Rhiannon Giddens, Allison Russell, Amethyst Kiah and friends

Thought it was time for a thread for this network of African-American women working (sometimes together, always in sympathy) under the broad umbrella of Americana/folk/blues/R&B. Giddens, Russell, Kiah and Leyla McCalla have formally collaborated as Black banjo supergroup Our Native Daughters, and I'd also add Adia Victoria into the mix.

Prompted most immediately by seeing Kiah, Russell and Victoria performing separately at the Bristol Rhythm n Roots Festival last weekend, and also by Russell's very good new album. From an ILX perspective, I can see all of them being potentially sniffed at as NPR-core, and for sure they have that demographic appeal. But they're all thoughtful songwriters and excellent musicians and I think they're really carving out/insisting upon a place for Black female voices in realms that tend to be pretty white and pretty male.

Here's a bit of a banger from Russell's new album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Z5XX61ZlbM

realms that tend to be pretty white and pretty male

By which I mean "American roots music," however you want to define it.

A new Giddens song ft. Jason Isbell popped up via YT recommendations, unfortunately it's pretty boring.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCQ3qm_JCVo

Yeah, kind of blah. tbh I think her gifts are less in singer-songwriter mode than in her scholarship and performance of traditional material, and also in her more ambitious projects (like the ballet she collaborated on). As with the others mentioned though I'd very much vouch for seeing her live, she's a great performer and full of stories.

while WFUV in the NY metropolitan area is manna for aesthetic conservatives who can't handle hip-hop, pop and WFMU, I sometimes listen to it cuz I hear shit I'm curious about that I wouldn't otherwise seek out. Such as the work of Rhiannon Gidddens… the station is POUNDING "too little, too late, too bad," which opens her new non archival album… I have never heard the work she is known best for, but on this record, she seems like someone who first heard 60s soul a week ago and consequently oversings in a manner almost AI-ish. She has the instincts borne of conservatory training, and if anyone thinks that this is superior to Doja Cat or Ice Spice, they're fucked.

Listed to Russell's new one a few days ago. More varied but adventurous than Outside Child, but that album is something special and I fear she'll be chasing its magic for a long time.

Let me try that again...

Listened to Russell's new one a few days ago. More varied and adventurous than Outside Child, but that album is something special and I fear she'll be chasing its magic for a long time.

she seems like someone who first heard 60s soul a week ago and consequently oversings in a manner almost AI-ish

lol well check out Carolina Chocolate Drops.

More varied and adventurous than Outside Child, but that album is something special and I fear she'll be chasing its magic for a long time.

I agree, the songs on Outside Child are just so strong. But I think the new one is really good too.

Anyway, here's a nice clip of the Daughters all together doing Amethyst Kiah's best-known song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjd9zlSiHZM

Saw Allison Russell perform last night. She is effervescent and ebullient in person -- one of those artists who truly seems to revel in the opportunity to play live. Thanked her bandmates, the opener, everyone who worked at the venue, the sound guy, her driver, her merch person...multiple times, all by name. That was a new one for me.

The Returner is more complex musically, especially the string arrangements, so I was interested to see how they brought it to life. She plays clarinet and banjo (and sings). She's joined by a bassist who swaps out for acoustic guitar for a few songs, a drummer, and a pianist/keyboardist. The songs are generally a bit more pared down than on the album but in general I didn't find the arrangements lacking, and Russell has an enormous presence that is captivating.

The dancier songs were especially great to see live; I think my love for Outside Child made it initially difficult to appreciate songs like "Stay Right Here" that are big departures from the "roots" label that gets slapped on her stuff. Which is ridiculous, frankly -- she's blending pop, R&B, country, folk, dance...it's really unique and interesting and deserves to be taken more seriously.

If you've never listened to Russell, Jon Pareles named "Eve Was Black" his SOTY:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQg1-XLQZ7A