The Pulse of Entertainment: Take 'A Walk on the Wild Side…' From Shanachie Entertainment

LONG BEACH, Calif. - EntSun -- By Dr. Eunice Moseley (www.ThePulseofEntertainment.com)

"It's 50 years old. Started with Irish Traditional (Folk). I started in the 80s and it had…Reggae, African World Music and...Smooth Jazz," said Randall Grass, the general manager and vice president of A&R at Shanachie Entertainment, during my interview with him about the release of  "A Walk on the Wild Side: Classic Tracks from L.A.'s Legendary Central Ave. Scene (1944-1955)" (Shanachie Entertainment).

The "A Walk on the Wild Side…" project offers 12 tracks from that era, and I asked Randall, the producer, how the tracks were selected and he said, "When I selected the tracks, I wanted them all to be in the same direction or mood. You can put it on and stay in the same mood."

"It was a very special time in the Black community," Grass explained about the "mood" of the project as we continued to talk about the tracks on the album. "The L.A. culture is why (music from this era). It was a great period. The Harlem of the west."

"In the early 20s there was a migration of Black folks out the South. A lot of musicians went to Los Angeles," he continued. "As the Black population grew, they were confined to a certain area…South Central L.A. There was lots of discrimination, but lots more opportunities than in the South. Lots of Black entrepreneurs…theatres and hotels. When World War II broke out there was a labor shortage…Blacks had lots of opportunities…this put money into the Black community (in the 40s-50s). It spawned…Jazz, R&B, and Blues (also in Chicago and New Orleans). It had a vibe….a good time…not edgy."

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So that is what is offered on the "A Walk on the Wild Side…" album, 12 tracks of R&B, Blues and Jazz from the 1940s to the 1950s.

"The music of that era was shaped by the experiences of the people…an interchange between Blues and Jazz. Charlie Parker went there. The bands  in L.A. were playing Bebop. Los Angeles is where television and films were created…great opportunities for Blacks."

Shanachie Entertainment is all about uplifting, providing opportunities and highlighting the best in music of all genres.

I became impressed with the history of Shanachie as Randall Grass talked. I know I have been interviewing their artists and musicians since the 90s (or earlier) and I have seen the transition to the different genres. They seem to embrace genres just as that industry needed a boost. Seeing those strategic moves impressed me so much I make sure to support their artists and musicians whenever I see that email from their publicity department in my inbox.

The label became entrenched in Smooth Jazz at one point, so much so that Smooth Jazz became its identifying genre. The label literally took Smooth Jazz to a Contemporary mainstream level.  I noticed how they recently started to embrace R&B, Country and Rock artists. With the public having access to streaming music, which has taken away a big profit amount from those artists and musicians, studies show the Rock and Country genres are growing in revenue despite this. So, when I started to see Rock and Country artists on the label, I suspected that maybe it was a strategic move.

I have also been impressed with the professionalism and dedication from the staff at Shanachie, as a journalism it's like fresh air coming through a just opened door when I deal with them. In talking to their artists/musicians I can tell they have treated them the same, because I get nothing but good feedback. Artists who have been released from Shanachie Entertainment throughout the years amount to many. From the Smooth Jazz genre there is Grammy Award nominated Najee and Richard Elliott; multi-platinum selling Kim Waters; Billboard's "Top Indie Contemporary Jazz Artist of the Year" (1996) Keiko Matsui; two-time Grammy winning Paul Brown; Canadian group Incognito, and Pieces of a Dream. From the Gospel genre the label has signed on seven-time Grammy nominated Vanessa Bell Armstrong; Stellar Award winning Earnest Pugh; Cissy Houston, and Stellar Award winning Kim Burrell. From the Blues genre they have the legendary Chuck Jackson. From the R&B genre there is three-time Grammy nominated Angie Stone, two-time Grammy Award winning Jennifer Holliday and Keke Wyatt, and from the Reggae/World Music genre they have Grammy Award winning Soweto Gospel Choir, Grammy nominated Rita Marley, and Hil St. Soul.

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At the end of September, the "A Walk on the Wild Side: Classic Tracks from L.A.'s Legendary Central Ave. Scene (1944-1955)" was released as a vinyl with the digital copy to be release before the end of the year. Artists who have their material on the new Shanachie project include Charles Mingus, Wardell Gray, Jimmy Witherspoon, Dexter Gordon, Percy Mayfield and Helen Humes. Of the 12 tracks on "A Walk on the Wild Side…" I can say that I am familiar with two of the 12: "Ain't Nobody's Business (If I Do)" by Witherspoon and "These Foolish Things" by Charles Mingus. www.Shanachie.com