On those days when I am aimlessly scratching about in my notebook, music saves me. The lyrics of a song get the ceiling fan inside my head spinning. And before you know it, I’m inside a groove, propelled forward, in conversation with the artist.
Here’s a playlist I just created for writing days. Let me know what you think. Please share what you listen to on those long nights when the deadline is dawn.
Try these:
“Redbone”: Awaken, My Love. Childish Gambino
“Wrote My Way Out”: The Hamilton Mixtape. Nas, Dave East, Lin-Manuel Miranda &
“Nightmare Bush’It Whirl”: Variations in Time: A Jazz Perspective. Amina & Amiri Baraka
“Old Man River”: Aretha Franklin. Laughing on the Outside (Remastered)
“Alright”: Kendrick Lamar. To Pimp a Butterfly
“Melatonin”: A Tribe Called Quest. We Got it From Here…Thank You 4 Your Service
“Borderline (An Ode to Self Care): Solange. A Seat at the Table
“Purple”: ThiDaniel. Purple
“Love and Happiness”: Al Green. Greatest Hits
“Flamenco Sketches”: Miles Davis. Kind of Blue
“Ne Me Quitte Pas”: Nina Simone. The Best of Nina Simone
“Thieves in the Temple”: Prince. The Very Best of Prince
“Feel Like Making Love”: Roberta Flack. The Very Best of Roberta Flack
“Higher Ground”:Stevie Wonder. Number 1’s
“Baltimore”: Jazmine Sullivan. Nina Revisited: A Tribute to Nina Simone