Happy 85th Birthday to Bill Withers! Bill left us five years ago but his musical legacy as one of America's greatest singer-songwriters is permanent. He is one of my all-time favorite singers and his soulful, storytelling style of music carved out a unique career....
Marion’s Favorites: First Circle by Pat Metheny Group
by MHill | Oct 17, 2022 | Marion's Favorites, Music Reviews, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
About two years ago, I posted my ten favorite albums on Instagram. As a music lover, it was one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make. My ten favorite albums: 1) Tiempos by Ruben Blades 2) Brother Sister by The Brand New Heavies 3) Buena Vista Social Club by...
Stevie Wonder & Sting Sings Fragile
by MHill | Oct 15, 2022 | Marion's Favorites, Music Reviews, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
I love a good rendition of a song. It is something about another musician taking one of their contemporaries music and presenting it in a new way. Stevie Wonder does it with Sting's song Fragile from his 1987 Nothing Like The Sun album. This is from Sting's 2nd solo...
Think! by Lonnie Smith
by MHill | Oct 13, 2022 | Marion's Favorites, Music Reviews, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
Over the past several months, I have wanted to listen to 1960s Jazz Music. It started when I purchased Wayne Shorter's Night Dreamer and got Horace Silver's Song For My Father a few days later. I recently bought Lee Morgan's Sidewinder (I saw the documentary on...
Happy Birthday Sting
by MHill | Oct 3, 2022 | Marion's Favorites, Music Reviews, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
Happy 71st Birthday Sting! Sting is one of my favorite musicians and I have listened to his music for over 30 years. He is on my first line of musicians that I listen to regularly. The list includes The Pat Metheny Group, Incognito, Brand New Heavies, Ronny...
Happy Birthday Wayne Shorter
by MHill | Aug 26, 2022 | Marion's Favorite Books, Marion's Favorites, Music Reviews, Nonfiction, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
Today is the legendary jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter's 89th birthday. Many in the jazz community and music at large consider him the greatest saxophonist post-Coltrane and one of America's greatest composers. For nearly seven decades, Wayne Shorter has composed...
My 13 Year Old Daughter Is A Fan of In The Air Tonight by Phil Collins
by MHill | Aug 1, 2022 | Marion's Favorites, Music Reviews, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
My soon-to-be 13 year old daughter, Norah, made an interesting comment yesterday as we were doing Saturday errands. I was trying to decide on what music to play in the car as we drove around town. “Daddy, why you don’t you play Phil Collins?” she said. “Phil Collins,”...
Happy Birthday Miles Davis!
by MHill | May 27, 2022 | Marion's Favorites, Music Reviews, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
Today would have been Miles Davis' 96th birthday. I've been listening to his music over the past couple of days. Considering the week that we've had as a country and on a personal level, Davis' music has become a balm. Songs like the classic So What & Freddie...
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 107: Celia: Mi Vida by Celia Cruz & Ana Cristina Reymundo
by MHill | May 20, 2022 | 2022 Book Reviews, Book Reviews, Hispanic Heritage Month, Marion's Favorite Books, Marion's Favorites, Marion's Reading Life Blog, Music Reviews, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
As a music lover, there are some songs you hear and immediately make you want to dance. Even if you cannot dance, the song commands you to move your body to the beat. The Queen of Salsa (La Reina de la Salsa), Celia Cruz, has many songs that fit the prior...
Marion’s Favorites: Mary J. Blige’s My Life Documentary
by MHill | Jul 27, 2021 | Marion's Favorites, Movie Reviews, Music Reviews, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
Mary J. Blige's My Life is one of my top ten favorite albums and one of the most important R&B albums to be recorded in the last thirty years. Blige's pain and vulnerability soars throughout the entire album and how sings over strong hip-hop beats makes it a...