This Black 老夫子传媒 Month, Tiny Desk is giving the ladies their flowers. We鈥檙e releasing nine Tiny Desk concerts from Black women artists, from veterans who鈥檝e paved the way for what we hear today in Black music, to those who are carving out their own paths.
When the 鈥淨ueen of Funk,鈥� , began to sing her hit 鈥淪weet Thing鈥� at the Tiny Desk, she seemed surprised at how the audience enthusiastically joined in. It鈥檚 just one example of how ingrained her work is in the fabric of music history. Since she emerged in the 1970s with the funk band Rufus, Khan has crafted a legacy that includes 22 albums, 10 Grammys, forays into jazz and theater and collaborations with , , and . Her 50 years in the music industry recently culminated in a long overdue 2023 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The moment guitarist Rob Bacon opened the set on the talk box, with bassist Melvin Davis and drummer Jay Williams laying down the beat, it was clear we were about to get a lesson in some naaaasty funk with 鈥淭ell Me Something Good.鈥� If the way our in-office audience was jamming to 鈥淲hat Cha鈥� Gonna Do For Me鈥� and 鈥淎in鈥檛 Nobody鈥� is any indication, be prepared to watch this show in a location where you can comfortably groove. 鈥淪weet Thing鈥� showcased vocalist Tiffany Smith killing the most iconic (and most vocally difficult) moment in the song, something that has humbled many a singer.
And what better way to close out this Tiny Desk during a month celebrating the contributions of Black women in music than with the anthem that has empowered woman-identified audiences for decades: the Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson-penned 鈥淚鈥檓 Every Woman.鈥� Throughout the set, I鈥檓 reminded that Khan鈥檚 unfathomably big and powerful voice is a glue that holds intergenerational music together.
SET LIST
- 鈥淭ell Me Something Good鈥�
- 鈥淲hat Cha鈥� Gonna Do For Me鈥�
- 鈥沦迟补测鈥�
- 鈥淪weet Thing鈥�
- 鈥淭hrough the Fire鈥�
- 鈥淎in鈥檛 Nobody鈥�
- 鈥淚鈥檓 Every Woman鈥�
MUSICIANS
- Chaka Khan: lead vocals
- Melvin Davis: bass, musical direction
- Jesse Milliner: keys
- Rob Bacon: guitar
- Euro Zambrano: percussion
- Jay Williams: drums
- Audrey Wheeler-Downing: vocals
- Tiffany Smith: vocals
- Trina Broussard: vocals
TINY DESK TEAM
- Producers: Bobby Carter, Mitra I. Arthur
- Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant
- Audio Technical Director: Neil Tevault
- Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern, Kara Frame, Alant茅 Serene
- Audio Engineer: Hannah Gluvna
- Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer
- Photographer: Zayrha Rodriguez
- Animation: Jackie Lay
- Florist: Kelanda Edwards
- Tiny Desk Copy Editor: Hazel Cills
- Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
- Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
- VP, Visuals and 老夫子传媒: Keith Jenkins
Copyright 2024 NPR