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Ambré: Tiny Desk Concert
Ambré: Tiny Desk Concert NoirTube Music 43 Views • 2 years ago

NPR Music is celebrating Black Music Month with an array of brand new Tiny Desk concerts. Together, these artists represent the past, present and future of Black music. This month of carefully curated shows is a celebration of Black artists expressing themselves in ways we've never seen before, and of the Tiny Desk's unique way of showcasing that talent.

Ashley Pointer | June 20, 2023
"I had to represent for New Orleans, ya heard me?" Ambré says nearly midway through her Tiny Desk concert before turning to show the back of her spray-painted t-shirt, revealing a classic photo of rapper Juvenile from his Cash Money era.

Everything Ambré does is intricately detailed, intentional and unapologetically New Orleans. The singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist creates music that's psychedelic, soulful and takes you on a journey. With her band decked out in Dickies fits and surrounded by magnolias, the rising star invites us into her world for a performance that pays homage to the culture of her hometown and its legends.

Accompanied by a dynamic band composed mostly of Tiny Desk alums, Ambré sets the tone with "3 Peat," from her sophomore EP 3000º. The EP is a salute to NOLA's finest — Lil Wayne and Juvenile, who'll be closing out our Black Music Month celebration. She then smoothly transitions into "Wild Life..." a love letter to the 504 before hitting "plenty" and "band practice" from her debut EP Pulp.

It was only right that she closed out the show with "I'm Baby," perhaps her most beloved track and her first No. 1 entry on the Billboard R&B charts. The recording of this performance couldn't have come at a better time — she found out she was nominated for the BET Awards for Best New Artist right after the shoot, all while gearing up to release her follow-up EP who's loving you?, which is out now. If this Tiny Desk happens to be your introduction to Ambré, be prepared to be enraptured.

SET LIST
"3 Peat"
"Wild Life..."
"plenty"
"band practice"
"AMBRÉ'S INTERLUDE"
"I'm Baby"

MUSICIANS
Ambré: vocals, guitar
Deshaun Allen: music director, drums
Devin Smith: keys
Tim Ramsay: bass
Justus West: guitar
Astyn Turrentine: vocals
Viane Escobar: vocals

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Ashley Pointer
Director/Editor: Maia Stern
Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin
Creative Director: Bob Boilen
Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame, Alanté Serene
Audio Assistant: Hannah Gluvna
Photographer: Zayrha Rodriguez
Tiny Desk Team: Suraya Mohamed, Hazel Cills, Sofia Seidel
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

#ambre #nprmusic #tinydesk

Usher: Tiny Desk Concert
Usher: Tiny Desk Concert NoirTube Music 34 Views • 2 years ago

This year, NPR Music is celebrating Black Music Month with an array of brand new Tiny Desk concerts — both from home and from behind our beloved Desk. Together, these artists represent the past, present and future of Black music. This month of carefully curated shows is a celebration of Black artists expressing themselves in ways we've never seen before, and of the Tiny Desk's unique way of showcasing that talent.

Bobby Carter | June 30, 2022
"We celebrate Black Music Month. This has been Black magic." Truer words may have never been spoken behind the Tiny Desk as R&B goliath Usher caps off our month-long celebration of Black music, highlighting a catalog chock-full of hits spanning 25 years. It's been over two years since NPR headquarters was abuzz with chatter of a legend in the building. After an early morning rehearsal for his set at the Something in the Water Festival in Washington, D.C., he made his way over to deliver an unforgettable performance.

Usher and his band, all dipped in black, set it off with an introduction over a funky horn-laced instrumental reminiscent of a Blaxploitation flick. They keep that groove going right into a reworked version of his 1997 breakout single, "You Make Me Wanna..." Twenty-five years later, Usher sits arguably as the king of R&B. Between 2000 and 2010, there was no debate whatsoever, with his string of records that included the biggest R&B album of the 21st century, Confessions.

What he's done in the vocal booth is only half of his claim to fame. The stage is where he's continued to shine as he prepares for the second leg of his Las Vegas residency. This loose and playful set touches on his many career phases; the crooning, the deeply personal, the club bangers and even the Tik Tok challenges indicate that he could just be reaching his prime. Recently, we've heard plenty of hot takes, wild battles and social media fodder about who sits at the mountaintop in the world of R&B. Usher Raymond has entered the chat.

SET LIST
"You Make Me Wanna..."
"Superstar"
"U Don't Have to Call"
"Nice & Slow"
"Confessions Part II"
"My Way"

MUSICIANS
Usher: vocals
Eric Bellinger: vocals
Vedo: vocals
Dmitry Gorodetsky: bass
Lemar Guillary: trombone
Brandyn Phillips: trumpet
Jay Flat: saxophone
Darek Cobbs: keys
Erick Walls: guitar
Ryan Carr: drums

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Bobby Carter
Audio Recording & Mix Engineer: Josh Rogosin
Director: Kara Frame
Editor: Michael Zamora
Series Creator: Bob Boilen
Videographers: Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant, Michael Zamora, Pierre Kattar, Alanté Serene
Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer
Tiny Desk Team: Suraya Mohamed, Marissa Lorusso, Hazel Cills, Jill Britton, Joby Tanseco, Maia Stern
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

#tinydesk #usher #BMM

GIVĒON: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert
GIVĒON: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert NoirTube Music 31 Views • 2 years ago

NPR Music's Tiny Desk series will celebrate Black History Month by featuring four weeks of Tiny Desk (home) concerts and playlists by Black artists spanning different genres and generations each week. The lineup includes both emerging and established artists who will be performing a Tiny Desk concert for the first time. This celebration highlights the beautiful cornucopia of Black music and our special way of presenting it. We hope you enjoy.

Sidney Madden | February 9, 2021
"Just bear with me while I just enjoy this and soak in it," GIVĒON admits with a laugh. Switching between the demeanors of a seasoned, nonchalant crooner and a giddy-grinned newbie, the fast-rising R&B star makes a point to show his humility during his long-awaited debut at Tiny Desk.

Accompanied by a minimal, masked-up band and only one background vocalist (a fellow Pisces at that), the baby-face baritone fills the set with resonance and light. He radiates gratitude with every note. Against a blue, moody backsplash of projected music video stills, GIVĒON notes the divine timing of this performance. "Any moment to do this would be special," he says between songs, "but I think Black History Month ... just celebrating Black culture for this month, I'm really excited to get to do this on this platform."

Through the throes of the pandemic, GIVĒON has remained remarkably busy. In a span of eight months, the Long Beach, Calif. newcomer has released two solid EPs, the Grammy-nominated Take Time and When It's All Said And Done. (The latter included one of our favorite songs of 2020, "Still Your Best.") For his Tiny Desk (home) concert, he borrows from each project to arrange a tantalizing 14-minute sampler — showing off just enough to get you to do your Googles and discover more.

Much like the moment he's trying to savor, GIVĒON's strength as a singer-songwriter is his ability to make his listener feel suspended in time. As fans quickly discovered on his breakthrough "Chicago Freestyle" feature last year, the peaks and valleys of GIVĒON's tone and the satisfying patterns of his runs don't just serenade; They immerse, they engulf. GIVĒON's star rising during a time of such sustained uncertainty is no accident, either. Between vulnerable storytelling and clear vocals, GIVĒON's work provides so many with what they're craving right now: intimacy and consistency.

SET LIST
"THE BEACH"
"LIKE I WANT YOU"
"Stuck On You"

MUSICIANS
GIVĒON: vocals
Deondre Ellis: keys
Ivan Chatman: bass
Andre Montgomery: drums
James Murray: guitar
RaVaughn Brown: vocals

CREDITS
Video: Jan Lim, Mitchell Schultz, Will Houlihan
Producer: Zack Warren
Director: Eric Longden
Audio: Jeremy Gray, Reggie Jones, Al Richardson

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Bobby Carter
Video Producer: Maia Stern
Audio Mastering: Josh Rogosin
Art Director: CJ Riculan
Tiny Production Team: Bob Boilen, Kara Frame, Morgan Noelle Smith
Executive Producer: Lauren Onkey
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

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