News & Updates — Gil Scott-Heron
Gil Scott-Heron / April 1, 1949 - May 27, 2011
Today is the birthday of one of my very favorites!! The poet/vocalist/songwriter/novelist Gil Scott-Heron was one of the great lyricists of all time, combining the personal and political, and as a vocalist he would weave his stories into the fantastic soul-jazz tunes he cooked up with Brian Jackson. The music contained elements of blues, jazz, Latin and funk, and he has been justly considered a precursor to hip-hop, with GSH's "rapping" delivery and socio-political consciousness. He was inspired by a performance he saw by the Last Poets and released Small Talk At 125th & Lennox in 1970. He started working...