Black American Musicians

Some highlights, before we begin

A weird thought entered my head: How many African-American musicians do I have in my music collection? This was quickly followed by: Are there enough to listen to one a day, for a year, without repeats?

June is African-American Music month, but that’s only 30 days. I wondered if I could celebrate an African-American artist or band each day for a whole year. Of course, that means 365 musicians would be needed.

So began the process. Some were obvious, no problem – Miles Davis, Ray Charles, Chuck Berry. But then I began running into difficulties. Jimi Hendrix is black, but the Jimi Hendrix Experience is mostly white. I decided, after initially coming up shy, to allow mixed acts on the list: Sly and the Family Stone, Booker T and the MGs, Parliament, etc. I was even more lenient with jazz artists, since for some older recordings it’s hard to know who was even on the session. That said, classical artists (such as opera singers Leontyne Price and Shirley Verrett) were still omitted.

Biographies were carefully combed – they had to be American, after all, and that process weeded out some more. (Who knew Oscar Peterson was a Canadian?)

I gathered up all of the black American artists whom I had albums of their work and it totaled around 160. Not enough. So I then went and looked at my singles – the one-hit wonders and artists who I only liked a single song of theirs. That brought me up to around 230. Still not enough. Finally, I delved into my compilations and anthologies, four of which proved essential: The Anthology of American Folk Music, From Spirituals to Swing, The Doo Wop Box, and Rhapsodies in Black: Music and Words from the Harlem Renaissance. These provided scads of little-known artists whom I could pad out my list with. 

These, combined with artists from musicals (such as Leslie Odom Jr. and Lena Horne) finally brought me to an exact 365*.

Here, then is that insane list, comprised of personal favorites, in alphabetical order. (Note: Common epithets such as ‘Fats’, ‘Little’ and ‘Blind’ are treated as first names, while unique epithets such as ‘Howlin’, ‘Muddy’, and ‘Professor’ are listed as artist names.) 

If I wanted to, I now know, I could listen to one black American artist each day of the year.

* I was actually two shy, but after buying two songs on iTunes, I was all set.

Cannonball Adderley – Love For Sale

The Ad-Libs – The Boy from New York City

Air – Paille Street

Albert Ammons – Boogie Woogie (Live)

Marian Anderson – Go Down Moses

Louis Armstrong – St. James Infirmary Blues

Eric B. and Rakim – I Ain’t No Joke

Baby Huey – Hard Times

Erykah Badu – Cleva

Lavern Baker – Jim Dandy

Hank Ballard – Work with Me Annie

Afrika Bambaataa – Planet Rock

Band of Gypsys – Who Knows

Count Basie – One O’clock Jump

Jon Batiste – Humanism Redux

Andrew and Jim Baxter – Georgia Stomp

Sidney Bechet – Sweetie Dear

Gladys Bentley – Worried Blues

Chuck Berry – Maybellene

Beyonce – Crazy in Love

Blackstar – Re: Definition

Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle – I’m Just Wild About Harry

Art Blakey – Thunder Drum Suite

Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland – Two Steps from the Blues

Mary J. Blige – I’m Going Down

Boney M. – Rasputin

James Booker – On the Sunny Side of the Street (Live)

Booker T and the MGs – Green Onions

Perry Bradford – Lucy Long

Tiny Bradshaw – She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain

Jackie Brenston – Rocket 88

Big Bill Broonzy – Done Got Wise (Live)

Cleo Brown – Lookie, Lookie Here Comes Cookie

Clifford Brown – Blues Walk

James Brown – Think (Live)

Oscar Brown Jr. – Afro Blue

Richard Rabbit Brown – James Alley Blues

Ruth Brown – 5-10-15 Hours

Buck and Bubbles – Lady Be Good

Buckwheat Zydeco – Ya Ya

Solomon Burke – None of Us Are Free

RL Burnside – Hard Time Killing Floor Blues

Benny Carter – Symphony in Riffs

The Cadillacs – Speedoo

Cab Calloway – Minnie the Moocher

James Carr – Dark Side of the Street

The Chantels – Maybe

Tracy Chapman – Fast Car

Ray Charles – What’d I Say

Chubby Checker – The Twist

Clifton Chenier – Allons A Grand Coteau

The Chocolate Dandies – Dee Blues

The Chords – Sh-Boom

Charlie Christian – Solo Flight

Sonny Clark – Blue Minor

The Coasters – Yakety Yak

Codona – Hey Da Ba Doom

Cozy Cole – Topsy Pt. II

Nat King Cole – Just You Just Me

Ornette Coleman – Congeniality

John Coltrane – Acknowledgement

Arthur Conley – Sweet Soul Music

The Contours – Do You Love Me

Sam Cooke – Wonderful World

Coolio – Gangsta’s Paradise

David ‘Baby’ Cortez – The Happy Organ

Ida Cox – ‘Fore Day Creep (Live)

The Crests – 16 Candles

Crash Crew – On the Radio

The Crows – Gee

The Crystals – He’s a Rebel

Tadd Dameron and Fats Navarro – The Chase

The Danleers – One Summer Night

Miles Davis – Freddie Freeloader

De La Soul – Me, Myself and I

The Dells – Oh What a Night

Bo Diddley – Who Do You Love

Digital Underground – The Humpty Dance

Dixie Hummingbirds – Amazing Grace

Snoop Dogg – Gin and Juice

Eric Dolphy – Gazzelloni

Fats Domino – Ain’t That a Shame

Carl Douglas – Kung Fu Fighting

Dr. Dre – Let Me Ride

The Drifters – Up on the Roof

Johnny Dunn – Ham and Eggs

Earth, Wind and Fire – Shining Star

The Edsels – Rama Lama Ding Dong

The El Dorados – At My Front Door

Duke Ellington – Don’t Get Around Much Anymore

Missy Elliott – We Run This

EPMD – Strictly Business

Sleepy John Estes and Yank Rachell – Expressman Blues

The Exciters – Tell Him

The Fairfield Four – Lonesome Valley

The Fiestas – So Fine

Fishbone – Freddie’s Dead

Fisk Jubilee Singers – Swing Low Sweet Chariot

Ella Fitzgerald – I’ve Got You Under My Skin

The Five Keys – The Glory of Love

The Five Satins – In the Still of the Nite

5 Spirits of Rhythm – I Got Rhythm

Roberta Flack – Killing Me Softly with His Song

The Flamingoes – I Only Have Eyes for You

The Four Tops – Baby I Need Your Loving

Aretha Franklin – Respect

Bobby Freeman – Do You Want to Dance

Fugees – Zealots

Funkadelic – Who Says a Funk Band Can’t Play Rock?

Funky 4+1 – That’s the Joint

JM Gates – Oh Death Where Is Thy Sting

Marvin Gaye – Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wannna Holler)

The Genies – Who’s That Knocking

Geto Boys – Mind Playing Tricks on Me

Gloria Gaynor – I Will Survive

Golden Gate Quartet – Noah

Dizzy Gillespie – Manteca Theme

Renee Elise Goldsberry – Satisfied

Dexter Gordon – Cheese Cake

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five – The Message

Dobie Gray – Drift Away

Al Green – Love and Happiness

Cee Lo Green – Fuck You

Buddy Guy – Damn Right I’ve Got the Blues

The Halos – Nag

Lionel Hampton – Ring Dem Bells

Herbie Hancock – Chameleon

WC Handy – St. Louis Blues

The Harptones – A Sunday Kind of Love

Eddie Harris and Les McCann – Compared to What

Thurston Harris – Little Bitty Pretty One

Johnny Hartman – They Say Love is Wonderful

Coleman Hawkins – Body and Soul

Screamin’ Jay Hawkins – I Put a Spell on You

Ted Hawkins – Big Things

Isaac Hayes – Shaft

Bobby Hebb – Sunny

Fletcher Henderson – Copenhagen

Joe Henderson – Black Narcissus

Rosa Henderson – Hard Hearted Hannah

Andrew Hill – Dedication

Lauryn Hill – Doo Wop (That Thing)

Teddy Hill – Lookie, Lookie Here Comes Cookie

Billie Holiday – Strange Fruit

John Lee Hooker – Boom, Boom

Claude Hopkins – Minor Mania

Lightnin’ Hopkins – Come Go with Me

Lena Horne – Stormy Weather

Whitney Houston – I Will Always Love You

Howlin’ Wolf – Smokestack Lightnin’

Freddie Hubbard – Red Clay

Helen Humes – Blues with Helen (Live)

Alberta Hunter – Sugar

Mississippi John Hurt – Frankie

Bobby Hutcherson – Little B’s Poem

Hasaan ibn Ali – Off My Back Jack

Little Anthony and the Imperials – Tears on My Pillow

The Impressions – People Get Ready

The Ink Spots – If I Didn’t Care

The Isley Brothers – Shout

The Jacks – Why Don’t You Write Me

Jackson 5 – ABC

Christopher Jackson – One Last Time

Janet Jackson – Empty

Jim Jackson – Old Dog Blue

Mahalia Jackson – Move on Up a Little Higher

Michael Jackson – Billie Jean

Ahmad Jamal – Woody ‘n You

Elmore James – Dust My Broom

Etta James – At Last

Rick James – Super Freak

Keith Jarrett – Part II C (Live)

Jay Z – 99 Problems

Wyclef Jean – Perfect Gentleman

Blind Lemon Jefferson – See That My Grave’s Kept Clean

The Jesters – The Wind

The Jewels – Hearts of Stone

The Jive Five – My True Story

Little Willie John – Fever

Blind Willie Johnson – Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground

James P. Johnson – St. Louis Blues

Jimmy Johnson – Fare Thee Honey Blues

Lonnie Johnson – Playing with the Strings

Margaret Johnson – Dead Drunk Blues

Robert Johnson – Hellhound on My Trail

Scott Joplin – Maple Leaf Rag

Louis Jordan – Saturday Night Fish Fry

Jurassic Five – Quality Control

Kansas City Six – Allez-oop (Live)

Kevie Kev – All Night Long (Waterbed)

Alicia Keys – Fallin’

Junior Kimbrough – Work Me Baby

Albert King – Born Under a Bad Sign

BB King – You Upset Me Babe (Live)

Ben E. King – Stand By Me

Chris Thomas King – Hard Time Killing Floor Blues

Gladys Knight – My Imagination

Kool and the Gang – Celebrate

Kendrick Lamar – Loyalty

Leadbelly – In the Pines

Furry Lewis – Kassie Jones Parts 1 and 2

Meade Lux Lewis – Honky Tonk Train Blues (Live)

Ted Lewis – Royal Garden Blues

Fred Longshaw – Chili Pepper

Darlene Love – A Fine, Fine Boy

Jimmie Lunceford – Swingin’ Uptown

Frankie Lymon – Why Do Fools Fall in Love

The Marcels – Blue Moon

The Marvelows – I Do

Moses Mason – John the Baptist

Johnny Mathis – My Funny Valentine

Curtis Mayfield – Superfly

Makaya McCraven – Black Lion

McKinney’s Cotton Pickers – Wherever There’s a Will Baby

Clyde McPhatter – A Lover’s Question

Blind Willie McTell – Statesboro Blues

The Mean Machine – Disco Dream

The Meters – Look-Ka Py Py

Charles Mingus – Boogie Stop Shuffle

Mitchell’s Christian Singers – What More Can Jesus Do (Live)

Modern Jazz Quartet – Bluesology (Live)

Janelle Monae – Dance Apocalyptic

Thelonious Monk – Bemsha Swing

The Monotones – Book of Love

Wes Montgomery – Four on Six

The Moonglows – Sincerely

Jason Moran – Ringing My Phone (Straight Outta Istanbul)

Lee Morgan – Hocus-Pocus

Thomas Morris – Lazy Drag

Jelly Roll Morton – Black Bottom Stomp

Muddy Waters – Hoochie Coochie Man

Nas – NY State of Mind

Oliver Nelson – Hoe Down

Notorious BIG – Juicy

The Nutmegs – Story Untold

NWA – Express Yourself

Odetta – Santy Anno

Leslie Odom Jr. – Wait for It

The O’Jays – Love Train

King Oliver – Dipper Mouth Blues

The Orioles – It’s Too Soon to Know

Shuggie Otis – Strawberry Letter 23

Outkast – B.O.B.

Charlie Parker – Just Friends

Parliament – P. Funk

The Pastels – Been So Long

Charley Patton (‘Masked Marvel’) – Mississippi Boweavil

The Penguins – Earth Angel

Washington Philips – Paul and Silas in Jail

Wilson Pickett – In the Midnight Hour

The Platters – Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

Bud Powell – Ornithology

Billy Preston – That’s the Way God Planned It (Live)

Lloyd Price – Stagger Lee

Prince – When Doves Cry

Professor Longhair – Mardi Gras in New Orleans

Public Enemy – Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos

Sun Ra – Enlightenment

The Rainbows – Mary Lee

Ma Rainey – See See Rider Blues

Ramblin’ Thomas – Poor Boy Blues

The Ravens – Count Every Star

Otis Redding – Dock of the Bay

Jimmy Reed – Big Boss Man

Leo Reisman – Happy as the Day is Long

Little Richard – Long Tall Sally

Max Roach – Freedom Day

Paul Robeson – Deep River

Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson – My My Ain’t That Somethin’

Smokey Robinson – Tracks of My Tears

Sonny Rollins – St. Thomas

The Ronettes – Be My Baby

Run DMC – Walk This Way

Luis Russell – Panama

Sam and Dave – Soul Man

Santigold – LES Artistes

Savoy Bearcats – Sengalese Stomp

Cecil Scott – Bright Boy Blues

Jill Scott – A Long Walk

Gil Scott-Heron – The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

The Sequence – Funk You Up

Tupac Shakur – California Love

Shep and the Limelites – Daddy’s Home

The Shields – You Cheated

The Shirelles – Mama Said

Wayne Shorter – Speak No Evil

The Silhouettes – Get a Job

Horace Silver – Song for My Father

Nina Simone – Mississippi Goddam

Percy Sledge – When a Man Loves a Woman

Memphis Slim – Everyday I Have the Blues

Slum Village – Players

Sly and the Family Stone – Everyday People

Bessie Smith – Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out

Huey ‘Piano’ Smith – Rockin’ Pneumonia

Jimmy Smith – Back at the Chicken Shack

Mamie Smith – Sweet Man o’ Mine

Pinetop Smith – Pinetop’s Boogie Woogie

Trixie Smith – Railroad Blues

Willie ‘Lion’ Smith – Echoes of Spring

Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans – The Bells of St. Mary’s

Esperanza Spalding – Black Gold

The Spaniels – Goodnite Sweetheart Goodnite

The Staple Singers – I’ll Take You There

Edwin Starr – War

Barret Strong – Money

The Students – I’m So Young

Sugarhill Gang – Rapper’s Delight

Donna Summer – I Feel Love

The Supremes – You Keep Me Hangin’ On

Wilbur Sweatman – Indianola

Taj Mahal – The Cuckoo

Art Tatum – Tea for Two

The Temptations – Get Ready

Sonny Terry – Mountain Blues (Live)

Sister Rosetta Tharpe – Rock Me (Live)

Henry Thomas – Old Country Stomp

Big Mama Thornton – Hound Dog

The Treacherous Three – Whip It

A Tribe Called Quest – Vibes and Stuff

The Turbans – When You Dance

Big Joe Turner – Shake, Rattle, and Roll

Ike and Tina Turner – Proud Mary

McCoy Tyner – Passion Dance

The Valentines – Lily Maebelle

The Vandellas – Jimmy Mack

Sarah Vaughan – Misty

The Velvets – I

Veronica – Why Don’t They Let Us Fall in Love

The Videos – Trickle, Trickle

Junior Walker – Shotgun

Fats Waller – Ain’t Misbehavin’

Little Walter – My Babe

William Warfield – Old Man River

Dionne Warwick – Walk on By

Dinah Washington – All of Me

Ethel Waters – There’ll Be Some Changes Made

Chick Webb – Let’s Get Together

Junior Wells – Good Morning Little School Girl

Mary Wells – My Guy

Kanye West – Lost in the World

West Street Mob – Break Dance - Electric Boogie

Randy Weston – African Village Bedford Stuyvesant 2

Barry White – You’re the First, the Last, My Everything

Georgia White – Honey Dipper Blues

Josh White – Jesus Gonna Make Up My Dying Bed

Bert Williams – Brother Low Down

Big Joe Williams – Baby Please Don’t Go

Clarence Williams – My Handy Man

Fess Williams – Do Shuffle

Joe Williams – All Right, Okay, You Win

Larry Williams – Boney Moronie

Mary Lou Williams – Aries

Maurice Williams – Stay

Tony Williams – Vashkar

Cassandra Wilson – I Can’t Stand the Rain

Jackie Wilson – Higher and Higher

Teddy Wilson – It Never Dawned on Me

Bill Withers – Lean on Me

Bobby Womack – Looking for a Love

Stevie Wonder – Superstition

The Wrens – Come Back My Love

Wu-Tang Clan – CREAM

Larry Young – Zoltan

Lester Young – Way Down Yonder in New Orleans