Brandon Ousley

Happy birthday! Hope you have an amazing day and many more blessed ones to come.

Album of the day. Today marks the ever-lovely, Texas-born flute virtuoso Bobbi Humphrey's 75th birthday. Revisiting her second Blue Note collaboration with producer Larry Mizell, 1974's Satin Doll—a delightful blend of elegant, yet celestial jazz, funk, and soul with Humphrey's flute virtuosity.

Love the analogy. Spot-on.

D'Angelo's crowning achievement, Voodoo, was released 25 years ago today. What more can be said about it that hasn't already been said? It's easily one of the most influential and singular modern soul albums of the last 25 or so years.

Album of the day. The great Àngela Winbush turns 70 years old today. There are underrated R&B albums, like this one, that makes you wish they made a larger impact than they did. Furthermore, it's baffling that a powerhouse like Àngela Winbush doesn't get enough full recognition she rightly deserves.

One of my favorites. Utterly beautiful coda to an equally beautiful soul who left way too soon.

Album of the day. Remembering the late great soul master, Donny Hathaway, with his final offering, 1973's Extension of a Man. Words can't even describe my love for this eclectic masterpiece. A classic soul essential in more ways than one

The Best Philly Soul Albums: 1968-1983 The impact of Philadelphia’s soul scene in the 1970s and ’80s is still being felt. Explore the best releases from the City of Brotherly Love.

Lush and righteous, the Philly Sound hit its stride in the '70s, mixing pop, soul, gospel, and jazz with its social anthems and the dance floor's invincible beat. In my first piece of 2025 for @discogsofficial.bsky.social , I explored 20 classic albums that defined it.

shorturl.at/nFYHz

Album of the day. Boy, I sure miss Thom Bell's immaculate Philly sound. One of the defining groups that cemented the Philly soul movement, The Stylistics could do no wrong by this point, and this album, 1973's Rockin' Roll Baby, is one of their best—the finest sweet soul sophistication there is.

Album of the day. I'm still on a high after watching Dawn Porter's moving documentary on Luther Vandross, Luther: Never Too Much last night, and figured I'd revisit one of the velvety R&B master's very best albums—1982's Forever, For Always, For Love.

I must say this was a pretty fulfilling year on the music buying tip. This is a bulk of my CD pickups for 2024 (and it's still not everything.) Anything looks intriguing?

Album of the day. Remembering the "gentle giant of soul" himself, Curtis Mayfield, who died 25 years ago today, with one of the most overlooked gems in his solo canon, 1974's Got to Find a Way. Yes, Super Fly and Curtis seem to get all the love, but this one shouldn't be missed at all.

Merry Christmas, y'all.

Album of the day. 30 years ago today, Mary J. Blige's second album, My Life, was released. One of R&B's all-time great statements, the impact of this soul-bearing work can't be overstated.

I was just listening to Hard Candy earlier. Prone is a great one as well.

This is an incredible album. Eddie Hinton had such a bluesy voice. Not to mention, Very Extremely Dangerous was recorded at Muscle Shoals.

Fallen down a soft rock and blue-eyed soul rabbit hole.

Rick James knows he wrote the shit out of Teena Marie's "Deja Vu (I've Been Here Before)."

the two moods of a writer:

1. oh no, nobody is reading my writing
2. oh no, people are reading my writing

"This Too Shall Pass." This album is such a bittersweet pill to swallow, but it's one of Phyllis Hyman's finest works.

Album of the day. 35 years ago today, the late great Quincy Jones saluted the past and present with 1989's Back on the Block, assembling four decades of Black musical talent across different genres and eras for one a once-in-a-lifetime collaborative project.

Album of the day. Parliament's Gloryhallastoopid (Or Pin the Tale on the Funky) was released 45 years today. Generally viewed as a lesser album in the Parliament canon, the band's"lesser" work is still heads above the funk standards of the time.

- the Luther doc hits TV (CNN) on New Year’s Day and I’ll be watching multiple times like I haven’t seen it already.

One of Roy Ayers' finest productions among many. What an album.

Album of the day. Sylvia Striplin was one of those lesser-known names whose music has grown in stature over the years. Roy Ayers' sleek, melodic brand of post-disco soul fit her coy, kitten-like voice like a glove, making their sound beloved among quiet storm and rare groove mavens alike.

And it sounds and feels very much a necessary balm for the climate we're in now.

Al Green is one of few who truly makes covers his own. His new cover of R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts" is no exception.

Another classic funk bomb. Steve Arrington doesn't get his just due. The groove master of groove masters.

While we're on this topic: if Slave's Stone Jam isn't somewhere in your list of top 25 best bass albums ever made, we're not friends.

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