The loneliness and longing of Luther Vandross; plus Grammy winner Samara Joy
The loneliness and longing of Luther Vandross; plus Grammy winner Samara Joy
Update: It turns out we might be a good luck charm — the weekend after we published this interview with Samara Joy, she won best best jazz vocal album and best new artist at the Grammys!
From "A House Is Not A Home" to "The Glow of Love," Luther Vandross' catalogue of music has become a staple for weddings, family reunions and graduations. He also laid the groundwork for many of the artists nominated at this year's Grammy Awards, from Beyoncé to Mary J. Blige.
While Luther changed the sound of R&B and brought ballads to epic new heights, he doesn't have the same icon status as some of his collaborators and contemporaries like Whitney Houston or Aretha Franklin.
20 years after Luther's last live concert, Brittany is joined by Craig Seymour, author of "Luther: The Life and Longing of Luther Vandross" to discuss his impact and why he isn't often placed on the "Mount Rushmore" of American music.
Then, Brittany jazzes it up with two-time Grammy nominee Samara Joy. Samara talks vocalese and how she's bridging generations with her unique sound.
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This episode of 'It's Been a Minute' was produced by Barton Girdwood, Jessica Mendoza, Alexis Williams, Liam McBain and Corey Antonio Rose. Our intern is Jamal Michel. Engineering Support came from Ted Mebane and Gilly Moon. We had fact-checking help from Candice Vo Kortkamp. It was edited by Jessica Placzek. Our executive producer is Veralyn Williams. Our VP of programming is Yolanda Sangweni and our senior VP of programming is Anya Grundmann.