One note twirled out from singer Cat Power’s tongue and it’s clear: the artist is a genre unto herself. When the songwriter, also known as Chan Marshall, offers her voice in melody, it’s like a homemade amalgamation of different woods: birch, cedar, maple, applewood (folk, rock, blues, bluegrass), all fused and nailed together to create some echoing birdhouse tone that’s completely singular.
In music, there are myriad distinguished bands and artists, all of whom participate in some genre of sound. But what about the genres themselves? While artists and bands have lives outside their work, who keeps up with the styles, who preserves them and keeps them thriving? Well, when it comes to the American blues, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram has that responsibility on lockdown.
Sarah Jarosz is one of the few people who is as successful as she is talented. While the two don’t often come hand-in-hand, unfortunately, Jarosz boasts both in spades. The nine-time Grammy nominated artist, who has won the award four times, has released five records, all of which imbue prowess in technical ability and artful intuition.
Kamasi Washington plays his father’s saxophone. But the Grammy-nominated artist who rose to fame working with legends like Kendrick Lamar and Herbie Hancock didn’t start out on the horn.