. (Or if you’re just here for your regular dose of Neo Soul goodness, don’t worry we’ve still got plenty of soulful sounds from this vast and varied genre!) Featuring music from Artful Dodger, MJ Cole, Craig David, Stevie Wonder(!), The Stix, Nat Slater, Champion, Conducta and a mandem’s row of UKG Bangerz! When the crowd say Bo…SELECTA! Come geek out on our socials! www.facebook.com/Rootsandthevine www.instagram.com/roots_and_the_vine/ Listen: mixlr.com/method-radio/ www.soulcityradio.com/

What better way to celebrate our 20th show than to sit down and chat with the Queen of LA Nu Funk herself, Raquel Rodriguez? If you’ve been searching for a new artist to fall in love with, Raquel is your girl - with a slick, vibrant brand of soul, funk and RnB that encompasses so much of what we love from the greats of yesteryear and today. This month we had the pleasure of going DEEP with Raquel about just about everything - including her early inspirations, her amazing route in to the industry, her artistic evolution, her relationships with scene icons like Alex Isley, Moonchild, Mac Ayres, MXXWLL and Jamiroquai, as well as her and partner Sam Brawner’s MANY industry stories and accomplishments. An amazingly warm personality and a total boss when it comes to carving out a career and community of integrity! (And not afraid to throw some subtle shade either!) Believe us when we say attempting to edit down this epic chat was no mean feat! In honour of Raquel we keep things extra funky in the first half of the show too - finally digging in to the legend that is Sly Stone as our Root Artist Selection, as well as talking Glastonbury, BBE Records and folk vs soul music. We’ve also got a much needed vintage Neo Soul throwback from Angie Stone and Calvin Richardson! Featuring music from Cory Henry, Sly Johnson, Mark Ferg, Amy Winehouse, Alex Isley and Carmody. Come geek out on our socials! www.facebook.com/Rootsandthevine www.instagram.com/roots_and_the_vine/ Listen: mixlr.com/method-radio/ www.soulcityradio.com/

Another slice of Bonus R&V goodness - this time another fun segment lifted from our latest 1997 Roots and The Vine Time Machine Deep Dive. Here we turn our attention to the UK Album Soul Chart, as we work through each number 1 album of the year to discover the greatest. In doing so we witness some interesting changes from the start of the year to the end, again representing how much of a turning point 1997 was.  We also relive a somewhat forgotten period in UK Soul History - the post acid jazz, parent friendly pop/soul/funk/house movement that yielded huge album success for the likes of Jamiroquai, The Brand New Heavies, M People and Lisa Stansfield. Plenty of nostalgia for us 30 somethings here - which of these tickle those memory nubbins for you? Expect to hear albums from Erykah Badu, Mary J Blige, Janet Jackson, Eternal, En Vogue, Shola Ama and TWO audio assaults from those icons of drivetime...The Lighthouse Family! Come geek out on our socials! www.facebook.com/Rootsandthevine www.instagram.com/roots_and_the_vine/ Listen: mixlr.com/method-radio/ www.soulcityradio.com/

YES LAWD!! This month we're throwing our hands up in holy worship, as we trace the origins of US Gospel music. From its unfortunate roots in hardship and its early incorporation of blues, right through to the mega-selling crossover artists of today - we attempt to cover as much as we can! What defines the gospel sound? Who were its pioneers? And just WHO on Earth are Jacky, Twinkie, Dorinda and Karen?? Throw on your Sunday Best and lets go DEEP! On the complete opposite end of the spectrum - we're also saluting the devilish funk-rock pioneer Betty Davis (no we didn't think that through at all!), getting our read on with 'Dilla Time' and The Guardian article 'Meet the stars of the UK soul renaissance', plus we're brewing up a whole host of soul/jazz/mathrock/highlife fusion! (Trust us it's gonna make sense!) Featuring music from Greentea Peng, S Fidelity, Fatima & Joe Armon Jones, Beau Diako, Sy Smith, Kirk Franklin, Thomas Dorsey, Kim Burell, Tye Tribbett, Serpentwithfeet and Lyves. Read 'Meet the stars of the UK soul renaissance' https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/mar/27/summer-of-soul-meet-the-stars-of-the-uk-soul-renaissance Come geek out on our socials! www.facebook.com/Rootsandthevine www.instagram.com/roots_and_the_vine/ Listen: mixlr.com/method-radio/ www.soulcityradio.com/

Even though our last episode was a ridiculous 2 and a half hours long, that still doesn't mean we didn't have to cut a bunch of things out! Here to satiate your Roots and the Vine hunger is a little extra something we just couldn't find time for - another fun little game called JAM or SHAM! After listening to our Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis deep dive can YOU identify the hallmarks of a Jam & Lewis cut amongst these 80s bangers? Play along ya'll!

This month we’re talking HITS! Exploring some of the most legendary hitmakers of the last 50 years and examining just how they’ve helped turn RnB and Soul music in to the global force it is today. For our Root selection we take a look at the era defining disco, funk and pop sounds of the iconic Nile Rodgers, before diving deep in the almighty back catalogue of Minneapolis royalty Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. We dive in to their early days playing with Prince, hear how they swiftly helped craft the sound of mainstream 80s RnB, and chart how they repeatedly flipped the script again and again - creating global megahits through several distinct eras of RnB for the likes of Janet Jackson, Boyz II Men, Usher and Mary J Blige. Believe us when we say…this Deep Dive has everything! Epic synth funk solos! Saucy slow jams! Hair raising gospel! 90s hunks! Key changes! A guy playing tuba in the rain… We also debate the one man news cycle that is Kanye West, as well as bring you all the latest Neo Soul gems and classic throwbacks. Featuring music from Chic, Tom Misch, Blue Lab Beats, Floetry, Mos Def, Tom Bailey, Sounds of Blackness, Alexander O’Neal, Janet Jackson and Robert Glasper. Come geek out on our socials! www.facebook.com/Rootsandthevine www.instagram.com/roots_and_the_vine/ Listen: mixlr.com/method-radio/ www.soulcityradio.com/

Open your textbooks ladies and gentleman! Class is in session once again as we explore the long and expansive history of the electric piano within the context of soul music. We look back at its creation amidst the ashes of World War 2, what makes it sound so special, and chart its role and evolution alongside the ever changing landscape of soul, funk, jazz and RnB - from the 1960s through to today. On the other side of the spectrum, we also examine the surprising cultural legacy of UK Garage sensation Craig David in our ongoing 'Modern Day Icons' series of Root and Vine selections - uncovering some interesting connections along the way! Featuring music from Alfa Mist, Joe Zawinul, Michael Jackson, Mac Ayres, Billy Cobham, Alex Isley, Malia and Conducta.

We're certified FRESH this month as we showcase some of the very latest in Neo Soul, RnB and Jazz fusion. We're dusting off our crystal balls to see what soul and RnB goodies might be coming our way in 2022 - from big new mainstream releases through to smaller picks we're hoping to see more of - and we've even got a few fresh upbeat bangers to help you beat those January blues! We're also looking at the huge cultural impact and ongoing influence of Amy Winehouse on today's current wave of artists, as we kick off a 'Modern Day Icons' season of our Root and Vine artist selections. Featuring music from Theo Croker, Sasha Keable, Jvck James, MICHELLE, Adeline, Sophie Faith, Moonchild and Madison Ryann Ward.