This week’s Artist Spotlight is Danny Mayer! As part of the VLM family, you can find Danny making magic in a couple different projects such as Alan Evans Trio and OTS (On The Spot) Trio. Last week, OTS released their second single, ‘Soquel’ with plans of more musical magic to come later on. 

Check out Danny’s response from our “What Do You Believe” series. 

“I believe in equal rights for all human beings, no exceptions. I believe in the power of love. I believe in Karma. I believe in practicing gestures of kindness, small & large, even if they go unnoticed. I believe in the power & necessity of a genuine connection & I believe we’re all connected on some level. I believe we are completely insignificant yet we can be ultra significant in our impact on people & the world around us. I believe in gratitude, positive thinking, & generosity. I believe there is a basic goodness that exists in the world & I trust in that underlying goodness, even when it’s seemingly nowhere to be found. I believe in self awareness, self exploration, & I believe in forgiveness. I believe there’s always a silver lining. I believe we are never a finished product & that there’s always room for growth. 

More than anything, I believe in music because of how I’ve experienced it’s undeniable power. Music has changed my mind, my mood, my attitude, & my life. I’ve learned more from the music I love than anything else in my life. I’ve seen music unite a room full of people regardless of age, race, sexual orientation, & religion. I’ve seen a song provide common ground for people who come from completely different worlds & don’t speak the same language. I believe that music can communicate emotions far beyond the limitations of words & I cannot wait until we can share in that collective energy of music once again in the future!”

We’re back this week with a new Artist Spotlight featuring Stephane Detchou aka Brother GoodLove! Just a couple of weeks ago VLM released a new Crushed Velvet & the Velveteers single and music video for “As Far As We Know” featuring our good friend’s powerful lyrics and vocals. 

When we reach out to an artist for an upcoming feature, we always give them a couple options for the direction of their spotlight. Today, Steph wanted to give us his response to the ongoing question: “What Do You Believe?”

What Do You Believe? ft. Brother GoodLove 

 "I wanna believe there's good inside of all of us / that a child is born without a demon to her name. / Later on, when a child is grown / and she learns to hate another / it's only fear, passing through with a different face." 

 There are a lot of things we have in common as people. Fear, happiness, freedom, pleasure, pain, hate, love -- they're all states we experience and that drive the way we move through the world. Art is a reflection of these emotions and the stories they underpin; and the more the art is honest, the more it will resonate with others. 

 The art that moves me is one that teaches me something new, expands my perspective and helps me grow. So when I write, I'm trying to give color to my strongest feelings that will best represent my own experience, the way the world looks to my eyes. As a Black man, 2nd generation immigrant, and alien, perceptions of who I am are constantly pulled into many directions and it's not always something I can influence. 

 At the same time, I don't believe that we are inherently fearful of each other because of the things we see (even if my experience hasn't always supported this belief). Rather, I think it's the social contexts that raise/shelter us which create and then fuel the desire to reject differences our eyes perceive. But, if you get an opportunity to experience my feelings through my art, maybe I can draw you in through the feelings we have in common, and then open you up to learning, understanding and respect? Maybe we can reteach our inner child to love our fellow person, and protect their right to be, no matter who they love, what they look like, or where they come from? Because in the end, 

"We breathe the same air / we bleed the same blood / we need the same Love”

This week’s Artist Spotlight features the vintage gear collector, jazz and soul keyboardist, Kris Yunker! If you missed our teaser yesterday, Kris and Al's musical project, The 7 Day Weekend, are releasing their second single, “Lombok Sunset” off their upcoming album! Keep your eyes out for the release on our page this Friday! 

When we reached out to our very good friend, Kris about this week’s Spotlight, he mentioned he’d been wanting to participate in the “What Do You Believe” question so we gave him the floor.

KY: "I believe that equality and peace between all humans is possible. We are seeing the walls of division begin to crumble as we are being brought face to face with the inequality that has been allowed to be ignored for too long. If we face it together, we can begin to heal together. It takes a lot of courage to admit when we are wrong and even more to do something about it. 

As a white man, I realize that I have learned social constructs that have stopped me from recognizing other people’s truth for too long. I try to have an open mind, but I know that I still have blocks and much to learn. I believe that if each of us can examine our own minds and constructs and be willing to admit where we are wrong, we will find a way to honor and appreciate all human beings. 

I believe my role now is to support and amplify the voices that haven’t had a chance to be heard until now. There is so much to learn from what they are trying to teach. Those voices include those of black people, women, indigenous people, people of color, the LGBTQ community and all who have been silenced, dominated and oppressed for centuries. 

This is a very powerful time in history. The outcome of our actions and decisions, right now, will greatly affect the future of humanity as well as our planet. The fires, global warming, wars and destruction of our world are all reflections of the internal conflict of the human race. 

Listening to each other with open hearts and open minds is the beginning of the healing that needs to take place. 

I love what Alan Evans says: “Thoughts become things.” We create the world around us and it starts with our thoughts. My thought is that we can have peace and equality and I will always believe it to be possible. I will continue that thought and I hope you all will, too."

This week’s Artist Spotlight features soul-funk singer, songwriter, and vocal coach, Kim Dawson. If you didn’t catch our teaser this week, Kim teamed up with Alan Evans to create the newest Crushed Velvet and the Velveteers single “Good Thang.” Keep your eyes out for the release tomorrow, June 12th!

The topic for this week was inspired by a question that Al posted a few days ago where he shared his thoughts on things. With everything going on right now, we wanted to keep the conversation going so we asked Kim, “What Do You Believe?” 

KD: “I believe that equality is a humanity issue, not a political one. The more we frame it in terms of what a political party stands for, the easier it is to dismiss what's at the core -- that all humans are equal and should be treated as such. I am a Black woman, and am proud to be seen as such. But, I am tired of the inequities that are built into how society operates. I believe that there's no time like the present to make a change for the better in your community, and that it is up to all of us to do so. But, first, we need to have those uncomfortable conversations. It's hard to do that internal work. It's hard to feel like you might have hurt someone or might hold some ideals that are harmful, or at the very least, problematic. But, until we do that work, until we deal with that discomfort, change cannot happen. And in order for this place to be an even better place, we need to do that work. So, educate yourself, and then put boots on the ground. It's past time. Black people are tired of being seen as less than, and tired of making sure you're ok with our presence at every turn. Just let us live. Help dismantle the systems that keep us from doing so.”

For this week’s Artist Spotlight, Vintage League Music reached out to Brian Thomas & Alex Lee-Clark of BT ALC Big Band. To keep it different, we came up with a mini interview made up of 5 random “fun facts” to learn a little more about them. They’re releasing a new single, “Bring Forth Change” this Friday, featuring Alan Evans and Lettuce members, Nigel Hall & Eric Bloom! Make sure to keep your eyes out for the drop - you're definitely going to dig it.

VLM: Who is BT ALC Big Band? How did this band start? 

BT & ALC: The band is a collective of some of the most accomplished musicians in the greater Boston area who have a passion for both funk/soul/R&B/jazz music and playing in the large ensemble setting that is the Big Band (ensemble consisting of 5 saxes, 4 trombones, 4 trumpets and rhythm section). Brian and Alex met as graduate students while studying jazz composition under the tutelage of Jeffrey Holmes at UMASS Amherst. After graduating, they decided to collaborate and continue the tradition of composing for big band while adding elements of funk, soul jazz and hip hop. 

VLM: What are some things we should be on the lookout for in 2020? 

BT & ALC: We really can’t wait for the quarantine to be over so we can perform live for our fans and each other. BT ALC Big Band is a community of musicians and music lovers and the live interaction is the heart and soul of the band. In the meantime, we are going to continue to make the most of this situation and continue to create while at home. Fortunately we have connected with Alan and VLM and have plans to continue recording and releasing music together including more singles and eventually a full length album.  

VLM: If you could be in any band, which one would it be? 

 BT: As a horn player, I often have rhythm section envy! It is such a different role. I’d love the opportunity to be one of the rhythm guitarists in the James Brown band. Tuck me away in the corner, no solos, and just let me groove all night. 

ALC: I would have loved to have been in Parliament Funkadelic during the Earth Tour in the late 1970s. They were the perfect mix of tight and loose, and with so many people, it would have felt like traveling with a family. 

VLM: What song did you listen to last? 

BT: “Pop Life“ by Prince. We have an XM Radio account attached to our Alexa in the kitchen.  I’ve found the new Prince channel is ideal for doing the dishes. 

ALC: I’ve just gotten in Slum Village, the track that’s on right now is “The Hustle.”

VLM: What is your favorite quarantine snack?

BT: Sweet Potato crackers and guacamole has been my go to! 

ALC: I started making pesto, and now I just put it on everything: toast, salad, pasta, a spoon, whatever’s nearby!